Digital Commons Network^™

A Simple, Anatomically Based Correction To The Conventional Ankle Joint Center, Dustin A. Bruening, Ashlie N. Crewe, Frank L. Buczek

Faculty Publications

Background

Conventional motion analysis studies define the ankle joint center as the midpoint between the most medial and lateral aspects of the malleoli, yet research points toward a more distal joint center location. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an anatomically based correction that would move the conventional ankle joint center to a more accurate location.

Methods

Lower extremity radiographs from 30 pediatric patients were analyzed retrospectively. An offset between the conventional and more accurate ankle joint centers was measured and correlated to other common anatomical measures based on conventional skin mounted marker positions. The best …

Evaluating Descriptive Richness In Collection-Level Metadata, Oksana L. Zavalina, Carole L. Palmer, Amy S. Jackson, Myung-Ja Han

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

When many collections are brought together in a federation or aggregation, the attributes of the original collections can become difficult to discern. Collection-level metadata has the potential to provide important context about the purpose and features of individual collections, but the qualitative aspects of collections are difficult to describe in a systematic way. This paper reports on a content analysis of collection records in the Digital Collections and Content (DCC) aggregation, conducted to analyze the kinds of substantive and purposeful information represented across 202 cultural heritage collections. We found that the free-text Description field often provides more accurate and complete …

The Making And Nurturing Of Relationships: An Ujelang/Enewetak Model In The Context Of Change, Laurence Marshall Carucci

Pacific Studies

Pacific adoption has long served as a prototypical contrary case that complicates the ethnocentric and simplistic kinship logics of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology—logical approaches which themselves project and perpetuate Euro-American ideas about relatedness. Yet, at the same moment the Pacific adoption literature has confronted the biases of Euro-American categories of kinship and interpersonal relatedness, it also has perpetuated certain stereotypic contours of those categories by shadowing the outlines of their very existence. Escaping those contours in an English publication is, ultimately, impossible. Nevertheless, more finely rendered accounts are attainable. In this paper, I attempt to fashion one such account, a …

Institute Brief: Supporting Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Quality Employment Practices, Alan Kurtz, Melanie Jordan

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

It has been known for decades that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with significant impairment or who have behaviors that others find challenging, can work when they are given appropriate supports. It is also clear that individuals with ASD can benefit from employment. Benefits include improved emotional state, greater financial gain, decreased anxiety, greater self-esteem, and greater independence. Nonetheless, employment outcomes for individuals with ASD have traditionally been poor. Even those who do find work are often underemployed or do not hold onto jobs for a long period of time.

An Aztec 1.1 Mm Survey Of The Goods-N Field - I. Maps, Catalogue And Source Statistics, T. A. Perera, E. L. Chapin, J. E. Austermann, K. S. Scott, G. W. Wilson, M. Halpern, A. Pope, D. Scott, M. S. Yun, James D. Lowenthal, G. Morrison, I. Aretxaga, J. J. Bock, K. Coppin, M. Crowe, L. Frey, D. H. Hughes, Y. Kang, S. Kim, P. D. Mauskopf

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We have conducted a deep and uniform 1.1 mm survey of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-North (GOODS-N) field with AzTEC on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Here, we present the first results from this survey including maps, the source catalogue and 1.1 mm number counts. The results presented here were obtained from a 245 arcmin region with a near uniform coverage to a depth of 0.96-1.16 mJy beam . Our robust catalogue contains 28 source candidates detected with S/N ≥ 3.75, only ∼1- 2 of which are expected to be spurious detections. Of these source candidates, eight are also …

Ink (2008-12)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

Forcing And Dynamics Of Seafloor-Water Column Exchange On A Broad Continental Shelf, William B. Savidge, Ann Gargett, Richard A. Jahnke, James R. Nelson, Dana K. Savidge, R Timothy Short, George Voulgaris

Faculty Publications

Relict sediments of elevated permeability characterize the majority of continental shelves globally (Emery, 1968). In these settings, interactions between benthic boundary layer (BBL) flows and seabed topography generate pressure fluctuations that drive advective and dispersive porewater transport, dramatically increasing the magnitude and variability of porewater solute and particulate exchange across the sediment-water interface (Huettel et al., 1996; Huettel and Rusch, 2000). On broad shallow shelves with a relatively large area-to-volume ratio, the seafloor’s role is magnified. Energetic events may reorganize bedforms across a significant fraction of the shelf, leading to altered exchange dynamics that may persist long after the organizing …

Contributing Factors To The Bachelor's Degree Attainment Of Males In The United States, Theresa Carol Novotny

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The degree attainment of college students is a critical issue that institutions of higher education are considering. Colleges want to improve their retention, progression, and graduation rates for all students. Over the past decades men, based on the literature reviewed, have earned fewer degrees than women. In addition, men are not enrolling in college at the same rates as women. This study uses the NELS Database to analyze the factors that contribute to the degree attainment of men. The research used a logit model to determine the probability for the significant factors.

