Digital Commons Network^™

Evolution's Error: How Human Nature Went Awry, Richard Grigg

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

The article offers the author's insights related to biological evolution and humanism. Topics include the failure and error of evolution to provide human with resources for life satisfaction, a scenario which presents humanism and evolution wherein a promotion competition between two employees was featured, and the study by neurologist Sigmund Freud about the human brain.

From Dose To Response: In Vivo Nanoparticle Processing And Potential Toxicity, Uschi M. Graham, Gary Jacobs, Robert A. Yokel, Burtron H. Davis, Alan K. Dozier, M. Eileen Birch, Michael T. Tseng, Günter Oberdörster, Alison Elder, Lisa Delouise

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Adverse human health impacts due to occupational and environmental exposures to manufactured nanoparticles are of concern and pose a potential threat to the continued industrial use and integration of nanomaterials into commercial products. This chapter addresses the inter-relationship between dose and response and will elucidate on how the dynamic chemical and physical transformation and breakdown of the nanoparticles at the cellular and subcellular levels can lead to the in vivo formation of new reaction products. The dose-response relationship is complicated by the continuous physicochemical transformations in the nanoparticles induced by the dynamics of the biological system, where dose, bio-processing, and …

What Rhyme Tells Us About The Status Of Homogeneous Diphthongs In Spanish, Juan Carlos Castillo

Faculty Work

This article addresses the status of homogeneous diphthongs in Spanish (those formed of two high vocoids, usually spelled iu or ui) to try to determine which vocoid acts as the syllable nucleus and which is the glide. It has generally been assumed that the order is glide-vowel (rising-like diphthong) but with little factual substantiation. A study of examples of rhyme from different ages in Spanish poetry and theatre in verse confirms the strong tendency for these diphthongs to act as rising-like.

The Role Of Working Memory Among Non-Traditional Foreign Language Students, Gabriela Olivares-Cuhat, Michelle H. Ploof

Faculty Work

Over the last 40 years, a growing number of nontraditional students have joined the ranks of higher education. However, due to a number of internal and external factors, these students face multiple social, economic, and academic challenges that may limit their success in postsecondary education. The focus of this article is to examine the implications of these challenges on the learning of a foreign language (FL), and more specifically on the role played by working memory (WM) with nontraditional FL learners. To this end, research studies in the fields of psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology and neuroscience are reviewed and their findings …

Validating Non-Motivated Methods And Equipment For Studying Mouse Olfactory Behavior, Michael Andrew Dryden

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Mouse olfactory behavior has traditionally been difficult to assess due, in part, to the expensive nature of behavioral equipment and the lengthy process of training animals. The present study aims to validate a new behavioral paradigm requiring no prior animal training using existing liquid dilution behavioral olfactometers. We also aim to validate Triton-100x, a detergent, as a new anosmia inducing agent, as well as self-built, Do-it-yourself (DIY) behavioral olfactometers. Equipment and methods were tested using a variety of common-discrimination and detectionthreshold assays. Difficulties maintaining stimulus control arose during testing as mice routinely detected volume-to-volume concentrations of amyl acetate diluted in …

An Analysis Of Long-Term Effects Of Climate Change And Socioeconomic Activities On Grassland Productivity Of Inner Mongolia, Siyu Fan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, researchers have recognized the complexity of the interactions between the ecological system and the economic development of human society. However, the complicated relationships overwhelm traditional statistical procedures and require an innovative approach to investigate their dynamics. We proposed this study to provide a unique perspective in analyzing the long-term causal relationships between the grassland productivity, climate change, and socioeconomic development of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) of China. Our attempt began with acquiring remotely sensed satellite imagery, climatic variations, and aggregated annual reports of the socio-economy of the IMAR in vegetation growing seasons for 15 years. The …

Assessment Of Family Impact In Pediatric Chronic Pain, Lauren E. Harrison

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Pediatric chronic pain causes significant interference in daily functioning for children and their families. While parents and families have been examined in previous research, gaps exist in the current literature base, particularly related to accurate conceptualization and assessment of family functioning. The current study sought to develop a measure of family impact of pediatric pain and examine the effects that pain severity, functional disability, and parent and child psychosocial functioning have on family functioning. Results indicated parents of children with chronic pain appear to be impacted across several domains, with psychological distress in the child and parent being a significant …

