Digital Commons Network^™

Teachers’ Efficacy And Perceived Role In Dropout Prevention, Brent O'Rourke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Researchers have studied potential reasons behind high school dropout for many years. This research has primarily focused on characteristics inherent to the student and has typically labeled them as being the main determinants for why students decide to drop out. Certainly student characteristics are important when looking at dropout, however there are other factors external to the student that may contribute to their leaving school. One such factor would be other individuals that students deal with on a daily basis while at school. Teachers may play a very important role in preventing school dropout. By interacting positively with students, especially …

Forty Years Of Originalism, Joel Alicea

Scholarly Articles

While Professor Noah Feldman has underlined the role Justice Hugo Black played in the development of modern originalism, it was not until Bork's article in 197 1 that the modern originalist movement took flight. [...]having just passed the 40th anniversary of that landmark essay, it is appropriate that we survey how modern originalism began, how it has changed, and what challenges lie ahead. According to Bork, judicial review by the Warren Court was founded on a flawed premise: that courts must "'make fundamental value choices' in order to 'protect our constitutional rights and liberties.'" But if the Constitution already makes …

Meanwhile, In The West: Early Pueblo Communities In Southeastern Utah, James R. Allison, Winston B. Hurst, Jonathan D. Till, Donald C. Irwin

Faculty Publications

The early Pueblo settlement of what is now southeastern Utah exhibits patterns that complement and contrast with trends in better-known regions such as southwestern Colorado (see Wilshusen et al., Chapter 2). Shortcomings in the current data limit the detail we can include in this description, but a number of patterns are clear. This chapter elucidates the patterned variability in the area's settlement strategies, the basic trends associated with social organization, and the basic demographic trends through time. We hope to develop, in the end, a basic historical narrative for these last centuries of the first millennium.

Kant And A Problem Of Motivation, David Jensen

Faculty Publications

In The Moral Problem, Michael Smith argues that there is an on-going tension in discussions among moral philosophers between the putative objectivity of morality, the practicality of moral judgments, and Hume’s view of motivation.¹ From an agent’s point of view, putatively objective claims imply cognitivism, the view that moral judgments express beliefs about the way the world is morally.² But if moral judgments are practical and on Hume’s view of motivation dependent on the desires of an agent, then from a moral standpoint, we risk making claims that the agent cannot be motivated to act upon.³ In …

The Physico-Chemical Investigation Of Interfacial Properties In Natural Fiber/Vinyl Ester Biocomposites, Shanshan Huo

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Bast fibers are one of most widely used types of cellulosic natural fibers. Flax fibers, a specific type of bast fiber, have historically been used as reinforcements in composites because they offer competitive advantages, including environmental and economic benefits, over mineral-based reinforcing materials. However, the poor interfacial properties due to the hydrophilicity of flax fibers and the hydrophobicity of most polymer matrices reduce the mechanical performance of flax thermoset composites. On the other hand, the structure of flax fiber is more complex than synthetic fibers, which causes most of traditional mechanical tests from the transverse direction to evaluate the interfacial …

North Dakota Climate Bulletin: Vol. 6, No. 2 (Spring 2012), Adnan Akyuz

North Dakota Quarterly Climate Bulletin

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Horticultural Therapy On Students Who Are At-Risk, Jason Thomas

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between self-esteem; and grade point average among at-risk high school students in Hampton Roads, Virginia, who spent time in a Horticultural Therapy program to determine if the program; should be expanded.

Determining The Relationship Between Employee Morale And Management Practices Of An Organization In The Aerospace Industry, Balenda F. Fulton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation was designed to measure employee morale and to examine the relationship between employee morale and employee perceptions of the effectiveness of the morale intervention and management practices. The managers of the repair facility at an organization in the aerospace industry disputed the accuracy of the results of the 2008 company survey that indicated the majority of employees had low satisfaction levels with the work environment and managers. In 2009, the managers of the repair facility implemented an employee morale-intervention program to increase employees’ satisfaction levels and ultimately improve worker morale.

A correlational design was utilized to explore …

A Study Of The Leadership Dimensions Of National Distinguished Principals, Judith Mccollum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The identification and recruitment of effective school principals who can transform schools in the midst of today’s chaotic economic, social, and global environments require a thorough understanding of the research on effective leadership. Current research indicates that principals who exhibit transformational leadership and, most recently, instructional leadership, are the most successful by all measures, including school climate, teacher empowerment, community support, and high student performance results.

This study focused on a sample of principals from a population who recently received the distinction of a National Distinguished Principal (NDP) to determine if a correlation existed between their leadership dimensions and that …

Impact Of A Supplemental Instruction Model On The Mathematics Skills Of College Students, Cara S. Harrell

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation was designed to determine if a supplemental tool would improve the achievement of students enrolled in an introductory college mathematics course. The study was conducted to determine if students who were exposed to a mathematical model would learn information at a more significant level than those students who did not use the mathematical model.