Block Scheduling In High School Mathematics: Effect On Algebra Ii End-Of-Course Grades And Act Assessment Mathematics Scores, Gayle Hawkins Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistical difference between end-of-course grades in Algebra II at three high schools in northeast Tennessee and mathematics content scores on the ACT Assessment at the same three high schools, by comparing a one-semester accelerated (4x4) block schedule, a two-semester accelerated (4x4) block schedule, and a traditional year-long schedule. The purpose was also to determine if a relationship exists between Algebra II grades and ACT Assessment mathematics content scores for all students and for each school, and to determine if a statistically significant difference occurred in the number of …

Comparison Of The Fuel Needed To Transport Plastic Recyclables Verses Aluminum Recyclables From Yellowstone National Park, Melissa Dejonge

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Research has provided no definitive answers on whether PET plastic bottles or aluminum cans are a more environmentally sustainable choice as soda containers. This paper researches the fuel used in recycling each of these materials from Yellowstone National Park to processing locations. The data is used to determine which of these alternatives use less fuel in this process. It was found that plastics use more fuel when transported from Yellowstone National Park to the processing center. Aluminum uses less fuel per ton to transport from Yellowstone to the processing center. The conclusions from this research may have implications on which …

Robust Stability And Optimality Conditions For Parametric Infinite And Semi-Infinite Programs, M J. Cánovas, M A. Lopez, Boris S. Mordukhovich, J Parra

Mathematics Research Reports

This paper primarily concerns the study of parametric problems of infinite and semi-infinite programming, where functional constraints are given by systems of infinitely many linear inequalities indexed by an arbitrary set T, where decision variables run over Banach (infinite programming) or finite-dimensional (semi-infinite case) spaces, and where objectives are generally described by nonsmooth and nonconvex cost functions. The parameter space of admissible perturbations in such problems is formed by all bounded functions on T equipped with the standard supremum norm. Unless the index set T is finite, this space is intrinsically infinite-dimensional (nonreflexive and nonseparable) of the l(infinity)-type. By using …

Local Government Law, R. Perry Sentell Jr.

Mercer Law Review

No matter how well you indoctrinate the Mayor and Council in exercising discretionary powers in an objective manner, someone always seems to cut to the chase and ask the wrong question. For example, I've admonished Councils for years not to show favoritism at zoning hearings, particularly to impassioned pleas for opposition by their constituents who, of course, never address the objective standards of the zoning ordinance. Yet, recently, after a noted zoning lawyer so eloquently presented his development client's proposal for rezoning, the only question the Mayor asked was, "Has your client got any kinfolks living here?"

It is humanly …

Evidence, Marc T. Treadwell

Mercer Law Review

The most significant news during the current survey period, as in the past several survey periods, continued to be the judiciary's struggles with "tort reform" legislation enacted by the Georgia General Assembly in 2005, most notably Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 24-9-67.1 which purports to adopt, more or less, the United States Supreme Court's decision in Daubert v. Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. If the Daubert decisions discussed in this survey are any indication, Georgia's appellate courts are far from reaching a consensus on the proper application and interpretation of Georgia's Daubert statute.

Life History Observations And Determination Of Potential Host Fish Species For Chipola Slabshell, Elliptio Chipolaensis, Lisa Preister

Theses and Dissertations

North America is home to nearly 300 species of freshwater mussels with approximately 80% being found in the southeastern United States. The Federally threatened species, Elliptio chipolaensis (Chipola slabshell), is considered an endemic species to the Chipola River Basin in the Florida panhandle. E. chipolaensis glochidia are released from the female in conglutinates The potential fish host species for Elliptio chipolaensis are the bluegill and redbreast sunfish. Sixty percent of the bluegill successfully transformed E. chipolaensis glochidia into juvenile mussels while 80% of the redbreast sunfish were successful.

Male Adolescents Of Divorce: The Relationship With Their Noncustodial Father, Christine L. Kerr

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the divorce rate in the United States began to rise dramatically in the 1970s, researchers have studied the impact of divorce on those involved. The research indicates that children whose parents divorce are more likely than children whose parents remain married to suffer from a lower level of well-being and are at greater risk for a myriad of ills including poorer school performance and increased behavior problems. While few researchers have focused on the impact of divorce on male adolescents specifically, studies of adolescent males in general indicate they are at risk for a variety of problems including poor …

Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

With rates of obesity, heart disease, and related health problems increasing in the U.S. many policy makers are looking for ways to increase physical activity in everyday life. Using a bicycle instead of a motor vehicle for a portion of everyday travel could help address these problems. This research aims to fill a gap in the existing literature on the effect of different types of infrastructure, such as bicycle lanes or paths, on bicycling. The project used global positioning system (GPS) technology to record where a sample of 164 adults in the Portland, OR region rode their bicycles. Data was …

Optimal Maintenance Crew Composition And Enhancement Of Crew Productivity, Robert Schober

All Theses

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) dedicates a large portion of its budget and other resources to the maintenance of the State's transportation infrastructure. In order to maximize the efficiency and productivity of the State's highway maintenance workforce, the SCDOT partnered with Clemson University to research the performance of these maintenance crews. The goal of this research is to identify optimal crew compositions, if possible, and to suggest potential crew productivity enhancement methods.
Data was collected from the SCDOT Highway Maintenance Management System (HMMS) and crew rankings were developed based on several pre-determined performance criteria. These rankings were then …

Characterization Of Campus Parking Lot Stormwater And Remediation Of Risks Using Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems, Andrew Mcqueen

All Theses

Campus parking lot stormwater (CPLSW) runoff mobilizes a variety of constituents from vehicular and atmospheric deposition that may pose risks to receiving aquatic systems. The overall objective of this research was to provide an approach for risk characterization, toxicity identification, and remediation of constituents of concern in CPLSW. The specific objectives of this research were to: (1) Characterize campus parking lot stormwater (CPLSW) to discern the constituents of concern present in these waters; (2) Perform TIE manipulations to identify possible fractions of concern in CPLSW, and; (3) Evaluate the performance of a pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) designed to …

Building A Knowledge Economy Index For Southern Metropolitan Areas, Kristine Koutout

All Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to determine if the methodology used to build the South Carolina Research Authority Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) for states can be replicated and applied to Southern Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Data to imitate the KEI measures for workforce education and fast growth firms were available at the MSA-level; however, academic R&D was used as a proxy for industrial R&D in this index because data was not available for MSAs. An index for Southern MSAs was built based on the coefficients from the OLS results. Workforce education was the most important factor for increasing mean …

Independent Torque Distribution Management Systems For Vehicle Stability Control, Indrasen Karogal

All Theses

Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) systems, also called Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems, are active on-board safety systems intended to stabilize the dynamics of vehicle lateral motion. In so doing, these systems reduce the possibility of the driver's loss of control of the vehicle in some critical or aggressive maneuvers. One approach to vehicle dynamics control is the use of appropriate drive torque distribution to the wheels of the vehicle. This thesis focuses on particular torque distribution management systems suitable for vehicles with independently driven wheels.
In conducting this study, a non-linear seven degree-of-freedom vehicle model incorporating a non-linear tire model …

Three Dimensional Visualization Of Fire Spreading Over Forest Landscapes, Brian Williams

All Theses

Previous studies in fire visualization have required high end computer hardware and specialized technical skills. This study demonstrated fire visualization is possible using Visual Nature Studio and standard computer hardware. Elevation and vegetation data were used to create a representation of the New Jersey pine barren environment and a forest compartment within Hobcaw Barony. Photographic images were edited to use as image object models for forest vegetation. The FARSITE fire behavioral model was used to model a fire typical of that area. Output from FARSITE was used to visualize the fire with tree models edited to simulate burning and flame …

Passage, Shannon Wright

All Theses

This exhibition addresses reconciliation. Through the journey of understanding we are
able to either pass through our negative experiences or we can choose to accept that they
are what they are. Through the placement of images the viewer is brought through this
passage to a threshold for crossing from discomfort to reconciliation. At 40'x50' these
photographs have become environments that viewers become immersed in. When I
begin to make my images I have not yet fully realized the final photograph and there are
several camera controls that I utilize to complete my images. When I place an object in
my …

The Courage And Endurance To Remain In His Own Country And Fight The Battle Out: Donald Davidson And The South, 1893-1968, Michael Sisk

All Theses

This thesis examines the life of Donald Grady Davidson (1893-1968) and the forces - external and internal - that drove him to contribute to I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition, in 1930 and remain an avid apologist for Southern Agrarianism for the remainder of his life. Davidson, who began his literary career as a devotee of modernism, opposed much of his native culture yet suddenly changed directions around 1925 and embraced the distinctiveness of his Southern heritage. This thesis argues that events surrounding the Scopes Trial in 1925 caused Davidson to reevaluate his position on the …

