Digital Commons Network^™

Dynamics Of A Kinetic Energy Storage Device For A Translating Hydrokinetic System, Matthew Robert Douglas

Theses

Current hydropower is sourced predominately from dams, which have several ecological and societal issues. Despite growing demand for energy, dam construction has recently been at a standstill. Hydrokinetic systems are new methods of harvesting renewable energy from rivers without requiring dams. Hydrokites, a subset of hydrokinetic systems, use a translating hydrofoil to generate electricity. Previous models of hydrokite systems have been promising, but their performance in experimental settings has not been as expected. One possible cause for this discrepancy is a loss in system energy when the hydrofoil reaches the end of its stroke, resulting in significantly less power generation. …

Social Networks As Command & Control Channels For Botnets, Adam St. Onge

Theses

The weakest link in detecting Botnets is typically the communication channel. What if there was a possibility to leverage existing high volume communication channels such as social networks for the command and control traffic of a botnet? Utilizing a social network such as Twitter, has many advantages over alternative methods, when done properly it is easier to hide in plain site due to the high volume of normal chatter, the protocol and traffic is already established as a known protocol to many security systems and antivirus software, and it is highly available across the globe. Twitter is aware of their …

God And Discipline: Religious Education And Character Building In A Christian School In Jakarta, Chang Yau Hoon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

A school is an institution in which student subjectivity is constituted and reinscribed through various 'disciplinary technologies'. The interplay between discipline and discipleship in the practice of Christian education is mutually constitutive. Through the study of a Protestant Christian school in Jakarta, this article explains the disciplinary technologies deployed by the school in its inculcation of discipline and character building. By examining the school's religious education practices the study provides insight into the perceptions of the school management, teachers and students with regard to various ethical, moral and religious issues. The author considers how Christian schools can develop critical reflective …

China Dream – 1, William A. Callahan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

What Can the China Dream “Do” in the PRC?Since Xi Jinping chose “The China Dream” (中国梦) as his signature slogan in late 2012, much has been written on the topic. By mid-2014, 8,249 articles with “China dream-Zhongguo meng” in the title had been published within the PRC, according to the CNKI China academic journals database. Indeed, the 2014 round of major social science research grant funding in China was dominated by large projects that explore Comrade Xi’s thought in terms of the China dream. The China dream is also a popular topic among English-language journalistic and think tank commentaries, and …

Investigating Transformational Leadership And Return On Equity Outcomes In Small And Medium-Sized Community Banks, Jason C. Dean

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this investigation is small financial institutions based in the United States and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Without a viable market for community banks individual and small business investors and borrowers, particularly in rural areas, will have less financing options and may be forced to accept the terms dictated by larger financial institutions (Walser & Anderlik, 2004). Additionally, within the literature there is minimal empirical evidence informing community banks of appropriate initiatives that may be implemented to unleash human expertise through training and development interventions related to successful leadership styles. As competition in the …

The Progressive Development Of Turbulence Statistics And Its Impact On Wind Power Predictability, Thomas Woolmington, Keith Sunderland, Jonathan Blackledge, Michael Conlon

Articles

Wind resource assessment is a critical parameter in a diverse range of considerations within the built environment. Engineers and scientists, engaging in building design, energy conservation/application and air-quality/air-pollution control measures, need to be cognisant of how the associated wind resource imposes increased complexities in their design and modelling processes. In this regard, the morphological heterogeneities within these environments, present significant challenges to quantifying the resource and its turbulent characteristics.

This paper presents three aspects of turbulence assessment within the built environment. Firstly, an analysis of how turbulence is currently quantified is considered. The industry standard, Turbulent Intensity (TI) is compared …

Relationships Between Participation In Extracurricular Activities, Act Scores, Gpa, And Attendance In Select Public High Schools In Mississippi, Lance Kelvin Reed

Dissertations

There are contemporary concerns about improving and sustaining positive student outcomes in secondary schools today. In light of student needs and limited time and resources available to address those needs, educational leaders are faced with making difficult decisions about what should and could be offered to students through their schools. In addition to the general curriculum, schools generally offer a variety of extracurricular activities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between extracurricular participation and select student outcomes. The findings of this study can provide valuable insight to school leaders as they make decisions about how to …

Thermal Comfort, Energy Usage And Fuel Poverty In A Sample Of Older Person’S Households In Dublin, Eugene Monahan

