Digital Commons Network^™

Publish And Flourish, Stephen K. Taylor

Faculty Publications

At primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), teaching is usually the primary responsibility, and many PUI professors do not regularly produce publications, even if they were hired to include research as an important responsibility. Most instructors at these schools are busy enough with just teaching and other academic responsibilities. It can seem intimidating to think of doing research, writing a research proposal, then a publication, and so on. Perhaps the sum of these duties may seem like a daunting set of tasks, and a "fear factor," consciously or subconsciously, may slow or even stop the research initiative. But at PUIs, it is …

Entering Student Affairs: A Comparative Study Of Graduate School Choice, Norma Mertz, Ellen Eckman, Terrell Strayhorn

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

This article describes the college choice process of graduate students in College Student Personnel programs at a public university and a private religiously affiliated university. Despite differences in size, mission, and location of the two institutions studied, the research findings show that respondent populations were similar demographically and in the factors important to their choice of college, their reasons for choosing the field of student affairs, and the processes they used to select a graduate school.

Using Self Organizing Maps To Analyze Demographics And Swing State Voting In The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, Paul T. Pearson, Cameron I. Cooper

Faculty Publications

Emergent self-organizing maps (ESOMs) and k-means clustering are used to cluster counties in each of the states of Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio by demographic data from the 2010 United States census. The counties in these clusters are then analyzed for how they voted in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, and political strategies are discussed that target demographically similar geographical regions based on ESOM results. The ESOM and k-means clusterings are compared and found to be dissimilar by the variation of information distance function.

Examining The Molluscan Biostratigraphy Of The Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation, Montana, Julie Amundsen

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

The "Judith River beds" were discovered by F.V. Hayden in 1855. F.B. Meek helped classified the specimens that Hayden had collected. In the documentations Meek and Hayden, the specimens were collected from the “Judith River Badlands.”' There was no documentation on where in the Judith River Formation the specimens were collected by Hayden. Subsequently, Stanton and Hatcher (1905) collected specimens from the Judith River Formation and documented where in the formation the specimens were located. Correlating the distribution of the species identified by Stanton and Hatcher could lead to a hypothesis of where in the Judith River Formation Hayden had …

The Effects Of 17Α-Ethynylestradiol (Ee2) On Gonadal Development And Differentiation In The Estuarine Killifish, Fundulus Heteroclitus, Ibrahim Chehade

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Endocrine disrupting substances (EDSs) comprise a wide variety of chemicals that perturb normal endocrine function including developmental and reproductive processes in vertebrates. The synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE₂) is a commonly-used model EDS because of its environmental relevance and its effects on the reproductive endocrine system. Early life-stage exposure of fish to estrogenic EDSs causes effects such as intersex (ovotestes in males) and feminization. This study aims to confirm the period of gonadal differentiation in the estuarine killifish or mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) and to determine the sensitivity of gonadal development to EE₂. Artificially-regressed mummichog were spawned, and …

Studies On Waterborne Cadmium Exposure To Lymnaea Stagnalis In Varying Water Qualities And The Development Of A Novel Tissue Residue Approach, Nish M. Pais

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Recent studies have shown that the use of bioaccumulation (tissue residues) as a predictor for toxic effects for metals is a flawed concept.Adams et al. (2010) suggested a novel tissue residue approach (TRA) in which bioaccumulation in resistant organismsis related to toxic effects in sensitive organisms. The goal of this thesis was to test these assumptions in relation to Cd exposure using the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis by developing and improving the understanding of Cd accumulationin aquatic invertebrates.