Temporary Organizational Change And Uncertainty: Applying Uncertainty Reduction Theory And Style Analyses To Email, Vicki Rhodes

All Theses

This study explores how employees express uncertainty and enact uncertainty reduction techniques through electronic communication, specifically email, during temporary inter-organizational change. The context of the study is within the work environment of a nonprofit entity in the Southern region of the United States that employs just under 20 staff members and coordinates with approximately 135 partner staff affiliates on a daily basis. The Executive Director's medical leave of about three months requires that job responsibilities and organizational roles be temporarily restructured. Because email is the preferred and primary method of communication in this organization, such communications were chosen as the …

Identifying The Cis-Acting Sugar Response Elements That Facilitate Glucose Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Frank Barretta, Jr.

All Theses

Identifying the initial sugar sensing and response activating mechanisms in plants has been difficult due to the dual functions of sugars as nutrients and as signaling molecules. In this study, we have examined transcript expression and promoter features of different genes encoding proteins for actin remodeling that have been implicated as targets of plant glucose signaling. Using Reverse Transcription PCR analysis, we confirmed that expression of two actin-associated genes, actin depolymerizing factor 9 (ADF9) and actin related protein 8 (ARP8), are repressed following a short-term glucose treatment of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Glucose did not repress the expression of other ADF …

Solarization Effects On Chemical Properties Of Soils Under Kudu (Pueraria Montana) Invasion, Nicole Gilbert

All Theses

Solarization is an effective method for managing small areas with kudzu (Pueraria montana) invasions that may alter soil chemical properties. Conducted from 2005 to 2007 at the Clemson University Experimental Forest in Clemson, South Carolina on a Cecil clay loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludult), this study compares soil chemical properties under thermally-treated and non-treated plots at different depths invaded by Kudzu.
The experimental factors of treatment and depth were arranged in a factorial treatment design with 15 treatments arranged in a split plot design. The five thermal treatments were the whole plot factors which were arranged in a randomized …

From The Gilded Ghetto To Hollywood: Bruce Lee, Kung Fu, And The Evolution Of Chinese America, Darcy Coover

All Theses

As has been true for most groups of immigrants arriving in the United States, the Chinese have undergone a wide-ranging, and at times rapid, transformation in the eyes of mainstream America. No other ethnic or racial group in American history has been so singled out for immigration regulation as have the Chinese--the Exclusion Act, passed in 1882, still represents the only time that a particular ethnic group was selected for immigration restriction. While an analysis of the legal history of the era reveals the various restrictions faced by Chinese immigrants in terms of the state, a look at American popular …

The Effect Of Montmorillonite Nanoclay On Mechanical And Barrier Properties Of Mung Bean Starch Films, Bianca Stiller

All Theses

Starch is an interesting biodegradable polymer due to its excellent film forming properties, availability, and low cost. On the other hand, starch films are often limited by their poor mechanical properties, and water resistance. The addition of montmorillonite clays have improved these properties in both petroleum and biodegradable films.
The objective of the research was to determine the effect of montmorillonite clay on the mechanical and barrier properties on mung bean starch films.
The addition of 5% clay yielded the optimum balance between mechanical and barrier properties of these composite films with improved tensile strength (TS) of 20.8763± 0.789 MPa, …

Computational Analysis Of Input-Shaping Control Of Microelectromechanical Mirrors, Thomas Starling

All Theses

Advances in micromachining technology have enabled the design and development of high performance microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). There is a pressing need for control techniques that can be used to improve the dynamic behavior of MEMS such as the response speed and precision. In MEMS applications, open-loop control is attractive as it computes a priori the required system input to achieve desired dynamic behavior without using feedback, thus eliminating the problems associated with closed-loop MEMS control. While the input-shaping control is attractive due to its simplicity, the effectiveness of this control approach depends on the accuracy of the model that is …

Laboratory Studies Of Responses Of Anuran Amphibians To Roundup Exposures: Reference Toxicant And Components, Lindsay Moore

All Theses

Roundup¨ has been implicated as a possible cause for the declining amphibian populations in North America. Carefully designed laboratory toxicity tests are crucial for accurate risk assessment of the responses of anuran populations to incidental exposures of Roundup¨ herbicides. The overall objective of these studies was to determine the response of North American anuran species to exposures of Roundup¨ formulations and components to support or refute the claim that Roundup¨ is a factor in amphibian decline in North America. Aqueous 96 hour static non-renewal laboratory tests were utilized to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of copper sulfate as a reference toxicant …