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The Effect Of Asian Origin, Culture And Learning Beliefs On High School Students' Physical Science Learning Beliefs, Xiaolan Li

Dissertations

Asian Americans have been recognized as the model minority in the United States since the 1960s. Students from Asian countries are winning in international competitions, especially in science and mathematics. Modern Western scholars working within the constructivist learning theory advocate malleable intelligence and effort, which actually corresponds to Asian learning beliefs and learning behaviors. This research is designed to test if American high school students and Chinese students from the mainland of China who are motivated to attend American universities are different in their learning beliefs of physical science and what accounts for the difference if there is any.

The Effect Of Preschool On Reaching Achievement Among Kindergarten Students, Reisha Monique Mckinney

Dissertations

As early childhood education continues to move to the forefront of public policy debate, more attention is being paid to early literacy. Strickland and Riley-Ayers (2006) indicated that early literacy and early learning opportunities play a vital role in academic achievement. This study invested whether there were statistically significant relationships between preschool attendance based on the reading and language arts scores from the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory Developing Skills test.

The study also determined if there were differences in the reading and language arts for those who attended preschool and those who did not based on free/reduced and full paid lunch. …

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis Of An Analogue Of The Potent Antifungal Mycosubtilin, Mayank Srivastava

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Mycosubtilin is a naturally occurring antifungal obtained from Bacillus subtilis that also displays limited antibiotic activity. Structurally, mycosubtilin is a macrocycliclipoheptapeptide of sequence Asn-Tyr-Asn-Gln-Pro-Ser-Asn, with the N-terminal Asn joined by a β-amino fatty acid. Besides the antifungal and antibiotic activities,these molecules are also hemolytic in nature. Hence, the purpose of this study is to synthesize a potent antifungal analogue of mycosubtilin, with a modified β-amino fatty acid, devoid of any hemolytic activity. A chemoenzymatic approach was used to synthesize the cyclic peptide, which involved the synthesis of the linear peptide chain of desired amino acid sequence, thiophenylderivatization of the peptide …

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 …

Annual Report Fy2012-2013, Tennessee. Department Of Safety & Homeland Security.

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Chemistry Division, Susan Makar

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Vol. 67, Issue 3

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Population Genetic Structure Of N. American And European Phalaris Arundinacea L. As Inferred From Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat Markers, Michael F. Nelson, Neil O. Anderson, Michael D. Casler, Andrew R. Jakubowski

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Phalaris arundinacea L. (reed canarygrass) has become one of the most aggressive invaders of North American wetlands. P. arundinacea is native to temperate N. America, Europe, and Asia, but repeated introductions of European genotypes to N. America, recent range expansions, and the planting of forage and ornamental cultivars complicate the resolution of its demographic history. Molecular tools can help to unravel the demographic and invasion history of populations of invasive species. In this study, inter-simple sequence repeat markers were used to analyze the population genetic structure of European and N. American populations of reed canary grass as well as forage …

Aquacultured Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Possess A Large Core Intestinal Microbiota That Is Resistant To Variation In Diet And Rearing Density, Sandi Wong, Thomas Waldrop, Steven Summerfelt, John Davidson, Frederic Barrows, P. Brett Kenney, Timothy Welch, Gregory D. Wiens, Kevin Snekvik, John F. Rawls, Christopher Good

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

As global aquaculture fish production continues to expand, an improved understanding of how environmental factors interact in fish health and production is needed. Significant advances have been made toward economical alternatives to costly fishmealbased diets, such as grain-based formulations, and toward defining the effect of rearing density on fish health and production. Little research, however, has examined the effects of fishmeal- and grain-based diets in combination with alterations in rearing density. Moreover, it is unknown whether interactions between rearing density and diet impact the composition of the fish intestinal microbiota, which might in turn impact fish health and production. We …

