Digital Commons Network^™

Synchronization And Phase Dynamics Of Oscillating Foils, Cyndee L. Finkel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In this work, a two-dimensional model representing the vortices that animals produce, when they are flying/swimming, was constructed. A D{shaped cylinder and an oscillating airfoil were used to mimic these body{shed and wing{generated vortices, respectively. The parameters chosen are based on the Reynolds numbers similar to that which is observed in nature (104). In order to imitate the motion of ying/swimming, the entire system was suspended into a water channel from frictionless air{bearings. The position of the apparatus in the channel was regulated with a linear, closed loop PI controller. Thrust/drag forces were measured with strain gauges and particle image …

Suffering In The Midst Of Technology, Jeanne C. Gottlieb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the essence of the lived experience of women after having an abnormal prenatal ultrasound. One hundred years ago, health disciplines had limited therapies for prenatal and neonatal disorders. During this period, the eugenics movement influenced leaders to involuntarily sterilize individuals who were sought to be "unfit" to prevent disorders in offspring. ... One of these contemporary reproductive genetic technologies is the use of ultrasound and serum bio-medical markers for detection of congenital, chromosome, and genetic disorders. When ultrasounds reveal abnormal findings, the perceived perfect pregnancy vanishes and gives way to …

The Consequences Of Disbelief In Free Will: Diminished Morality Or Enhanced Conformity?, Bradley M. Trager

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Diminished belief in free will has been shown to influence morally relevant behavior (e.g., cheating, helping) and conformity. What happens when opportunities for immoral action and conformity are both available? To investigate the relative salience of these action tendencies, we manipulated participants’ belief in free will, provided them an opportunity to cheat on a perceptual-reasoning task to obtain a reward, and exposed them to a confederate who did or did not cheat on this task. Participants primed with deterministic (vs. free will) beliefs demonstrated diminished belief in free will, and an increased tendency to cheat regardless of whether the confederate …

Effects Of Stressors On Differential Gene Expression And Secondary Metabolites By Axinella Corrugata, Jennifer. Grima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Sponges are an important source of bioactive marine natural products, or secondary metabolites. The common Caribbean reef sponge, Axinella corrugata, produces an antitumor and antibacterial chemical, stevensine. This study determined whether environmental stressors, such as elevated temperature and exposure to Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae, affect the production of stevensine by A.corrugata and if the stressors caused A.corrugata to exhibit differential gene expression. Temperature stress resulted in no significant change in the production of stevensine; only two genes were significantly differentially expressed, including hsp70. Larval stressed resulted in increased production of stevensine and significant differential gene expression (more than seventy genes). This …

The Culture Of Financial Institutions: The Institution Of Political Economy, David A. Westbrook

Contributions to Books

Published as Chapter 1 in Integrity, Risk and Accountability in Capital Markets: Regulating Culture, Justin O'Brien & George Gilligan, eds.

The 19th century legal historian Henry Maine famously defined progress, and by extension, liberal modernity, as the substitution of relations based on status (especially family and title), to relations based on contract, especially trade and employment. The article suggests that Maine's assertion, however comforting as a political matter, simply does not hold with regard to the credit relations central to contemporary society. Credit transactions, even retail transactions, are based on trust and interlocking webs of obligation across agents (until recently …

Emission Characteristics Of A Liquid Spray Sudden Expansion Combustor Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Daniel Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

A sudden expansion combustor (SUE) is analyzed using computation fluid dynamics (CFD). CO emissions and NOx emissions are computed for various operating conditions of the SUE combustor using a can type and an annular type geometrical configurations. The goal of this thesis is to see if the SUE combustor is a viable alternative to conventional combustors which utilize swirlers. It is found that for the can type combustor the NOx emissions were quite low compared to other combustor types but the CO emissions were fairly high. The annular combustor shows better CO emissions compared to the can type, but the …

Evoking Meaning, Lenny C Salas Moreno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The intent of this thesis is to focus on evocative objects to explore what is lost in the transition from tangible to digital and how personal meaning is altered by digitalization. "We are witnessing the sudden dematerialization of our arts and entertainment, their transfer from unique artifacts to universal on-demand screen availability."1 As we replace objects like photographs, books and music CDs with intangible digital versions, social and physical experiences get reconfigured. With more time being spent on-line, there is a growing emphasis on exchanging digital content and the network of self-projections shared virtually. As we continue towards an increasing …

