Digital Commons Network^™

All The Web's A Stage: The Dramaturgy Of Young Adult Social Media Use, Jaime R. Riccio

Theses - ALL

This study presents an in-depth, qualitative examination of dramaturgy in young adult interactions on the social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter. The dramaturgical perspective introduced by Erving Goffman in the study of sociology and symbolic interactionism is applied to a new media setting, wherein the interpersonal interactions of users are influenced by a mass media context. The author ventures into the field of dramaturgy as part of a broader sphere of hyperdramatic acculturation that millennials are growing up in, with constant access to one another through social media and the prevalence of dramatic and attention-seeking behaviors in entertainment media. A …

Silence Is Golden: Older Women's Voices And The Analysis Of Meaning Among Survivor's Of Domestic Violence, Virginia Lee Cronin

Dissertations - ALL

Current estimates indicate that upwards of 3,000,000 women a year are physically abused by an intimate partner, however, it is important to note that serious limitations associated with these estimates exist. Despite media campaigns, educational efforts, community outreach, and legislation, the majority of intimate partner violence that occurs in the United States continues to go unreported. While there is a vast literature on domestic violence, the focus has been on the experiences and outcomes of younger women. Very few studies have investigated the experiences of older women as survivors of domestic violence who came of age in an era of …

In Search Of A Single Voice: The Politics Of Form, Use And Belief In The Kernewek Language, Jesse Owen Harasta

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation is based upon fieldwork performed between 2007 and 2011 in Cornwall, a region of Southwestern Britain notable for its ambiguous ethnic identity - caught between England and the Celtic nations - and its unique, revived Celtic language, Kernewek. During the course of the research, work focused upon the role of the language revival movement as a tool for ethnic identification: hardening boundaries, shoring up faltering communities and nationalist purification. However, the language movement is divided into three primary factions, which take differing approaches to the language, and to their corresponding language ideology based upon their relationship to Cornish …

The Gating Charge Should Not Be Estimated By Fitting A Two-State Model To A Q-V Curve, Francisco Bezanilla, Carlos A. Villalba-Galea

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

The voltage dependence of charges in voltage-sensitive proteins, typically displayed as charge versus voltage (Q-V) curves, is often quantified by fitting it to a simple two-state Boltzmann function. This procedure overlooks the fact that the fitted parameters, including the total charge, may be incorrect if the charge is moving in multiple steps. We present here the derivation of a general formulation for Q-V curves from multistate sequential models, including the case of infinite number of states. We demonstrate that the commonly used method to estimate the charge per molecule using a simple Boltzmann fit is not only inadequate, but in …

A Synthesis Of International School-Based Bullying Interventions, Jennifer Goodman, Jessica Medaris, Kimberley Verity, Brittany Hott

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Bullying is a prevalent problem in school systems in the United States and abroad. This literature review focuses on elementary school-based bullying interventions for students published between 2005-2012. Ten studies reviewed included students from the first grade through the eighth grade from five countries. There were many common themes among successful bullying interventions including: (a) teacher training, (b) school-wide interventions, (c) social skills training in the classroom, (d) homework as a follow up to instruction, and (e) the incorporation of storybooks. Implications for practice and future research directions are shared.

The Effectiveness Of Computer-Assisted Instruction For Teaching Mathematics To Students With Specific Learning Disability, Sherry L. Stultz

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Using computers to teach students is not a new idea. Computers have been utilized for educational purposes for over 80 years. However, the effectiveness of these programs for teaching mathematics to students with specific learning disability is unclear. This study was undertaken to determine if computer-assisted instruction was as effective as other methods of instruction that do not use computers for teaching mathematics to these students. A two-week experimental research study with 36 male and 22 female participants was conducted to determine if a difference existed in the learning of high school students with specific learning disability who were taught …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2013, David L. Kreider, Paul Beck

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Quality Assurance Plan At East Tennessee State University’S Dental Hygiene Program, Jennifer E. Fielden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quality assurance in healthcare is fundamental in ensuring the achievement of desired outcomes for patients. In 2011 a quality assurance plan was created at the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) dental hygiene program in order to meet accreditation standards. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this plan in order to determine its effectiveness in improving the quality of patient care indicators. One hundred fifty patient charts were selected and audited. Deficiencies were counted in the categories of assessment, treatment, documentation, referral, caries management, perio management, patient education, and follow-up. Research findings were varied; however, external variables with the …

