Digital Commons Network^™

Perspectives Of Higher Education Administrators And Staff: Programs And Services For First Generation College Students, Latishua E. Lewis

Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of the perspectives of higher education administrators and staff who provide services that support the academic and social sustainability of African American first generation college students (FGCS). In this study the researcher operated in a dual capacity. The two roles the researcher served as are FGCS and staff member. The researcher is a first generation college student and provides programs and services for the FGCS student population. The participants were from two urban institutions that are in the same overarching academic system. This inquiry focused on administrators and staff sharing their perspectives in narrative form. …

Chasing Until The Wheels Fall Off: Developing A Typology Of High-Risk Police Pursuits In Georgia, Lee Miller Wade

Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to examine the potential variables associated with high-risk police pursuits in the state of Georgia. The objectives of the research project were to develop a typology of high-risk pursuits, ascertain the usage of pursuit termination techniques, and inform on the current status of pursuits amongst accredited agencies in the state of Georgia. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) initiated data collection of pursuits among accredited agencies as a result of the decision in Scott v. Harris 2007. A sample of 2,155 pursuit reports from 2007 to 2009 was analyzed using descriptive …

The Cultural Complex Of Innocence: An Examination Of Media And Social Construction Of Missing White Woman Syndrome, Sarah Land Stein

Dissertations

This study examined the etiology and promulgation of the sociological phenomenon known as missing white woman syndrome. It was hypothesized that missing white woman syndrome may not be entirely attributable to racial disparity as has been claimed in the past. Rather, citing the work of Dr. Carl Jung, the researcher believed that missing white woman syndrome may be partially explained by a concept known as a cultural complex. The cultural complex that was hypothesized for purposes of this study is one related to innocence: That is, as a western society, we have been culturally overexposed to the blonde, Caucasian female …

The Effects Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Support On Student Discipline Referrals And Attendance, Gregory E. Ross

Dissertations

As school districts work to utilize instructional time, student behavior is often a huge hindrance to maximizing instruction. In 2001 while at the University of Oregon, Horner and Sugai created Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), now utilized in over 7,000 schools throughout the country (Sugai & Horner, 2002). This program is provided to schools throughout Kentucky through a federal grant extended to the Kentucky Center for Instructional Discipline (KYCID).

This study analyzed PBIS in an elementary school in southwest Kentucky, McNabb Elementary, to measure the effect of PBIS on student discipline referrals and attendance. Referrals were evaluated from 2006-2012, …

Eco-Theatre And New Media: Devising Toward Transnational Balance, Marnie Jane Glazier

Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to address the pivotal ecological and technological realities of the twenty-first century, currently giving rise to new patterns of existence and new paradigms of human inquiry. This study will ask how technological innovation and environmental urgency have altered the ways in which human beings think, and thus perceive the world around them, changing human behavior, or non-behavior, and calling forth new imperatives for the arts, and namely for the Theatre. Most significantly, the dissertation attempts to traverse the shadow-lands, between our ecologies and our technologies, exploring those essential points of convergence in the borderlands where Eco-Theatre and …

Strategies And Factors Influencing Public School District Referendums, Alan N. Stauffacher

Dissertations

Many school districts are in need of a successful plan of action for school district referendums. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the perceived effectiveness between factors and strategies surrounding referendums and the passage of those measures meant to improve school funding and facilities. The findings from Johnson and Ingle (2008) and Holt et al. (2006) were used to guide this study. Three questions were posed: What do superintendents identify as strategies to use as prescriptive plans for successful school referendums? What existing factors do superintendents identify that lead to success of school referendums? What existing factors …

An Evaluation Of The Student Service Expectations Of Freshmen At A Small, Midwestern Liberal Arts University, Jerry Michael Bladdick

