Digital Commons Network^™

Competing Discourses Surrounding Primary Caregivers Of Hospice Patients, Paul Kozar

Communication Theses - Archive

The aging of the baby boomer generation has resulted in dynamic growth in end-of-life care. In the year 2030, 22% of Americans will be over the age of 65. Given this projection and the lack of communication research based practices for end-of life care, this study is a contribution that helps facilitate the layperson and health care professional's awareness of end-of-life communication. The researcher adopted relational dialectical theory to examine the discourse of twenty primary caregivers of hospice patients. The research questions guiding the study were what competing discourses do primary caregivers experience during end-of-life care and how do caregivers …

Can Political Candidate's Use Of Facebook To Influence Real World Outcomes? An Analysis Of Uses And Gratifications Needs, Online Participation And Offline Outcomes On Candidate's Facebook Pages, Carl C. Esposito

Communication Theses - Archive

Facebook pages are becoming an ever-increasing way to market and promote people, products and ideas on social media. This thesis explores whether or not political candidate's Facebook pages can influence real world offline outcomes. In this study the uses and gratifications theory is applied to explain the needs satisfied when users interact with a political candidate's pages to determine if online participation can be predicted based on those needs. Additionally, this study examines the relationship between online participation and offline participation with the candidate's campaign. This exploratory study lays the groundwork for future research to test how online participation can …

Identifying Media Consumption Habits And Media Literacy Skills In College Undergraduates, Kristen Phillips

Communication Theses - Archive

In the United States, media literacy education is not as advanced as in other English speaking regions such as, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Most teachers and students in the US are unaware of issues involved in media literacy education (Kellner & Share, 2005). Due to the fragmentation of today's news environment, the artificial division between news and entertainment has been blurred. In addition, news broadcasted through these mediums have become fragmented as well, with issues being reduced into small sound bites. The significance of this study is to juxtapose the viewing habits of undergraduate college students who have had …

"It's A Struggle, It's A Journey, It's A Mountain That You Gotta Climb": Black Misandry, Education, And The Strategic Embrace Of Black Male Counterstories, Rachel Alicia Griffin, Molly Wiant Cummins

Communication Faculty Publications - Archive

Access to education is one of the only or most realistic means in the United States to improving one's opportunities and agency over a lifetime. That so many Black men are severed from this oppor­tunity, early and often, is distressing at best and deadly at worst. Addressing this systemic issue, this essay centrally positions Black male voices to narrate their educational experiences at the inter­sections of race and gender. Guided by critical race theory coupled with Black misandry, this essay positi"gendered racism" as a communicative phenomena that can be further understood through qualitative narratives that speak to intersectional identities, power, …

Leadership By Design Summer Day Camp: University And High School Student Outcomes, Mary F. Fortune, Mark F. Roark, Mary D'Alleva, Lisa Smusz

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The Leadership by Design (LbD) summer day camp provided interactive learning experiences for university and high school students. While LbD is similar to other university recruitment programs, none looks directly at the learning outcomes for students through a social constructivist theory design that evaluates the acquisition of the learning outcomes. With such a design, the summer day camp offered leadership development opportunities to university students through a “live,” hands-on experience in a special event management course curriculum. LbD also provided high school participants with an opportunity to explore leadership characteristics and increase their understanding of university culture. The specific purpose …

Geohazard Potential Of Rainfall Induced Slope Failure On Expansive Clay, Jubair Hossain

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Each year, rain induced slope failures cause significant damages in highway infrastructures and environments, as well as tragic losses of human lives around the world. Rainfall-induced slope failure is a common problem in areas with slope constructed on high plasticity clays. These post failure costs can be significantly reduced if precautions are taken ahead of time. Development of an early hazard warning system based on weather forecast data can help identify potential slopes susceptible to failure due to rainfall. But development of such system will require a better understanding of the in situ behavior of soil due to rainwater infiltration …

An Evaluation Of Large Diameter Steel Water Pipelines, Tushar Joshi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Steel water pipelines, as a part of America's underground infrastructure, play a key role in maintaining the quality of life and well-being of communities. Thousands of miles of steel water pipelines make up a huge and complex water transmission system. This complexity generates the necessity for research on underground infrastructure in general and steel pipelines in particular. The objective of this research is to evaluate performance of large diameter (24 in. and larger) steel water pipelines. This research objective was achieved by use of a survey of various North American water utilities to provide details about their inventory. This data …