The relationship between Cd bioaccumulation and its toxicity was studied in L. stagnalisusing acute (96h) and chronic (one month) …

Examining Associations Between Classroom Environment And Processes And Early Mathematics Performance From Pre-Kindergarten To Kindergarten., Victoria J. Molfese, Todd Brown, Jill L. Adelson, Jennifer Beswick, Jill Jacobi-Vessels, Lana Thomas, Melissa Ferguson, Brittany Culver

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

One benefit of the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001) has been the increasing attention on the importance of the skills learned in the pre-kindergarten period for later academic achievement. There is a growing awareness that mathematics skills in kindergarten and beyond are influenced by the formal and informal mathematics skills acquired in the pre-kindergarten classroom. In recent years, a body of research has emerged pointing to the contributions to children’s learning from pre-kindergarten program quality as indexed by structure and process elements in the classroom. Results from this study point to three major findings. First, the growth of mathematics …

The Ethics Of Amos In Light Of Its Ancient Near Eastern Context, Mark D. Arnold

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The book of Amos, in a fashion almost preternaturally relevant to contemporary conditions, discusses issues of war and welfare. Amos condemns several foreign nations for various war crimes and then turns to Israel, excoriating it for its mistreatment of the poor. Specifically he indicts the wealthy for enacting policies that created new poor while preventing the old poor from regaining their rightful positions in society. Israel’s elite used economic and judicial methods to enrich themselves at the expense of the vast majority of the population. As a result, Amos predicts the destruction of Israel just as he predicted the destruction …

The Meaning Of Mcintyre, Adam N. Steinman

Faculty Scholarship

When certiorari was granted in J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro, 131 S. Ct. 2780 (2011), many hoped that the Supreme Court would provide much-needed clarification to the area of personal jurisdiction. It didn’t. The Court failed to generate a majority opinion, splitting into Justice Kennedy’s four-Justice plurality, Justice Breyer’s two-Justice concurrence, and Justice Ginsburg’s three-Justice dissent.

This essay – for the Southwestern Journal of International Law’s 2012 symposium “Our Courts and the World: Transnational Litigation and Procedure” – examines how state and federal courts have been using the McIntyre decision. Some lower court opinions have mistakenly interpreted McIntyre as …

A Note On India’S Attempt To Reconcile Diversity And Intellectual Property Issues, Srividhya Ragavan

Faculty Scholarship

For developing countries, the concept of diversity holds great promises not least because of the protection it promises for the fast depleting natural resources leading to catastrophic effect on the environment. The concept of diversity also holds great promises from a trade perspective. In reality, appropriate protection of diversity can be the solution to balance the effects of the trade regime to achieve sustainable development. The term sustainable development, as opposed to rapid pockets of development, embodies great promises for the socio-political framework in poorer nations, apart from the obvious benefit of sustainability. In fact, sustainable development, if it ensues, …

The Confucian Challenge To Intellectual Property Reforms, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

Written for a special issue on intellectual property and culture, this essay examines the longstanding claim that culture presents a major barrier to intellectual property reforms. In the context of Asia -- China, in particular -- that claim invokes Confucianism, a non-Western culture, to account for the region's -- or the country's -- continued struggle with massive piracy and counterfeiting problems. The claim draws on a century-old tradition of condemning Confucianism for being antithetical to Western modernity.

The first half of this essay focuses on the Confucian challenge to intellectual property reforms in China. Drawing on the important distinction between …

Thermosensitive Magnetic Nanoparticles For Self-Controlled Hyperthermia Cancer Treatment, Karen S. Martirosyan

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Magnetic nanoparticles show remarkable phenomena such as superparamagnetism, high field irreversibility and high saturation magnetization [1]. The study of magnetic nanoparticles has been a very active research field due to many important applications such as drug delivery, imaging and hyperthermia cancer treatment [2]. Hyperthermia has been used for many years to treat a wide variety of tumors in patients and used as well as an adjunct to cancer radiotherapy or chemotherapy [3,4]. Its use is based on the fact that tumor cells are more sensitive to temperature in the range of 42–45°C (which yields necrosis, coagulation, or carbonization) than normal …

Cartelizing Taxes: Understanding The Oecd's Campaign Against Harmful Tax Competition, Andrew P. Morriss, Lotta Moberg

Faculty Scholarship

Formed in 1961 to promote global economic and social well-being, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has become the collective voice of rich countries on international tax issues. After an initial focus on improving commerce through addressing double taxation issues, the organization shifted to a focus on restricting tax competition and increasing automatic exchanges of tax information. In this paper we analyze the reasons for this shift in policy focus. After describing the history of the OECD's work on taxation, we examine the OECD's project against "harmful tax competition" as it has played out since its launch in …

