Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Elements Of Executable Architectures Through A Multi-Dimensional Analysis Framework, Edwin A. Shuman Iv

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation study is to conduct a holistic investigation into the elements of executable architectures. Current research in the field of Executable Architectures has provided valuable solution-specific demonstrations and has also shown the value derived from such an endeavor. However, a common theory underlying their applications has been missing.

This dissertation develops and explores a method for holistically developing an Executable Architecture Specification (EAS), i.e., a meta-model containing both semantic and syntactic information, using a conceptual framework for guiding data coding, analysis, and validation. Utilization of this method resulted in the description of the elements of executable …

A Microfluidic Device For Impedance Spectroscopy, Ahmet Can Sabuncu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Recently, microfluidics has become a versatile tool to investigate cellular biology and to build novel biomedical devices. Dielectric spectroscopy, on the other hand, allows non-invasive probing of biological cells. Information on the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus can be obtained by dielectric spectroscopy provided that appropriate tools are used in specific frequency ranges. This dissertation includes fabrication, characterization, and testing of a simple microfluidic device to measure cell dielectric properties. The dielectric measurements are performed on human T-cell leukemia (Jurkat), mouse melanoma (B16), mouse hepatoma (Hepa), and human costal chondrocyte cells. Dielectric measurements consist of measuring the complex impedance of …

A Principal's Perceptions Of Character Education In A Rural Public School, Sandra H. Harrison

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A majority of rural public schools face difficult and challenging problems: geographical isolation, escalating crime, impoverished families, economic inequities, faculty nonretention, declining enrollments, and lack of success in meeting accreditation benchmarks. In the past decade, support for character education as a valuable pedagogy to complement instruction and academic achievement emerged. The obligation to meet federal and state standards created expectations that school principals have the leadership ability to facilitate strong academic curricula as well as programs fostering students' moral development through character education. Mobilizing resources for character education initiatives becomes the responsibility of school principals or their designees. The purpose …

Global Civil Procedure Trends In The Twenty-First Century, Scott Dodson, James M. Klebba

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reflections On The Tenth Anniversary Of Mathematics And Democracy, Lynn Arthur Steen, Bernard L. Madison

Numeracy

Two independent reflections by early proponents of quantitative literacy connect today's numeracy initiative with its origin in concern about school tests, its impact on students today, and the challenges of democracy. Even as interest in QL grows in many places, evidence of need also grows. Moreover, well-meaning programs with other goals—especially at the K-12 level—often channel education in directions that fail to advance numeracy. Examples show that both students and teachers are enthusiastic when offered QL opportunities, but that individual beliefs and public decisions often belie the goals of QL.

Calculus, Biology And Medicine: A Case Study In Quantitative Literacy For Science Students, Kim Rheinlander, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

This paper describes a course designed to enhance the numeracy of biology and pre-medical students. The course introduces students with the background of one semester of calculus to systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations as they appear in the mathematical biology literature. Evaluation of the course showed increased enjoyment and confidence in doing mathematics, and an increased appreciation of the utility of mathematics to science. Students who complete this course are better able to read the research literature in mathematical biology and carry out research problems of their own.

An Examination Of The Relationship Between School Climate And Student Growth In Select Michigan Charter Schools, Benjamin P. Jankens

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship exists between school climate and student growth in Michigan charter schools. Data were collected through the use of a school climate survey and standardized assessment results. The Organizational Climate Descriptive Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE) developed by Hoy, Tarter, and Kottkamp (1991) was used to assess teacher perceptions of school climate. Student growth data were calculated using the fall and spring reading and math results from the Performance Series test by Scantron, and the MAP test by NWEA.

The population of this study consisted of 355 teachers from 11 participating …

Reading Queer Subtexts In Children’S Literature, Jessica Kander

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to explore and to challenge heteronormative assumptions regarding childhood and adolescence. I will show how these assumptions affect the literature published and made available to young readers, and how, often, overtly queer texts are not available for young readers. Such omissions leave young readers, especially those with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgendered (LGBT) identities, to find depictions of queerness in subtexts underlying seemingly “straight” texts. While these queer subtexts can be recognizable to readers through the use of culturally and historically significant markers that are understood to represent queerness, even a text with a …

The Relationship Of Financial Performance, Quality Indicators, And The Role Of Nurse Executives In Virginia Nursing Homes, Jeany V. Murphy

Health Services Research Dissertations

Problem statement. The dynamic nature of the healthcare industry has triggered changes in nurse executive functions. The job has expanded into entrepreneurial roles to be able to provide the most cost effective services while maintaining good quality outcomes for the residents. The new responsibility requires a different set of knowledge and competencies that is usually achieved through advanced education. It is not known whether nurse executives in long term care in Virginia possess the skills to influence both the financial and quality outcomes of the facility.

