Digital Commons Network^™

Relationships Between F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Participants’ Roles And Their Educational And Degree Choices, Christine T. Chang

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The annual robotics competition that is held by the non-profit organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (better known as FIRST) implicitly requires that the multifaceted teams subdivide in order to ensure that sufficient team resources are committed to all areas of the competition. The self-stated goal of FIRST is to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study examines the relationship between FIRST participants’ specific roles on their teams and their subsequent academic and career pursuits. Study participants (N = 174) consisting of FIRST Robotics Competition alumni responded to an …

The Importance Of Clarity In Educational Leadership Program Goals, Matthew V. Featherstone

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Goal Setting Theory suggests specific and difficult goals when accompanied by high self-efficacy are essential to produce high levels of motivation and task performance. Goal Setting Theory has proven to be one of the most valid and robust motivational theories developed to date. Although the majority of the research on Goal Setting Theory is conducted at the individual level, many features that hold for individuals also hold for groups. For example, clearly stated goals improve performance for individuals and groups. The present research examined whether three regional educational leadership programs differ in the clarity of their stated goals, and whether …

Frequency And Distribution Of Extended Diapause In Nebraska Populations Of Diabrotica Barberi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Ryan W. Geisert, Lance J. Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The frequency of extended diapause in populations of the northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), was measured in eastern Nebraska. Adult collections were made during late summer in 2008 and 2009 from eight sites each year (seven sites were consistent over years). Eggs were obtained from 12 to 20 females per site and were held on moist soil under appropriate temperature profiles to facilitate egg survival, diapause development, and diapause termination. Percentage egg hatch was recorded after the first and second year for the 2008 and 2009 collections. Additional extended diapause expression was estimated for the …

Trayvon Martin And Election 2012 Social Media Messaging: An Analysis Of Framing, Rhetoric, And Media Types In Online Messages By Civil Rights Organizations, Riva Renee Brown

Dissertations

This content analysis study explored framing, rhetoric, and media types used by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, National Action Network, and ColorOfChange.org in website and social media messages posted during the Trayvon Martin case and Election 2012. It also examined the mainstream print news media coverage these civil rights organizations generated.

On February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman, a 28 year old White and Hispanic male, fatally shot Martin, a 17 year old Black male, in Florida. After authorities did not charge Zimmerman with the teenager’s murder, these organizations drafted petitions and staged rallies …

The Pine Effect, Andrea Kay Spofford

Dissertations

This dissertation includes original poems written during my time at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Characterization Of Short Chain Fatty Acids In Microbial Cultures By Dart-Ms And Gc-Ms, Shilpa Boppana

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Colonic bacterial degradation of starch and other carbon sources produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as butyrate and lactate, which are important in human health and disease. Analysis of the results of mono- and co-cultures in in vitro systems has led to the conclusion that diverse microbial organisms may each contribute in part to the complete metabolism to produce SCFA. GC- MS and DART- MS were investigated as analytical tools in the present study to evaluate the production of butyrate and lactate in a test tube and bioreactor mono- and co-cultures. The overall research goal is to investigate biological model …

Quick Start Guide To Soil Methods For Ecologists, Lora Perkins, Robert R. Blank, Scot D. Ferguson, Dale W. Johnson, William C. Lindemann, Ben M. Rau

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Increasingly biologists and ecologists are becoming aware of the vital importance of soil to processes observed above ground and are incorporating soil analyses into their research. Because of the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of soil, proper incorporation of soil analysis into ecological studies requires knowledge and planning. Unfortunately, many ecologists may not be current (or trained at all) in soil science.We provide this review, based on our cumulative >60 years of work in soil science,to help familiarize researchers with essential information to appropriately incorporate soil analyses into ecological studies. Specifically, we provide a brief introduction into soils and then discuss …

New Media Objects: The Future Of Electronic Literature And Its Influence On Print Stylistics, Brian Tillewein

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The advent of the internet and continued proliferation of new media consumption within households has significantly increased the popularity of new media objects and electronic literature. This paper considers the advantages/disadvantages posed by an increasingly interactive reading expereince and analyzes the effects this influence has on traditional print culture. Through an anaylsis of Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves in relation to several popular new media objects (TOC, New Word Order, Reconstructing Mayakovsky) a more complete understanding of the impending challenges facing both mediums is gained. Acquiring a more complete understanding of the way in which one tradition influences the other …

The Update, August/September 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue:

