Digital Commons Network^™

A Historical Study Of Irvin Cooper: Choral Music Educator And Founder Of The Cambiata Concept, Phillip Holland Stockton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Military officers and psychologists have argued that the human experience of killing in combat is directly related to physical proximity between combatants. With the advent of remote controlled weapons and advanced optics, that argument has proven untrue. This thesis, through analysis of contemporary war literature and film, proposes that a better paradigm for understanding and anticipating the human experience of killing in combat is the view the soldier maintains of him/herself and of the other as similarly human. The contemporary soldier may view both the enemy and him/herself as human, subhuman, or inhuman; this view is closely tied to constructed …

Youth Treatment Adherence At A Rural Community Mental-Health Clinic, Asma S. Ali

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between youth and adult psychopathology, and sociodemographic factors and treatment adherence for youth attending outpatient treatment at a rural community mental-health clinic. “Adherence” was defined as attending more than five sessions, while “non-adherence” was defined as attending fewer than or equal to five sessions. Results revealed no significant differences between youth adhering or not adhering to treatment depending on the relation of caregiver to youth or the mode of transportation taken to the clinic. Furthermore, caregiver and youth psychopathology and caregiver’s estimated travel time to the clinic did not predict treatment adherence. Incidentally, examination of …

Examining Levels Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms And Treatment Attendance Amongst Children Living In Different Caregiver Settings, Danika S. Perry

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment attendance rates amongst a sample of children and adolescents who engaged in treatment for PTSD. The purpose was to determine if there was a difference in the level of PTSD symptoms or the number of sessions attended between those children living in foster care and those living with their primary non-foster caregiver(s). In addition, the treatment attendance rates of foster care children were examined to determine if there was a relationship between the level of the PTSD symptoms and the child’s treatment attendance rates. Results revealed that there was …

A Single Case Study Of Cognitive Remediation Therapy With An Adolescent With Disordered Eating, Carol Lynn Galiano

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Picky eating is currently not included in the diagnostic classification system DSM-IV TR as a distinct category of eating disorders in childhood. It can reach clinical significance requiring intervention when it results in chronic nutritional inadequacies and/or harmful impact on social development or family functioning. Studies have shown that patients with eating disorders have difficulties with executive functioning. These findings have been used to develop an intervention based on cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) which targets thinking skills and their role in the development and maintenance of an eating disorder. To further investigate, this study assessed the efficacy of an 8-week, …

Associations Between Different Parenting Styles And Child Behavior, Jason C. Hunt

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic, behavioral control disorder, which is most frequently diagnosed in children. ADHD is traditionally conceptualized as a neurological disorder; however, there are important environmental factors that affect symptom presentation. Parental involvement is a critical factor in virtually every form of treatment for ADHD, yet the specific parenting styles employed by parents of children with ADHD has received little attention. This study sought to address this issue through identifying associations between parenting styles, ADHD symptoms, and homework problems. Participants were recruited from a community sample, using a snowball sampling method. Participants were required to complete three …

Autonomous Recovery Of Reconfigurable Logic Devices Using Priority Escalation Of Slack, Naveed Imran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices offer a suitable platform for survivable hardware architectures in mission-critical systems. In this dissertation, active dynamic redundancy-based fault-handling techniques are proposed which exploit the dynamic partial reconfiguration capability of SRAM-based FPGAs. Self-adaptation is realized by employing reconfiguration in detection, diagnosis, and recovery phases. To extend these concepts to semiconductor aging and process variation in the deep submicron era, resilient adaptable processing systems are sought to maintain quality and throughput requirements despite the vulnerabilities of the underlying computational devices. A new approach to autonomous fault-handling which addresses these goals is developed using only a uniplex …

The Afro-American Slave Music Project: Building A Case For Digital History, Laura Cepero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This public history thesis project experimented with the application of new technology in creating an educational resource aimed at twenty-first century public audiences. The project presents the history, musicology, and historiography of Afro-American slave music in the United States. In doing so, the project utilizes two digital media tools: VuVox, to create interactive collages; and VisualEyes, to create digital visualizations. The purpose of this thesis is to assess how the project balances the goals of digital history, public history, and academic history. During the production of the Afro-American Slave Music Project, a number of the promises of digital history were …

