1941 research outputs found
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"Faber-Jackson relation in Seyfert galaxies"
No full textWendy Bennett and Tim Weinzirl are both students at Drake University. Charles Nelson is Assistant Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He can be contacted at [email protected] investigations have indicated that the bulges of Seyfert galaxies are more luminous than those in normal galaxies of the same mass. This may result if Seyfert bulges have experienced recent star formation, perhaps associated with the fueling of the nuclear black hole. To confirm this, we have analyzed Hubble Space Telescope images of a large number of Seyfert 2 galaxies with published velocity dispersions. The IRAF task ELLIPSE was used to generate luminosity profiles from galaxy isophotes. Assuming either an R1/4 law or an exponential for the bulge portions of the profiles we then calculated bulge magnitudes for the sample. Combining our results with the velocity dispersions we construct the Faber-Jackson relation, a well-known correlation between luminosity and velocity dispersion. By comparing with the Faber-Jackson relation for normal galaxies we test the proposition that Seyfert bulges tend to be more luminous.Drake University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics and Astronomy
"Spectroscopy of star-forming regions in UV bright, interacting starburst galaxies"
No full textAaron G. Frazier is a student at Drake University and Charles Nelson is Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Drake. He can be contacted at [email protected] have obtained long-slit spectroscopy of the star-forming regions in NGC3395, NGC3396, NGC3991, NGC3994, and NGC3995 emit strongly in the ultraviolet, indicating multiple regions of active star formation. To investigate the nature of the star formation, we obtained U, B, V, and R images using the 40 inch telescope at Mt. Laguna. Our goal is to determine the sequence of star-formation episodes in these systems. Possibilities include a "chain reaction" - one burst triggering another burst and so on - or a continuity of stellar formation that remains apporximately constant with time.Drake University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Teachers' Perceived Changes in Practices and Students' Learning as a Result of Implementing Teacher Action Research
Get PDFvii, 156, [2] leaves. Advisor: Linda H. Espey.The problem: Teachers are making data-driven decisions that impact their teaching
practices and students learning. Teachers are searching for a practice that allows them to
be proactive in simultaneously addressing the differentiated needs of their students.
Action research is that practice. Guidance is needed in the design and implementation of
an action research professional development program to support the multiple needs of
teachers and their students.
Methodology: An observational case study was the research design used to collect data
on the implementation of the professional development program, teacher action research,
and its impact on teachers and students. Focused interviews using the instrument,
Measuring Levels of Use of the Innovation, revealed changes in teaching practices and
student learning and also provided data on what a facilitator of an action research
professional developrnent might anticipate during implementation.
Findings: Research outcomes found teachers' perceived changes in their behaviors. They
described thcinselves as deliberate practitioners, informed consumers of research, and
improved communicators. Teachers perceived changes in their students' learning as
goal-directed and improved as a result of action research practices. Findings clearly
demonstrated the research-based factors that support the design and implementation of an
action research plan: (a) action researcher practices; (b) teamwork, goal-setting, and data
analysis; (b) the resource of time; and (d) support of administrators and colleagues.
Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest teachers do perceive positive changes in
their practices and student learning as a result of their participation in an action research
professional development program. Communications, improved learning, collaboration,
time, and administrative support contribute to the implementation of action research.
