Digital Commons Network^™

The Representation Of A Scandal: A Case Study Of The Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal, Rhiannon Rossi

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Crises on a college campus can be especially destructive, as the audience includes students, families, and important stakeholders. The Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal burst into the scene on November 5, 2011, when initial charges were filed against Sandusky for his alleged acts against minors. The scandal rocked the culture and reputation of Penn State University, causing the release of head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier, as well as the charging of perjury against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz in their apparent roles in the incident. Benoit’s Image Repair Theory (1995) is the main theoretical basis …

Communication Between Generation X And Generation Jackass: Creating Communication Rules For Teens And Parents, Aimee Irene Finney

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Technologically addicted teenagers are facing challenges not even imagined by those accepting the challenge of parenthood. Using Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect theory and the phenomenological approach of data gathering, teens and parents were asked about their experiences in communicating with each other. With regards to Gerry Philispen’s Theory of Speech Codes, the patterns of communication with teens and parents were considered. Communication technologies will continue to change at a lightning quick speeds; the importance of collaborative communication patterns continues to remain crucial to open and honest sharing of information between parents and teens. The desire to discover how to create open …

Tabloidization And The Role Of Agenda Setting, Brooke Brander

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Tabloidization of the news has received a fare amount of attention in the late twentieth century and early twenty-¬‐first century. The reason and cause for the tabloidization of the news is a subject of debate as well as the possible effects on the public. The news media are a gateway to the world around us. Tabloid-¬‐style news does not inform the public of local, national and/or world event, but rather informs the public of celebrity happenings and gossip, failing to be the voice of democracy and instead being the voice of gossip. Tabloid-¬‐style news may be diverting the public’s attention …

Image Management: How Do Fort Mcmurray's Community Leaders Address Their Town's External Media Image, Kiran Malik-Khan

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines how community leaders in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo - Fort McMurray, an oil sands town in northern Alberta, Canada, address the issue of image management when it comes to negative coverage of their community via external media outlets. The ethnographical study employs Goffman’s image management theory, McCombs and Shaw’s agenda-setting theory and Christians’ media ethics theory as its foundation for the need of telling a balanced story about the municipality. In addition, narratives of several other cities around the world have been examined for similar issues. A content analysis of a few of these highlighted …

Improving Student Learning In Third World Communities Through The Applications Of Transformational Leadership And Technology, Jan Michael Co Uy

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Students in third world communities often face many economic and educational challenges. The main setback that many kids face today is continued education. Overall, the purpose of this research is how transformational leadership and technology contribute to student learning in third world communities. A few key theories were used in this research, which include Transformational Leadership, Early Childhood, Social Penetration, and Media Richness Theories. From a research method standpoint, meta-analysis was used to determine how these theories relate to themes from various case studies done on improving student learning. The overall finding is that technology in tandem with transformational leadership …

Sharing Intimate Moments On Youtube: Women Who Vlog And Their Sense Of Community, Friendship And Privacy, Julie Smith

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

YouTube, a public video-sharing site, is attracting people who crave a sense of community, and is allowing individuals – specifically women – to maintain social relationships through its web-based system. Groups of these women vloggers document their efforts to conceive, their pregnancies and parenting challenges, which some critics argue are very personal experiences that should not be shared publicly with strangers. Using social penetration theory and elements of communication privacy management theory, this thesis analyzes how self-disclosure through computer-mediated communication converts superficial relationships with strangers into close, social connections by examining the extent to which breadth and depth of self-disclosure …

Identifying And Preventing Cyberbullying Among Adolescents, Matthew Michael Keller

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This project examines the ways adolescent children use the internet to pick on peers; look at ways this so-called “cyberbullying” mirrors traditional schoolyard bullying; and postulate ways to stop the violence. After reports of cyberbullying began appearing in the mainstream media from around the United States, it became imperative to find more detailed and scientific information about this phenomenon. Information from the Cyberbullying Research Center (2004) showed that more than 20 percent of children had been harassed online in 2010. With this type of growth, it is important to identify what makes a person become a cyberbully and more importantly, …

