Digital Commons Network^™

Continued Disparities In School Facilities: Analyzing Brown V. Board Of Education’S Singular Approach To Quality Education, Corsica D. Smith

Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

An Appeal For Change: Eliminating The Second Bite At The Apple In Tennessee Juvenile Cases, April Meldrum, Laura Hash

Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Sarasota - Manatee Campus, December 14, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Golden Bull Service & Outstanding Leadership Award - Mariana Barboza; Outstanding Graduate Award - Stephanie Boynton; Outstanding Professor - Fawn T. Ngo

Spectral Evolution Of Energetic Neutral Atom Emissions At The Heliospheric Poles As Measured By Ibex During Its First Three Yeras, M. Dayeh, F. Allegrini, R. Demajistre, M. I. Desai, R. W. Ebert, S. A. Fuselier, Paul H. Janzen, G. Livadiotis, D. J. Mccomas, Daniel B. Reisenfeld, N. A. Schwadron, M. Siewert

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission continues to measure energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions produced by charge exchange between solar wind (SW) protons and interstellar neutrals at the edge of our heliosphere. Using the first 3 yr of IBEX-Hi ENA measurements (2009-2011), we examined the spectral evolution of ~0.5-6 keV ENAs at the polar regions (above 60°). We found the following: (1) pixels with a characteristic "ankle" spectra (lower spectral index at higher energies) increase by ~5% in 2010 and ~10% in 2011 compared to 2009. (2) The averaged spectral index in 2011 is smaller than that of 2009. (3) …

Coordinated Control And Estimation Of Multiagent Systems With Engineering Applications, Housheng Su, Michael Z.Q. Chen, Qing Hui, Wei Zhang, Fanglai Zhu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Recently, coordinated control and estimation problems have attracted a great deal of attention in different fields especially in biology, physics, computer science, and control engineering. Coordinated control and estimation problems have prominent characteristics of distributed control, local interaction, and self-organization. Research on multiagent coordinated control and estimation problems not only helps better understand the mechanisms of natural collective phenomena but also benefits the applications of cyberphysical systems.

This special issue focuses on theoretical and technological achievements in cooperative multiagent Systems. It contains twenty-six papers, the contents of which are summarized below.

Comparative Population Genetics And Evolutionary History Of Two Commonly Misidentified Billfishes Of Management And Conservation Concern, Andrea M. Bernard, Mahmood S. Shivji, Eric Prince, Fabio H.V. Hazin, Freddy Arocha, Andres Domingo, Kevin A. Feldheim

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background:  Misidentifications between exploited species may lead to inaccuracies in population assessments, with potentially irreversible conservation ramifications if overexploitation of either species is occurring. A notable showcase is provided by the realization that the roundscale spearfish (Tetrapturus georgii), a recently validated species, has been historically misidentified as the morphologically very similar and severely overfished white marlin (Kajikia albida) (IUCN listing: Vulnerable). In effect, no information exists on the population status and evolutionary history of the enigmatic roundscale spearfish, a large, highly vagile and broadly distributed pelagic species. We provide the first population genetic evaluation of the …

Designing And Delivering Staff Training For New Student Advisors: A Residential Esl Pathway School In Massachusetts, Brodie Henry

Capstone Collection

This capstone master’s thesis explains the comprehensive 100-hour training program for a team of new student advisors at Massachusetts International Academy. The training was designed and delivered in May-August 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year. The school, in a partnership with the University of Massachusetts, provides English as a second language (ESL) instruction exclusively to the increasing numbers of Chinese students seeking undergraduate and graduates degrees in the United States. The school is in eastern Massachusetts and was developed by the China Education and Research Network. The academy is a residential ESL pathways program that prepares students for undergraduate and …

Privacy-Preserving And Outsourced Multi-User K-Means Clustering, Bharath Samanthula, Fang-Yu Rao, Elisa Bertino, Xun Yi, Dangxi Liu

