Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Florida Senate Bill 1720 On Student Performance In Mathematics, Olivia Aleida Shand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Florida Senate Bill 1720 on student performance in Mathematics. Prior to its enactment, placement testing was mandatory in the State of Florida. The results determined if a student was required to enroll in any developmental courses prior to enrolling in college-level Mathematics courses. For many students, particularly those at the State College level, this extended the number of required courses, lengthening the path to completion for a volume of students. The results over time proved a costly burden on institutions that serve populations of students not prepared to …

The Use Of Chemical Cues By Sargassum Shrimps Leander Tenuicornis And Latreutes Fucorum In Establishing And Maintaining A Symbiosis With Sargassum Algae, Jaime L. Frahm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

A mutualistic symbiosis exists between the alga Sargassum spp. and two shrimp species, L. tenuicornis and L. fucorum. But little is known about how the shrimp locate their host alga. Both visual and chemical cues are potentially available. Visual cues would be presumably restricted at night but chemical cues are potentially available continuously. Additionally, a previous study has looked at both cue variables with results that are mixed. This current research elaborates on the previous study in an attempt to fully understand Sargassum shrimp chemoreception. A y-maze and four-chambered apparatus were used to test if the shrimp were able to …

The Seven Ages Of Susanna: Immersing In The Narrative Through Augmented Reality, Laura N. Benitez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The story is a sequence of events. Since nomadic times we have been drawn to the process of storytelling and the underlying themes hidden within these plots. Now, as the technological advancements made in new media lead us to this point, there is the need to reconcile the connection of the narrative with that of new media. Many theorists such as Manovich believe the narrative is slowly dying as new media continues to evolve. While others such as Bolter and Grusin think the story and traditional media is merely reinserting itself into new media. In the augmented reality story, The …

Wartime Reconstruction And The Restored Government Of Virginia, 1861-1865, Robert Mooney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

For the past century and a half historians have conducted more research on the Civil War and Reconstruction than most other subjects. Except for minor mentions and one biography on the governor, the Restored Government of Virginia has been left out of the historiography. The earliest historians or political commentators believed the Restored Government to be a small and ineffectual government that failed to achieve any broad level of support from its constituents. Furthermore, the early works suggested that the governments’ true purpose was to see that western Virginia was separated from Virginia, not to seek the return of Virginia …

Veins Of Oppression In Under The Feet Of Jesus, Cynthia Wedding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

“Veins of Oppression” takes an interdisciplinary approach towards unearthing the layers of subjugation piled on Chicano/a/x migrant farm workers in the fields of California, visible in Helena Maria Viramontes’ Under the Feet of Jesus. While critics such as Christa Grewe-Volpp, Anne Shea, and Sarah Wald have produced progressive work about this text that adds to their respective disciplinary fields, unique to this collection, the interdisciplinary framework visible in “Veins of Oppression” forces readers to bear witness to the many ways Chicano/a/x migrant farm workers are kept from accessing the privileges implicit in U.S. citizenship through longstanding and current agricultural practices. …

Using Hydrogeophysical Methods For Investigating Carbon Dynamics In The Greater Everglades Watershed: Implications For The Spatial And Temporal Variability In Carbon Stocks And Biogenic Gas Fluxes, Matthew D. Mcclellan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Peat soils store a large fraction of the global soil carbon (C) pool and comprise 95% of wetland C stocks. They also have the capability to produce and release significant amounts of greenhouse gasses (CO2, CH4) into the atmosphere. Most studies of wetland soil C and gas flux dynamics have been done in expansive peatlands in northern boreal and subarctic biomes. However, wetlands in temperate and tropical climates are vastly understudied despite accounting for more than 20% of the global peatland C stock and storing large amounts of biogenic gasses Although studies investigating greenhouse gas dynamics from peatlands have increased …

