Digital Commons Network^™

Fundamental Experimental Studies In Scaling, Blast Mitigation And Material Processing, Xing Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, two separate research efforts are discussed. They include experimental studies in (1) Scaling and Blast Mitigation and (2) Scaling in Friction Stir Extrusion. In both studies, the primary experimental measurement method is three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC), a non-contacting full-field measurement method that is applicable for both high-rate loading and quasi-static loading conditions.

Scaling and Blast Mitigation Studies:

A series of properly scaled structures was subjected to buried blast loading conditions via detonation of a small explosive buried in saturated sand. Using high speed stereo-vision systems to record the deformations of selected regions on the upper surface …

Modified Sodium Diuranate Process For The Recovery Of Uranium From Uranium Hexafluoride Transport Cylinder Wash Solution, Austin Dean Meredith

Theses and Dissertations

Uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) containment cylinders must be emptied and washed every five years in order to undergo recertification, according to ANSI standards. During the emptying of the UF₆ from the cylinders, a thin residue, or heel, of UF₆ is left behind. This heel must be removed in order for recertification to take place.

To remove it, the inside of the containment cylinder is washed with acid and the resulting solution generally contains three or four kilograms of uranium. Thus, before the liquid solution can be disposed of, the uranium must be separated. A modified sodium diuranate …

Structure-Function Relationship In Dual Function Hemoglobin/Dehaloperoxidase From Amphitrite Ornata, Chunxue Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Hemoglobin/dehaloperoxidase (DHP) from Amphitrite ornata, is the first discovered globin which in addition to the oxygen binding has an additional physiological function as an enzyme. In the ferric state it is a dehaloperoxidase, which dehalogenates a wide range of halophenols. DHP evolved from an ancestral oxygen carrier and acquired the peroxidase function in response to environmental pressures. The peroxidase activity of DHP is much higher than that of vertebrate myoglobins (Mb) yet lower than that of typical peroxidases. Also, DHP exhibits about 10-fold lower oxygen affinity than Mb.

The first aim of this research was to identify the halophenolic substrates …

Synthesis, Structural Variations And Trends In The Properties Of Unique Dinuclear And Polynuclear Complexes Of Bis(Pyrazolyl)Methane Ligands In Solid State And Solution, Andrea Eva Pascui

Theses and Dissertations

The semi-rigid ligands, p-[CH(pz)₂]₂C₆H₄, L_p, m-[CH(pz)₂]₂C₆H₂, L_m, and m-[CH(3,5-Me₂pz)₂]₂C₆H₄, L_m* (pz = pyrazolyl ring), link two bis(pyrazolyl)methane units into a single molecule by a rigid phenylene spacer and are used to study the structural variations and magnetic interactions in self-assembled first row, divalent transition metal complexes in polymeric, dinuclear and dinuclear metallacyclic settings. The formation of these architectures highly depend on the geometry of these ligands: anti, the …

Relationship Between The Experience Of Perceived And Physician Diagnosed Arthritis And The Presence Of Dsm-Iv Criteria-Based Major Depression (Mdd) Among Older, Ryan Neil Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore both positive screened MDD and the perception of being depressed (P) and the likelihood of either increasing if the patient suffered from arthritis (P/E), either perceived or evaluated by a physician. The study explored the univariate, bivariate, and multivariate relationships between MDD and depression (P) to better describe influencing characteristics and their prevalence, as related to MDD and depression (P).

METHODS: The study examined a cross section of patients 65 years and older (n=8,205) within the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NESARC) [2001-02] sponsored by the National Institute …

Healthcare Practices And Culture In Romania: The Conception And Execution Of An Honors College Study Abroad Course, Tudor Oroian

Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of And Conductor's Guide To Eleanor Daley's Requiem, Andrew James Robinette

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides a thorough analysis of and conductor's guide to Eleanor Daley's Requiem. It includes a theoretical analysis, a textual analysis, an analysis of performance and conducting considerations, a list of compositions by the composer, and a discography. Additionally, it includes score corrections, the composer's biography, a brief history of the Requiem Mass and Christian funeral music, and historical connections to other Requiems, including a chapter dedicated to the Requiem of Herbert Howells.