Expression Of Autophagy Transcripts And Proteins In The Ocular Lens Suggests A Role For Autophagy In Lens Cell And Cellular Differentiation, Lyndzie. Mattucci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The lens is an avascular organ that focuses light onto the retina where neural signals are transmitted to the brain and translated into images. Lens transparency is vital for maintaining function. The lens is formed through a transition from organelle-rich epithelial cells to organelle-free fiber cells. Lens cell differentiation, leading to the lack of organelles, provides an environment optimal for minimizing light scatter and maximizing the ability to focus light onto the retina. The process responsible for orchestrating lens cell differentiation has yet to be elucidated. In recent years, data has emerged that led our lab to hypothesize that autophagy …

Examining The Relationship Between Urban Green Space And Sustainable Cities, Gillian. Bloise

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Urban green space plays a vital role in the stability of the environment. Green spaces are increasingly becoming an integral part of the efforts to promote sustainability because of the different areas of benefits they provide. Sustainable city ranking systems were used to identify the most sustainable urban extents within the US. Landsat TM 4-5 imagery and textural classification are used as techniques in identifying, classifying and analyzing urban green spaces within nineteen urban extents. Patch analyst was used to analyze the location, structure and fragmentation green spaces within each urban extent. The aim is to determine to what degree …

Examination Of The Role And Career Paths Of Chief Research Administrators In Selected Major Research Universities In The United States, Julie. Nash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The Chief Research Administrator (CRA), also known as the Vice President, Vice Provost, or Vice Chancellor for Research, plays a key role in the research university. It is a position of power and not only affects the mission of the institution, but also controls a very large and vital percentage of external funding. The lack of information on how to prepare for the position makes it difficult to plan a career path for those who aspire to the position. This study was designed to obtain information to define the persona and career path(s) of the CRA at research universities in …

Examination Of Hurricane Vulnerability Of The U.S. Northeast And Mid-Atlantic Region, Shivangi Prasad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States are understudied from the perspective of hurricane vulnerability. In an attempt to fill this gap in research, this dissertation attempted to assess the hurricane vulnerability of the northeastern and mid- Atlantic United States through the construction of a Composite Hurricane Vulnerability Index (CHVI) for 184 counties extending from Maine to Virginia. The CHVI was computed by incorporating indicators of human vulnerability and physical exposure. Human vulnerability was derived from demographic, social and economic characteristics whereas physical exposure was based on attributes of the natural and built up environments. The spatial distribution of the CHVI and …

Florida Career And Technology Education, Francis. Serra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This quantitative study was designed to analyze the percentage of students pursuing selected Career and Technical Education (CTE) vocational courses in schools throughout the State of Florida and to determine if there is a relationship to school district size during school year 2008-2009. The study sought to determine if smaller districts are more likely to have a higher percentage of students enrolled in selected CTE programs that will provide entry into the work force in a skilled, preferably licensed occupation than larger districts. The study also sought to determine the relationship of the number of students enrolled in the CTE …

Foreclosure Effects, Cindy M. Shaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The recent financial crisis which has beset the United States has made itself felt in a number of ways, not the least of which has been its adverse effect on the housing market. As foreclosure percentages accelerated, increasing numbers of properties across the country became empty and abandoned, leaving a visible imprint of deterioration in neighborhoods that were significantly affected. Initial GIS analysis of both foreclosed and non-foreclosed residential land in Broward County Florida was conducted, showing that there is a discernible spectral difference in the lawn space of these two types of properties, with foreclosed properties exhibiting more brownness, …

From The Horse's Mouth, Jennifer K. Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis challenges dualistic human and animal ontologies by interpreting science fiction (sf) literature, and argues that whereas words can equivocate and obscure meaning, bodies do not lie. Linguistics and semiology extend the definition of "language" to include human and nonhuman gestures and movement, and posthumanist theory expands definitions of "human" and "animal" to explore species boundaries. Scrutinizing opposing dualisms ultimately questions Western epistemology and authority, allowing for an exploration of embodied animal communications within the larger discourse on species and speciesism. This perspective results in a more comprehensive understanding of the interdependence of all species: human, animal, and "other." …

Functional Aspects Of Behavior And Morphology In The Decorator Crab Microphrys Bicornutus (Latreille, 1825) (Crustacea: Brachyura: Mithracidae), Monique Alexandra Salazar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Masking or decorator crabs, conceal themselves partially through camouflage, by selecting or indiscriminately attaching materials from their environment to their exoskeleton. Functional aspects of decorating behavior and morphology in this group have not been documented. Using Microphrys bicornutus as a model species, this dissertation demonstrates clearly that decorating is an advantageous phenotype that has evolved to serve several functions. Decorating is a complex behavior that begins when a crab approaches an algal substrate and results in the attachment of algae to hooked setae on the exoskeleton. Once decorated, crabs remain motionless on the substrate until disturbed or until another behavior …