Cyber Center Publications

Many techniques for privacy-preserving data mining (PPDM) have been investigated over the past decade. Often, the entities involved in the data mining process are end-users or organizations with limited computing and storage resources. As a result, such entities may want to refrain from participating in the PPDM process. To overcome this issue and to take many other benefits of cloud computing, outsourcing PPDM tasks to the cloud environment has recently gained special attention. We consider the scenario where n entities outsource their databases (in encrypted format) to the cloud and ask the cloud to perform the clustering task on their …

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, December 14, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Regional Chancellor's Award for Civic Leadership - Mary Anne Reilly; Outstanding Graduate - Angela Wilson; King O'Neal Scholar Award - Jesse Stuart Daw and Heather Lee

Effect Of A Workplace Walking Initiative To Decrease Telehealth Nurses' Fatigue, Rae Ann Heissenbuttel

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Abstract

Background: Fatigue has been a common problem in the nursing profession. To date, most of the research regarding nurse fatigue has focused on nurses working in hospitals. Minimal research has been completed examining fatigue among nurses working in the telehealth environment and the effects of an evidence-based workplace initiative to decrease fatigue.

Aim: The aim of this translational project was to describe the overall self-reported health and fatigue for a group of telehealth nurses and to evaluate the effectiveness of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) walking program in improving overall health status and decreasing fatigue in telehealth …

American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants Code Of Professional Conduct, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Documents

No abstract provided.

Tool Use Acquisition And Self-Control In Lion-Tailed Macaques (Macaca Silenus), Susan Elizabeth Haverly

Master’s Theses

Tool use requires the manipulation of an object in the environment to achieve a goal, and the ability to relate one object to another. In the present experiments, I investigated tool use acquisition, and the relationship between tool use and self-control, in lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus). First, I examined three lion-tailed macaques' abilities to manipulate a tool by presenting a rake-shaped tool resting on a platform, with a food reward placed outside of the rake head. This experiment measured the monkeys' abilities to manipulate a rake-shaped tool, and investigated how the monkeys learned the tool-using skill. Two monkeys learned to …

The Legacy Of Ronald Dworkin (1931-2013): A Legal Theory And Methodology For Hedgehogs, Hercules, And One Right Answers, Imer Flores

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this paper the author addresses Ronald Dworkin’s work and assesses his legacy to legal, moral and political philosophy. And so, considers among its merits having developed an original legal theory with its distinctive methodology, which not only has transcended the Natural Law and Legal Positivism dichotomy, but also has reintegrated law into a branch of political morality and defended as a corollary the one right answer thesis. Hence, commences by identifying the dworkininan challenge; continues by introducing some basic definitions and distinctions between jurisprudence, legal philosophy (or philosophy of law) and legal theory (or theory of law), on the …

Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Urinary And Colorectal Distress Incidence And Relationship To Quality Of Life And Birth Mode, Lori Maria Walton, Christine Abreu, Eliena Jeffus, Amy Trautwein, Shenya Xavier

Faculty Publications

Abstract Purpose: To determine the incidence and impact of pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and colorectal distress and quality of life by birth mode for women in the chronic postpartum period. Study design: Cross-sectional correlational design utilizing purposive sampling of (n=21) female postpartum subjects ages 18-45. Background: Caesarean Section (CS) incidence is reported at 32% nationwide, well above the recommended safe rate of 10% (WHO). Literature is not clear regarding role of birth mode in postpartum symptoms including: pelvic pain, colorectal distress, pelvic organ prolapse, and quality of life. Methods: Data collection took place after IRB approval from Andrews …

Code Of Professional Conduct As Of December 14, 2014, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

AICPA Professional Standards

No abstract provided.

