Digital Commons Network^™

Shoes First: The Process Of Designing Costumes For Shakespeare's "Measure For Measure"., Lesley Sorenson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper documents the deepening of my understanding of the costume design process for Measure for Measure. Prior to this journey of discovery there was little recognition of all steps or their impact on the final product. While analyzing the results during the thesis process I re-learned the importance of organization, problem solving, multi-tasking and communication in the evolution of making art. Part of this discovery also included the greater awareness of how detailed each aspect must be; how focused and how committed one must be to take design to a higher level. These ideas are documented throughout the processes …

Selective Hate Crime Law Enforcement: Race's Influence On The Police Decision To Arrest In Violent Hate Crimes Incidents., Rodney M. Huff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper investigates racial differences in rates of arrest for violent hate crimes against persons. Using 2002 NIBRS data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I develop and test logistic regression models which illuminate race’s influence on the police decision to arrest in violent hate crime incidents. Analyses of these models yield mixed support for hypotheses derived from the conflict perspective, central to which is the proposition that, within a class society, dominant groups use criminal law to increase their control of minority groups in order to maintain power and privileges historically reserved for elites. Results of analysis show …

Late Cenozoic Stratigraphy And Landscape Dynamics In The Unglaciated Central Appalachians: A Case Study From The Northern Blue Ridge, South-Central Pennsylvania, United States., Todd Grote

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Surficial deposits and soils along the northwestern footslopes of the Northern Blue Ridge in south-central Pennsylvania illustrate the geomorphic evolution of unglaciated landscapes that experienced late Cenozoic climate fluctuations. Geologic, geomorphic, and pedogenic investigations were used to document soil-landform-parent material relationships and create surficial geology maps. Deep exposures within three sand and gravel pits suggest fluvial processes, primarily tractive fluvial transport and valley aggradation, were the dominant mechanisms for alluvial fan development. Fan architecture suggests multiple depositional events, intermixed with episodes of landscape stability and weathering, were responsible for complex facies assemblages. Field and laboratory data revealed three lithostratigraphic units …

Filling The Silence --An Iserian Reading Of Ilse Aichinger's Work, Julia Sonja Brassat

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The works of the Austrian writer Ilse Aichinger are often considered impenetrable and incomprehensible. Aichinger’s doubt about conventional language serves as the basis for her use of highly pictorial and complex linguistic constructions. Although many literary scholars have alluded to the impenetrability of Aichinger’s works, few attempts have been made to investigate the meaning of her texts. In his theory of aesthetic response, Wolfgang Iser explains that literary works contain vacancies in the system of the text that need to be filled by the reader’s imagination. They serve as an impetus for the reader, during the process of reading, to …

The Growth And Characterization Of Gallium Nitride Quantum Dots., Nanying Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

III-Nitride Semiconductor Materials are highly promising for the fabrications of optical devices especially in UV region. And Quantum Dots structure is theoretically predicted to have higher quantum efficiency, contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. The research study done in this thesis is part of a Ph.D project. This thesis studies the growth of GaN QDs on Sapphire for the purpose of validating the new MOCVD system. It also studies the growth of AlN film on Sapphire for the preparation to grow GaN QDs on. For the first time, the size and density of GaN QDs grown on Sapphire is studied by changing …

To E Or Not To E: Adoption Of E-Marketing By Direct Marketing Farms In The Northeastern United States., Alexander G. Baer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the influence of farmer, farm, and product characteristics on technology adoption of e-marketing by direct marketing farms in the Northeastern U.S. Maximum likelihood estimators (Probit and Logit) were used to determine the relationship between these characteristics and website adoption. The explanatory variables were based on those identified in computer, Internet, and e-commerce adoption studies as well as variables specifically related to direct marketing farms. The similar results of both the Probit and Logit models indicated that farm businesses that have adopted the use of websites have higher gross farm sales, advertise using more methods, sell less perishable …

An Examination Of Factors Contributing To Adolescents' Proportion Of Same-Sex Friends., Clare M. Mehta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study considers how communication efficacy, activity preference, peer censure, femininity, masculinity, and gender identity relate to adolescents’ proportion of samesex friends. Participants were 149 adolescents aged between 15 and 17 years (63 males, 86 females, mean age 16.01). Participants completed a written questionnaire that asked questions about their friendships and about communication efficacy, activity preference, peer censure, femininity and masculinity, and gender identity. When both male and female data were analyzed together, results suggested that communication preference, a subscale of communication efficacy, and gender identity contributed to proportion of same-sex friends in adolescence. When female’s data were analyzed, …

