Digital Commons Network^™

"V Is For Violin" - An Original Playscript, Brittany Taylor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As and MFA playwrighting candidate, I was given the opportunity to witness a fully realized production of my work. For this academic opportunity I chose the "V is for Violin." I will discuss the genesis of the idea, the evolution of the play, research conducted, and what I learned in the production process of the show.

Learn Your Lessons Well: A Director's Journey To Godspell, Brandon Dejuan Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following is documentation of my directorial approach and process leading up to the production of Godspell by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak, at the University Theatre in the fall of 2014. The chapters will include the script selection process, casting, analysis, and creative team discussions.

The Effect Of Balance-Based Torso-Weighting On Mobility, Gait, Balance, Postural Control, And Falls Efficacy In Mobility Limited Older Adults, Jennifer L. Vincenzo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exercise is a known intervention to prevent fall risk among older adults; however, adherence is poor. Therefore, it is of interest to determine if other interventions improve function and decrease fall risk among older adults. Balance-Based Torso-Weighting (BBTW) is a non-exercise intervention that improves functional measures among adults with multiple sclerosis, yet the effectiveness of BBTW has not been assessed among older adults without progressive neurological disorders. We conducted a double-blind, randomized study to analyze the effect of BBTW on functional measures and falls efficacy among community-dwelling, mobility limited older adults after 5 days of wearing BalanceWear® for 4 hours …

Rice Grain Yield And Nitrogen Uptake And Ammonia Volatilization From Urea As Affected By Urea Amendment And Simulated Rainfall, Randy Dempsey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effect of rainfall between urea application and flood establishment on N loss and grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) has not been studied. The first research objective was to compare the effects of simulated rainfall amounts and N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) urease inhibitor rate on NH3 volatilization and rice growth. Three field experiments were conducted and NH3 volatilization was measured in two experiments for 11 days after urea application (DAU) in semi-open chambers. Urea or NBPT-treated urea (NBPT-Urea) was subjected to six simulated rainfall amounts (0-25 mm) applied 5 to 15 h after urea application and flooded 7 …

The Role Of Attention In Ego-Depletion, Garrett Pollert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The resource model of ego-depletion is unable to account for the results of several ego-depletion studies, whereas a recent mechanistic revision by Inzlicht and Schmeichel (2012) has focused on the role of attention and motivation in an effort to explain the phenomenon. Assessment of attention's role in restrained and unrestrained eaters may provide evidence that motivation and attention work in tandem to affect one's ability to exert self-control. In this experiment, college-aged females participated in two studies to examine the role of attention in ego-depletion effects. Study 1 evaluated the effect of ego depletion on attention via a dot probe …

Community College Student Achievement In Web Based Software-Enhanced Developmental Mathematics Courses, Andrew Mark Aberle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to compare the performance of students receiving web based software-enhanced instruction with the performance of students receiving lecture only instruction in terms of retention rates, success rates, test grades, and final exam scores for developmental mathematics courses at Ozarks Technical Community College. The researcher randomly selected 250 participants from the population of students experiencing software-enhanced instruction during the 2012-2013 academic year and 250 participants from the population of students experiencing lecture only instruction during the 2010-2011 academic year. Several demographic variables were compared to control for intervening variables. The sample data was tested …

Engineer As Writer And Woman: Gender, Identity, And Professional Discourse, Jennfer C. Mallette

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As students, academics, and professionals, women entering engineering disciplines still encounter barriers that may impede their success. In this environment, what is the role of writing in the development of a professional identity, and how does it function as an avenue or a barrier to professional success? Using an ethnographically-informed case study approach, this dissertation focuses on the experiences of three women--a biological engineering student, an industrial engineering academic researcher, and a civil engineering professional--to examine how these women use writing to construct an engineering identity, take action within their discourse communities, and to demonstrate their technical expertise and ability. …

The Power Behind The Controversy: Understanding Local Policy Elites' Perceptions On The Benefits And Risks Associated With High Voltage Power Line Installation In The State Of Arkansas, Rachael Marie Moyer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Following a proposal for the installation of high voltage power lines in northwest Arkansas, a controversial policy debate emerged. Proponents of the transmission line argue that such an installation is inevitable and necessary to efficiently and reliably support the identified electric load in the region. Opponents claim that the lines will degrade the natural environment and hamper the tourism-based local economy in affected regions, notably in Ozark Mountain areas. This study seeks to understand how local policy elites perceive the benefits and risks associated with proposed transmission lines, which is a critical step in comprehending the formation and changes of …