Evaluation Of Drug Release From Abraxane And Doxil In Tumor Tissue., Michael Christopher Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, the clinical strategy to treat cancer consists of a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy on the basis of clinical and molecular staging. Nanotechnology applied to biomedical sciences has paved the way for the development of novel strategies for early detection and more efficient treatment of diseases. Abraxane and Doxil are approved formulations that utilize nanoparticles carrying the drugs paclitaxel and doxorubicin, respectively; however, tumors are not completely eradicated in some patients. It is well known that inefficient vascularization may prevent optimal transport of oxygen, nutrients, and therapeutics to cells in solid tumors. In order to quantitatively evaluate therapy …

Ventricular Assist Device And Extracellular Matrix Combination Therapy In A Chronic Ischemic Heart Failure Bovine Model., Erin F. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Currently, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) are the preferred treatments for end stage heart failure. However, these therapies are associated with a shortage of donor organs, a 5-yr survival rate of 80%, and adverse events associated with long-term MCS usage. To overcome these limitations, new clinical paradigm is proposed using a combination therapy of MCS and extracellular matrix (ECM) injection therapy to promote myocardial recovery. Methods: The experimental design consisted of a control (no therapy, n=10) and 3 test groups: (1) ECM only (n=2); (2) MSC (HVAD) only (n=2); and (3) HVAD + ECM (n=2) in a …

Characteristics Of White-Tailed Deer Visits To Cattle Farms: Implications For Disease Transmission At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Are R. Berentsen, Ryan S. Miller, Regina Misiewicz, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Mike R. Dunbar

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is endemic in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in MI, USA. Currently, the rates of farm visitation by deer and co-use of forage resources by cattle and deer are poorly understood. To evaluate the extent deer and livestock may share forage resources, we investigated farm, yard, and cattle-use area visitation by white-tailed deer and compared visitation with common livestock management practices. We fitted 25 female white-tailed deer near the bTB-infected zone in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula with global positioning system collars. Livestock management practices associated with farm visitation included presence of confined feeding pastures, number of …

Understanding Slave Subsistence In The Context Of Changing Agricultural Practices: Paleoethnobotany At Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, Samantha J. Henderson

Graduate Masters Theses

During the 18th and 19th centuries, enslaved people at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest utilized provisioned, gardened, and wild plants from local environments surrounding their homes to provide for their own subsistence. The Wingo's quarter was home to a number of these enslaved individuals at the end of the 18th century. Using macrobotanical data, I describe the subsistence strategies of the people living at this quarter, showing how enslaved Africans and African Americans at Wingo's utilized different sources of food to shape their foodways. Additionally, edible and inedible botanical remains provide a picture of the local environment around Wingo's within which …

Life History And Environmental Tolerance Of The Invasive Oriental Weatherfish (Misgurnus Anguillicaudatus) In Southwestern Idaho, Usa, Alexander N. Urquhart

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Invasive fish species have been identified as a major threat to aquatic biodiversity world-wide. The most successful of these invaders share several life history characteristics such as long lifespan, high fecundity, multiple reproductive events, generalized omnivorous diet, and tolerance for a wide range of environmental conditions. Although many studies have focused on well-known and economically costly invaders, there are many invasive fish about which very little is known. In this series of studies, I describe some life history characteristics of one such invasive fish, the oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus). I collected 586 specimens from water bodies connected with …

Warming Winters And Changing Habitats: Interactive Effects On Raptor Populations And Implications For Conservation, Neil A. Paprocki

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Studies across multiple spatial and temporal scales will improve understanding of the drivers of global change including habitat degradation, invasive species, and climate change. How global drivers affect the ecology of wintering raptors in western North America and the Great Basin may have important implications for changes in distribution and abundance, and consequently population persistence. I examined the winter distributions of six western North America raptor species using Christmas Bird Count data from 1975-2011 to assess range shifts over time and in relation to temperature. Also, I considered whether population patterns within Bird Conservation Regions (BCR) were best explained by …

Impacts Of Wind Energy Development On Breeding Buteo Hawks In The Columbia Plateau Ecoregion, Patrick Shea Kolar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Post-construction raptor fatality and nest monitoring is typically conducted at wind energy projects nationwide. However, pre- and post-construction surveys may fail to locate all breeding pairs and most studies at individual wind projects lack the necessary sample size or survey design to assess the effects of turbines on nesting raptors after construction. To address these potential issues, I used an information-theoretic approach to examine the influence of multiple spatial and temporal variables on reproductive success, post-fledging survival, and the distribution of breeding pairs from three sympatric Buteo species in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion (CPE). Although the probability of detecting breeding …

