Digital Commons Network^™

Elemental Fingerprinting Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry And Chemometrics: Application To Environmental Science And Provenance Studies, Lorlyn Paquibot Reidy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cognitive Effects And Academic Consequences Of Video Game Playing, Sean Hollis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: prior video game playing (vgp) research has generated mixed empirical findings. Recent studies suggested positive effects vgp may have on cognitive skills, particularly improvements in visuospatial skills, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, and problem solving skills. By contrast, other studies have suggested that vgp leads to lower academic performance - indicating further research on vgp effects is needed. This study investigated the effects of vgp on cognitive skills and academic performance. Methods: 208 participants were recruited from the University of Mississippi psychology department in exchange for research participation credit. The sample was 68.9% female and 31.1% male. Ages ranged …

Teachers' Utilization Of Field Trips: A Comparative Study, Joshua Kenna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field trips are visits to an out-of-school setting designed for educational and academic purposes whereby as a result students gain firsthand knowledge and experiences. Historically, it was the potential for student learning that motivated teachers to utilize field trips. However, there is reasonable suspicion among scholars today that teachers are utilizing field trips less since the start of the new millennia; the common reasons being cited among others include a slumping economy, an increase in accountability due to high-stakes testing, and rising fuel costs. Unfortunately, there is no empirical evidence that can confirm or deny this suspicion. Therefore, the purpose …

The Role Of Invitational Theory On Minority Student Enrollment In Advanced Placement Courses, Jason Mcdonald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of students enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) classes has been increasing in Florida and across the nation over the last decade. However, this trend is not happening for traditionally underserved groups of students such as African Americans, Hispanics, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. These minority groups are underrepresented in AP classes, while Asian and White students are overrepresented. This trend is alarming because there are qualified minority students who have a great chance of being successful in AP classes according to AP Potential data. For some reason though, these qualified minority and low income students are nevertheless …

Multiple-Case Study And Exploratory Analysis Of The Implementation Of Value-Added Teacher Performance Assessment On Eighth Grade Student Achievement In Ohio, Pennsylvania, And Tennessee, James Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to analyze the academic impact of the implementation of the Value Added Assessment Model. The researcher analyzed the Value Added Assessment Models in the three Value Added Assessment Model states that had implemented the Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years. Additionally, the research was done by analyzing the academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP. The researcher paired the three states that had implemented Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years, with three demographically matched states that had not implemented …

How Many Are Out There? A Novel Approach For Open And Closed Systems, Zia Rehman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We propose a ratio estimator to determine population estimates using capture-recapture sampling. It's different than traditional approaches in the following ways: (1) Ordering of recaptures: Currently data sets do not take into account the "ordering" of the recaptures, although this crucial information is available to them at no cost. (2) Dependence of trials and cluster sampling: Our model explicitly considers trials to be dependent and improves existing literature which assumes independence. (3) Rate of convergence: The percentage sampled has an inverse relationship with population size, for a chosen degree of accuracy. (4) Asymptotic Attainment of Minimum Variance (Open Systems: (=population …

A Comparison Of Eighth-Grade Mathematics Scores By State And By The Four Census-Defined Regions Of National Assessment Of Educational Progress (Naep), Laurel Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the information regarding the comparative relationship between the proficient mathematics scores of eighth-grade students on the 2009 state mathematics assessments and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment by state, census-defined regions and AYP subgroups. Analysis was completed and six research questions were used to guide the study. A multiple regression was used to assess the relationship between the percentage of eighth-grade students who were proficient in mathematics as assessed by the 2009 NAEP and those who were proficient in mathematics as assessed by their 2009 state assessment. A …

Financial Forest, Karen Carlson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regular savings behavior is critical for low-income Americans to achieve financial mobility. New technology tools are being used to improve personal awareness and attention to financial goals. This thesis reviews mobile learning (mLearning) research and leading commercial personal finance smartphone apps, both of which inform the design of Financial Forest, a savings app. Participants in the 4-week Financial Forest savings study are found to have a statistically significant improved perception of the difficulty of building an emergency fund.

