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Alcohol Use In Mexican-Americans By Nativity: The Role Of Ethnic Identity, Acculturation, And Acculturative Stress, Leticia G. Vallejo

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined alcohol use disorder symptoms among Mexican-Americans. Participants consisted of a community-based sample of 237 Mexican-American adults living in the Midwest United States. The role of nativity status and cultural variables in alcohol use disorder symptoms was explored. Specifically, ethnic identity, acculturation, and acculturative stress were used to predict membership into high and low alcohol use disorder symptom groups among U.S.-and foreign-born Mexican-Americans. Additionally, gender, ethnic identity, and acculturative stress were tested as moderators in the relationship between acculturation and alcohol use disorder symptoms. Among U.S.-born participants, only ethnic identity was found to be predictive of alcohol …

Student Interpretations Of Phylogenetic Trees In An Introductory Biology Course, Jonathan Andrew Dees

Biological Sciences

Phylogenetic trees are a common visual representation in biology, and the most important visual representation used in evolutionary biology. Thus, phylogenetic trees have also become an important component of biology education. We sought to determine what forms of reasoning are utilized by introductory biology students to interpret taxa relatedness on phylogenetic trees, what percentage of students correctly interpret taxa relatedness, and how these results alter in response to instruction and over time. Our students demonstrated a tendency for counting synapomorphies and nodes, rather than more common misinterpretations found in current literature. Students also struggled mightily with correctly interpreting phylogenetic trees, …

Effects Of Signal Ambiguity And Signal Location On Target Detection Under Varying Degrees Of Time Constraint, Kimberly E. Culley

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of decision-making strategies and tendencies, time constraint, and signal characteristics on decision-making performance utilizing the fuzzy signal detection theory framework. Participants were tasked with deciding whether x-ray images of passenger luggage contained hazardous objects.

The first objective of the study was to develop a methodology for quantifying optimizing versus satisficing tendencies in decision making through direct measurement and observation.

The second objective of the study was to examine how time constraint and specific signal characteristics contribute to decision making. Interestingly, despite having more time available to conduct a comprehensive …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Mental Health Professionals Considered Effective In The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Bonita H. Erb

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that has been documented in medical and mental health literature for over 100 years (Still, 1902). ADHD is a neurobiological based disorder characterized by three major symptoms identified at clinical levels and validated by diagnostic criteria established for the diagnosis of children before the age of seven (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 th edition-Text Revision; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The three diagnostic criteria are inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that have been observed at clinical levels.

Because many signs of the disorder were believed to discontinue …

Burkean Framing Of The University Of Northern Iowa Budget Crisis, Joshua E. Young

Iowa Journal of Communication

Many studies have employed the use of Kenneth Burke's framing methodology to explain a plethora of communication events. Few, however, track changes in those frames. Of those studies tracking frame changes, none articulate how those changes happen through Burke's frames of transition. This essay uses previous scholarship and Burke's transition frames to explain framing of the 2009-2012 budget crisis at the University of Northern Iowa. Stake holders at UNI were faced with huge deficits and were forced to make cuts to remain financially solvent. Instead of framing the issue in the comic frame where the budget would have been seen …

The Relationship Between Traffic Signals And Pedestrian, Bicyclist And Transit User Exposure In Urban Areas, Courtney Natasha Slavin

Dissertations and Theses

Improving the efficiency of traffic operations along arterials is currently a priority for many agencies as their roadway infrastructure is built out to the largest possible capacity within the urban environment. Many advanced systems are being implemented to optimize traffic signal timing. Air quality is typically not a consideration when these decisions are made. The relationship between exposure to air pollution and traffic signal timing has not been fully explored by other researchers. This study is the first research effort to combine detailed traffic signal timing data (at 5 second intervals) and air pollutant exposure data. Results show that longer …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Can Xue's "Hut On The Mountain": Ghosts Of China's Cultural Revolution, Debrah Raschke

Short Story

No abstract provided.

