Digital Commons Network^™

Charlotte's Glory Road: The History Of Nascar In The Queen City, Hannah Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the relationship between the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Charlotte, North Carolina, and how the geography of the Charlotte area was a catalyst to the growth of the motorsports industry in the Queen City. Specifically, this thesis investigates the roles of NASCAR teams, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in creating and continuing to grow the presence of NASCAR in Charlotte. The Hall of Fame in particular has strengthened the position of Charlotte in NASCAR history, after officials selected Charlotte over Daytona and Atlanta for the site of the …

Evaluation And Implementation Of The C-Pen On The Reading Level, Comprehension, And Oral Reading Fluency Of Third-Grade Students With Learning Disabilities: An Action Research Study, Kawanna Mckenzie

Theses and Dissertations

Third-grade students with learning disabilities struggle to meet reading proficiency levels at both the national and local levels. The appropriate support, services, and instruction of students with learning disabilities can help them achieve reading proficiency. Specific educational laws have been implemented to enable students with learning disabilities to use assistive technologies such as text-to-speech tools to support their reading. The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the impact of a text-to-speech tool—the C-Pen—on the reading skills of third-grade students with learning disabilities at an elementary/middle school. The focus of this study was on three main research questions …

Groundwater Flow And Transport At The Forest-Marsh Boundary: A Modeling Study, Sophia Chason Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

The forest-marsh boundary, where tidally influenced salt marshes meet a forested upland, is hydrologically complex due to its multiple water inputs. Groundwater flow and salinity transport at this boundary are not well understood. In order to make predictions about salinity at this boundary as it responds to climatic factors, a two-dimensional model was built to simulate groundwater flow and solute transport at a salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia. After calibration based on observed data from wells at the study site, the model can be used to identify patterns in groundwater movement and solute transport that may influence the vegetation …

Examining The Cost And Quality Relationship In Medicare, Alexandria Fleming Delage

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cost and quality of care dynamic among physicians billing under Medicare Fee for Service in 2018 to examine the relationship between quality and total cost of care at the physician level. Examining this relationship will advance scientific knowledge regarding the impact of increasing high value service use on healthcare costs and will provide insight in terms of expected cost outcomes of quality programs for healthcare policymakers (Salmond and Echevarria 2017; Williams, Brown, and Healy 2018).

Methods.

The study used publicly available data sets provided by the Center for Medicare and …

Patients’ Rights, Patients’ Politics: Jewish Activists Of The U.S. Women’S Health Movement, 1969-1990, Jillian Michele Hinderliter

Theses and Dissertations

As the women’s health movement grew out of second wave feminism in the late 1960s, activists demanded women be taken seriously as health care consumers and critics of male-dominated medicine. Health feminists aimed to fundamentally redefine the relationship between patient and practitioner. Jewish women helped found and sustain the women’s health movement, yet their activist identities are often separated from Jewishness in histories of health reform. “Patients’ Rights, Patients’ Politics: Jewish Activists of the U.S. Women’s Health Movement, 1969-1990,” considers the impact of Jewish identity on Jewish activists’ conceptions of social justice while also tracing their significant contributions to women’s …

Exploring Students’ Cosmopolitan Perspectives In An Undergraduate, Intermediate Spanish-Language Class, Erin Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how SPAN 121 might be designed to foster and support students’ development of cosmopolitan perspectives. Specifically, it explored how English-speaking students might demonstrate cosmopolitan perspectives in response to activities engaging them in Spanish with global Spanish speakers as part of their undergraduate, intermediate Spanish-language class. Theories of cosmopolitanism value responsible, global citizens engaged in open and respectful dialogue across geographic boundaries to learn about themselves and the world and may guide undergraduate college students in intercultural interactions. Through teacher action research utilizing qualitative case study, this study explored which activities might foster …

Carbon Storage Via Mineral Bonding In Subsoils A Review Of Soil Processes, Kiele Goins

Theses and Dissertations

Soil is an important but often poorly understood portion of the carbon cycle. Soil can store more carbon than twice today’s atmosphere, but the factors that control carbon storage are often unclear. Carbon enters the soil through input of organic matter, erosion, and aerosol deposition and is lost mostly via microbial decomposition. Carbon loss in soil is impacted by the chemical composition of organic compounds, environmental factors, and human activities. Furthermore, as climate changes soil, carbon storage may be vulnerable. Although carbon can be stored throughout soil, carbon storage varies with depth. In topsoil, carbon is stored for short periods …

Race Is Not A Risk Factor: Examining The Influence Of Models Of Care, Race, And Discrimination On Racial Disparities In Maternal Outcomes, Curisa Mae Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

Maternal health outcomes are worst for racial and ethnic minority patients in the United States. There are disparities in pregnancy-related death and severe maternal morbidities where Black women suffer the most disparate outcomes. However, much of the previous scholarly work in this arena has charged that race is a risk factor for adverse maternal outcomes in which this dissertation refutes.

