Digital Commons Network^™

Analysing Intonation Of The Pied Butcherbird, Jean-Michel Maujean

Theses : Honours

Native to Australia, the Pied Butcherbird has been extensively studied and transcribed by previous composers, notably including Olivier Messiaen. This may be due to richness and diversity in each bird’s repertoire, along with parallels drawn from Western Tonality. Hollis Taylor has conducted extensive study in this field, notably with an analysis of a transcription made by Messiaen, that was incorporated in his piece Éclairs sur l'au- delà (1988-91). Coupled with the original field recording, Taylor’s analysis and Messiaen’s score, this study will reanalyse the original recording from which Messiaen made his transcription.

Zoomusicology is a practice that represents the …

The Myth Of Free, John M. Newman

Articles

Myths matter. This Article is the first to confront a powerful myth that pervades modern economic, technological, and legal discourse: the Myth of Free. The prevailing view is that consumers capture massive welfare surplus from a flood of innovative new products that are offered free of charge. Economists, legal scholars, and industry stakeholders created an origin story-a myth-to explain how these products became "Free."

But that orthodox origin story is fatally flawed. This Article formalizes, then debunks, the Myth of Free and its underlying assumptions. The Myth is riddled with internal inconsistencies, logical errors, and factual. inaccuracies. In their place, …

Evaluating The Success And Monitoring The Usage Of Wildlife Crossing Structures In Bedminster, Nj, Nicole Heather Bergen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Expanding road networks are detrimental to the populations of many reptile and amphibian species. The fragmenting of the landscape creates barriers, separating the populations of native organisms from the necessary resources. Wildlife crossing structures can be beneficial in aiding the movement of amphibians and reptiles across previously installed wildlife crossing culvert in Bedminster, New Jersey. The wildlife crossing culverts are located underneath River Road, which forms a barrier between the woods on one side of the road and the ponds on the other side. We used a combination of wildlife cameras and pitfall traps to determine the usage and success …

Benefits Of A Nutrition Education Program On A Community Of Developmentally Disabled Adults, Rory Kathleen Coleman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The number of adults diagnosed with developmental disabilities in the United States is increasing; this population is underserved and underfunded, especially in the area of nutrition education. Health concerns for adults with developmental disabilities include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and disordered eating, all of which could be alleviated or prevented with proper nutritional care and education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition education program in a community of developmentally disabled adults. The intervention took place in an adult day center in Bergen County, New Jersey, where a group of adults with …

Mercury Contamination In Benthic Biota And Sediments Within The New York Bight Wind Energy Area, Jordan Francis Gilruth

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Aquatic ecosystems are showing increasing evidence of contamination by persistent, toxic substances, including metals such as mercury. Mercury (Hg) is truly an unusual element, having no essential biological function. Its unique physical properties have been utilized for various industrial and commercial purposes. This has led to serious exposure to this known neurotoxin. Additionally, the deposition and effluents of mercury in air, water, and soil have impacted food chain dynamics. The potential of bioaccumulation and biomagnification of Hg within aquatic ecosystems can have serious negative implication on ecosystem functions and services. Furthermore, understanding the difference between those pathways can provide a …

Shakespeare And The "Two Masters" In And Around Joyce, Robert Conklin

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the first chapter of Ulysses, Stephen Dedalus makes the claim that he is "a servant of two masters ... an English and an Italian." These masters are further defined by Stephen as "The imperial British state ... and the holy Roman catholic and apostolic church" (17). But another master casts a shadow over the works of Joyce: Master William Shakespeare. Shakespeare, as this essay will attempt to prove, is present even when he is ostensibly absent from Joyce's work, with Joyce going so far as to recreate autobiographical events in order to erase Shakespeare's name from them. Just as …

Presence Of Cofactor Nadph Slows Down The Dissociation Of Methotrexate From Dihydrofolate Reductase From Bacillus Stearothermophilus, Ryan Seamus Foley

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The goal of this project was to study the effect of the presence or absence of the cofactor NADPH on the binding and release of ligand methotrexate (MTX) to/from Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bs) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). A previously developed, fluorescently-labeled Bs DHFR (C73A/S131CMDCC DHFR) was used to investigate the kinetics and protein conformational motions associated with the binding of NADPH and the binding of methotrexate to the holoenzyme. This Bs DHFR contains a distal cysteine where the fluorophore, N-[2-(1-maleimidyl)ethyl]-7-(diethylamino)coumarin-3-carboxamide (MDCC) can be covalently attached. This probe is sensitive to the local molecular environment, reporting on changes in the protein conformation associated …

