Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Thulium Fiber Lasers For High Average Power And High Peak Power Operation, Robert Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High power thulium fiber lasers are useful for a number of applications in both continuous-wave and pulsed operating regimes. The use of thulium as a dopant has recently gained interest due to its large bandwidth, possibility of high efficiency, possibility of high power and long wavelength ~1.8 – 2.1 μm. The longer emission wavelength of Tm-doped fiber lasers compared to Yb- and/or Er-doped fiber lasers creates the possibility for higher peak power operation due to the larger nonlinear thresholds and reduced nonlinear phase accumulation. One primary interest in Tm-doped fiber lasers has been to scale to high average powers; however, …

An Exploration Of The Perceived Academic Self-Efficacy And Locus Of Control Of Urban Students With Learning Disabilities, Olukayode Abimbola Nuga

Wayne State University Dissertations

The search for an answer to the question of the achievement gap between Black and other minority students and their White counterparts has been pervasive. This study, however, reframes the question not by using the White student as a frame of reference against which to make the comparison but by using the Black student himself. Therefore, relying on some scholarly work that found that studies of achievement within ethnic groups yielded far more significant results than between groups, the study focused on a comparison of the academic achievement between urban Black students with learning disabilities and their typical peers. The …

Qualitative Reports Of Michigan Medical Marijuana, David Charles Peters

Wayne State University Dissertations

After hundreds of years of use the medical properties of Marijuana have been marginalized in our society. Qualitative interview data was collected from medical marijuana patients and knowledgeable producers and activists in Michigan about their perceptions and observations on the medical use of marijuana. Patients consistently reported using marijuana to substitute or wean off prescription drugs. All patients and producers who were taking opiate narcotics claimed they reduced overall drug use, especially opiates, by using medical marijuana. Patients and caregivers also claimed medical marijuana was preferred over opiates, eased withdrawal from opiates, and in some cases was perceived as more …

Effect Of Personalized Instruction On The Achievement Of Solving Mathematical Word Problems, Danica Vukmirovic

Wayne State University Dissertations

Graduation rates are negatively affected by college learners' inability to demonstrate proficiency in mathematics. The purpose of this research study was to determine the effect of individual personalized mathematical instruction on the achievement of solving mathematical word problems by undergraduates enrolled in a college mathematics course. As well, the effect of individual personalized mathematical instruction on undergraduate motivation to solve mathematical word problems was also examined.

The research undertaken was a true experimental post-test only, control group design that took place over three consecutive weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental …

Analysis Of The Structure And Function Of A Timp-1/Cd63 Complex And Its Relationship To An Mt1-Mmp/Cd63 Complex, Richard B. Warner

Wayne State University Dissertations

The relationship of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) and secreted proteins to intra-cellular functions has an important impact on disease progression. The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), of which there are four, are known for their broad metalloprotease inhibitory abilities. TIMP-1 has been widely studied as an inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and therefore as a molecule that prevents ECM degradation and proteolytic cleavage of extra-cellular molecules, processes thought to be critical for tumor invasion and metastasis. However, TIMP-1 has shown in the clinic to have increased expression in cases of disease progression; especially, it is associated with poor prognosis in …

The Use Of An Anionic Polyacrylamide Blend To Control The Cyanobacteria Microcystis Aeruginosa, Kyla Jayne Iwinski

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: Transcending Multimodal Pedagogies Used In Composition Courses To Teach Literature, Lucy Anne Johnson

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Reflections Of Middle School Students By Gender And Race/Ethnicity On Obtaining A Successful Science Education, Bethany Mihalik

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Textbooks Vs. Techbooks: Effectiveness Of Digital Textbooks On Elementary Student Motivation For Learning, Auna Oman

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Does Media Choice In Online Annual-Report Addresses Influence Investment Decisions?, Jack Lee Winstead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Method Development Using Laser Ablation And Solution Icpms And Their Application In Environmental Science And Forensic Provenance Studies, Kaixuan Bu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is an analytical technique that can be used to determine multiple elements and isotope ratios in a wide variety of samples. In this work, four projects are described that involve the method development using laser ablation (LA) and solution-based ICPMS and their application in environmental science and forensic (provenance) investigations. In the first project, plutonium (Pu) concentrations and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios were measured in kelp, lichen, aquatic moss, and horse mussel collected on or near Amchitka Island, a former nuclear test in Alaska, and at a background site. The Pu in terrestrial and …

