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The Sea Empress's Garden., Brandon Dyer 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The thesis project is projected to be a grand storybook of handmade intaglio prints in a large format. I have created an original fable telling the story of a flawed hero who must face his fears in order to not only save his love and her empire from an evil warlock but to save himself. Through these hand painted prints, the story of The Sea Empress’s Garden is told and the choices these characters must make and experience the consequences. The work is motivated by the inspiration I draw from German Expressionism, illuminated manuscripts, popular culture, and literature both modern …

Deconstructing Saccades : Identifying The Components Of Saccades That Produce Saccade-Induced Retrieval Enhancement., James Matthew Edlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple studies have found that performing repetitive saccades for 30 s improves subsequent memory retrieval. Although the effect is well established, the mechanism by which saccades affect retrieval is currently unknown. Saccade-induced retrieval enhancement (SIRE) has been hypothesized to be a product of increasing: interaction between the hemispheres, interaction within the hemispheres, or attentional control. It is currently unknown which components of the saccade activity are necessary to produce SIRE. The saccade activity in previous SIRE research is similar to an orienting activity that produces predictive saccades. Predictive saccades begin as exogenous orienting to a rhythmically alternating target. After a …

A Non-Invasive Method For Measuring Blood Flow Rate In Superficial Veins From A Single Thermal Image., Heba E. Farag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computer vision is a field that includes methods for processing, analyzing, acquiring and understanding images to produce numerical or symbolic information to develop methodologies and solutions for many problems in many fields. Here the concept of computer vision is being used for understanding certain human physiology and behaviors using thermal imaging alone or in conjunction with other imaging modalities. The applications of this work span a wide range of studies in human-machine interfacing vis-à-vis feedback controls that can be used to remotely determine whether a patient is in need of medical assistance or to help integrate young children with learning …

Southern Honor, Confederate Warfare : Southern Antebellum Cultural Values In Confederate Military Operations, 1861-1865., Matthew D. Goldberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the role antebellum southern cultural paradigms played in Confederate military operations during the American Civil War. The prewar honor culture of the white southern male elite was intensely focused on chivalric values of courage, masculinity, piety, pride, contempt for cowardice, and loyalty. When war broke out between the United States and Confederacy, the southern elite moved from their prewar position as economic, political, and social leaders to military commanders. The violent and militaristic culture that characterized the prewar southern elite guided their actions as the military leadership of the Confederacy. Using the written record of the Confederate …

Cultural Interpretations Of Socratic And Confucian Education Philosophy., Wang Heng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Socrates and Confucius constitute roots of western and eastern civilization respectively, as well as represent very different cultural values and educational traditions. Because of the very limited existing literature on the study of their educational philosophies, this paper is devoted to a comparative study of their educational philosophies, attempting to examine their historical and cultural contexts and unravel their implications on the current educational practices. The method employed in the study is hermeneutics, or interpretation of the literary texts. At the same time, the study is also cross-cultural in nature. Both of the philosophers lived around 4-5th century B.C.E., but …

Neighborhoods, Social Capital And Economic Success., Sean M. Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between neighborhoods, social capital and economic success. In the model developed in this research, social capital mediates the relationship between neighborhoods and economic success. Social capital represents social networks with their associated norms and resources and increases economic success by facilitating cooperation and by lowering transaction costs. Neighborhoods affect social capital through local interactions, network exclusion, social learning and social identity processes. An understudied part of these relationships is the existence of endogeneity among the key variables. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this study uses structural equation modeling to …

Expanding The Ecological Lens In Child Welfare Practice To Include Other Animals, Christina Risley-Curtiss

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Sixty-nine million U.S. households have companion animals and most of these families consider these animals to be family members. Research shows that children have powerful emotional connections with animals that can be both beneficial and harmful. Considerable research findings report that violence against animals often co-occurs with, indicates, or predicts other forms of family violence, including child abuse. A companion animal may be an abused child's confidante, and separation from that animal through foster care may be a source of stress and grief for that child. Child welfare agencies are slowly acknowledging some animal-human relationships, especially in regard to animal …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 40, No. 4 (December 2013)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