The Stability Of Tea Polyphenols As A Food Additive And Its Effect On Streptococcus Mutans, Chia-Liang Huang

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Dental caries is one of the most concerning chronic diseases, Streptococcus mutans is one the most prominent contributing bacterium. S. mutans metabolizes sugar in processed foods to demineralize the tooth’s surface leading to tooth caries. This study focuses on whether green tea polyphenols epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and/or its modifications, palmitoyl-epigallocatechin gallate (P-EGCG) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate-stearate (EGCG-S), can reduce the number of S. mutans in different concentrations of sucrose. A colony forming unit assay was utilized to test viability. Results suggested that the tea polyphenols were efficient in inhibiting S. mutans up to 5 grams of sucrose per 100ml of artificial saliva …

Biological Factors In The Stem Gender Gap, Yamina Nater-Otero

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Gender gap in STEM is a long-term problem that has only recently been addressed. Research has just begun to delve into why so few women pursue university degrees in the STEM fields and even less enter the STEM workforce. This research will examine the evolutionary factors which contributed to the gender gap, such as offspring investment, greater investment in male offspring, and female risk aversion. Despite the fact that there are plenty of modern advances which should compensate for these factors, there are societal stigmas against women in the STEM workplace which allow the gender gap to continue. Societal …

Impacts Of Drainage Basin Characteristics On Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Upper Passaic River, Michael J. Levinson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Increase in development throughout the Northern Piedmont region of New Jersey since the 1970’s has greatly degraded much of the natural environment throughout the state. Certain regulations are currently in place to reduce this development’s impact on New Jersey’s streams at a local (riparian) scale, however it may also be important to examine these impacts at a regional (drainage basin) scale. We examined the aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages at seven sites along the Upper Passaic River of New Jersey to assess their ecological health and compare to the corresponding drainage basin characteristics at each site. The sites ranged in location from …

Green Tea Polyphenols As Potential Food Additives, Danxia Shi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

As time has progressed, companies have increasingly produced foods for longer term storage. This has led to an increased use of food preservatives in processed foods. People have now come to expect many foods to have a significantly longer shelf life, and this is a matter of government concern for public health due to foodborne contaminations. Foodborne illnesses have become a common problem caused by bacteria (i.e. Escherichia coli). Finding an effective natural preservative source might be better received by the public and alleviate some health concerns over chemical sources. The most important active ingredient found in green tea is …

The Mechanics And Thermodynamics Of Amyloid Beta Protein Aggregation In Competing Pathways, Edward Steen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanics of Aβ protein aggregation within the brain through mathematical modeling and simulation. Aggregation of Aβ is the cause of plaques within the brain of Alzheimer’s Disease sufferers. Because the pathways of aggregation from monomer to oligomer to polymer are numerous and complex, we have had to simplify our model to a limited number of species. Of great concern, too, is the process by which Aβ can form as “off-pathway” species, which is when Aβ reacts with fatty acid micelles. It is this species of Aβ, which due to its …

The Mitigation Of Stereotype Threat Through Embodied Cogition, Darla Van Govan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Stereotype threat has been well-supported by decades of research. It is a pervasive phenomenon which affects multiple social groups with both immediate and lasting consequences. Therefore, it has been of a particular importance to study strategies that may serve at mitigating the effects of stereotype threat. Women, in particular, often face stereotypes that state that women are inferior to men in certain domains, among which are mathematics, spatial reasoning, driving ability, leadership, and making financial decisions. In the current study, we evaluate whether embodied cognition can be used to mitigate the effects of stereotype threat experienced by women in the …

Economic And Environmental Assessment Of Advanced Biofuels : Adoption Under Uncertainty, Farmer Willingness, And Land Use Implications, Pralhad Burli