Ebbing Winds: Life Rituals At Home And Abroad, Asya Fergiani

HIM 1990-2015

The intent of this thesis was to write a memoir of my five month trip to Libya that explores cultural differences through my experiences as an American with Western ideals. This memoir is focused on the cultural norms of marriage in the rural town of Msalata, in the central rural farming belt north of the ever expanding Sahara Desert of North Africa. My goal was to produce a work that is informational while showing the humanity of the local people through my perceptions as an outsider with different expectations. It was a time of discovery for me about the value …

Ownership Without Citizenship: The Creation Of Noncitizen Property Rights, Allison Brownell Tirres

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

At the nation’s founding, the common law of property defined ownership as an incident of citizenship. Noncitizens were unable lawfully to hold, devise, or inherit property. This doctrine eroded during the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but few scholars have examined its demise or the concommittant rise of property rights for foreigners. This Article is the first sustained treatment of the creation of property rights for noncitizens in American law. It uncovers two key sources for the rights that emerged during the nineteenth century: federal territorial law, which allowed for alien property ownership and alien suffrage, and state …

The Court Loses Its Way With The Global Positioning System: United States V. Jones Retreats To The “Classic Trespassory Search”, George M. Dery Iii, Ryan Evaro

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

This Article analyzes United States v. Jones, in which the Supreme Court considered whether government placement of a global positioning system (GPS) device on a vehicle to follow a person’s movements constituted a Fourth Amendment “search.” The Jones Court ruled that two distinct definitions existed for a Fourth Amendment “search.” In addition to Katz v. United States’s reasonable-expectation-of-privacy standard, which the Court had used exclusively for over four decades, the Court recognized a second kind of search that it called a “classic trespassory search.” The second kind of search occurs when officials physically trespass or intrude upon a constitutionally protected …

Contesting The Mainstream? Citizen News Platforms, The Alternative Paradigm, And The Bp Oil Spill, Benjamin A. Lyons

Theses

With emerging content forums blurring the distinctions between journalistic paradigms, this study helps illuminate those which best promote alternative practice. A content analysis of Deepwater Horizon oil spill coverage compared three platforms for online citizen journalism: corporate (CNN iReport), alternative (Indymedia), and independent blogs. News stories were coded for sources, links, author-reader interaction, mobilizing information, tone for the liable parties' ability and intent in handling the disaster, and contestation of official information. Results show that Indymedia was the most alternative in inclusion of mobilizing information, critical tone, contestation of mainstream versions, ratio of alternative links to mainstream, and total usage …

Plan For Applying Total Quality Management In Education For Torbat Heydariyeh University Of Medical Sciences, Mohsen Keshavarz, Seyed H. Khademi, Javad Mohamadipour, Mehran Farajollahi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

In this study, the appropriateness of existing quality standards and their use in practice in educational organizations were discussed. The study shows how the quality standard of TQM and QMTL and the possibility of their articulation to develop a holistic model can contribute to change this situation. The study alsoinvestigated whether this standard is an adequate basis for quality development in organizations. To implement a quality system in an educational organization, four main steps are necessary: context setting, model adaptation, model implementation/adoption, and quality development. Each step should be performed with a broad range of actors to raise awareness and …

Generations Apart: Exploring The Generation Gap In Theatre, Jesus Briones

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis attempts to find relationships among three different ethnic groups (Jewish, Chinese, and Italian) presented in the following plays. First, there is an explanation of four different types of generation gaps that are discovered throughout the first play of examination, Fiddler on the Roof. There is a technology gap, a cultural gap, a religion gap, and an assimilation gap. Each of these gaps is present within Fiddler on the Roof and is varied throughout the remaining plays examined (Flower Drum Song and Over the River and Through the Woods). Each “gap” will be given an explanation and how it …

La Gente De Migración Y Acción: African Americans In Revolutionary Mexico 1880–1929, Alfredo Aguilar