REDEFINING SOCIAL WELFARE: CONNECTIONS ACROSS SPECIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE: REDEFINING SOCIAL WELFARE: CONNECTIONS ACROSS SPECIES - Christina Risley-Curtiss
• HUMAN CONSEQUENCES OF ANIMAL EXPLOITATION: NEEDS FOR REDEFINING SOCIAL WELFARE - Atsuko Matsuoka and John Sorenson
• THE IMPACT OF COMPANION ANIMALS ON SOCIAL CAPITAL AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE: SETTING RESEARCH, POLICY AND PROGRAM AGENDAS - Phil Arkow
• RELATIONAL ECOLOGY: A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING THE HUMANANIMAL BOND - Jennifer M. Putney
• CHILDREN'S IDEAS ABOUT THE MORAL STANDING AND SOCIAL WELFARE OF NON-HUMAN SPECIES - Gail F Melson
• EXPANDING THE ECOLOGICAL LENS IN CHILD WELFARE PRACTICE TO INCLUDE OTHER …

Humans' Bonding With Their Companion Dogs: Cardiovascular Benefits During And After Stress, Rebecca A. Campo, Bert N. Uchino

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined whether having one's companion dog present during and after stress posed similar cardiovascular benefits as having a close friend present, even when the relationship quality for both the companion dog and friend was highly positive. Positive aspects of relationship quality for participants' dog and friend were not associated with one another, suggesting that these relationships exist independently. Additionally, compared to participants with a close friend present, those with their dog present had lower heart rate and diastolic blood pressure (p's < .05) while undergoing the stressors, and tended to have lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure (p's < .09) when recovering from stressors. This study indicates that even when relationship quality is similarly high for companion dogs and friends, dogs may be associated with greater reductions in owners' cardiovascular reactivity to stress, particularly if there is a potential for evaluation apprehension in the human friendships. These findings support the value of the human- companion animal relationship in promoting human welfare.

Testing Location Memory For Threatening And Nonthreatening Stimuli : Implications For Evolutionary Psychological Theorizing., Ryan Patrick Hacklander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humans respond to the presence of threatening stimuli more rapidly than nonthreatening stimuli, a trait that some authors believe humans have been selected for. Based on this finding, it has been proposed that humans should also have superior location memory for threatening stimuli, possibly depending on whether stimuli have ancestral (e.g., snakes) or modern (e.g., guns) ecological relevance. This is herein called the Superior Location Memory for Threatening Stimuli (SLMTS) hypothesis. Some authors believe that humans possess a domain-specific adaptation that gives rise to the hypothesized memory advantage for threatening stimuli. The primary aim of this dissertation is to test …

Post-Mortem Analysis Of Cortical Thickness And Neuronal Morphometry In Autism., Shweta Sunil Kamat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of conditions characterized by a broad spectrum of deficiencies related to social communication, both verbal and non-verbal, as well as repetitive behaviors such as rocking back and forth, or arm flapping. This devastating group of disorders affects millions of people regardless of their socioeconomic, ethnic and racial backgrounds. Among other issues such as migraines, sensory deficits and intense aggression, epilepsy is a major neurological disorder very highly associated with ASD; roughly one third of all ASD patients are diagnosed with epilepsy, and a much higher proportion suffer from at least one seizure in …

The Marriage Effect : An Intergenerational Analysis Of Marijuana Desistance., Rachel Coonce 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis takes a gendered look at the criminological age-graded theory of informal social control, which posits that social bonds are strongly influential in curbing crime and deviance over the course of an individual's life. However, the theory was based on an all-male sample and is therefore not as applicable to women. It is likely that social bonds for men and women have evolved differently over the course of the last century and it is therefore the goal of this study to analyze how these changes are operating within this informal social control theory. Specifically, this paper analyzes marriage and …

