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Photochemistry And Applications Of Diels-Alder Adducts And Photoacids In Materials Science, Valentine Johns Jan 2012

Photochemistry And Applications Of Diels-Alder Adducts And Photoacids In Materials Science, Valentine Johns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In chapter I Photo-retro-Diels-Alder (PrDA) reactions of a variety of Diels Alder (DA) adducts were studied. Experimental results showed that the photoreactivity (quantum yield) depends on the electron-donating ability of the diene component and the electronwithdrawing ability of the dienophile component. The mechanism was studied by trapping the reaction intermediate, O2 quenching and femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. All the results support a mechanism that involves a charge-separated intermediate generated from a singlet excited state. The PrDA reaction may find applications in photoresponsive materials, photolithography, drug delivery and mechanistic research. Chapter II shows two applications of the PrDA reaction. The first, …


White And Black Womanhoods And Their Representations In 1920s American Advertising, Lindsey L. Turnbull Jan 2012

White And Black Womanhoods And Their Representations In 1920s American Advertising, Lindsey L. Turnbull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 1920s represented a time of tension in America. Throughout the decade, marginalized groups created competing versions of a proper citizen. African-Americans sought to be included in the national fabric. Racism encouraged solidarity, but black Americans did not agree upon one method for coping with, and hopefully ending, antiblack racism. White women enjoyed new privileges and took on more roles in the public sphere. Reactionary groups like the Ku Klux Klan found these new voices unsettling and worrisome and celebrated a white, nativeborn, Protestant and male vision of the American citizen. Simultaneously, technological innovations allowed for advertising to flourish and …


Dispersal, Gene Flow, And Adaptive Evolution During Invasion: Testing Range-Limit Theory With The Asian Tiger Mosquito, Kimberly Medley Jan 2012

Dispersal, Gene Flow, And Adaptive Evolution During Invasion: Testing Range-Limit Theory With The Asian Tiger Mosquito, Kimberly Medley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the factors that make non-native species successful invaders is an important step towards mitigating spread. At the same time, species invasions can serve as natural experiments to test range-limit theory. Range-limit theory postulates declines in local abundance (abundant center model) and genetic diversity (central-peripheral hypothesis) towards range edges because of underlying environmental gradients. Such declines constrain adaptation to marginal habitats via gene swamping. However, broader evolutionary theory predicts intermediate rates of immigration into range-edge populations can relieve genetic drift and improve adaptive potential. I tested hypotheses generated from theory while illuminating aspects affecting of the invasion of the Asian …


Gender Bias In The Technical Disciplines, Jessica Lynn Campbell Jan 2012

Gender Bias In The Technical Disciplines, Jessica Lynn Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how women are affected by gender bias in the workplace. Despite the increasing numbers of women in the workforce, women are still under-represented and under-valued in workplaces, which, in part, is due to their gender stereotype. This study demonstrates how gender bias in the workplace has been proven to limit women in their careers and potential in their occupational roles. The media’s negative depiction of women in their gender stereotype reinforces and perpetuates this image as a cultural norm in society. Women both conform and are judged and evaluated according to their weak and submissive gender stereotype. …


Examining Gender In Pharmaceutical Rhetoric Through A Cultural Studies Lens: A Case Study On The Gardasil Vaccine, Jennifer Fickley-Baker Jan 2012

Examining Gender In Pharmaceutical Rhetoric Through A Cultural Studies Lens: A Case Study On The Gardasil Vaccine, Jennifer Fickley-Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On June 8, 2006, Merck announced the debut of Gardasil, the world's first vaccine found successful in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, a sexually transmitted infection that is one of the main causes of certain cancers in men and women, including cervical, vulvar, penile and anal cancers. To promote the vaccine's release, Merck launched Gardasil's "One Less" advertising campaign that included television commercials, print ads and a consumerfocused website (www.Gardasil.com), each promoting the message that "you" could now be "one less woman" affected by cervical cancer ("One Less" campaign). The vaccine, tested and approved only for females age 9-26, was …


The Foods And Crops Of The Muisca: A Dietary Reconstruction Of The Intermediate Chiefdoms Of Bogota (Bacata) And Tunja (Hunza), Colombia, Jorge Luis Garcia Jan 2012