Child Murder: A Re-Examination Of Durkheim's Theory Of Homicide, Melissa Tetzlaff-Bemiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines county-level characteristics and their impact on child homicide. This work uses Durkheimian theory and tests the concept of solidarity by using variables that constitute integration and regulation. In addition, some variables are drawn from other theoretical perspectives, mainly social disorganization and anomie theories, to better explore additional macro-level indicators. Data were obtained from multiple locations. Homicide data for children, from birth through five years, utilized in this work came from the National Incident-Based Reporting System. County level socio-demographics were obtained from the Census. Political party affiliation (Republican or Democrat) came from Politico, and religious data were …

Growth And Characterization Of Zno Based Semiconductor Materials And Devices, Ming Wei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wide band gap semiconductors such as MgxZn1-xO represent an excellent choice for making optical photodetectors and emitters operating in the UV spectral region. High crystal and optical quality MgxZn1-xO thin films were grown epitaxially on c-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy. ZnO thin films with high crystalline quality, low defect and dislocation densities, and sub-nanometer surface roughness were achieved by applying a low temperature nucleation layer. The critical growth conditions were discussed to obtain a high quality film: the sequence of Zn and O sources for initial growth of nucleation layer, growth temperatures for both ZnO nucleation and …

A Sustainability "Green" Certification Audit Of Food Service Operations And The Development Of A Restaurant Sustainability Instrument, Hans Hagglund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates current green restaurant certifications as well as developing a new more user certification. First, a fact finding investigation to find the most established and commonly utilized green restaurant certifications were compared. Second, a new green certification was developed. Third, chosen green restaurant certifications were compared. Lastly, the new green certification analyzed whether restaurants in the central Florida area utilized green practices. Data were collected in face to face sessions with restaurant managers during nonpeak hours of operation. There were numerous surveys utilized in this research study. The statistical methodology utilized in this study was average means and …

Interracial Lesbian And Gay Couples: Navigating Private And Public Experiences, Anne Bubriski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the private and public experiences of Black/White interracial lesbian and gay couples. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of critical race theory and intersectional feminism, this research focuses on how the intersections of gender, race, and sexuality influence relationship experiences and family processes in both private and public spaces for interracial same-sex couples. This study is based on 19 in-depth interviews with individuals in Black/White lesbian and gay relationships. Participants’ stories highlight intersectionality in terms of the ways interracial lesbian and gay couples navigate these interpersonal and public spaces. Participant experiences suggest that the dichotomy of private/public is …

Managing, Controlling And Improving The Treatment Of Produced Water Using The Six Sigma Methodology For The Iraqi Oil Fields, Maher T. Al-Shamkhani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Produced Water (PW) is the largest volume of waste that is normally generated during oil and gas production. It has large amounts of contaminants that can cause negative environmental and economic impacts. The management method for PW relies highly on types and concentrations of these contaminants, which are field dependent and can vary from one oil field to another. Produced water can be converted to fresh water if these contaminants are removed or reduced to the acceptable drinking water quality level. In addition, increasing oil production rate and reducing amounts of discharged harmful contaminants can be achieved by removing dissolved …

Impact Of Direct-Fed Microbials On Nutrient Utilization In Beef Cattle, Nicole Kenney

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The impact of lactate producing direct-fed microbial (DFM) on growth performance and rumen fermentation in beef cattle was explored in four studies. Experiment 1 studied the interaction between DFM and degradable intake protein (DIP) supply in receiving cattle. No differences (P≥0.06) in intake, morbidity, or immune response were observed; however, during the first 28 d gain and efficiency responses to DFM were dependent on DIP (DIP×DFM P≤0.05). Experiment 2 showed that in vitro gas production and select endpoint metabolites differed (P≤0.04) with DFM application. Experiment 3 compared lactate producing DFM to a lactate producing/utilizing DFM in finishing cattle. No differences …

Detection Of Antibodies Against Parascaris Equorum Excretory-Secretory Antigens, Steffanie V. Burk

