Digital Commons Network^™

Creating Tomorrow, Fall 2014, College Of Engineering

College of Engineering Magazines

Annual magazine for the College of Engineering at Utah State University.

Mortality On The Mormon Trail, 1847–1868, Melvin L. Bashore, Byu Pioneer Mortality Team, H. Dennis Tolley

BYU Studies

Over two decades, staff and volunteers at the Church History Department compiled a database of thousands of pioneer records, now available at http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels(link is external), containing diaries and company reports of known Mormon pioneers from 1847 to 1868 (56,042 of them). Data were then compiled in tabular format in an Excel file, available at http://statistics.byu.edu/news(link is external). Researchers working with BYU actuarial students analyzed these data and report their findings: Slightly more males than females made the journey. Fully 45% of the immigrants were under age twenty. For about 25% of known pioneers, no death date is available, …

Instructional Design And Facilitation Approaches That Promote Critical Thinking In Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Review Of The Literature, Laura Schindler, Gary J. Burkholder Jr

Center for Research Quality Publications

Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are often used to promote critical thinking in online courses; however, recent research suggests that levels of critical thinking in discussions remain low. Furthermore, there is a lack of consensus in the literature about the definition of critical thinking and many of the existing studies focus on one specific cognitive construct. Therefore, it is unknown which instructional approaches have the strongest empirical support for promoting critical thinking across multiple cognitive constructs. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature related to instructional design and facilitation approaches that promote critical thinking in …

Millennials: The Unreached In Our Midst. A Practical Theology Of Reaching Millennials Through Organic Church Principles And Repurposing The Church, Janelle Anderson

Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)

There is an unreached people group in your community--you interact with them on a consistent basis, but they are beyond the reach of the Church right now. The Church has missed her opportunity to reach and disciple Millennials as children and is now struggling to connect with them at all. The first step to reaching this people group is understanding them. This thesis presents the three major longings of generalized Millennial culture, in hopes of highlighting ways to interlace individual lives with faith and Christian community. Each of the three cries of this generation has varied implications for the world, …

Chilean Media And Public Opinion (1973-2013), Tara Schoenborn

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In this thesis, I examine the extent to which the media censorship of the Pinochet dictatorship, which ended over 20 years ago, continues to influence Chilean public opinion and policy today. The dictatorship’s control, penetration and censorship of the press in the 1970s and 1980s appears to have created a lack of pluralism in the media that helped the dictatorship retain political power for 17 years. However, it seems that the dictatorship’s influence did not end with its reign and that this lack of media pluralism still exists today and could be correlated with a widespread conservatism in Chilean public …

The (Not So) New Normal: A Queer Critique Of Lgbt Characters And Themes In Primetime Network Television Situational Comedies, Robert Dallas Byrd Jr.

Dissertations

This analysis of primetime situational comedies feature LGBTQ characters argues that through heteronormative and homonormative constructions of sexuality, race, gender, and class, many LGBTQ people are rendered invisible in the mainstream. Through discourse analysis, the study describes how these programs work to normalize gay and lesbian identity, which then resembles the dominant heterosexuality, aiding in the advancement of white, middle class gays, who privatize sexuality and mimic dominant conventions of gender, race, sexuality, and class in the public sphere. This research is important in understanding the American public’s most recent shifts in public opinion on issues of marriage equality and …

The Diminishing Role Of The Ombudsman In American Journalism, Wade B. Hilligoss

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

News ombudsmen have been around since 1967 when two Louisville newspapers created a position that served as an independent accountability buffer between the newspapers and the publics they served. That position was called the news ombudsman. Its role was to respond to reader complaints, call out newspaper errors and explain behind-the-scenes news decisions, processes and more in a weekly or bi-weekly column in the Sunday paper. In 1970, the Washington Post created an ombudsman position and other news outlets followed over the next 30 years. The New York Times instituted its first ombudsman in 2003 after the Jason Blair plagiarism …

Scholarworks Usage Report, 12-2014, Scholarworks

ScholarWorks Reports

This report contains download and page view statistics for ScholarWorks, December 2014.

Cole Train | V.11, No.2 (Fall 2014), Houston Cole Library

Library Annual Reports & Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Examine The Role Of Social Media And Volunteered Geographic Information In 2014’S California Drought, Ligang Zhang

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

Abstract

Social media encompasses online communication platforms. Presently, it has been involved in the management and mitigation of crises and disasters. The paper discusses the use of social meida and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) in the management of the 2014’s California drought. The significance of social media and volunteered geographic information is emphasized in the study. As well as factors that influence the suitability of the two, social media and voluntary geographic information in the whole process of managing the California drought are also explored. The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of one-way info-sharing, two-way info-sharing, rumor control, reconnection, …

Use Of Social Media By Indiana Principals And Superintendents, Robert Stephen Griffin Jr.

