Digital Commons Network^™

Conflicted Union: Culture, Economics And European Union Media Policy, Daphney Pernola Barr

Theses and Dissertations

The constant tension between internal market development and cultural preservation remain within European Union audiovisual media services regulatory policy. While market harmonization and liberalization are key to developing a formidable European media market, the preservation of and promotion of ‘European-ness’ depends upon the protection of cultural diversity, a necessity for a confederation of 27 sovereign nation-states with distinct cultures and languages. It may not currently be possible to reconcile the intrinsic duality of audiovisual media through EU regulatory policy mechanisms. However, a regulatory policy clearly that addresses the potential of cultural harmonization/economic liberalization conflict, that explicitly connects the EU’s audiovisual …

The Role Of Ceramides In Mediating Endotoxin-Induced Mitochondrial Disruption, Melissa Ellen Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramides are sphingolipids that serve as important second messengers in an increasing number of stress-induced pathways. Ceramide has long been known to affect the mitochondria, altering both morphology and physiology. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a prevalent circulating inflammatory agent in obesity, potentially mediating some of the pathologies associated with weight gain. Given previous findings of TLR4-mediated ceramide accrual and ceramide-mediated mitochondrial disruption, we questioned whether ceramide is necessary for LPS-induced mitochondrial disruption. We found that LPS treatment increased gene transcript levels of ceramide synthesis enzymes and mitochondrial fission proteins and increased ceramide content in cultured myotubes and in mouse tissue. Mitochondrial …

Ten Pop Culture Modules For The Middle School Exploratory Spanish Classroom, Amy K. Gramlich

Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-first century adolescents desire to learn through methods and topics which are relevant to their contemporary experiences. Middle school students are motivated by technology and popular culture, and they desire high interest activities in the classroom. Foreign language educators have a plethora of authentic resources that represent target language popular culture available for the modern-day classroom such as YouTube videos, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Voice, online magazines, and student cell phones to help meet these needs. However, many educators feel limited and rushed in finding the time to prepare for culture lessons. The intent behind this thesis is to create pop …

Facilitating Embodied Instruction: Classroom Teachers’ Experiences With Drama-Based Pedagogy, Peter B. Duffy

Theses and Dissertations

There is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that drama-based pedagogies significantly contribute to improved teaching and learning. Furthermore, there is important research that demonstrates the impact on teachers when they learn about neuroscience. This research project developed six professional development sessions for six elementary school teachers to provide training on both drama-based instruction and research on embodiment. Combining these two fields presented a problem. Arts-based research is qualitative in nature where cognitive science research depends on post-positivistic assumptions of reliability and trust-worthiness. Missing from these standard measures of research (fMRI studies, STROOP Tests, reaction time tests), however, is the impact …

(Mascot) Nation: Examining University Engagement On College Football Teams’ Facebook Pages, Matthew J. Haught

Theses and Dissertations

In the sport of college football, engagement with fans drives revenue for the sports teams and the athletic department; the more fans buy, the more money the school gets. This study examines the ways college football teams use Facebook to engage their publics, and how that engagement builds a sense of community. Specifically, it explores six teams that represent new college football teams, midmajor teams, and state flagship institution teams. Ultimately, it seeks to explain how social media can be a force in establishing and maintaining an online community.

Embodying Ritual Performance: An Iconographic Analysis Of Burial 38 At The Etowah Site, Amy M. Goldstein

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an iconographic study of Burial 38 from Mound C at the Etowah, a Mississippian mound site in present-day Northwest Georgia. The goal of this study was to gain an understanding of the iconographic meaning of the artifacts in Burial 38 as well as the significance of the arrangement of individuals within the burial and its relationship with Mound C more broadly. Applying theories of relational ontology, performance, and gender, I build on King’s (2010) interpretation of Mound C’s final construction phases as a ritual event that transformed the mound into a sacred center, melded foreign and local …

