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The R Journal

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The Effects Of Isolation On Endemic Cozumel Island Rodents: A Test Of The Island Rule, Brittany Marie Nuttall

Theses and Dissertations

Island isolation can cause changes in body size, cranial characteristics, and genetic variation in mammals. We use geometric morphometrics to test skull and mandible shape and size change across three species of endemic Cozumel Island rodents in order to test the “island rule” of larger size in isolated rodents. We also sequenced the D-Loop and cytochrome b region of the mitochondrial genome and tested for differences in genetic variation between island and mainland groups, as well as population structure and gene flow in order to assess the effect of island isolation on these three rodents. We found that the three …

Application Of Next-Generation Transcriptomic Tools For Non-Model Organisms: Gene Discovery And Marker Developmentwithin Plecoptera (Insecta), Nicholas Gregory Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Phylogenetic research on non-model organisms has been hindered by limited marker availability. Next generation sequencing techniques are eliminating that barrier. Using Illumina sequencing technology, Trinity assembly software, custom Perl reciprocal BLAST scripts, and Primer3 primer prediction software, we produced and analyzed 7 Plecopteran transcriptomes, representing 7 of the 16 total families, in an attempt to identify and develop conserved orthologous genetic markers. The transcriptomes were used to reconstruct a gene content phylogeny using a simple distance matrix generated from reciprocal blastn data. By producing and filtering a reciprocal blast network we identified and aligned over 450 putative orthologs. Out of …

The Effects Of Wrist Orthoses On The Stiffness Of Wrist Rotations, Daniel Brad Seegmiller

Theses and Dissertations

Wrist orthoses are the most common upper limb orthoses, being used by thousands of individuals each year to stabilize, immobilize, or support the wrist joint. Wrist orthoses achieve their function by altering the stiffness of the wrist joint (Figure 1-1). However, there is no quantitative understanding of how wrist orthoses affect wrist stiffness, and consequently, wrist orthosis development often relies on feel, intuition, or empirical heuristics rather than a methodical, quantitative approach. Because wrist movement control is dominated by wrist joint stiffness (Charles and Hogan 2011) a quantitative understanding of how wrist orthoses alter the stiffness of the wrist is …

Parenting Skills As Predictors Of Child And Adolescent Psychotherapy Outcomes: Examining Change In Usual Care Settings, Alicia Ann Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Youth psychotherapy literature is in need of more research related to understanding psychotherapy process and outcome in child psychotherapy in community settings. The purpose of this study was to examine how key parenting skills were associated with child and adolescent symptoms and outcomes over the course of treatment in an outpatient community mental health system. Much of the research on child and adolescent outcomes has been conducted in controlled research settings, which raises the importance of more research needing to be done in representative clinical practice conditions (Weisz & Jensen, 2001). Further, few child and adolescent studies have examined potential …

Population Genetic Structure Of Bromus Tectorum In The American Desert Southwest, Desiree Rochelle Eldon

Theses and Dissertations

Following its introduction to North America in the late nineteenth century, Bromus tectorum L., an inbreeding invasive winter annual grass, has become dominant on millions of hectares of sagebrush steppe habitat throughout Intermountain Western North America. It appears that within the last 30-40 years, B. tectorum has expanded its range southward into the Mojave Desert and also into more climatically extreme salt desert environments. Previous research using microsatellite markers and experimental studies has suggested that lineages found in desert habitats are genetically distinct from those found in the sagebrush-steppe habitat and possess suites of traits that pre-adapt them to these …

Service Provider And Beneficiary Perceptions Of Collectivist Domestic Violence Social Issues, Annie Mohsen Samhouri

Theses and Dissertations

In this research I have focused on beneficiary and service providers' perceptions toward Arab social obstacles to help-seeking, appropriate intervention methods and obstacles to reintegration into the community after seeking assistance. Through semi-structured interviews and content analysis of local policies, laws and specific service offerings, I sought to contribute to the limited literature that explores how formal institutions that originate from a Western context are adapted to meet the unique needs of Arab victims of domestic violence. I found that the main social obstacles to help-seeking were attributed to a dearth of knowledge about existing services, a lack of confidence …

Habitat Selection By Two K-Selected Species: An Application To Bison And Sage Grouse, Joshua Taft Kaze

Theses and Dissertations

Population growth for species with long lifespans and low reproductive rates (i.e., K-selected species) is influenced primarily by both survival of adult females and survival of young. Because survival of adults and young is influenced by habitat quality and resource availability, it is important for managers to understand factors that influence habitat selection during the period of reproduction. My thesis contains two chapters addressing this issue for K-selected species in Utah. Chapter one evaluates habitat selection of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercusurophasianus) on Diamond Mountain during the critical nesting and brood-rearing period. Chapter two address selection of birth sites by bison (Bison …

