Digital Commons Network^™

Grand Ole Christmas, Ole Miss Tree Lighting Set Festive Holiday Mood, Sharon Morris

University of Mississippi News

Tree lighting, ice skating, card making and story reading provide holiday cheer for community

Turn And Brake Signal System For A Bicycle, Steven Thomas Hamilton, Christian Michael Orsi

Electrical Engineering

The common motorist views bicyclists as unpredictable on city streets and often lack experience sharing the road with motorists. The key to integrating bicyclists and motor vehicles on the same road with both parties feeling comfortable around one another lies in a common means of communication. Bicycles lack a signaling system based on lights, like that of a motor vehicle, which other motorists easily read and interpret. The proposed system integrates Cypress Semiconductor’s Programmable System on Chip 5 (PSoC 5) and an array of sensors to detect key changes in the bikes behavior. The PSoC 5 analyzes the data from …

Microcontroller Design: Control Electronics For Rantec's 28vdc Input 3-U Power Supply, Leo Hernandez

Electrical Engineering

The Control Electronics is a real-time data acquisition and control system based on Atmel’s AVR microcontroller. The Control Electronics will be embedded into Rantec’s 3U power supply to monitor and report power supply data [1]. The power supply data monitored includes power supply output voltages, input voltage, DC bus voltage, and temperature.

The microcontroller continuously monitors DC voltages through seven I²C compatible analog-to-digital converters via a custom Two-Wire interface. An analog temperature sensor measures power supply data and feeds it as an analog voltage to the microcontroller’s built-in analog to digital interface. The microcontroller stores the acquired power …

Reconstructing Point Clouds Of Mid-Size Objects, Spencer Woodworth

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This project explores the use of an inexpensive 3D camera for the acquisition and reconstruction of mid-size objects. The disparity of objects between stereo image pairs are used to calculate depth and generate a depth map. The depth map is used to generate a point cloud representation of the object from a single view. Finally, point clouds are generated from several views of an object and then aligned and merged into a seamless 360-degree point cloud.

Characteristics And Contributing Factors Of Emergency Vehicle Crashes, Naji Abdelwanis

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the contributing factors and characteristics associated with emergency vehicle(EV) crashes in order to generate insights about the emergency crashes. This dissertation consists of three approaches to address the purpose. In the first analysis a binary logistic regression model was used to identify the critical factors associated with EV crashes that resulted in fatality compared to those that did not. In the second analysis, an ordered regression model was used to identify critical factors that contributed to the severity of injuries that EV occupants experience in crashes as well as the effect of …

An Investigation Into The Interactions Of Gold Nanoparticles With Aquatic Vascular Macrophytes, James Glenn

All Dissertations

Nanomaterials (NMs) have promised lighter, stronger, smaller and more efficient products in areas such as electronics, medicines and even environmental sectors. This investigation started at the base of the food chain and characterized NMs interactions with aquatic plants. Citrate capped gold nanoparticles were used as a model nanoparticle to track fate and gain insight on factors that influence gold nanoparticle (AuNP) bioavailability and absorption. Four species of aquatic macrophytes were investigated. Azolla caroliniana, Myriophyllum simulans, Egeria densa and Myriophyllum aquaticum were selected due to growth habitat, leaf morphology and root structure. Because aquatic plants absorb the majority of their nutrients …

Premedical Programs Newsletter, December 2013, University Of Dayton

Pre-Health Resource Center Campus Communications

Newsletter for students, staff, and faculty in the premedical and predental programs.

Suffering As Glory In Hans Urs Von Balthasar And James Cone, Joseph S. Flipper, Katy Leamy

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Based on the paper delivered during the 2012 Annual Meeting, Flipper and Leamy elaborate the implications of the respective reflections on the crucifixion of Christ and his descent into hell in the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar and James H. Cone. They conclude that, together, Balthasar and Cone supply a theological justification for seeing the oppressed and rejected as the privileged media of God’s glorious revelation. Frederick

In Memoriam: Father Thaddeus Posey, O.F.M. Cap, Kimberly Flint-Hamiltion, Cecilia Moore

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

No abstract provided.