Recommendations: Additional studies, employing both quantitative and qualitative
research methods in multiple educational settings may lend further credence to better
understanding the teacher action researcher and the professional development support
ncedcd. Further research may also focus on students' achievement as a result of their
participation in a teacher's action research project
"The Effects of methamphetamine and cocaine on rats' Y-Maze performance using directional vs. visual cues"
No full textRyan J. Brackney, Kyle Sounhein, Rachel Mejia and Anna Marie Dolezal are students at Drake University. William D. Klipec is Associate Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drake University.Two experiments in our laboratory have demonstrated that across a wide range of doses, amphetamine but not cocaine (COC) disrupts the discrimination performance of rats running toward the lighted arm of a Y-Maze. In these experiments we noticed that rats in the amphetamine group were repeatedly running in the same direction (e.g., always left) rather than toward the lighted arm. Since amphetamine increases stereotypic behavior we hypothesized that the disruption of performance in the amphetamine group was due to perseverative responding in one direction. To test this hypothesis rats were trained on a directional cue that would be compatible with perseverative responding. One group of rats (n=8) was trained to run to the right arm (R) for water reinforcement while a second group of rats (n=8) was trained to run to the left arm (L). After reaching a 90% correct stability criterion, the rats were tested with an ascending and descending series of either methamphetamine (0.56 to 2.0 mg/kg) or COC (3.0 to 20 mg/kg) counterbalanced across groups, with saline and no injection days interspersed. With the exception of the 20 mg/kg COC dose, neither METH nor COC produced a significant increase in errors for rats in the R Group. The L Group, showed a significant increase in errors for METH at 0.56, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg and COC at the 10 and 20 mg/kg doses. The results were surprising in that METH did not result in perseverative errors and that it selectively effected rats trained to run left. We are currently investigating the handedness of the rats to determine if that accounts for the selective effect on left trained rats.Drake University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
"Employee knowledge of a managed pharmacy benefit in a large corporation"
Get PDFMichael J. Miller is Assistant Professor of Social and Administrative Sciences in Pharmacy (Pharmacy Practice) in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He can be contacted at [email protected] about prescription drug benefits is necessary for consumers to choose appropriate health benefits plans in a consumer-directed health plan market. The objective of this study was to describe employees' knowledge of their prescription drug benefits. A one-group, cross-sectional survey of full-time university employees with a tiered pharmacy benefit was performed. Correct responses to knowledge questions were described individually and as an aggregate index score. Respondent understanding of pharmacy benefits was low to moderate. Specifically, knowledge of pharmacy benefits was most limited with respect to formulary management, cost sharing, and financial implications of out-of-network use and the selection of a branded or generic medication. Future research should refine methods for assessing knowledge of pharmacy benefits, explore knowledge of pharmacy benefits in diverse samples, and assess the consequences associated with variations in knowledge of prescription drug benefits.Copyright 2005 by Medicom International. All rights reserved
Faculty grants awarded in FY04
No full textGrant recipients for FY04 include:
Almoazen, Hassan
Bartschat, Klaus
Bohorquez, Maria
Bruinekool, Matt
Buising, Charisse
Collier, Aimee Beckmann
Frank, Garry
Frazier, Aaron (Student)
Hamilton, Neil
Henderson, LaRhee
Krueger, Benjamin (Student)
Krypel, Linda
Larson, Lon
Levitt, Suzanne
Marguina, Cira Pascual
Murr, Anne
Nelson, Charles
Norton, Barb
Pandit, Nita
Petridis, Athanasios
Pettijohn, Kay
Power, Dan
Prijatel, Patricia
Pundi, Kavitha (Student)
Raecker, Scott
Rosburg, Thomas
Rovers, John
Sanders, Arthur
Sanders, Brian
Sanderson, Connie
Shafer, Sherry
Sheriff, Georgia
Shulman, Stuart
Sleister, Heidi
Smith, Carl
Stensrud, Robert
Summerville, Keith
Tice, Brad
Troyer, Ron
Vitha, MarkProgram or research grants awarded during fiscal year 2004, as reported by the Office of Sponsored Programs, Drake University. One file is arranged by type of research or grant (private, state, and federal), and another file is arranged by the quarter in which they were awarded. Private grants: 277,551, and Federal grants: 9,575,62
"Complex variables and conformal mapping applications in fluid flow dynamics"
No full textMallory Knodel is a Drake University student, majoring in Mathematics and Physics.Transformations in complex analysis can lead to geometric representations of vector fields on the complex plan. These interpretations can be quite helpful in the analysis of functions of complex variables. Many of the functions treated will be applications of harmonic functions. Specific topics addressed in the presentation will include two-dimensional fluid flows, Polya-Latta vector fields, and the Joukowski airfoil. In addition to the main focus of hydrodynamics and fluid flow, interesting results in computer graphics and hydrodynamics will also be presented.Drake University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
"Analysis of riboflavin in aqueous systems"
