Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Bacterial Quorum Sensing Inhibitors And Molecular Probes, Hanjing Peng

Chemistry Dissertations

Bacterial quorum sensing is regarded as a novel target for the design of antimicrobials. Based on lead structures identified from HTS, 39 analogues have been synthesized and evaluated in Vibrio haveyi. Potent inhibitors with IC₅₀ values at single-digit micromolar concentrations for AI-2 mediated quorum sensing have been identified. On the second project, post-synthesis modifications of DNA provide easy functionalizations for expanded applications such as aptamer selection. A CBT-modified thymidine analogue (CBT-TTP) has been synthesized and used for enzymatic incorporation into DNA. Post-synthesis modifications through condensation with 1,2-aminothiol for installation of a boronic acid moiety or a fluorophore have …

Defeating Authoritarian State Structures In Semi-Democratic Countries: Lessons From Turkey's Justice And Development Party, Gulcan Saglam

Political Science Theses

Political success in semi-democratic countries has two aspects: shifting the balance of power in one’s favor and maintaining it. This thesis seeks to examine how the AKP has succeeded in shifting the balance of power in its favor while its predecessor the Welfare Party did not. Focusing on electoral success, existing research primarily lists center-periphery conflict, moderation, class struggle, party organization, and failures of others as the main determinants. Yet the significance of reining in the power of the Kemalist state structure has been mostly disregarded. Therefore, with a comparison of the AKP (2002-2007) and the Welfare Party (1996-1997) governments, …

Comfortable With Their Bodies: Menstruation, Culture And Materialism In America, Sally Phipps

Anthropology Honors Theses

This study analyzes the intersection of multiple cultural themes and discourses present in discussion of the alternative menstrual hygiene product, the menstrual cup. Through the qualitative research methods of first-person interviewing and autoethnography, the study forms the characteristics of the American menstrual cultural model and how the model upheld by menstrual cup users differs from it.

The study finds that access to alternative channels of information and an innate or learned acceptance of the body and bodily processes were indicators of whether or not an individual would be receptive to the cup. The mainstream consciousness was unlikely to foster bodily …

Word Reading Strategy Development Of Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Preschoolers, Victoria Burke

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

WORD READING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT OF DEAF
AND HARD-OF-HEARING PRESCHOOLERS

by

Victoria Burke

Siegler’s (1996) overlapping waves model of strategy development applied to reading posits that children use multiple strategies to read words from the earliest stage of reading development, that these strategies coexist over a long period of time, and that experience results in gradual change in the strategies children use and the effectiveness with which they are executed. Phonological recoding is one of the most effective early developing reading strategies and is predictive of future reading success for hearing children (Ehri, 2005; Juel & Mindencupp, 2000; Share & Gur, …

Readings Of Zwelethu Mthethwa's South African Photographs: Postcolonialsim, Abjection, And Cultural Studies, Dusty K. Ross

English Theses

South African painter turned photographer, Zwelethu Mthethwa, was born in Durban during Apartheid. In 1980 Mthethwa began taking his photographs in the shanty towns on the outskirts of Cape Town and later took pictures in Mozambique and New Orleans. His work has global significance. Using art and literary theory and criticism, I expand upon the significance of his photographs in the contemporary world. I do “readings” of eight photographs from eight different series of Zwelethu Mthethwa’s work using postcolonial theory, abjection, and cultural studies as theoretical constructs to provide three different angles for interpreting his work.

Beyond Bells And Whistles: Content Area Teachers' Understanding Of And Engagement With Literacy, Mary H. Huysman Ph.D.

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore content area teachers’ understanding of literacy, the strategies they use in working with content materials to support their students’ learning of content, and how collaboration with a literacy expert informs literacy instruction. In my work with content area teachers, they have expressed the need for support as they try new literacy strategies when engaging students in content material. Literacy skills are a part of all content areas. Therefore, literacy scholars need an ongoing understanding of how content teachers define and perceive literacy in their content area in order to …

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To My Ph.D.: Exploring Issues Affecting Attrition And Completion In The Doctoral Program In Instructional Technology At A Major Research University, Carla L. Williams