Presidential Versus Vice Presidential Home State Advantage: A Comparative Analysis Of Electoral Significance, Causes, And Processes, 1884-2008, Christopher J. Devine, Kyle C. Kopko

Political Science Faculty Publications

This article compares the electoral significance, causes, and processes associated with presidential versus vice presidential home state advantages. Our analysis of presidential election returns from 1884 through 2008 demonstrates that presidential candidates generally receive a large, statistically significant home state advantage. However, vice presidential home state advantages are statistically negligible and conditioned on the interactive effect of political experience and state population. Furthermore, the results indicate that the mobilization of new voters primarily accounts for presidential home state advantage, while vice presidential home state advantage is mainly due to the conversion of existing voters. Although home state advantages do occur …

Development And Validation Of An Absorption Sensor For Time-Resolved Measurements Of Co And Co2, Kyle Thurmond

HIM 1990-2015

A sensor was developed for simultaneous measurements of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide fluctuations in internal combustion engine exhaust gases. This sensor utilizes low-cost and compact LEDs that emit in the 3-5[micro]m wavelength range which are more appropriate for practical applications than the more traditionally used lasers. An affordable, fast response sensor that can measure these gases has broad application that can lead to more efficient, fuel flexible engines and regulations of harmful emissions. LEDs have a more spectrally broad and diverging emission than lasers which presented many design challenges. The optical design software ZEMAX was utilized to overcome these …

Cover And Front Matter, Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Cover, table of contents, administrative information

The Experience Of The Oblate Sisters Of Providence During The Civil War Era, Diane Batts Morrow

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

In this paper, based on a talk delivered during the 2012 Annual Meeting in Miami Gardens, Florida, Dr. Morrow delves into the annals of the Oblate Sisters of Providence and reveals the challenges they faced during the Civil War Era and their strength and ingenuity in finding resourceful solutions to continue in their mission to educate black children and provide much-needed services for slaves and free blacks during this time. Their capacity for commitment and creativity at this time of existential conflict stands as a model even today.

Development Of A Control Banding Method For Selecting Respiratory Protection Against Bioaerosols, Jacques Lavoie, Eve Neesham-Grenon, Maximilien Debia, Yves Cloutier, Geneviève Marchand

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La sélection d’un appareil de protection respiratoire contre les bioaérosols peut s’avérer une tâche complexe compte tenu de l’absence de valeurs limites d’exposition et de données toxicologiques, ainsi que des limites des techniques d’échantillonnage actuelles et de la grande diversité des bioaérosols. Dans ces circonstances, une méthode qualitative d’évaluation et de gestion du risque fournit une alternative aux méthodes quantitatives utilisées en hygiène du travail. Ce rapport propose un modèle de gestion graduée du risque pour le choix de la protection respiratoire contre les bioaérosols infectieux et non infectieux applicable à l’ensemble des milieux de travail et s’adressant aux hygiénistes …

A Qualitative Study Of Medical Student's Structured Narrative Reflection On An International Conference For An Incurable Genetic Disease, Jun-Yi Sim, Ching-Yuan Chang, Hwan-Wun Liu, Shao-Yin Chu

Journal of Medical Education

Background: Service learning offers medical students opportunities to develop social accountability and positive relationships; however, it remains underused in Taiwan. Purpose: This study explored student reflections on their experiences during the Third Asia Pacific Mucopolysaccharide Disorders Conference, a 2-day 1-night international conference, during which they served as interpreters and caregivers. Methods: Qualitative data analysis was conducted using structured open-ended questionnaires and student journals of ten fifth and sixth grade medical students who voluntarily participated in the study. Independent thematic analysis was performed using methods proposed by Cresswell and Miller. Results: Three themes emerged from qualitative data analysis: students learned social …

Stressors Perceived By Physicians In Taiwan: A Focus Group Interview, Yen-Yuan Chen, Ming-Been Lee, Shih-Cheng Liao, Chia-Ming Chang

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: The workload and working time of health care workers have become a critical issue in Taiwan, and attracted a lot of attention not only from health care workers, but also the general public as well as health care authority. Few studies investigated the stressors that physicians encounter in their daily clinical practice in Taiwan. This study aimed to investigate the stressors that physicians perceive. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using focus group interviews to examine the stressors. Criteria sampling was used based on the following criteria: (1) having an experience of clinical practice for more than four years; …

Smooth Muscle-Specific Myosin Phosphatase Target Subunit 1 (Mypt1): An Important Piece Of The Puzzle., Satish Rattan

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Dear Sir:

We have read with great interest a recent article by Dr. He et al. in the June issue of Gastroenterology.¹ The studies provide strong evidence in favor of the concept that smooth muscle–specific myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) of myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) plays a critical role in the agonist-induced contraction/relaxation of the smooth muscle. This was shown in their studies using animals with knocked out MYPT1^-/-. The investigators employed the Cre-loxP system in which they used the promoter region and exon 1 of Mypt1 flanked by 2 loxP sites …

Defying Binaries: A Critical Examination Of 'Old' Versus 'New' In The Art Of Pablita Velarde And Helen Hardin, Jenna M. Kloeppel

Art & Art History ETDs

Santa Clara painter Pablita Velarde and her artist daughter, Helen Hardin, are often discussed in both popular and academic literature as being representative, respectively, of two very different artistic traditions. Velardes art is commonly viewed as very much a product of her Dorothy Dunn-trained Santa Fe Studio background, and Hardin is seen as an avant-garde, wholly innovative artistic force representative of the generation of Native artists more aligned with the anti-Studio philosophies of the Institute of American Indian Arts, which was developing as Hardin was beginning her career in painting. This thesis will examine the modes of representation that have …

Libguides, Blog Posts, And Articles, Oh My!, Marie Stefanini Newman, Taryn L. Rucinski

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

“Publish, publish, publish!” is a piece of advice commonly offered to students by career services departments in law schools across the country. Student publications typically take the form of law review or bar journal articles or perhaps competition submissions; however, with the advent of accessible Web 2.0 technologies, publishing has evolved to encompass all sorts of content, styles, lengths, and audiences.

The Pace Law Library approach has been mostly electronic in nature and incorporates into Pace’s advanced legal research courses portfolio pieces such as student-authored research guides, blog posts, and bar journal articles. Moreover, student notes that satisfy the school’s …

The Value Of Solar Tariff: Net Metering 2.0, Karl R. Rábago

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Increasing numbers of customers are installing solar photovoltaic systems on their homes and businesses. As module and system costs decline, customer demand grows, and more businesses organize around the solar opportunity, it is time to revisit the tariff structure under which these systems integrate with and operate on the electric grid. This article details a novel approach to a distributed solar tariff, called the “Value of Solar” tariff (“VOST”), that addresses important utility and customer issues, and offers some significant improvements over traditional net metering approaches. There is a saying in the venture capital world to the effect that, “It …

Lexical Retrieval In Discourse: An Early Indicator Of Alzheimer’S Dementia, Seija Pekkala, Debra Wiener, Jayandra Himali, Alexa Beiser, Loraine Obler, Yulin Liu, Ann Mckee, Sanford Seshadri, Philip Wolf, Rhonda Au

Publications and Research

We examined the progression of lexical-retrieval deficits in individuals with neuropathologically determined Alzheimer’s disease (AD; n=23) and a comparison group without criteria for AD (n=24) to determine whether linguistic changes were a significant marker of the disease. Our participants underwent multiple administrations of a neuropsychological battery, with initial administration occurring on average 16 years prior to death. The battery included the Boston Naming Test (BNT), a letter fluency task (FAS) and written description of the Cookie Theft Picture (CTP). Repeated measures analysis revealed that the AD-group showed progressively greater decline in FAS and CTP lexical performance than the comparison group. …

The Implementation Of Nice Guidance On Venous Thromboembolism Risk Assessment And Prophylaxis: A Before- After Observational Study To Assess The Impact On Patient Safety Across Four Hospitals In England., A Bateman, Wr Sheaff, S Child, O Boiko, Oc Ukoumunne, T Nokes, A Copplestone, C Gericke

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalised patients. VTE prevention has been identified as a major health need internationally to improve patient safety. A National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline was issued in February 2010. Its key priorities were to assess patients for risk of VTE on admission to hospital, assess patients for bleeding risk and evaluate the risks and benefits of prescribing VTE prophylaxis. Objectives: To evaluate the implementation of NICE guidance and its impact on patient safety. Design: Before and after observational study design was used to investigate …

A Solution Hiding In Plain Sight: Special Education And Better Outcomes For Students With Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Challenges, Yael Cannon, Michael J. Gregory, Julie Waterstone

