Digital Commons Network^™

The Need To Adopt A Uniform Right Of Publicity Standard, Milin Y. Shah

Student Works

No abstract provided.

The Cannibal Cop: Why The Federal Courts Should Allow For A Free-Speech Defense In Conspiracy Cases, Hayden N. Watkins

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Is It Worth Saving? The Implications Of The Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine Beyond Park, Elizabeth Lautenbach

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Justice Samuel Alito: Reserved With A Respect For History, Courtney Abrahamson

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Mullā Ṣadrā On The Efficacy Of Prayer, Sayeh Meisami

Philosophy Faculty Publications

This article presents the manner in which Mullā Ṣadrā explains the influence of prayer (duʿā) on the world, drawing as he does on Ibn ʿArabī’s ideas against the backdrop of his own dynamic metaphysical psychology. Mullā Ṣadrā eventually distances himself from Ibn Sīnā’s position on the passive nature of prayer, and instead opts for Ibn ʿArabī’s reading of the intimate divine–human interplay in prayer itself. In doing so, Mullā Ṣadrā provides a formulation of prayer in which the supplicant plays an active role in eliciting the divine response to her prayer. For Mullā Ṣadrā, prayer therefore fashions the …

Building Feminism, Resisting Porn Culture: Where To From Here, Rebecca Whisnant

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In this chapter, I discuss the key elements that radical feminism can contribute to the rebuilding of a powerful movement for women's liberation in the era of porn culture.

First things first, we need more people, more of the time, out there presenting radical feminist critique. I happen to know, for instance, that many bright and well-intentioned young people are toeing the third wave, sexual libertarian line because it's all they've been taught in their women's studies classes. And, of course, many people outside the academy have very little exposure to feminist critiques of virtually anything. So part of this …

Not Your Father’S Playboy, Not Your Mother’S Feminist Movement: Feminism In A Porn Culture, Rebecca Whisnant

Philosophy Faculty Publications

This chapter is about the state of contemporary feminism and how it relates to the porn culture that surrounds us. This is important because whatever porn culture is, and there are a variety of definitions, it's not what feminists, or women, or anybody with a lick of sense, ever meant by "sexual liberation." There have, however, been contentious debates between radical and liberal feminists about the relationship between pornography, power and choice. I aim to unravel some of those debates here and highlight how liberal notions of "choice," favored by self-proclaimed "third-wave feminists," confuse and undermine our thinking not only …

Branded Cowboy, Meredith Doench

English Faculty Publications

“Here is a moving story of a transgender man whose roots reach deeply into the dust of West Texas. He must choose between the woman he loves and the life he has made on his family’s ranch as a cowboy. I was impressed with how the writer chose to tell this story, with grace and nuance and heart." – Roxane Gay

The Speaker: The Tradition And Practice Of Public Speaking, Joesph M. Valenzano Iii, Stephen W. Braden

Communication Faculty Publications

Speech is both a skill and a field of study. Today, however, the rich tradition of speech communication is either reduced to a few quick mentions of Aristotle and Cicero or lost altogether. Why have we forgotten this history, and more importantly, why are we not sharing these origins with our students?

This volume brings tradition to the forefront of public speaking instruction through the lens of skills-centered pedagogy. It will help students understand the “why” behind the “how” of effective public speaking.

How Artistic Creativity Is Possible For Cultural Agents, Aili W. Bresnahan

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Joseph Margolis holds that both artworks and selves are ”culturally emergent entities." Culturally emergent entities are distinct from and not reducible to natural or physical entities. Artworks are thus not reducible to their physical media; a painting is thus not paint on canvas and music is not sound.