Revisiting Gender Constraints And Benefits In Leisure Tourism: Man-Up, It’S Time To Travel Like A Woman, Holly L. Rabin

Theses and Dissertations

Historically and culturally, women’s leisure has been constrained through time, activity, and experience, as it is intricately woven with elements of freedom and choice, and thus empowerment (Khan, 2011; Henderson, et al., 1989). Previous research of constraints in leisure tourism appears to follow a pattern of inequalities between men and women (Wearing & Wearing, 1988). Women are feeling more independent and selfconfident then ever before in their leisure time and travel (Wilson & Harris, 2006). The purpose of this study is to determine if previous research, statistics, and case studies are still relevant in Millennial females and their solo leisure …

Products, Practices, And Perspectives In The World Language Classroom: A Unit On Mexican Food For A High School Spanish 1 Class, M. Susy Bird

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project for a Master of Arts in Spanish Pedagogy consists of a four-week, five- lesson unit on Mexican food designed for a high school Spanish 1 class. Following an overview of the need for more cultural products, practices, and perspectives in the teaching of world languages, the project outlines the learning objectives and assessments for the unit and describes its implementation in a high school Spanish classroom, followed by an analysis of learning outcomes and a discussion of which components of the unit went well along with suggestions for improvement. The actual lesson plans are included as appendices.

Discovery Of An Allosteric Site On Furin, Contributing To Potent Inhibition: A Promising Therapeutic For The Anemia Of Chronic Inflammation, Andrew Jacob Gross

Theses and Dissertations

Release Date: October 2017

Anemia of chronic inflammation (ACI) is a condition that develops in a setting of chronic immune activation. ACI is characterized and triggered by inflammatory cytokines and the disruption of iron homeostasis. Hepcidin, a small peptide hormone, is the master regulator of iron homeostasis, and rapidly responds to iron supply and demand. Under conditions of chronic inflammation, hepcidin is elevated, and alters the way that iron is absorbed and disrupted throughout the body, resulting in disrupted iron homeostasis through inhibition of the iron exporter protein ferroportin. Anemia arises when insufficient erythropoietic activity combined with inadequate iron supply …

The Impact Of Parentification On Depression Moderated By Self-Care: A Multiple Group Analysis By Gender For South Korea And The U.S., Sunnie Giles

Theses and Dissertations

Parentification, the process of role reversal between parent and child, has long-term deleterious consequences. Using 500 men and 501 women, ranging from 18 years to 55 years old, residing in Korea and the U.S., this study examined the relationship of parentification experienced during childhood and depression in adulthood. The moderating impact of gender and self-care was examined in both the Korean and U.S. samples. Multiple-group analysis showed that the relationship between parentification and depression was statistically significant in all groups (U.S., Korean, male, and female), and self-care was negatively linked to depression. However, self-care did not moderate the relationship between …

"Making Ourselves Over In The Image Of The Imagery": Overcoming Alienation Through Poetic Expressions Of Experience, Jacqueline Aquino Teusch

Theses and Dissertations

My focus for this essay is on understanding the rhetorical process that occurs when people come together despite their differences—that is what rhetoric is all about. Kenneth Burke argues that this process, for alienated people especially, happens poetically, more than semantically because there are too many differences to overcome semantically between alienated people and the dominant community. This essay is about how the rhetorical process of identification as described by Burke helps us to explain how we cross barriers that divide people who are different to create moments of mutual understanding—identification. In this essay, I look at the experience of …

Man Shall Not Live By Bread, At All: A Netnography Of The Key Characteristics And Purposes Of An Online Gluten-Free Community, Emily Anne Bean

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a netnography of an online gluten-free community through the scope of the Facebook group "Gluten Free." The objective of this qualitative inquiry is to investigate the key characteristics of this online gluten-free community and gain a deeper understanding of member purposes for participation. Employing the method of netnography allows for an unobtrusive exploration of the community by discreetly utilizing anthropological techniques in an online setting. Despite growing awareness, no academic research has yet been conducted on the social aspects of the online gluten-free community. The thematic findings that emerged from this study were two-fold. First, this investigation …