Four research questions were investigated. During this study, 53 students were members of the experimental group and control groups. Eight individuals were part of the evaluation committee. The experimental group consisted of 26 participants who were exposed to the mathematical model, and the …

An Assessment Of Administrator Perceptions Regarding Undergraduate Accelerated Degree Programs For Adults, Honour H. Moore

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to identify perceptions of undergraduate accelerated degree programs for working adults held by chief academic officers and accelerated program deans or directors and to determine if a national accreditation process would enhance those perceptions. Available research on time shortened learning formats was reviewed and analyzed as it pertained to the history and perceptions of such programs. Five areas were identified to measure attitudes toward accelerated programs: instructional hours as a measure of academic quality, faculty quality and teaching skill, assessment of student learning and program effectiveness, relationship of program to parent institution, and …

Photography, Steelman Library, Chad Neuman

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Mass Communication, Steelman Library, Robert Scott Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Bint 3523 Arc Fa12, Melissa Archer

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Old Testament Survey, Steelman Library, Gerry White Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Old Testament Survey, Steelman Library, Gerry White Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Principal Leadership On New Teacher Retention Rates, James A. Avila

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide increased knowledge of the effect of principal leadership on new teacher retention. When compared to other mobility rates, the new teacher attrition rate is higher; new teachers leave the school systems at faster rates than they can be replaced (Darling-Hammond & Sykes, 2003; Ingersoll & Smith, 2003; “NEA Study,” 2005; “Support new teachers and keep them teaching,” 2005; Watkins, 2005). The failure to retain new teachers often results in fewer quality teachers and poorer levels of instruction (Brown & Wynn, 2009). This study speculates that principal leadership, specifically instructional leadership, directly affects new …

The Effects Of A Mentoring Program On Minority Student Science Achievement, William J. Belle

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to test the theory that a comprehensive science mentoring program would help low income, minority, and other at-risk students improve their attitudes toward science and their test performance in science in Grade 5. The study research questions focused on (a) How did mentoring improve achievement in science? (b) What evidence illustrated whether those students mentored in science showed improvement in perceptions or experiences? (c) How did the students’ attitudes and appreciation change by the end of the mentoring program?

The researcher used an experimental research design for a single group. The design included pretest-posttest. Participants …

Identification And Characterization Of Fibrous Zeolites In Western North Dakota, Jason Triplett

Environmental and Conservation Sciences

The fibrous zeolite mineral erionite is a concern due to its potential for causing lung disease in humans. Studies have shown that exposure to altered volcanic bedrock containing erionite may be the explanation for a high lung disease rate throughout regions of the world (Metintas et al., 1999). Erionite was reported by Forsman (1986) as occurring in tuffaceous rock units of the Arikaree Formation in the Killdeer Mountains of western North Dakota. Rock and soil samples were collected where zeolite minerals are known or suspected to be present including North and South Killdeer Mountains in Dunn County and West and …

But The Roots Remain: The Wisconsin Progressives In The Great Depression And Post-War Era, Daniel David Mccollum

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

This work is concerned with the development of the Progressives, a political faction of the Republican Party which was active in Wisconsin during the first half of the 20th century, throughout the Great Depression, and the Post-War era. It was during this period that the Progressives broke with the Republican Party, formed the Progressive Party and gained control of the state from 1934 through 1938, before finally dissolving in 1946, with many members moving into the Democratic Party, where they rejuvenated that moribund state party. This work, furthermore, focuses on the those Progressive leaders who operated in Wisconsin’s northern counties, …

Pegylated Silicon Nanowire Coated Silica Microparticles For Drug Delivery Across Intestinal Epithelium, Vuk Uskoković, Phin-Peng Lee, Laura Walsh, Kathleen Fischer, Tejal Dasai

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Composite particles made by growing nanoscopic silicon wires from the surface of monodispersed, microsized silica beads were tested in this study for their ability to affect the integrity and permeability of an epithelial cell layer. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is known to sterically stabilize particles and prevent protein binding; as such, it is a routine way to impart in vivo longevity to drug carriers. The effect of the silica beads, both with and without silicon nanowires and PEG, on the disruption of the tight junctions in Caco-2 cells was evaluated by means of: (a) analysis of the localization of zonula occludens-1 …

Choreographing The Adenylyl Cyclase Signalosome: Sorting Out The Partners And The Steps, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Amy S. Bogard, Robert Gros

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Adenylyl cyclases are a ubiquitous family of enzymes and are critical regulators of metabolic and cardiovascular function. Multiple isoforms of the enzyme are expressed in a range of tissues. However, for many processes, the adenylyl cyclase isoforms have been thought of as essentially interchangeable, with their impact more dependent on their common actions to increase intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate content regardless of the isoform involved. It has long been appreciated that each subfamily of isoforms demonstrate a specific pattern of “upstream” regulation, i.e., specific patterns of ion dependence (e.g., calcium-dependence) and specific patterns of regulation by kinases (protein kinase A …