Utilizing Remote Sensing To Describe The Area Of Occurrence Of The Dania Beach Monkeys, Chlorocebus Sabaeus, From Introduction To Present, Ashley M. Lyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This research investigates land use change and the area of occurrence of an introduced primate species, Chlorocebus sabaeus, from 1940 until the present. Research into the importation and subsequent release of these monkeys has revealed that they were released from a failed tourist attraction in 1947. The attraction was located southeast of the Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Remote sensing techniques were utilized to examine land use change over time, create a land classification map, and create a canopy model. These data were used to better understand the area of occurrence of an introduced primate species by examining …

West Indian Immigrant Women: The Higher Education Lived Experiences Of Undergraduate And Graduate Students At Florida Atlantic University, Shireen Lalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This phenomenological study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of female West Indian immigrant students as they academically and socially acculturated while attending Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Snowball techniques were employed to select 11 female immigrant West Indian undergraduate and graduate students living in southeastern Florida and attending FAU. Data were gathered from two in-depth one-on one interviews with each participant. Stories emerged that highlight the immigrant experiences of these female West Indian students. Such narratives have been lacking in the higher education literature about how this population of women persists in colleges and universities in the United States (U.S.). …

Why Parents Choose Non-Denominational Private Schools For Their Children: Preferences In International Settings, Bonet Jorge Segovia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This study offers a better understanding of the reasons why parents from six different countries across the Western hemisphere chose private, non-denominational schools for their children’s education. The findings deepen the knowledge in what is currently an underdeveloped field of research in education. The overarching research question was: What are the primary reasons why parents chose a private nondenominational school in Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa for their children’s education? To explore this question in depth, the researcher considered five sub-questions and employed a grounded theory qualitative research design. Data were collected twofold through …

Teaching Jurisprudence In A Catholic Law School, Jeffrey A. Pojanowski

Journal Articles

This essay is a contribution to a symposium on John Breen and Lee Strang's forthcoming book, A Light Unseen: A History of Catholic Legal Education in the United States. Breen and Strang's book offers not just a history, but a program for the future of Catholic legal education. Their program places the teaching of jurisprudence and the natural law tradition at the center of Catholic legal education. This essay draws on lessons from teaching jurisprudence at Notre Dame Law School which, in delightfully countercultural fashion, is one of the few remaining law schools in the nation that require jurisprudence. It …

The “Mendacious” Common-Law Mortgage, David P. Waddilove

Journal Articles

The common-law mortgage has been much maligned. Legal historians have called it everything from "clumsy" to "mendacious." Following their lead, the current Restatement (Third) of Property: Mortgages and the leading treatise on mortgage law denounce the modern incarnation of the common-law mortgage - the "title theory" of mortgages - in favor of the "lien theory."

As many states have adopted this view, the common-law mortgage has been nearly eliminated from the modern legal landscape. But the consensus is wrong. Critics of the common-law mortgage have relied upon a superficial view of the device. They appreciated neither the background law that …

Determination Of Residue Levels Of The Avicide 3-Chloro-4-Methylaniline Hydrochloride In Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius Phoeniceus) By Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry, David A. Goldade, Kirsten R. Kim, James C. Carlson, Steven F. Volker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The avicide 3‑chloro‑4‑methylanaline hydrochloride (chloro‑p‑toluidine hydrochloride, CPTH, DRC-1339) is used to control pest bird species that damage agricultural crops. A specific and sensitive gas chromatographytandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of CPTH in avian breast muscle, GI tract, kidney, and liver. Tissue samples were extracted with a solution of acidified water and acetonitrile. The sample was made basic and cleaned up with a combination of liquid-liquid partitioning and solid phase extraction. Separation was achieved using a HP-5 ultra-inert GC column (15 M, 0.25 μm film) with detection on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer …

Macroeconomic Impact Of Foot‐And‐Mouth Disease Vaccination Strategies For An Outbreak In The Midwestern United States: A Computable General Equilibrium, Maryfrances Miller, Lirong Liu, Steven Shwiff, Stephanie Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The impacts of alternative responses to a hypothetical foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) outbreak occurring in the Midwestern United States are estimated using the Regional Economic Modelling Incorporated Policy Insight + (REMI) computable general equilibrium model, with particular attention paid to the employment impact estimates. The impact on employment and GDP is estimated using forecasts of a 10‐ year period with disease outbreak duration up to 2 years. Fifteen different vaccination protocols are compared to a disease control protocol that relies on animal depopulation with no vaccination. Results show that over the 10‐year study period, the strictly depopulation strategy that made no …

The Conundrum Of Agenda-Driven Science In Conservation, M. Zachariah Peery, Gavin M. Jones, R. J. Gutierrez, Steve M. Redpath, Alan B. Franklin, Daniel Simberloff, Monica G. Turner, Volker C. Radeloff, Gary C. White

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Conservation biology is a value-laden discipline predicated on conserving biodiversity (Soulé 1985), a mission that does not always sit easily with objective science (Lackey 2007; Pielke 2007; Scott et al. 2007). While some encourage scientists to be responsible advocates for conservation (Garrard et al. 2016), others worry that objectivity in conservation research may suffer (Lackey 2007). At this time, we believe advocacy by scientists is essential for environmental conservation and, indeed, humanity. It is difficult to envision the state of our environment had scientists failed to encourage policy makers and the public to address emerging conservation problems. Nevertheless, conservation scientists …

Group Effects Of A Non-Native Plant Invasion On Rodent Abundance, Bryan M. Kluever, Trinity N. Smith, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is the most prolific invading plant in western North America. Investigations determining the impact of this invasion on population state variables and community dynamics of rodents have largely occurred at the community or species level, creating a knowledge gap as to whether rodents affiliated by a shared taxonomy or other grouping are differentially affected by cheatgrass invasion. We examined rodent abundance along a gradient of cheatgrass cover using various groupings of two nocturnal rodent taxa comprising the majority of the rodent community in the Great Basin Desert. In the summers of 2010–2013, rodents were sampled …

Parasitism, Host Behavior, And Invasive Species, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animal behavior and parasitism are inextricable linked. In many cases, host behavior can affect what parasites are encountered. In other cases, parasites can manipulate the behavior of the host in an attempt to maximize their own transmission. These long-standing interactions are now further complicated by species movement around the globe. The list of introduced species that have become invasive includes parasites that have adapted to new hosts in areas of introduction, as well as invasive hosts that alter the association between existing parasite–host assemblages. Researchers have documented differences in rates of parasitism and in the consequences of parasite infection between …

The Effect Of High Density Oral Rabies Vaccine Baiting On Rabies Virus Neutralizing Antibody Response In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor), Kerri Pedersen, Amy Gilbert, Eric S. Wilhelm, Kathleen M. Nelson, Amy J. Davis, Jordona D. Kirby, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Shylo Johnson, Richard B. Chipman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

From 2014 to 2016, we examined the effect of distributing oral rabies vaccine baits at high density (150 baits/km2) in an area of Virginia, US that was na¨ıve to oral rabies vaccination prior to the study. We also compared the effect of baiting at high density in a na¨ıve area to baiting at standard density (75 baits/km2) in an area that had been baited annually for 12 yr. Our results suggested that rabies virus seroconversion in raccoons (Procyon lotor) gradually increased each year under the high density bait treatment. However, we did not detect a difference in seroconversion between bait …

Isolation Of Rabies Virus From The Salivary Glands Of Wild And Domestic Carnivores During A Skunk Rabies Epizootic, Cornell University Jimenez, Terry R. Spraker, Jessica Anderson, Richard Bowen, Amy Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease of global importance. Rabies virus is shed in the saliva of infected hosts and is primarily transmitted through bite contact. Canine rabies has been eliminated from the US, but wildlife constitutes more than 90% of the reported cases of animal rabies in the US each year. In the US, several wild carnivore species are reservoirs of distinct variants of rabies virus (RV). After decades of apparent absence, the south-central skunk (SCSK) RV variant was detected in Colorado in 2007 and resulted in a large-scale epizootic in striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) populations in northern Colorado …