Methods. This descriptive research study examined the relationship of the nurse executives' technical, human, …

The Relationship Between Technology And The Body In Muriel Rukeyser's Poetry, Fathi Nasaif

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis studies Muriel Rukeyser‟s view of the relationship between technology and the body by analyzing some of her poetry in her Collected Poems and her philosophy of poetry in her book The Life of Poetry. The thesis also deals with the relationship between science and art; Rukeyser thought of science and art as supplementing and complementing each other through her idea of dynamism in nature and in artistic thought. In addition, my thesis discusses some critical responses to Rukeyser‟s poetry and philosophy of art. The theories that form the basis of my study are Rukeyser‟s idea of relational …

Worktime In The United States Steel Industry, 1870-1939, Jared Mansfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The iron and steel industry was rapidly changing between 1870 and 1939. The decline of iron and the rise of steel, coupled with technological developments and new immigration trends, brought about a new industry at the end of the nineteenth century that was starkly different from just a few decades earlier. The industry was much more mechanized and a larger part of it consisted of continuous production. Its workers were much less skilled and tended to work longer. This thesis follows the changing nature of worktime in this period, as more workers remained on the job longer with the growing …

Measuring Prosocial Behavior Through The Implementation Of A Violence Prevention Intervention, Erin Lindsey Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood aggression is the best-known behavioral predictor of future social adjustment difficulties. Children with early onset aggression are likely to engage in aggressive behavior throughout the life course (Hester, Baltodano, Gable, & Tonelson, 2003). Early aggressive behavior is also strongly associated with later criminal behavior and deviant peer relations, poor school achievement, school dropout, and unemployment (Haemaelaeinen & Pulkinnen, 1996; Hay & Pawlby, 2003; Kokko, Tremblay, Lacourse, Nagin, & Vitaro, 2006; Scourfield, John, Martin, & McGuffin, 2004). Recently, researchers have focused on determining the positive behaviors that could potentially stop aggressive situations from progressing. These helping behaviors are defined broadly …

Determination Of Trivalent And Hexavalent Chromium With Mass Balance In Dietary Supplements Using Speciated Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry, Naudia Martone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to assess the benefit or toxicity of chromium in dietary supplements, trivalent chromium and hexavalent chromium must be measured and verified with mass balance (sum of both species equaling total chromium). This is necessary because dietary supplements report trivalent chromium, an essential trace element, as an ingredient, but hexavalent chromium, a toxic carcinogen, may also be present. Because trivalent chromium is stable in acidic conditions and hexavalent chromium in alkaline conditions, interconversions between species occur and increase the difficulty of quantification. Therefore, EPA Method 3060A was first performed to extract hexavalent chromium. Then, EPA Method 3052 was performed …

Teachers' Knowledge And Misconceptions Of Postconcussion Symptoms, Erika Leigh Beckman Mccoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concussion, or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI), is defined as a consequence of a physical trauma to the head followed by some disruption of brain function (Parker, 2001). The highest risk age groups for concussion are children up to the age of 5 years and adolescents from 15 years to 19 years of age (CDC, 2010). A constellation of symptoms, dubbed Postconcussion Syndrome (PCS), have been found to be commonly experienced after an individual has suffered a concussion, which consists of cognitive symptoms, affective symptoms, and somatic symptoms that adversely affect the individual's functioning (McAllister & Arciniegas, 2002; Ryan & …

Critical Teaching In The Library, Alycia Sellie

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Política Del Lenguaje Y Geopolítica: España, La Rae Y La Población Latina De Estados Unidos, José Del Valle

Publications and Research

The status of Spanish in the US is discussed through a focus on the coexistence of monoglossic and heteroglossic ideologies as well as on the institutionalized discourses on Spanish in the US.

Diverse Community Center - Fargo, Nd, Kevin Pham

Landscape Architecture Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to create and design a place for extraordinary activities for people of diverse cultures and backgrounds within the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. Fargo is a continually developing city where many cultures exist. However, there are rarely opportunities for the initiation of cross cultural interaction. This thesis will explore how the Fargo community should incorporate and learn about other cultures. Breaking the borders between each culture, attending different cultural gatherings and developing more sustainable cross cultural relationships are critical in creating a diverse place to live.