Founding Mothers And Movement Mamas: African American Women In The Depression-Era Southern Tenant Famers' Union, Matthew Placido

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This paper explores the lives of poor, black sharecropping women, arguing that the Southern Tenant Farmers’ Union provided an avenue for them to embrace civil rights activism, perform semiprofessional work, and construct a sisterhood of black female solidarity – thus making the union an organization through which lower-class African American women contributed to the Long Civil Rights movement. During the Great Depression, black and white farmwomen from the Delta region worked together to fight the system of racial subjugation and exploitation. Black women represented one of the largest and most important demographic groups within the STFU, frequently serving as secretaries, …

Bioinformatic Analysis Of Viral Genomic Sequences And Concepts Of Genome-Specific National Vaccine Design, Sharmistha P. Chatterjee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This research is concerned with analyzing a set of viral genomes to elucidate the underlying characteristics and determine the information-theoretic aspects of the genomic signatures. The goal of this study thereof, is tailored to address the following: (i) Reviewing various methods available to deduce the features and characteristics of genomic sequences of organisms in general, and particularly focusing on the genomes pertinent to viruses; (ii) applying the concepts of information-theoretics (entropy principles) to analyze genomic sequences; (iii) envisaging various aspects of biothermodynamic energetics so as to determine the framework and architecture that decide the stability and patterns of the subsequences …

Binary Neutron Star Mergeres: Simulations With Arbitrarily Spinning Stars, Petr Tsatsin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The starting point of any general relativistic numerical simulation is a solution of the Hamiltonian and momentum constraints that (ideally) represents an astrophysically realistic scenario. This dissertation presents a new method to produce initial data sets for binary neutron stars with arbitrary spins and orbital eccentricities. The method only provides approximate solutions to the constraints. However, it was shown that the corresponding constraint violations subside after a few orbits, becoming comparable to those found in evolutions of standard conformally flat, helically symmetric binary initial data. This dissertation presents the first spinning neutron star binary simulations in circular orbits with a …

Blended, Abbe. Greenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Blended: A Memoir is the author's recollection of her endeavors to overcome the difficulties that often accompany becoming a stepmother and build a "seamless" family.

Ferdinand’S Self-Hood: Lycanthropy And Agency In The Duchess Of Malfi, Connor Boyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

John Webster’s play The Duchess of Malfi subverts early modern hierarchical structures of matter and life by characterizing the human body as fundamentally deceptive and inferior to the animal body. Through close readings of Bosola’s meditations and Ferdinand’s lycanthropy, I consider how Webster constructs animals as simplistic creatures that enjoy a desirable existence, where body and soul are continuous. Within Webster’s play, the dualist conflict between human body and human soul is a primary subject of discourse. Various human characters see animal existence as preferential, as they view animals as automated creatures that do not suffer the self-consciousness that humans …

Exploring Pedagogical Relationships Within A Culture Of Creativity In A Reggio Emilia-Inspired School, Barbara At Becraft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The current study explores what characterizes the relationship between the pedagogical processes within a school culture of creativity in a Reggio Emilia-inspired school in the Southeastern United States. The questions which frame the study are: 1. How is a culture of creativity fostered within a Reggio Emilia-inspired school? 2. Within a culture of creativity, what characterizes the relationship between the pedagogical processes of curriculum and assessment? The research was designed as ethnography and incorporates multiple data sets which provide layers of rich and descriptive information that reveal how to foster a culture of creativity in a school for young children. …

Exploratory Analysis Of The Dimensionality Of The Mechanisms That Drive Private Giving Among Alumni Association Members And Non-Member Donors, Paul. Metcalf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This study operationalized Bekkers and Wiepking's (2007, 2011) eight theoretical mechanisms that drive private giving, examining them within the context of alumni donor behavior at a selected public university in the southern region of the United States. The purpose of the study was to determine if the theoretical mechanisms that drive private giving represent distinct psychometric dimensions, and whether they are correlated with one another or essentially independent. A survey with 24 original items was created for this study, and completed by 178 alumni association member donors and non-member donors from the selected university. The study found support for six …

Emotion And The Designed Object, Brittany Diane Schade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis explores the expression of emotion through designed objects. Objects act as vehicles of memory in the same way language is the visible form of thought. In graphic design, the sensory qualities of an object provide a material surface on which information is communicated. The goal is to expose the autonomy of materials and form available to designers in the physical world while expressing emotional meaning beyond original form. By recasting the temporary fragments and observations of life into designed objects imbued with personal and cultural importance, the audience gains insight into others' personal and emotional experiences. Through our …