Predation And Disease-Related Economic Impacts Of Wild Pigs On Livestock Producers In 13 States, Aaron M. Anderson, Chris Slootmaker, Erin Harper, Ryan S. Miller, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We report the results of a survey on wild pigs (Sus scrofa) damage to livestock producers in 13 US states (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas). The survey was distributed by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service in the summer of 2017 to a sample of livestock producers in the 13-state region. Findings indicate that predation and disease-related damage can be substantial in certain states and for certain types of livestock. In particular, damage to cattle operations in Texas and Arkansas was substantially higher than damage in other states …

Potential Role Of Wildlife In The Usa In The Event Of A Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus Incursion, Vienna R. Brown, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) which affects domestic and wild cloven-hoofed species. The FMD-free status of the USA and the tremendous economic impact of a virus incursion motivated the development of this evaluation of the potential role of wildlife in the event of a virus introduction. Additionally, this manuscript contains a summary of US vulnerabilities for viral incursion and persistence which focuses specifically on the possible role of wildlife. The legal movement of susceptible live animals, animal products, by-products and animal feed containing animal products pose a risk of virus introduction and spread. Additionally, the …

The Outsized Influence Of The Fcpa?, Veronica Root Martinez

Journal Articles

The current power and influence of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) is really quite remarkable when one considers the statute was largely ignored for its first twenty-five years of existence. This statute, meant to reign in corruption by United States companies doing business abroad; has generated billions of dollars in revenue for the United States government; prompted the development of law firm practice groups and law school courses; become the subject of numerous scholarly articles; and has, arguably, made anti-bribery efforts the highest of priorities for multinational corporations engaged in robust compliance efforts. Corporations, scholars, and the public would …

A Mindfulness Meditation Intervention To Decrease Stress, Anxiety, And Depression Among Medical And Premedical Students, Bridget Statler Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The challenges inherent in pursuing a medical education can leave many students at risk of experiencing stress and burnout. Premedical and medical students have been found to experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (Fang et al., 2010; Niemi & Vainiomaki, 2006; Vitaliano, Russo, Carr, & Heerwagen, 1984). The sources of stress for premedical and medical students include academic obligations, the financial burden of paying for medical school, and family relationships. If excessive stress is left untreated it can result in negative health risks such as depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, and other physiological distress disorders. There are proven ways …

3d-Printed Flexible Polylactic Acid/ Thermoplatic Polyurethane (Pla/Tpu) Stents For Esophageal Malignancies, Maohua Lin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Palliation therapy for dysphagia using esophageal stents is the current treatment of choice for those patients with inoperable esophageal malignancies. However, the stents currently used in the clinical setting, regardless of the type of metal mesh or plastic mesh stents (covered/uncovered), may cause complications, such as tumor ingrowth and stent migration into the stomach. Furthermore, metal mesh stents have limited capacities for loading anti-cancer drugs. To effectively reduce/overcome those complications and enhance the efficacy of drug release, we designed and 3D-printed a tubular, flexible polymer stent with spirals, and then load anti-cancer drug, paclitaxel, on the stent for drug release. …

Acute Response Of Neuroprotective Associated Biomarkers To Various Compound Resistance Exercises In Well-Trained Men, Trevor K. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This study examined if multi-joint resistance exercises could elicit expression of biomarkers associated with neuroprotection. Thirteen well-trained males performed 4 sets to failure at 80% of a one-repetition maximum (1RM) on the back squat, bench press, and deadlift. The biomarkers measured immediately pre- and post-exercise were brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), cathepsin B (CatB), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). There was a main time effect (p<0.01) for BDNF with significant increases in the deadlift (p=0.01) and bench press (p=0.01) conditions, but not the squat (p=0.21). There was a main time effect (p<0.01) for IL-6 with a significant increase in the squat (p<0.01). There was no significant increase in CatB or IGF-1 (p>0.05). Additionally, there was no significant relationship between BDNF and IL-6 response.