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Parascaris equorum is a nematode parasite that infects young horses, sometimes causing unthriftiness, respiratory signs, or intestinal impaction in severe cases. Infection can be diagnosed by detection of eggs in feces, but this is only possible after the worms are fully mature. The goal of this study was to develop an antibody-based test for prepatent diagnosis of P. equorum infection. To produce western blot (WB) antigen, P. equorum larvae were cultured for collection of excretory-secretory antigens (ESA). Sera from 18 pregnant broodmares, their subsequent foals, and a group of 12 older mares and geldings were analyzed. In order to check …

Effect Of Amylose And Protein Oxidation On The Thermal, Rheological, Structural, And Digestive Properties Of Waxy And Common Rice Flours And Starches, Jing Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The effects of oxidation by sodium hypochlorite (0, 0.8, 2, and 5%, NaOCl), the presence of endogenous proteins, and amylose content on waxy and common rice flours (WF, CF) and starches (WS, CS) were investigated in terms of in vitro starch digestibility, morphology and surface properties, and thermal and rheological characteristics.

The concentration of NaOCl had an effect on all the samples including WF, CF, WS, and CS. The carbonyl and carboxyl group contents increased up to 25 and 10 folds (P < 0.05) of oxidized starches (WS, CS), respectively. Only mild oxidation (P < 0.05) occurred in flours (WF, WS). In addition, endogenous proteins were oxidized according to amino acid analysis and SDS–PAGE results. Glu+Gln, Gly, His, Arg, Tyr, and Lys were more sensitive to NaOCl oxidation. Disulfide bonds, hydrophobic force, and hydrogen bonds were involved in protein polymerization after NaOCl oxidative modification. In granular state, the in vitro starch digestibility of WF, WS, and CS decreased by 5% NaOCl oxidation. After gelatinization, …

Phosphorus Digestibility And Phytate Degradation In Long Yearlings And Mature Horses, Ashley Fowler

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Much of the phosphorus (P) in grain-based concentrates fed to growing horses is in the form of phytate-P. Little is known about the ability of young horses to degrade phytate-P or whether age affects mineral digestion in horses. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of age on P, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) digestibility and phytate-P degradation. Four long yearling geldings and 4 mature geldings were fed a diet of alfalfa cubes, timothy cubes and a pelleted concentrate. The diet contained 0.28% total P and 17.4% of that P was in the phytate form. There was …

Analysis Of Antiviral And Chemoprotective Effects Of Strawberry Anthocyanins, Jennifer A. Willig

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

This study investigated the antiviral, chemoprotective and proliferative effects of strawberry anthocyanins on herpes simplex virus type-1, cancerous cell lines HT-29 and AGS, and normal cell lines Hs 738.St/Int and CCD-18Co. Antiviral properties were measured by infecting vero cells from adult grivet (Cercopithecus aethiops) with herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) and treating with a concentration of 1.25-20 µg/mL of strawberry anthocyanins. Infectivity and replication were quantified for herpes simplex virus type-1 using the direct plaque assay and reporting PFU/mL. Strawberry anthocyanins (>20 µg/mL) inhibited the herpes simplex virus infectivity in vero cells by 100% (p<0.05). Strawberry anthocyanins at concentrations of 5, 10 and 20 μg/mL were reduced to 75.36, 57.98, and 31.46 percent of the control (100%) (p<0.05).

Chemoprotective and …

Dietary Antioxidant Supplementation (Economase–Bioplex) To Alleviate Adverse Impacts Of Oxidized Oil On Broiler Meat Quality: A Chemical, Textural, Enzymatic, And Proteomic Study, Rebecca Delles

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

This study investigated the influence of dietary antioxidants and quality of oil on the oxidative and enzymatic properties of chicken broiler meat stored in an oxygen-enriched package (HiOx: 80% O₂/20% CO₂) in comparison with air-permeable polyvinylchloride (PVC) or skin (SK) packaging systems during retail display 2–4 °C for up to 14, 7, and 21 d, respectively. Broilers were fed a diet either with a low-oxidized oil (peroxide vale POV 23 meq O₂/kg) or with a high-oxidized oil (POV 121 meq O₂/kg), supplemented with an antioxidant pack (200 ppm EconomasE and organic minerals …

The Effect Of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction On Protein Metabolism And Insulin Sensitivity In Aged Horses, Laurel M. Mastro