Faculty Scholarship

This Article will contribute to the ongoing dialogue about special education and the IDEA in two ways. First, it will describe patterns that have emerged from our work with individual children and families that shed light on how common IDEA implementation failures increase the risk of poor outcomes for students with social, emotional and behavioral challenges. Critiques of the law and proposals to amend it should be grounded in an understanding of exactly how and why it is falling short of meeting its promise to these children. Our hope is that mapping the common implementation failures we have seen in …

Perceptions Of Student-Teacher Relationships And Ged Completion: A Correlational Study, Melissa Hairston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study took an in depth look at student-teacher relationships as one institutional barrier affecting GED completion among adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of student-instructor relationships, specifically Instructor Connectedness and Instructor Anxiety, and its effects on adults seeking GED completion. Data from approximately 120 students who attended classes for at least 20 hours at the Regional Learning Center were surveyed using the Student-Instructor Relationship Survey in Portsmouth, Virginia. A quantitative design utilizing correlational statistics to produce Pearson's r was used to determine if correlations existed among Instructor Connectedness and Instructor Anxiety with the following …

Service V. Presence: Implementation Of The Ministry Of Service In The Military Chaplaincy - A Receptivity And Feasibility Study, Mark Tinsley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In Spring 2012, a new ministerial paradigm for the military chaplaincy was proposed in a thesis entitled “The Ministry of Service: A Critical Practico-Theological Examination of the Ministry of Presence and its Reformulation for Military Chaplains.” Known as the “ministry of service,” this new paradigm was heralded as a potential replacement for the current presence-ministry model that has guided military chaplains for decades. The purpose of the current research project is to determine the receptivity of this proposed paradigmatic shift among Army service members, analyze strengths and weaknesses of implementing a new ministry model, and verify if procedures and administrative …

Instructor Interaction As It Relates To Facilitation Of Spiritual Development Within An Evangelical Institution: A Case Study, Joseph Butler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the impact of instructor interaction on the facilitation of spiritual development in an online environment for undergraduate non-religion majors attending a distinctively evangelical university. The qualitative case study shadows and evaluates three sections of a required introductory religion course. Over the period of one academic term, the following online interactions were observed in order to gauge potential facilitation of spiritual development: announcements, emails, forums, assignment feedback, and course content. An interview was conducted with the instructor following the course to understand how they engaged the course and their perspective in …

First Grade Teacher Perceptions Of A Character Education Program, Gina Skinner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to describe perceptions of first grade teachers at a north Georgia elementary school regarding a character education program. Although the debate continues as to who should instill our children with values, little documentation exists concerning how educators perceive their role as instructors of character. Many character education programs exist, and many schools have adopted their use. However, school systems are struggling with budget issues, and when deciding where funding may be cut, non-academic programs such as character education are often the first areas terminated. Yet, teachers appear to have little voice in …

Blended Families In Conflict: Essentials A Pastor Must Know, William Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rise of blended families is becoming a prevalent dynamic in our society. According to the United States Census Bureau: American Community Survey, 2009 report, the U.S. is approaching a fifty percent divorce rate. Fifty percent will remarry within three and half years of their divorce. Of these, sixty-five percent will have children from their previous marriage. The church needs to learn to effectively minister to this ever-growing population of blended families. The purpose of this thesis project is to review the issues facing the pastor in ministering to blended families. This study will be completed through research, surveys with …

An Investigation Of The Factors That Motivate K-12 Christian School Teachers To Participate In Professional Development And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction And Retention, Bonita Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to advance knowledge by examining the reasons that motivate teachers to participate in professional development and the relationship to teacher job satisfaction and retention in Christian-based K-12 Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) member schools. The study contributes to the literature in the field because of very limited research on Christian-based schools, especially with regards to professional development, job satisfaction and retention. The study was a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational research design using two instruments, i.e., the Participation Reasons Scale (PRS) and the Job Satisfaction/Retention/Demographic Survey. The PRS scores indicated that the motivating factors for teachers to …

Personality And Science Training As Predictors Of Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs, Holly Saint

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Various factors have been researched over the past decade related to teaching efficacy under NCLB. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) guided this correlational study with 13 Alabama and 10 Tennessee public school districts to examine 114 K-4 teachers' personality measured by the Big Five Inventory (BFI) personality factors; science pre-service training and school-district professional development training measured by an unpublished Science Training Survey; and science teaching efficacy beliefs measured by the Science Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI). The BFI's personality factors and science training were examined in combination using a hierarchical linear regression in an eight-step model while controlling for …