Subsurface Fluid Flow Through The Mississippian Section Of North-Central Oklahoma, Carolyn Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study consisted of using drill stem tests, seismic amplitude data, and well logs to create the parameters needed to construct a groundwater flow model for a portion of Osage County. At the start, a potentiometric map of Osage County, Oklahoma was generated to use as a basis for the initial hydraulic heads and the constant heads in the model. Next, three seismic amplitude images were produced in a seismic interpretation program, OpenDtect, to base the hydraulic conductivity values on. In addition, utilizing Gamma Ray on 12 separate wells east-west across the county, a structural cross-section was created within Petra. …

Effect Of Sensory Cues On Hand Hygiene Habits Among A Diverse Workforce In Food Service, Robert Pellegrino

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poor hand hygiene is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses in the foodservice industry. A series of complex motivational interventions must be employed to permanently change the behavior of workers, to increase their compliance and sustain appropriate levels of proper hand hygiene. Unlike the healthcare industry, which uses large, costly multi-modal behavior modification strategies, the foodservice industry must deploy rapid, cost-efficient strategies that are focus on accommodating these goals with the constraints of high employee turnover rates and diverse demographics. This research was twofold, 1) examining differences in emotions and hand hygiene behavior among participants of two cultures when handling …

Let Him Be An Honor To The Country: Veteran Violence And Public Opinion After The Civil War, Laura Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the causes, perception, and treatment of violence and crime committed by veterans after America's Civil War. After an examination of the research problems plaguing the study of violence and crime among veterans, this study uses newspaper articles, tracts and sermons, the published journals and letters of Union and Confederate soldiers, and other contemporary sources to evaluate the presence and perception of violence and the hardships associated with the homecoming of veterans. Alcohol and drug addiction that began during the war followed veterans home. Discipline in the army was inconsistent, and violence abounded in camp as well as …

Data Integrity Verification In Cloud Computing, Katanosh Morovat

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cloud computing is an architecture model which provides computing and storage capacity as a service over the internet. Cloud computing should provide secure services for users and owners of data as well. Cloud computing services are a completely internet-based technology where data are stored and maintained in the data center of a cloud provider. Lack of appropriate control over the data might incur several security issues. As a result, some data stored in the cloud must be protected at all times. These types of data are called sensitive data. Sensitive data is defined as data that must be protected against …

Management Of A Primordial Problem: Redox-Sensitive Transcriptional Regulation In Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Ryan Christopher Sheehan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primordial Earth which hosted the first forms of life was an environment free of oxygen. Early organisms utilized metabolisms dependent upon anaerobic conditions and incorporated systems to which oxygen is deleterious. As the content of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere increased, anaerobic organisms had to acquire methods to sense and combat oxygen and reactive oxygen species. Several mechanisms were advantageous to such anaerobic organisms which correlated transcriptional processes with the redox state of the cell so that energy may be conserved and oxygen stress recovery genes activated during periods of oxidative stress. Iron sulfur (Fe-S) cluster cofactors incorporated within RNA …

Functional Significance Of Gill Claudin Proteins In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Osmoregulation, Joanna Katarzyna Bujak

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Claudin proteins, a key element of tight junction complexes, are known to control paracellular permeability. In euryhaline fish, changes in claudin abundance and localization are critical during salinity acclimation. In seawater, a leaky paracellular pathway that facilitates sodium extrusion is hypothesized to be controlled by claudin proteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Claudin-10c, -10d -10e and Claudin-30 in gill function in freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW) rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). I examined mRNA and protein abundance along with cellular localization. A tissue distribution survey showed that all of the claudins studied were predominantly expressed …

Characterization Of Silicon Phosphorus Alloy For Device Applications, Larry C. Cousar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A new material of highly-phosphorus doped silicon for device applications was characterized and analyzed for new material properties. Devices such as NMOS transistors and other CMOS compatible devices may benefit from new materials that reduce external resistances and increase drive currents.

Material characterization requires numerous techniques and technologies to determine electrical, optical, and physical characteristics. For this work, Hall measurement, X-ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, Photoluminescence Characterization, and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry were used to better understand this new material. The results may lead to new models for silicon phosphorus alloys.

Concentrated Disadvantage And Coercive Mobility: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Impact Of Coercive Mobility, Megan Nicole Handley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of incarceration, or coercive mobility, on concentrated disadvantage, testing an essential component of the theoretical model proposed by Todd Clear and Dina Rose (1998) and elaborated by Clear (2007). These authors argue that while concentrated economic disadvantage may lead to high crime rates, chronically high rates of incarceration may operate as a type of "coercive mobility," exacerbating concentrated disadvantage and increasing crime rates, especially in high-minority urban communities. The study also examines the importance of religious congregations, as a measure of community Social capital, which may moderate the relationship between coercive mobility and concentrated disadvantage. …