-- By the Light: Noah Doely Exhibits "Above and Below" San Diego Museum of Art
-- Regular Feature - Department News
-- EPSCoR Outreach at Iowa State Fair
-- Regular Feature - School of Music Events
-- Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award - Dr. Jim O'Laughlin
-- Ready, Set Go! Physics of Mario Kart Camp
-- New Program: Interactive Digital Studies (IDS)
-- Alumni Spotlight - Eden Neuendorf (Theatre)
-- Alumni Spotlight - Lora Meyers (Technology)
-- Student Spotlight - Valyn Reinig (Communication Studies)
-- Feminist Excellence in Research Award - Johanna Ganz
-- Biology Alumni …

Finite Element Analysis And Validation Of Hip Joints With The Main Types Of Femoroacetabular Impingement, Kevin Lucas Mitchell

Master's Theses

Current research suggests that femoroacetabular impingement can be a cause of osteoarthritis. Femoroacetabular impingement is a condition that can affect both the femur and the pelvis of an individual. Femoroacetabular impingement can cause damage to the hip joint and its surrounding tissues. The articular cartilage and the labrum are both affected by this condition. A cam impingement is where a bony protrusion develops at the femoral head/neck junction. A pincer impingement is where a bony protrusion develops at the acetabular rim. Often, patients are seen with a combination of both impingements. The main goal of this study was to computationally …

In Situ Quenching And Post-Polymerization Modification Of Telechelic Polyisobutylene, Todd Raymond Hartlage

Dissertations

Polyisobutylene (PIB) is a saturated hydrocarbon elastomer that can only be produced by cationic polymerization. The water-initiated, chain transfer controlled synthesis conducted on an industrial scale produces monofunctional PIB with mixed olefin end groups. Living cationic techniques produce mono- and di-functional telechelic PIB. In situ quenching is the process of adding functional molecules to the polymerization reactor after all monomer is consumed. These quencher species bond to the chain ends, installing their latent functionality onto the polymer chain. To date, all quenchers utilized have been soft π-nucleophiles.

In the first project, free thiols, both aromatic and aliphatic, are shown to …

Acceptance Of Pharmaceutical Gifts. Variability By Specialty And Job Rank In A Saudi Healthcare Setting, Fahad Alosaimi, Abdulaziz Alkaabba, Mahdi Qadi, Abdullah Albahlal, Yasir Alabdulkarim, Mohammad Alabduljabbar, Faisal Alqahtani

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To examine the variability in accepting different types of gifts by clinical specialty as well as job rank among physicians working in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out between March and July of 2012 in different regions of Saudi Arabia. A self-administrated questionnaire was developed and administered to all participants, both in paper and electronic formats. RESULTS: A total of 281 participants answered the question ‘do you accept pharmaceutical gifts and/or promotions?’ Most of the participants (80.1%) admitted acceptance of pharmaceutical gifts of any type. The most common gifts accepted were free drug samples (58.2%), stationary …

Intangible Cultural Heritage In The Pacific Islands: Why Europe Should Listen In, Katharina Serrano

Pacific Studies

Pacific Island countries (PICs) are developing countries that represent one of the culturally richest and most diverse regions worldwide. A decade ago, the realization evolved at the international level that intangible cultural heritage (ICH) represents a development tool with an inherent commercial value. Regional initiatives are currently trying to balance objectives of development and protection of ICH with the need for commercial exploitation and effects of commodification. Yet the same cannot be said about the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between PICs and the EU. This article advocates that current efforts by the European Union (EU) in supporting regional and national …

Traditional Knowledge And Patents: A Brief Summary Of The Epo's Perspective, Enrico Luzzatto

Pacific Studies

Knowledge of the legal provisions of the European Patent Convention (EPC) relevant to traditional knowledge (TK ) is essential to TK holders such as in Pacific Island countries so that they can actively protect in Europe any TK-derived invention they may want to develop. It is also of fundamental importance to be able to properly defend their rights if a European patent application that could be based on their TK is filed without their consent. This paper introduces the role and structure of the European Patent Office (EPO) and basic legal requirements, as set out in the EPC, that are …

Protecting Nature And Culture: Enhancing Legal Frameworks For The Conservation Of Heritage In The Pacific, Erika J. Techera

