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Hyperspectral Line-Scanning Microscopy For High-Speed Multicolor Quantum Dot Tracking, Michael David Malik Jul 2013

Hyperspectral Line-Scanning Microscopy For High-Speed Multicolor Quantum Dot Tracking, Michael David Malik

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

One of the challenges in studying protein interactions in live cells lies in the capacity to obtain both spatial and temporal information that is sufficient to extend existing knowledge of the dynamics and interactions, especially when tracking proteins at high density. Here we introduce a high-speed laser line-scanning hyperspectral microscope that is designed to track quantum dot labeled proteins at 27 frames/sec over an area of 28 um2 using 128 spectral channels spanning the range from 500 to 750 nm. This instrument simultaneously excites 8 species of quantum dots and employs a custom prism spectrometer and high speed EMCCD to …

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Sovereign Conflicts And Divided Loyalties: Native American Survivance In The Era Of Nuclear Modernity Story Of The Western Shoshone And Their Response To The Yucca Mountain High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository, Amy Sue Goodin Jul 2013

Sovereign Conflicts And Divided Loyalties: Native American Survivance In The Era Of Nuclear Modernity Story Of The Western Shoshone And Their Response To The Yucca Mountain High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository, Amy Sue Goodin

American Studies ETDs

This is the story of the ways in which the Western Shoshone have articulated identities amidst the ever-changing structures of governance that have defined U.S.-Native intergovernmental relations since the early days of U.S. efforts to colonize the American continent. However, the story focuses on nuclear colonialism. At issue is the specific nature of tribal participation in nuclear waste policy under emergent conditions of possibility as defined by U.S.-Native intergovernmental interactions (or a lack thereof). Ultimately, then, it is a story of how the Western Shoshone have articulated adaptive identities to assure survivance both physically and culturally to combat U.S. efforts …

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Carnales: Transnational Affiliation In Chicano Vietnam War Protest, Kirsten Lustgarten Jul 2013

Carnales: Transnational Affiliation In Chicano Vietnam War Protest, Kirsten Lustgarten

American Studies ETDs

This thesis explores Chicano involvement in and protest against the Vietnam war through a lens of cultural production, particularly song lyrics. It identifies a tension between the fact that Chicanos had proportionally even more to lose from the war than did Anglos, and the fact that Chicano-authored antiwar song is unknown while Anglo-authored protest song is inextricable from the era in the popular imaginary. The study finds that Chicano antiwar song was scarce, and less explicit in tone than that composed by Anglos, and argues that this distinction was caused by a combination of assimilationist pressures and the dictates of …

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Microbes, Individuals, And Medical Charity: Tuberculosis And The Remaking Of Liberal Individualism In Late 19th-Century Philadelphia, Carson Metzger Jul 2013

Microbes, Individuals, And Medical Charity: Tuberculosis And The Remaking Of Liberal Individualism In Late 19th-Century Philadelphia, Carson Metzger

American Studies ETDs

For most of Western history, tuberculosis was an incurable disease--its victims, destined to die. However, in late-19th century Philadelphia, changes in science, public health, and medical charity contributed to a remaking of the disease. Through the experiments of the bacteriological laboratory, and the commitment of governmental and private resources to tuberculosis treatment, scientists and physicians would come to tout the disease's curability. By the beginning of the 20th century, the disease was transformed into a curable entity caused, not by an uncontrollable force of nature, but by an ostensibly containable microbe, the tubercle bacillus. This dissertation argues that this transformation …

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The Political Determinants Of Health: The Impact Of Political Factors On Black-White Infant Mortality In The United States, Rongal D. Nikora Jul 2013

The Political Determinants Of Health: The Impact Of Political Factors On Black-White Infant Mortality In The United States, Rongal D. Nikora

Political Science ETDs

Objective This exploratory research project considers the role that the political culture of individual U.S. states may play in determining variation in the countrys infant mortality rate. Specifically, do conventional and/or racialized measures of political culture help explain state-to-state variation, particularly in black infant mortality, as well as the longstanding mortality gap between infants born to black and white women? Conventional measures of political culture in this study include a state's past voting record in presidential elections, as well as how states are categorized under Elazar's (1966) typology of state civic culture (i.e., as moralistic, individualistic or traditionalistic). Racialized measures …

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Maternal Modulation Of The Experience Of Novelty On Offspring Hormonal Stress Reactivity, Sarah Dinces Jul 2013

Maternal Modulation Of The Experience Of Novelty On Offspring Hormonal Stress Reactivity, Sarah Dinces