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis argues that Mexico historically presented African Americans with options to pursue freedom through outlets of migration (civil) and counter-violence (violent resistance). In addition, the thesis exhibits Mexico’s historical anti-slavery stance which reflects why Mexico was a viable place of relocation and resistance. Furthermore, it argues Mexico and the United States had roles in African Americans’ relation to Mexico and these endeavors of resistance. By using primary sources such as newspapers and government reports, the extent of propaganda methods and use becomes discernible. The objective is to highlight the international assistance Mexico provided towards African Americans, the U.S. role …

Mass Production Of Β-Silicon Carbide Nanofibers By The Novel Method Of Forcespinning, Alfonso Salinas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Non-oxide Ceramics such as silicon carbide have very unique properties, for example high toughness, thermal stability, wear resistant, and thermal shock resistance these properties make these ceramic fibers excellent for high temperature applications. Here we present the development of Silicon Carbide nanofibers utilizing a Polystyrene/Polycarbomethylsilane solution as the precursor materials. The Forcespinning ® was performed under a controlled nitrogen environment to prevent fiber oxidation. Characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show successful formation of high yield, long continuous bead-free nanofibers with diameters ranging from 280nm to 2 micron depending on the selected …

Oxidation Of Dibenzothiophene To Dibenzothiophene Sulfone Using Tio2, Juan H. Leal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The oxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) to dibenzothiophene-sulfone has been considered as an alternate method to remove sulfur from crude oil. This study demonstrates that the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of DBT to DBT-sulfone occurs using rutile TiO2 as a catalyst with the aid of O2. In addition, anatase and brookite were synthesized and tested in the reaction. Particle size of the catalysts was calculated and morphology was explored using SEM. A kinetic study was performed to determine the catalytic effect and activation energy of TiO2. The oxidation reaction was carried out by refluxing TiO2 and DBT in decahydronapthalene while flowing O2 …

Analytical Solutions For A Large-Scale Long-Lived Rotating Layer Of Fluid Heated Underneath, Pouya Jalilian

Masters Theses

In this work, the system of equations for a large- scale long lived rotating layer of fluid with the deformable upper free surface and non-deformable lower free surface heated underneath has been reviewed and derived. The quasi-geostrophic approximation, the beta effect and the method of multi-scale expansions have been employed to and as a result, an equation governing the evolution of large-scale perturbations, has been derived. The effect of each term present in the upper surface deformation equation has been analyzed and the analytical solutions have been obtained by virtue of employing auxiliary Riccati equation method. The soliton solutions obtained …

“Common Sense” Versus “Good Sense”: Marginalization In Agriculture, Mark W. Hoock

Masters Theses

Scholars have engaged in discussions of when and where capitalism emerged in agrarian America. These discussions have led to categorizations that placed some farms outside the discussion of capitalist interrelationships. This separation homogenized many 19^th and early 20^th century farms on the Hector Backbone in Schuyler County New York into a “non-capitalist” category. This thesis aims to illuminate the real lived conditions of a sample of these farmers through a Marxist dialectical perspective. Archeological analysis of production strategies, through a Marxist framework allows for a better understanding of the differences between individual marginalized farms. Since analysis of a …

The Hearts Of Ovid's Heroines In Trojumanna Saga, Luke J. Chambers

Masters Theses

In western civilization no story has been retold more times than the Trojan War. Homer's works were known only by repute in western Europe after the fall of Rome. As such, the Middle Ages saw the blossoming of a new Troy tradition based on Dares Phrygius's De Excidio Troiae Historia (The History of the Destruction of Troy). Most countries of medieval Europe used this laconic work to retell the Troy story in each country's particular idiom.