Masters

This research was conducted in twenty nine Dublin City Council senior citizen sheltered housing dwellings. Temperature (°C) and relative humidity (% RH) was recorded inside all dwellings using data loggers over two separate monitoring periods of four months between December and March of 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Energy usage including gas and electricity was also recorded for each dwelling during both monitoring periods. Outside ambient temperature data for both periods was acquired from Met Eireann. A dwelling occupant questionnaire was completed to obtain relevant technical, social and behavioural data, and to establish the prevalence of fuel poverty amongst the sample. The …

Language Use In Mathematics Textbooks Written In English And Spanish, Kailie Ann Bertoch

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested that although mathematics is a universal language, the notation, algorithms, and language in which it is taught varies from country to country. The literature has addressed the challenges associated with understanding the language of mathematics in English. Variable is a topic of mathematics where the literature has documented students' difficulty understanding the language of mathematics. Part of that difficulty is attributed to the fact that mathematics and English each have their own register and at times the differences in these registers conflict. This study examined the introduction and use of variable in the middle school textbooks of …

Classifying And Cataloging Cyber-Security Incidents Within Cyber-Physical Systems, William B. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

In the past, there were perceived delineations between the cyber world and the physical world. We are becoming increasingly aware of the overlap between these two worlds, and the overlap itself is increasing. The overlap between these two worlds is known as cyber-physical systems. There have been several incidents involving cyber-physical systems and the number of these incidents is increasing dramatically. In the past there has been no effort to identify methods for describing these incidents in the unique context of cyber-physical systems. This research provides a taxonomy for classifying these incidents that focuses on cross domain, impact oriented analysis. …

Language Pathways Defined In A Patient With Left Temporal Lobe Damagesecondary To Traumatic Brain Injury: A Qeeg & Mri Study, Janelle Lee Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

Though the current understanding of language processing is incomplete, it has been established that the left hemisphere is dominant for language in the majority of the population. Damage to language centers of the brain and to white matter tracts connecting these language centers results in a language deficit known as aphasia. Neuroplasticity in the brain can often compensate for these language deficits by strengthening neuronal connections between the right and left hemisphere, or by enhancing the neuronal connectivity of undamaged areas in the left hemisphere. Thus the brain can compensate for damaged language centers by using alternative cortical areas. These …

In The Wake Of A Merger: Consumer Reactions To Service Failures, Melinda A. Mclelland, Ronald E. Goldsmith

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Customers are often overlooked during the merger process in both reality and the marketing literature. This research features an experiment with 431 U.S. consumers that assesses the impact of a service failure following a merger on a variety of consumer behaviors. Key results indicate that consumers are more likely to switch service providers if they experience a failure of any magnitude (major/minor) following a merger than if they experience the same failure in the absence of a merger. This finding emphasizes that firms involved in service mergers have to be extremely diligent about preventing customer defection and implement focused marketing …

The Influences Of Brand-Consumer And Cause-Congruence On Consumer Responses To Cause Related Marketing, Ronald E. Goldsmith, Zhu Yimin

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Cause Related Marketing (CRM) is a widely used type of brand alliance in which companies donate a portion of their sales to social causes with whom they ally. Researchers have studied many aspects of CRM to learn why these programs are effective and how to enhance their success. An overlooked component in CRM research is the extent to which consumers identify with the brand and with the cause. The present study presented 604 U.S. college students with CRM campaigns for two brands (M&Ms and Crest) partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to assess whether brand-cause congruence, brand-consumer congruence, cause-consumer congruence, …

Physical Fitness And Body Mass Index As Predictors Of Academic Achievement, Kristin V. Sumrall

Honors Theses

In the United States, a significant portion of the population is overweight or obese. In addition to this, there are very low levels of physical fitness amongst the general population. However, in numerous studies healthy body weight and moderate to high levels of physical fitness have been linked with many benefits, including improved academic performance. This study focused on the relationship between physical fitness, body mass index, and academic achievement in college students at the University of Southern Mississippi. The aim of this study was to conduct a quantitative correlational analysis of these three factors in order to determine if …

Structure’S Impact On Homiletic Rhetoric: A Case Study Of Melissa Scott’S Preaching, Erik S. Nelson

Honors Theses

Though the connection between the study of rhetorical processes and the practice of expository preaching is obvious, academic cooperation between the two fields is lacking. This case study presents an example of the harmony achievable between the disciplines through the production of constructive criticism, a process known to communication scholars as rhetorical analysis, for a sample of sermons given by Pastor Melissa Scott in recent years. Scott, whose preaching style is uniquely centered on translation-based exposition, represents the modern pastor whose skill and technique might be improved upon with the implementation of recent and emerging communication theory. Specifically, this study …

