Wrestling for our Humanity: An Examination of College Degree Choice Processes used by Freshmen and Sophomores at West Virginia University

This research examined the extent to which future job prospects, peer and parental influence and or intrinsic interest impacted the college major selection processes utilized by freshmen and sophomores. Using a mixed method approach, the researcher interviewed six college recruitment officers, administered surveys to 466 freshmen and sophomores and also conducted a document analysis of college brochures and view books all in a bid to ascertain what combination of factors define the major selection process. Data analysis revealed that economic propensity which translates into projections about future job placement, job advancement and or job security somewhat played a role in the major selection process. Besides economic factors, familial and peer influence played a role in students\u27 prospective major choices though the culminating choice was driven heavily by intrinsic interest. Students tended to be proactive towards meeting their academic commitments while utilizing other support networks. Analysis of interview transcripts confirmed student proclivity for self-direction however, the tendency to settle for majors with proven economic promise was a recurring subject in college recruiter interviews. Interview transcripts also revealed that attendant college overhead costs such as tuition and fees affected student college major choices especially for out of state students. Document analysis also revealed that colleges valued scholarship and intellectual prowess over the promotion of economic promise post-graduation. Given the spiraling nature of factors that define the college major choice process, it is safe to consider a myriad of factors, situations, and or conditions when determining the character and disposition of students with regards to major selection

Intrinsic Evaporative Cooling with Natural Ventilation and Shading for Adaptive Thermal Comfort in Tropical Buildings

Hygroscopic materials, including earth- and plant-based materials used in tropical vernacular architecture, often sorb significant moisture from the atmosphere during humid nighttime hours; evaporation the following day then provides a pronounced cooling effect, particularly in semi-arid regions. While such intrinsic evaporative cooling is also active in wet-tropical climates, it cannot maintain indoor comfort, and vernacular structures are highly open to facilitate air movement. Recently, new hygroscopic materials have been developed from coconut agricultural wastes that show great potential for intrinsic evaporative cooling and indoor humidity control in contemporary tropical buildings. As expected, however, they must be combined with additional cooling strategies to maintain thermal comfort. This investigation explores the integration of intrinsic evaporative cooling with natural ventilation and shading to determine the extent to which indoor thermal comfort, as evaluated by the ASHRAE 55 adaptive thermal comfort standard, may be maintained in the representative wet-tropical climate of Ghana, West Africa

Understanding the motivations of Ghanaian bureaucrats

This study examines the factors that affect the work performance of Ghanaian bureaucrats. Three decades ago Robert Price (1975) examined the impact that kinship ties had on the motivation of Ghanaian bureaucrats. He found that Ghanaian bureaucrats behaved in particularistic fashions as opposed to acting in a universalistic manner, suggesting kinship was a major determinant of bureaucratic routine. This study followed the work of Price by replicating his mix of interviews and surveys, with the addition of questions that incorporate recent work on bureaucracy that suggest motivation involves a mix of solidary, functional, and pecuniary preferences (Brehm and Gates, 1997; Golden 2000). Utilizing a mix of interviews and surveys of public servants from the Civil Service and the Ghana Education Service, I find the motivation of Ghanaian bureaucrats involves pecuniary, solidary and functional preferences as well as kinship ties

Analysis of B-genome derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in Musa spp.

A study was conducted to investigate the genetic variability between 40 Musa genotypes maintained at the Musa germplasm collection of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan using nine B-genome derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The nine primers produced reproducible and discrete fragments and generated a total of 23 alleles with an average of 2.1. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed clusters of diploid cultivars separate from triploid ones (with the exception of TMB149 (BB) and TMB131 (AB)). Average gene diversity was He = 0.412, and differentiation, given by the fixation index (FST) was low at 0.13

Refleksioon algajate õpetajate õpetamislugudes

http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2636756~S6*es

Analysis of B-genome derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in Musa spp.