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) typically occurs in horses older than 15 years of age and is characterized by hair coat abnormalities, muscle atrophy and decreased insulin sensitivity. The first objective of this research was to compare the rate of whole body protein metabolism and relative abundance of key factors in the signaling pathways associated with muscle protein synthesis and protein breakdown in response to feeding in Control and PPID horses. No differences (P > 0.05) were seen between the PPID and Control groups in whole-body protein metabolism or post-prandial activation of the muscle signaling pathways regulating skeletal muscle protein …

His 3385 : American Maritime History Since 1400, History

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

What Is Known About Species Richness And Distribution On The Outer-Shelf South Texas Banks?, Harriet L. Nash, Sharon J. Furiness, John W. Tunnell Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The outer-shelf South Texas Banks, also known as the snapper banks, are known by fishermen to be excellent fishing grounds. However, few scientific studies have been conducted to describe the ecology of these uncommon but distinctive habitats. This paper describes results of a literature review and an assessment to determine what is known about the biota of the South Texas Banks and to assist in developing renewed interest and focus on these topographic highs. The outer-shelf South Texas Banks include relict coralgal reefs and relict barrier islands, and we also include data for a nearshore site, which is geographically and …

Assessment Of Seagrass Floral Community Structure From Two Caribbean Marine Protected Areas, Paul A.X. Bologna, Anthony J. Suleski

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Seagrass communities represent spatially complex and biomass producing systems comprised of intermixed seagrass and algal species. We investigated shallow water communities from two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean: St. John, United States Virgin Islands and Cayos Cochinos, Honduras. St. John sites (4) lie within the Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument and are designated within an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Honduran sites (4) lie within the designated Marine National Monument. Our results indicate that both MPAs were dominated by Thalassia testudinum with spatial coverage and shoot density significantly greater in Honduras. Many sites also showed …

Depuration Of Macondo (Mc-252) Oil Found In Heterotrophic Scleractinian Corals (Tubastrea Coccinea And Tubastrea Micranthus) On Offshore Oil/Gas Platforms In The Gulf, Steve R. Kolian, Scott Porter, Paul W. Sammarco, Edwin W. Cake Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The impetus for this study began on 8 May 2011, when we noted sporadic mortality of colonies of orange—cup corals, Tubastrea coccinea (Lesson, 1829), and green sun corals, Tubastrea micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834; Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia) among colonies of coral that appeared to be in good health at the GI 90 block platforms. Colonies of T. coccinea which appeared to be healthy displayed markedly less tissue regression and were bright orange in color. The morbid polyps were dark brown or black. The corals were collected, transported to the laboratory, and segregated; healthy—appearing corals were placed in quarantine tanks. After 12 h …

Public Philosophy Of Technology, Dylan E. Wittkower, Evan Selinger, Lucinda Rush

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Philosophers of technology are not playing the public role which our own theoretical perspectives motivate us to take. A great variety of theories and perspectives within philosophy of technology, including those of Marcuse, Feenberg, Borgmann, Ihde, Michelfelder, Bush, Winner, Latour, and Verbeek, either support or directly call for various sorts of intervention—a call that we have failed to adequately heed. Barriers to such intervention are discussed, and three proposals for reform are advanced: (1) post-publication peer-reviewed reprinting of public philosophy, (2) increased emphasis on true open access publication, and (3) increased efforts to publicize and adapt traditional academic research.

Vitamin D And Biomarkers Of Sex Steroid Hormones Are Non-Linearly And Inversely Related To All-Cause Mortality: Results From Nhanes Iii, Hind A. Beydoun, Shaker M. Eid, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Alan B. Zonderman, May A. Beydoun

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: In men, hypovitaminosis D as well as high and low testosterone levels have been linked to adverse events, including death. A biological interaction has been previously suggested between vitamin D and androgens. In a cohort study using Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, we simultaneously investigated circulating vitamin D and biomarkers of sex steroid hormones as predictors of all-cause mortality.

