Digital Commons Network^™

The Alabama Ballet: A Master's Examination Report, Alison Heath

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

This report investigates the successes and shortcomings of an established and financially stable arts organization, and analyzes the position of the organization within the greater whole of the arts community. Alabama Ballet is a 501(c)(3) taxexempt non-profit organization located in Birmingham, Alabama. Alabama Ballet strives to offer high quality, professional dance in the state of Alabama through dance programming, education programs, and outreach efforts. The exploration and discovery took place during a 480-hour Internship while working as an Administrative Intern within the organization. This report explores the strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for organizational improvement based on studies and knowledge gained …

Finding The Maximum And Minimum Magnitude Responses (Gains) Of Third-Order Filters Without Calculus, Kenneth V. Cartwright, Patrick Russell, Edit J. Kaminsky

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

The maximum and minimum gains (with respect to frequency) of third-order low-pass and high-pass filters are derived without using calculus. Our method uses the little known fact that extrema of cubic functions can easily be found by purely algebraic means. PSpice simulations are provided that verify the theoretical results.

Finding The Minimum Input Impedance Of A Second-Order Unity-Gain Sallen-Key Low-Pass Filter Without Calculus, Kenneth V. Cartwright, Edit J. Kaminsky

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

We derive an expression for the input complex impedance of a Sallen-Key second-order low-pass filter of unity gain as a function of the natural frequency , o  quality factor Q and the ratio of the resistors of the filter. From this expression, it is shown that the filter behaves like a single capacitor for low frequencies and as a single resistor at high frequencies. Furthermore, the minimum input impedance magnitude is found without using calculus. We discovered that the minimum input impedance magnitude is inversely proportional to Q and can be substantially less than its highfrequency value. Approximations to …

Microrefugia And Species Persistence In The Galápagos Highlands: A 26,000-Year Paleoecological Perspective, Aaron F. Collins, Mark B. Bush, Julian P. Sachs

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Galápagos Islands are known to have experienced significant drought during the Quaternary. The loss of mesophytic upland habitats has been suggested to underlie the relatively lower endemism of upland compared with lowland plant assemblages. A fossil pollen record spanning the last 26,000 years from an upland bog on Santa Cruz Island, revealed the persistent presence of highland pollen and spore types during the last glacial maximum and a millennial-scale series of droughts in the mid Holocene. The absence of lowland taxa and presence of mesic taxa led to the conclusion that the highland flora of the Galápagos persisted during …

Corals On Acid: An Inquiry-Based Activity Leading Students To A Better Understanding Of Ocean Acidification Impacts, Casey L. Boleman, Philip M. Gravinese, Ellen N. Muse, Andrea E. Marston, John G. Windsor

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective of this inquiry-based lesson is for students to gain an understanding of how increasing ocean acidity can affect the calcification of marine organisms. During this activity, students: (1) design an experiment to quantify the CaCO3 concentration of two invertebrate skeletal samples, one that has been soaked in normal seawater and another in a low pH solution, and (2) use critical thinking and discussion to evaluate possible explanations for the difference in the skeletal CaCO3 compositions. Our lesson focuses on exploring the activity before ocean acidification is introduced to provide a common conceptual framework to engage students.

Alignment Study Of Kentucky's Mathematics Placement Examinations And Entry Level Credit-Bearing Mathematics Course Examinations., Lisa Conn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research alignment study compares content assessed on course finals from Kentucky public universities in highest level remedial mathematics courses and content assessed on college placement examinations. These assessments are used to determine if a student is ready for credit-bearing courses at a university. The study addressed the following four research questions: (1) What mathematical prerequisite knowledge do state universities consider necessary to be college ready? Specifically 1a) What content domains do the state universities emphasize in their remediation courses?; 1b) Is there consistency across the state public universities with regard to the content domains?; and (2) How well do …

Creativity And The Development Of Technology Integration Skills Of Preservice Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study Of Online Course Activities, Watsatree Diteeyont

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Rhapsody/Concerto Of Robert C. Ehle, Chia-Hua Huang

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Nature Of Arabic Mothers' Involvement In Their Children's Mathematics Education, Wafa Yacoub

Dissertations

In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the nature of Arabic mothers', who live in the United States involvement in their children's mathematics education. There is no data about this minority population as related to mathematics educational involvement since Arabic and Muslim women are scarcely represented in the educational research. Eighteen mothers participated in four focus groups, all agreed on the importance of mathematics and their involvement in their children's math education despite the fact that many of them had negative experiences learning mathematics, and were not familiar with the new teaching methods. These mothers became involved at home by …