Systematics, Diversity, And Origins Of Upper Cretaceous Continental Molluscan Fauna In The Infra- And Intertrappean Strata Of The Deccan Plateau, Central India, Marron J. Bingle-Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The Deccan Plateau in western and central India has been a major area of interest for researchers since the 1800s. In 1840, James Sowerby described the molluscan collection sent to him by John Malcolmson. In 1860, Stephen Hislop identified new molluscan species and redescribed based on better preserved material. Although this seminal work was comprehensive, interpretations have changed since the mid 1800s. Species need to be reassigned to current and/or accurate taxa, as well as revalidated statistically. Seventeen character traits were measured on over 600 specimens from five eastern Deccan Plateau localities representing a stratigraphic and temporal sequence. Cluster analysis …

Characterizing Dissolved Organic Matter And Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, And Pb2+ Binding In Salt Water And Implications For Toxicity, Rachael L. Diamond

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The binding of metal to dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments is important in controlling the bioavailability and potential toxicity of metals such as Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The purpose of this research is to: (i) quantify binding capacity to different sources of marine organic matter at environmentally relevant concentrations; (ii) test fluorescence quenching and voltammetric method for use in seawater conditions and; (iii) compare predicted speciation parameters with toxicological observations in the same samples.

Information regarding the solubility of copper and copper compounds is important for risk assessment and can be …

Laboratory Methods For The Advancement Of Wastewater Treatment Modeling, Holly E. Gray

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To achieve the low levels of total phosphorus required in wastewater treatment plant effluent all chemical forms of phosphorus should be removed. The most refractory phosphorus in terms of removal is so-called “organic phosphorus”. This thesis explores potential relationships between dissolved organic matter and organic phosphorus and methods of removing organic phosphorus from waste water. Fluorescence spectroscopy will be used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater. The fluorescent DOM will then be monitored throughout the various wastewater treatment plants to investigate any changes throughout the treatment train. Correlations between fluorophore concentrations (concentrations determined for the different classifications of …

Density Functional Theory Calculations On Hydrated Dimethylarsinic Acid And Iron Oxide Clusters, Adrian Adamescu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Dimethylarsinic Acid (DMA) or (CH₃)₂AsO₂H is an important organoarsenical compound detected in arsenic speciation studies of environmental samples and synthesized during pyrolysis of oil shale. DMA was used historically as a herbicide on large agricultural fields and can be detected in the leachates of landfills rich in waste containing arsenic such as glass, alloys, and semiconductors, as well as biologically pre-treated municipal solid waste. Under certain soil conditions DMA can become bio-available and has the potential to be recycled to more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic. Bioavailability of DMA is largely controlled by the …

Exploiting Antipredator Behavior In White-Tailed Deer For Resource Protection, Bradley F. Blackwell, Thomas W. Seamans, Laura A. Tyson, Jerrold L. Belant, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Effects of visual obstruction on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) include enhanced vigilance and flight-initiation distances. Prior work suggests that artificial visual barriers might enhance perceived risk of predation to deer. During 2008–2010 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Plum Brook Station (Erie County, OH), we tested the hypotheses that visual obstruction of winter feeding stations would result in fewer white-tailed deer visiting treatment stations and increased vigilance exhibited relative to deer using control stations. When feeding stations were bounded on 3 sides by a 22.5-m-long, 1.5-m-high, continuous, polyethylene visual barrier (including a 5-m opening on the fourth …

Box Traps For Feral Swine Capture: A Comparison Of Gate Styles In Texas, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many different types of traps have been developed to increase feral swine (Sus scrofa) capture efficiency. Though not previously compared, gate styles may influence capture success. Our objectives were to report feral swine capture data from 31 trapping campaigns conducted in 17 counties from 2005 to 2011 in Texas, USA, compare capture rates by demographic category between side-swing and rooter gates, and evaluate influences of moisture, using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), on juvenile capture rates. We trapped feral swine during all months of the year. Our trap configurations were identical with the exception of gate style. Traps had …