Philanthropy And Health Care Reform: An Examination Of The Pertinent Literature Of Philanthropy And Healthcare And How The Two Should Intersect In Today’S Dynamic Healthcare Environment, Mayme Patthoff

Graduate Research Papers

Many factors are diminishing the reimbursements hospitals receive from private (corporate) and public (Medicare and Medicaid) sources. To remain competitive while dealing with these factors, medical centers have begun looking for alternative funding sources to make up for lost revenues. Supplemental funding is needed to advance patient care, conduct innovative research, and educate the next generation of healthcare workers. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive literature review to explore how healthcare systems across the country are thinking about philanthropy and implementing strategic development practices to gain and retain grateful patients and community donors to ensure the …

Late Registration And Student Success In On-Campus And Online Classes, Patrick Tompkins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The study examined the effect of late registration into on-campus and online classes upon student performance when accounting for completion of a college success skills course and the demographic factors of sex, race/ethnicity, age, and full-time/part-time enrollment status. The data source was 2010-2013 ex post facto data from 23 colleges in a large community college system in the southeastern United States. The statistical method of binary logistic regression was applied to the data. The regression models failed to yield strong predictions of the association between registration timing and student success. Coupled with previous studies, this study demonstrated that the presumed …

Preferred Instructional Design Strategies For Preparation Of Pre-Service Teachers Of Integrated Stem Education, Amanda Shackleford Roberts

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the preferred instructional design strategies for the preparation of pre-service teachers who will deliver integrated STEM lessons. The research objectives were threefold and included identifying a preferred definition of integrated STEM education, developing its purpose statement, and creating a list of instructional design strategies that could be used for designing, planning, delivering, and assessing integrated STEM instruction.

The Delphi method was selected as the optimum approach for data collection, since STEM education is still a growing phenomenon lacking consensus in its interpretations of meaning and practice. Gaining group consensus from expert teacher …

Simple, Complete, And Novel Quantitative Model Of Holography For Students Of Science And Science Education, Dale Olson

Faculty Work

A Moiré graphical method for predicting the directions of all permitted image waves for thin and volume holograms is described. This method has been developed in connection with a holography centred optics course for students in science, technology and science education that has evolved over several decades. A somewhat unique view of the holographic process underlies this novel method of predicting the behaviour of diffraction gratings.

Gender, Difference And Urban Change: Implications For Promotion Of Well-Being?, Julian Walker, Alexandre A. Frediani, Jean-Francois Trani

Brown School Faculty Publications

This article examines the impacts of urban change on the well-being of women and men, and girls and boys, living in cities, and explores how gender intersects with other social relations to differentiate these impacts. It then considers the implications of intersectionality for organisations aiming to promote the interests of specific social groups (such as women, or people with disabilities) vis-a-vis urban change by looking at the experience of Leonard Cheshire’s Asha project, working with girls and boys with disabilities in Mumbai. It concludes that organisations working to promote the interest of identity based constituents should (a) base their strategies …

Virtual Assembly, John D. Inazu

Scholarship@WashULaw

This Article provides one of the first scholarly considerations of the constitutional boundaries for online groups. It explores both why and how we should protect these groups by asking two related questions. The first question is theoretical: do online groups implicate the kinds of values that warrant elevated constitutional protection. The second question is doctrinal: what is the best framework for providing constitutional protection to these groups. The Article argues that we should protect online groups because they advance important First Amendment values and because the line between our offline and our online groups is collapsing. Turning to the doctrinal …

On The Difference In Quality Between Current Heuristic And Optimal Solutions To The Protein Structure Alignment Problem, Mauricio Arriagada, Aleksandar Poleksic

Faculty Work

The importance of pairwise protein structural comparison in biomedical research is fueling the search for algorithms capable of finding more accurate structural match of two input proteins in a timely manner. In recent years, we have witnessed rapid advances in the development of methods for approximate and optimal solutions to the protein structure matching problem. Albeit slow, these methods can be extremely useful in assessing the accuracy of more efficient, heuristic algorithms. We utilize a recently developed approximation algorithm for protein structure matching to demonstrate that a deep search of the protein superposition space leads to increased alignment accuracy with …

Archaeal Assemblages Inhabiting Temperate Mixed Forest Soil Fluctuate In Taxon Composition And Spatial Distribution Over Time, Colby A. Swanson, Marek K. Sliwinski

