Digital Commons Network^™

Spectral Engineering Of Optical Fiber Through Active Nanoparticle Doping, Tiffany Lindstrom-James

All Dissertations

The spectral engineering of optical fiber is a method of intentional doping of the core region in order to absorb/emit specific wavelengths of light therby providing enhanced performance over current fibers. Efforts here focused on developing an understanding of optically active nanoparticles based on alkaline earth fluorides that could be easily and homogeneously incorporated into the core of a silica based optical fiber preform and result in efficient and tailorable spectral emissions.
Doped and undoped calcium, strontium and barium fluoride nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and characterized for their physical, chemical, and optical behavior. Distinct spectroscopic differences as a result of …

Development Of Novel Organic Nitrogen Nutrient Solutions With Unique Bioreactors For Precision Nutrient Fertigation, Brian Ward

All Dissertations

A fertility study conducted comparing organic nitrogen versus synthetic nitrogen on yield, quality, mineral and phyto-nutrient content of sweet corn under conventional cultural practices.

Characterizing Mechanical Heterogeneity In Cardiovascular Cells, Sandra Deitch

All Dissertations

Most tissue-level mechanical models assume homogeneous mechanical properties within a single cell type. However, measurements of cellular mechanical properties show large variability in whole-cell mechanical properties between cells from a single population. This heterogeneity has been observed in many cell populations and with several measurement techniques but the sources are not yet fully understood. Cell mechanical properties are directly related to the composition and organization of the cytoskeleton, which is physically coupled to neighboring cells through adherens junctions and to underlying matrix scaffolds through focal adhesion complexes. As such, we believe that this high level of heterogeneity can be attributed …

Song Cycles For Soprano By Richard Pearson Thomas, Laura Faith Bateman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Theoretical Approach To Legitimizing Collaboratively Constructed Knowledge: A Content Analysis Of Wikipedia Science Articles Based On Accidental Collaboration, James Patrick Hutchinson

Dissertations

This study involved an analysis of 147 Wikipedia science articles using content and social network analysis to explore authorial relationships between articles and test a theoretical approach to using accidental collaboration as a tool to legitimize collaboratively constructed knowledge. Contrary to Wikipedia’s tagline of “anyone can edit,” this study found that articles had a small number of prolific contributors and that these contributors had educational background and edit history suggesting they were knowledgeable about the topics to which they contributed. Results also showed that articles found via accidental collaboration tended to be scientific in nature and often had direct subject …

Distributed Algorithms For Energy Savings In The Core Network, Lin Liu

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recently, many efforts have been undertaken to reduce the energy consumption of core networks. Bundle link is a commonly deployed technique in core networks to combine several high-speed physical sublinks into a virtual connection to achieve bandwidth upgrade flexibility and network reliability. The traffic passing through a bundle link can be carried fully over the first few sublinks (bin packing) or evenly distributed over all sublinks (load balancing). In the current network when a bundle link is on, all of its sublinks are on, thus, selectively shutting down a few sublinks during periods of low traffic could save a large …

Center For Terrorism Law: Monthly Activity Report, 2011-12, St. Mary's University School Of Law Center For Terrorism Law

Monthly Report

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Affluence On Sustainable Housing In Mysore, India, Bk Satish, J Brennan, R Pedreschi

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Mysore, the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India, can be identified as an early adopter of sustainable design practices. Between 1903 and 1947 the use of local construction materials, the Swadeshi movement of 1905, robust planning and clear legislation resulted in sustainable urban development. However, post-colonial development fuelled by economic globalisation after the 1980s has transformed perceptions of the house among the growing middle class, becoming a commodity to demonstrate affluence and status. This paper examines the impact of changing social and cultural values on the aspirations of the growing middle classes on sustainable housing and neighbourhood …

What Is Securities Fraud?, Samuel W. Buell

Duke Law Journal

As Rule 10b-5 approaches the age of seventy, deep familiarity with this supremely potent and consequential provision of American administrative law has obscured its lack of clear conceptual content. The rule, as written, interpreted, and enforced, is missing a fully developed connection to—of all things—fraud. Fraud is difficult to define. Several approaches are plausible. But the law of securities fraud, and much of the commentary about that body of law, has neither attempted such a definition nor acknowledged its necessity to the coherence and effectiveness of the doctrine.

