Digital Commons Network^™

"Socratic Circles Are A Luxury": Exploring The Conceptualization Of A Dialogic Tool In Three Science Classrooms, Michelle Renee Copelin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that dialogic instruction promotes learning in students. Secondary science has traditionally been taught from an authoritative stance, reinforced in recent years by testing policies requiring coverage. Socratic Circles are a framework for student-led dialogic discourse, which have been successfully used in English language arts and Social studies classrooms. The purpose of this research was to explore the implementation process of Socratic Circles in secondary science classes where they have been perceived to be more difficult. Focusing on two physical science classes and one chemistry class, this study described the nature and characteristics of Socratic Circles, teachers’ dispositions …

Traction-Separation Relationships For Hydrogen-Induced Grain Boundary Embrittlement In Nickel Via Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Wesley Allen Barrows

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The deleterious effects of atomic and molecular hydrogen on the mechanical properties of metals have long been observed. Although several theories exist describing the mechanisms by which hydrogen negatively influences the failure of materials, a consensus has yet to be reached regarding the exact mechanism or combination of mechanisms. Two mechanisms have gained support in explaining hydrogen’s degradative role in non-hydride forming metals: hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity and hydrogen-enhanced decohesion. Yet, the interplay between these mechanisms and microstructure in metallic materials has not been explained. Accordingly, for this thesis, the three main objectives are: (i) to develop a numerical methodology to …

Modeling Radiation Heat Transfer For Building’S Cooling And Heating Loads: Considering The Role Of Clear, Cloudy, And Dusty Conditions In Hot And Dry Climates, Salem Ahmed Algarni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The influence of transient factors such as sky long wave radiation exchange and atmospheric aerosols (i.e., smog, and dust – made up of sand, clay, and silt) are not carefully considered in current building design and simulation models. Therefore, the research objective was to better understand and account for such variables, resulting in improved radiative predictive capabilities, especially important for hot and dry climates under different sky conditions including clean, cloudy, and dusty. Overall, results of this dissertation provided a better prediction method for sky long wave radiation exchange with a building’s roof and the impact of dust accumulation on …

Determinants Of Hedge Fund Performance, Jun Duanmu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays which focus on the determinants of hedge fund performance. The first essay defines two distinct styles of active portfolio management: alpha active and beta active. I develop measures of beta activity and find ample evidence that top beta active managers deliver superior out-of-sample performance. In addition, I find that beta activity measure successfully captures the time varying nature of beta exposures that can be interpreted as the common factor driving the long term out-of-sample predictive power of both Systematic Risk and R2.

The second essay attempt to span the space of potential risk factors …

The Effects Of Strain And Vacancies On The Electric And Vibrational Properties Of Ferroelectric Batio3 From First-Principles, Aldo Serge Michael Raeliarijaona

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The studies of ferroelectricity (FE) are of technological significance because of the multitude of applicable properties that ferroelectric materials exhibit. The mastery, and control of these properties necessitate the knowledge of the fundamental physics governing these insulating materials.

In this dissertation I present the results of first-principles investigations of the behavior of the fundamental ferroelectric properties under strain, and in the presence of vacancies. In the first part I introduce the important FE properties, their common behavior, and their numerous valuable applications. Following this background on FEs, a review of theoretical methods is presented with topics such as: Density Functional …

Lithologic Controls On Bedrock Channel Morphology In The Buffalo River Basin, Evan A. Thaler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The longevity of high relief terrains in passive margin systems remains an explained phenomenon in geomorphology. Current landscape evolution models assume an equilibrium state between rock uplift rates and erosion rates. However, analysis of chi gradients of bedrock channels across several lithologies in the Buffalo River Basin reveals disequilibrium in the basin controlled by the presence of a thick interval of Pennsylvanian sandstone that caps many of the plateaus in the basin. Headwater channels beneath the caprock tend to have higher chi gradient values in all lithologies than headwater channels in basins where the sandstone caprock is absent. High chi …

Alliaria Petiolata (M.Bieb.) Cavara & Grande [Brassicaceae], An Invasive Herb In The Southern Ozark Plateaus: A Comparison Of Species Composition And Richness, Soil Properties, And Earthworm Composition And Biomass In Invaded Versus Non-Invaded Sites, Jennifer D. Ogle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are widely recognized as organisms that severely alter ecosystem processes in the habitats to which they are introduced. Alliaria petiolata is one of the most important invasive plants in forests of the northern United States. This study examined the geographic distribution of the plant in the southern Ozarks, as well as the effect that it may be having on natural processes within forests of the region by comparing plant species richness, plant cover, and soil properties in invaded and non-invaded plots. It was found that A. petiolata is not significantly altering species richness, cover, or soil properties in …

