Digital Commons Network^™

Rhetorics Of Globalism., Steven Nathaniel Wexler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the rhetorics that enable nations to tap into and deploy capital transnationally. Its primary focus is on China. China's globalism promotes a version of Western neoliberalism, including tropes such as efficiency, individuality, and freedom, to underwrite inequality, consumerism, and masking of surplus labor/value. While an ostensible boon for China's marginalized, China's globalism continues to increase the gap between wealthy and poor. Chapter One introduces the project with an overview of theoretical and disciplinary responses to globalization. This chapter demonstrates how the discourse of transnational capital supports consumerism, competition, and simultaneous "universality/difference" worldwide. Chapter Two offers a rhetorical …

Variation Within Shape Determining Processes., Abigail Lindsay Oesterritter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis briefly describes my current body of work, both formally and conceptually. The section titled Pattern Within Form, describes the concepts behind the use of stamps and molds, and the process of separately throwing segments of a single form and attaching them together. It also discusses the visual influences of industrial materials that I have translated onto the surface of the vessel. Process and Material describes a typical reduction cool firing within a wood kiln. It explains the differences between cottonwood, elm, box elder, and pine, as well as the comparisons between a firing that is shut off at …

George Morrison, New Albany, And The Portrait In 19th Century America., Brenna Liane White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As my curatorial thesis project, I chose to curate an exhibit of George Washington Morrison's paintings. George Morrison was a well-known portrait painter in New Albany, Indiana during his time here from 1840-1893. His paintings are on display in many historic buildings throughout the city and state, including the New Albany Public Library, the Indiana State House in Indianapolis, the Scribner house, and the Culbertson mansion. In addition, Morrison painted prominent members of New Albany society during this period, some of whom are family names still recognized today. This exhibit, displayed at the Carnegie Center in New Albany, Indiana July …

Factors Of Effectiveness In Kentucky Nonprofit Social Welfare Organizations., Peggy Proudfoot-Mcguire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory, mixed methods study using grounded perspective to examine how stakeholders (including consumers, administrators, and practitioners) in social welfare organizations perceive effectiveness in the nonprofit social welfare sector. Focus groups were held in eight regions constituting the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Kentucky. A total of 25 people participated in the study. A theoretical framework of nonprofit social welfare organizational effectiveness emerged from the data indicating that the five most significant factors identified by stakeholders as constituting effectiveness in the nonprofit social welfare sector in Kentucky were (a) client services, (b) organizational structure © workplace …

Geomorphic Considerations For Restoration Of Headwater Streams Impacted By Mountaintop Mining Hollow Fills., Ben Mater 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the Appalachian hills of eastern Kentucky, large-scale coal mining operations are directly altering the headwater landscape through the construction of hollow fills. These man-made landforms and their associated in-stream structures alter a longterm, continuous morphologic evolution driven by the natural interaction of erosive forces and material of the earth's surface. Post-mining channel morphology, hillslopes, and hollow fills continue to actively evolve in response to erosive forces. Aquatic ecosystem functionality and hollow fill stability may be jeopardized by this condition, yet they may be preserved through efforts to restore or re-create channel morphology more representative of the natural headwater stream. …

Implant Esthetics Using A Nobel Replace Standard Implant Vs. Nobel Perfect Scalloped Implant Placed In Immediate Extraction Sockets In The Esthetic Zone Of The Maxilla., John W. Mcgehee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aims. The primary aim of this study was to compare esthetic outcomes for the Nobel Replace Standard implant vs. the Nobel Perfect Scalloped implant as determined by hard and soft tissue measurements and objective and subjective esthetic indices. Methods. 18 patients with a tooth in the maxillary esthetic zone scheduled for replacement with an immediate implant who had at least one adjacent tooth were included in the study. Nine test patients received a Nobel Perfect scalloped platform implant and 9 positive control patients received a Nobel Replace 2-stage flat platform implant. Prior to suturing a fixture level impression was taken …

The Social Development Model And Delinquent Behavior : A Case Study., Jessica Noel Mullikin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the impact that extreme economic deprivation has on adolescent social development. Data for this study was collected from the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau. This study uses the Developmental Prevention model as a theoretical basis, a theory which posits that extreme economic deprivation, as measured by income, poverty, crime rates, racial composition of neighborhoods, and prevalence of mothers and grandparents as sole caregivers, is a risk factor for all delinquent behaviors. The specific delinquent behaviors examined in this study were teen pregnancy, school dropout, poor school attendance, and criminality. A study was conducted to compare …