Psychology ETDs

Background: Studies have shown that both maternal and non-maternal environmental influences affect the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It remains unclear how these influences jointly interact to program offspring HPA function. Here, we test the hypothesis that non-maternal environmental effects on offspring HPA function depend contextually on maternal self-stress regulation. Methods: To examine individual differences in maternal self-stress regulation, mothers basal circulating and evoked corticosterone (CORT) response were measured shortly after weaning. The effects of the non-maternal environment were assessed by employing both the neonatal and the early adulthood novelty exposure procedures. The neonatal novelty exposure procedure occurred from …

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The Role Of The Social Environment In Alcohol Or Drug Relapse Of Probationers Recently Released From Jail, Mandy Owens Jul 2013

The Role Of The Social Environment In Alcohol Or Drug Relapse Of Probationers Recently Released From Jail, Mandy Owens

Psychology ETDs

The current research study looked at the social networks of adult male alcohol or drug offending probationers recently released from jail, assessed if and how social networks change from pre- to post-incarceration, and tested whether changes in social networks were related to alcohol or drug use. Forty adult male probationers were recruited from the New Mexico Corrections Department, Probation Parole Division, and two to seven months after release from jail were administered a single assessment battery that measured social networks, motivation, self-help group involvement, substance use, and other potential correlates of relapse. Results showed that there were significant changes in …

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Effects Of The Santa Fe Farmers' Market Children's Nutrition Program On Students' Willingness To Try Fruits And Vegetables, Laura Mccann Jul 2013

Effects Of The Santa Fe Farmers' Market Children's Nutrition Program On Students' Willingness To Try Fruits And Vegetables, Laura Mccann

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

The purpose of this research was to investigate change in elementary students willingness to try fruits and vegetables after participating in the Santa Fe Farmers' Market Children's Nutrition Program (intervention) on a class field trip. The WillTry survey was administered to 139 kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students five days before and two days after they participated in the intervention. Data were also collected in Student Notebooks that participants completed during the intervention. The change in their willingness to try eight fruits and vegetables (fresh apple, dried apple, cantaloupe, canary melon, sunflower sprouts and radish sprouts) between the WillTry …

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Non-Federal/Federal Collaborators In Endangered Species Driven River Restoration: How Risk And Incentive Mobilize Institutional Supply In The Middle Rio Grand Endangered Species Collaborative Program, Mark Lawler Jul 2013

Non-Federal/Federal Collaborators In Endangered Species Driven River Restoration: How Risk And Incentive Mobilize Institutional Supply In The Middle Rio Grand Endangered Species Collaborative Program, Mark Lawler

Geography ETDs

The Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program is an interagency, multiple-stakeholder organization, which works to enable cooperative solutions to endangered species issues on New Mexicos Middle Rio Grande. The Program is a product of what some authors describe as a 'new age' of environmental management. This study focuses on how local stakeholders interact with federal and state agencies within the Program to cooperatively invest in institutional changes to solve problems with tools of the 'new age' environmental management paradigm. It evaluates these tools in the context of pitfalls presented by dynamic interactions and an imbedded 'rule of law' regulatory …

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A Case Study Of The Coaching Philosophy Of A Men's Ncaa Distance Running Coach: To What Extent Is It Humanistic?, Seth Jenny Jul 2013

A Case Study Of The Coaching Philosophy Of A Men's Ncaa Distance Running Coach: To What Extent Is It Humanistic?, Seth Jenny

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

A coaching philosophy is a set of basic principles or values framework that guide a coach in decision-making and behavior (Hogg, 1995). Opposite of a dictatorial philosophy, the humanistic coaching philosophy as an athlete-centered, collaborative, and non-manipulative process between athlete and coach, taking into account individual athlete differences and abilities, with the hopes of eventually developing an emancipated, self-regulated, adaptable, and self-confident athlete (Lyle, 1999). The goal of this case study was to explore the coaching philosophy and methods of a successful mens NCAA distance running coach and describe to what extent the stated coaching philosophy and coaching methods of …

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Physical Activity And Psychosocial Adjustment Among 1st And 2nd Year Undergraduate Students, Vanessa Mikan Jul 2013

Physical Activity And Psychosocial Adjustment Among 1st And 2nd Year Undergraduate Students, Vanessa Mikan

