Digital Commons Network^™

Cybernetics, Cyborgs, And Bionics, Oh My!!: Counterstories Of The Intersection Of Disability + Technology And Its Impact On Identities Of Adults With Disabilities, Ellen M. Hotchkiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation inquiry, I explore the counternarratives of adults with disabilities relating to their identities and how their identities intersect and change with regards to technology and assistive technology. Theoretically building upon critical disability studies (Goodley, 2017; Davis, 2013, 2017; Erevelles, 2011) and posthumanism (Haraway, 1985/2016; Snaza & Weaver, 2015; Weaver, 2010) and methodologically drawing upon counternarrative or counterstories (Bamberg & Andrews, 2004; Carmona & Luschen, 2014; Delgado, 1989; Glenn, 2012; He & Phillion, 2008; He & Ross, 2012; Sandoval & Davis, 2008; Smith, 2006; Solazano & Yosso, 2002; Tuck, 2009), I explore the stories of seven participants with …

Humanity In The Black: Applying Counter-Racist Logic With Comedy And Hip Hop, Marion Pugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humanity in the Black explores the theoretical framework of Counter-Racist Logic created by Neely Fuller Jr. as a defense mechanism for humans politically classified as black. The purpose of this dissertation is to display how Counter-Racist Logic can eliminate the cancerous confusion caused by the social construct of race. Humans who have been assigned to the racial category of black will be able to courageously acknowledge the social construct of race, acknowledge the effects of identifying with a description of a race, and how to use logic to counter the religious white superiority belief system (Fuller, 2016). The method used …

Preserving The Memory Of Those Perilous Times: Archaeology Of A Civil War Prison In Blackshear, Georgia, Colin H. Partridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the closing months of 1864 Confederate prison authorities were forced to evacuate the large stockade prisoner of war (POW) camps at Millen and Andersonville, Georgia in the face of General Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea’. While attempting to evade Union forces, approximately 5,000 POWs were sent along the Atlantic and Gulf railroad in south east Georgia, stopping just outside of the town of Blackshear. For three weeks prisoners and guards camped along a small tributary of the Alabaha River with only a few steaks to mark a deadline between them. No formal prison enclosure or fortifications were constructed and …

Ambivalent Prejudice In News Media: Does Social Hierarchy Threat Change How We View Reporters?, Rebecca E. Burchette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite research demonstrating the importance of news media, there remains a gap in the literature on how the reporter influences the perception of the information. This current experiment aims to fill that gap by evaluating how reporter race and social hierarchy threat alters perceptions of both the reporter and the information. White participants read an article with content that indicated that the current racial hierarchy is either under threat or likely to continue; the article was written by either a Black or White reporter. Participants then completed measures of perceptions of warmth and competence of the reporter, acceptance levels towards …

Homological Constructions Over A Ring Of Characteristic 2, Michael S. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We study various homological constructions over a ring $R$ of characteristic $2$. We construct chain complexes over a field $K$ of characteristic $2$ using polynomials rings and partial derivatives. We also provide a link from the homology of these chain complexes to the simplicial homology of simplicial complexes. We end by showing how to construct all finitely-generated commutative differential graded $R$-algebras using polynomial rings and partial derivatives.

Let Me Upgrade You: Common Measures In Public Health Accreditation Action Plans, Gurleen K. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to understand the success rates for health departments pursuing and achieving accreditation in version 1.0 and 1.5 of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) standards and measures. During the accreditation process, health departments that present performance gaps are asked to complete an Action Plan to specify how they plan to improve to meet the desired conformity. This study will highlight specific measures that are often included in Action Plans so that health departments pursuing accreditation can be better prepared to address these common pitfalls.

Methods: This study is a non-experimental, secondary …

Does Enhancing Mind Perception Affect Conspiracy Belief?, Jorge R. Noguera - Sepulveda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a novel mind perception manipulation. Mind perception is currently theorized to be an essential aspect of a number of human social psychological processes. Thus, a successful manipulation would allow for the causal study of those processes. This manipulation was created in an attempt to explore the downstream impact of mind perception on the endorsement of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are steadily becoming more and more prominent in social discourse. Endorsement of conspiracy theories are beginning to show real world ramifications such as a danger to human health (e.g., in the anti-vaccination …

Late Woodland To Early Mississippian Period Subsistence In Coastal Georgia: Animal Remains From Taylor Fish Camp (9gn12), St. Simons Island, Thomas S. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates subsistence strategies used by Native Americans living in coastal Georgia during the transition from the Late Woodland to Early Mississippian period (ca. AD 700 – 1100). Comparatively little subsistence data are available from the time frame on the southern Atlantic coast. Previous studies have focused mainly on archaeological sites representing preceding or subsequent time periods, and few studies of animal-use at coastal sites have used fine-screening methods. This paper presents the analysis and interpretation of invertebrate and vertebrate remains recovered with 1/16-in screens from Late Woodland/Early Mississippian period contexts at Taylor Fish Camp (9GN12), a multi-component site …