The settlers of Iceland developed a sophisticated literary culture in the thirteenth century. No other people wrote narrative prose works on such a …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of A Rat Agreement Based Reinforcement Procedure, Katherine B. Lalonde

Masters Theses

Since 2007, giant African pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) have been used successfullyfor detecting Tuberculosis (TB) positive patients.The rats are trained to detect TB-positive sputum samples through the use of operant conditioning techniques, in which an indicator response is rewarded with food. If the rats are to be used for first line screening of patients reinforcement could not be provided because the true status of the sample would be unknown. The present study evaluated the effects of a reinforcement-for-agreement procedure that could be used to reinforce indication responses when the true status of the sample is unknown. Four rats evaluated 100 …

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, …

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 …

Recovering The Saumurois: Lay Patronage To Saint-Florent Of Saumur, Ca. 950-1150, Adam C. Matthews

Masters Theses

In the mid-tenth century, the lay powers of the Loire valley established the abbey of Saint-Florent at Saumur with the local aristocracy welcoming the monks and forming spiritual and economic relationships through acts of patronage. The brothers remembered gifts of property, grants of rights, and exemptions in charters which were ultimately collected into the abbey's first cartulary, the Livre Noir. Despite this wealth of sources, historians have paid only cursory attention to Saint-Florent in recent scholarship. The present study incorporates the abbey's charter sources into broader debates concerning society in eleventh-century France. The use of case studies provides insight …

Refugee Reflections: A Focus On The Lived Experiences Of African Refugees Resettling In Michigan, Diane Roushangar

Masters Theses

Refugee resettlement is often observed by focusing on external indicators of integration such as employment and English proficiency. What is often ignored is the multi-faceted process refugees experience in regard to the emotions that occur during these transitions of resettlement. Emotional stressors include financial concerns, work-related issues, a lack of adequate counseling services and ESL support that can all lead to increased anxiety. This paper examines the process of resettlement that northeast African and sub-Saharan African refugees have experienced including issues of unsafe working conditions, changing gender roles, and a lack of adequate time for adjusting to the culture.

Simulation Of Multi-Component Gas Flow And Condensation In Marcellus Shale Reservoir, Abdallah Elamin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Marcellus shale formation, with more than 463 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of recoverable gas in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, will play a critical role in providing clean energy, environmental sustainability, and increased security for our nation. However, due to recent low gas prices, most of the operating companies have slowed down their activities in dry gas areas and refocused their attention in oil and condensate production from liquid-rich regions. This change in production plans requires detailed investigation of gas condensate bank developments and saturation dynamics in shale gas reservoirs that change greatly with reservoir conditions. An advanced level of …

The Impact Of Companion Animals On Social Capital And Community Violence: Setting Research, Policy And Program Agendas, Phil Arkow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The term social capital has been used to describe the networks and other forces that build social cohesion, personal investment, reciprocity, civic engagement, and interpersonal trust among residents in a community. With the exception of three Australian reports describing positive associations between companion animal ownership and social capital, the literature has neglected to include the presence or absence of companion animal residents of communities as factors that could potentially affect social capital and serve as protective factors for community well-being. Companion animals are present in significantly large numbers in most communities, where they have considerable economic impact and provide emotional …

Cross-Reporting Of Interpersonal Violence And Animal Cruelty: The Charlotte Project, Dennis D. Long, Shanti J. Kulkarni

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The overlapping nature of interpersonal violence and animal cruelty is well established, however historically each issue has been addressed by distinct and separate protective systems. An innovative community-based project is described that utilized crosstraining as a mechanism to foster collaboration between human services and animal control agencies. Findings are useful for professionals and community stakeholders interested in facilitating the cross-reporting of interpersonal violence and animal cruelty.

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.

Attachment, Social Support, And Perceived Mental Health Of Adult Dog Walkers: What Does Age Have To Do With It?, F. Ellen Netting, Cindy C. Wilson, Jeffrey L. Goodie, Mark B. Stephens, Christopher G. Byers, Cara H. Olsen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In part of a larger pilot study of dog walking as a physical activity intervention we assessed levels of attachment, social supports, and perceived mental health of 75 dog owners, identified through a tertiary- care veterinary hospital. Owners completed the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey, mental health component of the Short-Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey, and the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). Of particular interest was that younger owners had stronger attachments to their dogs (r = -.488;p <.001) and less social support (r = .269;p =.021). Our study suggests the importance of companion animals for social support, particularly for those without close friends/relatives. For younger owners, our study reveals vulnerabilities in support networks that may warrant referrals to human helping professionals. We suggest the use of Carstensen's Socioemotional Selectivity Theory as an interpretive framework to underscore the importance of including companion animals as part of the human social convoy, especially in terms of providing affectionate and interactional social support.