Degradation Of Triclosan By Sulfate Radicals Generated By Metal-Mediated Activation Of Oxidants, Prince Albert Nfodzo

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The presence of persistent and toxic compounds, especially pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water resources has generated considerable scientific, regulatory, and public interests, requiring the development of cost-effective technologies for the management of PPCPs-contaminated water resources. In particular, triclosan (TCS, 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol), an important antimicrobial agent widely used in many PPCPs, has attracted significant attention due to its potential endocrine disrupting capabilities. In order to address these concerns, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), resulting in the generation of stronger oxidizing species, typically hydroxyl radicals (HRs) and sulfate radicals (SRs), have been studied and proposed to be effective to degrade a …

An Improved Model For Predicting Methane Emissions From Landfills Based On Rainfall, Ambient Temperature And Waste Composition, Richa Vijay Karanjekar

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Accurately estimating the emissions of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in a landfill is important for quantifying its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and power generation potential. Previous studies have shown that variation in waste composition, rainfall and ambient temperature of a landfill significantly influences its methane generation potential. Current methane generation models, namely U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Landfill Gas Generation Model (LandGEM) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) methane generation model, are overly simplified and do not account for the variations in waste composition, rainfall and ambient temperature. The goal of this research was to improve our …

Development Of A New Device To Evaluate Stabilization Durability Of Expansive Soils By Addressing Wetting/Drying And Leachate Issues, Priya Pravin Lad

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Expansive soils have been known to cause deterioration among all aspects of civil infrastructure for many years primarily due to the presence of clay minerals like Montmorillonite. Replacing these problematic soils is not a viable solution in that it is costly and time consuming.Although many stabilization techniques are available, chemical stabilization has proven to be an important tool in arresting the swell/shrink behavior of expansive soil, which is a major source of distress problems for most infrastructures built on this type of soils. Of the chemical stabilizers available in the market, lime and cement stabilizers are the two most widely …

Integrated Chemostratigraphy And Paleoceanography Of The Mississippian Barnett Formation, Krystin Chantel Robinson

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Barnett Formation was deposited on a gently sloping marine margin that ultimately became the Fort Worth Basin (FWB), a foreland basin that evolved during the late Paleozoic Era. The FWB formed as a result of the early Ouachita Orogeny, due to the collision of Laurasia and Gondwana. The Mississippian Barnett Formation is an organic-rich lithologic unit composed primarily of laminated siliceous mudrock with some calcareous mudrock intervals. The objective of the project is to develop and interpret stratigraphic changes in the geochemistry of the Barnett Formation for the purposes of understanding the paleoceanography of the northernmost Fort Worth Basin, …

Effect Of Additive Morphology & Chemistry On Wear & Friction Of Greases Under Spectrum Loading, Sujay Dilip Bagi

Material Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

The primary focus of grease development is to minimize friction and improve on wear and load bearing capacity. Traditional method to evaluate wear behavior of grease is based on ASTM D2266 which evaluates the performance of grease at 75°C, 40Kg and 1200 rpm for 1 hour. However, actual applications may require bearings to be subjected to spectrum loading conditions where-in rotations per minute (rpm), load and duration of test are variables. A series of six tests were conducted for all the grease blends; load was treated as the variable in four of the tests while maintaining the frequency constant and …

The Role Of Ritual And Ceremonial In The Reign Of Edward I, Marla Lynn Morris

History Theses - Archive

Often it is said that no one is better at pomp and pageantry than the British monarchy, and indeed, this has been the case at least since the time when medieval kings ruled England. One monarch in particular stands out as having successfully utilized royal ritual and ceremonial to great political, military and personal gain. Edward I is widely considered one of England's most dynamic, respected and successful monarchs. Called a "precedent seeker," the king's reign was ". . . one of the most pivotal in the whole of British history, a moment when the destinies of England, Wales, Scotland …

Effect Of Ascorbic Acid On Cdte Quantum Dots And Investigation Of Different Chemical Sensors On Cdtehg Quantum Dots, Yamini Chitrala

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The objective of my thesis is to investigate the effect of ascorbic acid on CdTe quantum dots, which is an antioxidant. It was observed that the quantum dots recovered their luminescence intensity after the interaction of the ascorbic acid, where the intensity was quenched by the photosensitizer. The luminescence intensity increased gradually for 0.1mM- 0.5mM concentration of ascorbic acid and remained stable with higher concentrations of the antioxidant. Also, it was observed that under some reaction conditions like pH, temperature and concentration, ascorbic acid had a great influence on its photoluminescence. In the second part of the research project, I …