Biological Effects Of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide/Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide Receptor 1 (Vpac1) And Vpac2 On Chemotaxis And Its Regulation Of The Tumor Suppressor Ikaros In Leukemic T Cells, Travis Van Der Steen

Chemistry and Biochemistry

One in three children diagnosed with cancer has leukemia. Leukemia patients with mutations in the tumor suppressor transcription factor Ikaros (IK), an anti-leukemic factor that is critical for the development of blood cells; have a poor prognosis despite modern chemotherapy. There is, therefore, a critical need to understand the biology of IK. Research by our laboratory has identified a neurotransmitter, called vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which blocks proliferation through one of its receptors (vasoactive intestinal peptide/pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide receptor 1(VPAC1)), but blocks apoptosis through a second inducible receptor (VPAC2), while both receptors have chemotactic properties in primary T …

Hindutva Movement: Burkean Examination Of Violence As Retributive Justice, Ramya Chandrasekaran

Communication

The thesis examines the Hindutva movement as a rhetorical text to understand how it contributes to the rhetorical study of social movements. The Hindutva movement is a mass movement that has grown in influence and in number in the last thirty years and its final goal is to wage a battle to create a Hindu rashtra (nation) in India with a monolithic Hindu culture. The rhetorical texts of V.D. Savarkar and M.S. Golwalkar are analyzed with Burkean guiltredemption-purification cycle. These rhetorical tools provide an insight into the guiding question of this thesis: how Savarkar and Golwalkar use rhetoric in ways …

Capacitated Transshipment Models For Predicting Signaling Pathways, Ritika Sahni

Computer Science

Signal transduction is a process of transmitting signals for controlling biological responses. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) data, containing signal transduction proteins, can be considered as a bi-directional, weighted network with the proteins as nodes, the interactions between them as edges, and the confidence score of the interaction as weights on edges. If the edges of this network are given a capacity of one, and if the starting and ending proteins are the supply and demand nodes, then this problem can be modeled as a capacitated transshipment model with pathways as the solutions. Our application concerns finding the signaling pathways for …

Application For Capturing Potential Tardiness In Operating Room Suites, Bethlehem Abera Gronneberg

Computer Science

This paper describes the design, architecture and implementation of a Dashboard Application, a tool developed to capture the potential tardiness in Operating Room (OR) Suites. The paper is focused on developing an automated application which is intended to monitor and display the progress of multiple out-patients on the day of their elective surgery as they advance from admission to the pre-operative stages leading up to their final destination of the operating room. The application will display OR patients’ real-time location, the time they entered at that location and the time remaining for their scheduled surgery once they arrive at the …

Evaluation Of A Novel Means To Euthanize Piglets, Richelle Lorraine Miller

Animal Sciences

Research was conducted to evaluate a novel means to euthanize piglets utilizing electromagnetic energy. Experiment 1 assessed if electromagnetic energy could result in a euthanized piglet and Experiment 2 evaluated states of consciousness of piglets. During Experiment 1, six piglets were exposed to 40 seconds of electromagnetic energy (EME). Respiration rate was reduced to zero in each piglet immediately following EME and unassisted death occurred after heart rate ceased within 4.8 minutes after EME in five of the six piglets. Treatments during Experiment 2 included EME for 3, 6, or 9 seconds. State of consciousness and treatment interaction affected (P < 0.01) electroencephalogram amplitude and power. State of consciousness affected (P < 0.01) electroencephalogram frequency and heart rate. Treatment and EME interaction also affected internal body and head surface temperatures (P < 0.01). Piglets exposed to 9 seconds EME had higher (P < 0.01) body temperature compared with other treatments.

Using Lidar Derived Information For Predicting Beaver Dam Site Selection At Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Sean Joseph Lofgren

Natural Resources Management

Characterizing features that influence beaver (Castor Canadensis) to select a site to construct a dam may have important implications for managing damage to select stands of bottomland hardwood forest by beaver activity. This study was initiated to determine and develop a quick and simple approach for managers to determine areas of most concern. Advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) was collected for the study area in November of 2009. The study utilized software that has been developed to extract topographic features from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The extracted data was used to identify landscape variables to try and specify …

Ben E. Rich: Sharing The Gospel Creatively, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The life and missionary work of Ben E. Rich. President of the Southern States Mission and the States Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

Clothed With Salvation: The Garden, The Veil, Tabitha, And Christ, Dan Belnap, Daniel Belnap

Faculty Publications

Sandwiched between the account of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 and Peter’s vision of the Gentiles in Acts 10 is the story of the raising of Tabitha. While staying in the town of Lydda, Peter, the presiding disciple of Christ, is approached by two individuals from the neighboring city of Joppa with the request that he come and attend to the then-deceased Tabitha. When he gets there, he is met by widows weeping and wailing over Tabitha’s departure. We know practically nothing of Tabitha except that she is a believer and a woman “full of good works and almsdeeds” (Acts …