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The transition from adolescence into young adulthood can present many new challenges. How well and to what degree students are able to effectively meet the demands and challenges of college has been labeled as adjustment (Mattanah, Hancock, & Brand, 2004). There is a growing interest and need for effective strategies and programs that can assist students in the transition to college. The purpose of this study was to identify how participation in physical activity, as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short Form may assist or hinder in students academic, social, personal-emotional adjustment and institutional attachment to college …

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Why Blame Me? Interpreting Counselor Student Resistance To Racially Themed Course Content As Complicity With White Racial Hegemony, Evonne Denise Olson Jul 2013

Why Blame Me? Interpreting Counselor Student Resistance To Racially Themed Course Content As Complicity With White Racial Hegemony, Evonne Denise Olson

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Counselor educators commonly experience resistance from students when the classroom focus turns to issues, literature, projects, or discussions involving race. Recognizing this resistance as an obstacle to learning, scholars developed strategies to address it. These strategies, however, have been based largely on individualistic conceptions of student resistance that obscure its possible sociopolitical influences and overlook the potential for formulating strategies to address its sociopolitical underpinnings. To expand the view of student resistance as more than simply individual behavior and thereby assist in developing and improving tools to overcome it, this project interprets student resistance as a sociopolitical phenomenon by connecting …

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Understanding The Role Of Gravity In The Crystallization Suppression Of Zblan Glass, Anthony Torres Jul 2013

Understanding The Role Of Gravity In The Crystallization Suppression Of Zblan Glass, Anthony Torres

Civil Engineering ETDs

Fluorozirconate glasses, such as ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF), have the potential for optical transmission from 0.3 μm in the UV to 7 μm in the IR region. However, crystallites formed during the fiber drawing process prevent this glass from achieving its low loss-capability. Other researchers have shown that microgravity processing leads to suppressed crystal growth in ZBLAN glass, which can lead to lower transmission loss in the desired mid-IR range. However, the mechanism governing crystal growth suppression has not been thoroughly investigated. In the present research multiple ZBLAN samples were subjected to a heating and quenching test apparatus on a parabolic aircraft …

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Defining And Evaluating Agile Construction Management For Reducing Time Delays In Construction, Fei Han Jul 2013

Defining And Evaluating Agile Construction Management For Reducing Time Delays In Construction, Fei Han

Civil Engineering ETDs

Both competitive market forces and growing societal needs have triggered the demand for rapid delivery of construction projects, or at a minimum, for projects completed on schedule. However, schedule delays are common and recurring in construction, inevitably resulting in rework, cost overruns and legal claims. As projects become increasingly complicated, delays arise in a more unpredictable manner. The initial motivation for this research is to explore a systematic flexibility to deal with delays caused by complex changes in construction and meanwhile enhance the overall project performance. Accordingly, agile construction management is proposed in terms of a conceptual framework. Derived from …

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Non-Platinum Group Metal Oxgyen Reduction Catalysts And Their Mechanism In Both Acid And Alkaline Media: The Effect Of The Catalyst Precursor And The Ionomer On Oxygen Reduction, Michael Robson Jul 2013

Non-Platinum Group Metal Oxgyen Reduction Catalysts And Their Mechanism In Both Acid And Alkaline Media: The Effect Of The Catalyst Precursor And The Ionomer On Oxygen Reduction, Michael Robson

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Non-platinum catalysts are an attractive strategy for lowering the cost of fuel cells, but much more development is needed in order to replace platinum, especially at the cathode where oxygen is reduced. Research groups worldwide have donated material for a study in which precursor structure to catalyst activity correlations are made. The donated samples have been divided into three classes based on their precursor; macrocyclic chelates, small molecule, and polymeric precursors. The precursor is one activity-dictating factor among many, but it is one of the most influential. It was found that macrocyclic chelates on average produced the most active catalysts, …

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"3 Simple Words: We The People": Culture, Identity, And The Contentious Politics Of The Contemporary Tea Party Movement In Montana, Stacy Keogh Jul 2013

"3 Simple Words: We The People": Culture, Identity, And The Contentious Politics Of The Contemporary Tea Party Movement In Montana, Stacy Keogh

Sociology ETDs

The Tea Party is a social and political movement urging government accountability, individual fiscal responsibility, and personal liberty as outlined by the United States Constitution. In this dissertation, I examine the cultural components of the Montana Tea Party asking two primary research questions: (1) What are the cultural dynamics of the Tea Party? (2) How does this determine the way the Tea Party engages in contentious politics? I found that the way the Montana Tea Party utilizes the resources of religion to provide a culture structure familiar to participants. It utilizes religious rhetoric to provide familiarity to the nations civil …