Synthesis Of Resveratrol Ester Derivatives, Daniel Ressler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to synthesize derivatives of transresveratrol. In order for resveratrol to be activated and used by the body it needs to bind to Human Serum Albumin (HSA), a protein in blood plasma. The derivatives were synthesized to improve the ability of resveratrol to enter cells as well as improve their ability to bind to HSA. The three derivatives that were synthesized have converted one of the hydroxyl groups on resveratrol to an ether with a methylene chain terminated by a carboxylic acid. By varying the lengths of the methylene chain we varied the water …

Students With Disabilities: Perspectives Of Regular Education Teachers Of Increased Inclusion, Mindy D. Myers Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion. The participants of this study were K-12 regular education teachers located in Tennessee’s First region. Specifically, this research explored (1) perceptions of the impact of inclusion on instructional strategies, (2) perceived level of preparedness to effectively teach students with disabilities (3) professional development needs of regular education teachers instructing students with disabilities, and (4) collaborative relationships between regular and special educators. The data sources analyzed consisted of a survey design using a 4-point Likert scale. Each research question had a corresponding null hypothesis. Each research question …

Physical Security Assessment Of A Regional University Computer Network, Nathan H. Timbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing a network's physical security is an essential step in securing its data. This document describes the design, implementation, and validation of PSATool, a prototype application for assessing the physical security of a network's intermediate distribution frames, or IDFs (a.k.a. "wiring closets"). PSATool was created to address a lack of tools for IDF assessment. It implements a checklist-based protocol for assessing compliance with 52 security requirements compiled from federal and international standards. This checklist can be extended according to organizational needs.

PSATool was validated by using it to assess physical security at 135 IDFs at East Tennessee State University. …

Freshman Academy At One School In East Tennessee: A Mixed Method Study, Yvonne L. Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the student achievement prior to and after the implementation of a freshman academy at one school in East Tennessee. The researcher used student data from the end of course exam scores for Algebra I and English I. The failure rate of freshman prior to and after the implementation of the Freshman Academy was examined. The data were analyzed using a chi square statistical analysis. A significant difference was observed in the end of course exam scores for Algebra I and English I after the implementation of the Freshman Academy. Qualitative data examined …

Co2 Capture On Porous Adsorbents Containing Surface Amino Groups, Odette Amana Esam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The potential impact of carbon dioxide as a major source of global warming has led to extensive research in order to mitigate the greenhouse effect. In this work, four adsorbents were synthesized and studied. The adsorbents were obtained by grafting and sol-gel of amino-containing molecules such as bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine as monoamine and [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]- trimethoxysilane as diamine on the surface of silica gel. CO2 passed through adsorbents at room temperature for its capture, then desorbed at moderate heating, and stored in the form of insoluble BaCO3. The adsorbent synthesized by sol-gel synthesis was found to be more efficient due to its high …

The Sustainability Of Agriculture In Nigeria Using Rubber As A Case Study, Owen Osahon Ogbebor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study is an investigation of the sustainability of agriculture in Nigeria using Rubber as case study. Edo and Abia states were sampled for the study with 300 questionnaires administered in 10 communities among rubber farmers. The study is an investigation of the socio-demographic distribution of the rubber farmers, perception of rubber farmers, and influence of government activities. Sources of information and the data were cumulated for Nigeria as a whole. The data were analyzed using statistical analysis.

Findings indicated the distribution of rubber farmers on socio-demographic distribution, sources of funds, and the effects on agricultural sustainability in Nigeria. Farmers’ …

Towards Operationalizing Complexity Leadership: How Generative, Administrative And Community-Building Leadership Practices Enact Organizational Outcomes, James K. Hazy, Mary Uhl-Bien

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Over five years ago, The Leadership Quarterly published a special issue on complexity to advance a new way of thinking about leadership. In shifting attention away from the individual to the organizing process itself, complexity added an important focus on process and context to leadership and management research. Yet, the complexity approach creates challenges for researchers who must combine or replace individual level constructs—like those built through surveys or factor analysis—with richer theories that investigate networked meso dynamics, multilevel phenomena, emergent processes, and organizational outcomes. To address this challenge, the present analysis draws on theoretical and empirical work over the …

On Head Lice And Social Interaction In Archaic Andean Coastal Populations, Bernardo Arriaza, Vivien Standen, Karl Reinhard, Aduto Araújo, Jörg Heukelbach, Katharina Dittmar