Knitting As Art., Deborah Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hand knitting is my chosen technique for making art. Because knitting is traditionally thought of as craft, my work must overcome several obstacles in order to be valued as art. First, objects made using craft techniques and materials are often functional; even when it is not, we view them as such and value them less than art. Second, the materials and techniques used for knitting are not traditional fine art materials. This has changed; process and materials are what much contemporary art is about. Yet the bias against craft techniques and materials persists. Finally, knitting is viewed as woman's work …

Anxiety In Children With Williams Syndrome : Association With Negative Reactivity, Self-Regulation, And Sensory Modulation., Nicole A. Crawford-Zelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a submicroscopic deletion of approximately 25 genes on chromosome 7q11.23 (Hillier et al., 2003). This genotype is associated with a characteristic set of phenotypic features including mild to moderate intellectual disability, a distinctive cognitive profile, facial dysmorphology, common personality traits, cardiovascular problems, and connective tissue disorders (Morris, 2010). In addition, behavioral difficulties such as anxiety symptoms (e.g., Leyfer, Woodruff-Borden, & Mervis, 2009), negative reactivity (e.g., Davies, Udwin, & Howlin, 1998), problems with self-regulation (e.g., Woodruff-Borden, Kistler, Henderson, Crawford, & Mervis, 2010), and sensory modulation difficulties (e.g., John & Mervis, 2010) are …

Comparison Of The Strength Of Harmony, Melodic Line, Rhythmic Variation, And Expressive Elements In Influencing Emotional Judgment In Music, Marilyn M. Moore

Masters Theses

Studies in the literature have been conducted that seem to establish that humans make consistent and similar emotional judgments when they are asked to describe an emotion that is being expressed musically. The present study targets four musical elements; harmony, melodic line, rhythmic variation, and expressive elements, to investigate which of these musical elements are most effective for influencing a listener to be able to recognize the composer's intended emotion of the music. There are eight original songs composed by the researcher, each song is assigned a specific intended emotional term. The eight songs are presented in five distinct conditions, …

Are Supervisory Feedback Messages A Motivational Factor To Enhance Employee Retention?, Yang Yali

Masters Theses

Employee retention is one of most valuable resources in an organization. Feedback from supervisors provides opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust goal difficulty, improve job performance, and enhance job satisfaction. The present study is intended to investigate the role that supervisory feedback messages play in employee retention decisions. The participants took a three-session survey that aimed to examine their perception of supervisory feedback received through direction-giving messages, empathy-giving messages, and meaning-making messages, as well as the effect that each kind of message had on each participant's retention intent. The follow-up interviews were conducted to explore in-depth insights on the factors motivating …

"This Is Exactly Why We Sweep Things Under The Rug:" A Polite Approach To Abc's Modern Family, Andrea Fasciano

Masters Theses

The sitcom has remained a popular choice for television viewers since its inception. They have evolved in their methods of entertaining their audiences, often depicting unlikeable characters engaging in antisocial behaviors. This study examines one such sitcom, Modern Family, through the lens of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory, and related concepts contributed by other theorists. These theorists maintain that a primary motive behind any interaction is the presentation and maintenance of a chosen identity or "face." Those actions that fail to maintain face, for either participant are called "face-threatening acts." This study attempts to determine if the characters behave in …

Scitech Book News Reviews, Susan Fingerman

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Mexican-American Anglophile, Lorena A. Saldana

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Email Attachments To Increase Reading Compliance In Foreign Language Classes., Juan Rodríguez Prieto

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

This is the first quantitative research on reading compliance in foreign language courses. It investigated the effect of email attachments with the assigned readings to promote read­ing compliance of the textbook. Their effect on learning gains was measured by 16 grammar or vocabulary quizzes during a semester. 31 intermediate L2 Spanish students assigned to two group conditions, those receiving the emails and those who did not, also completed a questionnaire at the end of the semester about their preparedness for the quizzes and about their opinions about the email attachments. Results indicated that participants in the email group prepared more …