To better understand this phenomenon, we first conducted a scoping review of literature. Our aim was to examine the current state of literature on group prenatal care and its impact on maternal outcomes and racial disparities in adverse maternal outcomes. …

Groundwater Discharge From Passive Continental Margins: Rethinking Marine Chemical Budgets, Andrew William Osborne

Theses and Dissertations

Geothermal convection and sediment compaction drive large-scale flow in continental shelves. We suggest that this flow is an overlooked control on the major ion chemistry of the ocean. Conventional ocean chemical budgets are constructed using river discharge, axial mid-ocean ridge (MOR) convection and CaCO3 production, but these budgets are still poorly quantified. We synthesized data from 17 passive continental margin basins to calculate a range of estimated groundwater and chemical fluxes from continental shelves, considering five major ions (Ca2+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Cl-). When extrapolated globally, volumetric groundwater flux estimates were comparable to those for MOR axial circulation, and …

Critical Access Hospital Nurses' Perceptions Of Obstacles And Helpful Behaviors In End-Of-Life Care, Trissa Michelle Lyman

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) system was developed to bring health care to rural populations. Although CAHs lack equipment and resources, CAH nurses still provide end-of-life (EOL) care to critically-ill and dying patients. Objectives: To determine the largest and smallest ranked obstacles and helpful behaviors to providing EOL care to rural patients as perceived by CAH nurses. Also, to determine how CAH nurses' perceptions of obstacles and helpful behaviors to providing EOL care compare to that of their urban counterparts. Methods: A cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of nurses working in 39 CAHs were sent a questionnaire. Nurse participants were …

Now Showing: Cinematic Trends In Little Rock Movies, 1933-1963, Emily Summers Yarberry

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the connection between film and culture by examining how major historical events impacted what types of movies were made. While previous cinema research uses a micro approach to analyze a few key films and draw conclusions about genre trends, this project takes a macro approach to examine thousands of movies in order to assess wider trends in consumer behavior. By creating a database of movie information using records from the Arkansas Amusement Corporation in Little Rock, I tracked trends in the popularity of war, film noir, horror, and family movies from 1933 to 1963. All four genres …

The Facts Of Life: Professional Identity Narratives Of Expatriate Language Instructors In Egypt, Sierranicole Butler

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses a narrative approach to investigate the lived experiences of two expatriate TESOL instructors at a private university in Egypt. Through the use of observations and interviews, the researcher analyzed how the emotions and beliefs of experienced expatriate TESOL instructors influence, shape, and are shaped by their Language Teacher Professional Identities. Farrell’s (2011) Professional Role Identities codes were used. The study revealed that expatriate language instructors face a number of trying experiences when teaching students, interacting with colleagues, and taking on various leadership roles within their institutions based on a number of factors including their own beliefs, backgrounds, …

Challenges Facing Independent Cultural Actors: The Case Of Egypt, Reem Khedr

Theses and Dissertations

The independent art scene in Egypt flourished following the January 25 revolution in 2011. This study examines the experiences of Egyptian artists and cultural operators through a looking glass into the evolving democratization of arts towards cultural democracy from a global perspective and using the intrinsic and instrumentalist arguments regarding the value of arts. Furthermore, it employs a qualitative analysis of case studies of 18 cultural operators in Cairo and Alexandria, who work in different artistic fields ranging from visual arts to performing arts and academia. The results demonstrate that the cultural policy framework guiding the arts sector in Egypt …

Improving Model Performance Through Indirect Integration Of Human Impacts In Data-Driven Hydrologic Models, Dawit Wolday Asfaw

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing water demand driven by fast-growing global population and climate change impact are threatening the groundwater resources. As a result, major aquifer systems in the world are undergoing depletion, The Central Valley aquifers is an examples. The paucity of hydrologic data, specifically groundwater pimping data contributes to model uncertainty which limits our capacity to better assess terrestrial water storage trends and manage water resources. This study aimed at improving hydrologic model performance by using multi-sourced datasets: in-situ, remote sensing, and model-based data in a highly stressed aquifer system where very limited water use or groundwater pumping data exists. Machine learning-based …

The Extent To Which The Provision Of Water And Sanitation Services Affect The Individual’S Decision To Migrate: The Case Of Egypt, Sara Mohamed Soliman