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This study sought to understand why some students at Eagle University (pseudo.) complete the doctoral program in instructional technology while others do not. The study explores factors and issues affecting doctoral attrition and completion of the Ph.D. in instructional technology (IT) in the College of Education at Eagle University, a major research university with very high research activity. Participants in the study were eleven former doctoral students from Eagle University (pseudo.), six of whom met the requirements for graduation (completers) and five of whom ended the pursuit of the doctoral degree in instructional technology at EU (non-completers). A qualitative study …

"Music Is Waiting For You:" The Lived Experience Of Children's Musical Identity, Michelle Mercier De Shon

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

“MUSIC IS WAITING FOR YOU:” THE LIVED EXPERIENCE

OF CHILDREN’S MUSICAL IDENTITY

by

L. Michelle Mercier-De Shon

This phenomenological study of lived experience (Van Manen, 1990) explored the perspectives of four 4^th grade children as they live in and live through music to formulate their musical identities. Framed within perspectives of symbolic interaction theory (Blumer, 1969), communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), and figured worlds (Holland, et al., 1998), data were collected using methods consistent with qualitative inquiry. These included: observations of quasi-formal music learning settings, in musical playgroups and during professional musicians’ presentations; close observations of children’s daily …

Links And Disconnects Between Third Grade Teachers' Beliefs, Knowledge, And Practices Regarding Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Instruction For Struggling Readers, Nicole Maxwell

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

LINKS AND DISCONNECTS BETWEEN THIRD GRADE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS, KNOWLEDGE, AND PRACTICES REGARDING NONFICTION READING COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION FOR STRUGGLING READERS

by

Nicole P. Maxwell

In the current era of accountability, U. S. teachers face strict demands from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to ensure that all students’ reading achievement meets the requirements of their respective grade levels (Coburn, Pearson, & Woulfin, 2011). These demands are especially stressful when teachers have students who struggle with reading. Regrettably, many students grapple with reading difficulties, particularly with comprehending fiction and nonfiction texts (Allington, 2011).

The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Organizational Change Factors For Increasing Online Learning Within A Southeastern State University System, David E. Stone

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This bounded case study describes the readiness of a Southeastern State University System to support the growth of online learning. Structured as a case study, the view provided of the Southeastern State University System in this moment in time provides a contextually rich view of the phenomenon of change within a university system. The study answers the following questions regarding the change towards online course delivery:

1. Does the Southeastern State University System have a primarily transformational or transactional orientation?
2. What are the key change facilitating factors within the Southeastern State University System?
3. What are the key change restraining factors within …

Exploring Novice Teachers' Cognitive Processes Using Digital Video Technology: A Qualitative Case Study, Yuelu Sun-Ongerth

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This dissertation describes a qualitative case study that investigated novice teachers’ video-aided reflection on their own teaching. To date, most studies that have investigated novice teachers’ video-aided reflective practice have focused on examining novice teachers’ levels of reflective writing rather than the cognitive processes involved during their reflection. Few studies have probed how novice teachers schematize and theorize their newly acquired and/or existing knowledge during video-aided reflection.

The purpose of this study was to explore novice teachers’ cognitive processes, particularly video-aided schematization and theorization (VAST), which is a set of cognitive processes that help novice teachers construct, restructure and reconstruct …

"If I Am Losing Them, I'M Going To Change. So That's What We Did!" Third Grade Teachers Contemplate The Literacy Needs Of Diverse Students Within A Teacher Study Group, Megan A. Nason Mrs.

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

“IF I AM LOSING THEM, I’M GOING TO CHANGE. SO THAT’S WHAT WE DID!”: THIRD GRADE TEACHERS CONTEMPLATE THE LITERACY

NEEDS OF DIVERSE STUDENTS WITHIN

A TEACHER STUDY GROUP

by

Megan A. Nason

According to Birchak, Connor, Crawford, Kahn, Kaser, Turner, & Short (1998), Fang, Fu, & Lamme (2004), Kennedy & Sheil (2010), and Wiliam (2008), teacher study groups can provide a supportive and collaborative professional development environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the professional development experiences of three third grade teachers working with culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) students in a high-needs school as they …

Using A Two-Scintillator Paddle Telescope For Cosmic Ray Flux Measurements, David L. Camp