In a similar vein, selves or persons are not reducible to biology, and thought is not reducible to the physical brain. Both artworks and selves thus have two ongoing and inseparable ”evolutions”—one cultural and one physical. Rather than having fixed ”natures” that remain stable for any purpose other than numerical identity, artworks …

The Use Of The Social Skills Module Training To Teach Appropriate Communication Skills To A Student With Autism, Mark Emmerson Simmonds Iii

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video modeling (VM) in order to improve conversational skills using on-line instructional modules, self-monitoring, modeling of socially appropriate skills, and provide coaching opportunities within a controlled setting to an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using an ABAB Reversal design, direct observations of the participant's identified target behaviors were collected two times per week during a controlled setting. Overall, data demonstrated that the combined treatment package was effective for improving the frequency of targeted social skills for the participant, including an additional four sessions that were needed to assess …

Maximum Entropy Modeling Of Indiana Bat (Myotis Sodalis) Maternity Roost Habitat, Joseph Robert Lemen

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Since 1967, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) has been on the U.S. Endangered Species list due to disruption of hibernating bats in caves, summer habitat degradation, and more recently, the onset of White-nose Syndrome. The purpose of this study is to evaluate landscape variables associated with Indiana bat maternity roost trees in an attempt to better understand what factors play a role in their distribution in north central Missouri. I tracked reproductive female Indiana bats to 20 different primary and secondary roost trees; these are roosts that had multiple bats visit them on multiple occasions. GPS location data for these …

Nesting Success And Parental Behavior Of The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea) In Southwestern Missouri, Kathryn Marie Siverly

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The breeding biology and singing rates of Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) were studied in southwestern Missouri in 2014 and 2015, using wooden nesting boxes. Data were collected on clutch and brood sizes, the numbers of young fledged, parental care and male singing rates. Five pairs were studied over the course of the two summers. Of 28 eggs laid, 14 young fledged. In 2015, significant flooding resulted in the loss of all young and eggs for that year. First clutches were larger than second clutches. Observations suggest females may contribute more to the care of offspring, in terms of foraging and …

Reintroduction Biology Of Head-Started Ornate Box Turtles, Eric R. Sievers

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata) is a prairie-dwelling species that has experienced population declines, especially near the northern edge of its range. In order to provide supporting research for a reintroduction program at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in northwestern Illinois, I compared the relative success of different approaches to reintroduction. Specifically, I tested the null hypothesis that reintroduced turtles exhibited equal reintroduction success when, 1) released at a site that is known to support a viable ornate box turtle population, 2) ‘soft-released' in a fenced enclosure at a site where very few ornate box …

Examining Multiple Approaches For The Transferability Of Safety Performance Functions, Ahmed Tarek Ahmed Farid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Safety performance functions (SPFs) are essential in road safety since they are used to predict crash frequencies. They are commonly applied for detecting hot spots in network screening and assessing whether road safety countermeasures are effective. In the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), SPFs are provided for several crash classifications for several types of roadway facilities. The SPFs of the HSM are developed using data from multiple states. In regions where jurisdiction specific SPFs are not available, it is custom to adopt nationwide SPFs for crash predictions then apply a calibration factor. Yet, the research is limited regarding the application of …

Optimization Of Glycerol And Biodiesel Waste Prefermentation To Improve Ebpr, Marzieh Ghasemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process efficiency relies on different operational and process conditions especially the type of carbon source available in the wastewater. Acetic acid and propionic acid are the two major volatile fatty acids (VFAs) found in domestic wastewater which can drive biological phosphorus (P) removal to the desired level. However, often domestic wastewater does not have a sufficient amount of VFAs. Due to high acetate and propionate production-cost, it is not economic to add acetate and propionate directly in full-scale wastewater treatment plants. This brought up the idea of using external carbon sources (e. g. molasses …

Resource Management In Large-Scale Systems, Ashkan Paya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is resource management in large-scale systems. Our primary concerns are energy management and practical principles for self-organization and self-management. The main contributions of our work are: 1. Models. We proposed several models for different aspects of resource management, e.g., energy-aware load balancing and application scaling for the cloud ecosystem, hierarchical architecture model for self-organizing and self-manageable systems and a new cloud delivery model based on auction-driven self-organization approach. 2. Algorithms. We also proposed several different algorithms for the models described above. Algorithms such as coalition formation, combinatorial auctions and clustering algorithm for scale-free organizations of …