Pacific Studies

It is well recognized that for Pacific Island peoples, nature and culture are inextricably linked. The protection of the natural environment and biodiversity, for example, are essential for the maintenance of traditional and contemporary lifestyles and cultures. Conversely, many aspects of Pacific intangible heritage, including traditional knowledge, are inherently associated with natural resources. Therefore, in this context, the protection of nature and culture cannot be separated. More broadly, the preservation of the unique biological and cultural diversity of this region is of importance for all people. The significance extends beyond ensuring cultural integrity and environmental health to providing a possible …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Land Use And Land Cover On Macroinvertebrate Communities At Two Landscape Scales, Tanya Sulikowski

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Macroinvertebrate community composition and differing patterns of land use/ land cover (LULC) were assessed in three watersheds of northern New Jersey. A total of six 40-m reaches were sampled in the agriculturally dominated Wallkill, the urbanized Rockaway and the forested Flat Brook. Qualitative observations and scorings of ten habitat factors commonly associated with stream health and water quality were made at each site. These Habitat Assessments resulted in the two Flat Brook sites being rated as “optimal” and the remaining four sites being rated as “suboptimal”. The 2007 NJDEP Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) dataset was used to determine percent urban, …

Assessing The Generality Of A Bout Analysis In The Description Of Operant Behavior, J. Adam Bennett

Dissertations

Operant psychologists typically use response rate as a primary measure of behavior. Although response rate has proven a useful dependent measure resulting in the identification of many important behavioral regularities, many researchers have argued that the measure has significant limitations. Primarily, response rate treats all responses in the measured response class as functionally equivalent and distributed uniformly across time. This conceptualization of behavior is useful as long as all responses are affected similarly by different experimental manipulations. Research has shown, however, that certain manipulations differentially affect responses with relatively short or long interresponse times. This has led to a new …

The Characterization Of Algae Grown On Nutrient Removal Systems And Evaluation Of Potential Uses For The Resulting Biomass, Kristin Hampel

Dissertations

Eutrophication resulting from excess nutrient loads is a major environmental issue that affects surface water quality and causes surplus primary production, thereby reducing dissolved oxygen concentrations. A method for managing nutrients in surface waters involves absorption of excess nutrients by deliberately cultivating benthic algal turf biomass, then harvesting it for a variety of uses, including biofuels, soil amendments, or feed supplements, thus coupling nutrient removal to additional economic drivers.

The goals of this work are to (1) evaluate the composition of algal biomass grown to remove surface water nutrients, (2) compare biomass grown at different geographic locations and in dissimilar …

Population Demographics And Genetics Of Spix's Disk-Winged Bat: Insights Regarding Survival, Mate Choice, Gene Flow And Effective Population Size, Michael Buchalski

Dissertations

Simultaneous study of the demographics and genetics of populations are relatively rare within the literature, despite insights their combined use offers regarding the life history, ecology, and evolution of species. Here I take a comprehensive approach, using capture-recapture data, polymorphic microsatellite markers, and various modeling techniques to examine the demographics and genetics of multiple local populations of Spix’s disk-winged bat (Thyroptera tricolor) in southwestern Costa Rica. T. tricolor is a highly gregarious, neotropical bat species known to form kin-based social groups with high retention of offspring of both sexes. The implications of this highly unusual social structure for …

Kinetic Studies For The Preparation Of Probiotic Cabbage Juice: Impact On Phytochemicals And Bioactivity, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

A kinetic study for the production of probiotic cabbage juice was carried out under controlled pH and dissolved oxygen using several strains of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Furthermore, effect of probiotic fermentation on polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity was investigated. Results showed significant growth in Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus corresponding to 9.19, 9.47 and 10.6 log CFU/ml after 24 h of fermentation, which is satisfying criteria for a food product to be characterized as probiotic. Lactic acid (LA) was the major end product of the fermented cabbage juice attaining the concentrations of 6.97, 9.69 and 12.2 g/l …

Reasonable Persons, Reasonable Circumstances, Christopher Jackson

San Diego Law Review

The reasonable person test is a common thread that runs through the fabric of Anglo-American law. It has become such a common trope in legal discourse that it scarcely receives much attention in its own right. This Article analyzes one facet of the test that will yield significant benefits in understanding the subject as a whole: how we ought to go about determining which circumstances are relevant to the reasonable person inquiry. The Article will argue that the circumstances that ought to be part of the test will vary based on one’s underlying theoretical commitments: the reasonable person test is …

Pundits: The Confidence Trick: Better Confident Than Right?, Ben O. Smith, Jadrian Wooten

Economics Faculty Publications

Media pundits are the supreme example of self-belief and confidence in their own opinions. Through TV, newspapers and blogs they tell us with sublime certainty what will happen. But are they right? And does it matter if they are wrong? Ben Smith and Jadrian Wooten ask what we demand from pundits – accuracy or confidence?