A Programmable Mask For Direct Write Lithography., Kunal Pharas 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lithographic processes for printing device structures on integrated circuits plays a major role in the semiconductor industry. This project aims at designing and fabricating a programmable mask for a direct write lithography system which can achieve higher throughput at a reasonable cost for the semiconductor industry in the future. The device has apertures of different sizes which can be used as programmable masks by opening and closing the shutters over them. The shutters are actuated by electrostatic comb drive actuators which are microfabricated nickel structures electroplated on copper over a sacrificial layer and are released later by a sacrificial etch. …

Mobility-Based Predictive Call Admission Control And Resource Reservation For Next-Generation Mobile Communications Networks., Sherif Said Rashad 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the need for wireless and mobile communications has grown tremendously and it is expected that the number of users to be supported will increase with high rates in the next few years. Not only the number of users, but also the required bandwidth to support each user is supposed to increase especially with the deploying of the multimedia and the real time applications. This makes the researchers in the filed of mobile and wireless communications more interested in finding efficient solutions to solve the limitations of the available natural radio resources. One of the important things to be considered …

A Robotics Testbed : The Design & Implementation With Applications., Travis Alan Riggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to study the movements of autonomous mobile robots, a tool is needed to quantify those movements. A testbed is an apparatus that provides a designated space for multiple mobile robots while tracking their position in real-time. That tracking information can also be communicated to the robots themselves to serve as closed-loop feedback. With this tool, many techniques can be developed and validated through various control experiments. A design and implementation of a testbed is presented here. The testbed is analyzed for its performance and several applications are presented to demonstrate its usefulness.

Physical And Biological Control Of Zooplankton In The Ohio River., Tamara Dawn Sluss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the physical and biological factors that control zooplankton population growth rates in the Ohio River (USA). I employed both observational studies and a mesocosm experiment to ascertain zooplankton population and community dynamics in response to biotic and abiotic variables. This dissertation is separated into three chapters. In chapter 1, I introduce the reader to life history traits of zooplankton and characteristics of large rivers. In chapter 2, I present the results of an observational study of zooplankton population growth rates in two navigation pools of the Ohio River and use multiple regression analysis to determine the significance …

The Introduction Of Christianity Into Scandinavia, Iceland, And Finland., Tracy Marie Legel 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conversion of Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland occurred over many years and resulted in the formation of Scandinavian monarchies, a strong Icelandic parliament, and an loosely organized Finnish nation. The conversion of Northern Europe was completed Viking style with aggressive tactics, involvement of few as outside leaders as possible, and reward seeking converts. Viking explorations introduced the Northern European communities to Christianity and Northern Europeans acknowledged the religion in their own societies even though they did not completely embrace it. When their status quo was upset, Northern Europeans looked to Christianity as a solution to their woes. Promoted by the …

Multivariate Discretization Of Continuous Valued Attributes., Ehab Ahmed El Sayed Ahmed 1978-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The area of Knowledge discovery and data mining is growing rapidly. Feature Discretization is a crucial issue in Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD), or Data Mining because most data sets used in real world applications have features with continuously values. Discretization is performed as a preprocessing step of the data mining to make data mining techniques useful for these data sets. This thesis addresses discretization issue by proposing a multivariate discretization (MVD) algorithm. It begins withal number of common discretization algorithms like Equal width discretization, Equal frequency discretization, Naïve; Entropy based discretization, Chi square discretization, and orthogonal hyper planes. After …

Effective Teaching Of African American Students Who Receive Special Education Services., Nancy Stone Bealmear

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of effective teaching of African American students who receive special education services by teachers who are either National Board Certified Teachers or Highly Qualified Master's Level teachers. It begins with an overview of the history of special education in the United States and the current conditions of special education. It then covers the matter of overrepresentation of African American students in special education and the various contributors to that problem. The conceptual framework is to examine the self-efficacy and best practices of National Board Certified Teachers or Highly Qualified Master's Level teachers from middle and …

Anxiety And Control In African American Families., L. Kevin Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the effects of anxiety and ethnicity on parental control as well as the effects ethnicity, anxiety, and parental control have on child diagnostic severity, anxious African American and Caucasian families were compared. Sixty-nine parent-child dyads completed the study. Forty-two mothers in the sample suffered from an anxiety disorder whereas twenty-seven mothers did not meet criteria for any current or past psychopathology. Parent-child dyads were videotaped as they completed two mildly stressful tasks together. Parental and child behaviors during the interactions were coded to obtain an objective measure of parents' behavior. Data were reduced to produce four behavioral composites …