Faculty Work

This study explored the persistence and spatial distribution of a diverse Archaeal assemblage inhabiting a temperate mixed forest ecosystem. Persistence under native conditions was measured from 2001 to 2010, 2011, and 2012 by comparison of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. The Archaeal assemblages at each of these time points were found to be significantly different (AMOVA, P < 0.01), and the nature of this difference was dependent on taxonomic rank. For example, the cosmopolitan genus g_Ca. Nitrososphaera (I.1b) was detected at all time points, but within this taxon the abundance of s_SCA1145, s_SCA1170, and s_Ca. N. gargensis fluctuated over time. In addition, spatial heterogeneity (patchiness) was measured at these time points using 1D TRFLP-SSCP fingerprinting to screen soil samples covering multiple spatial scales. This included soil collected from small volumes of 3 cubic centimeters to larger scales—over a surface area of 50 m², plots located 1.3 km apart, and a separate locality 23 km away. The spatial distribution of Archaea in these samples changed over time, and while g_Ca. Nitrososphaera (I.1b) was dominant over larger scales, patches were found at smaller scales that were …

Academic Librarianship And Career Adaptability, Tara Baillargeon, Aaron H. Carlstrom

Library Faculty Research and Publications

The inspiration for this essay is Barbara Fister’s assertion that librarians must embrace functions that have not traditionally been part of the academic librarian’s portfolio. We shall examine the need for career adaptability in librarianship and use a case study to illustrate the four attributes librarians need to develop to ensure career adaptability. The case study involved collaboration between Kansas State University (KSU) Libraries, an agronomy professor, and the Global Research Alliance to develop an open access croplands research database. We will draw upon the field of vocational psychology to discuss career adaptability and ways librarians can develop the traits …

Blood Diamonds And Non-State Actors, Ian Smillie

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The KPCS is a unique undertaking. It has all of the bells and whistles required to be an effective watchdog for an industry prone to theft, corruption, smuggling, and violence. It currently has the power of law in almost eighty national jurisdictions, and it has the blessing of the United Nations and the WTO. It is tripartite in nature, encompassing a wide range of important industry players and civil society organizations from Europe, North America, and Africa.

It is something of a tragedy, however. Its consensus decision making process has turned it into a dozy talk shop--unwilling and unable to …

Does Baby Sign Open The Door To Second Language Learning?, Nicole A. Hulme

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to determine the relationship between an infant's acquisition of Baby Sign and their ability to acquire a second language later in life. An explanation of why infancy is a critical time for language development will be presented and information about the impact of Baby Sign on an infant's development will be provided. There are many research and popular claims regarding Baby Sign that will be discussed, in addition to research findings concerning second language learning. Based on this research, conclusions about the connection between Baby Sign and second language learning will be drawn …

A Study Of The Genes Tfl1 And Lfy As Agents In The Divergent Evolution Of The Plant Species Arabidopsis Thaliana And Carica Papaya, Ryan Lockard

Honors Program Theses

The long term goals of this study are to: (1) To determine if the genes TFLI and LFY perform any role in the divergent evolution and development of these two plant species; (2) If so, begin to assess whether the homologs' functional divergence is a result of gene regulation, protein function, both, or some different genetic mechanism altogether. These goals will be accomplished by genetically transforming Arabidopsis thaliana plants containing TFLI and LFY knockout mutations (those genes removed) with the homologous genes from Carica papaya in order to compare differences in development between the plants resulting from the influence of …

Memories Of College Hill: A Historical View, Emily Marie O'Loughlin

Honors Program Theses

A thesis project," ... gives Honors students the opportunity to explore a scholarly area of interest and engage in original research or creative work under the guidance of a faculty member." Typically, a history or philosophy student will write a thesis paper on a topic of personal or academic interest. I was interested in pursuing a more creative option, which complemented my intention of pursuing work in the field of public history after I graduate. This interest, combined with previous volunteer work in museums and a desire to learn more about museum work, led to the decision to produce an …