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The production of biofuels offers the prospect of enhancing a country’s energy security by limiting petroleum imports and supporting domestic economic activity by bolstering agricultural and allied sectors. Additionally, advanced biofuels can reduce the reliance on food-grain based first generation ethanol, replace a part of our fossil fuel consumption, and potentially reduce environmental impacts through greenhouse gas emission reductions. However, the cellulosic biofuel industry has not developed as anticipated due to slow advancements in the technology for converting feedstock to fuel, improvements in vehicular efficiency, which has muted fuel demand, and lack of an assured year-round supply of feedstock that …

Bridging Gaps Between Conservation Action And Policy On Small Island Developing States – Case Analog Of The Republic Of Mauritius, Pricila Iranah

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mauritius, a small island state in the Indian Ocean, is a biodiversity hotspot with highly threatened forest ecosystems. It is also a country where environmental and conservation programs have been successful in the past. However, the issue of funding has received relatively less attention and national park systems are chronically underfunded. As part of assessing the potential for local funding, we assessed the demand for forest recreation. Recreation in forest ecosystems is one of the cornerstones of modern nature-based tourism. Tourism is increasingly a favored tool to promote conservation of natural forests, especially in developing countries where conservation financing can …

The Use Of Philosophy With Children As A Pedagogical Practice, Igor Jasinski

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In my dissertation, I advance an argument for a non-directional conceptualization of philosophy with children as a pedagogical practice. Drawing from the work of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, I argue that engaging students in philosophical dialogue, conceived as a communal experimentation with concepts, allows for the experience of what Agamben calls infancy—an ontological state of openness toward new ways of speaking and thinking. Rather than being directed at specific goals or outcomes, the practice of philosophy (thus conceived), I argue, should be seen as a paradigm for an educational (as well as social, and political) form of life, aimed at …

Rapid Dna Testing And Virginia's Rape Kit Backlog: A Double-Edged Sword Masquerading As A Miracle, Or The Future Of Forensic Analysis?, Emma C. Greger

Law Student Publications

While Rapid DNA technology has the potential to revolutionize every aspect of the criminal justice system, from arrest to the postconviction appeals process, there has been particular excitement centered around its potential to reduce the rape kit backlog.

Cover, Editors' Note And Table Of Contents, Lisa K. Millsaps

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (Archived)

Cover, editors' note, and table of contents for volume 2 of the Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conference.

Prairie Restoration Series: Recognizing And Appreciating Tallgrass Prairie Remnants, Greg Houseal

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

Prairie remnants are fragments of the original prairie landscape with their native plant communities still intact. Typically, this means soils were never plowed, graded, or buried by fill. Original prairie is meant to imply that populations of species have persisted or regenerated themselves on site through time (i.e., not planted by people as in prairie reconstruction). Some sites may have had brief soil disturbance in the past, for example, grading to create railroad beds in the 1800s, or fields that were cultivated for brief periods then abandoned. The key point regarding remnants is that some component of the original native …

Investigating The Role Of Gold Nanoparticle Shape And Size In Their Toxicities To Fungi, Kangze Liu, Zhonglei He, Hugh Byrne, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are increasingly being used in a wide range of applications, and such they are being released in greater quantities into the environment. Consequently, the environmental effects of GNPs, especially toxicities to living organisms, have drawn great attention. However, their toxicological characteristics still remain unclear. Fungi, as the decomposers of the ecosystem, interact directly with the environment and critically control the overall health of the biosphere. Thus, their sensitivity to GNP toxicity is particularly important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of GNP shape and size in their toxicities to fungi, which could help …

Older Adult Men’S Emotional Bonds With Their Dogs, Ranell L. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Knowledge of the deeper meanings of attachment to companion animals is limited, particularly in terms of older adults. This study employed a modified grounded theory method, a phenomenological lens and a life course perspective to gather and analyze data garnered from individual interviews and panel discussions in order to investigate the multiple dimensions of older adult men’s relationships with their companion animal dogs. Individual audio-recorded in-depth interviews and repeated panel discussions with a sub-group of the participants, convened as a panel over a three-month period, explored behavioral and emotional manifestations of attachment and the emotional bond to their companion animal …

Using Twitter As A Pedagogical Resource To Teach First-Year Composition, Carol Reynolds-Srot