Verification Of Three-Dimensional Biomechanical Model Joint Angle Outputs Using A Computer Generated Avatar., Brad J. Westfall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Defining a testing protocol to verify joint angles is extraordinarily difficult. In this study we validated a methodology to verify a 3-D biomechanical model joint angle outputs by creating computer generated avatars. Previous studies do not propose any methods for this type of verification, hence this methodology is novel. The biomechanical model was created using the commercially available software package Visual3D. Verification of the biomechanical model angular outputs were done using static and motion avatars created using C3Dserver, LabVIEW and c3d file format. Motion avatar's rotated body segments resemble axial rotations of 360 degrees. These were used to calculate baseline …

Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling Pathway And Angiogenesis, Zongxian Cao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting ones, is tightly controlled under physiological conditions, and deregulated angiogenesis contributes to many pathological situations. This study investigates the role of PI3K/Akt pathway in both physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) is an endothelial specific growth factor that plays a critical role in vessel maturation and stabilization during angiogenesis. We found that Ang1 potently induced p70S6K1 activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). p70S6K1 is a downstream target of PI3K, but its role in angiogenesis has not be defined. In the work shown in Chapter 2, p70S6K1 activity in HUVECs …

Honor, Patriarchy, And Disunion: Masculinity And The Coming Of The American Civil War, Kenneth A. Deitreich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The dissertation explores the nature of antebellum masculinity and its role in bringing on the American Civil War. It focuses its attention on two crucial episodes of the sectional crisis: the attack on Senator Sumner and the Secession Crisis of 1861 and on the four individuals, Preston Brooks, Charles Sumner, Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln, who played prominent roles in those episodes.;Among the issues it explores are the degree to which Northern and Southern ideas of manhood differed and the degree to which Northerners and Southerners associated manhood with sectional identity. Did Southerners associate being a man with being a …

Investigation Of Techniques And Effects Of Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning, Nathaniel Moles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the emissions standards placed on diesel engine exhaust become more stringent, the use of exhaust aftertreatment devices such as diesel particulate filters has become a more attractive means to meet those standards. During the use of these filters some of the particulate captured, usually ash, begins to restrict the flow through the filter. This increases the backpressure in the exhaust system and requires routine cleaning maintenance. This study reviewed engine technology used to reduce particulate emissions and investigated the effects of off-line cleaning of diesel particulate filters using compressed air and water flowing in the reverse direction of the …

Microstructure Modeling And Finite Element Analysis Of Particulate Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites, Praveen Shankaranarayana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study of microscopic and macroscopic response of a particulate reinforced metal matrix composites (PRMMC) using finite element (FE) analysis is the aim of the current investigation. In this regard, three types of microstructure models are subjected to FE analysis. In the first part of the work, a technique is presented for the generation of artificial microstructures containing spherical and ellipsoid shaped inclusions. The problem of detection of ellipsoidal intersection is tackled using newly available algorithms. To account for higher-scale effects such as clustering, information from the micro-scale model is input into a meso-scale model.;The FE analysis of the artificial …

Bimetallic Carbides As Catalysts For Dry Reforming And Steam Reforming, Huifang Shao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work, a series of novel bimetallic carbide catalysts has been successfully prepared in house, by changing the metallic elements therein and the ratio of CO2/CO in carburization process. Co-W-C and Ni-W-C are the elements in the bimetallic carbides to be discussed in this dissertation. Following the preparation, different techniques were applied to characterize the catalyst from the bulk phase to the surface.;For Co-W-C, the catalytic evaluation were carried out for three reactions, methane dry reforming (DRM), methane steam reforming (SRM) and methanol steam reforming (SRMeOH). This bimetallic carbide is stable and active for DRM after proper pretreatment, while …

Three Essays On International Trade: Strategic Trade Policies, Intra-Industry Trade, And Income Convergence, Aziz Ibrahim Saglam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation illustrates the effects of managerial delegation on strategic trade policies and the relationship between intra-industry trade and income convergence. In the first essay strategic trade policy under duopoly is investigated in a multistage game model with endogenous timing of trade policy. The analysis also includes the separation of ownership and management for each firm. The study is integrated in a single analytical framework. The results show that in the subgame perfect equilibrium of the trade policy game, the home government commits not to use countervailing duties: the home government sets its tariff and production subsidy at stage one …

The Framing Effect And Breast Cancer Treatment Options: Do Individual Characteristics Play A Role?, Kelly L. Schuller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effect of frame, or the way in which options are worded, has been shown to influence decisions in many domains; however, the literature lacks studies that examine the effect of age and other individual characteristics on susceptibility to the framing effect. Sixty-eight college-aged women ( M age = 19.10 years, SD = 1.54) and sixty-six women over the age of 60 years (M age = 70.76 years, SD = 7.10) were presented with breast cancer vignettes that varied by frame (i.e., gains option worded in terms of number of women who would be cured and loss option worded in …