Potential Energy And The Three Odalisques, Yamins Roxanne

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this paper is to examine some ways in which BEHAVIOR, POTENTIAL ENERGY, and EMPATHY are critical components in my thinking and work. The impetus for my work is an investigation of how these three components can be manifested in visually expressive and powerful states. My masters thesis, The Three Odalisques, is an attempt at making a space and world which privileges these components and the potential for art to express these ideas. This paper is divided into two parts. The first section is a formal analysis of the pieces in my work from my MFA thesis show. …

Threading Art: The Dynamics Of Costume Design And Costume Studies., Tavares De Melo Isabela Marchi

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the strong relationship between design and history in the process of studying and creating costumes for theatre. Costumes are considered an important area in the study of material culture, which has been given more visibility within academia. Over the past few decades, the number of museums and universities with collections dedicated exclusively to costumes and textiles has noticeably increased, recognizing them as works of art worthy of being preserved. Considering costumes’ ability to document time and space, and to visually tell stories, many theatre departments have implemented methods to organize their …

Is ‘How’M I Doin’?’ A Universal Question? Unpackaging Cultural Differences In Feedback Seeking, Rana Gaby Moukarzel

Theses and Dissertations

The feedback literature is based on the premise that given a favorable context and a drive to reduce uncertainties, all individuals should seek self-relevant performance information. However, this framework has only been empirically examined using Western samples and has failed to consider the influence of the broader context, with the exclusion of Sully de Luque and Sommer’s (2000) cultural framework. The purpose of this project was to integrate extant culture theory into the feedback seeking literature for a more comprehensive framework, and a more global understanding of cultural contingencies surrounding the feedback seeking process. Findings revealed the universality of feedback …

Measuring The Efficacy And Quality Of A Professional Development Training On Prejudice Reduction And Reflective Practice: Transforming The Delivery Of Change Through Collective Insight And Informed Action, Berdine Gordon-Littrean

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of school improvement planning is an enhanced level of student achievement through an enhanced leadership framework and successfully implemented program. The improvement plan process requires focus on specific priorities to effect real change. The purpose of this action research study was to provide professional training as part of a continuum change initiative. The study analyzed the salient factors or areas of critical concern, impacting prejudice and controversial issues settings. These variables included levels of leadership, and significance of the following: diversity of identity and experiences, stereotyping, internalized oppression, building pride and capacity, becoming allies, making commitments to …

The History And Educational Legacy Of The Manchester Art Museum, 1886-1898, Angela Parker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the history of the Manchester Art Museum (Manchester, England), which was founded by Thomas Coglan Horsfall (1841-1932) in 1886. It considers the museum’s permanent collections and its programming from 1886 to 1898 with brief notes on the later years of the institution. While, like previous work on the Manchester Art Museum, the thesis contextualizes the museum within Victorian arts and community institutions, it breaks new ground by highlighting the ways in which it diverged from these institutions. The analysis of the museum’s collections and programming emphasizes the contributions that Horsfall and the Art Museum Committee made to …

Senses In Synthesis: Imaginative Sensing In The 19th Century, Jesse Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

During the late 19th century, arts and literature had a surge of sensory awareness, made manifest through sensory analogy, intersensory metaphor, and synaesthesia. This dissertation explores this phenomenon through a study of five poets and artists: Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Barlas, and Julia Margaret Cameron. Using imaginative sensing, these artists transformed the relationship between artist and observer, assigning greater responsibility to their audience while simultaneously asserting artistic control of their work. Their fascination with sensory mixing and multisensory awareness demonstrates unique ideas about perception and embodiment, ideas that have sparked both controversy and imitation. I begin …