Improving Cervical Cancer Screening And Hpv Vaccination Rates Among Ghanaians In Ghana, And Ghanaian Immigrants Living In Georgia, U.S.A, Catherine T. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the most common type of HPV- associated cancer, disproportionately affecting minority women worldwide. Various strains of the human papillomavirus have been linked to the incidence of this disease. The gradual development of cervical cancer makes it one of the most preventable female cancers, as malignant cell changes can take up to two decades to occur. Regular Pap smears lead to early detection of persistent HPV infection. Together with HPV vaccination, Pap smears are effective in controlling cervical cancer incidence. Although these preventative programs are readily available in the U.S., screening, and vaccination rates have been consistently …

The Relationship Between The Nfl Scouting Combine And Game Performance Over A Five Year Period, Jordan Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine offers good face validity however, there has been doubt on the ability of the NFL Combine to predict future success of athletes in relation to in game performance (i.e., predictive validity). This study analyzed the NFL Combine data of 1537 college football players who participated in the Combine between 2013 and 2017 and their subsequent year’s performance in the NFL. The measures used from the Combine were the six different measures of athletic performance; 40-yard dash, vertical jump (VJ), broad jump, shuttle run (PRO), 3-cone drill, and bench press (BP). The measure of …

Association Of Health Departments’ Completion Of A Community Health Assessment, Community Health Improvement Plan, And Strategic Plan With Better Population Health Outcomes, Kelora T. Cofer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Promoting health and well-being requires a strong public health infrastructure. This study examined the association of engagement of local health departments (LHDs) in accreditation and its pre-requisites with health outcomes in LHD jurisdictions such as the prevalence of premature death and tobacco use in the counties they serve. Two data sets, The 2016 National Profile of Local Health Departments and 2018 Community Health Rankings were linked using deterministic linkage approach, based on county FIPS codes as a unique identifier. Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS Version 25. The results showed that having recently completed a community …

Prevention Of Violence Against Children: A Systems Readiness Assessment In Côte D’Ivoire, Marie-Kaye Soletchi Seya-Sery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Violence against children (VAC) is a global problem with significant consequences. Recognizing the need to better understand the problem of VAC in Côte d’Ivoire (CI), the government of CI recently completed a survey on violence against children. The recent data will support an evidence-based national action plan for the prevention of VAC. Research shows that initiatives tackling specific problems will only be as successful as the community’s readiness to take action. This study applied the community readiness model to assess the readiness of the multisectoral task force (MSTF) to implement the national action plan in CI. Eight MSTF participants’ interview …

The Role Of Family Context In Family Health History Communication Surrounding Chronic Disease, Kendall M. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Communication about family health history related to chronic disease are important to health promotion and prevention and associated with better health outcomes, yet for African Americans, they do not happen until after a family member has been diagnosed with a specific disease or condition (Hovick, 2016; Rodriguez, 2016). The purpose of the study was to examine the occurrence of family communication surrounding chronic disease in a sample of African American women in the rural Southeastern United States. Secondly, the study sought to examine whether frequency of communication was a factor in the communication (gathering or sharing) of family health history. …

Epidemiology, Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Hospitalized With Influenza, Kyle P. Openo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza is a respiratory viral infection responsible for annual epidemics, periodic pandemics and regularly causes substantial morbidity, mortality and economic burden worldwide. In the United States alone, influenza causes between 9.2 – 35.6 million cases, 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 – 56,000 deaths annually. Individuals with comorbid health conditions are at increased risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from influenza infection and were recommended for vaccination prior to universal vaccine recommendations. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been included in this group for decades though limited data existed to describe influenza among those with SCD. Recent studies showed …

In-Between Epistemic Paradigms Of Disablement: A Reflective Journey, Daniel James Mcnair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The author explores feelings of in-betweenness, hybridity, and dislocation (Aoki, 2005; Bhabha, 2007/1994; Saïd, 1994) as he contemplates the meaningfulness of a liminal placement between two epistemic worlds—that of his more recent experiences as a curriculum studies scholar and his previous training as a postpositivist practitioner of school psychology. This self-study engages pedagogical possibilities of in-between spaces (Aoki, 2005; He & Ross, 2012; Baszile, 2006) to construct a lived curriculum that challenges traditional stereotypes of autism and postsecondary disability services. To guide this critical self-reflective inquiry, the author applies the concepts of Joseph Schwab’s (1973) curriculum commonplaces along with William …