Exploring Post-Fire Recovery Of Biocrusts And Desert Ecosystem Services, Jason R. Bahr

Theses and Dissertations

Biocrusts and the ecosystem services they provide are becoming more susceptible to fire as exotic annual grass invasions facilitate the spread of desert wildfires. Further, precipitation patterns across the western United States are predicted to change over the next century, and have the potential to dramatically influence fire regimes and the recovery of burned biocrusts. Despite these changes to desert fire and precipitation cycles, our understanding of post-fire biocrust recovery is limited, especially regarding the first two years after fire. To investigate biocrust recovery, we created burn manipulations (i.e., unburned and burned) and tracked crust form and function over two …

Sudden Gains: A Pluralistic Approach To The Patient And Therapist Experience, Brian P. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to study instances of sudden gains within the case load of a private practice practitioner. Five clients whose progress was marked by such changes were contrasted with the views of five clients whose progress was marked by significant setbacks. Results from the quantitative analyses indicated that clients who experienced sudden gains during therapy tended to retain their therapeutic gains over a 2-year time period. In contrast, individuals who experienced setbacks in therapy generally continued to be distressed at the 2-year reassessment. Clients who experienced sudden gains were more distressed prior to treatment and …

Importance Of Placement Depth In Evaluating Soil Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Sulfur Using Ion Exchange Resin Capsules In Semi-Arid, Low Fertility Soils, Rachel Lynn Buck

Theses and Dissertations

Ion exchange resin capsules provide a possible alternative to conventional soil testing procedures. Previous studies with semi-arid, low fertility soils observed poor relationships with poorly mobile nutrients such as phosphorus (P). We propose that placement depth may improve those relationships. Our objective was to (1) determine if placement depth could improve resin capsule estimation of the bioavailability of nitrogen (N), P, and sulfur (S) and (2) to determine if resin capsules can effectively estimate S availability in semi-arid, low fertility soils. Field sites were established in Rush and Skull Valleys, Utah on loam and sandy loam soils, respectively. Fertilizer was …

Involvement Of Ampk And Ap-1 Biochemical Pathways In Il-6 Regulation Of Steroidogenic Enzymes In The Adrenal Cortex, Matharage Shenali De Silva

Theses and Dissertations

The adrenal cortex is a crucial endocrine gland in the mammalian stress response. In chronic inflammatory stress, cortisol is elevated whereas adrenal androgens are decreased. Furthermore, ACTH levels have poor correlation with the plasma cortisol in these conditions, thus suggesting that other factors are driving the stress response during chronic inflammatory stress. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine which is released during chronic inflammatory stress, is assumed to be one such factor. Thus the biochemical pathways by which IL-6 increases cortisol release from the zona fasciculata (ZF), and decreases adrenal androgen release from the zona reticularis (ZR) were investigated. Since IL-6 activates …

Ferritin-Based Photo-Oxidation Of Biomass For Nanoparticle Synthesis, Bioremediation, And Hydrogen Evolution, Oscar Petrucci

Theses and Dissertations

The cell is the basic unit of all living organisms. It is an amazing machine capable of self-replicating, growing, and synthesizing and shuttling thousands of compounds. To perform all of these activities the cell needs energy. The original source of energy for all living beings is the Sun. The energy of the sun is collected by the autotrophs (mostly plants) through photosynthesis and stored in the chemical bonds of carbohydrates and lipids through carboxylic acid intermediates; animals use these compounds to obtain the energy for their cells. Most of the energy extracted by the cell comes from the citric acid …

Fgf4 Induced Wnt5a Gradient In The Limb Bud Mediates Mesenchymal Cell Directed Migration And Division, John C. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

The AER has a vital role in directing embryonic limb development. Several models have been developed that attempt to explain how the AER directs limb development, but none of them are fully supported by existing data. I provide evidence that FGFs secreted from the AER induce a gradient of Wnt5a. I also demonstrate that limb mesenchyme grows toward increasing concentrations of Wnt5a. We hypothesize that the changing shape of the AER is critical for patterning the limb along the proximal to distal axis. To better understand the pathway through which Wnt5a elicits its effects, we have performed various genetic studies. …

The Effects Of Video Prompting Via An Ipad On Vocational Skill Development Of Secondary Students With Developmental Disabilities, Patricia D. Lund

Theses and Dissertations

Current laws stress the importance of using research-based practices to teach transition and vocational skills to students with disabilities. Some of the evidence-based practices include the use of videos to prompt students through a task. Much research has been done concerning the effectiveness of video prompts to teach daily living skills, academic skills and social skills. Transitional skills that have been taught often include simple, entry level skills such as watering plants, cooking soup in the microwave or setting a table. To date, there is little research regarding the use of video prompts to teach complex employment skills that can …

