Digital Commons Network^™

Biologging Science: Advances In Our Knowledge Of Seabirds And Their Behaviours, David Evans

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The use of miniature tags attached to free-living animals to record data is termed ‘biologging’. This procedure has been used to study seabirds since the 1970’s and our knowledge of their behaviour, physiology and migration has advanced through the decades, along with the potential for conservation of species. Technological advances in recent years have improved data resolution and storage, enabling a better understanding of seabirds and their environment

The Ecology Of Tardigrades, Emma Northcote-Smith

The Plymouth Student Scientist

No abstract provided for this article.

The Effects Of Logging And Fragmentation On Bird Diversity, Bethany Mccarthy

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Deforestation and forest degradation is occurring globally at an alarming rate. The annual net loss of forest cover has been reduced in the past decade through sustainable forest management and conservation measures. Despite this, the remaining forest is becoming increasingly degraded with the total area of primary forest declining. Avian diversity has been shown to decline in degraded and fragmented forests due to logging activities. In this review the impacts of logging on avian communities are assessed by comparing diversity between primary forest and degraded secondary forest, industrial plantations and forest fragment sizes. The major organisations and current initiatives that …

Work Placements As Research-Based Learning - A Student And Employer Perspective, Stephanie Rooke, Georgina Lamb

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Guest editorial

The Use Of Errorless Learning In The Rehabilitation Of Action Disorganisation Syndrome: A Case Study, Blaize Dymond

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This case study investigates the use of errorless learning in the rehabilitation of action disorganisation syndrome (ADS). Case DL suffered 2 traumatic brain injuries to the frontal lobes (2002 and 2010) and presents with a clear case of ADS. DL displays high levels of disorganisation when engaging in sequential tasks. Errorless learning was used in an attempt to rehabilitate abilities in two everyday routine sequential actions; making a cup of tea and making toast with butter and jam. Errorless learning involves the deliberate prevention of errors using both verbal and physical prompts. The intervention resulted in a significant decline in …

The Positive Effects Of Aquarium Visits On Children's Behaviour: A Behavioural Observation, Hazel Cocker

The Plymouth Student Scientist

To date research has found a positive effect of blue spaces on adults’ wellbeing. However, it remains to be seen whether these findings are also true for children. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature. The researchers observed children’s behaviour at the National Marine Aquarium across two weeks, including one where the Big Draw event was taking place. In line with restorative theories of natural environments (Kaplan, 1995, Ulrich, 1983), the current research found the exhibit had a calming effect on behaviour and increased levels of happiness across both weeks. During the Big Draw week children …

Analyses Of Captive Behaviour And Enclosure Use In Rothschild Giraffes (Giraffa Camelopardalis Rothschildi) Housed At Paignton Zoo Environmental Park ®, Sarah Garry

The Plymouth Student Scientist

It has been suggested that wild herbivorous animals, like the Rothschild Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), are difficult to house in captivity due to their natural wide home range and specialised diet. The aim of this study was to understand what influence the design of the giraffe enclosure at Paignton Zoo has on the activity budget of the Rothschild Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) housed in it, in relation to enclosure use and the performance of a natural behavioural repertoire. This was achieved by observing the giraffe’s behaviour and location when in the enclosure, both indoors and outdoors. The Spread of Participation …

Mood Affective Outcomes From Alternate Learning Strategies: Cognitive Flexibility And Dyslexic Education, Dylan Williams

The Plymouth Student Scientist

It is theorized that persons with dyslexia and associated conditions may be vulnerable to negative wellbeing, alongside academic deficiency, which has been focused on more widely. This study aims to investigate this theory in teenagers, and to draw relationships with teaching methods. Participants were interviewed, and completed the PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect) scale for children, the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters, and the Educational Environment Survey (an assessment of perceptions on education and ability). Participants with dyslexia and associated conditions showed reduced wellbeing compared to controls, and identified distinct experiential differences of education. This study was successful …

Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of Apple Ios Devices And Bluetooth Low-Energy Nodes In The Evaulation Of Stroke Patient Rehabilitation And Recovery, Robert Derveloy

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study is to help establish a foundation for cost effective stroke patient telerehabilitation by examining the efficacy of off-the-shelf consumer motion sensors. This paper examines the practical implications of utilizing Apple iOS mobile devices and Variable Technology KORE NODE devices in the evaluation of stroke patient recovery. Several algorithms are proposed to handle the user positioning and cheating detection requirements of the Functional Reach Test (FRT), efficient scoring of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) motor arm exams, and real-time fall detection monitoring.