Physics and Astronomy Theses

A two-scintillator paddle muon telescope with variable angular acceptance at the earth's surface was used to study correlations between flux distribution and barometric pressure. The detector was placed in 2 different locations around Georgia State University with varying paddle separations of 0, 7, and 14 inches. Correlation and anti-correlation analyses were conducted by using the muon count from the detector along with the barometric pressure, surface temperature, stratospheric temperature and solar activity. It was observed that there was a short and long-term variation relationship between cosmic ray counts and barometric pressure and also cosmic ray counts and temperature. No significant …

Bad Religion: How Ex-Mormon Fiction Reinforces Normative Views Of American Religion, Ilani S. Blanke

Religious Studies Theses

This project examines recent fiction by ex-Mormon authors and highlights how these novels reinforce an American ideal of “good religion.” These texts reveal the boundaries of American religious freedom by illustrating examples of “bad religion” and providing favorable alternatives. The paper looks at scholarship on 19^th century anti-Mormon literature, which provides a foundation for the more modern literature at hand. Through the recent narratives, authors point to an abstract concept of benign, acceptable religion, marking as harmful that which does not share these key characteristics. While these fictional sects appear differently in each work, they comment on similar themes, …

The Examination Of Factors That Influence Treatment Seeking Delay Among Older Adults Diagnosed With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Deonna Tanner

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

ABSTRACT

THE EXAMINATION OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TREATMENT SEEKING

DELAY AMONG OLDER ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH

ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

By

Deonna S. Tanner

Early diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can greatly reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this condition. However, individuals, particularly older adults, delay seeking treatment for AMI symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of factors that influence pre-hospital delay in seeking treatment among older adults diagnosed with AMI.

A descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study design with a correlational component was used. Data were collected from 82 hospitalized older adults (60-80 years …

Abracadabra: Key Agents Of Mediation That Define, Create, And Maintain Tv Fandom, David H. Gardner

Communication Theses

From a media industries, fan studies, and emerging socio-cultural public relations perspective, this project pulls back the Hollywood curtain to explore two questions: 1) How do TV public relations practitioners and key tastemaker/gatekeeper media define, create, build, and maintain fandom?; and 2) How do they make meaning of fandom and their agency/role in fan creation from their position of industrial producers, cultural intermediaries, members of the audience, and as fans themselves? This project brings five influential, working public relations and media professionals into a conversation about two case studies from the 2010-2011 television season – broadcast network CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 …

Urban Stream Channel Geomorphology: Investigating The Short-Term Channel Stability And Bed-Material Transportation Within A Rehabilitated Urban Stream Reach In Dekalb County, Georgia, Andreas Shoredits

Geosciences Theses

Rivers and streams are sensitive to alterations in their watersheds and one of the greatest disturbances is from urban development. An urban stream channel in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the Georgia Piedmont was studied to establish the nature of adjustment the channel form was experiencing. This study compared a degraded channel with a channel influenced by stabilization efforts in the same stream reach, in order to investigate the behavior of channel adjustments towards a greater stability. Measurements of the short-term changes in channel cross-sectional area and bed-material volume, following a series of threshold flow events, were taken in the …

Evaluating Treatment Acceptability, Treatment Integrity, And Cultural Modifications Of A Bullying Prevention Intervention, Lillie Huddleston

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

Treatment acceptability and treatment integrity are essential constructs to consider when designing, implementing, and evaluating school-based interventions. Existing literature has described treatment acceptability and treatment integrity as separate constructs rather than investigating their interrelationships. Also, models of treatment acceptability and treatment integrity have not systematically included the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, have not addressed multiple time points in the intervention process, and have not emphasized multiple methods of data collection. This paper reviewed extant literature related to current definitions and models of treatment acceptability and treatment integrity and presented a comprehensive integrated model of these constructs that addressed the aforementioned …

'Means Of Survival' As Moderator Of The Relationship Between Cumulative Torture Experiences And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Refugees, Lydia Odenat

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

Refugee torture survivors often present with a myriad of psychological challenges, such as posttraumatic stress and depression, stemming from their exposure to torture and other pre- and post-settlement experiences (Gong-Guy and colleagues, 1991). The present study examined the moderating effect of four coping processes (i.e., family support, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and will to survive) on the relationship between cumulative torture and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among a sample of 204 (N=204) adult refugee torture survivors. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, the Torture Severity Scale (TSS; Kira, Lewandowski, Templin, Ramaswamy, Ozkan, Hammad, & Mohanesh, 2006), the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale …

Perceived Brand Age And Its Influence On Choice, Monica D. Guillory

Marketing Dissertations

Understanding brand age is potentially critical to a brand management program. When a brand begins to be perceived as older, even with the positive attributes aligned with the idea of traditional and established brands, consumers may begin to move away from the brand. This study defines the concepts of both perceived and preferred brand age. We look at how perceived brand age fits in with our current perspective on branding and can enrich our understanding of consumers’ personal preferences.