Paleoclimate Implications From Stable Isotope Analysis Of Sedimentary Organic Carbon And Vertebrate Fossils From The Cedar Mountain Formation, Ut, U.S.A., Garrett Andrew Hatzell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions of fossilized vertebrate teeth and bone were analyzed to determine isotopic values of vertebrate faunal diet from the early Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah. Results for δ18O of PO4 (δ18Op) (Suarez et al., 2014) from the same data set have been compared to the δ18O of CO3 (δ18Oc) portion of teeth and turtle shell to determine if diagenetic alteration of the isotopes has occurred by plotting the line of best fit equation that models the relationship between unaltered δ18OP and δ18OC of modern mammals from Iacumin et al., 1996. Results indicate slight diagenesis of …

Perceptions Of Millennial Teachers' Commitment To Teaching As A Career, Deana Lyn Layton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Just like the childhood game of Hide and Seek, “Ready or not, here they come,” numbering 92 million strong, the Millennial Generation is the largest generational cohort in history. By 2025, it is predicted they will comprise 75% of the workforce. Millennials are highly educated, willing to learn, technologically advanced, and Socially conscious—all traits important for the making of a great teacher. The purpose of my study is to understand the mindset of six beginning Millennial teachers regarding teaching as their career of choice and how this mindset impacts their decision to remain committed to teaching. This study attempts to …

The Technological Singularity: An Ideological Critique, Phillip Stephens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Technological Singularity represents a confluence of techno-cultural narratives of progress in which the projected exponential growth of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology will usher in a moment of irrevocable change for the human race – a change that many claim is scant decades away. Although the concept saw its modern clarification by science fiction author Vernor Vinge, the Singularity sits astride both fictional and nonfictional narratives of the future. It is the aim of this study to explore the ideological discourses that emerge from texts on the Singularity and the unfathomable posthuman future it ushers in. Doing so reveals how …

Surface Modification Of Noble Metal Nanostructures Toward Biomedical Applications, Samir V. Jenkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Noble metal nanostructures have seen a steady increase in biomedical application over the last several decades; new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities are under intense investigation. Many of these applications are possible because of post-synthetic modifications to the particle surface. These modifications take a variety of forms and can significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of these particles. In this work, various surface modifications were investigated. Particle agglomeration, which occurs when particle surfaces remain in contact, can significantly affect the toxicity and efficacy of a nanomedicine. Darkfield microscopy and single-particle ICP-MS were developed as complementary methods to detect agglomeration in blood, with the …

Isometries Of Besov Type Spaces Among Composition Operators, Melissa Ann Shabazz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Let Bp,alpha for p >1 and alpha >1 be the Besov type space of holomorphic functions on the unit disk D. Given Phi, a holomorphic self map of D, we show the composition operator CPhi is an isometry on Bp,alpha if and only if the weighted composition operator WPhiPhi, is an isometry on the weighted Bergman space Ap,alpha. We then characterize isometries among composition operators in Bp,alpha in terms of their Nevanlinna type counting function. Finally, we find that the only isometries among composition operators on Bp,alpha, except on B 2,0, are induced by rotations. This extends known results by …

Effects Of Intervention On Self-Regulated Learning For Second Language Learners, Lu Yu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of the study were to investigate the process of self-regulated learning and the effects of an intervention program on self-regulated learning designed for second language (L2) learners. 120 participants who were sophomores majoring in English education at a university in an Asian country were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. The self-regulated learning intervention was composed of six weekly two-hour training sessions that focus on five main variables of self-regulatory process: goal setting, self-efficacy, time and study environment management, language learning strategies, and attribution. The operation of self-regulated learning processes in the context of …

The Functional And Distributional Ecology Of Mycetozoans Under Changing Edaphic And Climatic Dynamics, Geoffrey Lloyd Zahn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Investigations into the distribution and ecosystem functions of fruiting amoebae revealed that local-scale environmental conditions can largely explain broad biogeographical patterns in species assemblage, the way in which amoeboid predators shape bacterial communities and how this top-down influence may affect global biogeochemical processes in a changing climate. The distribution and assemblage of protosteloid amoebae on the islands of New Zealand and Hawaii did not yield any expected patterns of island biogeography, and conformed to other global regions studied. The strongest predictor of species richness in a given region was sampling effort and these species do not appear to have any …

A New Hope? A Critical Assessment Of Gentrification And Hope In Memphis, Tennessee, Daniel Russell Gadeke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gentrification is the manifestation of the Social change within urban residential neighborhoods as a result of uneven development in cities. These gentrification processes are a contextually dependent phenomenon, which vary both spatially and temporally when compared betwixt cities. Since the 1990s, local and state governments have developed more creative discourses for the promotion of gentrification which have overshadowed the positive outcomes of gentrification. The adoption of neoliberal policies has attacked many forms of the Keynesian welfare-state, most notably federal public housing. The United States’ Department of Urban Housing and Development’s (HUD) initiative Homeownership Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) emerged …