Karl Reinhard Publications

Archaic mummies from northern Chile were examined for the presence of Pediculus humanus capitis. The excellent preservation of mummies and louse nits/eggs permitted a study of the degree of head lice infestation. We studied 63 Chinchorro mummies (ca. 5000–3000 years B.P.) from the Arica-Camarones coast. An area of 2 cm × 2 cm on each mummy’s head was systematically inspected for louse nits/eggs. Hairs with nits/eggs and lice were collected and analyzed using optic and scanning electronic microscopy. About 79% (50/63) of the mummies resulted positive for pediculosis, with an average of 2.1 nits/ eggs/cm2 per positive individual. Microscopic …

Dynamic Queue Management For Hospital Emergency Room Services, Kar Way Tan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The emergency room (ER) – or emergency department (ED) – is often seen as a place with long waiting times and a lack of doctors to serve the patients. However, it is one of the most important departments in a hospital, and must efficiently serve patients with critical medical needs. In the existing literature, addressing the issue of long waiting times in an ED often takes the form of single-faceted queue-management strategies that are either from a demand perspective or from a supply perspective. From the demand perspective, there is work on queue design such as priority queues, or queue …

Age, Growth, Mortality, And The Effects Of Trawling On Mortality Of The Longspine Porgy, Stenotomus Caprinus, Cher Marie Newman

Master's Theses

Stenotomus caprinus (Longspine Porgy) is one of the most abundant bycatch species caught in trawl fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Biological data of length, weight, and abundance have been collected since 1972 on the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) surveys with a variety of GOM species, including Longspine Porgy, using trawl nets during groundfish surveys. In 2010-2011 five Longspine Porgy were obtained from Groundfish and Pelagic surveys at each station for further analysis. Age distribution was determined through von Bertalanffy length and weight-age models. The samples were separated into two regions of the GOM to …

John H. Steele, 1926–2013, Elizabeth Turner, Eileen E. Hofmann, Dian J. Gifford, Dale B. Haidvogel

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

This special issue of Oceanography is dedicated to the memory of John H. Steele, who passed away on November 4, 2013, at the age of 86. John was a seminal figure in the creation of the US Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) and International GLOBEC programs, and remained involved in them through his scientific endeavors and program leadership. We benefitted from his keen intellect, wide-ranging knowledge, deep insight, and unfailing good humor and gentlemanly manner.

Friction Ridge Dysplasia And Its Preponderance In The Afghanistan Population, Chelsea Elyse Woullard

Master's Theses

Friction Ridge Dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder in which the friction skin ridge units do not fuse together to form continuously flowing friction ridges. The skin affected by Friction Ridge Dysplasia is generally localized to one area and gives a similar appearance of the pebbled state of skin on the snout of a dog. Many authors have briefly discussed Friction Ridge Dysplasia in their publications; however, in-depth reflection as to the cause and rate of occurrence of Friction Ridge Dysplasia has not been documented. The objective of this study is to determine whether or not Friction Ridge Dysplasia is …

Standardized Longitudinal Connection Detail For Decked Precast Prestressed Concrete Girders, Ramzi Muftah Ali Abduallah

Masters Theses

The use of decked precast prestressed concrete girders (DPPCG) is becoming popular in accelerated bridge construction. DPPCGs are assembled and connected on site using grout or concrete longitudinal connections. The durability performance of these connections is a concern. The objective of this research is to document the longitudinal connection behavior with respect to its design parameters, and establish a process for developing a standardized connection detail considering the demands due to live load and temperature gradient (TG) load. In order to demonstrate this process, decked bulb-tee and decked box-beam girders were considered. Finite element models, under various types and levels …

Investigating Crash Frequency And Injury Severity At Freeway Fixed Weigh Stations In Michigan, Fathi Salam Mo. Alkhatni

Masters Theses

At fixed weigh station, the movement of commercial vehicles (CMVs) from and back to the mainline traffic stream could create conflicts in traffic stream in its vicinity. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of presence of weigh stations on injury severity and frequency of crashes on Michigan freeways. A comparison study, which observed crash patterns in the vicinity of 12 fixed weigh stations as compared to crash patterns in the vicinity of 65 rest areas and 77 selected comparison segments, was conducted. The study used eight years (2004 to 2011) crash data recorded in Michigan freeways. …

Origin Of High Levels Of Ammonium In Groundwater, Ottawa County, Michigan, Derrick Lingle

Masters Theses

Groundwater from wells located in and around Hemlock Crossing Park in Ottawa County, Michigan has elevated levels of ammonium. High ammonium concentrations in potable water wells are a common indicator of anthropogenic impact, such as landfill leachate or agricultural activity. Ammonium can also occur in groundwater through the decay of natural organic material. Along with the retrieval of a complete glacial sediment core via rotasonic drilling, numerous chemical and isotopic parameters were used to determine the source of ammonium in the impacted aquifer.