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Indigenous Knowledge, Land, History, And Health: The Construction Of Diabetes On The White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, Tennille Marley Jul 2013

Indigenous Knowledge, Land, History, And Health: The Construction Of Diabetes On The White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, Tennille Marley

Sociology ETDs

American Indians and Alaska Natives are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and are more likely than the general population to suffer from diabetes-related complications. This study attempts to clarify the relationships between indigenous knowledge, land, local history/historical trauma, and diabetes on the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, using place' as an anchoring concept. The concept of place is largely absent in sociological literature, and a growing number of researchers argue that place should be central to sociology. Further, many researchers argue that place and context matter for health and are necessary for a deeper understanding of …

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Between Islamophobia And The Ummah: How Spanish Moroccans Are Negotiating Their Identities In Post 3-11 Madrid, Anwar Ouassini Jul 2013

Between Islamophobia And The Ummah: How Spanish Moroccans Are Negotiating Their Identities In Post 3-11 Madrid, Anwar Ouassini

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation explores how Spanish Moroccans are negotiating their identities in post 3-11 Madrid. In doing so, I explore and capture the lived discourses that reveal the underlying processes that are shaping their identities at the micro, meso, and macro level. The data for this research was collected through in-depth interviews with 33 Spanish- Moroccans residing in Madrid, Spain. Results revealed that Spanish Moroccan identities are increasingly racialized towards a Muslim-Arab religious identity by two ideological currents found at the local and the transnational level: Islamophobia and the Ummah. The Islamophobia racial project was experienced by my participants at the …

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Remediation Of Sand Dune Blowouts Along Pipeline Right Of Ways., Knutt Peterson Jul 2013

Remediation Of Sand Dune Blowouts Along Pipeline Right Of Ways., Knutt Peterson

Geography ETDs

Blowouts in sand dunes along pipeline right of ways are a problem facing many pipeline maintenance companies, environmentalists, and public land managers. Blowouts form in sandy soils when the ground surface is not protected from seasonal winds. The ground surface becomes unprotected when there is a lack of vegetation covering the pipeline right of way. Most pipeline maintenance companies are using temporary mitigation methods. Results presented in this study demonstrate that there are low cost, long term solutions to the problem of blowouts along pipeline right of ways. Studies were conducted using three low cost mitigation methods. Branch piles showed …

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Destruction Of Lipid-Coated Bubbles With Pulsed Ultrasound, Debra Cox Jul 2013

Destruction Of Lipid-Coated Bubbles With Pulsed Ultrasound, Debra Cox

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Micron-sized bubbles are of some interest for applications in ultrasound contrast and ultrasound-targeted drug delivery. Bubbles must be coated to remain stable; otherwise the surface tension induces an internal Laplace pressure that rapidly drives the bubble gas into solution. We have studied the behavior of bubbles made with different phospholipid coat molecules, subjected to repeated, brief pulses of 1.1 MHz focused ultrasound. Bubbles show rapid initial shrinkage, followed by a slower (or even stationary) phase. For essentially all bubbles, the rate of initial rapid shrinkage exceeds the limit imposed by gas diffusion into the surrounding medium; this rapid shrinkage may …

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Collaborative Information Processing In Wireless Sensor Networks For Diffusive Source Estimation, Kamrul Hakim Jul 2013

Collaborative Information Processing In Wireless Sensor Networks For Diffusive Source Estimation, Kamrul Hakim

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In this dissertation, we address the issue of collaborative information processing for diffusive source parameter estimation using wireless sensor networks (WSNs) capable of sensing in dispersive medium/environment, from signal processing perspective. We begin the dissertation by focusing on the mathematical formulation of a special diffusion phenomenon, i.e., an underwater oil spill, along with statistical algorithms for meaningful analysis of sensor data leading to efficient estimation of desired parameters of interest. The objective is to obtain an analytical solution to the problem, rather than using non-model based sophisticated numerical techniques. We tried to make the physical diffusion model as much appropriate …

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Development Of Surface Based Platforms For Biomolecular Recognition And Protease Assays, Jose Cornejo Jul 2013

Development Of Surface Based Platforms For Biomolecular Recognition And Protease Assays, Jose Cornejo

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

The discovery of analytical tools for biomolecular recognition in the area of diagnostics is a research trend rich in innovative methods. Some of the main drivers found in this area are the constant need for low cost devices and biosensors, simplicity in design and operation, and time efficiency. In this thesis we present novel approaches for the development of protease activity assays. Our focus of study is the protease assay development process on two types of characterized platforms: microspheres and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on flat surfaces. The surface preparation and conjugation process with biological components of interest is presented along …