Community School, Ashley Hudson

Landscape Architecture Theses

This thesis is intended to transfer urban theory to a rural place in such a way that it respects rural systems, and the result will be a hybrid solution. A design process will be set up to investigate the possibilities of the development of a rural school into a full-service "Community School." The desired result is strong community engagement and the successful incorporation of entities that will increase the number ad quality of services in the school district as a whole. In this process, the developmental stages will be approached in such a way that creates an armature for a …

Uses And Gratifications Of Amputees' Online Social Networks, Dennis Owen Frohlich

Computer Science

The following thesis examined amputee support groups on Facebook. Having an 111 amputation can be a life-changing experience. and social support may be necessary to understand one's amputation. Hundreds of amputee groups exist on Face book, and many of them foster active onlinc communities. This study sought to accomplish two goals: describe how amputees use these groups, and uncover the predictors that lead to engagement in socially supportive behaviors, particularly providing informational support and emotional support. While not all groups are active, this study found that amputees do connect with others through Facebook, sometimes quite frequently. Posting on group walls …

Copyright Backlash, Ben Depoorter, Alain Van Hiel, Sven Vanneste

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reaching Arcadia: Rural And Agricultural Themes In Vocal Art Music Including Plans To Introduce This Music To A Rural Audience, Erin Marissa Oberlander

Music

Throughout the history of Western Music, composers have written works on rural and agricultural subjects. The first half of this dissertation examines a number of important works from the Baroque era through the present day and the composers who have chosen this specialized subject matter. Rural communities are underserved where the arts are concerned. Yet, rural audiences have perhaps the best chance at identifying with the subjects of this particular subset of vocal art music. The second half of this dissertation examines reasons why it is important to reach rural communities with vocal art music. Four sample recital programs appropriate …

Paradise Lost: § 10(B) After Morrison V National Australia Bank, Elizabeth Cosenza

Chicago Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

The Limits Of Constitutional Convergence, Rosalind Dixon, Eric A. Posner

Chicago Journal of International Law

Globalization, some legal scholars suggest, is a force that makes increasing convergence among different countries' constitutions more or less inevitable. This Essay explores this hypothesis by analyzing both the logic-and potential limits-to four different mechanisms of constitutional convergence: first, changes in global "superstructure"; second, comparative learning, third, international coercion; and fourth, global competition. For each mechanism, it shows, quite special conditions will in fact be required before global convergence is likely even at the level of legal policy. At a constitutional level, it further suggests, it will be even rarer for these mechanisms to create wholesale convergence. This also has …

The Prisoners' Dilemma Posed By Free Trade Agreements: Can Open Access Provisions Provide An Escape?, Meredith Kolsky Lewis

Chicago Journal of International Law

This article explains why free trade agreements (FTAs) that are not compliant with the spirit of GATT Article XXIV's requirement that such agreements cover "substantially all the trade" between the parties pose serious challenges for the multilateral trading system. It notes the paradoxical behavior of WTO members in continuing to negotiate such free trade agreements to the detriment of the WTO. It characterizes this paradox as a form of Prisoners' Dilemma, in that although members would be better off pursuing trade liberalization via the WTO, their dominant strategy is to pursue FTAs. The article goes on to propose a pragmatic …

Dainty Hands: Perceptions Of Women And Crime In Sherlock Holmes Stories, Hadar Aviram

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Modern History Of Probable Cause, Wesley Macneil Oliver

Law Faculty Publications

We often assume that those who wrote the Constitution understood its terms in a way that bears at least some similarity to the way we understand those terms today. This assumption is essential to the legitimacy of using Framing Era sources to inform the meaning of Constitutional provisions that regulate this system. This assumption is incorrect for one of the most important terms in criminal procedure. Probable cause meant something very different to the Framers than it means to modem lawyers. Probable cause was, as a practical matter, often nothing more than a pleading requirement for victims or officers who …

The Pennsylvania Law Record (1879-1880), Joel Fishman

Law Faculty Publications

The Pennsylvania Law Record is another short-lived legal periodical/ newspaper published in Philadelphia for slightly over a year between June 3, 1879 and June 29, 1880.

Delight In Architecture, Molly Bausman

Architecture Theses

This project explores delight in buildings and how we experience them. It states that the personality of a building as exhibited in individual traits is what we find delight in, as humans tend to personify things they interact with. It further argues that through the complexity of traits and their interactions there is the potential for continued discovery and delight. The project is located in Chicago, Illinois and will be a transit hub including an ‘L’ stop, commuter rail terminus and a high speed intercity rail system.

Reusing Structure, Mark Cameron

Architecture Theses

This thesis attempts to understand how built structures can evolve over time through use and reuse. It looks at how reusing a space is possible by taking a warehouse structure and reusing it for the new purpose of living space. Many cities are attempting to perform historic preservations as the cities age, such as a historic town like Duluth, which was founded with trading, was transformed into a mining town and now has multiple colleges. This project is setting out to better understand how a building can grow with the city’s new images. Buildings evolve as users act upon them. …

Test Of Time, Lane Kleist

Architecture Theses

This thesis is a study of how the use of recycled materials can express the passage of time within a society or culture. The building typology for the execution of this idea is a historical museum. The Theoretical Premise/Unifying Idea which influences this study is that the history of a material can be studied and interpreted and used to influence a new use. Using recycled materials decreases the use of valuable resources and provides a rich history of our ancestors which justifies this research.