Static And Dynamical Properties Of Ferroelectrics And Related Material In Bulk And Nanostructure Forms, Zhigang Gui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ferroelectrics (FE) and multiferroics (MFE) have attracted a lot of attentions due to their rich and novel properties. Studies towards FE and MFE are of both fundamental and technological importance. We use a first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian method, conventional ab-initio packages and linear-scale three-dimension fragment method to investigate several important issues about FE and MFE. Tuning the properties of FE and MFE films are essential for miniaturized device applications, which can be realized through epitaxial strain and growth direction. In this dissertation, we use the effective Hamiltonian method to study (i) BaTiO 3 films grown along the (110) pseudocubic direction on …

Designing Fret Assays To Study Electrostatic Interactions Pertaining To The Binding Of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, Ashley Ann Howard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fibroblast growth factor receptor plays a major role in several biological processes. Without FGFR, a human cannot live. FGFR is involved in cell differentiation and wound healing. Of course, if FGFR signaling becomes unregulated, it causes severe distress in the body. Several cancers are contributed to high signaling levels, as well as developmental conditions like rickets and Kallmann’s syndrome. FGFR is thought to undergo an auto-inhibition (or self-regulatory) process in order to try to facilitate regulation. The exact method of this inhibition is currently unknown, but is proposed to involve the unstructured acid box region of FGFR. We developed a …

In Vitro Microdialysis Sampling Collection Of Volatile Organic Compounds (Voc's), Dodecafluoropentane (Ddfp) And Isoflurane, Valerie Shannon Mckinney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Death by stroke occurs every four minutes to human beings. Strokes cause necrosis within the tissue of the brain due to deprivation of oxygen. Perfluorocarbons have the ability to transport oxygen to tissue and in return decrease cell death. Dodecafluoropentane (DDFP) is a volatile fluorocarbon and collection in vivo can be a challenge since this compound evaporates at room temperature. There is currently not an efficient collection method in vivo for compounds that are volatile. Without a method to collect DDFP it is impossible to be approved for clinical use since exact concentrations of the drug within the body will …

Solubility And Detectability Of Hydrocarbons On The Surface Of Titan, Sandeep Singh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Titan’s thick atmosphere is enriched with organic compounds and its surface holds reservoirs of hydrocarbons. This makes Titan the only other candidate in our solar system (apart from Earth) to have stable liquid at the surface. The stability and characteristics of liquid and ices on the surface of Titan are of high importance in understanding its surface-atmosphere interactions. Titan’s hydrological cycle is similar to what we see on Earth, with the exception of methane (CH4) and ethane (C2H6) taking the place of water. The smoggy atmosphere veils the surface of Titan from the view of Cassini spacecraft, except at seven …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Community: The Fayetteville High School Community Photography Project, Stephanie Collier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Fayetteville High School Community Photography Project was conducted with 10th-12th grade students in Spring 2014 as part of a participatory art project through their Sociology class. This study uses participant photographs and surveys to better understand student variation in community perceptions and connections. Participant photographs serve as a way to “see” how high school students perceive community. Survey data gathered on the same sample are used to measure individual-level characteristics such as perceived neighborhood deterioration, neighborhood satisfaction, and Social capital to better understand how they impact feelings of community connectedness in youth. Results indicate that Social capital plays an …

Automatic User Profile Construction For A Personalized News Recommender System Using Twitter, Shiva Theja Reddy Gopidi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern society has now grown accustomed to reading online or digital news. However, the huge corpus of information available online poses a challenge to users when trying to find relevant articles. A hybrid system “Personalized News Recommender Using Twitter’ has been developed to recommend articles to a user based on the popularity of the articles and also the profile of the user. The hybrid system is a fusion of a collaborative recommender system developed using tweets from the “Twitter” public timeline and a content recommender system based the user’s past interests summarized in their conceptual user profile. In previous work, …

Fret Study Of Ligand Binding And Exchange Kinetics On The Surface Of Cdse/Zns Quantum Dots, Randee Jean Mcbride

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantum dots are a valuable tool in many research applications and commercial development. Their applications are far reaching and as such have become a topic of great interest. One of their greatest assets is the ability to utilize them as water soluble fluorescent labels. Rendering the nanocrystals water soluble can be accomplished in several ways, but one very popular method is by capping them with water-soluble multi-functional organic ligands. However, these ligands, when attached to the quantum dot surface, are labile and can be exchanged which can be problematic when using the quantum dots in research applications. This projects investigates …

