Digital Commons Network^™

Greens : A Cultural Text Of The South, Brooke Butler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Getting Involved : Motivational Programs And Strategies To Influence Adolescent Art Students' And Their Teachers' Involvement In Art Museums, Katherine Patten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Single User Data Throughput On The Forward Link Of A High Data Rate System, Ching-Sia Lim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Amount Of Whole Schools Training On Teachers' Attitudes Toward Arts Integration, Sherry Lynn Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Production And Direction Of 'Proof' By David Auburn, Rebecca Bourgeois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Inventory Of Levee Slides With Potential Of Prediction Using Commercially Available Remotely Sensed Data, A. K. M. Azad Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Pedagogical And Comparative Study : Selected Songs Of Dinos Constantinides / By Laura Mobley Thompson, Laura Mobley Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Particle Sizes For A Range Of Narrow Size Distributions Of Natural Sands Suspended In Water Using Multi-Frequency Acoustic Backscatter / By Christopher K. Smith, Christopher K. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Antenna Modeling By Infinitesimal Dipoles Using Genetic Algorithms / By Taninder S. Sijher, Taninder Sijher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Opiate-Receptor-Specific Effects On Domestic Fowl Social Attachment / By Jason E. Warnick, Jason E. Warnick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Appropriation Of The Prospect Of Taking Medication For Psychological Complaints: An Empirical-Phenomenological Investigation, Daniel R. Mangine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the lived experience of being confronted with the prospect of taking medications for a psychological complaint, namely a depressive disorder. Descriptions of such experiences were obtained from adult participants and were analyzed qualitatively in order to explicate the themes and meanings that were most significant to forming the experience as such.

The findings of this study were dialogued with literature on medication taking, the doctor-patient relationship, dialogic psychology and the construction of the self, and theories of willing, motivation and identity. This analysis contributes to the current literature by illuminating the lived …

Internet Dwelling, Cyborgs, And The Matrix Of Modernity: An Empirical Inquiry With Critical-Hermeneutic Features, Andrew Felder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amidst modernity's expanding electronic social matrix, this cultural-historical inquiry explores the technological construction of human being (e.g., cyborgs) and sociality in the America Online cyberscape. A two-tiered critical-hermeneutic method enables exploration of the broad rationalizing historical narrative and the localized play of virtual discursive practices impacting human meaning construction, selfhood, and social practice. A third and fourth tier of inquiry occasions integration of "psychological" meanings found in research participant experiential descriptions and interviews. This four-tier interplay reveals a bodily ethic enabling participants to modify subjectifying Internet practices toward meaningful social ends. Otherwise, eclipsed interpretive bodily powers contribute to "undecidability" about …

A Software-Based Knowledge Management System Using Narrative Texts, Thomas Rudy Mcdaniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technical and professional communicators have in recent research been challenged to make significant contributions to the field of knowledge management, and to learn or create the new technologies allowing them to do so. The purpose of this dissertation is to make such a combined theoretical and applied contribution from the context of the emerging discipline of Texts and Technology. This dissertation explores the field of knowledge management (KM), particularly its relationship to the related study of artificial intelligence (AI), and then recommends a KM software application based on the principles of narratology and narrative information exchange. The focus of knowledge …

A Rhetoric Of Technology: The Discourse In U.S. Army Manuals And Handbooks, Sherry Ann Steward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the historical technical publications of the United States Army from 1775-2004. Historical research in Army technical communication reveals the persuasive characteristics of its technical publications. Elements of narrative, storytelling, and anthropomorphism are techniques writers used to help deliver information to readers. Research also reveals the design techniques writers adopted to unite the situated literacies of the troops. Analyses of print, comic, and digital media expose the increasing visualization of information since the eighteenth century. The results of such historical research can be applied to new media designs. Automating processes captured in paper-based technical manuals and adding intelligent …

Block Copolymer Stabilized Self-Assembled Magnetic Nanoparticles, Li Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic materials are currently being developed in the areas of pharmacology and medicinal chemistry for use in applications such as drug delivery and magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic fluids are being used in audio equipment and hard disk drives. Their suspension in a particular fluid is promoted by the adsorption or reaction of steric or electrostatic stabilizers, which are appropriate for the particular medium. Critical to the success of these magnetic fluids is the development of the steric stabilizers, which must prevent the coagulation of the metal particles. Polymeric materials are one of the most suitable nonmagnetic media to disperse the …

