The Red River Flood Of 1997: The Role Of Government Agencies In The Flood Plain

This study attempts to identify the roles of three federal agencies in the Grand Forks Flood of 1997. The three agencies were selected for the scope of their impact on the disaster as well as their impact on the community. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, and Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed either to the the attempts to prevent flooding or flood recovery or both. It is appropriate to determine both the physical factors that cause flooding and the agency policies that govern the ways in which people cope with disaster because these two are intricately linked in the ecosystem of the flood plain. The Grand Forks case study shows the connection between policy, land use, and the forces of nature. The results of this research show that the concept of flood control at the local level must be woven into basin-wide management plans to be successful. The process is by nature political, so it requires leadership, accurate information, and public participation

The Ability of the Special Needs Child in Comparison to the Average Child in a Beginning Computerized Keyboarding Class

The problem of this study was to determine how the ability of the special needs child, when mainstreamed into a Beginning Computerized Keyboarding course, compared to that of the average child. The hypothesis was that there was no significant difference in the learning of special needs students and academically average students when taught Beginning Computerized Keyboarding

A longitudinal analysis of rural adolescents\u27 perceptions of success : a multicultural perspective.

Researchers have traditionally evaluated success and achievement by examining prescribed constructs and their relationship to specific behaviors, performance skills, or cognitive abilities. The adolescents that have been studied were primarily from urban or metropolitan environments, and these studies did not factor in the influence of cultural context on variations in adolescent success strivings. This longitudinal investigation attempted to expand upon existing studies by not only focusing on a rural, southern high school sample, but also by allowing the students to generate their own criteria for defining success. A 12 category questionnaire, which was developed for this research project, and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children were administered on two occasions to the same group of subjects. The first study (T1) was conducted at middle adolescence, when participants were ninth graders; the second study (T2) was conducted at late adolescence during the twelfth grade. At T1, 149 students, ages 14-16 participated. Eighty were African American (AA); 54 were Caucasian (C). At T2, 152 students, ages 16-19 completed the assessment. Fifty-nine in this study were C and 75 were AA. At both T1 and T2, participants consistently identified three criteria when they generated their own success definitions: accomplishments/recognition, personal attributes and work/career. This was true across the variable of race though some variation was noted in comparison of gender-specific responses. The most frequently cited component of success, accomplishment/recognition, was described as setting and achieving goals being their best, working hard and achieving fame. Comparison of self-concept scores between T1 and T2 showed a significant increase in self-esteem across variables of race and gender. These data provide a profile of rural, southern adolescents viewed from a cultural and longitudinal perspective. The definitions generated by these adolescents can be valuable in the assessment of their success oriented behaviors. Further investigations of adolescents\u27 perceptions of success can contribute to the development of plans and strategies for parents, educators and counselors to assist adolescents with their strivings for success

Perceived Influence Of Career And Technical Student Organizations On Postsecondary Choices

The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of former career and technical student organization (CTSO) members’ postsecondary choices relative to their involvement in CTSOs in a midsize city high school. The research question that guided this qualitative study was: How do former participants in CTSOs describe the student organization’s influence on their postsecondary choices? Thirteen former CTSO members participated in this study through semistructured individual interviews. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) use of soft skills, (b) engagement with others, (c) participation in conferences, and (d) leadership preparation. Through data analysis, the themes indicated that former CTSO members believed that involvement in their CTSO influenced their postsecondary choice and their overall experience as a member was positive. Implications of this study include (a) that participation in a CTSO has a positive influence on members; (b) the more a member participates in a CTSO, the more benefits they receive; and (c) CTSOs create a “safe place” for students to share challenges, to learn from mentors, and to learn about community resources. From the findings, two areas for further study are (a) that a broader study should include former members of any high school student organization, not just those specific to former members of a high school CTSO and (b) that a broader study should include former CTSO members from more than one high school

Experiences with the Streptococcus mutans in Lakota Sioux (SMILeS) Study: Risk Factors for Caries in American Indian Children 0-3 Years

Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) is a terribly aggressive and devastating disease that is all too common in lower socio-economic children, but none more so that what is encountered in American Indian Tribes. Nationwide, approximately 27% of 2-5 year olds have decay while 62% percent of American Indian/Alaska Native children in the same age group have a history of decay (IHS 2010, NHANES 1999-2002). We have conducted a study of children from birth to 36 months of age on Pine Reservation to gain a better understanding of the variables that come into play in the development of this disease, from transmission and acquisition of Streptococcus mutans genotypes from mother to child to multiple dietary and behavioral components. This article describes how we established a direct partnership with the Tribe and the many opportunities and challenges we faced in performing this 5-year field study

Monolithic electro-optic modulator array

A PIN GaAlAs diode structure is provided with parameters for index guiding of light in a single mode. The index of refraction of the central layer I (which in practice may be lightly doped .pi. or .nu.) is greater than the p- and n-layers to create a slab waveguide in the transverse direction. Stripe contacts define separate waveguide channels that are separated electrically and optically by implanting protons or etching grooves between the stripe contacts in the upper layer. Separate reverse biasing voltages may be applied to the stripe contacts for modulation of the light in proportions to the voltage, either with absorption modulation, if the light wavelength is within about 500.ANG. of the bandgap of the .pi.-material, or phase-delay modulation, if the wavelength is separated from the bandgap of the .pi.-material by at least 900.ANG.

Measurement of Transepithelial Potentials (In Vitro) from the Midgut of the Gulf Coast Tick Amblyomma Maculatum (KOCH)

Entomolog