Movement And Habitat Use Of Feral Swine Near Domestic Swine Facilities, A. Christy Wyckoff, Scott E. Henke, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa), a successful invasive species in the United States, have established growing populations in 38 states and are a reservoir of diseases important to domestic swine. An understanding of habitat use and movements is important for the prevention of disease transmission between feral and domestic swine. To assess risk posed to neighboring domestic swine facilities in East and South Texas, we determined habitat use and movement patterns of feral swine within 10 miles of domestic swine facilities, identified similarities in habitat preferences and vegetation types directly surrounding facilities, assessed effects of wet and dry conditions …

Frequent Cross-Species Transmission Of Parvoviruses Among Diverse Carnivore Hosts, Andrew B. Allison, Dennis J. Kohler, Karen A. Fox, Justin D. Brown, Richard W. Gerhold, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Edward J. Dubovi, Colin R. Parrish, Edward C. Holmes

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although parvoviruses are commonly described in domestic carnivores, little is known about their biodiversity in nondomestic species. A phylogenetic analysis of VP2 gene sequences from puma, coyote, gray wolf, bobcat, raccoon, and striped skunk revealed two major groups related to either feline panleukopenia virus (“FPV-like”) or canine parvovirus (“CPV-like”). Cross species transmission was commonplace, with multiple introductions into each host species but, with the exception of raccoons, relatively little evidence for onward transmission in nondomestic species.

A Comparison Of Methods For Estimating Raccoon Abundance: Implications For Disease Vaccination Programs, James C. Beasley, William S. Beatty, Todd C. Atwood, Shylo R. Johnson, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Accurate estimates of demographic parameters are critical to the management of wildlife populations, including management programs focused on controlling the spread of zoonotic diseases. Rabies managers in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have applied a simple raccoon (Procyon lotor) abundance index (RAI) based on cumulative catch of unique raccoons per unit area to determine vaccine-bait distribution densities. This approach was designed to allow for both the collection of biological samples and to index raccoon abundance to determine bait densities for oral rabies programs. However, postbaiting surveillance data indicate that, on average, only 30% of raccoons sampled …

Genetic Structure Of A Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana) Population Inhabiting A Fragmented Agricultural Ecosystem, William S. Beatty, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fragmentation has drastically altered the quality of habitats throughout numerous ecosystems, often leading to dramatic changes in the composition of wildlife communities. The ecology and associated movement behavior of a species may also be modified as a result of forest fragmentation, resulting in changes in genetic composition of the affected species. In this research, we evaluated the genetic structure of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792) at the landscape and local scales in a fragmented, agricultural ecosystem in northern Indiana using 13 microsatellite loci. We examined 290 samples from opossums inhabiting 28 discrete habitat patches, and evaluated partitioning …

A Novel Isoflurane Anesthesia Induction System For Raccoons, Kevin T. Bentler, Daniel N. Gossett, J. Jeffrey Root

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We developed a novel small-volume (24-L) conical-shaped isoflurane anesthesia induction chamber for use in a den chamber and tested it along with 3 conventional stand-alone induction chambers (2 clear acrylic plastic chambers and a cylindrical-shaped chamber) to determine utility for daily short-duration manipulations of captive raccoons (Procyon lotor). Although the conventional chambers were valuable, the majority of inductions were performed using the cone chamber in a pen setting. With the novel device, we were able to minimize the need for pre-anesthetic handling of animals and eliminate the need for injectable anesthesia agents. As a result, side effects normally …

Influence Of Forest Structure On The Abundance Of Snowshoe Hares In Western Wyoming, Nathan D. Berg, Eric M. Gese, John Squires, Lise M. Aubry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a primary prey species for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in western North America. Lynx management plans require knowledge of potential prey distribution and abundance in the western United States. Whether even-aged regenerating forests or multi-storied forests contain more snowshoe hares is currently unknown. During 2006–2008, we estimated snowshoe hare density in 3 classes of 30–70-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and 4 classes of late seral multi-storied forest with a spruce (Picea engelmannii)-fir (Abies lasiocarpa) component in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming. We recorded physiographic variables …