Fundamental Studies Of Magnetoconvective Forces And Density Gradients In A Microfluidic Environment, Adam James Kreidermacher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnetoconvection is a promising phenomenon for developing new electrochemical-based microfluidic flow devices with unique capabilities, such as easily switching flow direction and adjusting flow speeds and flow patterns as well as avoiding bubble formation. In order to develop these devices it is necessary to study the underlying forces. Four contributions toward fluid flow were considered. The first and foremost is the magnetohydrodynamic force, which is the magnetic component of the Lorentz force and governed by the right hand rule. It generates the majority of the convention, and is the most well-known. The second is the gravitational force, which causes convection …

Differentiation Revealed: A Multiple-Methods Qualitative Study On The Implementation Of Differentiated Instruction In A Mixed-Ability Elementary Classroom, Curtis James Cunningham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Differentiated instruction as a philosophical approach to teaching has been around for decades. In recent weeks differentiation has come under fire as being an approach to teaching that is simply too difficult for teachers to implement. While teachers may attend a workshop or take a graduate class on the topic of differentiation and choose not to embrace the philosophy, there are also teachers who have successfully implemented differentiation. The argument against differentiation is based on the amount of effort required to simultaneously implement all components of differentiation.

To address these concerns the following question provided guidance for the present multi-method …

An Empirical Water Quality And Best Management Practice Prioritization Model For Select Arkansas Watersheds, James Mccarty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to prioritize subwatersheds using water quality data and watershed characteristics. Water quality data was provided through studies by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Beaver Water District, Arkansas Water Resources Center, and publicly available USGS gage data. A total of 114 sites across five HUC-8 watersheds were analyzed, including 12 USGS gages. Watershed characteristic data was retrieved from USGS and Arkansas GeoStore geodatabase repositories. A significant linear relationship between baseflow and stormflow nutrient concentrations was established allowing for the use of baseflow concentrations in the prioritization methodology. Pearson correlation, linear regression, classification and regression tree, …

A Cross Case Study Of Excellence In Science Fair Program Design, Kimberly Jones Murie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify components of schools with successful science

fair programs. Ideally schools interested in starting or improving their science fair programs could find a way to emulate some of the identified components. Successful was defined by having received recognition on some level at the International Science and Engineering Fair at least nine out of the last ten years. Twelve schools were identified as meeting this definition and five agreed to participate in the study. The schools represented diverse geographic areas as well as types of schools. Included in the study was a private school, …

A Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In U.S. Pork Production, William Benjamin Putman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to conduct a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the U.S. live swine production supply chain to quantify land use requirements and to assess the impact associated with various ration compositions. The functional unit was defined as one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of live swine at the farm gate, ready for transport to the abattoir. This assessment focused on the three highest producing USDA regions, which encompassed the Midwest (Regions 5 and 7) and the Southeast (Region 4), representing 86% of U.S. market hog production.

First, a literature review was conducted to summarize the most …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Alternative Swine Management Practices, Prathamesh Avadhut Bandekar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are quantitative analyses of complex systems for evaluation of impacts and risk associated with management decisions. LCAs can be effective tools for determining comparative advantages of management strategies across specific impact concern. In this study, life cycle assessments of pork production management alternatives was performed. The alternative management practices included in this study were production of entire males (boars), use of pens for gestation housing, immunocastration, production without growth promoting antimicrobials, production without growth promoting and preventive antimicrobials, and production without ractopamine. These LCAs evaluated the impact of each management strategy on greenhouse gas emission (GHG), …

Is Chir Pine Displacing Banj Oak In The Central Himalaya? Socioeconomic Implications For Local People And The Conservation Of Oak Forest Biodiversity, Ankush Nautiyal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Various studies have suggested that chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) is replacing banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) in the Central Himalaya. Five sites with three different types of forests (banj oak, chir pine and mixed oak-pine) were sampled to compare the diversity of their vegetation and to assess the impact of this ongoing conversion on biodiversity. Soil samples collected from oak and pine forests were analyzed and compared. In addition, dendrochronology was used to obtain age estimates of chir pine and to understand the growth response of this species to precipitation. Also, samples of ectomycorrhizal fungi were collected in the form of …

Novel Azole-Based Rearrangements, Kolawole Folayele Ayinuola

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work describes efforts targeted at the development of novel reactivity modes for the Breslow intermediate, which was proposed by Breslow to explain the mechanism of action of thiamine-dependent enzymes. By employing this intermediate as a hydroxy-substituted N,S-ketene acetal, we successfully captured it via Claisen rearrangement towards the preparation of diaryl tertiary alcohol products that are isomers of the hitherto elusive intermediate. This strategy also constitutes an unusual disconnection for a Claisen rearrangement precursor.

We have also uncovered an unprecedented radical C-N bond scission of a Breslow intermediate when a fluorenyl group is installed on the azolium nitrogen atom. This …