Perceptions Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities On Abuse, Sydney Hull

Brehm Scholars Research

Abuse and mistreatment of individuals with disabilities is a prevalent problem in our society. This paper examines the perceptions of various forms of abuse individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have. The literature on this topic most often is statistical about occurrences rather than recorded accounts of experiences and perceptions. The literature found seems to focus on individuals' views and feelings presents perceptions of adults with ID on abuse, abusers, and morality. The current study simplifies the focus of the research and examines perceptions children with ID have about abusive and non abusive scenarios. Overall research about abuse perceptions is limited …

The Discovery Channel: Using Techniques From Discovery Science To Teach Concepts In The Core Theory Sequence, Joshua Groffman

Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy

The college music classroom has changed in recent years. Amidst upheavals in curricula, technology, and student populations, many of us have altered the look and feel of our teaching in profound ways. This paper presents my version of “the change”: a groupwork-based guided inquiry approach to teaching fundamental concepts in the core music theory sequence. My method shares features of its underlying philosophy with techniques of active learning proposed by previous scholarship and driven by a shift in our teaching towards the student-centered classroom and a pedagogical stance rooted in the theory of social constructivism. Many of these pedagogical methods …

The Effect Of Music Listening On Anxiety And Agitation In Adult Mechanically Ventilated Patients: A Systematic Review, Kristen M. Trowbridge, Hailee N. Horstman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Mechanical ventilation causes anxiety and agitation in patients in intensive care units, which increases risk for complications and prolonged hospital stays. Since pharmacological interventions have adverse effects and are not always effective at reducing anxiety and agitation, nonpharmacological interventions, such as music listening, could be considered. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify, review, and critically appraise the evidence from studies that examined the effect of music listening, compared with standard care, on anxiety and agitation in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Using search engines, data bases, key words, and criteria, twenty studies are …

Right To Try: Patient Advocacy For End Of Life Drug Access, John Moon

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

Guilty By A Nose: The Queen V. Riesberry And The Criminalization Of Racehorse Doping In Canada, Brian Manarin, Reem Zaia

Marquette Sports Law Review

None

Who Goes To Graduate School And Who Succeeds?, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele

Commissioned Research

During the Great Recession, those with college degrees fared much better than those without degrees, but a number of college graduates struggled to find satisfactory employment, leading many to graduate study. The option of seeking an advanced degree has gained momentum in recent decades, and now some observers call the master’s degree the “new bachelor’s degree.” This brief is the first in a series addressing questions about enrollment and success in graduate school, funding of graduate students, the conceptual differences between undergraduate and graduate students, and the data available to address these questions. As participation in graduate programs rises, it …

Review: The Gene: An Intimate History. By Siddartha Mukherjee, Jordan Lieser

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the highly regarded and Pulitzer Prize winning The Emperor of All Maladies, has undertaken what he terms as an “intimate history” of the gene. Mukherjee’s medical credentials are impressive, yet they are also atypical for research and writing on the history of science. The Gene is impeccably written and expands our understanding of a well-known history through his unique viewpoint. In fact, Mukherjee’s work is reminiscent of another Pulitzer Prize winner, Jared Diamond. Originally a physiologist, Diamond, is best known for applying his scientific viewpoint to the Spanish Conquest in his 1997 Pulitzer Prize winning …

When Genealogy Matters: Intercountry Adoption, International Human Rights, And Global Neoliberalism, Barbara Stark

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article traces the genealogies of intercountry adoption, human rights, and neoliberalism and explains how they converge. Part I examines adoption genealogies, noting that “stranger” adoption erases genealogy, eliminating the legal and social consequences of an illegitimate birth and giving the child a new legal identity. This Part then describes the globalization of adoption after World War II, including the paradox of “saving” children by sending them away, and the futility of erasing genealogy when it is as plain as the nose on a child’s face, or the shape of her eyes, or the color of her skin.