Securities fraud’s lack of mooring in a fully developed concept of fraud …

Interpretive Freedom: A Necessary Component Of Article Iii Judging , Jennifer M. Bandy

Duke Law Journal

As judges have debated the best method of constitutional and statutory interpretation, scholars have begun calling for increased constraints on the methodological freedoms of Article III judges. This Note rejects such proposals on constitutional grounds. Drawing upon the jurisprudence and scholarship on inherent powers, I argue that interpretive choice is an inherent judicial power. The drafting and ratification history of Article III demonstrates that the Framers expected federal judges to interpret the law. To accomplish this task, however, judges must have some methodological approach to help them prioritize interpretive evidence. Thus, imposition of a binding interpretive methodology upon federal judges …

Dna As Patentable Subject Matter And A Narrow Framework For Addressing The Perceived Problems Caused By Gene Patents, Stephen H. Schilling

Duke Law Journal

Concerns about the alleged harmful effects of gene patents— including hindered research and innovation and impeded patient access to high-quality genetic diagnostic tests—have resulted in overreactions from the public and throughout the legal profession. These overreactions are exemplified by Association for Molecular Pathology v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a 2010 case in the Southern District of New York that held that isolated DNA is unpatentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The problem with these responses is that they fail to adequately consider the role that gene patents and patents on similar biomolecules play in facilitating investment in …

Molecular Interactions Of Salmonella With The Host Epithelium In Presence Of Commensals, Prerak T. Desai

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Food-borne infections are a major source of mortality and morbidity. Salmonella causes the highest number of Food-borne bacterial infections in the US. This work contributes towards developing strategies to control Salmonella by (a) defining receptors used by Salmonella to adhere to and invade the host epithelium; (b) developing a host receptor based rapid detection method for the pathogen in food matrix; (C) and defining mechanisms of how probiotics can help alleviate Salmonella-induced cell death in the host epithelium.

We developed a cell-cell crosslinking method to discover host-microbe receptors, and discovered three new receptor-ligand interactions. Interaction of Salmonella Ef-Tu with …

Under What Conditions Do Community Demographics Influence Aggregate Recycling?, Edward Kotter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tons of household waste go to landfills throughout the western United States each year. Recycling has been a popular way for cities to extend the life of landfills by decreasing the amount of waste entering them. The development and implementation of recycling programs has not come without challenges. People recycle or do not recycle for different reasons. Much research has been done to understand who recycles, who does not recycle, and what recycling program characteristics elicit greater participation. This study adds to the existing body of literature by focusing on determinants of community-level recycling in the western United States. This …

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Disparities Between U.S. Non-Hispanic Whites And Hispanics, 2000-2009, Andrew E. Burger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seasonal influenza produces substantial disease within the United States every year. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines for influenza, millions of individuals go unvaccinated each flu season, with notable differences across racial/ethnic groups. Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), I examine vaccination rates among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics during the 2000-2009 influenza seasons. After developing a new method that addresses shortcomings of BRFSS vaccination measures, I find that non-Hispanic whites exhibit higher vaccination rates than Hispanics. Through a series of logistic regression models I show that the disparities between non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics narrow after controlling …

Attitudinal And Experiential Factors Of Interethnic Romantic Relationships Among Native American Emerging Adults, Merrill L. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Doctoral student in psychology at Utah State University, Merrill Jones, and his major advisor, professor and licensed clinical psychologist, Renee V. Galliher, surveyed a sample of Native American individuals in the 18- to 25-year-old range about their romantic relationship attitudes and experiences with ethnically-different dating partners. The survey measured the participants’ past dating experiences, with an emphasis on which social influences and individual characteristics might impact their current attitudes about choosing dating partners who are not Native American. The responses of the participants will also be analyzed to identify how these factors relate with the other factors, and which factors …

An Investigation Of The Doctoral Dissertation Literature Review: From The Materials We Use To Prepare Students, To The Materials That Students Prepare, Melynda H. Fitt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To reduce the risk of repeating prior research efforts or choosing incorrect research methods, a sound literature review should be performed before undertaking a new study. As such, the literature review occupies a well-defined role in the research process. It is natural to assume much research has been done in how these skills are taught to future scholars. However, this is not the case. Research in this area is limited and varied. This dissertation builds on existing efforts and fills in a portion of the missing research. This work examines some of the textbooks used to teach doctoral students literature …