Impact Of Seasonal And Host-Related Factors On The Intestinal Microbiome And Cestode Community Of Sorex Cinereus And Sorex Monticola, Katelyn D. Cranmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intestinal microbiome of mammals plays a significant role in host health and response to environmental stimuli and can include both beneficial native bacteria as well as parasitic worms. In this study, I examined the intestinal cestode and bacterial communities of two closely related species of shrew, Sorex monticola and Sorex cinereus, over a six month period in 2016. Specimens were collected approximately every three weeks from May to October from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Cowles, New Mexico. A total of 79 shrews were prepared with the gastrointestinal tracts removed and flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen. An additional …

Variable Selection In Accelerated Failure Time (Aft) Frailty Models: An Application Of Penalized Quasi-Likelihood, Sarbesh R. Pandeya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Variable selection is one of the standard ways of selecting models in large scale datasets. It has applications in many fields of research study, especially in large multi-center clinical trials. One of the prominent methods in variable selection is the penalized likelihood, which is both consistent and efficient. However, the penalized selection is significantly challenging under the influence of random (frailty) covariates. It is even more complicated when there is involvement of censoring as it may not have a closed-form solution for the marginal log-likelihood. Therefore, we applied the penalized quasi-likelihood (PQL) approach that approximates the solution for such a …

Qualitative Content Analysis Of Policy As An Expression Of Educational Theory On Special Education Preschool Placement Options, Jennifer M. Dineen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a qualitative content analysis approach where the researcher collected policies and theories to analyze and interpret and to examine the relationship between developmental theories and Georgia preschool policies as they relate to inclusion using archived state policies found on the Georgia Department of Education and Department of Early Learning website. The theories of Vygotsky (1978), Piaget (1936), and Bronfenbrenner (1979) were examined, along with the public policies on Georgia preschool. These policies included Georgia Early Learning Development Standards, Bright from the Start operating guidelines, and Work Sampling System. The researcher found common themes and/or phrases in the …

Social Media And The Effect On Social Comparison, Recovery, And Motivation Measures In High-Intensity Functional Fitness Athletes (Hift), Mia D. Hannah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of social media in high-intensity functional fitness (HIFT) athletes facilitated social comparisons that affected recovery and motivation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use social comparison theory to investigate the impact that short workout videos had on heart rate (HR), heart rate recovery (HRR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), perceived recovery status (PRS) and time to completion. Methods:Thirty-three individuals who identified as HIFT athletes participated in this study (age: 30.45 years ± 6.59, height: 169.41cm ± 8.69, weight: 73.07 kg ± 13.65). The participants were made up of 57.6% (n=19) female and 42.4% (n=14). Participants were …

Determining Political Inclination In Tweets Using Transfer Learning, Mehtab Iqbal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Last few years have seen tremendous development in neural language modeling for transfer learning and downstream applications. In this research, I used Howard and Ruder’s Universal Language Model Fine Tuning (ULMFiT) pipeline to develop a classifier that can determine whether a tweet is politically left leaning or right leaning by likening the content to tweets posted by @TheDemocrats or @GOP accounts on Twitter. We achieved 87.7% accuracy in predicting political ideological inclination.

The Effects Of School Disciplinary Policies On Violence, Delinquency, And Disorder, Ernest E. Zittrouer Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of violent and disruptive behavior in schools has been present throughout most of American educational history. The disciplinary policies established to address these behaviors have changed over time, becoming only more severe. The deterrent effect these policies were intended to produce has seen to be minimal, and despite a reduction in violent school victimization since the mid-1990s, schools continue to rely on these harsh policies (Skiba, 2014). This study examines the relationship between incident counts and discipline action counts for Georgia public schools (N = 2,150) for the 2017-2018 academic school year. This research utilizes negative binomial regression …

The Effects Of Mood On Empathy, Openness To Diversity, Attitudes, And Willingness To Help Marginalized Groups, Angela J. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Members of marginalized groups such as lesbian women and gay men are often at an increased risk of threat or harm compared to their heterosexual counterparts. They may experience prejudice in the form of discrimination and stigma related behaviors. Due to the stigma lesbian women and gay men face throughout various stages of their lives, it is important to examine and discover which factors increase more acceptance and empathy. Additionally, it is important to examine ways to increase positive regard and reduce discrimination in order to promote psychological and overall wellbeing for lesbians and gay men. Given what we know …

The Effects Of Acute Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation On Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness And Recovery, Colin A. Butler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the feeling of discomfort that occurs after being exposed to unaccustomed eccentric resistance training often resulting in diminished athletic performance. Previous research has shown positive effects with omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) supplementation to ameliorate DOMS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute O3FA supplementation on perceived muscle soreness, ratings of exertion, and recovery after a lower body resistance training protocol in college-aged males. A double blind, repeated-measures design was utilized with 10 healthy, college-age males. Participants were placed in the placebo (olive leaf oil) or experimental (O3FA) group, consuming 3,000 …