Rhetorical Analysis Of Successful Brands In Social Media Discourse, Maja Stevanovich

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The expression "content is king" is a sentiment those in the marketing and public relations industries live by. When it comes to social media, still considered a newer form of communication, not all brands are sure of what makes for successful utilization of the medium. This study performed a rhetorical analysis on three brands considered to be social media standouts in their respective industries, Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines and the U.S. Army and identified patterns on what makes these brands successful in their social media discourse. The study proved that social media discourse has much to do with sound communication principles …

Child Abuse In Foster Care: Risk Factors, Magali Sanchez-Gomez

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Sustainability Package Advertising On Consumer Purchases, Ronald Ringler

Graphic Communication

This research project focused on factors influencing consumers’ purchasing behavior. Specifically, the project focused on sustainability of packaging and attempted to find if sustainability of a package (represented by post-consumer content) affected a consumer’s decision to buy that product. The specific question asked was: “Are consumers willing to purchase a product based on the environmental friendliness of its package even if it goes against the consumer’s brand preference, or if it has a higher price point than competing products?” Research data was gathered through a multi-page survey comprised of seven questions of varying complexity. Participants were primarily aged 18-25 and …

The Quickiecomposer Android Application, Brigit Elizabeth Hawley

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

The QuickieComposer application is a program intended for use on Android Devices. Designed for the composer on the go, the QuickieComposer app is perfect for those “in the moment” compositions. In the following document, the functionality and development of the first version of the QuickieComposer application is explained.

Video Production Guide: A Manual On Video Production Custom Made For Laes, Andrew Mai

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

A guide in video production using the Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies Program’s main work space, also known as the Expressive Technologies Workshop. Includes a detailed instructional on video production from camera rentals to basic shooting to editing and distribution. Also introduces other tools in the workshop related to video production such as audio production tools and projection mapping.

Infusing Technology Into The Performing Arts At Cal Poly, Tyler Whipple

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Physical Computing: Digital Interfaces Using Microsoft Kinect And Peggy 2 Led Matrix, Jeffrey Franklin

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Physical computing, or more specifically social immersive media, is an offshoot of New Media that incorporates interactive physical systems (software/hardware systems) to sense and respond to the analog world. This serves as a creative framework for understanding our own relationship to the digital world. In this project, computer vision is incorporated as a medium between both input and output through the use of two cameras, a typical webcam and a Microsoft Kinect. For the first part of the project, a webcam streams visual data into a computer program which interpolates the video data into a 25x25 virtual dot matrix. This …

How Parents Use Television To Enrich Their Children's Cultural Identity: The Case Study Of Shalom Sesame And Jewish Life, Elizabeth Michele Spezia

Theses

A small-scale ethnographic case study of young children's learning from television in southern Illinois provides understanding about the frameworks used for interpreting media use in family life. The research consisted of in-home interviews about patterns of using the media, observations, and family diaries of children's viewing behavior to examine family engagement with a prosocial television program, Shalom Sesame, depicting Jewish culture, Hebrew language, holidays, and the land of Israel. Family responses to the program are identified in terms of appeal, use, and overall fit with Jewish identity and tradition in the homes. Data analysis reveals that quality educational program features …

The Capacity Of A Southern University To Promote And Support Health Literacy Among College Students: A Case Study Approach, Alison Burton Epperson

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this case study was to determine if the university under study had adequate health-related programs, services, and supports in place to develop health-literate young adults. A secondary purpose was to identify strengths and gaps in these university health-related programs, services, and supports, which, if addressed, could increase the likelihood that college graduates would be health-literate. This research study served to answer three broad research questions: 1) What are the health-related needs and concerns among selected university undergraduates? 2) What is the level of awareness and utilization of health-related programs, services, and supports by university undergraduate students? …