Worldwide Infrastructure For Neuroevolution: A Modular Library To Turn Any Evolutionary Domain Into An Online Interactive Platform, Paul Szerlip

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across many scientific disciplines, there has emerged an open opportunity to utilize the scale and reach of the Internet to collect scientific contributions from scientists and non-scientists alike. This process, called citizen science, has already shown great promise in the fields of biology and astronomy. Within the fields of artificial life (ALife) and evolutionary computation (EC) experiments in collaborative interactive evolution (CIE) have demonstrated the ability to collect thousands of experimental contributions from hundreds of users across the glob. However, such collaborative evolutionary systems can take nearly a year to build with a small team of researchers. This dissertation introduces …

Investigating Simulation-Based Pattern Recognition Training For Behavior Cue Detection, Crystal Maraj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. military uses pattern recognition training to observe anomalies in human behavior. An examination of the pattern recognition training literature for Warfighters reveals a gap in training to discern patterns of human behavior in live environments. Additionally, the current state of warfare is evolving and requires operations to change. As a result, pattern recognition training must accommodate new practices to improve performance. A technique used to improve memory for identifying patterns in the environment is Kim's game. Kim's game establishes patterns to identify inanimate objects, of which information retains in memory for later recall. The paper discusses the fundamental …

Towards Improving Human-Robot Interaction For Social Robots, Saad Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous robots interacting with humans in a social setting must consider the social-cultural environment when pursuing their objectives. Thus the social robot must perceive and understand the social cultural environment in order to be able to explain and predict the actions of its human interaction partners. This dissertation contributes to the emerging field of human-robot interaction for social robots in the following ways: 1. We used the social calculus technique based on culture sanctioned social metrics (CSSMs) to quantify, analyze and predict the behavior of the robot, human soldiers and the public perception in the Market Patrol peacekeeping scenario. 2. …

A Generic Framework For Multi-Method Modeling And Simulation Of Complex Systems Using Discrete Event, System Dynamics And Agent Based Approaches., Konstantinos Mykoniatis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decisions about Modeling and Simulation (M&S) of Complex Systems (CS) need to be evaluated prior to implementation. Discrete Event (DE), System Dynamics (SD), and Agent Based (AB) are three different M&S approaches widely applied to enhance decision-making of complex systems. However, single type M&S approaches can face serious challenges in representing the overall multidimensional nature of CS and may result in the design of oversimplified models excluding important factors. Conceptual frameworks are necessary to offer useful guidance for combining and/or integrating different M&S approaches. Although several hybrid M&S frameworks have been described and are currently deployed, there is limited guidance …

Integrated Maritime Simulation Complex Management, Quality And Training Effectiveness From The Perspective Of Modeling And Simulation In The State Of Florida, Usa (A Case Study), Yaser Sendi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Naturally, maritime training simulators at all events are valuable instructional and pedagogical tools. Through the history, the maritime simulation was utilized to train prospective maritime apprentices in whom it has filled the gap left by the acute shortage of opportunities for jobs onboard vessels around the globe. However, professional seafarers are the axis of success and competitiveness in the field of maritime training. They are the ones that, who are well trained and have the responsibilities of their work and the surrounding environment. In order to achieve the success along with effective training skills, both maritime companies and seafarers should …

Sustainability Assessment Of A Municipal Utility Complex: A System Of Systems Approach, Tarek Fahmy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Construction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal. However, decision and policy makers lack a system of systems approach that takes into account multiple interdependent systems comprised of the functional system (infrastructure, facilities, operations within the complex…), the economic system, the social/cultural system, and the …

Impact Of A Cognitive Behavioral Pain Management Group On Depression, Anxiety, Pain Severity, And Opioid Use In An Inpatient Population, