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Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

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Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

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Design And Implementation Of A Low Voltage, High Speed 10-Bit Cmos Current Mode Dac, Vijay Kumar Peddinti

Open Access Master's Theses

The topic of this thesis is to design and implement a low voltage, high speed, 10-bit Digital to Analog Converter in 0.5 μm CMOS technology. Design, architecture, methodology, and performance of the proposed DAC are presented.

CMOS Current Steering DACs are inherently fast and thus represent a good choice if high speed is important. To reduce the linear graded mismatch the positioning of current sources was carefully studied. Different architectures are outlined and segmented architecture has been implemented due to its suitableness for high speed applications. Two sets of DACs with different types of current sources have been fabricated and …

Survivorship Of A Low-Grade Glioma Brain Tumor, Cynthia A. Bautista

Open Access Dissertations

Due to dramatic improvements in diagnosis, treatment options, and improved survival rates, the experience of cancer is changing. Little is known, however, about which factors facilitate positive adaptation for individuals who survive cancer. Research in the area of brain tumor survivorship is limited and provides minimal understanding of the survivor's experience. The purpose of this study was to describe the survivorship experience of adults who were one to four years posttreatment for a low-grade glioma brain tumor and to explore how family, friends, employers, and health care providers had been helpful in the transition back to life after treatment. Eight …

The Experience Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury For Selected Cases, Joanne Baggerly

Open Access Dissertations

There are hints in the literature that recovery from mild traumatic brain injury may be problematic for older persons, yet there is a paucity of information on the experience. The purpose of this study was to develop a descriptive base and highlight the perspective of the client. This is important to nurses in that appropriate intervention must be grounded in an understanding of the problem as perceived and acted upon by the client. This study describes the experience of three women over 50 years of age who had a mild traumatic brain injury. The analytical process followed the case study …

Examining The Processes Controlling Water Column Variability In Narragansett Bay: Time Series Data And Numerical Modeling, Deanna L. Bergondo

Open Access Dissertations

Narragansett Bay is an important resource to the state of Rhode Island for recreational and commercial use. Eutrophication of coastal waters and its associated oxygen demand are of increasing concern for Narragansett Bay. This project focused on continuous in situ measurements and three-dimensional model simulations to better understand the physical, biological and chemical processes which occur in the Bay. Measurements of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorophyll and depth were obtained to gain insight into the process that contribute to phytoplankton production and hypoxia in the Bay. Six major hypoxic events were captured during the summers of 2001 and 2002. …

Issues Of Gender And Peer Collaboration In A Problem-Solving Computer Activity, Laurie E. Center

Open Access Dissertations

The study investigated student attitude and performance on one problem solving computer activity. Four sections of 61 sixth grade students were randomly assigned to either individual computer instruction or same-sex collaborative pairs for six lessons with the spatial perspectives software, Building Perspectives. Students completed pre and post Computer Attitude Questionnaires (CAQ) and Mental Rotation Tests (MRT) to assess differences in attitude and performance between the instructional environment and/or student gender. Results do not indicate significant differences between the independent and collaborative pairs' environments. Boys, however, significantly outperform girls on both pre and post tests of spatial abilities. Moreover, students significantly …

Potential Use Of Nitrogen-15 To Assess Nitrogen Sources And Fate In Narragansett Bay, Joaquin E. Chaves

Open Access Dissertations

Anthropogenic N inputs have been identified as the main source of N to Narragansett Bay, a relatively well-mixed estuary in the northeast coast of the United States. Despite a well constrained N budget high levels of primary production during the summer months, mostly in the form of sporadic "blooms", cannot be explained in terms of current budget estimates. Inputs from the adjacent Rhode Island Sound have been invoked as a potential source of N to account for the Bay's summer production. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from the Rhode Island Sound and the anthropogenic N entering the estuary through the …

Examining The Role Of Social Context In Nurses' Pain Assessment Practice With Postoperative Clients, Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo

Open Access Dissertations

Pain is a significant symptom in the postoperative period. Inadequately managed pain has been associated with additional postoperative complications and prolonged hospitalization, yet empirical data demonstrate that nurses frequently use inaccurate assessment criteria, and clients report inadequate pain management. Interventions designed to change nurses' assessment of pain have not addressed the impact of the setting in which practice occurs. This study was designed to describe the impact of the sociocultural context of the practice setting on nurses' assessment of postoperative patients' pain. The study was guided by Bourdieu's theory of practice which proposes that each instance of human practice is …

Global Behavior Of Nonlinear Difference Equations, Cathy Ann Clark

Open Access Dissertations

We investigate the global asymptotic stability, the periodic nature, the rate of convergence, and the bounded character of solutions of two rational difference equations and a system of rational equations. We analyze the behavior of solutions of the equation [special characters omitted]with non-negative parameters and non-negative initial conditions. This is a special case of the more general equation [special characters omitted]and is one of the first third order rational difference equations to be investigated in which all three terms are present in the equation. A thorough analysis of a specific period-two pathology of solutions for the case A = 0 …

A Narrative Exploration Of Personal Factors And Organizational Contexts In The Development Of Local Leadership, Kristine Leigh Chadwick

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation analyzed the factors contributing to the development of leadership in voluntary community organizations, created as part of a community-level substance abuse prevention project known as the Partnership, and explored the role of intermediary support organizations in nurturing the development of community leaders. Through interviews with team leaders and staff from the support organization, and analysis of program records, this research examined the empowering of individuals and the development of empowering organizations. The development of local leaders in neighborhood, grassroots, or other voluntary organizations has received little attention until recently. Previous studies of empowerment of local leaders have noted …

A Multi-Level Approach To Individual Readiness To Adopt Entreprise Resource Planning Software, David Edouard Desplaces

Open Access Dissertations

This study seeks to expand our understanding of individual readiness to change and its antecedents. Individual readiness to change is explored and measured as a three dimensional attitudinal construct. Antecedents to change are explored including both the objective and subjective context of change. Participants were faculty members at a university in the northeast part of the U.S. who were scheduled to use E-Campus, an internet-based portal application designed to assist them in managing their courses including grade submission, class rosters and access to student specific information. Data were collected using a mailed questionnaire. The results indicated no relationship between objective …

Organizational Climate For Diversity, Cultural Comfort, And Professional Relationships: Predicting Perceptions Of The Workplace Among Employees Of Color, Ivory Roberts-Clarke

Open Access Dissertations

Very little empirical research has been conducted to understand the unique experiences of employees of color. This study analyzed the perceptions that employees of color have about their places of employment. The total sample included 204 participants, 83 African Americans, 51 Caribbean/West Indians, 32 Latinos/Latinas, 15 Asians, 12 Africans, 8 Multi-ethnic individuals, 1 Native/Indigenous Subgroup, and 1 Middle Eastern. There were 133 women, 70 men, and 1 participant who did not identify his or her gender. Participants were recruited at professional conferences and via the internet where they anonymously completed a questionnaire at a website that was created for this …

Isolation Of Marine Metabolites From Symbiodinium Species Of Dinoflagellates, Katherine Evelyn Drainville-Higgins

Open Access Dissertations

The initial scope of this project was to determine if the symbiotic dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium sp., produces palytoxin, the highly lethal and complex compound originally found in the zoanthid, Palythoa spp. Through the examination of cell extracts made, this compound was not found. Instead, other secondary metabolites were isolated and their structures elucidated. The following is a summary of accomplishments. (1) The conditions to grow several strains of Symbiodinium organisms were investigated for the necessary extensive culturing required for cellular extraction. As a result, an isolate from Palythoa sp. obtained in Puerto Rico was successfully cultured. Previously, sustaining cultures of Palythoa …

Teacher Collaboration: Learning From Inclusion Dyad Dialogues, Carol Ann Frisk

Open Access Dissertations

Research on teacher collaboration since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) in 1975 has increased the efforts in the field of education to improve the practice of collaboration. This is especially important as it applies to the collaboration, or co-teaching, of a special education teacher and a general education teacher in an inclusion classroom. Many textbooks and teaching guides have presented techniques for improving collaborative practice. Researchers have shown a strong interest in broadening the knowledge base about this best practice of collaboration in the educational field, but a continued reliance on surveys and …

Parallel Computations In Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation Of The Van Der Waals Cluster Vibrational Eigenstates, Haisen Li

Open Access Dissertations

The Quantum Monte Carlo computation of the van der Waals cluster vibrational states involves heavy-duty linear algebra computations of large matrices and many iterative procedures containing such computations, which constitute the major bottlenecks of the computational flow. Parallel algorithms can speed up these parts of computations significantly. The study of this dissertation is to parallelize these heavy-duty computations to reduce the overall run time. This thesis first reviews a method to compute the vibrational eigenstates of van der Waals clusters with the Quantum Monte Carlo method, identifies the bottlenecks of the computational flow, introduces the parallel computation facility, and discusses …

The Birth Of Bizdames: A Rupture In The Conversation, Engaging The Body In Decision-Making, Kathleen Mallon