Dissertations

Increasing freshmen student retention and ultimately increasing their graduation rates continues to be a critical matter for institutions of higher education. Therefore, colleges and universities are attempting to understand the student service expectations of freshmen students as a primary mechanism to enhance matriculation rates. University administrators must identify what students expect from their college experience if they are to positively affect institutional policy. Previous investigations have observed the relationship between student expectations and experiences, but limited data exist on the student service expectations of college freshmen. The purpose of this mixed method study is to determine the student service expectations …

Characterizing And Supporting Change In Algebra Students' Representational Fluency In A Cas/Paper-And-Pencil Environment, Nicole L. Fonger

Dissertations

Representational fluency (RF) includes an ability to interpret, create, move within and among, and connect tool-based representations of mathematical objects. Taken as an indicator of conceptual understanding, there is a need to better support school algebra students’ RF in learning environments that utilize both computer algebra systems (CAS) and paper-and-pencil. The purpose of this research was to: (a) characterize change in ninth-grade algebra students’ RF in solving problems involving linear equations, and (b) determine conditions of a CAS and paper-and-pencil learning environment in which those students changed their RF.

Change in RF was measured by comparing results from initial to …

Exogenous Alpha-Synuclein Induces Cell Death Related Proteins In C6 Oligodendrocyte-Like Cells Corresponding To Protein Expression Observed In Multiple System Atrophy, Derrick Samuel Hilton

Dissertations

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) consists of three disorders; Autonomic Dysfunction, Cerebellar Ataxia, and Parkinsonism. In MSA, the protein Alpha-Synuclein (SNCA) appears in the central nervous system as misfolded protein aggregates primarily in oligodendrocytes. This dissertation reports the results from studies examining the effect of exogenous SNCA has on a cell model: C6 oligodendrocyte-like cells. Treated cells were evaluated using western blot and DNA microarray. In addition the expression of proteins was evaluated using immunocytochemistry in MSA patient tissue.

C6 cells were shown to take up SNCA when added to the media. SNCA also underwent a truncation when taken up by …

Regulation Of Expression Of Enterohemolysin Toxin By The Global Repressor Hns And Characterization Of A New Class Of Protein Produced By Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli, Miles T. Rogers

Dissertations

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are worldwide pathogens causing an estimated 200,000 infections per year in the United States. Infections with STEC sometimes progress to kidney failure ending in death. Two studies presented below describe a novel virulence factor and mechanisms required for pathogenesis of STEC seropathotype 091 :H21.

First the novel protein, YghJ, was identified and found to be conserved amongst extraintestinal and diarrheal seropathotypes of E. coli with similar proteins carried by pathogens such as Vibrio cholerae. When the yghJ gene was disrupted creating a YghJ null mutant, the defect resulted in a significant growth deficiency in …

Modeling Transmission Of Photonic Crystal Waveguide Modes Enhanced By Kerr Nonlinearity, Buddhi M. Rai

Dissertations

Nonlinear modes of electromagnetic fields propagating in photonic crystal systems have been studied by implementing various computer simulation techniques using electromagnetic theory. The fundamentals of simulation of photonic crystals are analyzed using general purpose methodologies such as the FDTD or PWE methods. Information derived from the underlying physical insights into the systems could be utilized to describe the control mechanisms over the propagation of the modes around impurities in the photonic crystal lattice. The impurities trap the resonantly localized electromagnetic modes having a frequency in a stop band of the photonic crystal, suggesting novel optical controls in the photonic crystal …

The Religious Aspects Of The 1893 Columbian Exposition: A Case Study Of Interreligious Interaction And Religious Pluralism In The Public Square, Cynthia Visscher

Dissertations

This case study of the religious aspects of the 1893 Columbian Exposition examines the conditions that supported religious pluralism in the public square in the nineteenth century; compares these conditions to contemporary social contexts, and; contributes to the sociological debate regarding the effect of increasing religious diversity on social structure in the United States.