Theses and Dissertations

Determinants of migration, although researched copiously shed little light on the importance of access to sustainable, basic water and sanitation utilities on an individual’s decision to migrate. This research reveals that individuals originating from rural Upper Egypt, rural and urban Lower Egypt, and rural and urban Alexandria and Suez Canal regions are more likely to migrate relative to those from the urban Greater Cairo region. Access to water has been deemed as insignificant while access to sanitation is a significant factor in determining migration patterns as do macro- economic differences in origin governorates, gender, educational background before migration, and employment …

Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Emission And Its Impact On High-Rise Mixed-Use Buildings In Egypt, Ahmed Salah Hamza

Theses and Dissertations

With Egypt's vision of 2030 focusing on sustainable development with a true emphasis on Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emission reduction in the newly built cities and high-rise buildings, efforts are exerted on various levels towards accomplishing the vision’s goals. This is achieved through multiple tools and models associated with aiding the reduction of carbon emissions, yet not a clear one was introduced for the mixed-use buildings in Egypt.

Through this work, a significant gap was identified with respect to high-rise buildings carbon emission assessment in Egypt. This was a main driving force for this work in an attempt to …

Beirut/The Other Side Of The City: The Impact Of Visual Texture Production Of The Lebanese Postmemory Generation, 1989 - Present, Mohamed Moustafa Gameel Ebada

Theses and Dissertations

In 1989, after the Ta'if agreement, the war in Lebanon started to fade, which ended years of one of the most destructive civil conflicts in the region with no decisive winner or loser. The year also marked the birth of a new Lebanese generation who did not experience the war in person. It is a generation of postmemory, a term Maria Hirsch coined to describe the reminisces of those who did not have a personal encounter with past traumatic events. However, it was not before February 2005, when Rafic Al-Hariri's violent assassination occurred, when the postmemory generation started to question …

Unlocking The Value Of Small And Medium Enterprises, Ahmed Taha

Theses and Dissertations

The role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in economic growth and development is an undeniable fact in the global economy. In emerging and developed economies, SMEs may contribute to more than 90% of the total enterprises. These businesses are a dominant source of job creation, innovation and growth foundation stemming from their competitive structure, technological adaptability and resilience to economic crises. Despite their significant contribution to the economic development and growth, there is not sufficient research that covers SMEs’ financial activity, liquidity, profitability and valuations. In this thesis, I introduce an Electronic Valuation Platform that provides a sufficient research …

What Effect Does The Inclusion Of The Provision Of A Referendum Have On The Likelihood Of A Lasting Peace After A Settlement In Conflicts Over Territory?, Mona Saad Alresais

Theses and Dissertations

Today, the field of conflict resolution is increasingly becoming influential due to the increase of conflicts that we are facing. While there are set standards of rules and procedures for dealing with conflicts that happen between states, this cannot be said when it comes to civil wars. What is sought when it comes to conflicts is either starting a peace process or restoring a failed one. What usually results from a peace process is a negotiated settlement that lays out several provisions to appease both sides to achieve a durable peace. Provisions in a peace agreement are a very important …

Transit Mobility And Premature Birth In New York City: A Population-Based Study, Ross B. Maddux

Theses and Dissertations

Transit mobility has been recognized as an essential element to economic attainment, environmental sustainability, and as a vital part of public health⁠. Social and economic disparities paired with elusive and inefficient public transit present real barriers for the ability of efficient planning and use of time⁠. Lengthier commutes and generally less efficient travel contribute to stress during a pregnancy and limit the ability to access work and prenatal care. In survey studies of women utilizing clinics as their prenatal care provider, nearly 25% listed transportation as a barrier to accessing care.

Prior research has not linked directly premature birth and …

Developing And Assessing A Workshop That Utilizes A Serious Game To Introduce Joint All-Domain Operations, Christopher M. Voltz

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD has begun developing Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) to prepare for the future of warfare. As complexity and technological capability increases, the U.S. military needs to adapt to provide a more lethal and capable force, able to compete and win against near-peer adversaries. This research describes the development of an Introduction to JADO Workshop designed to provide a structured primer into JADO concepts. The research also presents an extension of BSN in the form of BSN scenarios. These scenarios alter the rules to lessen the learning curve for the game and to engage with JADO concepts. This research proposed …

"Out Of The Living Rock": The Assemblage Of Ruins In H. Rider Haggard's She, Rachel E. Rackham

