Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of The Principal In Implementing Blended Learning In Algebra I Courses In South Carolina Public Schools, Corey J. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

In the state of South Carolina, the primary indicator of student achievement in high schools is the End of Course Test. In order to increase passing rates on this test, many schools are turning to online tutorials or more advanced online intelligent tutoring systems. Any combination of online delivery of educational content with classroom interaction and live instruction is known as blended learning. This study examined the role of the principal in implementing blended learning in Algebra 1 courses in South Carolina public schools.

This study was guided by three primary research questions: What is the self-perceived role of the …

Buy For The Sake Of Your Baby: Guardian Consumerism In Twentieth Century America, Mark Vandriel

Theses and Dissertations

“Buy For the Sake of Your Baby” argues that consumerism for infants in twentieth century America was an exceptional type of consumer society. Because the parents who bought the consumer goods could not effectively communicate with their children who used these products, parents frequently purchased items for their babies as acts of good parenting. These parent consumers wanted to do what was right for their children, but because they could not effectively communicate with their children, they were particularly susceptible to influence from outside groups. Businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and the federal government recognized throughout the twentieth century how to effectively …

Sustainable, Operations-Enabled Solutions For Reducing Product Waste, Erin C. Mckie

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional linear production system where products are created, used, and then disposed of is no longer a viable business model for many firms. A combination of growing populations, increases in consumerism, and urbanization are placing unprecedented pressures on our world’s natural resources. In addition to these motivations, strong demands from consumers and governments are requiring companies to reevaluate and prioritize their environmental strategies. Fortunately, there are several opportunities for firms to engage in more sustainable business practices throughout their entire supply chain, particularly at the end of their products’ useful lives. However, moving from a linear model to a …

Glacial To Holocene Changes In Eastern Equatorial Pacific Deep-Water Chemistry And Circulation, Natalie E. Umling

Theses and Dissertations

It has been hypothesized that the oceans store CO2 during glacial periods and then release it to the atmosphere, causing the onset of warm interglacial periods (Sigman and Boyle, 2000). Documenting this past transfer of CO2 between the oceans and atmosphere is of utmost importance for better understanding the impact that anthropogenic CO2 has and will have on Earth’s climate. The last deglaciation is a good analogue to modern increases in CO2 and temperature and is recent enough to be studied using radiocarbon. This period provides important insights into the nature of climate changes during the transition from glacial to …

Implementing The Constructed Scaffold Model: Hands-On Activity Units For Advanced Placement Calculus, Susan Scott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present action research study is to describe a hands-on activity model, named the Constructed Scaffold Model (CSM), used in an Advanced Placement Calculus class in a southeastern United States suburban high school. Data were collected over an 8-week period during the spring 2017 semester. The teacher-researcher developed a pretest and posttest to describe the CSM’s impact on 10 student-participants in her Advanced Placement classroom. Repeated measures t-tests were used to determine the effect of the CSM on the student-participants’ test scores. Additional qualitative data were collected from field notes, student surveys, a focus group, and student …

The Impact Of Journal Writing On Students’ Understanding Of Rational Number Operations Of Eight Seventh Grade Students At Jackson Middle School, Amanda Marie Smoak

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of journal writing on eight seventh grade math students’ understanding of rational numbers in a public school in South Carolina. The literature on mathematical understanding and achievement suggests that students should be taught to write about their mathematical thinking to learn the concepts or reasons behind the procedure to consistently and accurately perform operations with rational numbers (Countryman, 1992; Anderson & Little, 2004; Borasi & Rose, 1989; Ganguli, 1989; Johanning, 2000; Lim & Pugalee, 2004; McCormick, 2010; McIntosh & Draper, 2001; Miller, 1991).

During the course of the study, participants …

Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles For Designed Interfaces In Polymer Nanocomposites, Mohammad Mohammadkhani

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymer nanocomposite interfaces and the property enhancement from this interface design. Through the use of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization for the grafting of polymer chains to silica nanoparticles, the surface of silica nanoparticles can be manipulated to tune the properties of nanocomposites by controlling the interface between the particles and the polymer matrix.