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of social media by Indiana K-12 principals and superintendents. The use of social media has become prevalent both as a social and professional tool. The social media movement has evolved quickly over the past five years; however, schools and school districts have been slow to effectively utilize this tool out of fear, apprehension, and ignorance. The opportunity to explore social media as a professional tool by educational leaders was opportune and timely as this tool becomes a multi-purpose tool in today’s society. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t test, and one-way …

Characterization Of A Novel Fungal-Specific Gene, Fug1, In Fusarium Verticillioides, John Byron Ridenour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Filamentous fungi are responsible for numerous plant and animal diseases. The filamentous ascomycete Fusarium verticillioides is a globally important pathogen of maize, capable of causing severe yield reductions and economic losses. Also of substantial concern is the contamination of infected kernels with fumonisins, toxic secondary metabolites linked to toxicoses in humans and livestock. The number of sequenced fungal genomes is rapidly increasing. However, functional characterization of fungal genes has not progressed at a comparable rate. In pathogenic fungi, uncharacterized genes represent a source for novel virulence factors or anti-fungal targets. Therefore, to fully understand the genetic mechanisms underlying fungal pathogenesis, …

Microbial Community Shifts Caused By Changes In The Primary Oxidant At A Drinking Water Treatment Plant, Connie Marie Moloney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities resistant to common oxidants can cause concerns for water treatment plants (WTPs). If a bacterium is not fully oxidized during disinfection, these species can impede upon filtration processes or seed biofilms in the distribution system. In an effort to minimize disinfection by-products (DBP's) that result from the reaction of chlorine (Cl2) with natural organic matter, water treatment plants have the option to change their primary oxidant to chlorine dioxide (ClO2). The following study examines the change in microbial communities during the sedimentation process under differing oxidation regimes, specifically chlorine (Cl2) and ClO2 at the local water treatment plant …

Evaluation Of Medicago Truncatula Accessions For Triterpene Saponins And Their Potential Impacts On Plant Pests, Samantha Roberson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plants have developed numerous ways to protect themselves from microbes and insects, including producing secondary metabolites that negatively impact an invading pathogen or pest. Saponins are specialized metabolites found in many plant species and may play a role in protecting the plant. Though saponins are found in many plant species, triterpene saponins are found primarily in dicotyledons, including legumes. Medicago truncatula is a model system for studying legume biology and some accessions accumulate high concentrations of saponins. Accessions of M. truncatula known to have differing levels of saponins in both foliar and root tissues were tested for their suitability as …

The Impact Of Explicit Instruction On Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions Of Randomness, Jonica H. Mcbride

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study considered the impact of explicit teaching of misconceptions regarding randomness on cognitive growth of preservice teachers. Specifically, the purpose was to compile and validate instructional materials that facilitate preservice teachers’ conceptual understandings of randomness. The quasiexperimental design compared the cognitive effects of the instructional materials. Hence, in addition to the instructional materials, assessment instruments were compiled and validated. These items were intended to illuminate the cognitive growth resulting from the treatment instruction. The convenience sample of 67 students represented approximately one third of the teacher-education students enrolled in a mathematics education content course at this institution. Three sections …

Impact Of The 3-D Model Strategy On Science Learning Of The Solar System, Mohammed Alharbi

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study, quantitative and descriptive, was to determine whether the first-middle grade (seventh grade) students at Saudi schools are able to learn and use the Autodesk Maya software to interact and create their own 3-D models and animations and whether their use of the software influences their study habits and their understanding of the school subject matter. The study revealed that there is value to the science students regarding the use of 3-D software to create 3-D models to complete science assignments. Also, this study aimed to address the middle-school students’ ability to learn 3-D …

Effective Literacy Instruction Across The Curriculum At The Secondary Level In Indiana, Paul Michael White

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover school- teacher- and student-level factors that describe effective literacy instruction at the secondary level of high-performing schools. A sub-question of the study focused on whether high-performing schools practiced “literacy across the curriculum.” National data suggest only about one-third of secondary-level students in the United States read at a proficient level. A recent trend to improve secondary-level student literacy has been to emphasize literacy development in all content areas. A mixed-method approach was used for this study. A linear regression was executed for all middle and high schools in Indiana for spring 2011, …

Il Bel Paese As Seen From Malaysia: Language Learners’ Stereotypical Representations Of Italy, L. Nikitina, Z. Mohd Don, S.C. Loh

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

No abstract provided.

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2014, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Operating Conditions On Removal Of Trace-Amount Testosterone By Nitrocellulose Filter Membrane, Ying Liang

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Other Student Research

Hormone can be removed by membrane filtration via membrane interception, sorption and diffusion. However, the effects of operating conditions of membrane filtration on hormone removal have not been evaluated systematically. In this study, the removal of testosterone by nitrocellulose membranes under different operating conditions (e.g., initial testosterone concentrations, sample volumes, flow rates and membrane pore sizes) was investigated. ¹⁴C-labeled testosterone was used as a tracer to determine the removal of testosterone in the filtration process, and a hydrodynamic model was used to determine dispersion coefficient (D) associated with the operating conditions and radius of hormone molecule. Results indicate that …

A Study On Resource Efficient Digital Multimedia Security Measures In Mobile Devices, Prabhat Dahal

Department of Computer Electronics and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Advanced image and video processing abilities in smart phones and digital cameras make them popular means to capture multimedia. In addition, the integration of internet into such devices users seek to capture and easily share multimedia right from their smartphone while most steganography techniques are computer based. Hence, it is of utmost importance that the multimedia be processed for steganography right within the devices for multimedia authentication.