The existing literature is more often focused on normative theory rather than empirical examination. This case study offers an empirical investigation of the accommodation of religious diversity in a society that was in early stages of secularization and addresses how a pluralistic public square existed. Specifically, …

Deepwater, Deep Ties, Deep Trouble: A State-Corporate Environmental Crime Analysis Of The 2010 Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill, Elizabeth A. Bradshaw

Dissertations

The 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was one of the worst environmental disasters of all time. Using the concept of state-corporate environmental crime, this project applies a case study analysis of secondary data sources including publicly available government reports, corporate documents, academic sources and journalistic accounts to examine the causes of the blowout and the response to the spill. Building on Michalowski and Kramer’s Integrated Theoretical Model of State-Corporate Crime, this study introduces an additional level of analysis- that of the industry- between the organizational and institutional levels.

The causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion are rooted both in …

Inkjet Printability Of Electronic Materials Important To The Manufacture Of Fully Printed Otfts, Sooman Lim

Dissertations

In this study, the inkjet printability of materials important to fabricating OTFTs was researched. In order to understand the jetting evolution of inkjet printed inks, simulations were performed with a nano copper and nano particle silver ink. To predict the inkjettability of the nano copper ink, Z and Oh numbers at different temperatures were determined. The results from the simulation studies were compared to experimental results obtained using a Dimatix inkjet printer. For the semiconductor ink, the inkjet printability of two organic semiconductors, P2TDC17FT4 (poly[(3,7-diheptadecylthieno[3,2-b]thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[2,3-d]thiophene-2,6-diyl)[2,2'-bithiophene]-5,5'-diyl] dissolved in 1,2-dichlorobenzene and P3HT (poly-3 hexylthiophene) were compared to determine the relationship between drop …

Investigating The Biochemical Activity Of Some Flavonoids, Coumarins And Modified Gold-Nanoparticles As Anti-Breast-Cancer Agents, Amr Ezzat Mohamed Mahmoud

Dissertations

Polyphenols compounds are abundant natural products found in many plants as secondary metabolites. These compounds display many interesting pharmacological activities, which have motivated chemists over the years to explore them, and their synthetic derivatives, as potential drugs, especially anticancer drugs. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally, and in the United States of America the estimated worldwide new breast cancer cases and the number of deaths are 1.38 million and 458 thousand, respectively. Currently in the USA there are 2.6 million women who have been treated for breast cancer, and the estimated number of deaths are 39,520 …

Social Networking Systems As A Vehicle To Promote Sense Of Community And Performance In Online Classes, Jonathan Mark Woodward

Dissertations

Academicians are navigating through the intersection of information technology and social change. The path that educators choose will help determine the future of higher education in traditional and online settings. The journey of teachers is clouded by the abundance and rapid creation of emerging technologies, but the trends of Net Generation students offer direction. Among Web 2.0 applications, social networking systems (SNSs) offer students a new approach to communicating, learning, and collaborating.

The sociocentric view of knowledge and learning and the theories of Vygotsky and Dewey are helping to drive educators to look for a solution to a missing link …

Interpretations Of Student Engagement In The Context Of The Orff Schulwerk Music Classroom At The Dubard School For Language Disorders, Anna Rebecca Bondurant Halliday

Dissertations

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the lived experiences of four students with language disorders within the context of their Orff Schulwerk music class at the DuBard School for Language Disorders. In addition, the observational insights of their classroom teachers and the practitioner researcher were compared with the responses of the students in order to determine any discrepancies between the child’s awareness of his or her musical engagement and that of the observer. Using data collected from interviews, stimulated recall (Dempsey, 2010), and student generated artwork (Freeman & Mathison, 2009), I explored the lived experiences of …

Development Of A Scale To Measure Local Residents' Perceived Social Impacts Of Hosting Large-Scale Sport Events, Wonyoung Kim

Dissertations

Existing studies have indicated that local residents‟ perceptions on both positive and negative social impacts toward hosting large-scale sport events have played as a key role for developing successful sport events based on getting community-wide support and involvement. However, examining local residents‟ perceived social impacts have been limited due to its intangible nature and lack of valid and reliable instrument for the adequate measurement. The purpose of this study was to explore a conceptual framework of social impacts and develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure local residents‟ perceived social impacts of hosting large-scale sport events. A preliminary questionnaire …