Part II …

Ratio Of Juveniles And Adults Of American Crow Corvus Brachyrhynchos In Family Groups At Loyola Marymount University And Venice Beach, Los Angeles, Ca, Yeon Jae Kim

Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters

American crows are highly social animals and display cooperative breeding, where nonbreeding offspring help their breeding parents care for juveniles. (Chamberlain-Auger, Auger, & Strauss, 1990). In order to gain a better understanding of the role of these nonbreeding offspring in raising nestlings and juveniles, crow nests and breeding groups were closely observed on the campus of Loyola Marymount University and at Venice Beach during the early summer of 2016. In each group, juveniles were usually closely associated with a single adult, however, the apparent roles of the adults within the group varied. In these apparent family groups one or two …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Native Invasive Woody Juniperus Virginiana L. To Resource Availability And Stand Characteristics In The Semiarid Grasslands Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Joseph Msanne, Tala Awada, N. M. Bryan, Walter H. Schacht, Rhae A. Drijber, Y. Li, X. Zhou, Jane A. Okalebo, David A. Wedin, James R. Brandle, J. Hiller

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Vegetation in grasslands is changing at an unprecedented rate. In the Nebraska Sandhills, this shift is attributed in part to encroachment of the woody species Juniperus virginiana. We investigated changes in resource availability and their feedback on seasonal trends in photosynthetic characteristics of J. virginiana trees scattered in open grasslands vs. a dense 57-year-old stand. Dense stand exhibited lower volumetric soil water content, NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^–, and δ¹³C, as well as foliage δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and N content, compared to grasslands. Water potential was higher in trees in grasslands …

Processing Of Spatial Information In Social And Non-Social Stimuli By Opioid-Exposed And Non-Exposed Newborns, Alyson J. Hock

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The ability to process information from faces is important for effective social functioning. Adults are experts at this function. It has been suggested that the encoding of configural spatial relations among facial features (e.g., the distance between the eyes) contributes to this expertise. I investigated the developmental origin of face processing expertise by studying typically developing newborns’ sensitivity to the distance between the eyes and between the nose and the mouth in face stimuli. Further, I investigated whether prenatal opioid exposure is associated with neonates’ processing of spatial information in social and non-social stimuli. Infants with prenatal opioid-exposure are at …

Sandhill And Whooping Cranes, Jeb Barzen, Ken Ballinger

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

As sandhill crane populations continue to grow in the United States, so too does crop damage, property damage to homeowners, and the risk of crane collisions with aircraft. Whooping crane populations also continue to grow, but with a global population of about 500 individuals (as of 2017), damage is rare and problems often require different solutions due to the species’ endangered status. The behavioral characteristics and habitat needs of sandhill and whooping cranes set the stage for conflict between these birds and people. Recognizing behavioral differences between territorial and non-territorial cranes greatly improves the effectiveness of any management effort.

Human-Wildlife …

Wildlife At Airports, Travis L. Devault, Bradley F. Blackwell, Jerrold L. Belant, Michael J. Begier

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Collisions between aircraft and wildlife (wildlife strikes) are common occurrences across the developed world. Wildlife strikes are not only numerous, but also costly. Estimates suggest that wildlife strikes cost the civil aviation industry in the U.S. up to $625 million annually, and nearly 500 people have been killed in wildlife strikes worldwide. Most wildlife strikes occur in the airport environment: 72 percent of all strikes occur when the aircraft is ≤500 ft (152 m) above ground level, and 41 percent of strikes occur when the aircraft is on the ground during landing or takeoff. Thus, management efforts to reduce wildlife …

Patterns Of Urban Hummingbird Nest Distribution On The Lmu Campus, Amy Weber

Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters

Hummingbirds are among the most beautiful, acrobatic and mysterious animals in urban ecosystems, where these synanthropic species provide important benefits to humans such as pollination and biophilia. We plan to evaluate how various abiotic and biotic factors found in urban environments such as the LMU campus may affect hummingbird nesting patterns. Thorough nest searching throughout campus has revealed an apparent clustered distribution of nests, as well as patterns within the microhabitats of individual nests. We plan to complete a detailed inventory through standardized habitat evaluation and nest searching at Von Der Ahe, where a large number of active (15) and …