Environmental Reliability Of Thin Film Sealing On Thick Film Ltcc, Charles R. Bourland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As electronic components and systems become more intricate and expand into new realms of use case scenarios, new materials systems must be explored. With new systems comes the balancing acts of cost and reliability. Presented here is a thesis that explores a new hybrid-electronics packaging system using low temperature co-fired ceramics, referred to as LTCC. An LTCC system was designed to explore the environmental reliability of numerous thick film LTCC features and parameters. A key element was to explore how a thin film metallization stack up used to cap or seal underlying thick film structures would decrease environmental susceptibility while …

Design And Verification Environment For High-Performance Video-Based Embedded Systems, Michael Mefenza Nentedem

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, a method and a tool to enable design and verification of computation demanding embedded vision-based systems is presented. Starting with an executable specification in OpenCV, we provide subsequent refinements and verification down to a system-on-chip prototype into an FPGA-Based smart camera. At each level of abstraction, properties of image processing applications are used along with structure composition to provide a generic architecture that can be automatically verified and mapped to the lower abstraction level. The result is a framework that encapsulates the computer vision library OpenCV at the highest level, integrates Accelera's System-C/TLM with UVM and QEMU-OS …

Political Harvests: Transnational Farmers' Movements In North Dakota And Saskatchewan, 1905-1950, Jason Mccollom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research uses as a case study farmers' movements in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, two identical locales in terms of wheat monoculture, demographics, and agrarian ideology, and traces the differing Social, economic, and political outcomes between 1905 and 1950. The research, however, moves beyond this and also investigates the transnational integration, connections, and engagements among agrarian groups across the broader North American northern plains and across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to Europe, the Soviet Union, and Australia. Methodologically, this study applies Social movement theory, pioneered by sociologists Doug McAdam, Sidney Tarrow, and Charles Tilley, which seeks to replace a …

Distribution Of The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen Aegyptiacus) In Northwestern Arkansas And In The United States Of America, Cameron Chesbro

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) is an exotic member of the Anatidae that has been residing in northwestern Arkansas since the 1980s (Smith and James 2012). Following the discovery of Egyptian Geese in the area, not much attention has been given to the consequences of population increase. The Egyptian Goose has shown many diverse population growth patterns in areas where it has been introduced and started feral populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the current population size of the Egyptian Goose in northwestern Arkansas,and confirm successful breeding. The methods used in this study included conducting road surveys …

Improving Production Efficiency Of Beef Cow-Calf Operations, Amanda Jo Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three studies were conducted to improve and incorporate reproductive management practices into beef cow-calf production. First study evaluated serial use of Estrotect estrous detection patches as a simple, cost-effective reproductive management tool to identify cyclic animals before breeding, distinguish between females conceiving to AI versus natural service, and determine seasonal pregnancy rate after bull removal. Also determined, was effectiveness of altered timing of GnRH treatment (1 d ± CIDR removal) in a modified 14-d CIDR-Select Synch protocol. When evaluated over a 4-wk period, estrous detection patches correctly (P < 0.01) identified 79% of cyclic and 86% of non-cyclic heifers. Patches were 96 and 98% accurate in identifying heifers and cows pregnant by AI, respectively, and were 76 and 87% accurate in identifying pregnant heifers and cows at the end of the breeding season (P < 0.01). Treatment with GnRH at CIDR removal reduced labor costs and animal handling without compromising estrous response (both ~63.0%) and AI pregnancy rates (~76 and 77%; P > 0.1). Second study determined if addition of PGF2alpha treatment on d 7 …

Phylogeny And Diversity Of Entamoeba In Cockroaches, With An Emphasis On Periplaneta Americana, Mustafa Husain Fakhri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the parasitic Amoebozoan Entamoeba histolytica has been well-studied for its role in human pathogenesis, the biodiversity of invertebrate-inhabiting Entamoeba has scarcely been investigated. Using molecular methods, I searched for Entamoeba in the guts of cockroaches from four of the six Blattodean families. Entamoeba small-subunit rRNA genes were recovered from all eight species of cockroaches tested, five of which represent newly discovered hosts. Phylogenetic analysis of over 190 sequences revealed a novel and highly diverse clade of cockroach-inhabiting Entamoeba, separate from the clade predominated by vertebrate-inhabitants. These results double the known genetic diversity of Entamoeba and suggest that they may …

Prediction Of Superovulatory Response In Beef Cows Based On Serum Anti-Mullerian Hormone And Antral Follicle Number, Keith Center

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A study investigated the use of Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and/or follicle counts as a predictor of subsequent superovulatory response and embryo production in 79 beef cows. Before initiation of superovulation, ultrasonography was used to scan the ovaries of each donor cow to record the number of 3 to 5 mm follicles present, and a blood sample was collected for measure of serum AMH. At the time of embryo collection, the ovaries of donor cows were palpated to estimate the number of corpora lutea (CL) present on each ovary. Recovered embryos were evaluated for stage of development and morphological quality. Across …