Methods: Age-adjusted and fully-adjusted Cox regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Whereas the vitamin D sufficient group (25(OH)D3 ≥30 ng/ml) was selected as a referent, biomarkers of sex …

Production Mechanisms, Number Concentration, Size Distribution, Chemical Composition, And Optical Properties Of Sea Spray Aerosols, Nicholas Meskhidze, Markus D. Petters, Kostas Tsigaridis, Tim Bates, Colin O'Dowd, Jeff Reid, Ernie R. Lewis, Brett Gantt, Magdalena D. Anguelova, Prakash V. Bhave, Andrew Wozniak

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

(First paragraph)

The impact of sea spray aerosols on global climate remains one of the most uncertain components of the aerosol–radiation–climate problem, but has received less attention than the impacts of terrestrial and anthropogenic aerosols. The last decade has produced a large body of information regarding the sources and composition of marine aerosols, resulting in a reassessment of the complex role that sea spray particles play in climate and various geophysical phenomena. As sea spray aerosol contributes substantially to the preindustrial, natural background which provides the baseline on top of which anthropogenic forcing should be quantified, and because the ocean …

The Relative Contribution Of Methanotrophs To Microbial Communities And Carbon Cycling In Soil Overlying A Coal-Bed Methane Seep, Christopher T. Mills, Gregpry F. Slater, Robert F. Dias, Stephanie A. Carr, Christopher M. Reddy, Raleigh Schmidt, Kevin W. Mandernack

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Seepage of coal-bed methane (CBM) through soils is a potential source of atmospheric CH₄ and also a likely source of ancient (i.e. ¹⁴C-dead) carbon to soil microbial communities. Natural abundance ¹³C and ¹⁴C compositions of bacterial membrane phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and soil gas CO₂ and CH₄ were used to assess the incorporation of CBM-derived carbon into methanotrophs and other members of the soil microbial community. Concentrations of type I and type II methanotroph PLFA biomarkers (16:1ω8c and 18:1ω8c, respectively) were elevated in CBM-impacted soils compared with a control site. Comparison …

Real-Time In Vivo Imaging Of Size-Dependent Transport And Toxicity Of Gold Nanoparticles In Zebrafish Embryos Using Single Nanoparticle Plasmonic Spectroscopy, Lauren M. Browning, Tao Huang, Xiao-Hong Nancy Xu

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) show distinctive plasmonic optical properties and superior photostability, enabling them to serve as photostable multicoloured optical molecular probes and sensors for real-time in vivo imaging. To effectively study biological functions in vivo, it is essential that the NP probes are biocompatible and can be delivered into living organisms non-invasively. In this study, we have synthesized, purified and characterized stable (non-aggregated) gold (Au) NPs (86.2 +/- 10.8 nm). We have developed dark-field single NP plasmonic microscopy and spectroscopy to study their transport into early developing zebrafish embryos (cleavage stage) and their effects on embryonic development …

Ultrasensitive Analysis Of Binding Affinity Of Hiv Receptor And Neutralizing Antibodies Using Solution-Phase Electrochemiluminescence Assay, Xiao-Hong Nancy Xu, Zhaoyang Wen, William J. Brownlow

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Binding of a few ligand molecules with its receptors on cell surface can initiate cellular signaling transduction pathways, and trigger viral infection of host cells. HIV-1 infects host T-cells by binding its viral envelope protein (gp120) with its receptor (a glycoprotein, CD4) on T cells. Primary strategies to prevent and treat HIV infection is to develop therapies (e.g., neutralizing antibodies) that can block specific binding of CD4 with gp120. The infection often leads to the lower counts of CD4 cells, which makes it an effective biomarker to monitor the AIDS progression and treatment. Despite research over decades, quantitative assays for …

Improved Method For Quantifying The Air-Sea Flux Of Volatile And Semi-Volatile Organic Carbon, Emily Hauser, Rebecca M. Dickhut, Renee Falconer, Andrew S. Wozniak

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A method for quantifying the diffusive air-sea exchange of gaseous organic carbon (OC) was developed. OC compounds were separated into two operational pools-those that were kinetically air limited in diffusion across the air-sea interface and those that were water limited-during simultaneous air/water sampling. The method separates OC compounds into low Henry's law constant (low-H) semivolatile OC (SOC) and high Henry's law constant (high-H) volatile OC (VOC) pools that can be categorized by relating diffusion kinetic parameters to Henry's Law constant. Air limited (low-H; H << similar to 0.1 L atm mol(^-1)) compounds were collected in pure water traps and were quantified as dissolved OC, whereas …