A Case Study Of The Libraries In The Vanguard Learning Colleges, Linda G. Swaine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of a learning-centered library from the perspective of the libraries in the 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges which were participants in the Learning College Project sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. The 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges were: Cascadia Community College (WA), Community College of Baltimore County (MD), Community College of Denver (CO), Humber College, (Ontario), Kirkwood Community College (IA), Lane Community College, OR), Madison Area Technical College (WI), Moraine Valley Community College (IL), Palomar College (CA), Richland College (TX), Sinclair Community College (OH), and Valencia Community College (FL). Furthermore, …

The Influence Of Students' Cognitive Style On A Standardized Reading Test Administered In Three Different Formats, Elizabeth Lynn Blanton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the means of scores on three forms of a standardized reading comprehension test taken by community college students in developmental reading classes. The three forms of the test were administered as a timed multiple-choice test, a constructed response test, and an un-timed multiple-choice test. Scores on the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) were used to classify the students who participated in the study as having field dependent (LOW GEFT), mid-field dependent/independent (MID GEFT), or fieldindependent (HIGH GEFT) tendencies. The paired samples test was used to analyze the scores among the students classified …

Multiple Scattering Of Light In Inhomogeneous Media And Applications, Claudia Mujat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Light scattering-based techniques are being developed for non-invasive diagnostics of inhomogeneous media in various fields, such as medicine, biology, and material characterization. However, as most media of interest are highly scattering and have a complex structure, it is difficult to obtain a full analytical solution of the scattering problem without introducing approximations and assumptions about the properties of the system under consideration. Moreover, most of the previous studies deal with idealized scattering situations, rarely encountered in practice. This dissertation provides new analytical, numerical, and experimental solutions to describe subtle effects introduced by the properties of the light sources, and by …

Water Quality Variations During Nitrification In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, David W. Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the relationship among the major water quality parameters during a nitrification episode. Nitrification unexpectedly occurred in a chloraminated pilot drinking water distribution system practicing with a 4.0 mg/L as Cl2 residual dosed at 4.5:1 Cl2:NH3-N. Surface, ground and sea water were treated and disinfected with monochloramines to produce finished water quality similar to regional utility water quality. PVC, galvanized, unlined cast iron and lined iron pipes were harvested from regional distribution systems and used to build eighteen pilot distribution systems (PDSs). The PDSs were operated at a 5-day hydraulic residence time (HRT) and ambient temperatures. As seasonal …

Optimal Upfc Control And Operations For Power Systems, Xiaohe Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The content of this dissertation consists of three parts. In the first part, optimal control strategies are developed for Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) following the clearance of fault conditions. UPFC is one of the most versatile Flexible AC Transmission devices (FACTs) that have been implemented thus far. The optimal control scheme is composed of two parts. The first is an optimal stabilization control, which is an open-loop ‘Bang’ type of control. The second is an suboptimal damping control, which consists of segments of ‘Bang’ type control with switching functions the same as those of a corresponding approximate linear system. …

The Design And Development Of A Comprehensive 49 Locus Y-Str Database For Major U.S. Populations, Paulina Niki Berdos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The establishment of a U.S. National Y-STR reference database from a variety of geographically and ethically diverse populations is essential to facilitate the generation of reliable estimates of Y-STR haplotype frequencies. Such multi-locus haplotype frequencies are required to provide a statistical estimate of the significance of a match. Y-STR loci, unlike traditional STR markers, are not independent of one another and are co-inherited as extended haplotypes of linked markers. The estimation of the frequency of occurrence of a particular haplotype therefore necessitates the use of a counting method, which means that the significance of many matches is dependent upon the …

Nascar Restrictor Plate Exhaust Manifold Design Strategies, Matthew John Dollhopf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents the results of a study on exhaust manifold design for a NASCAR Restrictor plate internal combustion engine. A computer simulation model was developed using Ricardo WAVE software. WAVE is a computer-aided engineering code developed by Ricardo to analyze the dynamics of pressure waves, mass flows and energy losses in ducts, plenums and the intake and exhaust manifolds of various systems and machines. [1] The model was validated against experimental data from a current NASCAR Winston Cup restrictor plate motor. The parameters studied have been exhaust manifold diameters and lengths. A response surface analysis of the simulation output …

Surface Chemistry Of Application Specific Pads And Copper Chemical Mechanical Planarization, Sameer Arun Deshpande