High Temperature Cmos Silicon Carbide Asynchronous Circuit Design, Landon John Caley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Designing a digital circuit to operate in an extreme temperature range is a challenge with increasing demand for a solution. Large variations in temperature have a distinct impact on electron mobilities causing substantial changes to the threshold voltage of the devices. These physical changes affect the setup and hold times of clocked components, such as D-Flip Flops, of a traditional synchronous digital circuit. Focusing primarily on high temperature circuit operation, this dissertation presents a digital circuit design methodology pairing an asynchronous circuit design paradigm called NULL Convention Logic (NCL) as well as traditional Boolean circuitry with a wide-bandgap semiconductor material, …

Simulation In Algorithmic Self-Assembly, Jacob Hendricks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Winfree introduced a model of self-assembling systems called the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM) where square tiles with glues on their edges attach spontaneously via matching glues to form complex structures. A generalization of the aTAM called the 2HAM (two-handed aTAM) not only allows for single tiles to bind, but also for "supertile" assemblies consisting of any number of tiles to attach. We consider a variety of models based on either the aTAM or the 2HAM. The underlying commonality of the work presented here is simulation. We introduce the polyTAM, where a tile system consists of a collection of polyomino …

Source Constraints Of Ore Metals In Mississippi Valley-Type Deposits In Central And Eastern Tennessee Using Pb Isotopes, Austin Moyers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) Central and East Tennessee (TN) Districts contain economically significant lead-zinc deposits that occur in the Early Ordovician carbonates of the Knox Group. Although both districts share similar host rock, have similar temperatures of formation, and typically fill open spaces of collapse breccias or replace their host carbonates, previous studies may suggest that these ores did not form from the same mineralizing fluids and may have different Pb sources. Nu Plasma MC-ICP-MS Pb isotopic analyses on sulfides from Central and East TN were conducted and the metal sources evaluated. Results were plotted on covariation diagrams with respect …

Evaluating A Brief Sexual Violence Therapy Group For Incarcerated Women, Marie Elisabeth Karlsson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Incarcerated women report higher rates of sexual victimization and mental illness than the average woman and incarcerated men. Researchers have argued that sexual victimization is a pathway to prison for women, and that there is a lack of trauma-focused treatments in prisons. Some researchers have evaluated trauma-focused group treatments for incarcerated women (Bradley & Follingstad, 2003; Cole et al., 2007; Ford, Chang, Levine, & Zhang, 2013; Kubiak, Kim, Fedock, & Bybee, 2012; Paquin, Kivlighan, & Drogosz, 2013; Roe-Sepowitz, Bedard, Pate, & Hedberg, 2014; Zlotnick, Johnson, & Najavits, 2009), with mixed results and several limitations. Most of these treatments are lengthy …

Reliability-Based Design And Acceptance Protocol For Driven Piles, Joseph Jabo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current use of the Arkansas Standard Specifications for Highway Construction Manuals (2003, 2014) for driven pile foundations faces various limitations which result in designs of questionable reliability. These specifications are based on the Allowable Stress Design method (ASD), cover a wide range of uncertainties, do not take into account pile and soil types, and were developed for general use. To overcome these challenges it is deemed necessary to develop a new design and acceptance protocol for driven piles. This new protocol incorporates locally calibrated RLFD resistance factors for accounting for local design and construction experiences and practices, as well …

Utilizing Failure Information For Mission Assessment And Optimization For Complex Systems, Charlie Destefano

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a new failure analysis method, Failure Identification for Mission Analysis (FIMA), which performs a general failure analysis for the overall state of a system, as well as a mission-specific analysis that identifies how failures may have differing effects on the various mission tasks that a system must complete. The FIMA method is capable of being implemented at any point in the design process. During early design stages, the FIMA method will identify various qualitative failure scenarios based on programmed functional relationships and any number of initial failures wished to be simulated. The functional relationships for this method …

Microbial Community Shifts Caused By Changes In The Primary Oxidant At A Drinking Water Treatment Plant, Connie Marie Moloney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities resistant to common oxidants can cause concerns for water treatment plants (WTPs). If a bacterium is not fully oxidized during disinfection, these species can impede upon filtration processes or seed biofilms in the distribution system. In an effort to minimize disinfection by-products (DBP's) that result from the reaction of chlorine (Cl2) with natural organic matter, water treatment plants have the option to change their primary oxidant to chlorine dioxide (ClO2). The following study examines the change in microbial communities during the sedimentation process under differing oxidation regimes, specifically chlorine (Cl2) and ClO2 at the local water treatment plant …