The Song We Sing: Negotiating Black Nationalism And Queerness In James Baldwin's Late Novels, Elliot N. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite his exclusion from the Black Arts Movement, James Baldwin includes in his later novels many elements of Black Nationalism, including a focus on black communities, black music, Pan-Africanism, and elements of separatism. In his inclusion of queer sexuality, Baldwin pushes against the typical bounds of Black Arts writings, expanding the limits of the genre. Contrary to the philosophy of Black Nationalism, which depends upon solid definitions of blackness, heterosexuality, and masculinity, is Baldwin's tearing down of identity categories through queering sexuality, gender, and race. This thesis examines James Baldwin's late novels, which remain undervalued and under-read, in terms of …

The Dilemma: Career Transition Of African American Male Football Players At Division I Institutions, Kellen Jamil Northcutt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand perceptions of African American male football athletes at Division I institutions that also played professional football, regarding their collegiate experiences and transition from athletics to post-playing careers. The study examined issues of race and social interaction, academic preparation, economic status, leadership opportunities, and the transitions from collegiate and professional sports. The participants in this study consisted of six former NFL players who attended college and played collegiately at NCAA predominately white Division I institutions in the Southern Regional Education Board member states in the United States. Using qualitative …

Issue Publics Gone Wild Or The End Of Narrow Interests, Michael Calton Bowen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Issue public theory holds that individuals are more likely to base political judgments, such as the decision of who to vote for on election day, on issues that are particularly important to them. This subset of issues is presumed to be relatively small in quantity for most individuals, allowing them to specialize in information gathering and attention. There is reason to believe the nature of issue publics has significantly changed in recent years as a result of profound shifts in the information environment. Many of the traditional findings within the literature are reassessed using data primarily from the 2008 Presidential …

Religious Politics: An Individual Level-Examination Of The Political Implications Of Faith In Brazil, Thatianne A. Moreira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although Brazil is, historically, a catholic country, the Catholic Church is losing its members to the Protestant churches, mainly Pentecostal ones. Between 1940-2010, the number of Protestants increased from 2.6% to 20.2%. On the other hand, between the same period, the number of Catholics decreased from 95% to 68.5%. One of the consequences of this shift in the religious marketplace has been its impact in the political realm; more specifically, in the number of political candidates that have identified themselves as evangélicos. The presence of evangélicos in power seems to be the most studied facet of the growth of Pentecostalism …

Collecting To The Core-Popular Engineering Works, Denise Brush, Anne Doherty

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

The Business Of Languages In The Classroom Today: A Model For K-12 Professional Development, Mary E. Risner, Linda Markley

Global Business Languages

As world economies become more connected, it is increasingly important to prepare students with language and cultural skills necessary to work on internationally diverse teams within the US or abroad. Since the use of language and culture for the workplace has not been a traditional focus in coursework, professional development for foreign language teachers must expand to include best practices, resources, and program models that develop globally competent citizens for twenty-first-century careers. This article describes the model created by the Florida Foreign Language Association (FFLA) and the Network of Business Language Educators (NOBLE) to infuse business language concepts, curriculum examples, …

Exploring Best Practices For Research Data Management In Earth Science Through Collaborating With University Libraries, Ting Wang, Benjamin D. Branch

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

To address the growing demand for managing earth science data, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) partners with the Library and Technology Services (LTS) of Lehigh University and Purdue University Libraries (PUL) on hosting postdoctoral fellows in data curation activity. This inter-disciplinary fellowship program funded by the SLOAN Foundation innovatively connects university libraries and earth science departments and provides earth science Ph.D.s opportunities to use their research experiences in earth science and data curation trainings received during their fellowship to explore best practices for research data management in earth science and find out answers to:

How can the …

Information For Authors

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Differences Between Academic And Business Writing, Félix S. Vásquez

Global Business Languages

Most upper-division courses taken by foreign language majors and minors in US colleges and universities involve some form of academic writing. Students who transpose this writing style to the business setting risk being unsuccessful. The purpose of this article is to highlight how these styles of writing differ so that language instructors teaching business courses in departments of modern languages can better prepare students for the needs of the twenty-first-century workplace. Our students need to be taught explicitly the differences and given an opportunity to practice the business style of writing.

A Chicken In Every Lot: The 2007 Chicken Ordinance In Missoula, Montana, Kate Margaret Sheridan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 2007, the City Council of Missoula, Montana passed an ordinance allowing six chickens per urban lot. Missoula followed the lead of many other cities seeking to expand urban agriculture and food security opportunities through microlivestock. This paper gives context to the implementation of a specific ordinance, investigates the benefits and challenges experienced by twenty households in Missoula, and connects it back to the food system as a whole.

The Use Of Celebrity Endorsements As A Public Relation, Kate Power

Theses

A huge part of public relations in todays world is based around celebrity and their endorsements of brands, products, services and causes. The use of celebrity endorsement has become such a vital and trusted public relation tactic by so many PR practitioners to create a communication vessel between brand and consumer. This type of engagement between brands and their target audiences has become increasingly important to the Public Relations world for building long lasting and enduring relationships with these consumers and targeted audiences.

The aim of this research is to discover if celebrity endorsement makes an impact within public relations …

The Death Of The Press Release And The Changing Media Relations Landscape: A Public Relations Perspective, Jenn Crotty

Theses

The public relations industry of today is a much different one to that of a decade ago. The changes that are taking place within the public relations industry are monumental and are not going unnoticed. In recent years the explosion of new media and social networks has led to a distorted media relations landscape. Many academics and public relations professionals have began to focus on the importance of incorporating new media and social networks into their occupation. It appears as though the traditional media landscape is being swept under the rug.

This study aims to challenge the perception that new …

Driving Employee Engagement Through Internal Communication; A Public Relations Perspective: A Case Study Of Cork Institute Of Technology, Ireland., Desmond P. Carroll

Theses

This study is concerned with the important role of internal communication (IC) as a driver of employee engagement and investigates how public relations (PR) might be best placed to advise on and oversee a system of managed or strategic communication within an organisation.

The literature reveals that a communications culture must pervade an organisation for effective communication to take place. Whilst early models leaned towards a predominant one-way transmission of communication, we are now witnessing a paradigm shift to a horizontal two-way system of communication and engagement.

The research methodology employed in this study was a qualitative case study which …

Making And Understanding Comics, Three Panels At A Time, Pam Mccombs

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

More Than Masks And Capes: Considering Comics As Political Discourse, Gregory Shafer

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

From Skeptics To Fanboys: English Majors Encounter Graphic Narratives, Shannon Mortimore-Smith

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Gene Luen Yang On Iconography, Cultural Conflict, And His New Graphic Novel, Boxers And Saints, Robert Rozema

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Verdi At 200: Recent Scholarship On The Composer And His Works, Linda B. Fairtile

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The 100th anniversary of Verdi’s death, observed in 2001, inspired nearly a dozen academic conferences. At the dawn of his 2013 bicentennial, a celebratory year shared with Richard Wagner, hundreds of recent studies assess Verdi’s life, his works, and his impact. The present article surveys a selection of books and articles published between these two commemorations. A popular topic is Verdi’s role as a national icon, the calculated product of Italy’s search for a postunification identity. His engagement with foreign cultures has also received attention, for his German literary sources, his forays into French grand opera, and his use of …

Back To The Future Of Abortion Regulation In The First Term, Tracy A. Thomas

Akron Law Faculty Publications

Abortion and women's reproductive rights have reemerged as front-page news. As popular culture grapples with election rhetoric, states continue to engage in aggressive anti-abortion regulation of first-term abortions. In the first half of 2011, more abortion bills have passed to restrict abortion than ever before. The 162 new abortion bills passed by 19 states in the first six months of the year dwarf the average number of abortion bills for the last three decades of 15 per year. Even more, these bills propose significantly more stringent limits on abortion than in the past, including mandatory ultrasound viewings, intensive counseling, and …