As there is very little published work in the area of brand age three distinct set of studies were conducted in …

From The 'Hood To The Classroom: A Rhetorical Perspective On Teaching Secondary English To The Urban Student, Shae A. Anderson

English Dissertations

African American students, particularly those from low socio economic levels, are often at a disadvantage when it comes to being prepared for Georgia’s state mandated tests such as the End of Course Tests (EOCT). These students often fall behind not because they are not as intelligent as their middle class counterparts, but because of negative teacher attitudes and cultural insensitivities. The research question is “What should teachers of urban students know to successfully implement a blending of critical pedagogy and rhetorical pedagogy?” The purpose of this project is to make the case for a rhetorical pedagogy that focuses not solely …

A Historical Perspective And Review Of The Evidence To Support Fruit Bats As The Natural Reservoir For Ebola Viruses, Zachary Reed

Public Health Theses

The Ebola viruses cause sporadic outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) where origins have been traced to the continent of Africa and the Philippines. Since the initial discovery of Zaire and Sudan ebolavirus in 1976, the Ebola viruses have been responsible for severe hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa with case fatality rates between 40-90%. The natural reservoir(s) of the Ebola viruses is currently unknown, but there is mounting evidence that fruit bats may play a key role. The goal of the current study is to screen a large variety of bat species from Africa and Asia where Ebola is known …

Evaluation Integrated Mass Drug Administrations (Mda) For Neglected Tropical Diseases, In Koza District, Cameroon, Christina B. Conrardy

Public Health Theses

Health education and preventive chemotherapy are main strategies to control or eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as lymphatic filariasis (LF), trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis (SCH), and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH). Integrated MDA for LF, onchocerciasis, SCH, STH, and trachoma were organized in the Koza district of Cameroon from July to August 2011. Ivermectin (IVM) and albendazole (ALB) were distributed for LF to the entire population except pregnant or lactating women, children <90 cm in height, and the severely ill. Azithromycin was distributed at least one week after the LF MDA to all persons older than 6 months of age. Praziquantel (PZQ), targeting school age children (SAC), was only distributed in schools. In order to validate reported coverage and assess the knowledge and attitude of the population towards NTDs and MDAs, an independent coverage and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) survey was administered. The WHO recommended population based 30-cluster coverage survey was implemented. Clusters were selected by Probability Proportional to Estimated Size and in each cluster, 10 houses were selected using the improved expanded program on immunization random walk. Coverage questions were administered by trained interviewers to each person living in selected houses and KAP questions were asked to a randomly selected adult in the house. A total of 1301 persons participated in the coverage survey and 149 adults answered the KAP questions. The survey coverage estimates for IVM /ALB and azithromycin are 76.9% (95% CI 72.0-81.9), 86.8% (95% CI 80.9-92.7), respectively, while the reported coverage is 80.3% and 93%, respectively. The survey coverage estimated for PZQ among SAC is 39.9% (95% CI 30.7-49.1), reported coverage is unknown. There was no significant association between participation in the MDA and age, gender, or knowing the disease. SAC who attended school were 269 times as likely to have taken PZQ and 3 times as likely to have taken LF drugs as SAC not attending school. Less than 50% of respondents had heard of LF and only 31.8% could mention at least one LF symptom. More than 70% of respondents had heard of STH, SCH, and trachoma, but only 52.3%, 40%, 30%, respectively, knew at least one way to prevent or treat STH, SCH, and trachoma. Despite low or incorrect knowledge of LF, SCH, STH, and trachoma, overall, MDA coverage was good except for the PZQ which was only distributed in school.