The Foods And Crops Of The Muisca: A Dietary Reconstruction Of The Intermediate Chiefdoms Of Bogota (Bacata) And Tunja (Hunza), Colombia, Jorge Luis Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Muisca people of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia had an exceptionally complex diet, which is the result of specific subsistence strategies, environmental advantages, and social restrictions. The distinct varieties of microclimates, caused by the sharp elevations in this part of the Andes, allows for a great biodiversity of plants and animals that was accessible to the native population. The crops of domesticated and adopted plants of the Muisca include a wide variety of tubers, cereals, fruits, and leaves that are described in detail in this thesis. The Muisca used an agricultural method known as microverticality where the different thermic …


Educating Gifted Students With Asperger's Syndrome: A Case Study Of Three Students And Their Classroom Experiences, Beverly S. Horn Jan 2012

Educating Gifted Students With Asperger's Syndrome: A Case Study Of Three Students And Their Classroom Experiences, Beverly S. Horn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much research has focused on students with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), and much research has also been done on gifted students with special needs, yet very little has been published that looks at the characteristics of students who have been identified as both Gifted and as having Asperger Syndrome (G/AS), and what teachers are doing in the classroom to meet their needs. This is an important topic because this group of twice exceptional students has characteristics of both exceptionalities, and trying to meet the special needs of both groups in the same classroom would likely be a challenge for the teacher. …


Stable Isotopes And Multiple Tissue Analysis: Reconstructing Life Histories For Individuals From Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Noel Johns Jan 2012

Stable Isotopes And Multiple Tissue Analysis: Reconstructing Life Histories For Individuals From Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Noel Johns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotope analysis is often used to evaluate elements of the lives of past peoples, such as diet and health status, at a societal level. Analysis at an individual level is exceptionally rare, and has not been conducted using a variety of tissues representing both early life and life approximate to death. In this study, δ 13C and δ15N isotope signatures are used to create life histories for single individuals from Romano-Christian period Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Samples are obtained from several different tissues, including tooth dentin, bone collagen, hair, nail, skin, and gut content, all …


Deconstructing Disability, Assistive Technology: Secondary Orality, The Path To Universal Access, Tara Prakash Tripathi Jan 2012

Deconstructing Disability, Assistive Technology: Secondary Orality, The Path To Universal Access, Tara Prakash Tripathi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his phonograph, he listed the talking books for the blind as one of the benefits of his invention. Edison was correct in his claim about talking books or audio books. Audio books have immensely helped the blind to achieve their academic and professional goals. Blind and visually impaired people have also been using audio books for pleasure reading. But several studies have demonstrated the benefits of audio books for people who are not defined as disabled. Many nondisabled people listen to audio books and take advantage of speech based technology, such as …


Classroom Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis, Alyssa R. Boucher Jan 2012

Classroom Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis, Alyssa R. Boucher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper reports on a meta-analysis performed on forty one studies evaluating classroom-based substance abuse primary prevention programs. Studies included were delivered in a classroom to the general student body, had a primary focus of substance abuse prevention, measured behavior change, and were published in peer-reviewed outlets between 2000 and 2011. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis was used to calculate a random effects Cohen’s d and moderator analyses. Results indicated a significant effect for alcohol (d=0.10) and tobacco (d=0.09) in multi-target interventions. Specific program components and characteristics associated with more effective prevention programs are discussed. Despite the best efforts of those who develop …


The Impact Of Timed Versus Untimed Standardized Tests On Reading Scores Of Third Grade Students In Title I Schools, Ruth Elizabeth Haniff Jan 2012

The Impact Of Timed Versus Untimed Standardized Tests On Reading Scores Of Third Grade Students In Title I Schools, Ruth Elizabeth Haniff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the performance of Title I third grade students in a central Florida School District differed on tests administered under timed and untimed conditions. Further examined was the literature on reasons for the achievement gap which centered around seven different themes: (a) standardized testing, (b) achievement gap data and identified factors (c) deficit theory, (d) cultural mismatch theory, (e) extended time accommodations, (f) test anxiety and stress, and (g) timed versus untimed tests. Six Title I schools participated in this study by assigning 194 students to take the 2006 …


Foreclosures And Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory In The Suburbs, Sara Hoskin Jan 2012

Foreclosures And Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory In The Suburbs, Sara Hoskin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foreclosures have increased in the US since the 1970’s. The increase in foreclosures has caused concern among some researchers on their affect on crime. Social disorganization theory measures the effect various structural characteristics, such as poverty, residential instability/mobility, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and family disruption have on crime. This study, though, is concerned with residential instability/mobility, or the presence of foreclosed houses in neighborhoods. Although most studies using this theory look at low-income neighborhoods, the following research looks at middle- and upper-income neighborhoods, which have been greatly affected by foreclosures. The theory also argues that the level of collective efficacy can reduce …


Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale Jan 2012

Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research substantiates a relationship between psychopathy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which has begun to elucidate why some individuals with schizophrenia are violent. Unfortunately, this relationship has been limited to self-report. To objectively corroborate this finding, undergraduate students were recruited from an online screening administration of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. This resulted in 56 participants (52% male) with a mean age of 20.37 (SD = 4.74) and a wide range of schizotypy scores who participated in the experiment. Following completion of self-report measures, participants viewed 15 pictures (five neutral, five threatening, and five of others in distress) from the International Affective …


Examination Of An Online College Mathematics Course: Correlation Between Learning Styles And Student Achievement, Bridget Steele Jan 2012

Examination Of An Online College Mathematics Course: Correlation Between Learning Styles And Student Achievement, Bridget Steele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between learning styles and student learning outcomes in an online college mathematics course. Specifically, the study was guided by two research questions focused on (a) the extent to which learning styles had a predictive relationship with student achievement in an online college mathematics course and (b) the extent to which various learning styles among mathematics students in online versus face-to-face courses predicted mathematics achievement. The population for this study consisted of the 779 college mathematics and algebra (CMA) students who were enrolled in a private multimedia …


The Effects Of Phosphatidylserine On Reaction Time And Cognitive Function Following An Exercise Stress, Adam John Wells Jan 2012

The Effects Of Phosphatidylserine On Reaction Time And Cognitive Function Following An Exercise Stress, Adam John Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an endogenously occurring phospholipid that has been shown to have cognition and mood enhancing properties in humans, possibly through its role as an enzyme co-factor in cellular signal transduction. Specifically, PS has been identified as activator of classical isoforms of protein kinase C, an enzyme known to be involved in the growth and differentiation of neural cells, and is therefore thought to play a role in the protection of neurons. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of supplementation with PS and caffeine on measures of cognition, reaction time and mood prior to and …


Phosphatidic Acid Increases Lean Body Tissue And Strength In Resistance Trained Men, David Williams Jan 2012

Phosphatidic Acid Increases Lean Body Tissue And Strength In Resistance Trained Men, David Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphatidic Acid (PA) is a natural phospholipid compound derived from lecithin which is commonly found in egg yolk, grains, fish, soybeans, peanuts and yeast. It has been suggested that PA is involved in several intracellular processes associated with muscle hypertrophy. Specifically, PA has been reported to activate protein synthesis through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and thereby may enhance the anabolic effects of resistance training. To our knowledge, no one has examined the effect of PA supplementation in humans while undergoing a progressive resistance training program. To examine the effect of PA supplementation on lean soft tissue …


A Wolf In Military Clothing: A Case Study Examination Of Lone Wolf Terrorism And The Roles And Responsibilities Of Government Agencies, Peter Bandel Jan 2012

A Wolf In Military Clothing: A Case Study Examination Of Lone Wolf Terrorism And The Roles And Responsibilities Of Government Agencies, Peter Bandel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the fall of September, 2011, there has been a major increase in awareness and study of global terrorism. Academia, the media, politicians, and the average citizen all have varying definitions, ideas, and concerns about terrorism. The focus has mainly been on international terrorism. Terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda have permeated the discussion. However, there is a growing concern of the "lone wolf terrorist." A lone wolf terrorist acts without a terrorist organization and is capable of having his/her own radical agenda with the audacity and simplicity to carry it out solely and enact great damage. The focus in the …


Quantifying The Impacts Of Oyster Reef Restoration On Oyster Coverage, Wave Attenuation And Seagrass Fragment Retention In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Stephanie Garvis Jan 2012

Quantifying The Impacts Of Oyster Reef Restoration On Oyster Coverage, Wave Attenuation And Seagrass Fragment Retention In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Stephanie Garvis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to determine the effects of oyster reef restoration on oyster coverage, wave height dissipation and seagrass recruitment. First, to assess the current versus historical coverage of natural, dead and restored oyster reefs within Mosquito Lagoon, aerial photographs from 2009, provided by Saint Johns River Water Management District, were digitized using ArcGIS software. Live reefs, restored reefs and dead reefs were screen digitized using a reef ‘signature’ in order to estimate the area of each type of reef. The 2009 maps were used as a guide to digitizing the historical aerial photographs (1943, 1951, 1967, …


Expression Of Lipase From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis In Nicotiana Tobacum And Lactuca Sativa Chloroplasts, Bethany Lloyd Jan 2012