Investigating The Impact Of Orientation And Detected Characteristics Of First-Time Online Students On Their Success Rate In A Community College Setting, Reginald C. Akpom

Dissertations

It is evident that the failure rate is higher among online students than in-class students at Hopkinsville Community College. An analysis of the academic records of students who enrolled in online courses for the first time at Hopkinsville indicated a 13% higher withdrawal and failure rate than those who took in-class courses over the same period between 2000 and 2010. Colleges are taking potentially all of the necessary steps to reduce the student failure rates among online students because high withdrawal and failure rates often reflect badly on the quality of education by the providing institutions (C. Segura, personal communication, …

Segregation, Inequality, Demographic Change, And School Consolidation, William England, Edmund T. Hamann

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

We describe a rural/micropolitan example of the intertwining of school consolidation and demographic change with exacerbated segregation and inequality. To do this we consider Dawson County, Nebraska, which hosts the state's most Latino/a school district (Lexington) and which saw its number of schools decline from 37 to 19 during this century's first decade, and the number of local school districts lessened from 18 to 5. In particular, we call attention to the irony that consolidation was pursued with an explicit call for more equality in schooling in Dawson County (Swidler 2013) and yet population concentrations and variation in expenditures seemed …

Match Made In Heaven: Blackboard Vista, Information Literacy, And College Freshmen, Julie Nichols, Kristin Johnson

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2011

Northeast Lakeview College (NLC) serves over 6000 students in the greater San Antonio area. Our diverse student body includes many "first generation" students. To address the needs of a growing library instruction program and to introduce students to academic research, NLC librarians developed a program, using Blackboard Vista (BBV) to deliver library instruction to first semester freshmen English students. The highly interactive, self-paced BBV tutorials emphasize basic information literacy skills that are reinforced with a follow-up face-to-face library instruction session. Since Fall 2009, we have evolved these tutorials from an optional, self-registration model to a listed course in our college …

Examining Co-Teaching Through A Socio-Technical Systems Lens, Robert S. Isherwood, Richael Barger-Anderson, Matthew Erickson

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Qualitative research was conducted in a large suburban school district implementing co-teaching as a new service delivery model for special education. Researchers examined the changes that resulted from the new service delivery model using a socio-technical systems lens. This framework views schools as open systems that contain a structural, task, human, and technical subsystem. The intent of the study was to document the changes in each of these subsystems resulting from the implementation of co-teaching and to provide educators with strategies to implement co-teaching in a seamless and effective manner. Unanticipated challenges included scheduling, teacher work ethic, personality compatibility, classroom …

No Teacher Left Behind: Educating Students With Asd And Adhd In The Inclusion Classroom, Michaela N. Jones, Kimberly P. Weber, T.F. Mclaughlin

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a token economy on on-task behaviors by two seventh grade boys with varying disabilities within a public school inclusion classroom setting. At the end of the study, the participant identified with ASD increased his on-task behaviors approximately 52%. The participant identified with ADHD increased about 59% and decreased an average of 3.3 talk-outs per minute, although there were environmental limitations that impacted the design and confounded the ability to determine an educational effect. One specific limitation was the lack of support for the general education teacher to influence …

Reproduction, Sexual Swellings And Mating Behavior In Sanje Mangabeys (Cercocebus Sanjei), David Fernandez Sobrado

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Inter-sexual conflict, or the opposing reproductive strategies of males and females, has become a primary structural factor in current models of social organization as it drives an evolutionary arms-race between the sexes. In many primates living in polygynandrous groups, the mating strategy of dominant males is to guard fertile females, while females develop sexual swellings that provide males with information regarding the approximate, but not exact, timing of ovulation. This allows females to mate promiscuously, confusing paternity, while concentrating paternity on males with the best competitive ability, i.e. | those that are able to mate guard during the peak swelling …

Drug Discovery Through Combination Of Computational Screening And Design, Chemical Synthesis And Biological Evaluations, William Theodore Berger

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

A long-standing problem with the use of conventional cancer chemotherapy is the inherent lack of tumor specificity. Tumor-targeting drug-delivery systems (TTDS) have since been explored to overcome this deficiency. These drug conjugates can deliver potent cytotoxic drugs specifically to tumors and tumor cells with minimal systemic toxicity. Among various tumor-targeting molecules discussed, Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins) represent a new approach to tumor targeting. In particular, DARPins targeting CD326 Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) receptors provide an effective cancer target, as EpCAM is critical to the regulation of cellular matrix composition and overall cancer aggressiveness. Botulism is a human illness …

Blood Of The Earth: Natural Resources, Economic Visions, And Revolution In La Paz, Bolivia, 1927-1971, Kevin Young