Empirical Identification Of Axis I And Axis Ii Symptom Subtypes Of Sex Addiction Using Lateny Profile Analysis, Maria Isabel Nino De Guzman

Dissertations

Sexual addiction is a disorder characterized by lack of control over sexual urges, pathological relationships and lack of intimacy, mood-altering experiences, and adverse consequences that tend to be disregarded by the person affected. Although not classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR, APA, 2000) this distressful sexual manifestation is increasingly recognized as a clinical and public health problem. Previous studies suggest commonalities with addictive disorders and maladaptive personality traits. The purpose of the current study was to analyze personality configurations of individuals diagnosed as sex addicts and uncover specific subtypes or profiles associated to sexually addictive …

The Development, Validation, And Application Of The Motivation Scale Of Disability Sport Consumption (Msdsc), Michael Paul Cottingham Ii

Dissertations

Consumer motivation, “the driving force within individuals that impels them to action” (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2004, p. 87), assists in identifying why consumers attend sporting events, and if they plan to repatriate or consume merchandise and media (Byon, Cottingham, & Carroll, 2010; Kim, Greenwell, Andrew, Lee, & Mahony, 2008). The Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption (MSSC) (Trail & James, 2001), consisting of factors that identify specific consumer motives (Trail & James, 2001; Wann, 1995), was tested in the context of disability sport (Byon, Carroll, Cottingham, Grady, & Allen, 2011; Byon et al., 2010) but did not take into account motives …

Jimmy Carter’S Post-Presidential Rhetoric: Faith-Based Rhetoric And Human Rights Foreign Policy, Daniel Eric Schabot

Dissertations

Former President James Earl Carter is well known for his rhetorical efforts to promote human rights. Carter’s human rights advocacy is motivated and sustained by his belief that God duty-bounds him to assist those less fortunate than himself. Scholars generally concede, however, that as president, Jimmy Carter’s human rights accomplishments were minimal and that he failed to develop or institute consistent policies. This dissertation compares and contrasts Carter’s presidency and postpresidency with respect to human rights accomplishments, arguing that he was better able to serve an advocacy role when out of office. Carter, free of separation of church and state …

The Effect Of School Based Intervention Processes On Secondary School Graduation Rates, Ben H. Yocom

Dissertations

The focus of this research is in the area of academic interventions and their effect on graduation rates in secondary schools in Missouri. In light of the regulations within the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and its accountability requirements for schools, this study is important and timely in order to provide valuable examples of effective intervention processes. The research approach adopted in this dissertation was a mixed methods approach; therefore, quantitative analysis was utilized during a statistical comparison of secondary schools in Missouri and a review of trends from a survey distributed to all secondary school principals in …

A Dynamic Programming Approach To Identifying Optimal Mining Sequences For Continuous Miner Coal Production Systems, Joseph Christian Hirschi

Dissertations

Underground mines are the source of 33% of US coal production and 60% of worldwide coal production. Room-and-pillar mining with continuous miners has been the most common production system used in these mines since the 1960s. The introduction of continuous miners mechanized the underground coal mining industry triggering a period of sustained growth in mine productivity; however, productivity peaked at the turn of the century and has been in decline for a decade. Research on productivity in underground coal mines began at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2000 and led to development of a deterministic spreadsheet model for evaluating continuous …

"Was Anyone Out There Watching Last Night?": The Creation And Early History Of New England Sport Network, 1980-1989, Tanya Lee Lovejoy

Dissertations

In the United States, regional sports networks broadcast games of home teams to audiences in specific communities, or geographical areas. Ownership of regional sports network by sports teams presents a unique type of vertical integration. Regional sports networks use distinctive programming to connect to local sports culture. This dissertation explores the historical significance of New England Sports Network (NESN), a team created, owned and operated regional sports network, which broadcasts Boston Red Sox baseball games and Boston Bruins hockey games throughout the New England region. Using elements of cultural studies, specifically political economy and textual analysis, this dissertation examines the …