Structural Studies And Reactions Of Rhenium And Rhenium-Gold Metal Carbonyl Complexes, Yuen Onn Wong

Theses and Dissertations

The six-membered heavy atom heterocycles [Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-SbPh2)]2, 2.1 and Pd[Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-SbPh2)]2, 2.3, have been prepared by the palladium-catalyzed ring-opening cyclo-dimerization of the three-membered heterocycle Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-SbPh2). The palladium atom that lies in the center of the heterocycle 2.3 was removed to yield 2.1. The palladium removal was found to be partially reversible leading to an unusual example of host-guest behavior. A related dipalladium complex Pd2Re4(μ-Ph)(CO)16(μ4-SbPh)(μ3-SbPh2)(μ-H)2, 2.2, was also formed in these reactions of palladium with Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-SbPh2). Thermolysis of 2.1 at 85 °C yielded Re3(CO)12(μ-SbPh2)(μ-H)2, 2.4 (2.9% yield), Re3(CO)12(μ-SbPh2)2(μ-H), 2.5 (25.1% yield), and Re3(CO)13(μ-SbPh)(μ-H), 2.6 (14.6% yield). The electronic structure of 2.1 and 2.3 …

Impact Of Role Model Gender And Communality On College Women’S Math Performance And Interest In Stem, Elizabeth K. Lawner

Master's Theses

The current project examined the effect of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) role model gender and communality and communal goal endorsement on college women’s math performance and their interest in, perceived belonging in, and perceived communal goal affordance of STEM. The first study was conducted online and did not include math performance, while the second study was conducted in the laboratory and added a math assessment. It was hypothesized that exposure to a female role model would result in greater math performance and interest and perceiving belonging in STEM, exposure to a communal role model would result in increased …

Comparative Analysis Of Intercultural Communication Apprehension Displayed By International Students In The Us Interacting With American Students And Other Internationals, Laura Nunez Quero

Theses

This study compares the levels of intercultural communication apprehension of two groups of international students in the United States when interacting with American students and with each other. These groups are Indian students and Dominican students. Results indicate no significant difference on the levels of anxiety that both populations experience while interacting interculturally. However, in both cases, subjects with a poorer dominance of the English language, regardless of other variables such as gender and age, experience higher levels of intercultural communication apprehension (ICA).

The Final Whistle: An In-Depth Analysis Of How Elite Transfer Student-Athletes Adapt To Life After Intercollegiate Sport, Julianne Hubbard

Master's Theses

Since elite intercollegiate student-athletes often elect to transfer institutions for reasons of athletic dissatisfaction, it was hypothesized that members of this population have strong, exclusive athletic identities, making the transition out of sport extremely troublesome. The following research study utilized a mixed-methods approach to examine the athletic retirement experiences of elite transfer intercollegiate student-athletes. Nine former NCAA Division I women’s soccer players provided quantitative and qualitative information regarding athletic identity, transferring, and retirement from elite sport. Using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) developed by Brewer et al. (1993), ‘at-risk’ individuals likely to have experienced negative transitions from sport were …

Finite Element Formulation Of Phase Field Fracture, Alexandros N. Mathioudakis

Master's Theses

Numerically predicting crack growth is difficult due to the infinite stresses at the crack tip as well as the extreme change in material properties which will introduce numerical instabilities. This project encompasses the development of a Finite Element Code that implements the phase field physics theory developed in order to analyze crack propagation. Under this theory a new state variable is introduced which describes the phase as failed or virgin material. The phase is modeled as diffusion through the material and is driven by specified equations, and is especially useful in the prediction of high temperature creep rupture.