The study was informed by numerous correspondences and multiple interviews with the composer, as well as singing under her direction. It is the author's hope that …

Exploring The Role Of Culture And Race In Stroke Rehabilitation Disparities, Jennifaye Verdina Greene

Theses and Dissertations

A study found that racial differences exist in stroke rehabilitation care and outcomes between African Americans (AAs) and Caucasian Americans (CAs). In addition to health status, the rehabilitation care of AAs with stroke (AAwS) may be influenced by cultural and or racial similarities or differences that exist between themselves and their physical therapists (PTs). Distorted perceptions of culture and race in the patient-PT relationship may contribute to disparities in stroke rehabilitation care and outcomes for AAwS. Current stroke rehabilitation literature lacks qualitative research that examines racialized differences in treatment. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory research study was to investigate …

A Qualitative Study On How Prenatal Genetic Counselors Prioritize Cultural Issues When Counseling Patients, Darcy Katherine Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The genetic counseling community has long recognized that the successful outcome of a session with a patient whose cultural background differs from the genetic counselor's is best achieved through recognition of the cultural differences and implementation of specific skills to overcome cultural barriers. Although research has examined the need and effects of cultural competency in genetic counseling, no prior study has evaluated how genetic counselors perceive the importance of addressing cultural issues in a genetic counseling session. Prenatal genetic counselors were recruited by emailing all NSGC members. For this study, sixteen prenatal genetic counselors were interviewed and asked to prioritize …

Teacher Perceptions Of Global Citizenship Education In A Southern Elementary Public School: Implications For Curriculum And Pedagogy, Tamela Jett

Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum for global citizenship education is gaining momentum as countries have experienced an increase in interdependence and interconnectedness through technology over the last century. Through qualitative research, this study employed a phenomenological methodology to understand how ten female elementary teachers in grades third- through fifth- at the site of the present study, located in Mundo Pax Elementary School (MPES), define global citizenship and how these teachers utilized their personal definitions to shape their curriculum within their classrooms. The data were collected through semi-structured personal interviews, the school-wide curriculum, teacher lesson plans, and final products projects. The researcher used the program …

Models And Software Development For Interval-Censored Data, Chun Pan

Theses and Dissertations

Interval-censored time-to-event data occur naturally in studies of diseases where the symptoms are not directly observable, and periodic clinical examinations are required for detection. Due to the lack of well-established procedures, interval-censored data have been conventionally treated as right-censored data, however, this introduces bias at the first place. This dissertation focuses on methodological research and software development for interval-censored data. Specifically, it consists of three projects. The first project is to create an R package for regression analysis and survival curve estimation of interval-censored data based on several published papers by our research team. In the second project, a Bayesian …

The Music Of James Reese Europe For Vernon And Irene Castle, Ralph G. Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

James Reese Europe (1881-1919) was one of the leading African American musicians of the first two decades of the twentieth century. He was renowned as a conductor of theater and dance orchestras, a composer of syncopated dance music and popular song, and an advocate for improved opportunities and remuneration for African American professional musicians in New York. From late 1913 until mid-1915, Europe was musical director for the popular exhibition dance team of Vernon (1887-1918) and Irene (1893-1969) Castle. During their brief career, the Castle's were instrumental in changing the sordid image of social dancing during America's 'dance craze' of …

The Effect Of Αct-1 Peptide On Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Following Injury, Adam Clay Vandergriff

Theses and Dissertations

Connexin43 (Cx43) is a component of gap junctions and is involved in intercel- lular signaling following injury to tissues. The carboxyl terminus of Cx43 binds to the PDZ2 domain of ZO-1 in order to form gap junction plaques and connect to the cytoskeleton. A biomimetic peptide known as αCT-1, replicating the last 9 amino acids found in the carboxyl terminus of CX43, has been shown to improve wound healing by preferentially binding to the PDZ2 domain of ZO-1. A possible mecha- nism for its action is through the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation (EMT). Scratch assays were performed on rat bone marrow stromal …

School Psychologist Leadership In Rti Implementation: Administrators' View Of School Psychologists As A Resource In Rti, Allison Rice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the leadership role of school psychologists in Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation, as well as school psychologists' usefulness to principals in successful implementation of RTI. The researcher asserts, that through the fulfillment of certain roles, school leaders recognize the benefit of involving school psychologists in RTI implementation. The study asks the following questions: 1) To what extent are the specific leadership characteristics associated with school psychologists' roles related to the level of RTI implementation being exemplified? 2) To what extent are the specified school leadership characteristics present in school psychologists in Dorchester …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Surrogate Fuel Particles Using The Spark Erosion Method, Kathryn Elizabeth Metzger

Theses and Dissertations

In light of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, the Department of Energy's Advanced Fuels Program has shifted its interest from enhanced performance fuels to enhanced accident tolerance fuels. Dispersion fuels possess higher thermal conductivities than traditional light water reactor fuel and as a result, offer improved safety margins. The benefits of a dispersion fuel are due to the presence of the secondary non-fissile phase (matrix), which serves as a barrier to fission products and improves the overall thermal performance of the fuel. However, the presence of a matrix material reduces the fuel volume, which lowers the fissile …

(Mis)Classification And Creole Identity In Alice Dunbar-Nelson's The Goodness Of St. Rocque, Jillian Weber