College Dating And Social Anxiety: Using The Internet As A Means Of Connecting To Others, Sarah B. Stevens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the advent and widespread use of the Internet, various online media are being used to connect and maintain social relationships in individuals of all ages. Social relationships are vital to healthy development, and individuals with social and/or dating anxiety may have marked difficulty in establishing appropriate, supportive relationships due to fear of negative evaluation by others. For these individuals, the Internet may open up avenues of communication, and provide an outlet through which relationships can be formed and preserved. This study investigated the characteristics of computer and Internet use in young adults, to determine whether individuals who were high …

Database Anonymization Services, Chad B. Meador

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The progress of technology and the development of powerful databases have made it possible to store and easily access continually increasing amounts of sensitive data about people. Since personal information is becoming common in many different databases, it is vital that this data be hidden to ensure privacy of the individuals whose records are stored in these repositories. Database anonymization is the key to securing these databases by ensuring that database users will be unable to reveal sensitive personal information by intelligently structuring their queries.

We analyzed the structure of the BiomData database which contains images and sound recordings of …

Cytosolic Phospholipases A2 (Cpla2: Izoenzyme Expression And Regulation In A Human Breast Cancer Cell Model., Maricica Pacurari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Breast cancer remains one of the most widespread cancers among women worldwide. Despite the existing evidence that implicates arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, collectively called eicosanoids, in cancer onset and progression, little attention has been given to the enzymes, the cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), that usually provide free AA for eicosanoid biosynthesis. The present studies were undertaken to study the expression and regulation of the cPLA2-α, -β, -γ isoenzymes at the mRNA and protein levels, and of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and platelet 12-Lipoxygenase (12-LO) at mRNA level, the AA utilizing enzymes in MCF-7 cells. The present study shows that in MCF-7 cells the …

Democracies And Foreign Policy, Conflict Or Cooperation? The Leadership /Institutions Nexus., David J. Plazek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Democratic peace theory holds a homogenous view of democracy. Leadership studies and institutions literature have demonstrated that variation does exist across democracies, which suggests that democratic peace theory in underspecified. Taking a monadic approach to democratic peace, I examine the effect variations in leadership, institutional structures, and the interaction between leadership and institutions have on foreign policy outputs in democracies. The chapter on leadership reviews US administration belief sets from 1945-1992 to assess their effect on foreign policy decision-making. The findings are that belief sets do impact the conflict-proneness of administrations and that beliefs often shift over time. The institutions …

A Qualitative Study Of Mcdowell County West Virginia: Exploring Technological Determinism, Technophobia, And Fear As Deterrents Of The Utilization Of Computer Technology In Rural Communities., Christopher Ryan Walls

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computers play an important role in our everyday lives. Rural areas are being left behind the digital divide due to the lack of money, infrastructure, and educational resources. The current study will explore the role of fear among individuals who do not utilize computer technology. It will try to better understand the psyche of individuals in rural communities and their opinions about computers. This research will also try to provide solutions on how to narrow the digital divide in rural areas such as McDowell County, West Virginia. This research included an in-depth interview along with a survey regarding computer use …

Identifying Spatial Clusters Within United States Organic Agriculture., Daniel C. Eades

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although the organic market has experienced rapid growth in recent decades, growth in production has not been distributed evenly across the country, instead concentrating in certain regions. Employing measures of spatial concentration and association, we identify those counties in which organic production is clustered or represents a proportion of the agricultural economy greater than would be expected by national trends. Results show that spatial clustering of organic agriculture does exist. Large location quotients for organic production were most often found for the western U.S., the Great Plains states, and New England. Clusters measured by the local Moran’s I statistic followed …

Classification Of Dental X-Ray Images, Usman Qureshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forensic dentistry is concerned with identifying people based on their dental records. Forensic specialists have a large number of cases to investigate and hence, it has become important to automate forensic identification systems. The radiographs acquired after a person is deceased are called the Post-mortem (PM) radiographs, and the radiographs acquired while the person is alive are called the Ante-mortem (AM) radiographs. Dental biometrics automatically analyzes dental radiographs to identify the deceased individuals. While, ante mortem (AM) identification is usually possible through comparison of many biometric identifiers, postmortem (PM) identification is impossible using behavioral biometrics (e.g. speech, gait). Moreover, under …

The Effects Of Interactive Video (Ddr) On Heart Rate, Perceived Exertion, Step Count, Self -Efficacy, And Enjoyment In Elementary School Children, Barbara J. Olmsted

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rising levels of obesity continue to challenge physical educators to engage their students in activities sufficiently vigorous to accrue health-related benefits. Physically active video games are now recognized as a way to enhance physical activity levels in children. A school-based intervention in fifth- and sixth-grade participants (N=33) compared six lessons each of Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), volleyball, and an exercise video (Tae-Bo) according to the following dependent variables: heart rate, step count, active time, rate of perceived exertion, enjoyment, and self-efficacy. Repeated measures within-subjects comparisons revealed significant main effects for activity type across five dependent variables, and significant interactions for …