Impact Of Large Mammal Herbivory On The Federally Threatened Plant, Scutellaria Montana Chapm (Large-Flowered Skullcap) At A Millitary Training Site, Catoosa County, Georgia, Andrea Renee Benson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Scutellaria montana Chapm. (Large-flowered skullcap) is a federally listed species endemic to a few counties in northwestern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. A large population of this species is housed within the Tennessee Army National Guard Volunteer Training Site (VTS) in Catoosa County, GA. To investigate the impacts of large mammal herbivores on this species at the VTS, an exclosure experiment was conducted in the field during 2011 and 2012. Results indicate that deer are not negatively impacting S. montana at the individual or population levels, but and after the second season, it was apparent that the white PVC pipe used …

Economic Analysis Of Solar Assisted Absorption Chiller For A Commercial Building, Gnananesan Antonyraj

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dwindling fossil fuels coupled with changes in global climate intensified the drive to make use of renewable energy resources that have negligible impact on the environment. In this attempt, the industrial community produced various devices and systems to make use of solar energy for heating and cooling of building space as well as generate electric power. The most common components employed for collection of solar energy are the flat plate and evacuated tube collectors that produce hot water that can be employed for heating the building space. In order to cool the building, the absorption chiller is commonly employed that …

Conservation Genetics Of A Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum (Shaw 1802)) Local Population In Southeast Tennessee, Daniel Scott Armstrong

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Currently there is a worldwide amphibian decline with numerous causes. Because of this, it is important to understand how genetic variation in local amphibian populations is affected by disturbance. The goal of this study was to assess the genetic impacts of past chemical and ammunition storage and present industrialization on a local population of Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw 1802) using thirteen microsatellite markers. Most loci exhibited no loss of heterozygosity but the low effective population size may indicate vulnerability to future declines. No population substructure or sex-biased dispersal was detected. Possible explanations for the reduction in genetic diversity at four loci …

From Future Homemaker Of America To The Lesbian Continuum: The Queering Of Mary Ann Singletone In Armistead Maupin's Tales, Sara Katherine White

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City is a turning point in homosexual literature in twentieth century America. This paper mainly examines the character of Mary Ann Singleton and the "queering" of her character. The writings of Michael Foucault, Judith Butlter, Adrienne Rich, Eve K. Sedgewich, and Simone de Beauvoir are vital in understanding how a straight woman journeys onto the lesbian continuum as a revolt against gender roles (defined by Butler and Beauvoir) and as a result of her friendship with Michael Tolliver. Michael's character provides a discourse (as defined by Foucault) on homosexuality and through this discourse, he provides …

Positive And Neutral Mood Inductions: Ties To Creativity, Kaylan Stephanie Wilson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Positive mood may broaden cognition, allowing for an increase in creativity. This study tested whether creativity could be increased when positive mood and creativity were induced through verbal instructions that direct ed participants to revisit memories that depicted positive mood and/or creative moments. This experiment had a 2(mood induction positive/neutral) X 2(creativity induction yes/no) design, and 112 participants in four condi tions: 22 in the first, 33 in the second, 25 in the third, and 32 in the fourth. Mood and creativity inductions were autobiographical, as this method is the most effective technique for inducing mood. Scales used were the …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Student Mobility On Middle School Students In One School District In Tennessee, Steven Scott Robinson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effect of middle school student mobility on standardized test achievement in mathematics and reading. The variables of gender and poverty were also examined in the context of their relationship to a student’s mobility. The data set consisted of the mathematics and reading scores of 9,083 middle school students in a large Tennessee school system of approximately 42,000 students. The first research question asked if there were any differences between mobile and non-mobile students on the mathematics and reading sections of Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program Achievement Test (TCAP). Utilizing independent samples t tests for the mathematics and …

Statistical Evaluation Of Longitudinal Data (1969-2011) From A Non-Denominational Christian, Regional Crisis Call Center For Frequency Distributions Of Various Call Parameters, Susan Kosciolek Salerno

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Anonymous calls to a non-denominational Christian, regional crisis call center were documented in Volunteer Call Logs (VCLs). VCLs (N=629,710) were coded for age, gender, marital status and category of distress for each call. Additionally, VCLs reported parameters such as time of day, day of week, month of year for each call. VCLs were tabulated for frequency and grouped according to parameters by administrative personnel. Frequency distributions of all parameters were summarized in an annual statistical report and made available to the general public. The frequency distributions of the archival annual statistical reports (1969-2011) were used to generate a description of …