Nurse Knowledge Of Clostridium Difficile, Ashley E. Frosch

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the amount of knowledge nurses have about Clostridium difficile. Seventy-five nurses participated in this study. A 25-question true/false survey was distributed via email to graduates of The University of Southern Mississippi. The survey consisted of a brief demographic section and 25 questions addressing Clostridium difficile knowledge. A total of 582 surveys were sent out with a total of 75 completed. Out of 25 questions in the survey, the majority of respondents (>50%) only answered 7 questions incorrectly. Overall, the nurses in this study possessed accurate knowledge about C. difficile; although, there …

The Complexity Of Common Core: Teaching Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince As A 7th Grade Complex Text, Allyson R. Jones

Honors Theses

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards occurring across the country, schools and students are seeing changes in the organization of education. These standards, grounded in English Language Arts and Mathematics, are designed to push students’ critical thinking skills, writing ability, and methods of communication to prepare them for their life beyond secondary education. For English Language Arts, there is an emphasis on teaching complex texts. In this study, I examined the qualities of complex texts to determine if Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince could be considered a teaching tool for seventh grade students. To do this, …

The Effect Of Learning With The Environmental Approach On The Third Graders’ Ability Of Mathematics Problem Solving, Mohammad M. Al-Absi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study aimed at investigating the effect of learning with the environmental approach on the third graders’ ability of mathematics problem solving. The sample of the study consisted of 73 third grade students from two sections distributed randomly to an experimental group who learned during the “Statistics and Probability” unit by using the environmental approach; and a control group who learned using the traditional method of instruction. After the completion of the study, a post problem solving test was applied to the two groups, and data were analyzed using SPSS program to answer the research questions. Results of the study …

The Effect Of A Group Counseling Program Based On A Cognitive – Behavioral  Therapy On The Treatment Of Type A Behavior, Bakkar S. Bakkar, Mohammad T. Abuel-Ealeh

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a group counseling program based on cognitive – behavioral therapy on reducing the Type A behavior pattern. The study attempted to test the following hypothesis: participants who receive group counseling based on cognitive – behavioral therapy will report significant reduction in the Type A behavior pattern compared to participants in the control group who don't receive any kind of treatment. A Type A Behavior Scale (TABS) was constructed to assess the extent to which the subjects have Type A behavior. The sample consisted of 24 students selected based on …

Understanding Higher-Order Nonlocal Halo Bias At Large Scales By Combining The Power Spectrum With The Bispectrum, Shun Saito, Tobias Baldauf, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding the relation between underlying matter distribution and biased tracers such as galaxies or dark matter halos is essential to extract cosmological information from ongoing or future galaxy redshift surveys. At sufficiently large scales such as the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) scale, a standard approach for the bias problem on the basis of the perturbation theory (PT) is to assume the "local bias" model in which the density field of biased tracers is deterministically expanded in terms of matter density field at the same position. The higher-order bias parameters are then determined by combining the power spectrum with higher-order statistics …

Gradient-Based Compressive Sensing For Noise Image And Video Reconstruction, Huihuang Zhao, Yaonan Wang, Xiaojiang Peng, Zhijun Qiao

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, a fast gradient-based compressive sensing (FGB-CS) for noise image and video is proposed. Given a noise image or video, the authors first make it sparse by orthogonal transformation, and then reconstruct it by solving a convex optimisation problem with a novel gradient-based method. The main contribution is twofold. Firstly, they deal with the noise signal reconstruction as a convex minimisation problem, and propose a new compressive sensing based on gradient-based method for noise image and video. Secondly, to improve the computational efficiency of gradient-based compressive sensing, they formulate the convex optimisation of noise signal reconstruction under Lipschitz …

Studies On The Initial Stage Of Lipid Oxidation In Bulk Oils, Elizabeth Budilarto

Dissertations

During the oxidation of bulk oils, oxidation products (i.e. peroxide values, conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) are formed gradually and increased sharply at the end of the induction period. Tocopherols were consumed, some water was formed, and micelles increased in size during the induction period of vegetable oils oxidized in bulk. The evidence that the evolution of micellar size was in parallel with the end of induction period corroborates the recognition that micelles are the active site of oxidation. The interactions of α-tocopherol and three synergists: ascorbyl palmitate, phosphatidylcholine and L-lysine were studied in cod liver oil, to …

Groundwater Assessment In Sweihan Region, The Northeast United Arab Emirates, Maimouna Ali Al-Alawi

Theses

Sweihan is located in the northeast of Abu Dhabi Emirate, the United Arab Emirates. Sweihan landscape is sand dune ridges, which could reach a maximum width of 2 km, and a height of 30 meters, whereas the agricultural fields concentrated in the interdune spaces. Groundwater in Sweihan area is characterized by low recharge amounts, which is being used mainly in irrigation purpose. The intensive agricultural activities in the study area caused depletion and contamination of the groundwater due to heavy uses of organic and chemical fertilizers, as well as heavy pumping. The hydrochemical analysis of 27 samples of groundwater from …

Got Milk? Human Milk Components And The Benefits Of Breast Feeding, Amber Provenzano

Graduate Research Projects

No abstract provided.