Navigating The Field : An Examination Of Rhetorical Spaces In The Journal Of Sex Research., Deanna Mcgaughey-Summers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I adopt a praxical theory of rhetorical space to identify and examine how members of The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality draw on or invoke rhetorical spatiality in their research published in the Journal of Sex Research. My specific research questions were: (1) What types of rhetorical spaces do sexologists create? and, (2) What rhetorical strategies do sexologists use to create rhetorical spaces? The dissertation is divided into five chapters that present different investigations of the production of rhetorical space in The Journal of Sex Research. Chapter One introduces the theoretical and methodological foundation for …

Piezoelectric Bedload Impact Sensor (Pbis) For Particle Size Distribution., Jeong Won Park 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A multi-channel Piezoelectric Bedload Impact Sensor (PBIS) is developed to estimate mass and particle-size distribution of bedload in low to moderate slope natural streams. The PBIS’s stand-alone design with a sufficiently large data memory facilitates continuous long-term monitoring for low-scale bedload measurements. The design concept of PBIS is based on a hypothesis that particle collision energy on the PBIS plate increases with hydraulic energy and particle size. Thus, particle size can be differentiated by the number of impulses registered in four different threshold channels. The feasibility of PBIS was evaluated by developing a calibration model based on laboratory flume experiments. …

Neighborhoods, Social Capital And Economic Success., Sean M. Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between neighborhoods, social capital and economic success. In the model developed in this research, social capital mediates the relationship between neighborhoods and economic success. Social capital represents social networks with their associated norms and resources and increases economic success by facilitating cooperation and by lowering transaction costs. Neighborhoods affect social capital through local interactions, network exclusion, social learning and social identity processes. An understudied part of these relationships is the existence of endogeneity among the key variables. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this study uses structural equation modeling to …

Hope For People Or Hope For Cities? : Hope Vi At Liberty Green., Jelisa Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how well the goals of local officials align with the stated goals of HOPE VI in the case of the Liberty Green development in Louisville, KY. Research revealed that there it is not necessarily the goals of decision makers that are in conflict, but the stated goals of HOPE VI themselves stand in conflict with one another. Two major components of HOPE VI are in constant tension-the impact on residents and neighborhood development goals. Evidence from this study suggests that most of the emphasis for the Liberty Green HOPE VI development revolves around neighborhood and community development …

Discovering Domestic Cemeteries : History, Preservation, And Education., Savannah Leigh Darr 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historic cemeteries and graveyards hold the history of the people and community in which they were built. The inscriptions, iconography, and epitaphs on gravemarkers provide insight into the family, religion, social status, and culture of those interred within a specific cemetery or graveyard. They are primary resources for historical research, as some of the information on a gravemarker may not be found anywhere else. Few scholars have recognized the value of small domestic graveyards, which typically have fewer interments and tend to be more isolated in location. For these reasons, domestic graveyards are the most fragile and their preservation is …

Women, Feminism, And Aging In Appalachia, Sherry Kaye Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aging has become a problem for men and women in Western societies where youth is touted and revered as a standard of success by which individual value is measured and esteemed. Older women in particular find that as they age they face discrimination in the form of ageism and social diminution. The purpose of the study is to remedy a lack of scholarship on aging in Appalachia and to establish a precedent for future studies. A liberal, feminist approach is used to analyze the results of recorded interviews and to interpret transcripts of relevant data. The results of the analysis …

Who Done It? Rurality Vs. Ses As Critical Factors In Evaluating The Prevalence Of Child Psychosocial Concerns In Primary Care, Robert M. Tolliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of child psychosocial concerns in rural primary care, hypothesized to be greater than national averages due to lacking mental health services in rural areas. This study was an examination of the role of SES, various definitions of “rural,” and the interaction of SES and rurality, in predicting parent-reported child psychosocial concerns in Appalachian primary care clinics. Caregivers presenting with their child at one of 8 pediatric primary care sites (n=2,672) were recruited to complete a measure assessing demographics and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). Results showed that while rural status …

Experiences And Expectations Of An African American Male Veteran Student In Higher Education, Gladys S. Cole-Morton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill an increasing number of veterans and military students are seeking to complete degrees online and through enrollment at campuses across the nation (Brown 2011). The increased number of military students in postsecondary education settings presents challenges and opportunities for both the veteran student and institution of higher education. Military students also referred to as veteran students are choosing to pursue postsecondary education for occupational and employment opportunities, personal growth and enrichment, and to use their Post-9/11 GI education benefits. It is expected that military personnel with past military service in Afghanistan and Iraq will become …

Universal Goals & Local Application: Theological Field Education At St. John Vianney Seminary, Germaine Bruno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a curriculum history of theological field education at Denver's Roman Catholic seminary, St. John Vianney. The study utilizes archival material and the historical method to construct an educational historiography of the evolution and development of theological field curricula from 1910-2010. The research questions focus on two areas: the role of the Catholic Church in shaping seminary curricula and the adaptation and application of these Church guidelines by practitioners in the local context.