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Natural resource extraction and resource nationalism are central to understanding recent protests around the world. These mobilizations have important precedents in mid-twentieth-century Bolivia. The quest for national control over natural resources--particularly tin and oil--was the central factor uniting urban sectors in the years before and after the 1952 Bolivian Revolution, which brought to power the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR) party. Focusing on La Paz, this dissertation examines the contours of popular economic thought and the conflicts among urban popular sectors, the MNR regime, and the United States to define economic policy. Natural resources were the key locus of contention in …

Anger And Memory: Misleading People Is Easy When They Are Mad, Michael J. Greenstein

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Previous work has shown that different discrete emotional states (e.g. anger) affect cognitive processing differently. Anger has been associated with simplifying cognition to promote rapid action-related processes. For example, anger promotes an increased tendency to rely on preexisting cognitive biases. Such a processing style may have been advantageous in evolutionary history, but it can also lead to increased memory errors. The present study examined the simplifying effects of anger on memorial processing, using three different misinformation paradigms. The first experiment, using a classic three-phase misinformation paradigm, showed that anger directly affects memory performance and that anger increases acceptance of misinformation …

Knox Street And The Complete Streets Initiative: A Comparative Analysis Of Complete Street Implementation In The City Of Dallas, Kelsey Berry

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

The Knox Street district, located just a few miles north of downtown Dallas, Texas, offers a variety of high-end retail, residential, and commercial use options. The increased popularity of downtown Dallas development and the Knox / Henderson neighborhood has drawn attention to the community situated on the edge of Highland Park and Dallas. This study examines Dallas' Complete Street best practices and their implementation on the Knox Street project. It asks: how effective has the implementation of this demonstration project been? It aims to answer this question by first comparing the City of Dallas' Complete Streets Manual draft with nationally …

Wet Ponds As A Stormwater Management Tool And An Alternative Water Source For Irrigating Parks In Arlington, Texas, Cassandra Marie Harashe, Yekang Ko

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

A growing population in the Dallas - Fort Worth area will lead to water shortages if alternative water sources are not utilized. This reports looks into the aspects of utilizing wet ponds as a source of water for irrigating public playing fields in Arlington, Texas. It covers the benefits of reducing stormwater and utilizing this water for irrigation. It also covers different pond types, design aspects, the site selection process, potential cost savings, and the policy implications of utilizing this type of Low Impact Development. This study demonstrates that wet ponds are a viable option for treating stormwater to be …

Human Services Subsector: The Effects Of Lancaster Outreach Center's Poverty Reduction Efforts In Rural Communities, Robert L. Sewell

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

Lancaster Outreach Center (LOC) has for almost 30 years provided high social welfare quality services with minimum setbacks. However, the faltering economy had a negative influence on the level of donor funding LOC expected. The decreased funding level has greatly affected LOC's operations, and the nonprofit organization no longer sees donor funding as a solid revenue source. This study aims to analyze the challenges that rural social workers encounter working for a small nonprofit. Data regarding the agency was collected directly from members of the LOC staff. The research findings for the literature review were obtained through the UTA online …

Assessing Bus Rapid Transit (Brt) As An Alternate Mode Of Transportation For Dallas County., Francisco Estrada, Jianling Li

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

Traffic congestion in the Dallas County area continues to worsen while transportation funding continues to decline. Even if funding was available it is no longer possible to build our way out of congestion. The Dallas County area has reached a crucial stage in which new innovative methods are required to address congestion. This paper will propose the integration of an alternative mode of transportation known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The analysis performed in this study will utilize the methodology developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy to identify a potential BRT corridor in Dallas County. Existing transportation …

Planning For Student Veteran And Military Member Support Programs At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Daniel D. Moseman

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has recognized the importance of its student veteran and military member population and is undertaking a planning process to develop or improve its student veteran programs. The goal of this professional project is to present UNL with options and alternatives that could be used to develop these student veteran programs. The research associated with this project is timely and prudent, given the current reduction in military force size and the anticipated return of many thousand service members into post-secondary education.

This professional project provides information on three topics. First, research from credible sources determines the …

Continuous Assessment, The Catalyst For Building A Successful Information Literacy Program That Focuses On Student Needs, Jon R. Hufford, Arlene K. Paschel

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2011

In keeping with the requirements of Texas Tech University's current strategic planning initiative, assessment, and in particular student-learning assessment, has become a crucial step in the process of continuously developing and improving the Libraries' Information Literacy program. This presentation reviews developments in the program, training for the librarians who participate in the program, the outreach and collaboration efforts to expand the program, and the important role that assessment plays in the process of discovering student needs, improving content, teaching, learning, and the operation of the program. The emphasis is on assessment as a catalyst in the process of continually improving …