In this thesis, we first implement steganography into mobile smart devices that can capture multimedia. For devices such as smart phones, we propose a method to hide payload bits within video frames. The …

A Large-Scale, Rapid Public Health Response To Rabies In An Organ Recipient And The Previously Undiagnosed Organ Donor, R. M. Wallace, Danielle Stanek, S. Griese, D. Krulak, Neil M. Vora, Virginia Kan, +14 Additional Authors

Medicine Faculty Publications

This article describes and contrasts the public health response to two human rabies cases: one organ recipient diagnosed within days of symptom onset and the transplant donor who was diagnosed 18 months post-symptom onset. In response to an organ-transplant-related rabies case diagnosed in 2013, organ donor and recipient investigations were conducted by multiple public health agencies. Persons with potential exposure to infectious patient materials were assessed for rabies virus exposure. An exposure investigation was conducted to determine the source of the organ donor's infection. Over 100 persons from more than 20 agencies spent over 2700 h conducting contact investigations in …

Whole Genome Sequencing Of A Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Pseudo-Outbreak In A Professional Football Team., Deverick J. Anderson, Simon R. Harris, Eliot Godofsky, Todd Toriscelli, Thomas H. Rude, Kevin Elder, Daniel J. Sexton, Elliot J. Pellman, Thom Mayer, Vance G. Fowler, Sharon J. Peacock

Medicine Faculty Publications

Two American football players on the same team were diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections on the same day. Our investigation, including whole genome sequencing, confirmed that players did not transmit MRSA to one another nor did they acquire the MRSA from a single source within the training facility.

Drones For Good: Technological Innovations, Social Movements, And The State, Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick

School of Peace Studies: Faculty Scholarship

The increased use of and attention to drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have led to a widespread debate about their application. Much of this debate has centered on their use by governments, often for the purpose of surveillance and warfare. This focus on the state's use obscures the opportunity for civil society actors, including social movements, to make use of these technologies. This article briefly reviews the technological innovation before proceeding to a typology of civil society uses, ranging from art to digital disruption. This typology emphasizes the dual-use nature of this technology and, in the process, highlights the …

Haunted Time, Still Photography And Cinema As Memory : The Dream Sequence In Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives = 鬼魅時代，靜物攝影與作為記憶的電影 : 論《波米叔叔的前世今生》中的夢境段落, Natalie Boehler

Journal of Modern Literature in Chinese 現代中文文學學報

No abstract provided.

University Magazine Winter 2014, University News Service, Office Of Alumni Relations

University Publications

This is the official magazine for RIT Alumni. Issued thrice a year in spring, fall and winter. Printing began in 1999.

Incentivizing Employees Through Benefits And Recognition Programs At Pace University, Diana Dumitru

Master in Public Administration Theses

The nonprofit sector has seen a 20% increase in the number of higher education institutions over a period of 10 years, from 2000-2010, (Blackwood et al. 2012), which had a big impact on the public charity revenues and expenses. In this fast-paced growing environment, employees working in higher education are directly influenced by the changes and increase in the number of students. Motivating employees in such an environment can be challenging, therefore finding a comprehensive package that includes fair compensation levels, benefits, awards and recognition ceremonies and other incentives such as promotions and opportunities for growth are important for the …

Comics And Illustration From The Written; The Conversion Of A Story From Prose To Graphic Depiction., Kayla A. White Ms.

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This is a thesis that details the process of writing a short 30 page novel, and then converting the subsequent story into a graphic format via illustrations and into a comic book layout. The story itself deals in reworking our learned assumptions of good and evil, specifically in the supernatural and human possibility for both. The comic book format is an exploration of my reader’s different responses to the written and the graphic.

Assessing Aascu’S Global Challenges Blended Model Course, Shala Mills, Jian Sun

eJournal of Public Affairs

In 2006 the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) launched its Global Engagement Initiative and began developing a set of curricular tools for faculty to use in educating globally competent citizens. In 2011 the initiative developed a national blended model course. That course has now been delivered to more than 1,200 students on 15 campuses across the country and abroad. This paper explores the effectiveness of the national blended course in meeting its stated learning objectives. In 2013-14, pre/post-tests were conducted on three pilot campuses. The pre/post-tests indicate that students’ knowledge about global issues and ways to get …

News From Hope College, Volume 46.3: December, 2014, Hope College

News from Hope College

No abstract provided.