The study utilizes the conceptual tools of Kelly Ritter (2009) to analyze the findings in the light of socio-historical forces which shape curricula. According to …

With Green In Mind: Formative Influences On Ecological Mindedness, Shannon Burgert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the formative experiences that nurture ecological habits of mind in youth. The study builds on the ecological habits of mind defined by Moroye and Ingman: caring, a sense of interconnectedness, and ecological integrity. A combination of methods was used in this study: in-depth phenomenologically based interviewing, and educational criticism and connoisseurship. Data collection included two interviews each with five teenagers, one interview each with the teens' mothers, photographing of artifacts, and a focus group with six additional teenagers. Observations and interpretations were filtered through ecological and aesthetic lenses.

Several key findings emerged. First, it is proposed that …

Examining The Low Volatility Anomaly In Stock Prices, Munish Malhotra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern portfolio theory states that investments with greater beta, a common measure of risk, require greater returns from investors in order to compensate them for taking greater risk. Therefore, under the premise that market participants act rationally and therefore markets run efficiently, investments with higher beta should generate higher returns vis-à-vis investments with lower beta over the long run. In fact, many studies suggest that investments with lower beta actually generate equal to or higher returns relative to investments with higher beta. In looking at data for the S&P 500 going back 22 years between 1990 and 2012, this study …

Bold Leader Or Bully? Interpreting Chinese Regional Maritime Behavior, Harrison I. Fried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 2009, tensions have increased markedly between China and its maritime neighbors over disputed territories in the East and South China Seas. China’s neighbors accuse it of acting like a bully, alleging that China engages in behavior that is aggressive, inappropriate, and oppressive. But can such accusations be substantiated through objective analysis, or is bullying truly in the eye of the beholder? Further, is China simply acting boldly, albeit in a manner that is justifiable, as it emerges as a leader in the region? The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether labeling China’s behavior as “bullying” (as China’s …

Making Sense: Rhetoric, Perception, And Materiality, Aaron P. Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation dwells on the intersections of language-use and perception. The premise is that language makes literal sense and this reality has profound implications for those Burke called "symbol-using/mis-using animals." Communication scholars have long accepted a model of communication that positions language as "constitutive articulate contact" as opposed to a discrete means of transmission (Stewart, 1994), but a great deal of work remains to be done in terms of developing the implications for individuals and their language-use.

Chapter One explores the stances embraced by rhetorical materialists struggling to describe how language matters. The first chapter fields a series of critiques …

The Journey To Teaching Online: A Case Study Of Faculty Preparation And Experiences In Online Teaching, Angel Chi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Bill Gates published his book "The Road Ahead" (1995), he summarized the transformative implications of the personal computing revolution and described a future profoundly changed by the arrival of a global information super highway. Almost twenty years later, the tsunami of online programs and the MOOCs (massive online open courses) is impacting the structural integrity of postsecondary institutions and changing the competitive landscape of higher learning at an unprecedented pace. When Allen and Seaman (2013) asked the question of whether faculty acceptance of online education increased in their Sloan Consortium annual report, only 30.2% of chief academic …

A Paleoenvironmental Investigation Of Eolian Influx In Lacustrine Sediments Of The Southern Rocky Mountain Region, Rebecca L. Brice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Potential indications of long-term trends in paleoclimate, specifically winds, in the Southern Rocky Mountain region of the United States were tested using lacustrine sediment from South Blue Lake in the Wet Mountains of Colorado. This study builds upon existing eolian and lacustrine research, and investigates paleowind in a location not yet studied in this manner. Variability in sediment laminae, particle size, and mineralogy show similar patterns during the mid-Holocene warm period (ca. 5500 cal. yr BP - ca. 6000 cal. yr BP). These patterns indicate a warmer, drier, windier period that is contrasted by a less variable period in the …