Emotional And Physiological Regulation During Parent-Child Interaction In Preschoolers, Kathryn L. Marsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The purpose of the current study is to examine physiological and behavioral components of emotional regulation and the development of empathy in preschoolers. It also examines how the parents play a role in their child's development of emotional competence. Behavioral and physiological responses were assessed for the children during stories chosen for emotional content (one happy and one sad story for each parent). Maternal and paternal ratings of self-expressivity were collected using the Self- Expressiveness in Family Questionnaire (Halberstadt et al., 1995). Greater vagal suppression occurred during the sad conditions suggesting that negative emotions require more processing strategies. Greater attentional …

Empirical Study Of Children's Enjoyment And Perceived Competence In Physical Education And Its Effects On Their Physical Activity Participation Outside Of School, Keith. Brazendale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between children's enjoyment and perceived competence in physical education (PE) and the effects these factors may have on physical activity participation outside of school. Fifth through eighth grade (n = 100) school children completed questionnaires pertaining to their enjoyment in PE, perceived competence in PE, and physical activity participation outside of school. Results indicated a positive significant relationship between enjoyment in PE, and perceived competence in PE (p<0.01). Children with higher perceptions of competence in school PE, reported greater physical activity participation outside of the school environment (p<0.002). Enjoyment in PE had no statistical significance in determining physical activity participation outside of school (p>0.05). Understanding the factors which influence physical activity participation can help inform future policies and strategies aimed at providing developmentally appropriate experiences, …

Electroreception In The Obligate Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon Motoro, Lindsay L. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Elasmobranch fishes use electroreception to detect electric fields in the environment, particularly minute bioelectric fields produced by potential prey. A single elasmobranch family (Potamotrygonidae) is composed of obligate freshwater stingrays endemic to the Amazon River. A freshwater existence has imposed morphological adaptions on their electrosensory system due to life in a high impedance medium. Because their electrosensory morphology differs from their marine relatives, freshwater stingrays may demonstrate corresponding differences in behavioral sensitivity. The objective of this study was to quantify behavioral sensitivity of the obligate freshwater stingray Potamotrygon motoro to prey-simulating voltage. The voltage produced by common teleost prey of …

Evil Done Vulnerability Assessment: Examining Terrorism Targets Through Situational Crime Prevention, Stacy Paton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Following the events of September 11th, 2001, national attention has been captivated by terrorism and terrorism prevention. Parallel to this time of increased focus on terrorism prevention, adequate funding to support new departments or increased terrorism prevention efforts in existing departments was unattainable. Consequently, a strong need for prevention strategies that are affordable and highly applicable at the local level has resulted. Thus, it is the purpose of this study to examine methods of risk assessment and test the accuracy of such methodologies in order to assist local organizations in effectively applying limited resources for opportunity reduction at vulnerable locations …

Affect Coding Within The Therapeutic Relationship, Ashley J. Luedke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This study investigates affect coding within the therapeutic relationship, by exploring the client's and therapist's perception of the relationship and the facial and vocal affect expressed by both parties. A sample of 14 therapy sessions each having 1800 data points was collected. The Working Alliance Inventory Short Form (WAI-S) and Real Relationship Inventory (RRI) were completed after each recorded session. The participants were therapists and clients at a university counseling center in South Florida. Data were analyzed using one-tailed t tests, descriptive statistics, scores from RRI and the WAI-S and percentages of negative, neutral and positive affect. Statistically significant relationships …

Amtal Rule, Adella. Irizarry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In this project, I focus on the function of the "amtal" or test of definition or destruction, in Frank Herbert's Dune. It is my argument that these tests "to destruction" determine not only the limits or defects of the person being tested, but also - and more crucially - the very limits and defects of the definition of humanity in three specific cultural spheres within the novel: the Bene Gesserit, the Fremen, and the Faufreluches. The definitions of "amtal" as well as "humanity," like all definitions, are somewhat fluid, changing depending on usage, cultural context, and the political and social …

An Empirical Methodology For Foundry Specific Submicroncmos Analog Circuit Design, Wilfredo Rivas-Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Analog CMOS amplifiers are the building blocks for many analog circuit applications such as Operational Amplifiers, Comparators, Analog to Digital converters and others. This dissertation presents empirical design methodologies that are both intuitive and easy to follow on how to design these basic building blocks. The design method involves two main phases. In the first phase NMOS and PMOS transistor design kits, provided by a semiconductor foundry, are fully characterized using a set of simulation experiments. In the second phase the user is capable of modifying all the relevant circuit design parameters while directly observing the tradeoffs in the circuit …