Digging Behaviors Of Radio-Tagged Black-Footed Ferrets Near Meeteetse, Wyoming, 1981–1984, Dean E. Biggins, Louis R. Hanebury, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Intensive radio-tracking during August–December enabled us to collect detailed information on digging behaviors of a small sample of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) occupying colonies of white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus). A sample of 33 prairie dogs, also radio-tagged, progressively ceased aboveground activity during late summer and fall, presumably as they descended into burrows to hibernate. Most of the time ferrets spent digging was in November–December when >95% of the radio-tagged prairie dogs were inactive, suggesting that digging was primarily to excavate hibernating prey. Although 43.9% of the burrow openings were estimated to be in large mounds, …

Exploiting Avian Vision With Aircraft Lighting To Reduce Bird Strikes, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Travis L. Devault, Thomas W. Seamans, Steven L. Lima, Patrice Baumhardt, Esteban Fernández-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Bird–aircraft collisions (bird strikes) represent a substantial safety concern and financial burden to civil aviation world-wide. Despite an increase in the rate of damaging bird strikes, necessary steps to develop a mitigation method outside of the airport environment have not been empirically tested.
2. We assessed whether use of aircraft lighting might enhance detection of and reaction to the approach of an aircraft in flight by Canada geese Branta canadensis Linnaeus, a species responsible for a high rate of damaging bird strikes. We used a novel approach by estimating the visibility to the goose visual system of a standard …

Site-Occupancy Monitoring Of An Ecosystem Indicator: Linking Characteristics Of Riparian Vegetation To Beaver Occurrence, Stewart W. Breck, Michael I. Goldstein, Sanjay Pyare

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Establishment of sampling frameworks to monitor the occurrence of ecological indicators and to identify the covariates that influence occurrence is a high-priority need for natural resource restoration and management efforts. We utilized occupancy modeling to identify patterns of beaver occurrence and factors influencing these patterns (i.e., type and amount of vegetation cover) in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River ecosystem. We used rafts and kayaks to access a stratified random sample of sites (i.e., 100-m-long sections of riverbank) and used repeated sampling procedures to sample for beaver sign (i.e., lodges, cuttings, tracks, and beaver sightings). We quantified the type …

Colony Connectivity Of Pacific Coast Double-Crested Cormorants Based On Post-Breeding Dispersal From The Region’S Largest Colony, Karen N. Courtot, Daniel D. Roby, Jessica Y. Adkins, Donald E. Lyons, D. Tommy King, R. Scott Larsen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To reduce conflicts with fish resources, other colonial waterbirds, and damage to habitats, double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) are currently controlled (lethally and non-lethally) throughout much of their range. Concerns are growing over the Pacific Coast’s largest double-crested cormorant colony at East Sand Island (ESI), Oregon near the mouth of the Columbia River, where cormorants forage on juvenile salmonids, many of which are listed under the United States Endangered Species Act. Management of this colony is currently under consideration and may call for a redistribution of a portion of this colony numbering more than 12,000 breeding pairs in 2009. …

Spatial And Temporal Comparisons Of Double-Crested Cormorant Diets Following The Establishment Of Alewife In Lake Champlain, Usa, Robin L. Debruyne, Travis L. Devault, Adam E. Duerr, David E. Capen, Fred E. Pogmore, James R. Jackson, Lars G. Rudstam

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Increasing numbers of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) on Lake Champlain have caused concerns related to potential impacts on the yellow perch (Perca flavescens) population. However, with the establishment of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) in 2003, cormorant foraging may have changed. We examined cormorant diets from four areas of Lake Champlain to assess past, current, and potential future impacts of cormorants on the changing fish community. During the breeding seasons of 2001–2002 and 2008–2009, we observed spatial and temporal differences in cormorant diets. Yellow perch dominated diet composition during 2001–2002 at Young Island (73% and 90% …