Studies To Investigate Variables Affecting Coating Uniformity In A Pan Coating Device, Preetanshu Pandey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables that affect the mass coating variability (CV) in a pan coating process. A novel video-imaging technique was used to record the movement of tablets inside the pan. The effects of pan loading, pan speed and particle shape were studied. The response variables were circulation time, surface time, projected surface area, dynamic angle of repose, cascading velocity (2 directions), and dispersion coefficient. Experiments were conducted at 3 different pan speeds, 6, 9 and 12 rpm, and two pan loadings. The circulation time ranged from 2.8-10.8 s, depending on the operating condition, …

Solution Techniques For A Crane Sequencing Problem, Jin Shang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In shipyards and power plants, relocating resources (items) from existing positions to newly assigned locations are costly and may represent a significant portion of the overall project budget. Since the crane is the most popular material handling equipment for relocating bulky items, it is essential to develop a good crane route to ensure efficient utilization and lower cost. In this research, minimizing the total travel and loading/unloading costs for the crane to relocate resources in multiple time periods is defined as the crane sequencing problem (CSP). In other words, the objective of the CSP is to find routes such that …

Fracture Pattern Characterization Of The Tensleep Formation, Teapot Dome, Wyoming, Bryan C. Schwartz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study presents a detailed analysis of open fracture systems observed in FMI logs through the oil producing Tensleep Formation at Teapot Dome. Open fracture systems in the Tensleep were compared to surface fracture distributions reported by Cooper (2000). Systematic fracture sets observed in the Tensleep consisted primarily of W and WNW striking sets oriented obliquely to the northwest trending hinge of the Dome and dipping on average between 78° and 58°. Hinge-parallel and hinge-perpendicular sets, common at the surface, were rarely encountered in the wellbore. Observations were made in vertical wells along the hinge of the anticline where bedding …

Numerical Modeling Of Deformations Caused By Carbon Dioxide Sequestration In Coal Seams, Xiaochao Tang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Atmospheric concentrations of CO2, as the most prevalent greenhouse gas, have been dramatically increased due to the anthropogenic emission mainly from fuel combustion. Geologic sequestration of CO2 in coal seams is an attractive choice to mitigate global CO2 emissions and its consequences. It can also provide secondary benefits such as enhanced coalbed methane production.;Three coal sites from Appalachian basin and Black Warrior basin were selected to numerically study the effects of CO2 injection in coal seams on overburden deformations. Finite element method was used for the analysis of overburden response. The analysis consisted of two phases---CO 2 injection and pore …

Shoeprint Analysis: A Gis Application In Forensic Evidence, Michael Anthony Walnoha Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The overall intent of this study is to illustrate how GIS and crime mapping methods can be applied to forensic evidence to better understand and comprehend spatial patterns that exist in these data. This study bridges common crime mapping principles such as hot spot mapping, exploratory data analysis, and spatial statistics to spatial forensic evidence investigation. In particular, forensic shoeprint evidence is examined and spatial relationships are analyzed using both exploratory and confirmatory statistical analysis. It is found that crime mapping principles can be indirectly related to shoeprint evidence mapping. Exploratory spatial data analysis is extremely helpful in breaking up …

Adolescent Religiosity And Conformity To Parents: Is Sex A Moderator?, Rebecca Kim Summers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines relations between adolescent reports of conformity to their parents and religiosity and if these are moderated by the sex of the adolescent and parent. Self-report data was collected from 121 ninth and tenth graders enrolled in three non-metropolitan high schools. Religiosity was measured by Schumm et al.'s (1991) modified version of Gorsuch and Venable's (1983) scales. Conformity to Parents was assessed using Peterson's (Peterson, Rollins, & Thomas, 1985) Conformity to Parents scales. Four regressions were used. Results indicate that females: (a) report higher levels of conformity to parents and religiosity than males and (b) that when adolescent …

Asymptotic Solutions Of Almost Diagonal Differential And Difference Systems, Fei Xue

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

New methods for both asymptotic integration of the linear differential systems Y'(t) = [D( t) + R(t)]Y( t) and asymptotic summation of the linear difference systems Y(t + 1) = [D(t)+ R(t)]Y(t) are derived. The fundamental solution Y(t) = phi( t)[I+P(t)] for differential and difference systems is constructed in terms of a product. The first matrix function phi(t) is decided by the diagonal matrix D(t) and the second matrix I + P(t) is a perturbation of the identity matrix I. Another fundamental solution Y( t) = [I + Q(t)]phi( t) is also constructed for difference systems. Conditions are given on …