In the first part of this work, compatibility of 15 nm silica nanoparticles grafted with different alkyl methacrylates with linear low density polyethylene was investigated. SI-RAFT polymerization of hexyl, lauryl, and stearyl methacrylate on silica …

Qeeg Correlates Of Cognitive Processing Speed In Children With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Joseph Ferraracci

Theses and Dissertations

Electroencephalography (EEG) and neuropsychological test measures have been previously used to understand the underlying brain changes in individuals with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, literature discussing the relationship between EEG and neuropsychological test performance is scarce and, further, has not been investigated explicitly in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cognitive and academic deficits in children with traumatic brain injury and, additionally, this study aims to understand the underlying relationship between EEG and neuropsychological test performance among this sample. Analyses included twenty-one participants between the ages of 8 and 19 years of age (male, n=14; …

The Relationship Between Gender Stereotypes And Academic Performance For Rural Eighth Grade Students: A Mixed Methods Ethnographic Case Study, Elizabeth Anne Royal Witte

Theses and Dissertations

Through this mixed methods ethnographic case study, the subject of gender stereotypes for middle school students, and its relationship to academic performance was investigated. Specifically, the research focused on Albert Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory, gender stereotypes, and how educational institutions, peer relationships, and parental influences may dictate gender norms as they relate to academic success. It also attempted to evaluate the relationship between the issue of gender stereotypes and current experiences in a rural American middle school that led to the recurring issue of the educational gender gap and the underperformance of male students. The purpose of the study …

Autonomous Driving With A Simulation Trained Convolutional Neural Network, Cameron Franke

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles will help society if they can easily support a broad range of driving environments, conditions, and vehicles.

Achieving this requires reducing the complexity of the algorithmic system, easing the collection of training data, and verifying operation using real-world experiments. Our work addresses these issues by utilizing a reflexive neural network that translates images into steering and throttle commands. This network is trained using simulation data from Grand Theft Auto V~\cite{gtav}, which we augment to reduce the number of simulation hours driven. We then validate our work using a RC car system through numerous tests. Our system successfully drive …

Monitoring Insecticide Resistance Mechanisms In Culex Tarsalis From Sutter County, California, Bridgette Danielle Hughes

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Culex mosquitoes are known for carrying several harmful viruses in the United States. Culex tarsalis is found in rural as well as some residential areas in the Western United States, so they are under insecticide pressure from both agricultural spraying and vector control. In response to insecticide pressure, mosquitoes can evolve two primary resistance mechanisms: target site insensitivity, as a result of DNA mutation, and elevated levels of detoxifying enzymes (GST, alpha and beta esterases, and P450 oxidases). The two types of target site insensitivity studied here in Cx. tarsalis are kdr, which is a mutation in the para-type voltage …

Auranofin Targets Thioredoxin Reductases In Trichomonas Vaginalis, Jose Jauregui

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Trichomonas vaginalis is an anaerobic, parasitic protozoan, responsible for trichomoniasis, the world’s most common, non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Lacking many of the defenses present in other organisms to combat oxidative stress, Trichomonas vaginalis relies extensively on the thioredoxin system—NADPH, thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin—as a means to protect against exposure to excess oxygen. Current trichomoniasis treatment relies exclusively on the 5-nitroimidazole drugs, but fear of drug-resistant strains and allergic reactions to 5-nitroimidazole treatment necessitate the discovery of a new treatment method for trichomoniasis. Previous research has shown that auranofin, an FDA-approved drug, was effective at inhibiting activity of one of Trichomonas …

Fragment-Based Excitonic Coupled-Cluster Theory For Large Chemical Systems, Yuhong Liu

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Accurate energetic modeling of large molecular systems is always desired by chemists. For example, ligand-protein binding simulations and enzymatic catalysis studies all involve with a small energy difference. The energetic accuracy depends largely on a proper handling of electronic correlations. Molecular mechanics (MM) methods deliver a parameterized Newtonian treatment to these problems. They show great capability in handling large calculations but give only qualitatively good results. Quantum mechanics (QM) methods solve Schrödinger equations and exhibit much better energy accuracy, though the computational cost can be prohibitive if directly applied to very large systems.

Fragment-based methods have been developed to decompose …

Sebastian Gorka: Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War Study Guide, 2017, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Study Guide

International Consensus (Icon) On: Clinical Consequences Of Mite Hypersensitivity, A Global Problem., Mario Sánchez-Borges, Enrique Fernandez-Caldas, Wayne R. Thomas, Martin D. Chapman, Bee Wah Lee, Luis Caraballo, Nathalie Acevedo, Fook Tim Chew, Ignacio J. Ansotegui, Leili Behrooz, Wanda Phipatanakul, Roy Gerth Van Wijk, Demoly Pascal, Nelson Rosario, Motohiro Ebisawa, Mario Geller, Santiago Quirce, Susanne Vrtala, Rudolf Valenta, Markus Ollert, Giorgio Walter Canonica, Moises A. Calderón, Charles S. Barnes, Adnan Custovic, Suwat Benjaponpitak, Arnaldo Capriles-Hulett

