This qualitative study explores the impact of a proposed Hybrid Dynamic Assessment (HDA) model on the essay writing of English Language Learners (ELL). The proposed model is rooted in Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory (SCT) concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The partic…
"19" Result
Sort By:
Hybrid zones are places where individuals from different populations which are distinguishable by heritable characteristics come into contact and produce hybrid progeny. Hybridization offers a natural experiment with which to study the genetic interface between species which hav…
Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host; 2n=4x=28; CCDD) is an agriculturally important species both as a weed and as a genetic resource for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; 2n=6x=42; AABBDD) improvement. In order to better understand the evolution of this species, the diversity…
Advances in molecular genetics have given us tools to address questions in wildlife species at levels of biological organization directly relevant to managers. Thus, the development of genetic markers for use in wildlife species such as the wild turkey is a high priority for the…
E-learning plays an important role in higher education, especially with the appearance of web 2.0. The study investigated the effects of using PBWorks, as a free web 2.0 wiki, on students' academic achievement, and students' attitudes toward collaborative learning. The study was…
This project attempts to offer an extended discussion related to objects as an attachment, as body extension, as interlocutors in how the individual (the body) experience the world. It refers to the physical representation and the many attempts to understand the transformation o…
The following study was undertaken to investigate the evolutionary significance of transposable element (TE) activity in mammalian hybrids. The specific aims of this work were twofold: (1) to assess the relationship between a particular TE, baboon endogenous virus (BaEV), and re…
In this dissertation, I present five chapters. The first chapter stems from a rotation project. In it, we explore a clustered ranking method for small area health outcomes in several applied data sets. By applying clustering to these rankings, we hope to improve rankings' effect…
Historical and contemporary environmental conditions affect the distribution of aquatic species. The following three chapters seek to assess the degree to which conditions have impacted current distribution and population structure of fishes and mussels. The first chapter assess…
Hybridization has traditionally been viewed as a happenstance that negatively impacts populations, but is now recognized as an important evolutionary mechanism that can substantially impact the evolutionary trajectories of gene pools, influence adaptive capacity, and contravene …
Unprecedented contemporary spiritual, cultural, political, and ecological dilemmas call for new discourses and practices to transform societies and individuals and prepare for an uncertain future. The participatory transpersonal philosophy that is rooted in pluralism, embodiment…
The evolutionary success of sociality an is evident and the variety of different social behaviours in the natural world is extensive. From the immense and wonderfully coordinated school of fish, the incredible aerial displays of starling murmuration, to the bond between mother a…
Onion is a vegetable crop that is consumed and cultivated worldwide. The production of bulbs, however, is threatened by pathogens and pests that infect onion plants and cause yield losses. Three severe diseases of onion are leaf blight, neck rot and white rot and all three are c…
K-means is the most popular algorithm for clustering, a classic task in machine learning and related fields. It is even listed among the top ten algorithms in the entire data mining field. Although shown to be effective in many practical situations, k-means has a few well known …
Closely related taxa frequently exist in sympatry before the evolution of robust reproductive barriers, which can lead to substantial gene flow. Post-divergence gene flow can promote several disparate trajectories of divergence ranging from the collapse of the taxa to the streng…
In this thesis I studied cause and effect of Cyto Nuclear Incompatibility (CNI) induced speciation in plants. By combining comparative genomics, phylogenetics and bioinformatics with large scale crossing experiments I was able to infer part of the genetic machinery underlying CN…
The aims of my dissertation are to understand diversification in the genus Penstemon at three taxonomic scales: across the entire genus, where I use phylogenetic comparative methods to assess diversification rate variation and trait (phenotype and niche) lability; across species…
We now recognize the pervasiveness of rapid evolution in the wild; yet it remains a challenge to identify the key patterns and processes to predict outcomes and inform management decisions. In this dissertation, I employ genomic tools and multi-scale analyses over molecules, spa…