Department of Writing and Communication Theses

This study examines the incorporation of Twitter in a first-year composition classroom, and addresses the following question: “How can using Twitter as a pedagogical resource to teach writing benefit both students and professors?” The study employs mixed-methods, including surveys, textual analysis of student tweets, and an interview with the professor to assess the application and outcomes of using Twitter. The research finds that although students use social media for a significant amount of time daily, bringing it into the classroom does not automatically lead to better engagement or improved writing. However, students in this study did demonstrate a differentiated used …

Semi-Informed Multi-Agent Patrol Strategies, Chad E. Hardin

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

The adversarial multi-agent patrol problem is an active research topic with many real-world applications such as physical robots guarding an area and software agents protecting a computer network. In it, agents patrol a graph looking for so-called critical vertices that are subject to attack by adversaries. The agents are unaware of which vertices are subject to attack by adversaries and when they encounter such a vertex they attempt to protect it from being compromised (an adversary must occupy the vertex it targets a certain amount of time for the attack to succeed). Even though the terms adversary and attack are …

Inferencing Reading Strategy Used To Improve Reading Comprehension Of Adult Esl Students, Nawal Abbas

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation examined the effects of the inferencing reading strategy using a emotionally charged instruction for students from countries who do not speak English as their first language. A quasi-experimental study applying quantitative research methods to collect data from the two sections of Level four Reading classes during a ten week period in the fall of 2017. There was one session of instructor coaching which lasted for four hours, a shared google document and several hours of telephone conversations. Lastly, the research observed four class sessions for the experimental group only. Students completed a pretest and a demographic survey in …

Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance, Cynthia A. Williams

Articles & Book Chapters

Corporate social responsibility has become a subject of growing importance in business and law. Today, no analysis of corporate governance systems would be complete without considering the pressures on companies to be seen as responsible corporate citizens. This chapter first provides a descriptive overview of developments in the field, including increasing voluntary and required environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure; and proliferating voluntary and multilateral standards for responsible corporate behavior. This chapter then reviews some of the more significant empirical evidence on the financial results of companies’ implementation of corporate responsibility initiatives, including the effects of such initiatives on innovation, …

Bulletin: General Catalog Issue 2018-2019, Portland State University

Bulletin & Curriculum Change Documents

Volume 1 - Programs is available via the Download option, Volume 2- Courses is available in the Additional Files below

Existing Ecological Conditions And Management Recommendations For A Portion Of The Chehalem Ridge Nature Park, Oregon, Amanda Pole

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Effective land management and habitat restoration work rely on the collection of baseline information regarding the existing conditions of the planning area. Existing conditions assessments can include such information as hydrologic conditions, botanical species assessment, land use issues, wildlife surveys, habitat distribution/quality assessments, etc. This project provides Oregon Metro’s Parks and Nature department with updated information regarding the existing conditions of a portion of the Chehalem Ridge Nature Park (CRNP) as well as recommendations and supplemental maps to aid in future management planning.

Within the ~61-acre project area exist several habitat types: a developing seasonal wetland, riparian forest, Douglas-fir forest, …

X-Rated And Excessively Long: Ji-Amari In Hayashi Amari's Tanka, Jon P. Holt

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a fixed 31-syllable form of short poetry, Japan's tanka is one of the world's oldest forms of still-practiced poetry, with examples perhaps dating back to the fifth century. In the modern periods of Meiji (1868-1912) and Taishō (1912-1926), poets radically reformed the genre, expanding diction beyond millennium-old classical limits, thereby allowing poets to write not only about cherry blossoms and tragic love but also about things like steam trains and baseball games; although today many tanka poets in practicing circles still employ classical Japanese, many modern masters innovated the genre by skillfully blending in colloquial language. Like their modern …

Correlates Of Hepatitis C Positivity Among People Who Inject Drugs In Ukraine, Serhii Myroshnychenko

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Social Control, Family Structure, And Juvenile Delinquency In Fragile Families, Alison Van Glad

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Families come in many different structures and sizes, therefore; it is critical to examine how families impact children. Empirical research has shown that a child’s upbringing has the potential to influence delinquent behavior. However, existing literature using Fragile Families has not tested this association at the most recent wave. This thesis examines the relationship between family structure, relationships with parents, conventional beliefs, parental incarceration and juvenile delinquency at age 15 using Hirschi’s social control theory. Data from year 15 of Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing is employed to test these relationships using ordinary least squares regression models. Models one through …