Expression Of Lipase From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis In Nicotiana Tobacum And Lactuca Sativa Chloroplasts, Bethany Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), is a global threat and the leading cause of death among individuals infected with HIV. TB treatment requires multi-drug cocktails, due to the increasing rates of drug resistance of the bacterium. With multi-drug cocktails, strains have been documented to be resistant to all major drugs in the fight against TB. Since the strains are drug resistant, it calls for an increasing need for vaccine and treatment development for the purpose of preventing and managing the disease. The most widely distributed vaccine against TB is Bacillus Calmette-Gue´rin (BCG). Apart from being …


Selective Multivariate Applications In Forensic Science, Caitlin Rinke Jan 2012

Selective Multivariate Applications In Forensic Science, Caitlin Rinke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A 2009 report published by the National Research Council addressed the need for improvements in the field of forensic science. In the report emphasis was placed on the need for more rigorous scientific analysis within many forensic science disciplines and for established limitations and determination of error rates from statistical analysis. This research focused on multivariate statistical techniques for the analysis of spectral data obtained for multiple forensic applications which include samples from: automobile float glasses and paints, bones, metal transfers, ignitable liquids and fire debris, and organic compounds including explosives. The statistical techniques were used for two types of …


Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Act As A Unique Catalyst And Scavenge Nitric Oxide And Peroxynitrite And Decrease Rns In Vitro And In Vivo, Janet Dowding Jan 2012

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Act As A Unique Catalyst And Scavenge Nitric Oxide And Peroxynitrite And Decrease Rns In Vitro And In Vivo, Janet Dowding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs)(nanoceria) have been shown to possess a substantial oxygen storage capacity via the interchangeable surface reduction and oxidation of cerium atoms, cycling between the Ce4+ and Ce3+ redox states. Reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+ causes oxygen vacancies or defects on the surface of the crystalline lattice structure of the particles, generating a cage for redox reactions to occur. The study of the chemical and biological properties of CeO2 NPs has expanded recently, and the methods used to synthesize these materials are also quite diverse. This has led to a plethora of studies describing various preparations of …


A Study Of The Degradative Capabilities Of The Bimetallic System: Mg(Pd/C) As Applied In The Destruction Of Decafluoropentane, An Environmental Contaminant, Douglas Tomlin Jan 2012

A Study Of The Degradative Capabilities Of The Bimetallic System: Mg(Pd/C) As Applied In The Destruction Of Decafluoropentane, An Environmental Contaminant, Douglas Tomlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pollution from hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) poses a serious challenge to the environmental community. Released from industrial operations, they have contaminated both the atmosphere and groundwater and are considered persistent in both media.1 For over the past 20 years, the practice of synthesizing hydrofluorocarbons as alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) has been conducted in an effort to reverse the effects of stratospheric ozone layer depletion. 2,3 However, in doing so these new fluorinated compounds exhibited an unexpected property as a potent global warming greenhouse gas (GHG) with radiative forcing potentials in the range of 100 to 10,000 equivalents greater than carbon dioxide.4 Conversely, …


Conservation And Population Biology: Genetics, Demography And Habitat Requirements Of The Atlantic Coast Beach Mice, Haakon Myklevoll Kalkvik Jan 2012

Conservation And Population Biology: Genetics, Demography And Habitat Requirements Of The Atlantic Coast Beach Mice, Haakon Myklevoll Kalkvik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conservation biology field seeks to preserve biodiversity and the processes shaping that variation. Conservation biology is intimately tied to evolutionary research, in order to identify evolutionary distinct lineages that may be in danger of disappearing. Interestingly, patterns and processes of lineage divergence and persistence change with respect to spatial and temporal scale. I seek to evaluate biodiversity, the factors that have shaped this heterogeneity, and how this variability persists. To accomplish this I used a phylogeographic approach as well as niche and population modeling on the Peromyscus maniculatus species group found widely distributed in North America. My emphasis was …


Manipulation Of Host Signal Transduction Pathways And Cytoskeleton Functions By Invasive Bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes And Chlamydia Trachomatis, Shahanawaz Jiwani Jan 2012

Manipulation Of Host Signal Transduction Pathways And Cytoskeleton Functions By Invasive Bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes And Chlamydia Trachomatis, Shahanawaz Jiwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infectious disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Many bacteria that cause disease have the capacity to enter into eukaryotic cells such as epithelial cells and tissue macrophages. Gaining access into the intracellular environment is one of the most critical steps in their survival and/or in pathogenesis. The entry mechanisms employed by these organisms vary considerably, but most mechanisms involve sabotaging and manipulating host cell functions. Invasion of epithelial cells involves triggering host signal transduction mechanisms to induce cytoskeleton rearrangement, thereby facilitating bacterial uptake. My work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms employed by bacterial …


