2006 MU dissertations - Freely available online
Permanent URI for this collection
The items in this collection are dissertations that are available to the general public. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Chinese decision-making in reponse to foreign policy crises, 1949-1996 : a poliheuristic analysis(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Zhang, Enyu; James, Patrick, 1957-; Drury, A. Cooper, 1967-China is seen widely as a distinctive power when dealing with international relations in general and foreign policy crises in particular. Given the concerns about whether the rise of China will be peaceful or belligerent, this dissertation aims to illuminate how Chinese decision-makers make key decisions in foreign policy crises and what lead to such decisions in a systematic and theoretically driven way. To achieve this goal, this project tests the Poliheuristic Theory (PH), developed by Alex Mintz (1993, 2003a), which synthesizes the previously isolated psychological and rational theories of foreign policy decision-making. The evidence from the structured, focused comparative analysis of the processes and outcomes of Chinese decision-making in foreign policy crises, spanning from 1949 to 1996, clearly supports the core of PH in such a least-likely context. In a state as distinctive as China, crisis decision-making in the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not significantly deviant from that in many other states; Chinese decision-makers also make policies against domestic politics. In non-democratic systems, foreign policy decision-makers do not necessarily seek for re-election; however, they tend to seek for legitimacy and public support. Chinese decision-makers put primacy on political survivability at the onset of crisis decision-making. Their political survivability is closely associated with intra-CCP factional struggles, public legitimacy, and individual personalities. Following the initial elimination of politically unacceptable options, Chinese decision-makers do appear to switch to the compensatory rule of utility-maximizing to optimize the final choice with a comprehensive evaluation of the remaining options across all policy dimensions concerning national security.Item Hierarchical spatio-temporal models for ecological processes(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Hooten, Mevin B., 1976-; Wikle, Christopher K., 1963-Ecosystems are composed of phenomena that propagate in time and space. Often, ecological processes underlying such phenomena are studied separably in various subdisciplines, while larger scale, interlinking mechanisms are overlooked or only speculated about. As grows the burden of global climate change and human disturbance of natural systems, so grows the need for rigorous statistical methods focused on characterizing and forecasting large scale spatiotemporal environmental and ecological processes in the presence of limited data and multiple sources of uncertainty. Hierarchical models offer a powerful means with which to study complex phenomena in space and time. This dissertation develops and illustrates the utility of spatiotemporal hierarchical models for studying ecological phenomena.Item Analysis of interactions between the germline RNA helicases (GLHs) and their regulators KGB-1 and CSN-5 in Caenorhabditis elegans(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Orsborn, April Marie, 1978-; Bennett, Karen L.The Caenorhabditis elegans germline RNA helicases (GLHs) are constitutive components of P granules, non-membranous aggregates of protein and RNA that segregate with the nematode germline. The GLHs are critical for fertility. The novel MAP kinase, KGB-1, interacts with the GLH proteins, and the null kgb-1(um3) strain results in sterile worms at high temperatures; the germlines of these worms contain endomitotic replicating oocytes (EMO). We find that in kgb-1(um3) adults, while GLH-4 levels are similar to wild type, levels of GLH-1 are increased up to seven fold and the morphology of P granules is grossly affected. Binding of KGB-1 to GLH-1 requires a MAP kinase docking site. KGB-1 can phosphorylate GLH-1 using in vitro kinase assays, and GLH-1 is degraded by the proteasome in a KGB-1-dependent manner. In addition, KGB-1 physically associates with CSN-5 (COP9 signalosome subunit 5), another GLH binding partner. RNA interference (RNAi) of csn-5 results in sterile worms with under-proliferated germlines, mirroring the combined glh-1 and glh-4 RNAi phenotype. In contrast, elimination of csn-5 in the kgb-1(um3) background results in significantly more fertile worms than in non-injected kgb-1 worms. Based on these biochemical and genetic interactions, we propose KGB-1 and CSN-5 may oppositely regulate GLH-1, with KGB-1 degrading and CSN-5 protecting GLH-1. This cooperative system could maintain proper GLH-1 levels during normal germline development, as well as prevent excess GLH accumulation during the stressful conditions of high temperature and aging.Item A study of the school funding formula created by SB 287 in Missouri(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Welker, James L., 1956-; Waddle, Jerry L. (Jerry Louis)The purpose of this study was to investigate the methods of determining adequacy and equity through SB 287. The study examined the assumptions used in the calculation of adequacy and the extent to which the formula is successful in improving equity over the former formula that was developed by SB 380 in 1993. The researcher collected data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This data was used in correlation analysis to determine relationships between variables used to calculate the adequacy target. Correlations were performed between expenditure per pupil and APR scores, expenditure per pupil and percent free and reduced, expenditure per pupil and percent special education, and expenditure per pupil and percent limited English proficient. In addition, revenues per ADA under SB 380 were compared to revenues per ADA under SB 287 by calculating the coefficient of variation and the federal range ratio. Results of the study indicated that there was little correlation between the variables used to develop the adequacy target. This seemed to indicate that the successful schools method used in SB 287 to determine adequacy was invalid because it was based on the assumption that the variables are related. In addition, the results of the study indicated that the method of distributing funds decreased the variation in the amount per ADA. As a result, SB 287 seems to improve equity over the SB 380 formula.Item Sensory analysis of low fat strawberry ice creams prepared with different flavor chemicals and fat mimetics(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Liou, Bo-Kang, 1973-; Gruen, IngolfThe objective of this study was to understand the release behavior of five strawberry flavor compounds in ice cream with fat mimetics, and to reformulated low-fat ice cream with Simplesse(R) to match the flavor profile of full-fat ice cream. FuraneolTM was perceived more strongly in full-fat ice cream, while cis-3-hexen-1-ol, [alpha]- ionone, [gamma]-undecalactone and ethyl-3-methyl-3-phenylglycidate were perceived more strongly in low-fat ice cream. However, ice creams with Simplesse(R) and full-fat ice cream had similar sensory characteristics. Cooked sugar flavor, sweetness and their aftertastes were determinants for the degree of taste similarity with full-fat ice cream. The reformulated product, which was the closest in sensory characteristics to full-fat ice cream, was either the one in which the concentration of [gamma] undecalactone was decreased individually by 25% or the product, in which [gamma] undecalactone and cis-hexen-1-ol were decreased by 25%. No significant differences for consumer test between the reformulated products and full-fat ice cream.