Theses and Dissertations

particular, it examines The Goodness of St. Rocqueand New Orleans as a site of racial and ethnic confluence. Dunbar-Nelson deals closely with racial and ethnic identities of Creoles in New Orleans during the late nineteenth-century and attempts to show the ways in which markers of ethnicity and connections to other countries upset the black-white racial binary being forced upon residents of New Orleans by outside forces. Dunbar- Nelson uses spatial and sociocultural characteristics of space to comment on the ways in which classification is imposed upon her characters, but shows the disruptive and often dangerous consequences of this imposition. Through …

Decoding Prmt1: Studies On The Catalytic Mechanism, Regulation, Inhibition, And Crosstalk Of Prmt1-Dependent Methylation, Heather L. Rust

Theses and Dissertations

Arginine methylation is catalyzed by the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family of enzymes, which transfer a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the guanidinium group of an arginine residue. This reaction first produces monomethylated arginine (MMA) that can then be further methylated to produce either asymmetrically dimethylated arginine (ADMA) or symmetrically dimethylated arginine (SDMA). There are nine PRMT family members described to date, with PRMT1 as the predominant member, suggested to be responsible for ~85% of asymmetric dimethylation. In addition, PRMT1-dependent methylation likely plays a significant role in a plethora of diseases (e.g., cancer, heart disease, and ALS). These observations …

Essays On Food Banks: Operational Issues And The Role Of Supply Chain Integration, Cigdem Ataseven

Theses and Dissertations

ood banks are humanitarian aid organizations that collect, organize, and deliver food to the communities in need. In pursuit of achieving their social goal of alleviating hunger, food banks work with other non-profit member agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters. Matching supply of funds and donated food with demand in this context is subject to unique challenges, which remain unaddressed in operations and supply chain literature. This dissertation presents three essays to gain deeper insights into critical operational and supply chain issues influencing the performance of food banks, and the impact of supply chain integration on food …

Redeeming The Loss Of Being: Ontology And Possibility In Thomas Pynchon's Later Novels, Andrew Field

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis takes up two novels written by Thomas Pynchon, and attempts gain a better understanding of how these two novels pose, reframe and resolve questions concerning existence in a postmodern era. Characterized by a loss of tangible meaning, uncertainty, and ever-increasing variability, the postmodern period has forced artists to define large philosophical concepts such as being, knowledge, and understanding without the sensibilities which grounded bygone eras. Mason & Dixon and Against the Day, both novels by Thomas Pynchon, take up the question of being in an uncertain time, and offers a reconceptualization of the political responsiblities of the individual …

Vertical Versus Horizontal Line Extension Strategies: When Do Brands Prosper?, Helena F. Allman

Theses and Dissertations

The results from prior research regarding the effectiveness of product line extension strategies on market-level brand performance are equivocal. Some studies show that brands benefit from horizontal line extensions while other studies show vertical line extensions as being a preferable approach to brand leveraging within a product category. This research proposes that the brand assortment size at time t, can moderate the effectiveness of vertical versus horizontal extensions in time t on quarterly market-level brand performance. Aggregated scanner data of twelve toothpaste brands sold for six years at a major Midwestern U.S. retailer were used as input to a panel …

Development Of High-Throughput Catalyst Screening For Ammonia Based Selective Catalytic Reduction Of Nitric Oxide With Parallel Analysis Using Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging, Shahriar Salim

Theses and Dissertations

Lean-burn engines, which operate under excess air to fuel ratio offer significant fuel efficiency as well as contribute to the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. However, lean burn engines produce three main pollutants carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and unburned or partially burned hydrocarbons (HC), which have detrimental effect on both environment and human life. The conventional three way catalyst (TWC) which was designed to reduce NOx under stoichiometric conditions is not effective under lean-burn engine exhaust condition. Recent studies have shown that copper (Cu) exchanged chabazite (CHA) type zeolites are very promising catalysts for urea or ammonia (NH3) …

Successful Title One Schools: What Works And Why? An Exploratory Case Study Of A Distinguished Title One School In South Carolina, Dawn Hooker

Theses and Dissertations

The amount of research on successful Title One Schools is woefully inadequate. Because so much money has been allocated for this program, more in depth research is imperative. A qualitative exploratory case study of one school and eight participants, including a principal, an assistant principal, a math coach and four teachers, focuses on the journey of one Title One school to becoming a Distinguished Title One School. The theoretical framework constructed to examine the experiences of these seven participants relied on the findings of an educational reform expert, Michael Fullan (2007) and his theory of Educational Change, along with Marzano's …

Holding International Public-Private Partnership Accountable: An Analysis Of Sensitivity And Vulnerability Dynamics In Ghana's Water Sector Reform And Its Impact On The Target Population, Xi Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the interaction among stakeholders involved in global public-private partnerships, using and developing the theoretical framework provided by the interdependence theory's sensitivity and vulnerability analysis, which is further supplemented by the two-level game model. Citing the case of Ghana's water sector reform, it looks into the dynamics among four categories of stakeholders involved in the partnership, namely the public and private partners, the World Bank (as the broker), and Ghanaian civil societies representing a broad spectrum of the local population. It is charged with the task of investigating the negotiation dynamics of all the listed actors in relation …