The Contrasting Paths Of Jordan And The United Arab Emirates In Nuclear Cooperation With The United States, Erica N. Fein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As one of about eight countries that supply nuclear materials and equipment for nuclear energy development to the rest of the world, the United States also requires some of the most stringent nonproliferation measures of its prospective clients. In 2009, the United States signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under the terms of the agreement, the UAE foreswore developing sensitive fuel cycle technologies on its own soil in exchange for the ability to receive U.S.-origin materials and equipment. The Kingdom of Jordan is also seeking to develop a nuclear energy program in the face of …

Predicting Mental Well-Being In Assisted Living Communities : The Roles Of Social Capital And The Built Environment., Sarah Elizabeth Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Along the continuum of poor to good health, mental well-being refers to the positive state of being. Mental well-being connotes the ability to manage stress, maintain independence, and is indicative of happiness and improved quality of life. Mental well-being is critical to overall health throughout the lifespan, but it is of particular importance in the context of healthy aging since older adults are more likely to experience compromised mental health. Existing research has identified factors that reduce the risk of poor mental health outcomes: the built environment and individual and community social capital are associated with overall health status and …

Running Among Thorns : Perspectives On Ethiopian/United States Educational Experiences., Bruce Whearty 1952-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative exploration of the perspectives of Ethiopian immigrants to the United States who have educational experience in both cultures. By interviewing five respondents and asking them to reflect on the role that their education played in their acculturation to the United States, a series of case histories was developed. The case histories were analyzed using the Differentiated Multi-Dimensional Model of Acculturation to determine if they upheld the two predictions made by this model: 1) acculturation for any particular individual proceeds independently at different rates across three different dimensions: language, behavior, and cultural identity; and 2) acculturation …

The Rhetoric Of Africa : Historical Turns In Constructing A Continent, 1780-1890., Dexter Peck Mahaffey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines historical rhetoric about Africa in British and American writings between the beginnings of the Abolition period and the 1884 Berlin Conference at which the continent was divided by colonial powers. Tracing rhetorical trends of travel writers and their constituents through the explorations of the continent, it demarcates two turns in the way Africans and Africa were constructed rhetorically. In the process it reveals a 19th-century evolution from depicting Africa largely in terms of its viability for commerce and reception of European culture, to an Africa fallen into darkness, to Africa as the Dark Continent, permanently fixed in …

Plant And Arthropod Diversity In Prairie Restorations Around Louisville, Ky., Sarah Elizabeth Atherton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prairies are important ecological biomes that contain high biodiversity of economic and ecologically important flora and fauna. Unfortunately, despite the vast historic distribution over most of mid-America, remnant prairies are critically threatened due to urbanization and other anthropogenic activities. Therefore, measurements of richness are utilized to assess the stability and condition of remnant and restored prairies-higher richness indicating greater ecosystem stability. Arthropod abundance comprises a significant portion of the species richness found in prairies. Because of this, arthropods are an ideal group of organisms to study due to their relatively limited dispersal range and utilization of microhabitats. In this study, …

The Grass-Roots Challenges With Administration: Conscription Evasion, Contraband, And Resistance In Napoleonic Europe, Julia A. Lyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The French model of the nineteenth century led the way to modernity in establishing centralized administrative governments throughout Continental Europe. Several Napoleonic policies that led to the establishment of a modern centralized state were not positive in their effects on the local communities. Research widely categorizes resistance to the Napoleonic program as either militarily or economically based. This study uses the French court cases from the Court of Cassation dated 1804 to 1820 to provide a different interpretation to the discussion of local resistance to Napoleonic authority on an international level. Conscription fraud, contraband, and resistance to government officials reveal …

A Glyptosaurine Lizard From The Eocene (Late Uintan) Of San Diego, California, And Implications For Glyptosaurine Evolution And Biogeography, David Moscato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glyptosaurinae is an extinct subfamily of lizards of the family Anguidae. Glyptosaurine lizards are known exclusively from the Paleogene of North America and Eurasia, reaching their peak of diversity and distribution in the Eocene. In North America these lizards are largely restricted to the intermontane basins along the Rocky Mountain range, with only sparse, indeterminately-identified skeletal elements known from outside of this region. Glyptosaurine lizards are split into two tribes: the monophyletic Glyptosaurini and paraphyletic “Melanosaurini”. Within Glyptosaurini, the most common and widespread genus is Glyptosaurus. In this study I describe a new specimen assignable to G. sylvestris, …