Analysis Of Mathematical Descriptions Of Gravitational Microlensing, Sarah Michelle Pearce

Honors Program Theses

This thesis will provide an analysis of some aspects of gravitational microlensing and the quantitative descriptions used to model the astrophysical systems involved. One aspect of the mathematical description of micro lensing events that is investigated in this thesis is the evolution of micro lensing equations from the formalism of general relativity. The derivation of these equations from those governing general relativity and the bending of light rays in geometric optics is explicitly determined. The relationship between the equations used to model events and the light curves produced is investigated. The effect of degeneracies in the mathematical equations used to …

English-Only Legislation: The Iowa Story, Kari Lien

Honors Program Theses

This project will discuss the recent history of English-Only legislation in Iowa. Common opinions about English-Only legislation will be shared, including quotations from individuals on both sides of the English-Only debate. Finally, this project will examine the way Iowa's story of English-Only legislation raises questions about the future of this legislation in Iowa as well as the nation.

Developing Crochet Patterns For Surfaces Of Non-Constant Curvature, Katherine Lea Pearce

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this project is to develop an algorithm to create crochet patterns for a variety of surfaces. I start with surfaces of constant curvature: the Euclidean surface and the sphere. Then, I generate patterns for surfaces of revolution by calculating the change in circumference for each row of stitches. My methods suggest an approach to crochet more surfaces such as surfaces whose cross section is not a circle. This research demonstrates how crochet can act as a discrete model of differential geometry. Producing these patterns allows for further research into the surfaces themselves by providing accurate models as …

Expressed Sequence Tag For Dna Polymerase Alpha In Embryonic Chicken Brain, Rebecca Krewer

Honors Program Theses

Replicative DNA polymerases are enzymes located in the nuclei of cells. They have a role in the control of DNA synthesis in all cells, and problems with their function and control affect cell growth. One of these polymerases, DNA polymerase alpha ("pol α"), is a possible point of control for cell growth because it initiates DNA synthesis. The ability to selectively turn on or shut off this polymerase in cells could provide answers to problems ranging from cancer's unregulated growth to regeneration of tissues. However, control mechanisms for DNA pol α are not fully understood at this time. The central …

The "Tragedy" Of Down Syndrome: Is It Really So Tragic?, Ashley A. Richardson

Honors Program Theses

All of these factors prove that something needs to be done to educate the general public and medical professionals on the topic of Down syndrome. Because of this misinformation, Down syndrome is not being presented as simply part of the child but rather as the child's identity. Following this diagnosis, many parents question whether or not they would be able to raise a child with Down syndrome and are being forced to decide whether it is best to keep the child, give the newborn up for adoption, or terminate the pregnancy. Such drastic measures result from misinformation. These common misconceptions …

From Here To There: The Music's Journey: How The Music In The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Represents The Cultures Of Tolkien's World, Jennifer Louise Titus

Honors Program Theses

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the most beloved stories of all time; it has been distributed around the world and translated into over fifty languages. The story that Tolkien created was, essentially, how a small group of people can change the course of history through bravery, loyalty, and friendship. It is a story that has touched many hearts over the years. This series of books also has one of the more developed fictional worlds in literature. There are a variety of cultures, which include elves, men, and dwarves. Tolkien not only gave each …

The Reciprocity Of Search, Tun-Jen Chiang

Vanderbilt Law Review

The discussion of search in patent law always focuses on one particular model of search: producers of commercial products are supposed to identify the patents that their products might infringe and then negotiate a license from the owners of those patents. This one-sided view of search responsibility is most evident in doctrine. As a doctrinal matter, patent law imposes an absolute duty on the producer of a commercial product to find all relevant patents and obtain licenses from each of the owners before commencing manufacture. Failure to meet this duty is punished by liability for infringement, where ignorance of the …

Use It Or Lose It!: Results Of A Use Study Of The Print Sources In An Academic Library Reference Collection., Jane G. Kessler

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Describes a use study of a reference collection, which found that 7.1 percent of total volumes in the reference collection were used over the course of the fall semester.

Did Irrigation Impact 20th Century Temperature In The High Plains Aquifer Region?, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.