Potential Energy Cost Savings By Use Of Building Roofs As Thermal Storage Of A Multi-Storied Building, Ahmad Adam Shelbaya

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The thermal mass of a building has been used for more than two decades to shift the peak cooling load occurring during the day time to evening or night time. This is typically accomplished by use of concrete slabs embedded with pipes carrying hot or chilled water to meet the heating or cooling load, respectively. The water temperature drops across the coils and the frequency and intensity of room air circulation can be varied, along with controlling the gains through the windows, to shift the peak load hours to the nighttime when energy costs are cheaper and electric demands are …

The Use Of Video Modeling To Facilitate Compliance And Social Skills With A Special Education Preschool Group, Christian Lauren Ware

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study’s purpose was to identify the effects of video modeling in a group, using the target behaviors of appropriate play and independent cleaning. The participants within the study were a group of preschool special education students. The disabilities and behaviors represented within the group varied. This study was an action research study with an A-B-A design. Data were recorded to obtain the frequency of redirection needed during playing and cleaning, the duration of playing and cleaning, and the number of independent cleaners. The quantitative data were analyzed through the graphical representation of the data. Anecdotal observations were analyzed to …

Is There A Relationship Between Ninth Grade Transitional Programs And At-Risk Student Achievement?, Susan Marie Stoddard

Dissertations

Transition into the ninth grade has long been a critical juncture for students as they make the move to a larger environment with less personal support and a more rigorous academic challenge. In an effort to help make the move from middle-to-high-school transition as smooth as possible, school districts are using Ninth Grade Academies, or innovative transitional strategies designed to address the key factors contributing to students dropping out: poor academic achievement, disengagement, and poor attendance. The purpose of the study was to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed between the type of ninth grade transitional program and at-risk …

"When The Eternal Can Be Met": Bergsonian Time In The Theologies Of C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, And W.H. Auden, James Corey Latta

Dissertations

C. S. Lewis, T. S. Eliot, and W. H. Auden all converted to the Christian faith and, upon conversion, turned to the theme of time in their post-conversion works. Interestingly, these Christian authors employed the secular philosophical framework of Henri Bergson’s theory of duration to construct their theologies of time. As texts fostered by Bergson’s ideas of intuition, the dualistic self, and durative force, Lewis’s The Great Divorce, Eliot’sFour Quartets, and Auden’s “Kairos and Logos” are theological works that depict time as an agent.

The Effects Of Choice Versus No-Choice Of Task Sequence On Task Engagement, Britney Nicole Burton

Dissertations

The purpose of the current investigation was to explore the differential effects of three choice-related conditions on the task engagement exhibited by four elementary-aged students in their regular education classrooms. The conditions examined included a No-Choice (NC) condition, a Choice of Task Sequence (CTS) condition, and a Choice of Reward (CR condition). In the NC condition, participants completed two tasks in a specified order; in the CTS condition, participants selected the order in which they completed two tasks; and in the CR condition, participants selected a preferred item or activity after completing two tasks in a specified order and demonstrating …

Mortality Salience And Worldview Defense, Toni Brooke Merkey

Dissertations

Research generated from Terror Management Theory has demonstrated that reminding participants of their eventual death increases self-esteem striving and worldview defense (Pyszczynski, Greenberg, Solomon, Arndt, & Schimel, 2004). The hypothesis in the present study is that individuals higher in emotion dysregulation will engage in higher levels of worldview defense than those lower in emotion dysregulation. This hypothesis was based on the assumption that individuals high in emotion dysregulation will have a greater need to regulate their emotions by engaging in worldview defense after being asked to think about their own death than will non-emotionally dysregulated individuals. To test this hypothesis, …

The Use Of Time-Out With Escape Extinction To Reduce Noncompliance Maintained By Escape Or Attention, Shelly Renee Benshoof

Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of Time-Out with Escape Extinction (TO-EE) to reduce escape-maintained noncompliance and attention-maintained noncompliance through the use of four contingency reversal designs in a clinical setting. Four parent-child dyads served as participants. Screening procedures identified four children with low levels of compliance to first time issued, parent instructions. Functional analysis procedures identified two children who exhibited escape-maintained noncompliance and two children who exhibited attention-maintained noncompliance to serve as participants. Parents were trained in the implementation of screening, functional analysis, baseline, TO-EE, and contingency reversal procedures. Results indicated that TO-EE is effective at establishing compliance levels …