Theses and Dissertations

H. Rider Haggard's imperial gothic novel, She, A History of Adventure (1887), is a narrative of ruins that speak of a vanished past and presage ends: of empire, of history, of culture. Haggard's novel follows two British adventurers as they travel to Africa in search of a mysterious woman that a potsherd--a ruin in miniature--tasks them with killing. There, they encounter ruin after ruin: pots, roads, caves, canals, sculptures, and more. These ruins serve as sentinels, as walkways, and as homes; they signal, warn, resist, witness, remind, and--not least--exist in a landscape that is anything but empty. Though seemingly inert, …

Striving For A Better Future: Fostering Students’ Skills Towards Employment Through Instructional Practices, Mona A. Hassan Zaki Badr

Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims at exploring and examining the instructional practices that can positively develop students’ 21^st-century skills. The American University in Cairo (AUC) is used in this study as a good model after conducting a pilot study to view students’ perception regarding the use of 21st century skills within their master programs. The results of the pilot study show that professors integrate 21st century skills inside the classroom. Consequently, the purpose of this study is threefold: (a) examines students’ perception regarding the use of instructional practices in AUC master programs, (b) how graduate students developed their 21st century …

An Analysis Of The Air Force Installation Development Plan And Its Energy Benchmarking Effectiveness, Jacob P. Hyman

Theses and Dissertations

Installation Development Plan (IDP) is a comprehensive long-term base planning document, which includes an inventory of sustainable development goals including energy use and climate indicators. This study analyzed 32 different IDPs among the various installations in the continental United States, identifying regional trends and behaviors across their 16 Sustainability Development Indicators (SDI). To study the IDPs more in depth, specific focus was placed on SDI 1, which concerns energy consumption and generation. This study investigated the different variations in energy benchmarking across local climate conditions, SDI ratings, and units used. Major inconsistencies were found across these three domains. Subsequently, the …

Meanings Of Mindfulness And Spiritual Awakening: Affliction And Holistic Healing In Contemporary Cairo, Sohayla El Fakahany

Theses and Dissertations

In contemporary Cairo, people turn to various modes of spiritual, alternative, and complementary healing. Some are rooted in formal religious traditions, and others are inspired by a new globalized form of holistic healing such as yoga or meditation. What makes these practices more controversial than spiritual healing practices like el-Zar or el-Hadra is the exchange of money for the promise of healing or foreknowledge. Spiritual healing is often deemed “charlatanistic” by religious exclusivists. This entanglement of the practices with religion creates a threat because it provides an alternative to the modes of religiosity supplied by the main hegemonic Egyptian religious …

Natural Nitrate Removal In Shallow Subsurface Stream Flows, Abigail Heath

Theses and Dissertations

As agricultural growth increases across the planet, more anthropogenic nitrate from fertilizers and sewage effluent is contributed to the aquatic system, exacerbating both ecosystemand human-health issues. Nitrate is naturally processed and removed within the environment, and those processes have been observed in a segment of substrata and porewater below streams called the hyporheic zone (HZ). The interaction of stream water with groundwater can promote denitrification; however, the rate of nitrate removal within the HZ is unknown. This study determined the extent of surface water-groundwater interactions in a HZ and assessed the nitrate as nitrogen removal in this zone via monthly …

Creating Home, Ludovic Nkoth

Theses and Dissertations

My work explores and conceptualizes the idea of a world where my people were never colonized, a world where we are still existing with our culture, our powers and the idea of voodoo. I place myself, friends, and family in positions of power, in spaces the world took away from us due to the color our skin. This is the world my practice aims to create.

Water Gets Lost In The Sea, Sun Gets Lost In The Desert, Rocio Paz Guerrero

Theses and Dissertations

The absence of happiness, the absence of nature, the absence of justice, the absence of absence, which is presence. My desire is to make these voids visible and sensible by connecting to and with others, from our intimate and collective life experiences, with empathy, and by sharing. Through a hybrid of sculpture, installation, and performance, I move within this tense in-between space, asking myself about that void, if it is possible for it to be filled, or if it is perhaps too big, or if it is perhaps too late.

The Effect Of The Fresh Program On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Nyc, Haido Andrianos

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines whether the NYCEDC's FRESH Program has had an effect on the fruit and vegetable consumption of NYC residents. Using data collected by the NYC DOHMH, a difference-in-difference regression with fixed effects was run. Stratifications for race and sex were also performed.

“Matrimonio”: Italian Brides, Grooms And Birthplaces At Our Lady Of Pompei In Greenwich Village, 1924-1933, Brendan O'Hagen

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes marriage patterns at Our Lady of Pompei (OLP), an Italian Catholic parish in New York City, during the 1920s and 1930s. It investigates whether intermarriage increased at OLP, but also links changes in marital practices to forces including government policies and demographic changes in the local community.