Measuring The Differences In Spatial Ability Between A Face-To-Face And A Synchronous Distance Education Undergraduate Engineering Graphics Course, Scott D. Greenhalgh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study was conducted in the Engineering and Technology Education Department at Utah State University by Scott Greenhalgh and Gary Stewardson to measure and compare a face-to-face engineering graphics course with a synchronous distance education engineering graphics course by identifying the impact of the teacher's physical presence on students' spatial ability. This study is unique because it involves laboratory classes in a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field with greater emphasis on hands-on laboratory experiences and skills rather than mastery of information and knowledge. The potential for impact of the study extends beyond a few courses in a specific …

The Relationship Of Acculturation And Acculturative Stress In Latina/O Youths’ Psychosocial Functioning, Marsha Tafoya

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to better understand how acculturation and acculturative stress are related to self-esteem, depression, substance use, and substance use problems in 206 Latina/o youth. Acculturation is the social and psychological process of change that occurs when an individual or group comes in contact with a different culture. The acculturation process can be positive, improving one’s life chances in the new culture, or it could be negative due to the challenging nature of change and adaptation to new cultural and social expectations. This difficulty creates a type of stress, called acculturative stress that has been found to be …

Jackson, Mississippi, Contested: The Allied Struggle For Civil Rights And Human Dignity, Matthew David Monroe

Master's Theses

Utilizing monthly reports and correspondence of civil rights organizations, in addition to newspaper coverage, oral histories; and memoirs, this study shows that a grassroots, community-driven movement mobilized in Mississippi's capital to challenge institutionalized discrimination. Yet, racial identity did not dictate exclusively how White and Black Mississippians responded to the unfolding Civil Rights Movement. Conflicting and shifting motivations shaped the nature, extent, and pace by which Blacks and Whites challenged or protected status quo discrimination. The Jackson Movement began as early as 1955 and sustained protest activity into the 1960s. By the summer of 1965, Jackson's Black community secured most of …

Trafficking Of Women In Nepal: An Intersectional Analysis Of Organizational Narratives, Bhavana Mahat

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Nepal, sex trafficking is usually associated with poverty, illiteracy and gender discrimination. To better understand the discursive dimensions of sex trafficking, this research examines the organizational narratives of the Nepalese anti-trafficking workers using the analytical framework of intersectionality. This study finds that the anti-trafficking workers' organizational narratives are influenced by both personal and institutional narratives. In their personal narratives, anti-trafficking workers recognize the multiple forms of discrimination shaping the victims' experiences, but the intersectional discriminations are rarely addressed in the anti-trafficking programs or services implemented by the non-profit organizations. After having identified sex-trafficking victims as experiencing discrimination based on …

Don't Argue With The Members, Jaber F. Gubrium, James A. Holstein

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Mel Pollner regularly cautioned researchers not to argue with the members of settings under consideration. He warned against substituting the researcher’s meaning for the meanings of those being studied. This article discusses facets of the caution as they relate to the research process. Seemingly simple, the tenet is nuanced in application. The article adds to the nuance by distinguishing what is called the “replacement” of meaning with the “displacement” of meaning, providing a way of understanding what members could mean if the contexts and settings of their accounts were taken into consideration.

Analysis Of The Morbidity And Mortality Of Severe Influenza Infection In Clark County, Nevada For The 2010--2011 Influenza Season, Kindra Maureen St. Jacques

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Influenza circulates in the community in a fairly predictable manner each year; however, throughout the duration of any influenza season, influenza strains have the ability to evolve through antigenic mutations, viral reassortment, development of anti-viral resistance, and alterations in virulence. These changes are likely to cause illness among the unimmunized and can result in severe illness or death. Therefore, it is especially important to closely monitor severe influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas in collaboration with the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), Office of Epidemiology (OOE) analyzed data from the severe hospitalized influenza morbidity and mortality …

Preparing The Australian Early Childhood Workforce For Rural And Remote Settings: A Review Of The Literature, Nicole C. Green, Andrea Nolan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article presents the findings of a literature review of research on teacher preparation for rural settings. In the past there has been little or no preparation of teachers for rural teaching, with the emphasis placed on supporting beginning teachers once they commenced (Baills, Bell, Greensill & Wilcox, 2002; Howe, 2006); now there is a strong movement to prepare preservice teachers adequately before their first teaching appointment. However, what has become clear is that the focus of research has been predominantly on primary and secondary education. In our search we have not been able to identify a substantial body of …