Congeries In The Backcountry, James Andrew Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The early 18th century Public Monopoly employed a unique form of labor organization to facilitate an administered deerskin trade. This study examines ethnohistoric and archaeological data as a means to evaluate subaltern laborers' participation in a commercializing colonial economy. It utilizes a practice based political-economic framework to situate their activities within the deerskin commodity chain. Activities identified through ethnohistoric research are evaluated through material and spatial analysis of the Fort Congaree, 38LX30/319, site. This trading factory and garrison played a central part in the articulation of the government deerskin trade. Material correlates of hide production, procurement, and transportation activities contextualize …

Doc Dynamics In Eddies Of The Sargasso Sea, Eric Matthew Lachenmyer

Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial productivity and size-fractioned rates of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) excretion from primary and secondary producers were measured in two eddy types, one anti-cyclonic (February 2012) and one cyclonic eddy (July 2012), in the Sargasso Sea. Bacterial productivity (BP) rates in the cyclonic eddy were highest in the center (9.2 mg C m-2d-1) and edge (10.4 mg C m-2d-1) of the eddy compared to the anti-cyclone center (2.2 mg C m-2d-1) and edge (5.1 mg C m-2d-1). Rates of DOC excretion from14C-tracer experiments were not significantly higher than background; lack of accumulation of labeled material indicated very fast uptake of …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Compact High Resolution Radiation Detectors Based On 4h-Sic N-Type Epilayer And Cdznte, Kelvin Juvenal Zavalla Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

The need of room-temperature, compact, and high resolution radiation detectors has opened the path for the development of new materials with suitable properties. Silicon carbide (SiC) and CdZnTe (CZT) are semiconductor materials with wide band gap that can operate efficiently at room temperatures (RT) and above. CZT has a high average atomic number (Z) which offers a high photoelectric absorption coefficient for x-/gamma rays. SiC allows high energy heavy ion detection due to its high radiation hardness even at temperatures much higher than room temperatures (RT). This thesis focuses on the fabrication and characterization of semiconductor based radiation detectors for …

Nutrient Limitation Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates In Mangrove Lagoon, Salt River Bay, St. Croix, Usvi, Michelle Zimberlin

Theses and Dissertations

Bioluminescent bays resulting from dense concentrations of bioluminescent dinoflagellates are rare, with only 14 documented systems worldwide. One of these bays, Mangrove Lagoon, is located in Salt River Bay National Park in St. Croix, USVI. Very little is known about the environmental factors responsible for maintaining the high dinoflagellate densities in this lagoon. In order to assess the dynamics of the dinoflagellates, in situ nutrient addition bioassays were conducted to determine which nutrients regulate the phytoplankton community, which includes the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. Bioassays were conducted in two different seasons, (January 2013 and May 2013) to examine seasonal responses …

Optimal Design And Control Of Dc-Dc Resonant Converters For Wireless Power Transfer Applications, Isaac Nam

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology provides galvanic isolation for improved safety and also provides reliability by eliminating the need for dedicated connectors/adapters that can get damaged due to frequent usage. For these reasons, it has become popular in medical implant charging and electric vehicle (EV) charging. Beyond these niche applications, due to aesthetic features and convenience provided by the cord-free environment, it is rapidly becoming an attractive charging solution for various portable electronics as well as household appliances. However, currently available WPT technology demonstrates several shortcomings and various challenges due to allowed receiver position variation with respect to transmitter position. …

An Analysis Of Achievement Between Single Gender Education And Coeducational Models In Select Middle Schools In South Carolina, Roy Lee Givins Jr

Theses and Dissertations

he purpose of this study was to examine the effect of single gender education on the overall academic achievement of students in reading and mathematics. Four research questions, focused on math and reading assessment scores, were developed to guide the study. The research was focused on the results of the Measures of Academic Progress assessments administered to students each academic year. The population of student scores selected to be studied were those of seventh grade students in two middle schools in the Upstate of South Carolina. The reason for studying this grade level was due to the fact that it …

Youth Citizenship, Civic Education, And Spaces Of Belonging In Tallinn, Estonia, Catherine Michelle Cottrell

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the ways that young people in Tallinn, Estonia conceptualize citizenships, identities, and belongings in national and post-national communities. Focus groups were conducted with 29 students from ethnic Estonian and Russophone backgrounds in their final year of secondary school; in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 civic education teachers from the students' schools. Theories of citizenship and nationalism, as well as civic education research, were used to explore the ways in which young people conceptualize the terms of belonging and negotiate cultural difference as they move within and through their everyday spaces, particularly in the school. The study demonstrated …