Open Access Dissertations

Organizational studies consistently find that managers spend more time talking than any other activity (Mintzberg, 1973; Simon, 1945), that strategic decisions are developed and enacted through interactive talk (Perlow, 2003; Shaw, 2002), and that a diversity of perspectives has a positive effect on decision-making and organizational performance (Agyris, 1977). Conversely, the evidence suggests that cultures that perpetuate silence are less effective (Bourgeois, 1985; Enz & Schwenk, 1991; Morrison & Milliken, 2000; Ryan & Oestreich, 1991). Thus, knowledge about the inter-relationship of the micro-mechanisms of silence and talk and their effect on organizational performance is critical to management theory and practice …

Parents' Descriptions Of Ideal Home Nursing Care For Their Technology Dependent Child, Themselves, And Their Families, Michele A. Mendes

Open Access Dissertations

Home care for technology dependent children is one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. health care industry, but the nursing literature lacks clear directions to guide home care nurses in planning a family-centered practice. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature by eliciting descriptions of ideal home nursing care for technology dependent children from the perspective of their parents, and to compile a comprehensive list of helpful and supportive nursing interventions. A qualitative, descriptive design was used to examine the following research questions: (1) How do parents of technology dependent children describe …

Revaluing The Literary Naturalist: John Burroughs's Emotive Environmental Aesthetics, Stephen Mark Mercier

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation widens the circle of environmental aesthetics and ecocriticism by considering the role of the emotive in "appreciation." I demonstrate that emotion is a central feature in the literary naturalism of John Burroughs (1837-1921). Burroughs's model for environmental aesthetics combines narrative knowledge, sensory immersion, and emotional responses. Furthermore, I argue that Burroughs's "sentimental" emotions perform crucial roles in politics and therefore have serious implications for environmental consciousness. The rhetorical strategies inherent in Burroughs's paradigm for environmental aesthetics is essential to contemporary efficacious environmental discourse. This dissertation reclaims the importance of emotional affiliation with creatures, particularly birds, and their habitats. …

Freedom's Children: Fifth Graders' Perceptions Of The Effects Of Peace Education In The Form Of Kingian Nonviolence, Sylvia Carolle Spears

Open Access Dissertations

This ethnographic study examines students' perceptions of the effects of peace education in the form of Kingian Nonviolence. Nine fifth grade students and seven parents were interviewed using life-story methods to elicit participants' perceptions regarding how the students' study of nonviolence affected their beliefs and behaviors. Data were coded and then analyzed utilizing constant comparison methods. Analysis of interview transcripts resulted in two categories of data--the fifth grade experience and social and personal change. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that the fifth grade experience had three distinct phases--a phase of initial anxiety and concern, a middle phase during which the …

Macrozooplankton And Micronekton In The Arabian Sea Oxygen Minimum Zone, Mary Rapien

Open Access Dissertations

As part of the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, zooplankton were collected day and night in vertically stratified MOCNESS net tows at six stations, during four seasonal cruises in the Arabian Sea. Organisms comprising the large size fraction, primarily fish, shrimp, amphipods, and euphausiids (macrozooplankton and micronekton), were identified and enumerated, and their abundance and distributions from 300-1000 m were examined in relation to environmental factors including the OMZ and the monsoon cycle. Contributions to carbon cycling were also estimated for several taxa. Few animals showed significant seasonal differences in abundance. Abundances and distributions of many taxa varied geographically, …

New Results For Z-Cyclic Generalized Whist Tournaments And Z-Cyclic Generalized Whist Frames, Brian J. Travers

Open Access Dissertations

Mathematicians began studying the generalized whist tournament in the late 1990's. As with traditional whist tournaments (that is, whist tournaments with 4 players per game), many specializations can be examined. In this study, such specializations as Z-cyclic generalized whist tournaments, directed generalized whist tournaments, and generalized whist tournaments possessing the Moore property are considered. Additionally, several new infinite families of Z-cyclic generalized whist tournaments are established for the cases (t, k) = (2, 6), (2, 8) and (4, 8).