Image Bodies, Avatar Ontologies: Rendering The Virtual In Digital Culture, Adam M. Davis

Dissertations

In 2009 five avatar-themed films were released, one of which became the highest grossing film to date, signaling that in addition to their popularity in videogames and virtual worlds, avatars are culturally salient figures which demand scholarly attention. Avatars, virtual environments, and user behavior have evolved significantly since virtual reality captured public and academic attention at the close of the twentieth century, and this dissertation is an attempt to theorize the avatar in contemporary digital culture. By interlacing new media philosophy and analyses of cinematic texts I situate the avatar at the nexus between digital images and interactive bodies, with …

2012 Manufacturers Safety Management System Pilot Project Report Design And Manufacturing Organizations, Jeff Duven, Linda Navarro, David Hempe, Alan J. Stolzer

Publications

In October, 2009, the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) chartered a team to conduct the Manufacturers' Safety Management Systems (MSMS) pilot project. The pilot project began in January, 2011, and encourages voluntary implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) among aviation Design and Manufacturing (D&M) organizations in order to allow the FAA to assess how to provide oversight of these systems. Eleven companies representing the breadth of organizations that AIR oversees participated.

The MSMS pilot project culminated in December, 2012. Information, results, and lessons learned from the pilot project were captured via the MSMS Teams' final deliverable to AIR-150. The report was …

Checkup, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Checkup

No abstract provided.

Urban Design Study & Proposal: Hayward City Center, Bradford J. Debranch

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Who's Following You: The Federal Trade Commission's Proposed “Do Not Track” Framework And Online Behavioral Advertising, Timothy J. Shrake Ii

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

The rapid growth and use of the internet has changed society and raised important questions.  One such question concerns online behavioral advertising, which refers to the practice of following an individual's actions on an internet capable device and tailoring advertisements based on that individual’s internet actions.  The main issues in this comment are whether the government should regulate online behavioral advertising and whether consumers have the right to limit the tracking of their online actions.  This comment specially examines the practice of online behavioral advertising and the Federal Trade Commission's proposal, Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change, …

Erratum: The Quantum Dynamic Capacity Formula Of A Quantum Channel; Public And Private Resource Trade-Offs For A Quantum Channel (Quantum Information Processing Doi: 10.1007/S11128-011-0310-6), Mark M. Wilde, Min Hsiu Hsieh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Public And Private Resource Trade-Offs For A Quantum Channel, Mark M. Wilde, Min Hsiu Hsieh

Faculty Publications

Collins and Popescu realized a powerful analogy between several resources in classical and quantum information theory. The Collins-Popescu analogy states that public classical communication, private classical communication, and secret key interact with one another somewhat similarly to the way that classical communication, quantum communication, and entanglement interact. This paper discusses the information-theoretic treatment of this analogy for the case of noisy quantum channels. We determine a capacity region for a quantum channel interacting with the noiseless resources of public classical communication, private classical communication, and secret key. We then compare this region with the classical-quantum-entanglement region from our prior efforts …

Syntheses And Photodynamic Activity Of Pegylated Cationic Zn(Ii)-Phthalocyanines In Hep2 Cells, Benson G. Ongarora, Xiaoke Hu, Susan D. Verberne-Sutton, Jayne C. Garno, M. Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

Di-cationic Zn(II)-phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) are promising photosensitizers for the photody-namic therapy (PDT) of cancers and for photoinactivation of viruses and bacteria. Pegylation of photosensitizers in general enhances their water-solubility and tumor cell accumulation. A series of pegylated di-cationic ZnPcs were synthesized from conjugation of a low molecular weight PEG group to a pre-formed Pc macrocycle, or by mixed condensation involving a pegylated phthalonitrile. All pegylated ZnPcs were highly soluble in polar organic solvents but were insoluble in water; they have intense Q absorptions centered at 680 nm and fluores-cence quantum yields of ca. 0.2 in DMF. The non-pegylated di-cationic ZnPc 6a …