The Apprenticeship Of Laurell K. Hamilton: How Aspiring Writers Learn To Write, Chelsea Ann Pierce

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

How do aspiring writers learn to write? Laurell K. Hamilton’s blog records and presents her thorough apprenticeship to readers. This thesis is a case study of the writing process that she documents on her blog. The results reflect aspects of composition theory including formula deviation, character persona construction, audience function and awareness, diverse research possibilities, revision and motivation strategies, digital literacy and technology acquisition, and the blog as a genre. Hamilton also develops and contributes her own writing process theories. The study reveals that both aspiring and professional writers both adhere to common established composition theories and create their own …

Investigating The Effects Of A Sentence Writing Strategy And A Self-Monitoring Procedure On The Writing Performance Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, David Rago

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Writing is a tool students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can use to communicate and interact with other people socially and professionally. Strong writing skills may lead to social and economic success, as well as a sense of self-empowerment. Unfortunately, there is very little research related to the use of sentence-writing strategies and self-monitoring procedures to improve the writing performance of adolescent students with ASD. Thus, this study was designed to examine the effects of a sentence-writing strategy and a self-monitoring procedure on the writing performance of adolescents with ASD.

The study included five participants. These participants attended the same …

Perceived Burdensomeness, Thwarted Belongingness And Acquired Capability For Suicide: Suicidal Risk Factors In An Incarcerated Population, Sarra Nazem

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in incarcerated individuals. Previous research suggests that prior suicidal behaviors, history of substance abuse/dependence, and depressive symptoms are common risk factors associated with death by suicide in incarcerated populations. Additionally, offenders who have committed violent crimes, are incarcerated in higher security institutions, and have longer sentences are also at increased risk for suicide. Although research has identified risk factors for suicidal behaviors, there has been very little theory-driven research on suicidal behaviors in incarcerated populations. Joiner's interpersonal theory of suicide (Joiner, 2005; Van Orden et al., 2010) may be an especially …

Interleukin Expression After Injury And The Effects Of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist, Connie S. Chamberlain, Ellen M. Leiferman, Kayt E. Frisch, Stacey L. Brickson, William L. Murphy, Geoffrey S. Baer, Ray Vanderby

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Ligament healing follows a series of complex coordinated events involving various cell types, cytokines, as well as other factors, producing a mechanically inferior tissue more scar-like than native tissue. Macrophages provide an ongoing source of cytokines to modulate inflammatory cell adhesion and migration as well as fibroblast proliferation. Studying interleukins inherent to ligament healing during peak macrophage activation and angiogenesis may elucidate inflammatory mediators involved in subsequent scar formation. Herein, we used a rat healing model assayed after surgical transection of their medial collateral ligaments (MCLs). On days 3 and 7 post-injury, ligaments were collected and used for microarray analysis. …

Immigrant Female Professors As Gendered 'Cultural Tokens' In University, Debaleena Ghosh

Research Papers

This study focuses on the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity and immigrant status to understand the binary division between ‘us’ and they’ that produces an experience of ‘outsider-within’, ‘otherness’ or ‘exotic other’ at workplaces, especially in academia. Therefore, this paper looks at how these different statuses meet to shape the academic experience of female faculty and determine their opportunities, responsibilities, authority, legitimacy and advancement at work. I interviewed immigrant female professors at a large public university in Midwest. I find that these women are segregated, disrespected, and denied of authority by both colleagues and students, they are stripped of their …

Fractured Communities: Natural Gas, Resource Control, And Social Response In Bradford County, Pa, Chad F. Spade

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation through a case study and research conducted in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Drawing upon the literatures of environmental justice and accumulation by dispossession, this thesis examines the impacts natural gas drilling has on the local community. Themes of economic benefits, leasing procedures, environmental concerns, social fracturing and political power are explored as they relate to the natural gas industry's impact on the local community. Viewed through the theories of accumulation by dispossession and environmental justice, this thesis examines the role resource control plays in the development and exploitation of natural …