Gettin' Weird Together: The Performance Of Identity And Community Through Cultural Artifacts Of Electronic Dance Music Culture, Andrew Matthew Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

The growing popularity of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) on nearly every continent has given rise to the transition of EDM music from underground raves to large scale, multiple-day music festivals. Attendance at EDM events, whether at concerts or festivals, is primarily dominated by today's youth generation. The number of youth attending these events continues to grow as elements of EDM are being mixed into other mainstream music genres. This increase in the popularity of EDM has been an area of research interest in the past decades for a variety of disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, marketing, and tourism. The present …

Tuning And Optimization Of Silk Fibroin Gels For Biomedical Applications, Michael Marin

Theses and Dissertations

Biocompatible and biodegradable porous materials based on silk fibroin (SF), a natural protein derived from the Bombyx mori silkworm, are being extensively investigated for use in biomedical applications including mammalian cell bioprocessing, tissue engineering, and drug delivery applications. In this work, low-pressure, gaseous CO2 is used as an acidifying agent to fabricate SF hydrogels. This low-pressure CO2 acidification method is compared to an acidification method using high-pressure CO2 to demonstrate the effect of CO2 mass transfer and pressure on SF sol-gel kinetics. The effect of SF molecular weight on the sol-gel kinetics is determined using the low-pressure CO2 method. The …

A Method To Determine An Organization’S Compatibility With Hybrid Workspaces, Richard T. Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Facing fiscal constraints, organizations should investigate new ways to ensure their weapons, equipment, facilities and personnel operate with improved efficiency. The adoption of hybrid workspaces offers a unique solution to improve both space utilization and workplace efficiency. The premise behind hybrid workspaces is that workspaces are not assigned to individuals; instead, a variety of different work areas are constructed to allow individuals to choose where they accomplish their work-related tasks. However, hybrid workspaces are still an emerging concept and represent a radical departure from traditional workplace setups. Current use of hybrid workspaces falls primarily in the private sector and there …

A Maoli-Based Art Education: Ku'u Mau Kuamo'o 'Ōlelo, Raquel Malia Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

Leaders in K-12 education in Hawai'i are increasingly advocating for and utilizing the culture and knowledge of the kānaka Maoli, the native people of these islands, as a context for learning in a variety of curricular disciplines and approaches (Benham & Heck, 1998; Kani'iaupuni, Ledward & Jensen, 2010; Kana'iaupuni & Malone, 2006; Kahakalau, 2004; Meyer, 2004). To expand upon this trend, this thesis uses a combination of autoethnographic and critical indigenous methodologies to present a personal narrative that looks specifically at approaching art education from a Maoli perspective. Through extensive participant/observer reflections, two place-based and culture-based art education experiences are …

You Are That: An Upanishadic Approach To Empathic Writing Instruction In A High School Social Science Course, Andrew Otto Davis

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reports the results of a qualitative research project investigating an approach to composition instruction in a high school social studies course that is based on the Upanishadic concept of tat tvam asi (you are that). Research for this study was conducted while I taught a section of Non-West History to high school juniors and seniors. This dissertation addresses the issues involved in the teaching of writing in a high school social science course. Specifically it focuses on the issues involved when a teacher attempts to construct a class that engages students to read and write in ways that …

The Relationship Between Partner Perceptions Of Marital Power And Sexual Satisfaction As Mediated By Observed Hostile Interaction, Amanda Claire Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

Using a sample of 322 married couples (644 spouses) from The Flourishing Families project, this study examined the relationship between marital power and sexual satisfaction as mediated by observed hostile interaction. More specifically, an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was used in which husband and wife perceptions of their partner's power were hypothesized to be related to husband and wife self-report of sexual satisfaction, with husband and wife observed hostile interaction as possible mediating variables. Results showed that husband and wife perceptions of power were positively related to their respective husband and wife sexual satisfaction and positively related to their respective …