Caching Behavior In Corvids: Cognition And Pattern Recognition, Matthew Allegretti, Ethan Flake

Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters

Caching behavior in two corvids, American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and western scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) were recorded using motion-activated cameras and direct observations in order to compare behavioral differences between the two species. Investigating bird caching behavior is important in determining the cognitive capacity of each bird species and displaying how these avian species may have adapted to living successfully in urban ecosystems with highly variable food sources. Both species were baited using peanuts. We video recorded how birds selected peanuts to examine potential size or weight preferences specific to either species. After initial observations of caching behavior with untreated …

Sociobiology Of Loyola Marymount University's Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo Jamaicensis) Reproductive Group, Melissa Morado, Caitlin Shafer

Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters

As urbanization increases, nesting habitat for avian predators will likely become limited and may cause them to be unsuccessful in exploiting urban areas. Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) are common synanthropic, top-order predators that appear to thrive in urban environments. The Loyola Marymount University campus presents optimal nesting habitat due to tall trees and built other anthropogenic structures. Anecdotal reports indicate that a single breeding group has nested on the LMU campus for the past eight breeding seasons (years). Remote video monitoring of the nest began in 2015, and indicates continual usage of the area for several purposes including use of …

Specialist Program In School Of Psychology Policies And Procedures Handbook, Nova Southeastern University

College of Psychological Services / College of Psychology Postgraduate Student and Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Suggestions For A Parametric Typology Of Dance, Donna Jo Napoli, L. Kraus

Linguistics Faculty Works

Dance and language are produced/performed by the body and governed by cognitive faculties. Yet regrettably little scholarship applies tools of formal analysis in one field to the other. This paper aims to enrich dialogue between the two fields. We introduce an approach to dance typology formed on analogy with the parametric theory of language analysis, useful in typologizing languages. This initial exploration paves the way for a physiological typology of dance, without reference to culture.

Iconicity Chains In Sign Languages, Donna Jo Napoli

Linguistics Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Ud Annotatrix: An Annotation Tool For Universal Dependencies, F. M. Tyers, M. Sheyanova, Jonathan North Washington

Linguistics Faculty Works

In this paper we introduce the UD Annotatrix annotation tool for manual annotation of Universal Dependencies. This tool has been designed with the aim that it should be tailored to the needs of the Universal Dependencies (UD) community, including that it should operate in fully-offline mode, and is freely-available under the GNU GPL licence. In this paper, we provide some background to the tool, an overview of its development, and background on how it works. We compare it with some other widely-used tools which are used for Universal Dependencies annotation, describe some features unique to UD Annotatrix, and finally outline …

Students’ Perspectives On The First Day Of Class: A Replication, Katherine E. Eskine, Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Charles E. Gramlich, Jeremy Cohen, Lisa Schulte-Gipson

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Research has shown that first-day practices affect students’ motivation, grades, and end of the semester ratings of the professors. However, research on student preferences of first day practices has been conducted at public, predominantly white institutions and has not investigated if first day preferences differ at a private or historically Black university. Therefore, to investigate consistency in preferences across generations and possible differences in preferences at a private Historically Black College or University (HBCU) we assessed first day preferences and compared our results to the original study (Perlman & McCann, 1999). We sampled 230 predominantly Black students from a small …

Taking A Community Approach To Curriculum Change, Sarah E. Dalrymple, Anna Jo Auerbach, Elisabeth E. Schussler

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Many undergraduate institutions are reforming their courses to increase student engagement. A critical challenge in these efforts is to engage the academic community beyond the instructors in the process of change. At our university, we embraced this challenge by creating a volunteer community of faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates to design the discussion curricula for a new introductory biology sequence. We report on this process of curriculum development using a case study approach and describe how the community created the new curriculum and how they perceived the outcomes of the process. Our findings indicate that this curriculum design approach …

Pdxscholar Annual Report 2016, Karen Bjork, Sherry Buchanan, David Coate, Bertrand Robinson, Stacey Schlatter

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This report details the sixth year of operation for PDXScholar, Portland State University's institutional repository, as well as the growth of Portland State University Library's publishing services. The report covers the period between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016.