The Effect Of Modular Tapered Fluted Stems On Proximal Stress Shielding In The Human Femur., Justin Steve Conway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modular hip implants are currently being used in total hip arthroplasty revision procedures because it is common to have little or no bone left in the proximal region of the femur and it is difficult to accurately size implants based off of radiographs or other medical imaging techniques. The effect of modular systems using tapered fluted stems on proximal stress shielding in the human femur is the focus of this study. Seven modular implants were press-fit into seven femurs, where there was little or no contact between the modular body and the test femur. Finally, hydroxyapatite bone cement was added …

Syllable Systems : Four Students' Experiences In Learning Rhythm., Tammy Renee Fust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the effect of two different syllable counting systems on four sixth-grade band students. The goal of this study was to see the differences and similarities between rhythm learning and performance between these students in four related case studies. During a series of five lessons, students spent time with the researcher individually exploring rhythm reading and performing on their instrument. Two of the students were taught to count rhythms with the "takadimi" rhythm syllable system as developed by Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John White. The other two students counted rhythms using the traditional "l-e-&-a" system of …

Gary Snyder's Idiosyncratic Buddhist Poetics And The "Razoredge"., David Gerhardt Thimme 1970-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gary Snyder's poetry conveys Zen states of consciousness through unconventional grammar and syntax. From his first book Riprap in 1959 to his last collection of poems, Mountains and Rivers Without End in 1996, he has confronted the challenge of transforming Buddhist philosophy and discourse into Western poetics. Snyder's syncretism pertaining to Buddhist and Native American beliefs form a unique view of Zen that suggests his precise involvement with the meditative self-discipline may be unstable and elusive. A close reading of Snyder's idiosyncratic Buddhist poetics reveals an impasse between a "non-verbal" realm, where the Cartesian duality of subject and object dissolves, …

Psychopathy Factors And Degree Of Forcefulness In Sex-Offenders : Implications For Current Risk-Assessment Practices., Luciano Tristan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based primarily on theory, it is suspected that violent and non-violent sex-offenders can be differentiated by their psychopathic profile, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991). There is some concern that current risk-assessment instruments are not designed according to the characterological composition of violent and non-violent sex-offenders, which is believed to be essential to the instruments' predictive ability. Specifically, it is believed that such instruments are not sufficiently sensitive to the psychopathic characteristics associated with non-violent sex-offenders, as well as not sufficiently specific to the psychopathic characteristics associated with violent sex-offenders. A sample of convicted sex-offenders (N = …

Mindfulness As A Moderator Of Coping Response And The Abstinence Violation Effect : A Test Of The Role Of Mindfulness In The Relapse Prevention Model For Exercise., Christi S. Ulmer 1964-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of physical activity in preventing disease and promoting health is increasingly evident in health outcomes research. Although most adults in the U.S. have initiated exercise programs at some point in their lives, research suggests that they have difficulty maintaining beneficial levels of physical activity and exercise. With escalating rates of obesity and physical inactivity, the importance of understanding processes by which individuals engage in and maintain physical activity cannot be understated. The Relapse Prevention Model (RPM), developed for use with addiction, has been successfully used to explore factors associated with exercise drop-out, or "exercise relapse". In the current …

International Social Work Best Practices Curriculum For Schools Of Social Work., Stephen Ulrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1979, the U.S. President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies stated that to function successfully in the next century, all adults would need more knowledge about our interdependent world, awareness of other peoples, and greater sensitivity to global attitudes and customs. Social work is deeply rooted in the tradition of promoting social justice and in the profession's commitment to concern for culturally diverse groups. It is increasingly felt that social workers must acquire skills and attitudes that will enable them to effectively intervene with clients from diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. The inclusion of international content into social …

Mining Sequences In Distributed Sensors Data For Energy Production., John Damon Gant 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brief Overview of the Problem: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a government funded agency, provides both legislative and judicial powers for emissions monitoring in the United States. The agency crafts laws based on self-made regulations to enforce companies to operate within the limits of the law resulting in environmentally safe operation. Specifically, power companies operate electric generating facilities under guidelines drawn-up and enforced by the EPA. Acid rain and other harmful factors require that electric generating facilities report hourly emissions recorded via a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. SCADA is a control and reporting system that is present …