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advances in the interconnection technology have played a key role in the continued improvement of the integrated circuit (IC) density, performance and cost. Copper (Cu) metallization, dual damascenes processing and integration of copper with low dielectric constant material are key issues in the IC industries. Chemical mechanical planarization of copper (CuCMP) has emerged as an important process for the manufacturing of ICs. Usually, Cu-CMP process consists of several steps such as the removal of surface layer by mechanical action of the pad and the abrasive particles, the dissolution of the abraded particles in the CMP solution, and the protection of …

Motivations For Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) System Implementation In Public Versus Private Sector Organizations, Joycelyn Lorraine Harrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to increase the knowledge base regarding Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software implementation, particularly in the public sector. To this end, factors regarding benefits sought through ERP system implementation and critical factors surrounding successful ERP implementation were identified. In addition, the perception of project team members’ satisfaction with modules implemented and their concerns about implementing ERP software were identified in this study. The results of this study provided recommendations for public- and private-sector organizations in order to increase their opportunity for successful ERP system implementation. The literature review and results of this study suggested that …

Ownership Diversity Within The Media Industry: Trends And Current Conditions, Thomas E. Vizcarrondo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to determine if media ownership diversity remains at levels widely considered to be competitive and acceptable, despite consolidation within the media industry. The research augments the many studies analyzing programming diversity within the U. S. media industry. Rather than analyzing programming content, this study addresses ownership diversity by examining the diversity of media ownership within the context U. S. model, considered to be more of a decentralized, market-driven media industry when compared to other countries such as the United Kingdom or Canada. To measure diversity, the HerfindahlHirschman Index (HHI)—a measure of economic diversity widely used by economists …

Recruitment And Restoration Of The Oyster Crassostrea Virginica In Areas With Intense Boating Activity In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Lisa Michele Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Productivity, diversity and survival of estuaries are threatened by explosive coastal population growth and associated recreational activities. One major area of recreational growth has been the number of small pleasure craft motoring in shallow waters at high speeds. On the east coast of Central Florida in the Indian River Lagoon system, intense boating activity occurs year-round and intertidal reefs of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica with dead margins (piles of disarticulated shells) on their seaward edges are commonly found adjacent to major boating channels. The cause(s) of the dead margins is unclear. However, the disarticulated shells may be reducing reef …

Object Tracking And Activity Recognition In Video Acquired Using Mobile Cameras, Alper Yilmaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to increasing demand on deployable surveillance systems in recent years, object tracking and activity recognition are receiving considerable attention in the research community. This thesis contributes to both the tracking and the activity recognition components of a surveillance system. In particular, for the tracking component, we propose two different approaches for tracking objects in video acquired by mobile cameras, each of which uses a different object shape representation. The first approach tracks the centroids of the objects in Forward Looking Infrared Imagery (FLIR) and is suitable for tracking objects that appear small in airborne video. The second approach tracks …

Design And Analysis Of Adaptive And Reconfigurable Antennas For Wireless Communication, Maha Abdelmoneim Mohamed Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern radar and communication systems have experienced a tremendous increase in the number of antennas onboard, on the ground, and in orbital space. This places a burden due to the confined volume and limited weight requirements especially in space applications. The reconfigurable antenna is a promising and exciting new type of antenna, where through the use of appropriate switches the antenna can be structurally reconfigured, to maintain the elements near their resonant dimensions for several frequency bands. This increases the bandwidth of the antenna dramatically, which enables the use of one antenna for several applications. Four novel reconfigurable antenna elements …

Exposure Matters: Examining The Physical And Psychological Health Impacts Of Toxic Contamination Using Gis And Survey Data, Christine A. Bevc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the grassroots environmental movement brought national attention to the issues related to inequities in environmental quality. Previous research addressing these environmental inequities has progressively increased and advanced methodologically. However, the arguments and focus have been primarily limited to examining the socio-demographics in an ongoing debate of race and class. This thesis extends past the methodological stalemate focusing on the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using survey data in an environmental justice case study of a community in south Florida. This approach examines the social, health and environmental impacts of a Superfund site …

Application Of Absorptive Treatments On Traffic Noise Barriers In Florida, Chin Boon Chua

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the parallel barrier analysis feature in the Federal Highway Administration Traffic Noise Model (FHWA TNM), which is based on RAYVERB was used to explore the effects of multiple reflections due to single and parallel barriers and the use of absorptive treatment. Database was developed from the data collected from previous research efforts was used to generate a best fit equation model that can be used as a predetermining tool to determine the magnitude of parallel barrier insertion loss. The best fit equation model was then used to test against measured/model result and TNM prediction results for its …