Buried organic material, deposited during the Athens subepisode interglacial period, is in contact with groundwater containing elevated …

Implementation And Analysis Of A 1.4l Turbo Liquid Cooled Cac And Ac Condenser System, Mitchell Zajac

Masters Theses

This project report serves as a continuation and finalization of an overall experience with the design process including working on the development of system components, working with automotive industry leaders, suppliers and dealing with the aspects of business and production feasibility. The development of a dual level cooling concept to apply Centro Richerche Fiat established components on a Chrysler Group vehicle application was the foundation of the design project completed in December 2012 by Matt Cutler and Mitch Zajac. The development of this system aimed to decrease overall vehicle power consumption, minimize overall system packaging space, and to increase vehicle …

Sensitivity And Species Specificity Of Bisulfite Modification And Pyrosequencing Technology Used To Identify Tissue-Specific Dna Methylation Patterns In Common Biofluids Foudn In Crime Scenes, Sitara Christian Shirwani

Master's Theses

In order to convict the guilty or exonerate the innocent in criminal cases, it is crucial to reconstruct the crime scene and/or determine the nature of the crime. Identifying the different biofluids found at a crime scene can help shed light on these aspects of forensic casework. Recently, DNA methylation has been used as a means of identifying biological materials, as opposed to conventional protein/enzyme based methods. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to the 5' carbon on a cytosine base (C), which is directly followed by a guanine base (G) and are called CpG sites. The …

Abusive Online Conduct: Discrimination And Harassment In Cyberspace, Andra Gumbus, Patricia Meglich

WCBT Faculty Publications

Discrimination and harassment that were once committed in real time have now moved to the online environment. Discrimination and harassment on the Internet take many forms and can be more damaging and insidious than the face-to-face forms of abuse. This conceptual paper looks at two types of abusive online conduct that have emerged due to the proliferation of the Internet in our lives: Weblining and cyberbullying. These topics are examined from an ethical perspective with a focus on gender and racial discrimination issues.

Mechanisms Of Hemolysis-Associated Platelet Activation, Christine C. Helms, M. Marvel, W. Zhao, M. Stahle, R. Vest, G. J. Kato, J. S. Lee, G. Christ, M. T. Gladwin, R. R. Hantgan, D. B. Kim-Shapiro

Physics Faculty Publications

Background

Intravascular hemolysis occurs after blood transfusion, in hemolytic anemias, and in other conditions, and is associated with hypercoagulable states. Hemolysis has been shown to potently activate platelets in vitro and in vivo, and several mechanisms have been suggested to account for this, including: (i) direct activation by hemoglobin (Hb); (ii) increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS); (iii) scavenging of nitric oxide (NO) by released Hb; and (iv) release of intraerythrocytic ADP.

Objective

To elucidate the mechanism of hemolysis-mediated platelet activation.

Methods

We used flow cytometry to detect PAC-1 binding to activated platelets for in vitro experiments, and a …

Scanned Ion Beam Therapy For Thoracic Tumors, John Gordon Eley

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Although frequently cured of Hodgkin lymphoma, adolescents and young adults can develop radiation induced second cancers. These patients could potentially benefit from scanned ion radiotherapy yet likely would require motion mitigation strategies. In theory, four-dimensional (4D) optimization of ion beam fields for individual motion states of respiration can enable superior sparing of healthy tissue near moving targets, compared to other motion mitigation strategies. Furthermore, carbon-ion therapy can sometimes provide greater relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for cell sterilization in a target but nearly equivalent RBE in tissue upstream of the target, compared to proton therapy. Thus, we expected that for some …

Coupling Alignments With Recognition For Still-To-Video Face Recognition, Zhiwu Huang, X. Zhao, S. Shan, R. Wang, X. Chen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The Still-to-Video (S2V) face recognition systems typically need to match faces in low-quality videos captured under unconstrained conditions against high quality still face images, which is very challenging because of noise, image blur, low face resolutions, varying head pose, complex lighting, and alignment difficulty. To address the problem, one solution is to select the frames of `best quality' from videos (hereinafter called quality alignment in this paper). Meanwhile, the faces in the selected frames should also be geometrically aligned to the still faces offline well-aligned in the gallery. In this paper, we discover that the interactions among the three tasks-quality …