No full textNavneesh Sharma is a Drake University student, and Mark Vitha is Associate Professor of Chemistry at Drake. He can be contacted at [email protected] are developing an analytical method for determining the concentration of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) in aqueous samples based on fluorescence spectroscopy. This method will then be adapted to measure riboflavin in mock urine samples and used in undergraduate analytical chemistry courses as described by J.A. Henderleiter and R.M. Hyslop (J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 563-564). The method can be used to track riboflavin uptake and clearance rates in the body. Potential interferences from other naturally occurring compounds in urine will be considered and simulated in the mock samples. Furthermore, since the method is being developed with a new spectrofluorometer (obtained with funds from the National Science Foundation and Drake University), an examination of the capabilities and limitations of the instrument is also being conducted. Presented here are preliminary results for an analysis of riboflavin in water, upon which we can determine the concentration in an ‘unknown’ solution to within 1 % accuracy.Drake University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry
Discovering homelessness: teaching, scholarship, and the real world
Get PDFProfessor Wright joined the Drake faculty in 1971 and teaches courses in poverty, homelessness, criminology, delinquency and research methodology.He is past president and current treasurer of the Midwest Sociological Society, immediate past chair of the Board of the Greater Des Moines Salvation Army and past chair of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Advisory Council. He is a member of Attorney General Tom Miller's Task Force on Juvenile Justice and chaired Attorney General Campbell's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Sentencing and Governor Terry Branstad's Task Force on the Homelessness. He is past chair of Compassion in Action for the Des Moines Area Religious Council and is currently a member of its foundation board of directors. In addition, he serves on numerous community, state, regional and national boards and commissions.Wright recently was inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame and has received the Iowa Corrections Association Public Service Award, the Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award and the Midwest Sociological Society Award for Distinguished Service.Annual Stalnaker Lecture Series at Drake University, focuses on the outcome of that grant, as well as the experiences both Wright and his students shared in searching out those in the Des Moines community who lived in shelters, on the streets, or in inadequate housing. The integration of teaching, learning, research and community involvement is stressed.Paper presented at the 17th Annual Stalnaker Lectures, 20 Sept 2001, Des Moines, USA
A Study of the Design and First-Year Implementation of the Iowa Community College Quality Faculty Plans
Get PDFv, 126 leaves. Advisor: Thomas WestbrookThe purpose of this research was to study the design and first-year implementation of the Iowa community college Quality Faculty Plans. The plans were developed by each of the fifteen Iowa community colleges in response to Iowa Code
260C.36 which replaced community college faculty licensure in July 2003. According to Iowa Code, Quality Faculty Plans were to be designed for hiring and developing quality faculty. The plans were to include provisions for new faculty orientation and continued development of veteran faculty. They were also to include a list of faculty competencies and explanations of ways that faculty would demonstrate those competencies.
Qualitative methods were used to analyze the written Quality Faculty Plans from each community college and interviews with administrators, human resources directors, and faculty (one from each college) who served on the original committees to develop the plans for the specific colleges. The written plans were analyzed through coding that
stemmed from the requirements in the Iowa Code. The interviews were analyzed through open coding. Interview questions emerged from the analysis of the written plans.
The study found that although the Quality Faculty Plans all addressed the requirements of the Iowa Code, they each addressed the requirements in different ways. Variations among the plan designs and implementations were evident in the format of the Quality Faculty Plans, the understanding of practices in faculty development, the interpretation of the term competencies, and the influence of college culture.
The study concluded that (1) a wide variety in the articulation of bow each community college intended to meet and met the elements of the Iowa Code for Quality Faculty Plans was evident, (2) community college culture played an integral part in the design and implementation of the Quality Faculty Plans, (3) understanding of faculty
development practices and the implementation of those practices to orient and develop community college faculty varied greatly, (4) Quality Faculty Plans revealed a lack of common understanding of the definition, demonstration, and measurement of instructional competencies (5) as written, Quality Faculty Plans should be viewed as first steps in a dynamic process that has the potential to evolve into faculty development plans
that adhere to best practices, meet the needs of faculty, align with institutional improvement, and increase student learning.
This study revealed two implications for future research: (1) whether or not faculty development under the Quality Faculty Plans improved student learning and (2) an in-depth study of a specific college's culture and its affect on the Quality Faculty Plan. In addition, this study provided implications for future practice, specifically for
professional development among community college personnel addressing (1) best practices in faculty development and (2) definition of faculty competencies and demonstration of those competencies