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Experimental Characterization And Modeling Of Aspect-Rario-Dependent Diffusion Of Nanocrystals In Nanochannels, Louis Tribby Jul 2013

Experimental Characterization And Modeling Of Aspect-Rario-Dependent Diffusion Of Nanocrystals In Nanochannels, Louis Tribby

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

The investigation of aspect-ratio-dependent diffusion and equilibrium partitioning of semiconductor nanocrystals in rectangular nanochannels has been undertaken. The nanocrystals are terminated with hydrocarbon ligands and suspended in toluene, considered an aprotic solvent. Time-dependent concentration profiles are measured as a function of distance from the channel entrance by the calibrated fluorescence intensity of the nanocrystals. Both the forward diffusion of the nanocrystals and their reverse diffusion are characterized. Nanocrystals are first allowed to diffuse forward from a reservoir into the nanochannels over a long period (\u2265 3 days) until the inlet concentration reaches a steady state. Subsequently, these nanocrystals are allowed …

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Orbital-Scale Fluctuations In Continental Weathering Flux And Continental Ice-Volume During Greenhouse And Icehouse Climate Intervals : Evidence From Oxygen And Neodymium Isotopes, Bethany Theiling Jul 2013

Orbital-Scale Fluctuations In Continental Weathering Flux And Continental Ice-Volume During Greenhouse And Icehouse Climate Intervals : Evidence From Oxygen And Neodymium Isotopes, Bethany Theiling

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Rapid changes in global and local climate and weather, noticeable over our lifetimes, have spurred heated public and political debate over the cause of these climatic changes, whether or not we can reverse, stop or slow down this process, and how to create adequate models that can predict Earth's changing climate. To create the most accurate models of future climate, many researchers look to past greenhouse intervals for insight; intervals of time identified by high modeled atmospheric CO2, a lack of glacial deposits, and geologic evidence of globally high sea-levels--all of which suggest little to no glacial ice and a …

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Catalytic Mechanism And Function Evolvement Studies Of Phosphatases Within Haloacid Dehalogenase Superfamily (Hadsf), Li Zheng Jul 2013

Catalytic Mechanism And Function Evolvement Studies Of Phosphatases Within Haloacid Dehalogenase Superfamily (Hadsf), Li Zheng

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

The haloacid dehalogenase superfamily (HADSF) is one of the largest known enzyme superfamilies, having more than 32,000 nonredundant members. Enzymes in this superfamily catalyze a number of different chemical reactions including dehalogenation, phosphoryl transfer, and hydrolysis of phosphate esters and phosphates. The vast majority of HADSF members are phosphatases, which contain a highly conserved core domain that is constructed to catalyze hydrolysis reactions of phosphorylated sugars or nucleotides by using an active site Asp nucleophile and a Mg2+ cofactor. Most phosphatases possess a cap domain, which in association with the core domain assists active site desolvation and binds the …

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Spectroscopic And Computational Electronic Structure Studies Of Donor-Acceptor Systems, Diana Habel-Rodriguez Jul 2013

Spectroscopic And Computational Electronic Structure Studies Of Donor-Acceptor Systems, Diana Habel-Rodriguez

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Three molecular systems have been studied, which exhibit strong intramolecular electronic communication between constituent moieties. Experimental results for electronic absorption, resonance Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopies are presented. Density functional theory (DFT) electronic structure calculations were employed to augment the interpretation of experimental results. Using a valence bond configuration interaction (VBCI) model we show that the ground state properties of the molecules are influenced by excited state configurations. Donor ( = semiquinone)-bridge-acceptor ( = nitronylnitroxide) biradicals show strong ferromagnetic donor-acceptor coupling, and contributions to the ferromagnetic coupling from spin delocalization and spin polarization mechanisms …

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Characterization Of The Northern Hemisphere Glacial Cycle-Ii And Termination From High Resolution Speleothem Isotope And Trace Elemental Time-Series Data, Southwest United States, Zachary Lapointe Jul 2013

Characterization Of The Northern Hemisphere Glacial Cycle-Ii And Termination From High Resolution Speleothem Isotope And Trace Elemental Time-Series Data, Southwest United States, Zachary Lapointe