Insulin, Central Dopamine D2 Receptors, And Monetary Reward Discounting In Obesity, Danuta M. Gredysa

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

New Wine In An Old Chalice: The Ministerial Exception’S Humble Roots, Blair A. Crunk

Louisiana Law Review

In this article, the author offers information related to the ministerial exception, de facto law of the U.S. intended to protect the freedom of religion that exempts institutions from anti discrimination laws in hiring employees. It further discusses the influence of ministerial exception in employment discrimination laws of the U.S.

Visual And Linguistic Influences On Public Perceptions Of Swine Confinement, Arthur Leal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to analyze the visual and linguistic characteristics of online (YouTube) videos and electronic newspapers, identifying relationships with positive, negative, and neutral attitudes toward swine confinement.

This study followed a content analysis design. Two coders, trained to an acceptable level of agreement (κ = .68), examined online videos and electronic newspapers, assessing linguistic and visual images used in relation to attitudes toward swine confinement. A series of search terms deemed suitable for this study's objectives were employed in multiple search engines, and 48 articles and 157 videos were coded for content.

Results from this study showed that …

The Process Of Bringing An Original Playscript To Production--Flamingo & Decatur, Todd Taylor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to present my play, Flamingo & Decatur, to the thesis committee, to illuminate the process of writing it, and to place it within the context of the entire body of dramatic writing I've done here at the University of Arkansas.

The dissertation opens with a narrative essay that details the process of bringing Flamingo & Decatur to production. It describes the germination of the idea for the play and follows the process through the initial drafts--detailing the ways in which the script was reshaped through its various iterations. Special attention is given to the …

An Insight Into The Microbial Diversity And Expression Of Cysteine Protease Inhibitors (Cystatin) In Rickettsia Parkeri Infected Amblyomma Maculatum, Khemraj Budachetri

Master's Theses

Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast tick) is an emerging tick species of public health significance in United States. It is a competent vector of Rickettsia parkeri, an etiological agent of a human rickettsiosis. In this study, we investigated the spotted fever group of rickettsial diversity in A. maculatum based on rickettsial ompA gene PCR. Our results showed A. maculatum harbors R. parkeri, R. amblyommii, and R. endosymbiont of A. maculatum. While only R. parkeri was detected in female salivary glands which suggest its ability to traffic from midgut to salivary glands via hemocoel. The presence of R. parkeri was further …

The Development And Use Of A Color Discrimination T-Maze Learning Task In The Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Elizabeth Ann Lamb

Master's Theses

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are becoming increasingly utilized in behavioral studies as a model of human learning and memory. The results of a previous study by Colwill, Raymond, Ferreira, and Escudero (2005) indicated that this species is capable of discriminating between colors and learning to respond to an assigned hue at either arm of a T-maze, indicating a learned association between the neutral stimulus and reward. While this original study showed that this task was appropriate for use in this species, we proposed that it had the potential to provide more data on specifics of the learning process with amended methods. …

Characterizing The Persistence Of Sewage Enterococci In Mississippi Coastal Waters, Kimberly Anne-Marie Lewis

Master's Theses

Enterococci are microbiological indicators of marine recreation water quality.
Their reliability as fecal indicators is questioned as they are shown to persist in the environment. Multiple laboratory studies on their persistence have been done but few under natural environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate how long sewage enterococci and enterococcal DNA persist in beach water and to determine whether there is a difference in the genetic diversity and hardiness of sewage vs. environmental isolates. To study persistence, sewage was diluted with beach water, placed in microcosms, and deployed at a beach site in Longbeach and Pass …

The Oaks: Interpretation And Analysis Of The Support Structures Of A 19th Century Urban Farmstead, Justin Dwayne Beavers

Master's Theses

This thesis documents the results of excavation in 2004 and 2005 of an urban farmstead in Jackson, Mississippi, called The Oaks. This research was conducted in order to find the functions of the various outbuildings at The Oaks. All the artifacts were analyzed at The University of Southern Mississippi and then placed into various models to find any correlations between the buildings at The Oaks and those of other sites like Johnson/Bates in Kentucky.

The kitchen was found to contain various architectural features as well as artifacts that corresponded with the normal findings of an 1800s detached kitchen. The barn …