The Effects Of Prescribed Fire On The Herbaceous Layer In The Southern Appalachian Mountains., Michael Lee Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prescribed fire in the southern Appalachians is a frequently used and controversial forest management practice. Research is limited on the effects of prescribed fire in the mesic southern Appalachians, where many of Tennessee's rare and regionally endemic plant species occur. This study examined the effects of prescribed fire on the herbaceous layer. Field work was conducted on six previously burned sites within the Cherokee National Forest in northeast Tennessee. Complimentary non-burned sites were selected based on similarity of physical characteristics and forest structure. The numbers of herbaceous species and individuals and the total numbers of species and individuals were determined …

Dectin-1 Expression Is Altered By Fungal Infection, Polymicrobial Sepsis, And Glucan Administration., Tammy Regena Ozment-Skelton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glucans are fungal cell wall PAMPs that promote survival in polymicrobial and candidal sepsis. Dectin-1 is the primary PRR for glucans. The goals of the present study were to characterize 1) the effects of fungal infection on Dectin-1; 2) the effects of polymicrobial sepsis in the presence and absence of glucan on Dectin-1; 3) the effects of systemic administration of glucans on Dectin-1; and 4) the intracellular trafficking of glucans. Mice were either systemically infected with Candida albicans, or made septic by CLP with and without glucan phosphate (GP) injection, or injected with GP. Flow cytometry was performed to …

Parenting, Home Environment, And Child Obesity: A Survey Of Parents And Children Attending A Pediatric Clinic., Amit Ravindra Bodhani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data were collected from 60 parents of children 5-11 years of age to describe the parental and family factors and explore the associations of these factors with children's Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles. Mother's made up 81.7% of the sample. Whites/Caucasians comprised 88.3% of the sample. Males comprised 51.6% of the child participants while females comprised 48.3%. Among the child participants, 38.3% had BMI equal to or greater than the 95th percentile, and 6.7% had BMI 85th to less than 95th percentile. Concerns about child weight (r_s = 0.582), pressure to eat (r_s = -0.433), and monitoring (r …

Folk Medical Beliefs And Practices Concerning Women's Health And The Female Body In Southern Appalachia., Emily Lucinda Dale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores folk medical beliefs and practices regarding women's health issues and the female body, specifically menstruation, pregnancy, abortion and menopause, in the Southern Appalachian region. This research reveals what information was given to young girls, by whom was it given, and the effect this had on their self-image and on how they communicated about their bodies as they matured. Other key elements include the social restrictions surrounding menstruation and the ways these beliefs were communicated to young girls. In addition, this project presents information on the treatment of symptoms such as cramps, bloating, headaches, excessive bleeding, lack of …

African American Public School Principals In East Tennessee: Motivation For Leadership., Joe L. Canada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and document the factors that motivated African American public school administrators in a selected school system in East Tennessee to become school leaders. The study highlighted barriers and challenges, support mechanisms, and perceptions of training. If minority educators are to be actively recruited and retained, there must be an understanding of the factors that motivate them to progressively seek administrative leadership positions.

The African American public school administrators' experiences were collected through 17 one-on-one personal interviews. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, coded, and used to answer the 4 research questions.

The primary …

Seasonal Territoriality In The Carolina Wren, Thryothorus Ludovicianus, To Visual And Vocal Stimuli., Mark Allen Dunaway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carolina Wrens, Thryothorus ludovicianus, are permanent residents throughout their range. They form pair bonds at a young age, maintain these bonds for multiple years, and defend feeding/breeding territories year round. Male Carolina Wrens use songs in territorial defense and have been shown to countersing regularly to both neighbors and intruders. They use various song characteristics to determine the location of another bird and whether its territory has been invaded.

Wrens often approach playbacks silently in apparent searching behavior. In some cases, birds will investigate the playback but fail to countersing. I wanted to determine whether or not wrens would …

A Complete Characterization Of Maximal Symmetric Difference-Free Families On {1,…N}., Travis Gerarde Buck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior work in the field of set theory has looked at the properties of union-free families. This thesis investigates families based on a different set operation, the symmetricc difference. It provides a complete characterization of maximal symmetric differencefree families of subsets of {1, . . . n}

The Life And Public Career Of Robert F. Kennedy., Daryl Anthony Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There have been many notable politicians in the United States during the twentieth century. Some, like Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, were known for their swagger and appeal to the common man. Others, like Bill Clinton and Franklin Roosevelt, were known for their charisma and intelligence. However, one in particular was known for caring, compassion, strength, and determination. Robert Francis Kennedy lived in interesting times, surrounded by large egos and near mythical figures. But Kennedy was arguably one of the most important figures of the last fifty years. The ideas and ideals that he espoused still resonate nearly forty years …