Exploring The Black White Achievement Gap: The Connection Between Upward Bound, Oppositional Culture, And The Multicultural Navigator Concept, Mia B. Hardy

Sociology Dissertations

Racial equality in the United States educational system has long been and continues to be a source of debate. Specifically, the disparities between whites and other minority groups have been increasingly more critical. Blacks and Latinos consistently score lower than whites on standardized tests and academic course work. There have been several explanations given for poorer school performance by certain minority groups than whites. In this dissertation, I explore the black white achievement gap through the examination of one widely known explanation, oppositional culture theory. This research investigates the major tenets of oppositional culture theory and the contemporary multicultural navigator …

Multiband Detectors And Application Of Nanostructured Anti-Reflection Coatings For Improved Efficiency, J. A. Ranga C. Jayasinghe

Physics and Astronomy Dissertations

This work describes multiband photon detection techniques based on novel semiconductor device concepts and detector designs with simultaneous detection of dierent wavelength radiation such as UV and IR. One aim of this investigation is to examine UV and IR detection concepts with a view to resolve some of the issues of existing IR detectors such as high dark current, non uniformity, and low operating temperature and to avoid having additional optical components such as filters in multiband detection. Structures were fabricated to demonstrate the UV and IR detection concepts and determine detector parameters: (i) UV/IR detection based on GaN/AlGaN heterostructures, …

Examining East Asian American College Students' Mental Health Help-Seeking, Louis K. Chow

Psychology Dissertations

This study examined underutilization of mental health services by East Asian American (EAA) college students and the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at increasing mental health outcomes. The literature presents discrepant findings of whether behavioral or values based acculturation measures were more predictive of mental health outcomes. Previous researchers have also identified cultural and practical barriers that lead to underutilization of services. It was hypothesized that relative to behavioral acculturation, values acculturation would be more predictive of attitudes and intentions to seek counseling. Additionally, recent studies highlighting the importance of practical barriers, a brief education based video intervention was developed …

The Role Of Stress In Racial Disparities Of Preterm And Low Birth Weight Births In Georgia, Saida R. Sharapova

Public Health Theses

SAIDA SHARAPOVA

The role of stress in racial disparities of preterm and low birth weight births in Georgia

(Under the direction of Richard Rothenberg, MD, MPH)

Preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) are the leading causes of infant deaths in Georgia. Georgia PRAMS data (2004-2008) were analyzed for non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black women with singleton births, using SAS 9.2 survey procedures. Thirteen stressful life events experienced in a year before delivery, socio-demographic, medical and behavioral risks were used as predictors of PTB and LBW. Significant racial disparity in birth outcomes and risks was found. In Whites stressful …

Investigating Novice White Teachers In African American Classrooms: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Cultural Responsiveness, Debra J. Barrineau

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

INVESTIGATING NOVICE WHITE TEACHERS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CLASSROOMS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF

CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS

by

Debra J. Barrineau

This study deconstructed the degree to which novice White teachers in an elementary school in a rural middleGeorgiadistrict were aware of and prepared for the challenges inherent in teaching in a predominantly African American classroom. Four novice, White teachers participated in the study. The student population of the school was 72% African American, nearly 10% White, and more than 17% Hispanic. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected using an open-ended questionnaire in order to determine the teachers’ perceived academic and …

Perceptions Of Water, Sanitation And Hygiene Interventions In Select Communities In Central America. Recommendations To Explore The Issue Of Sustainability, Arlyn Nathalia Gleaton

Public Health Theses

Background: Estimations from the Joint Monitoring program for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP, 2012) reveal that “less than five percent of water and sanitation interventions are revisited once they have been completed and less than one percent are monitored over the long term”. Since 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has been working with the American Red Cross (ARC) to evaluate the long-term sustainability of post-disaster water, sanitation and hygiene interventions (WASH) provided in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. Sustainability assessments were conducted in 2006, 2009 and most recently in 2012. In the 2012 evaluation, a qualitative …

Positive Impact Program Evaluation, Hannah Oloyede

Public Health Theses

Description of program

Positive Impact is a non-profit organization established in 1992. The organization’s focus was ‘to eliminate the risk of HIV transmission and to empower those affected by HIV through culturally competent and inclusive prevention, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment services’.¹

Evaluation questions and explanation

The purpose of this evaluation was to determine how satisfied the clients were with the HIV mental health-counseling program. Overall, the survey and evaluation were conducted to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery as well as overall agency operations. The following questions were the focus of the evaluation:

1. Are the clients …