Further Validation Of The Child Routines Questionnaire: Child Self Report, Christina Binder Stabler

Dissertations

There has been a lack of empirical studies on the impact of child routines on adjustment. A series of instruments, the Child Routines Questionnaires (CRQ) and the Adolescent Routines Questionnaires, were developed to assess routines in childhood. Recently, a self-report version of the CRQ was developed for children aged eight to 12. Initial validity estimates of the CRQ were weak, which may have been a result of cross-informant variance stemming from parent and child reports. The primary purpose of this study is to reevaluate the factorial and construct validity of the self-report CRQ with use of a single informant. The …

The Link Between Co-Teaching And Mathematics Achievement For Students With Disabilities, Lisa Sharble Word

Dissertations

Co-teaching is an approach where general education teachers and special education teachers work together to meet the needs of all students in the general education setting. The purpose for this study was to examine the relationship between specific variables involved in co-teaching (preparation for co-teaching training, collaborative practices, selection process of co-teaching pairs, and use of specialized instruction) and student mathematics achievement as reported by a standardized test administered in the spring of each year. The study focused on the mathematics test results of fifth and eighth grade special education students in co-taught math classrooms.

The researcher conducted the study …

Preschool Curriculum: Choices That Promote Learning, Renee Curet Criddle

Dissertations

Ongoing research has shown that preschool is beneficial not only to early childhood success, but also in providing long-term benefits (Wong, Cook, Barnett, & Jung, 2008). With standards for early childhood being generated at the national level with the announcement of the common core standards nationwide and at the state level through state-mandated early learning guidelines and benchmarks, preschools are turning to specified curriculum content and mandated outcomes for early education programs. Effects of preschool programs vary (Barnett et al., 2008) due to differences in program curriculum and method of delivery. As the knowledge and understanding of how young children …

Effects Of Check-In/Check-Out With And Without Access To Feedback From A Daily Behavior Report Card On The Levels Of Appropriate Behavior In Secondary School Students, Nichole Marie Weakley

Dissertations

Check-in/Check-out (CICO) is a Tier 2 behavioral intervention typically used in combination with a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) to provide systematic feedback about a student’s behavior at the beginning and end of each school day. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CICO with and without feedback on a DBRC for increasing appropriate behavior and decreasing disruptive behavior in students presenting with behavioral concerns in the classroom. Using a multiple baseline, counterbalanced across participants, the intervention was implemented with four secondary students considered to be at-risk for developing more significant problem behaviors. Prior to …

Extended Techniques And Electronic Enhancements: A Study Of Works By Ian Clarke, Christopher Leigh Davis

Dissertations

British flutist Ian Clarke is a leading performer and composer in the flute world. His works have been performed internationally and have been used in competitions given by the National Flute Association and the British Flute Society. Clarke’s compositions are also referenced in the Peters Edition of the Edexcel GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) Anthology of Music as examples of extended techniques.

The significance of Clarke’s works lies in his unique compositional style. His music features sounds and styles that one would not expect to hear from a flute and have elements that appeal to performers and broader audiences …

The Effects Of Direct Training And The Star Problem Solving Model On Teachers' Treatment Integrity And Generalized Use Of An Intervention, Neelima Gutti Duncan

Dissertations

Direct training procedures have been beneficial in increasing teachers’ knowledge and skills for the use of recommended intervention for target students in their classrooms. However, direct training alone has not been successful in teachers’ consistent and sustained use of the intervention for the target student and the generalized use of the intervention to non-target students, novel settings, and problem behaviors is relatively unknown. The present study examined the effects of direct training and a cognitive based problem solving model (the STAR problem solving model) on teachers’ use of specific, labeled praise (SLP) directed to both target and non-target students. Participants …

Werner Jaegerhuber's “Messe Folklorique Haitïenne”: A Conductor's Guide, Lauren Michelle Brandon Lindsey

Dissertations

Werner Jaegerhuber (1900-1953), a composer and leading ethnographer from Haiti, lived a life and career committed to bringing the folk music of Haiti to international recognition. His most significant work, Messe Folklorique Haïtienne, the background leading to its composition, performance of the work and a conductor’s analysis is the focus of this study. The folk music of Haiti consists primarily of Vodou melodies which are performed in Vodou ceremonies. Haiti’s long history of colonization, slavery, chronic economic struggle, African roots, and Catholic influence all play unique, but significant roles in the life of Werner Jaegerhuber and his passionate study. …