Hydrologic Evaluation Of Established Rain Gardens In Lincoln, Nebraska Using A Storm Runoff Simulator, Andrew R. Anderson

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Other Student Research

Increased urbanization has resulted in water quality and flooding problems for many receiving waters in the United States. Bioretention, or rain gardens, is one of the most widely popular and effective best management practices in low impact development (LID), which strives to return a watershed to a predevelopment hydrologic regime. Many studies have evaluated large bioretention cells in research settings. There is little information on the effectiveness of homeowner-maintained rain gardens that rely on deep percolation as the method for water exfiltration. Additionally, few studies address rain garden performance in cold, arid, or semi-arid climates found in the Midwest U.S. …

The Urban Fabric Of The Great Plains, Andrew Becker

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

To most Americans the Great Plains region of North America is mysterious place. There are disagreements when defining its limits, and some people just refer to it as the Midwest. The Great Plains has been a place under an ocean, a place under glaciers, and a place on fire. It was once dubbed “the Great American Desert,” but is now known for its agricultural viability. The Great Plains sparks imagination because it is so massive and was one of the final frontiers for Euro-American settlement. The Great Plains is seen as a rural place but the majority of the region’s …

Politics In The Non-Political Branch, Justin L. Swanson

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

Across the country there exists a patchwork of legal systems by which judges are appointed retained. In some states, like Illinois, it is a fully political process where judges actively campaign for election to the bench. But a majority of states, including Nebraska, have adopted the Merit Selection System, which attempts to remove politics from these processes. Nevertheless, politics can enter into the retention votes. And when they do, it can be extremely difficult for judges to overcome.

Mariners All Access: An Inside Look At The Role Of A Producer At Root SportsTm, Carrie S. Tachiyama

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

The experience of producing a full episode and several segments of Mariners All Access provides an in-depth look at the inner workings of a production at a regional sports network. Examining the role of the producer, what lessons are learned and discovering more effective ways to produce Mariners All Access.

The producer in this instance is a manager of a small staff, a researcher and a creator of storylines. From previous experience an assumption is made that sports networks and news stations operate the same way. After the author’s experience in producing Mariners All Access it is shown this …

The Good Life In Psychotherapy: Implicit And Influential, Emily Lonas Morris

Theses and Dissertations

The good life, or a flourishing life, is a vision of how people ought to best live their lives. Though this vision is vital to the conduct of psychotherapy, it is generally overlooked, and thus unexamined. The therapist's vision of the good life for the client guides his or her implicit and explicit interventions. Despite this, there is relatively little discussion about this vital topic, and relatively little training into the various approaches to the good life. In this thesis, I argue that this relative lack of examination and training is due to the lack of perceived options regarding conceptions …

Optimization Of Concentrator Gaas Photovoltaic Devices With Inas Quantum Dots Through Substrate Misorientation And Electroplating, Chelsea Mackos

Theses

Optimization of InAs critical coverage is important to realizing controlled growth in quantum dot devices. Substrate misorientation can change the value of critical coverage but also creates more uniform quantum dots in both size and distribution. Uniform quantum dots are advantageous in concentrator photovoltaic devices due to increases in sub bandgap response. Concentration photovoltaic devices are designed to compete on a cost per watt basis with other terrestrial photovoltaic devices. This benefit can only be utilized if the fabrication process is also cost effective. Concentration devices rely on dense thick Au grid finger design to reduce series resistance, which can …

Corporate Philanthropy And Corporate Financial Performance: The Roles Of Social Response And Political Access, Heli Wang, Cuili Qian

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Corporate philanthropy is expected to positively affect firm financial performance because it helps firms gain sociopolitical legitimacy, which enables them to elicit positive stakeholder responses and to gain political access. The positive philanthropy-performance relationship is stronger for firms with greater public visibility and for those with better past performance, as philanthropy by these firms gains more positive stakeholder responses. Firms that are not government-owned or politically well connected were shown to benefit more from philanthropy, as gaining political resources is more critical for such firms. Empirical analyses using data on Chinese firms listed on stock exchanges from 2001 to 2006 …