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Absolute dated high-resolution records from two speleothems from the southwestern United States (SW USA) are used to constrain the timing and character of the Penultimate Glacial period (NH Glacial-II) and the following glacial termination (T-II) in the northern hemisphere (NH). Speleothems FS-TR3 from Fort Stanton Cave and CaCa-MSC-3 from Carlsbad Caverns National Park reconfirm the close connection between NH Glacial-II climate changes and NH insolation variation. NH Glacial-II maxima observed in the southwestern United States (SW USA) corresponds with Heinrich Event 11 (HE11) and a weak East Asian (EA) monsoon event observed in southeast (SE) China stalagmites SB11 (Cheng et …

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Characterization Of The Mechanical Properties Of Freestanding Platinum Thin Films, Khawar Abbas Jul 2013

Characterization Of The Mechanical Properties Of Freestanding Platinum Thin Films, Khawar Abbas

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Many MEMS devices utilize nanocrystalline thin metallic films as mechanical structures, in particular, micro switching devices where these films are used as Ohmic contacts. But the elastic and plastic properties of these thin films (thickness < 1μm) are significantly different from those of the bulk material. At these scales the volume fraction of material defects such as: grain boundaries, dislocations and interstitials become quite significant and become a chief contributor to the physical and mechanical material properties. In order to effectively design MEMS devices it is important that these material properties are explored and mechanical behavior of the structure they form be characterized. Popular thin film materials used in MEMS devices are Aluminum (Al), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Gold (Au). Platinum has traditionally gained acceptance into the MEMS industry because of its chemical inertness and high temperature stability. However the mechanical properties of platinum remains the least exploited. Platinum has a high Youngs Modulus (164 GPa, for bulk) and high melting temperature (1768 oC) and therefore can be used as a 'thin film' structure (cantilever, a bridge or a membrane) in high temperature environments with high resistance to mechanical failure. The physical size of these thin film structure make it very difficult to handle them and employ traditional mechanical testing methodologies and techniques and therefore require custom test platforms. One such recently developed platform is presented in this dissertation. The test platform is comprised of a microfabricated cascaded thermal actuator system and test specimen. The cascaded thermal actuator system is capable of providing tens of microns of displacement and tens of milli-Newton forces simultaneously while applying a relatively low temperature gradient across the test specimen. The dimensions of the platform make its use possible in both the SEM/TEM environments and on a probe station under an optical microscope. Digital image correlation was used to obtain similar accuracy (~10 nm) for displacement measurements in both an SEM and under an optical microscope. The mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline thin film structure has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. Mainly, the focus has been on the effects of the film thickness with only a few researchers mentioning anything about the grain sizes of their polycrystalline films. The effect of thin film cross sectional morphology on the mechanical behavior of a thin film structure has never been studied directly. Presented in this dissertation is experimental evidence that these thin film structures are composite structures of various grain morphologies and the overall mechanical behavior exhibited by them is the combined effect of individual contributions of each of these grain morphologies.'

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The Social Transformation Of Health Inequities: Understanding The Discourse On Health Disparities In The United States, Sonia Bettez Jul 2013

The Social Transformation Of Health Inequities: Understanding The Discourse On Health Disparities In The United States, Sonia Bettez

Sociology ETDs

Discourse in the United States characterized health disparities' as the disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality suffered by racial, ethnic and other disadvantaged populations. This dissertation contributes a theory of social construction that transformed health inequalities and inequities into 'health disparities,' a hegemonic (dominant) concept that prevented structural analysis of root causes and effective solutions. Consequently health disparities remain. My study focuses on the discourse during the latter part of President Clinton's administration (1999-2001), when eliminating 'health disparities' became a major objective. Anchored by hegemony and racial formation theories, and using critical discourse analysis as the principal research method, I …

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"Every 'One' And Every 'Thing' Can Be Loved": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Networked Self-Representation By The Objectùm Sexuality Community, Kristen L. Cole Jul 2013

"Every 'One' And Every 'Thing' Can Be Loved": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Networked Self-Representation By The Objectùm Sexuality Community, Kristen L. Cole

Communication ETDs

Using rhetorical criticism informed by actor-network theory (ANT), in this dissertation I explore the emergence of queer identity and queer community building within the Objectùm Sexuality Internationale Web site (OSI)--the largest source of information related to a community of over 300 hundred individuals who experience emotional and romantic desire towards objects. My goals in this study are (1) to identify and understand how rhetorical strategies are emergent and networked (rather than individually enacted) within the OSI Web site; and (2) how these emergent rhetorical strategies promote multiplicity of sexual desire and identity through the challenging of heteronormative and anthropocentric binaries …

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