A study was conducted to investigate the genetic variability between 40 Musa genotypes maintained at the Musa germplasm collection of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan using nine B-genome derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The nine primers produced reproducible and discrete fragments and generated a total of 23 alleles with an average of 2.1. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed clusters of diploid cultivars separate from triploid ones (with the exception of TMB149 (BB) and TMB131 (AB)). Average gene diversity was He = 0.412, and differentiation, given by the fixation index (FST) was low at 0.131.Keywords: Banana, genetic diversity, gene differentiation, plantai

Downi sündroomi levimus ja registreerimine Eestis

http://www.ester.ee/record=b469096

Väliskeskkonna mõju zoopsammoni koosluste ruumilisele ja ajalisele varieeruvusele

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.Psammon on veekogu kaldaäärses niiskes liivas setteosakeste vahelises ruumis elavate mikroskoopiliste organismide kooslus. Psammon pole mitte vaid elurikkuse allikaks, aga neil loomakestel on ka oluline roll veekogude aine- ja energiaringes. Nimelt võib psammoni arvukus tihti ületada veekogude põhjamudas olevate pisiloomade oma. Võrreldes planktoni või bentosega on psammonikooslusi väga vähe uuritud. Käesoleva doktoritöö eesmärkideks oli kirjeldada zoopsammoni koosluste taksonoomilist koosseisu ning domineerimissuhteid ruumis ja ajas. Keriloomad, tsiliaadid, ümarussid, kodaamööbid ja rullikulised olid tüüpilisimad zoopsammoni esindajad, keda leidus kõigis uuritud randades. Kokku leiti töö käigus 159 taksonit, millest 80 taksonit on Eesti faunale uued leiud. Järvedes oli psammonikoosluste taksonirikkus ja arvukus kõrgem kui rannikumeres. Zoopsammoni taksonirikkus oli seotud uuritava ala troofilise tasemega ja muude inimmõjude survega. Zoopsammoni koosluste horisontaalne varieeruvus oli väga suur ning ajas muutuv. Vertikaalne varieeruvus oli suuresti seotud liiva struktuuriga ja tugevalt taksoni-spetsiifiline. Zoopsammoni arvukuse osas ei ilmnenud ühtset sesoonset mustrit, aga taksonirikkus oli suvel suurim. Sesoonsusest enam mõjutas psammoni kooslusi liiva struktuur, toidubaas (orgaanika ja klorofüll a sisaldus liivas, kõrgem taimestik rannas) ja inimtegevus (sh. suvitajate hulk rannas). Seosed keskkonnaparameetrite ja arvukuse vahel olid enamasti taksoni-spetsiifilised ning erinevusi esines isegi ühe perekonna eri liikide vahel. Rannikumere psammonis oli mitmete taksonite arvukus seotud ka liiva kapillaarvee soolsuse ja pH-ga. Käesolev doktoritöö näitas, et näiliselt elutus veekogu kaldaliivas elab väga mitmekesine kooslus, mis võib olla vägagi kõrge arvukusega, hoolimata keskkonnatingimuste suurest varieerumisest. Suur mitmekesisus ja kõrge arvukus viitavad aga psammoni olulisusele veeökosüsteemis.Psammon is diverse group of microscopic organisms living in the interstitial sandy habitat at the water’s edge. Psammon is not only important from the perspective of biodiversity, but may also significantly contribute to the transfer of energy and matter as the populations in beach sand can reach higher densities compared to other benthic habitats. Psammon communities have received very little attention compared to plankton or benthos. The objective of the thesis was to provide an overview of the species composition of zoopsammon communities, their spatial patterns and seasonal dynamics in relation to environmental parameters. The most common taxa that were found from all studied beaches were nematodes, rotifers, ciliates, testate amoebae and harpacticoids. A total of 159 taxa were determined, of which 80 taxa were new records for Estonia. The taxonomic richness and total zoopsammon abundance was much higher in lake beaches than in coastal beaches. Taxonomic richness was related to trophic state of and anthropogenic impact on the sampling site. The horizontal pattern is highly variable and poorly predictable. The vertical distribution was taxon-specific and depended on the sediment type. There was no clear seasonal pattern for the overall psammon abundance, however most taxon-rich season was summer. Sand structure, feeding conditions (sand organic matter and chlorophyll a content, vegetation cover at a transect) and human activities (e.g. trampling by swimmers) proved to be more important variables structuring the psammon communities than seasonality. The majority of psammon taxa had taxon-specific responses to their environment and differences occurred even within one genus. In coastal beaches the abundance of many taxa was related also with porewater pH and salinity. This thesis showed that the seemingly deserted beach habitat hosts a diverse community which can reach high population density, despite the unstable and very fluctuating environment in the habitat. The high abundance and taxonomic richness indicate the importance of psammon communities in the water ecosystem