Making The Political Personal: Investigating The Relationship Between Feminist Beliefs And Sexual Assertiveness, Kate Miller Hagadone

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between identification with feminist beliefs and sexual assertiveness, by examining three potential mediators of that relationship: self-objectification, empowered entitlement, and self-silencing. Cross-sectional survey data were collected via online survey from 188 women. Results from correlational analyses indicated that active commitment to feminist beliefs was significantly related to lower levels of self-objectification and self-silencing and higher levels of empowered entitlement, but was not related to sexual assertiveness. Identification with nonfeminist beliefs (passive acceptance of sexism) was significantly related to higher levels of self-objectification and self-silencing and decreased empowered entitlement, as well …

Life After Prison: The Role Of The Juvenile Prison Experience And The Impact On Reintegration For Black Males, Wanda Taree Hunter

Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the reintegration experiences of Black men who were transferred to adult court and served time in adult prison as teenagers. Twenty-one semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Black men who served prison time when he was a teenager. At present, we know little about the long-term effects of waiver and sentencing practices. Hence, my question and main purpose for this research is this: Does the "ex-convict" label affect the reintegration experiences of Black males after serving time in an adult prison as a youth? I focus on Braithwaite's reintegrative shaming …

Freshman Academy: Transitioning Ninth Grade Students Through The Academic And Social Rigors Of The High School Experience And The Students’, Parents’ And Teachers’ Perceptions, Yulanda West Clinton

Dissertations

Freshman Academy in Mobile County is an ever growing concept. Although the school in this study no longer houses a freshman Academy, the research reveals valuable information that is very useful in assisting schools and school systems in deciding whether or not to implement this type of transitioning program. In addition to the data, the students’, parents’, and teachers’ perceptions of the program are invaluable. This study revealed that students, parents, and teachers have positive perceptions about the academic and social interest areas of freshman students and negative perceptions about the structural interest area. This study also revealed, there is …

Regional Differences In Relational Aggression: The Role Of Culture, Katherine Amanda Czar

Dissertations

It is becoming increasingly clear that relational aggression has just as much potential to cause harm as overt verbal and physical aggression. Though the literature base on relational aggression is growing, far fewer studies have been conducted with late adolescents and adults as compared with children and early adolescents. Moreover, the role of culture in relational aggression has received limited attention. The current study aimed to examine the potential impact of one aspect of culture on relational aggression by focusing on North-South regional differences in the United States. Differing norms and expectations for social behavior between Northern and Southern U.S. …

Finding Voice From A Distance: Learning Voice In Writing Through Online Learning, Amy Marie Ade Peach

Dissertations

One of the primary objectives for many instructors of first-year composition (FYC) is to encourage students to use their own voice/persona, or express themselves with authority in their writing. While there are many pedagogical methods to address this in a face to face environment, there is now need to understand how the course tools and architecture in online versions of the course can facilitate “voice” in writing. This qualitative study observed a summer FYC (First Year Composition) course online at one institution in the Midwestern United States. At the conclusion of the course, two students and the instructors were interviewed …

Design, Modeling And Fabrication Of Shear Mode Bulk Acoustic Wave Sensor As A Potential Biosensor, Chi-Jung Cheng

Dissertations

There has been an increasing interest in development of thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) devices for chemical and biological sensing applications in the environmental and biomedical industries. The zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film based FBAR devices provides attractive advantages, such as high resonant frequency, small size, and rapid response. Typically, the ZnO-based FBAR devices are operated in the longitudinal wave mode where the ZnO crystallites are perpendicular to the substrate. In gaseous environments, the longitudinal mode FBAR device provides high sensitivity for mass sensing. However, the longitudinal wave mode is adversely affected when used in liquid environments because …