Cytotoxicity Evaluation Of Methacrylate-Based Resins For Clinical Endodontics In Vitro, Chul Ahn, Aniket S. Wadajkar, Qiang Zhu, Esteban G. Garza, Lynn A. Opperman, Larry L. Bellinger, Takashi Komabayashi

Bioengineering Faculty Publications - Archive

This study examines the cytotoxicity of Super-Bond C&B (SB-C&B), Super-Bond RC Sealer (SB-RC), MetaSEAL (Meta), and AH Plus Sealer (AH+). Freshly mixed and set materials (100 mg) were prepared in vitro and placed in cell culture medium (1 mL) for the working time and for 6 h, respectively. L929 cells seeded into 96-well plates at 5,000 cells/ well were incubated with the eluted medium (200 μL) for 24 h. Cells cultured with medium alone served as the control. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTS assay and analyzed with ANOVA. In the freshly mixed group, the average ± SD (%) for cell …

5 Cm Gap Injury Repair: Growth Factor Support And Functional Analysis In A Rabbit Common Peroneal Nerve Model, Princy K. Prasad

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Nerve conduits have shown to successfully bridge nerve gaps of ≤ 3 cm; however repair of longer, mixed or motor nerve gaps still remains a clinical challenge. In order to study regeneration techniques in clinically relevant long gaps, larger animal models are required. Standardized methods to evaluate functional outcome are necessary to clinically translate experimental treatments. In this study, the capability of the biodegradable and transparent cross-linked doped polyester elastomer (CUPE) to serve as a nerve conduit material in a multiluminal nerve conduit across a 5 cm gap in a rabbit common peroneal nerve model was evaluated. The effect of …

Near Infrared Quantitative Phase Imaging Of Cellular Manipulation Under Different Physio-Chemical Environments, Bipin Joshi

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Quantitative phase imaging using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) is emerging as a label-free and wide-field method of characterizing cells with high spatio-temporal resolution. In parallel, silicon based micromechanical and electronic devices are allowing both manipulation (e.g. electrical stimulation, mechanical actuation) as well as characterization (electrical and mechanical) of micro and nano-scopic samples. This has revolutionized development of lab-on-a-chip devices for high throughput analysis of cells and molecules for diagnosis of disease and screening of drug-effects. However, very little progress has been made in optical (e.g. fluorescence, Raman etc) characterization of samples on these silicon-based devices. Especially, wide-field high-resolution optical imaging …

Detecting Clinical Biomarkers Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Tejasvi Gundapuneedi

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a modality of MRI that measures water diffusion properties noninvasively, is highly sensitive to subtle structural changes of white matter. It provides a unique and noninvasive method for delineating in-vivo architecture of human brain white matter. Four metrics derived from DTI, fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AxD) and radial diffusivity (RD), have been widely used to quantitatively characterize the white matter disruption in mental disorders and degenerative diseases. An atlas-based approach incorporating a digital white matter atlas and registration and skeletonization functions of tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) has been developed recently. This approach …

Electrospun Biodegradable Polymeric Membranes For Post-Surgery Anti-Adhesion Applications, Pouriska Kivanany

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Abdominal adhesion is a prevalent, troublesome condition occurring after surgical procedures and can cause a variety of side effects such as, abdominal pain with a highly associated cost ($1.3 billion annually for) for expensive surgical removal. Many companies and research groups have studied and developed techniques to prevent adhesion after surgery; however, none have been completely effective or practical for use. Current materials have many drawbacks, such as the inability to degrade, poor surgical handling, and attracting bacteria. Up to 93% of patients receiving abdominal surgeries will develop abdominal adhesions, and a viable treatment option needs to be developed to …

Involvement Of Mixed Lineage Leukemia And Homeobox Proteins In Dna Damage Recognition And Repair, Somdutta Chakraborty

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) molecules are informational molecules, encoding genetic information which is indispensable in the development and functioning of living organisms. DNA encodes for most proteins essential for all bodily functions and a few of which are known to be involved in the DNA Damage Response/ Repair mechanism. DNA damage recognition and repair is crucial and the cell has an innate mechanism of repairing it. Unrepaired DNA damage leads to genetic mutation or even cancers, which are sustained by further cell division and genetic multiplication. Other researchers have already confirmed the involvement of several proteins and histones like PARP and …