Beyond Building A Tree: Phylogeny Of Pitvipers And Exploration Of Evolutionary Patterns, Allyson Fenwick Jan 2012

Beyond Building A Tree: Phylogeny Of Pitvipers And Exploration Of Evolutionary Patterns, Allyson Fenwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As generic and higher-scale evolutionary relationships are increasingly well understood, systematists move research in two directions: 1) understanding specieslevel relationships with dense taxon sampling, and 2) evaluating evolutionary patterns using phylogeny. In this study I address both foci of systematic research using pitvipers, subfamily Crotalinae. For direction one, I evaluate the relationships of 96% of pitvipers by combining independent sets of molecular and phenotypic data. I find the inclusion of species with low numbers of informative characters (i.e. less than 100) negatively impacts resolution of the phylogeny, and the addition of independent datasets has no effect on or a small …


Assessment Of Molecular Interactions Via Magnetic Relaxation: A Quest For Inhibitors Of The Anthrax Toxin, Oscar Santiesteban Jan 2012

Assessment Of Molecular Interactions Via Magnetic Relaxation: A Quest For Inhibitors Of The Anthrax Toxin, Oscar Santiesteban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anthrax is severe disease caused by the gram-positive Bacillus anthracis that can affect humans with deadly consequences. The disease propagates via the release of bacterial spores that can be naturally found in animals or can be weaponized and intentionally released into the atmosphere in a terrorist attack. Once inhaled, the spores become activated and the anthrax bacterium starts to reproduce and damage healthy macrophages by the release of the anthrax toxin. The anthrax toxin is composed of three virulent factors: (i) anthrax protective antigen (APA), (ii) anthrax lethal factor (ALF), and (iii) anthrax edema factor (AEF) that work in harmony …


Defective Dynamics Of Mitochondria In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Huntington's Disease, Wenjun Song Jan 2012

Defective Dynamics Of Mitochondria In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Huntington's Disease, Wenjun Song

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria play important roles in neuronal function and survival, including ATP production, Ca2+ buffering, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common event in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease (HD); however, what causes the mitochondrial dysfunction remains unclear. Mitochondrial fission is mediated by dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and fusion by mitofusin 1/2 (MFN1/2) and optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), which are essential for mitochondrial function. Mutations in the mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery lead to neurodegeneration. Thus, whether defective mitochondrial dynamics participates in ALS and HD requires further investigation. ALS is a fatal …


Novel Immunogens Of Cellular Immunity Revealed Using In Vitro Human Cell-Based Approach, Brian Schanen Jan 2012

Novel Immunogens Of Cellular Immunity Revealed Using In Vitro Human Cell-Based Approach, Brian Schanen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last 150 years, tremendous headway has been made in our understanding of the human immune system. Pioneers in the field such as Paul Ehrlich, Elie Metchnikoff, Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and Walter Reed carried out seminal studies that established the groundwork for our understanding of humoral and cellular immunity in humans. However, this direct line of evidence into human immunology was diverted in the mid-20th century with the adoption of a model which allowed for investigators to use a reductionist-approach with the promise to resolve immunity at a molecular level. This revolutionary model was the scientific commercialization of …


Somatechnologies Of Body Size Modification: Posthuman Embodiment And Discourses Of Health, Meghan Griffin Jan 2012

Somatechnologies Of Body Size Modification: Posthuman Embodiment And Discourses Of Health, Meghan Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on persistent gaps in philosophies of the body: the enduring mindbody divide in accounts of phenomenology, the unfulfilled promises of representing and inhabiting the body in online and virtual spaces, and the difference between health as quantified in medical discourse versus health as lived experience. These tensions are brought to light through the electronic food journal genre where the difficulty in capturing pre-noetic, outsideconsciousness aspects of experience and embodied health are thrown into relief against circulating cultural discourses surrounding health, body size, self-surveillance, and self-care. The electronic food journal genre serves as a space for users to …


Hidden Variable, Heather Harms Jan 2012

Hidden Variable, Heather Harms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hidden Variable is a novel that blends linear storytelling with the novel-in-stories form. It poses questions about the nature of identity as well as the feasibility of personal power, particularly with respect to disorders of the mind. Darla Pierson, the novel’s protagonist, is a woman in crisis. She is steeped in selfloathing brought on by the knowledge that she has, in effect, become her dead father—a genius with an epic libido, habitually using and discarding people. Her father has another habit that Darla doesn’t share: being struck by lightning. After the second strike kills him, Darla makes a conscious attempt …