A Fortunate Rivalry: The Installation And History Of Pipe Organs In Three Churches In Natchez, Mississippi, Sharon Lynn Rouse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In the 1920s three large Möller pipe organs were installed within a three-block radius in three historic churches in Natchez, Mississippi, a small, eclectic town on the Mississippi River. What was the catalyst that resulted in a seemingly extravagant use ofresources? Through information available in church archives, newspapers, books, journals, and documentsfrom organ companies, this study traces the historyof the organs and suggests possible reason for their original installation. The factors influencing thepurchases include the geography of Natchez, the location fo the churches, savvy salesmen, and a healthy competition among the church congregations. An overview of the people who factored …

A New Set Of Focal Mechanisms And A Geodynamic Model For The Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, Matthew T. Cooley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

A new set of focal mechanisms is determined for the eastern Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ). The 26 solutions are consistent with previous solutions in the northern and middle portions of the ETSZ and extend coverage into the southern portion. The solutions exhibit strike-slip and oblique normal faulting, with nodal planes generally oriented N-S/E-W and NE-SW/NW-SE. Strike-slip solutions dominate the middle and northern portions of the zone. To the south, near the Tennessee/Georgia border, a group of focal mechanisms for relatively shallow events exhibit normal faulting. To examine a possible cause of the normal faulting, a geodynamic model is developed which …

Coherence And Variability Of Ground Motion Over 600 M Of The Nonvolcanic Tremor Array Site At Mooring, Tn, Md Monsurul Huda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study examines wave coherency for high frequency P and S waves in the New Madrid Seismic Zone at a site near Mooring, TN. An L-shaped array consisting of 19-seismometers and having arm lengths of 600m located on Holocene fluvial sediments of the Mississippi River was used to examine wave coherency appropriate for many sites throughout the Mississippi embayment and other sediment sites associate with large rivers. Data from local and regional earthquakes within a distance range of 300km show that coherency within the frequency band of 0.5 to 16 Hz degrades with interstation distance across the array according to …

High-Frequency Gradiometry, Lauren Michelle Kendall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Part 1: Two large explosions were recorded by a dense array of strong-motion accelerometers and rotational seismometers in northeastern Taiwan. The objective of this experiment was to test the response of the experimental Eentec rotational seismometers against calculated array rotations. Computed array rotation rates are seen to have little variation across the array, but point rotation rate measurements show significant deviations with each other and with the array rotation rates in the range of 3-5 Hz. It is not likely that the differences seen in the point and array-computed rotation rates are due to nonlinear or heterogeneous site conditions under …

Going The Distance Part 2: Five Ways Of Teaching An Extension Course: Elive, Blackboard, Teleconference, Correspondence, And Face-To-Face, Heidi B. Rader, Virgene Hanna, Kent Spiers, Donovan Kienenberger

Journal of Extension

Remote and widely dispersed clientele in Alaska create a need for effective distance-delivery programs. Extension agents often travel via small airplane, snow machine, or boat to teach face-to-face classes in off-road communities. Effective and more cost-efficient delivery methods are needed. We taught a course for beginning farmers residing throughout Alaska using five delivery methods: Elluminate Live!, Blackboard, teleconference, correspondence, and face-to-face. We evaluated these delivery methods based on five areas: accessibility of delivery method, course completion, knowledge gain, plans to use skills, and student satisfaction. Our findings will help Extension professionals design distance-delivered programs suited to their target audience.

Hybrid Meshless Method For Numerical Solution Of Partial Differential Equations, Jeanette Marie Monroe

Dissertations

A meshless method for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) which combines the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) and the method of particular solutions (MPS) is formulated and tested. The hybrid method finds a numerical approximation by solving only one system of equations as opposed to the two-stage method of fundamental solutions and method of particular solutions. This new approach, denoted MFS-MPS, one-stage MFS-MPS, or hybrid method, can be applied to a wide variety of PDEs including PDEs with variable coefficients. The MFS-MPS can simplify Helmholtz-type differential operators to Laplacian-type differential operators providing flexibility and simplification to calculating particular solutions and …