Adhesive Joint Analyses Using Ansys Czm Modeling Of A Prefabricated Hybrid Concrete-Gfrp-Cfrp Unit, Maksim Kabaluk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The present study reviews applications of FRP materials joined by structural adhesives in civil engineering. FE analysis with mix-mode cohesive zone material model (CZM) was used to analyze stresses induced in two structural adhesives joining dissimilar materials (concrete GFRP-CFRP) of the hybrid-composite unit. The predicted failure loads, displacements and deformation by the 3-D non-linear FE analysis in the present study are in good agreement with the experimental results of the hybrid-composite unit reported by Deskovic et al. (1995). The contact analysis revealed a complex 3-D state of stress in the bondlines of both structural adhesives. It is concluded that higher …

A Quantitative Longitudinal Study Using Astin’S I-E-O Model To Predict College Stem Versus Non-Stem Major Choice Among Women, Patricia Berchiolli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This quantitative longitudinal study sought to highlight the difference between the proportion of men and women who planned to pursue a STEM major in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, and computer and information sciences as freshmen, as well as to determine the proportion of men and women who changed their major choice by their senior year. In addition, the researcher sought to identify women students’ unique background characteristics and college experiences that have taken place over the course of their undergraduate college career that may have predicted their declared major choice (STEM versus non-STEM) as seniors. A review …

Analysis Of Slked Gene Expression In Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Gene Knockouts In Tomato (Micro-Tom), Paveena Vichyavichien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein system, CRISPR/Cas9, uses single-guide RNA to guide Cas9 to the target site for genome editing. In this study, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to knockout KED in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). KED was first identified while screening the wounded tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves. We found that alignment of the protein sequence of SlKED (Solanum lycopersicum KED) and NtKED (Nicotiana tabacum KED) showed 55.1% identity. To investigate, we generated SlKED knockout tomato plants with a single base pair deletion, a five base pair deletion and a three base pair deletion with a single …

Analysis Of Tardigrade Damage Suppressor Protein (Dsup) Expressed In Tobacco, Justin Kirke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

DNA damage is one of the most harmful stress inducers in living organisms. Studies have shown that exposure to high doses of various types of radiation cause DNA sequence changes (mutation) and disturb protein synthesis, hormone balance, leaf gas exchange and enzyme activity. Recent discovery of a protein called Damage Suppressor Protein (Dsup), found in the tardigrade species Ramazzotius varieornatus, has shown to reduce the effects of radiation damage in human cell lines. We have generated multiple lines of tobacco plants expressing the Dsup gene and preformed numerous tests to show viability and response of these transgenic plants when exposed …

Assessment Of Small Mammal Demographics In Everglades National Park, Julia Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The massive decline in mammal populations in Everglades National Park (ENP) has likely disrupted the fragile ecosystem unique to South Florida. Mammals populations in the park are a mere fraction of what they have been historically. However, very few studies have investigated some of the smaller mammals which are still widely present. Mark-recapture trapping was used over 4.5 years on tree islands in ENP to analyze the communities of three focal species: the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris), and cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus). We assessed the reproduction, effect of water levels and seasonality, and density …

Burnout: The Devastating Impact On A New Teacher, Kevin Leichtman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This autoethnographical study was conducted to add teacher voice and perspective in the topic of new teacher burnout, which has been linked to beginning teachers’ historically high attrition rates within the first five years of their careers. The study was centered on a burned out new teacher who faced cognitive dissonance through attempting to implement critical pedagogy in the context of standards-based reform. Data was gathered through field notes and artifacts encompassing the first five years of the teacher’s career, which spanned two schools and six grade levels in a large, low socioeconomic, southern school district. The data underwent multiple …