The Factors That Influence Middle-Level Teachers To Incorporate Community Service-Learning Into The Curriculum, Andrea J. Hainey-Turcotte

Open Access Dissertations

This study examined the factors that influence middle level educators to incorporate community service-learning into the curriculum. Eleven participants, each a teacher of middle level students, were interviewed to determine the extent to which they were influenced by intended outcomes for students, the community, and themselves. Findings suggest that participants were influenced to include community service-learning in the curriculum by anticipated benefits to students and community members. Participants hoped that by engaging in community service-learning activities, their students would become better scholars, leaders, citizens, and/or people. It would seem that participants were also driven to the implementation of community service-learning …

Individual, Organizational, And Contextual Determinants Of Realized Strategy In Not-For-Profit Organizations, Henry T. Ulrich

Open Access Dissertations

This study addresses organizational direction form the perspective of organizational strategy. It explores the factors that influence realized strategy and especially the degree to which realized strategy is deliberate or emergent. A model is offered that proposes both direct and indirect factors as determinants of realized strategy. Specific direct and indirect factors are hypothesized and the relationships are statistically examined. The sample is composed of twenty nonprofit organizations with a primary base of operations in southern New England. Data was collected for multiple respondents within each organization representing the various levels of management. Most participating organizations were mid-sized, social service …

Nursing Practice In A Magnet Hospital: A Descriptive Study, Kathleen M. Stolzenberger

Open Access Dissertations

The organizational context of hospital nursing practice has gained international attention as a growing body of research demonstrates its significance as a factor affecting the supply and performance of registered nurses and the quality of patient care. Studies of organizations designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as magnet hospitals demonstrate significant and positive relationships among organizational, nurse, and patient variables. However, knowledge about the nursing work environment as an influence on practice is limited by the absence of studies exploring the actual practice of staff nurses and the nursing unit as the more immediate context in which it …

Sociocultural Contexts Of Asian American/Pacific Islander Women's Hiv Risk Enhancing/Reducing Responses, Jennifer C. Huang

Open Access Dissertations

HIV prevention issues for Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) women are complex and multifaceted. Comprehending the risk enhancing/reducing responses of API women in heterosexual relationships requires an examination of various sociocultural influences, such as gender roles, cultural expectations, community, economic conditions, acculturation and public policies that shape API women's decision-making and HIV risk enhancing/reducing responses. In order to address these issues, a mixed method study (i.e., qualitative and quantitative) was conducted to elucidate these sociocultural factors. Additionally, this study sought to investigate the various ecological levels that are associated with API women's sexual risk enhancing and reducing behaviors. Participants …

Evaluation Of Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology To Improve Dissolution Rates Of Poorly Water Soluble Drugs, Rina Chokshi

Open Access Dissertations

The bioavailability of orally administered drugs mainly depends on solubility and permeability. Since the advent of high throughput screening (HTS) in drug discovery process the resultant compounds are often high molecular weight and highly lipophilic, that show poor solubility. Scientists have tried to address solubility issues by various pharmaceutical interventions. Today amongst many methods available to improve solubility and dissolution rate, preparation of solid dispersions and solid solutions has gained enormous attention. Hot-melt extrusion is one of the most widely applied processing technologies in the plastic, rubber and food industry. Today this technology has found its place in the array …

Self-Reported Medication Adherence Among Patients With Diabetes, Zlata Cerimagic

Open Access Dissertations

Diabetes is a prevalent, chronic disease and it affects more than 16 million Americans. Strict adherence to a prescribed medication regimen has been identified as an essential factor that may delay, slow or prevent early development of diabetes related comorbidities. The objective of this research project was to document the prevalence of self-reported medication adherence in a large population of patients with diabetes and to explore the association between self-reported medication adherence and: (a) methods of administration of prescribed hypoglycemic medication among patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin or pills; (b) length of time since diagnosis among patients …

Culture Of Summer Flounder Paralichthys Dentatus: Environmental And Endocrine Synchronization Of Growth And Settlement In Larvae And Identification Of Stressors In Juveniles, Steven Gavlik

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the variability in settlement behavior, growth and development during metamorphosis of summer flounder. There were three objectives: (1) Expand basic knowledge of hormonal and environmental factors that regulate timing of metamorphosis, (2) develop hormonal and environmental techniques that promote synchronization of metamorphic growth and settling behavior in order to eventually reduce cannibalism in juveniles, and (3) identify stressful culture practices and evaluate their long-term effects on growth in juvenile flounder. The first and second objectives were accomplished through manipulations of cortisol and thyroxine and of rearing salinity. Endogenous whole-body cortisol concentrations increased through the late larval stages, …

Domestic Violence Screening By Nurses In The Primary Care Setting, Karen Hetzel

Open Access Dissertations

Domestic violence is one of the most important health care issues in the United States. One of every four women is a victim of domestic violence each year and thirty-one percent of women have a lifetime prevalence of domestic violence. Since most women receive their health care in primary care settings, nurses can play a critical role in decreasing the cycle of violence through screening and intervention. Although the research literature on domestic violence is voluminous, little is known about nursing practice related to routine screening of women for domestic violence or intervention in primary care settings. This study examined …