Quantifying The Morphological And Physiological Effects Of Drought, Grass Invasion, And Fire On Longleaf, Loblolly, And Slash Pine, Laura Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is altering ecosystems on a global scale, creating novel ecological scenarios with which plant species must cope. Factors such as altered precipitation and fire regimes and non-native plant invasion may negatively affect native plant species, while interactions between these stressors could magnify their impacts. The complexity of multiple stressors and the effects they have on native pine seedlings are difficult to predict without evaluating their combinations in field experiments. In a multi-year study, I investigated the effects of drought and plant invasion on three southeastern pine species under pre and post-fire conditions. We planted longleaf (Pinus palustris …

Danger-Aware Resource Management In V2x Network, Tsigigenet Dessalgn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

IEEE 802.11p is one of the key technologies that enable dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) in intelligent transportation system (ITS) for safety on the road. The main challenge in vehicular communication is the large amount of data to be processed. As vehicle density and velocity increases, the data to be transmitted also increases. We proposed a protocol that reduces the number of data to be transmitted at every second according to the level of danger that the transmitter vehicle experiences. The proposed protocol measures inter-vehicle distance, as the representative of the danger of a vehicle, to determine the priority for transmission. …

Actor-Network Theory And Animal Therapy: Uncovering The Relational Ecology Of The Exceptional Student Classroom, Kristin A. Blanton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Expanding upon the research on ecology in curriculum studies and companion animals, this mixed methods case study aimed to explore how the incorporation of a nonhuman entity impacted the relational ecology of the exceptional student classroom. Utilizing actor-network theory as a theoretical guideline, the goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how the introduction of a therapy dog as a student affected the relational ecology of the classroom by analyzing the dynamic networks of relationships formed between the students and the therapy dog. Relational ecology acted as a conceptual framework within the field of curriculum studies …

The Relationship Between Instructional Leadership Practices And Leadership Self-Efficacy Of School Leaders, Carter B. Akins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With educational reform focused on school accountability, principals must attend to tasks that lead to school improvement. Identifying such tasks as instructional leadership practices and gaining a more comprehensive understanding of instructional leadership practices through leadership self-efficacy may contribute to school improvement. Thus, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate instructional leadership practices and the degree to which these practices predict the leadership self-efficacy of school leaders. Participants in the survey were 100 principals and assistant principals of public schools in the southeastern United States, spanning 18 school districts, and 180 schools. Findings indicated instructional leadership practices of …

Poetically Composed, Educationally Imposed: Exploring Imagination And Poetics In Curriculum—A Memoir, Whitney J. Presnal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through the use of memoir, my work centers on how poetry is situated within public education curriculum. I explore the curricular context of poetry through the lenses of my lived experiences in early childhood, as a K-12 student, and as an early career classroom teacher. My dissertation draws upon a wide array of literature, honing in on the poetic perspectives of philosophers (Aristotle, 1996; Heidegger, 1947 & 1971/2013; Plato, 1955/2007), poets (Hall, 2003; Eliot, 1920 & 2009), and curriculum theorists (Leggo, 1997 & 2018; Pinar, 1994; Sameshima, 2007). The foundation of my work is drawn from my own circular experiences, …

A Fiction Of Fragmented Falsehoods: Curriculum Of Unwanted Roads Traveled, Katherine Wyatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an inquiry centered on lived ‘otherness’ in different social experiences. Fiction and illustrations are both creative outlets that provide opportunities of curriculum growth by offering the viewer realistic portrayals dealing with truth and factors that make us fundamentally human. “Fiction elicits an interpretation of the world by being itself a worldlike object for interpretation” (Dillard, 1988, p. 155). This study uses fiction and illustrations as vehicles of communication to provide an awareness regarding social issues in everyday lived experiences, exposing the reader to the social, cultural and historical realities persistently impeding the shared constructs of human experiences. Structuring …

"Solace For [The] Very Soul": The Role Of Trees Within The American Short-Story Cycle, Breanna B. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last couple of centuries, the American short-story genre became characterized by its observations of life and human nature—specifically by using scenes of nature to highlight characters’ development and the underlying theme. While much critical attention has been given to the role of nature in the American short-story cycle, very little consideration has been given to the purpose of trees and their specific breeds within the genre. This project focuses on three distinct pedagogical approaches to analyzing trees in three short-story cycles. Deleuze and Guattari’s theory of the rhizome and Freud’s theory of dream-thoughts are applied to Mary Wilkins …