Romantic Relational Aggression In Parents And Adolescent Child Outcomes, Jennifer Nicole Hawkley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine marital romantic relational aggression in parents and its impact on adolescent relational aggression, adolescent romantic relational aggression, internalizing, and school engagement with self-regulation as a potential mediator. Gender differences were also examined. Adolescents were from 328 two-parent families in a large north-western city in the United States and were between 12 and 17 years of age (M=14.24, SD=1.00, 51% female) at time 4. All independent variables except adolescent self-regulation were measured at wave 4, and all adolescent variables were measured at wave 5. Results indicate that higher levels of romantic relational aggression …

Hegemonic Resistance In Hip-Hop Music: A Gramscian Rhetorical Criticism Of Tupac Shakur, Scott Andrew Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the rhetorical elements in the work of Tupac Shakur that provide the capacity for resistance against hegemonic conditions of oppression. A popular, socially-conscious rapper of the 1980s and 1990s, Shakur's music opened a window not only for others to understand the social injustices facing Black Americans, but provided Blacks living in conditions of poverty and oppression with a voice in society. Using a Gramscian lens of rhetorical criticism, this study examines the neo-marxist elements of hegemonic structure present in select tracks produced during Shakur's lifetime. This analysis explores the rhetorical strategies deployed by Shakur to bring awareness …

Identification Of T-Cell Epitopes In The Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 4 Proteome: A Step Towards Epitope-Driven Vaccine Development, Karim Mohamed Ali Abdel-Hady

Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C is an inflammatory infectious disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). It is a global pandemic, chronically inflicting 150 million people worldwide, with millions of new infections arising annually. The standard therapy of HCV is expensive, associated with severe side effects, and has variable success rates. Thus far, no HCV vaccine has been developed, owing to the challenges that faced and still face its development. Despite these challenges, several attempts have been taken to develop a vaccine, some of which have progressed to phase II clinical trials. Most of these attempts, however, have focused …

Best Practices And Attributes Of Bicultural Leaders, Shefali Khandhar Mody

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to uncover the attributes of successful bicultural leaders. Findings suggested that any one of four acculturation strategies chosen by bicultural leaders depended on the intensity of the dominant spouse's alliance to their Country of Origin, their identity self-construal and opportunities to create supportive in-groups that made the bicultural individual the center of in-group connectivity. Integrated biculturals exhibit a tendency to create networks, where over time they become "central connectors" affording them unique positions of influence, knowledge transfer and power. This study posits that Network Centrality is a Bicultural Competence, recognized by its users as a pivotal antecedent …

The Impact Of Culture & Ethnicity On The Counseling Process: Perspectives Of Genetic Counselors From Minority Ethnic Groups, Brittanie Morris

Theses and Dissertations

In the genetic counseling profession, discussions about cross-cultural counseling and cultural competence emphasize the importance of patient culture as well as counselor culture in a counseling session. A culturally competent counselor should be aware of the influence of her own cultural values on interactions with patients and peers (Weil, 2000; & Uhlmann, Schuette, & Yashar, 2011). Focusing specifically on counselors from cultural/ethnic minorities, this mixed-methods study sought to empirically evaluate the influence of a counselor's cultural values and ethnic identity on the genetic counseling process. 162 genetic counselors, 58 of whom self-identified as being from an ethnic minority group, completed …

Queer Alchemies: Radical Futurity In The Shell Of The Now, Elizabeth R. Canfield

Theses and Dissertations

This work operates at the intersection of academics, art, and activism. Within queer studies there is a tension between assimilation and liberation, sometimes situated as between pragmatism and utopia. This work re-examines Frankfurt school Marxist views of utopia through a queer theoretical lens in order to employ the radical imagination and queer futurity to examine new ways of practicing liberation. Drawing from theorists like Judith Butler, Jose Esteban Munoz, and Gloria Anzaldua, this work uses art (film, writing, zine-making, and sound) as a way to envision and enact a better world situated in the present.