To test …

Use Of Thermally Grown Oxide Stress Measurements To Predict Remaining Life Of Thermal Barrier Coatings Under Realistic Turbine Engine Conditions, Nirav V. Patel

Master's Theses

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are important in increasing performance and extending the life of gas turbine engine hot parts. Over the course of thermal cycling and engine operation, the coatings eventually spall off exposing superalloys to extreme temperatures. In this thesis, two aspects involving thermal barrier coating life prediction were explored. The first was by making use of stress measurements in the thermally grown oxide (TGO) to predict lives of samples subjected to non-constant furnace testing. This work used data from an earlier thesis and for the first time developed specific strategies to predict remaining life in the face of …

Bioremediation And Phytoremediation Systems For Breaking Down Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (Tph) In Contaminated Sandy Soil, Patrick Mcintosh

Master's Theses

Bioremediation and Phytoremediation Systems for Breaking Down Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in Contaminated Sandy Soil

ABSTRACT

The applications of bio- and phytoremediation systems were used to breakdown low-level total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in a contaminated sandy soil. The overall aim was to determine which soil regimes, amendments, and plant species enhance the breakdown of TPH. The first project included planted mixtures of cool and warm-season grasses with different willows, mono and intercropped with various fertilizer and carbon additions. The second project introduced different soil regimes of saturation, intermittent oxygenation, installment of aboveground covers, as well as the addition of switchgrass …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Therapeutic Approach For Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder: Movement Treating Movement, Karissa Martens

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

Through a collective case study, the principal researcher examined how a positive psychology based dance/movement therapy (DMT) approach could be a viable treatment method for individuals with Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder (SPD). The intention of this research was to find additional therapeutic modalities for individuals with SPD, as well as inquire how DMT and SFT would be viable in treating SPD. As a new disorder in the publication of the DSM-5, individuals with SPD currently have limited treatment options available. Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) was integrated with DMT to create a more comprehensive treatment. 96 pages.

Commencement Program 2014 December, Gcsu Special Collections

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of The Okavango River On Angola's Economic Stability And The Effect Of Its Policy On Surrounding Countries, Loren Marie Stoehr

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This study examines natural resources as a source of international conflict. Without proper management of these resources, conflict will continue to occur. An overview of natural resources and how they pertain to conflict is examined using examples from different parts of the world. Then water conflicts are focused upon and how proposals and resolutions through legal framework and guidance from outside entities can help provide better usage practices. Furthermore, the Okavango River is researched and how Angola’s use of the water effects the countries of Namibia and Botswana. In addition, future proposals to move forward and increase international water security …

December 13, 2014 (Pages 7627-7808), Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau

Volume 44 (2014)

No abstract provided.

Fall Commencement Program, December 13, 2014, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

A Periodic Matrix Population Model For Monarch Butterflies, Emily Hunt

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The migration pattern of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) consists of a sequence of generations of butterflies that originate in Michoacan, Mexico each spring, travel as far north as Southern Canada, and ultimately return to the original location in Mexico the following fall. We use periodic population matrices to model the life cycle of the eastern monarch butterfly and find that, under this model, this migration is not currently at risk. We extend the model to address the three primary obstacles for the long-term survival of this migratory pattern: deforestation in Mexico, increased extreme weather patterns, and milkweed degradation.

Transformational Leadership And Resilience, African-American Women Nonprofit Leaders: A Mixed-Methods Study, Donovan Branche

Dissertations, 2014-2019

African-American women represent an untapped resource and bring with them transformational characteristics and resilience that are vital to the increasingly complex world of nonprofit leadership. The black feminist standpoint argues that black women have experienced years of oppression via sexism, racism, and classism. Despite this, many have endured and exceled. The nonprofit sector operates for the public good and accounts for about 5.5% of the United State’s gross domestic product. This important sector will lose about 75% of its leaders in the next few years due to the retirement of baby boomers. It is crucial that nonprofits consider the next …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Ecotourism As A Funding Source For Protected Area Management In Guyana, Jordan S. Flagel

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Protected areas in tropical rainforests serve many important ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration. These areas are often in need of donor or grant funding to operate as governments in tropical forested countries are not always able to provide adequate funds for protection. This paper focuses on the Iwokrama International Center for Rainforest Conservation and Development in the South American country of Guyana, which has had funding issues since the global economic crisis of 2008 and an accompanying shift in donor country financial priorities. Increasing the amount of sustainable ecotourism in the Iwokrama reserve was identified as a potential source for …