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Since mite allergens are the most relevant inducers of allergic diseases worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and increased burden on health services, the International Collaboration in Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (iCAALL), formed by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), and the World Allergy Organization (WAO), has proposed to issue an International Consensus (ICON) on the clinical consequences of mite hypersensitivity. The objectives of this document are to highlight aspects of mite biology that are clinically relevant, to update the …

Biochemical And Biophysical Methods For Analysis Of Poly(Adp-Ribose) Polymerase 1 And Its Interactions With Chromatin., Maggie H. Chassé, Uma M. Muthurajan, Nicholas J. Clark, Michael A. Kramer, Srinivas Chakravarthy, Thomas Irving, Karolin Luger

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase I (PARP-1) is a first responder to DNA damage and participates in the regulation of gene expression. The interaction of PARP-1 with chromatin and DNA is complex and involves at least two different modes of interaction. In its enzymatically inactive state, PARP-1 binds native chromatin with similar affinity as it binds free DNA ends. Automodification of PARP-1 affects interaction with chromatin and DNA to different extents. Here we describe a series of biochemical and biophysical techniques to quantify and dissect the different binding modes of PARP-1 with its various substrates. The techniques listed here allow for high …

Evaluating Wetland Expansion In A Tallgrass Prairie-Wetland Restoration, Katie Mae Engelmann

Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing is an effective tool to inventory and monitor wetlands at large spatial scales. This study examined the effect of wetland restoration practices at Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (GRNWR) in northwest Minnesota on the distribution, location, size and temporal changes of wetlands. A Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) land cover classification method was applied that integrated spectral data, LiDAR elevation, and LiDAR derived ancillary data of slope, aspect, and TWI. Accuracy of remote wetland mapping was compared with onsite wetland delineation.

The GEOBIA method produced land cover classifications with high overall accuracy (88 – 91 percent). Wetland area …

Performance Analysis Of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (Ads-B) And Breakdown Of Anomalies, Asma Tabassum

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis work analyzes the performance of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data received from Grand Forks International Airport, detects anomalies in the data and quantifies the associated potential risk. This work also assesses severity associated anomalous data in Detect and Avoid (DAA) for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The received data were raw and archived in GDL-90 format. A python module is developed to parse the raw data into readable data in a .csv file. The anomaly detection algorithm is based on Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ADS-B performance assessment report. An extensive study is carried out on two main types of …

17th Legislative Session, 2017-2019 File, Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

17th Legislative Session 2017-2019 File . The first file in the folder, information on the orientation session, is the primary document on this record and the additional documents inside the file are attached to this record as additional files. See list below for additional files contents.

Think Twice Before Hitting 'Send': The Strategic Uses Of Information In Marketing Channels, Pui Ying Tong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the growing problem of information overload in the context of marketing channels. Information overload occurs when shared information requires more mental resources to process than the mental resources available to the receiver. This research offers strategies to attenuate information overload and examines the impact of information overload on channel outcomes. Strategic uses of information are proposed and conceptualized as a sender's alteration of information volume, content, and/or timing to assist a receiver in processing information. Hypotheses are developed based on the normative perspective of communication from the organizational communication literature. Data from 244 salespeople are analyzed using …

Using Artificial Neural Networks To Predict Formation Stresses For Marcellus Shale With Data From Drilling Operations, Mousa S. Mohamed Abusurra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial neural networks have been applied to different petroleum engineering disciplines. This is contributed to the powerful prediction capability in complex relationships with enough data available. The objective of this study is to develop a new methodology to predict the vertical and horizontal stresses using artificial neural networks for Marcellus shale well laterally drilled in Monongalia County, WV.;This approach coupled the drilling surface measurements with the recorded well logging data. Drilling parameters included depth, WOB, RPM, standpipe pressure, torque, pump flow rate and rate of penetration. Well logging data included gamma ray and bulk density. The model output was the …

Updated List Of The Subfamily Omaliinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)From Kazakhstan With Some New Records, Peter Hlavac, Matus Kocian, Oto Nakladal

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A detailed, updated list of the subfamily Omaliinae known from Kazakhstan is provided.