Competition Of Zinc Ion For The [2fe-2s] Cluster Binding Site In The Diabetes Drug Target Protein Mitoneet, Guoqiang Tan, Aaron P. Landry, Ruili Dai, Li Wang, Jianxin Lu, Huangen Ding

Faculty Publications

Human mitochondrial protein mitoNEET is a novel target of type II diabetes drug pioglitazone, and contains a redox active [2Fe-2S] cluster that is hosted by a unique ligand arrangement of three cysteine and one histidine residues. Here we report that zinc ion can compete for the [2Fe-2S] cluster binding site in human mitoNEET and potentially modulate the physiological function of mitoNEET. When recombinant mitoNEET is expressed in Escherichia coli cells grown in M9 minimal media, purified mitoNEET contains very little or no iron-sulfur clusters. Addition of exogenous iron or zinc ion in the media produces mitoNEET bound with a [2Fe-2S] …

Influence Of Certain Pulsed Electric Field Conditions On The Growth Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus La-K, O. Cueva, K. J. Aryana

Faculty Publications

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) processing involves the application of pulses of electricity, for less than one second to fluid products placed between two electrodes. Lactobacillus acidophilus is an important probiotic bacterium used for the production of fermented dairy foods. The objective was to study the influence of electric pulse period, electric field strength, and electric pulse width on the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-K. Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-K, suspended in sterile peptone water was treated using an OSU-4 PEF processor. The treatments were pulse periods of 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 μs electric field strength of 5, 15 and 25 kV/cm, and …

Labrad : Vol 38, Issue 2 - December 2012, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Automation in Microbiology Specimen Processing and Inoculation
• Use of Automated Urine Analyzer for Urinanalysis
• Automation in Blood Culture
• Vitek 2 System: An Automated System for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
• TB Diagnosis-A New Horizon
• Serological and Molecular Diagnosis of Malaria
• Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis
• Rapid Detection of Dengue NS1 Antigen by ELISA in Suspected Dengue Patients
• Saline Infusion Hysterosonography to Evaluate Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
• Workshop on “Diagnosis of Fungal Infections in Clinical Laboratory”

First Choice, December 2012, Wusf Public Media

First Choice Monthly Newsletter

The December 2012 issue of WUSF's newsletter "First Choice."

Impaired Skeletal Muscle Blood Flow Control With Advancing Age In Humans: Attenuated Atp Release And Local Vasodilation During Erythrocyte Deoxygenation, Brett S. Kirby, Anne R. Crecelius, Wyatt F. Voyles, Frank A. Dinenno

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Rationale: Skeletal muscle blood flow is coupled with the oxygenation state of hemoglobin in young adults, whereby the erythrocyte functions as an oxygen sensor and releases ATP during deoxygenation to evoke vasodilation. Whether this function is impaired in humans of advanced age is unknown.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that older adults demonstrate impaired muscle blood flow and lower intravascular ATP during conditions of erythrocyte deoxygenation.

Methods and Results: We showed impaired forearm blood flow responses during 2 conditions of erythrocyte deoxygenation (systemic hypoxia and graded handgrip exercise) with age, which was caused by reduced local vasodilation. In young adults, …

The Effect Of Pause Duration On Intelligibility Of Non-Native Spontaneous Oral Discourse, Ryan Frederick Lege

Theses and Dissertations

Pausing is a natural part of human speech. Pausing is used to segment speech, negotiate meaning, and allow for breathing. In oral speech, pausing, along with other suprasegmental features, plays a critical role in creating meaning as comprehensible speech is seen as a goal for language learners around the world. In order to be comprehensible, language learners need to learn to pause correctly in their speaking. Though this notion is widely accepted by applied linguists and many language teachers, the effect of pausing on intelligibility of spontaneous oral discourse has not been established by empirical data. This study isolates pause …