Evaluation Of Tissue Response From The Regenerative Multielectrode Array (Remi) Implant Using Atf-3 And Cjun, Sarita Bhetawal

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Currently available peripheral nerve regenerative interfaces such as the sieve and the micro-channel regenerative electrode, intended to be used for the control and natural feel from advanced robotic prosthetic devices, eventually fail due to nerve damage due to axonopathy. The Regenerative Multi-electrode array (REMI) developed in our lab overcomes this limitation by providing a non-obstructive pathway for regenerating axons. However, it is possible that the mismatch at the electrode-tissue interface may cause axonal injury during limb stretching. In order to determine if micro-motion at the REMI causes neuronal injury I evaluated the nuclear expression of Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF-3), …

Surface Modification Of Magnetic Nanoparticles For Formulation Of Photoluminescent Polymer-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles To Detect And Treat Cancers, Tejaswi Dhanpal Kadapure

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Cancer has been one of the leading causes of death worldwide that necessitates the development of theranostic systems for effective cancer management. Previously, we developed biodegradable-photoluminescent polymer coated magnetic nanoparticles (BPLP-MNPs) as a theranostic system for cancer management. These BPLP-MNPs were highly stable with excellent biocompatibility and consisted of magnetic targeting and imaging capabilities. However, these particles experienced reduced fluorescence due to the presence of dark/blackness of MNPs, which absorbs excited/emitted light. Therefore, it was hypothesized that surface modification on MNPs can overcome this limitation and enhance fluorescence for BPLP-MNPs.The goal of this research was therefore to employ various surface …

Sway Of The Ottoman Empire On English Identity In The Long Eighteenth Century, Emily Kugler

Department of Literature and Writing Faculty Publications

Within popular culture of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the intermingling of Islamic and English Protestant identity was a recurring topic of debate and anxiety in the English cultural imagination. Examining the shifting representations from Early Modern Era to nineteenth-century concepts of race, nation and empire, Sway presents the eighteenth century as a turning point in public perceptions, the moments when English subjects began to believe British imperial power was a reality rather than an aspiration. 

Healthway Research Program, Laura Drummy

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.

A Guide For Teachers And Paraprofessionals Working With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lesley Fettig

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a resource for occupational therapists in the public school system to provide a guide to educators and paraprofessionals working with children with autism spectrum disorder. The resulting guide for the occupational therapist provides the necessary materials to develop child specific guides for the educator and paraprofessional. The product provides education and guidance to optimize the educator and paraprofessional's ability to provide for the needs of a child with autism spectrum disorder in the school environment.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine current best practice and treatment guidelines for autism …

Life-Cycle Financial Planning In Malaysia: Investment Planning And Strategies For The Post-Retirement Period / Tan Hoe Kock, Hoe Kock Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study examines the extent Malaysians make financial preparations and their readiness for retirement and the predictors of retirement plans based on the life-cycle model that people seek to maintain their living standards by smoothing their consumption, as they age and face life’s various contingencies. The study delved into the concept of life-cycle financial planning, life-cycle theories of savings, consumption, and investing, and the critical issues surrounding the study of retirement, particularly investment planning strategies for financing consumption during the postretirement period. The three potential sources of post-retirement income for Malaysians are: a defined benefit (DB) pension for retired civil …

Quiet Eye Duration Is Responsive To Variability Of Practice And To The Axis Of Target Changes, Robert R. Horn, Michelle S. Okumura, Melissa G.F. Alexander, Frederick A. Gardin, Curtis T. Sylvester

Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education Scholarship and Creative Works

We tested the hypothesis that quiet eye, the final fixation before the initiation of a movement in aiming tasks, is used to scale the movement’s parameters. Two groups of 12 participants (N = 24) threw darts to targets in the horizontal and vertical axes under conditions of higher (random) or lower (blocked) target variability. Supporting our predictions, random practice and target changes in the vertical axis led to longer quiet eye duration than did blocked practice and target changes in the horizontal axis. Our data suggest that quiet eye is not simply a mediating factor in accuracy, but is responsive …

Villa Degli Antonini: Excavation Season 2012 Summary, Deborah Chatr Aryamontri, Timothy Renner

Department of Classics and General Humanities Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The Tanzania Rural Leadership Survey, Norman Miller, Amy Miller, Katerina Wheelan

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Rio Chama Hydrographic Survey Maps, Office Of State Engineer, State Of New Mexico

The Rio Chama Basin: Land, Water and Community

No abstract provided.