Access To Data Across Borders: The Critical Role For Congress To Play Now, Jennifer Daskal

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Temperature Influences The Development, Survival, And Life History Ofaxinoscymnus Apioides Kuznetsov & Ren (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), A Predator Of Whitefly, Huiping Zhou, Shaukat Ali, Xinming Wang, Xiaosheng Chen, Shunxiang Ren

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The current work was aimed at studying the biology of Axinoscymnus apioides Kuznetsov & Ren (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) under different temperature regimes. These studies were performed at 6 constant temperature regimes (17, 20, 23, 26, 29, and 32 °C) under laboratory conditions in which A. apioides was fed with Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) nymphs on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plants. Results indicated that the developmental period for different immature stages decreased with increases in temperature from 17 to 29 °C. The developmental periods of first instar larvae and pupae decreased, while those of second, third, and fourth larval instars increased for the …

Year-Round Monitoring Of Bat Records In An Urban Area:Kharkiv (Ne Ukraine), 2013, As A Case Study, Kseniia Kravchenko, Anton Vlaschenko, Alona Prylutska, Olena Rodenko, Vitalii Hukov, Volodymyr Shuvaev

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study presents information about the year-round phenology of bats of temperate zones in a city area for the first time. In total, 967 individuals of 5 bat species (Nyctalus noctula [87.5%], Eptesicus serotinus [10.6%], Pipistrellus kuhlii [0.8%], Vespertilio murinus [0.9%], and Plecotus auritus [0.1%]) were recorded during 2013 in Kharkiv. The population structures of temperate bat species are complex; segregation of sex and age groups varies spatially and seasonally. Most of the bats (88%) were collected during the hibernation period (January-March and November-December) and the autumn invasion (August-mid-September). The breeding period saw a lower number of bats collected, making …

The First Record Of Bruchophagus Sophorae (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) Developing In Seeds Of Styphnolobium And Sophora (Fabaceae) In Turkey, France, And Kazakhstan, Victor Fursov, Marina Zerova, Münevver Kodan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The phytophagous chalcid wasp Bruchophagus sophorae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae) is redescribed and illustrated. B. sophorae is recorded for the first time in Turkey and France, from seeds of Styphnolobium japonicum, and from Kazakhstan, from seeds of a new host plant, Sophora alopecuroides. New data on the biology, the stages of oviposition, and the distribution are given. Details of the oviposition of B. sophorae into the pods of S. japonicum are described for the first time.

Mtdna Diversity In A Rabbit Population From Sicily (Italy), Mario Lo Valvo, Roberta Russo, Francesco Paolo Mancuso, Franco Palla

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (O. c.) is a small game species found in several parts of the world and represents an important resource for many predators. It has been classified as a Near-Threatened species on the Red List of Italian Vertebrates even though it is also considered to be an agricultural pest species in many areas. It is a polytypic species present as two known subspecies:

Biometric Variation In Martes Foina From Mainland Greece And The Aegean Islands, Malamati Papakosta

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The geographical morphometric variations in the stone marten (Martes foina) from mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands, and Crete were analyzed. Samples taken from the three areas were compared regarding 18 craniometrical and 5 body size variables. According to univariate statistics, 13 skull measurements from males and 15 from females (72% and 83% of total skull variables for males and females, respectively) did not differ significantly among mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands, and Crete. The morphological differences among mainland and insular populations showed a tendency for separation (63% overall correct classification from skull measurements of males, 72.5% and 73.6% for body …

First Records Of The Genus Paratrombium Bruyant, 1910(Acari: Trombidiidae) From Turkey, Sevgi̇ Sevsay, Evren Buğa, Sezai̇ Adi̇l, İbrahi̇m Karakurt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The genus Paratrombium Bruyant (Acari: Trombidiidae) is recorded from Turkey for the first time based on collections of P. insulare (Berlese, 1910) and P. megalochirum (Berlese, 1910). Each species is illustrated, and briefly redescribed with accompanying drawings. Larvae of both species were obtained by experimental rearing. The updated distribution of species is provided.

Microhabitat Partitioning Of Closely Related Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo)Frog Species Previously Assigned To The Genus Hylarana (Amphibia: Anura), Ramlah Zainudin, Badrul Munir Md Zain, Norhayati Ahmad, Shukor Mohd Nor

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Microhabitats play an important role as resources that are partitioned between phylogenetically related or ecologically similar species (i.e., a guild). This hypothesis was tested by first elucidating phylogenetically closed Sarawak frog species via DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA gene, and later determining their microhabitat guild and partitioning via nonmetric dimensional scale. Mitochondrial 16S gene revealed 5 monophyletic groups consisting of Hylarana erythraea + Amnirana nicobariensis, Chalcorana raniceps, Abavorana luctuosa, Pulchrana signata + P. picturata, and P. baramica + P. glandulosa + P. laterimaculata. On the other hand, microhabitat utilization grouped the frogs into 5 ecological guilds consisting …