Invasive Plants In U. S. National Wildlife Refuges: A Coordinated Research Project Using Undergraduate Ecology Students, Martha F. Hoopes, David M. Marsh, Karen H. Beard, Nisse Goldberg, Alberto Aparicio, Annie Arbuthnot, Benjamin Hixon, Danelle Laflower, Lucas Lee, Amanda Little, Emily Mooney, April Pallette, Alison Ravenscraft, Stephen Scheele, Kyle Stowe, Colin Sykes, Robert Watson, Blia Yang

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Answering large-scale questions in ecology can involve time-consuming data compilation. We show how networks of undergraduate classes can make these projects more manageable and provide an authentic research experience for students. With this approach, we examined the factors associated with plant species richness in US national wildlife refuges. We found that the richness of harmful invasive plants and the richness of native plants were positively correlated in mainland refuges but negatively correlated in island refuges. Nonnative richness and invasive richness were also positively correlated with colonization pressure as indicated by nonnative richness around each refuge. Associations between refuge characteristics and …

B.R. Wells Rice Research Studies 2012, R. J. Norman, K.A. K. Moldenhauer

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Macromolecular Complexes Of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Alter Fluid Transport In Inflammatory Bowel Disorders, Kavisha Arora

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Macromolecular complexes of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) comprise of network of proteins that can regulate cAMP-/cGMP-activated CFTR chloride channel function. We report the physical and functional coupling of CFTR with nitric oxide (NO) producing enzyme-inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) at the apical plasma membrane in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The complex formation requires the scaffolding protein Na+ /H+ exchanger regulatory factor 2 (NHERF2). We demonstrate that iNOS is overexpressed at or near the apical plasma membrane of gut epithelial cells in IBD and, through the stimulation of the NO-cGMP pathway, generates compartmentalized cGMP underneath the plasma membrane. This …

Involvement Of Cytochromep4504a In Adenosine A1 Receptor Mediated Regulation Of Vascular Tone, Swati S Kunduri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The regulation of vascular tone plays an important role in normal cardiovascular function. Adenosine, an autacoid has several physiological and pathophysiological roles, apart from the regulation of vascular tone. Adenosine receptor (AR) contracts and relaxes blood vessels through all four subtypes (A1, A2A, A2B, and A3) linked to different signaling mechanisms. Deciphering complex tissue responses remains difficult because relationships of individual receptor subtypes and various end-effectors (e.g., ion channels) are yet to be identified. Apart from adenosine, 20-HETE, a cytochrome P4504a (Cyp4a) metabolite of arachidonic acid (AA) …

Examination Of Factors Associated With Obesity, Physical Activity And Income In Metropolitan Areas Of The United States, Ahadu T. Tekle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly in the past three decades. Obesity and inadequate physical activity are the major contributors to health problems. In addition to understanding the contribution of biological and psychological factors in the growth of obesity rates, there is a growing interest in understanding the impact of environmental factors on obesity. This study examines the relationship between obesity, socioeconomic factors, environmental factors and physical activity. The study is focused on metropolitan areas and relied on metropolitan county level built environment, natural amenities and outdoor recreational opportunities measures. Individual level socioeconomic and location information is from the …

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. …

Analysis Of Post-Cranial Traits For The Assessment Of Biological Distance Among Temporally Distinct New World Populations Of African Descent, Claire Marie Dansereau

Master's Theses

This investigation examines change in post-cranial osteometric markers in temporally distinct New World populations of African ancestry: Newton Plantation series (17th-19th century Barbados; N = 16); two subsamples from the Hamann-Todd (HT) series (U.S.) based on birth year, 1865-1900 (N = 66) and 1901-1915 (N = 62); and the Forensic Databank Collection (FDB) (20th century U.S.; N = 137). It was anticipated that individuals from Newton would exhibit less admixture than those from H-T or FDB. They were also predicted to demonstrate greater skeletal robusticity due to mechanical loading. Additionally, it was expected that stature would increase over time due …