An Essay On Due Process And The Endowment Effect, Paul R. Verkuil

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Molecular Signal Adaptations Caused By Cocaine, Conditioned Reward, And Estrogen, Sarah K. Anderson

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Sex Differences In Morphine-Conditioned Place Preference, Aspen Samuel

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

R Foundation News, Kurt Hornik

The R Journal

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The Effects Of Wrist Orthoses On The Stiffness Of Wrist Rotations, Daniel Brad Seegmiller

Theses and Dissertations

Wrist orthoses are the most common upper limb orthoses, being used by thousands of individuals each year to stabilize, immobilize, or support the wrist joint. Wrist orthoses achieve their function by altering the stiffness of the wrist joint (Figure 1-1). However, there is no quantitative understanding of how wrist orthoses affect wrist stiffness, and consequently, wrist orthosis development often relies on feel, intuition, or empirical heuristics rather than a methodical, quantitative approach. Because wrist movement control is dominated by wrist joint stiffness (Charles and Hogan 2011) a quantitative understanding of how wrist orthoses alter the stiffness of the wrist is …

Parenting Skills As Predictors Of Child And Adolescent Psychotherapy Outcomes: Examining Change In Usual Care Settings, Alicia Ann Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Youth psychotherapy literature is in need of more research related to understanding psychotherapy process and outcome in child psychotherapy in community settings. The purpose of this study was to examine how key parenting skills were associated with child and adolescent symptoms and outcomes over the course of treatment in an outpatient community mental health system. Much of the research on child and adolescent outcomes has been conducted in controlled research settings, which raises the importance of more research needing to be done in representative clinical practice conditions (Weisz & Jensen, 2001). Further, few child and adolescent studies have examined potential …

Service Provider And Beneficiary Perceptions Of Collectivist Domestic Violence Social Issues, Annie Mohsen Samhouri

Theses and Dissertations

In this research I have focused on beneficiary and service providers' perceptions toward Arab social obstacles to help-seeking, appropriate intervention methods and obstacles to reintegration into the community after seeking assistance. Through semi-structured interviews and content analysis of local policies, laws and specific service offerings, I sought to contribute to the limited literature that explores how formal institutions that originate from a Western context are adapted to meet the unique needs of Arab victims of domestic violence. I found that the main social obstacles to help-seeking were attributed to a dearth of knowledge about existing services, a lack of confidence …

Sudden Gains: A Pluralistic Approach To The Patient And Therapist Experience, Brian P. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to study instances of sudden gains within the case load of a private practice practitioner. Five clients whose progress was marked by such changes were contrasted with the views of five clients whose progress was marked by significant setbacks. Results from the quantitative analyses indicated that clients who experienced sudden gains during therapy tended to retain their therapeutic gains over a 2-year time period. In contrast, individuals who experienced setbacks in therapy generally continued to be distressed at the 2-year reassessment. Clients who experienced sudden gains were more distressed prior to treatment and …

Involvement Of Ampk And Ap-1 Biochemical Pathways In Il-6 Regulation Of Steroidogenic Enzymes In The Adrenal Cortex, Matharage Shenali De Silva

Theses and Dissertations

The adrenal cortex is a crucial endocrine gland in the mammalian stress response. In chronic inflammatory stress, cortisol is elevated whereas adrenal androgens are decreased. Furthermore, ACTH levels have poor correlation with the plasma cortisol in these conditions, thus suggesting that other factors are driving the stress response during chronic inflammatory stress. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine which is released during chronic inflammatory stress, is assumed to be one such factor. Thus the biochemical pathways by which IL-6 increases cortisol release from the zona fasciculata (ZF), and decreases adrenal androgen release from the zona reticularis (ZR) were investigated. Since IL-6 activates …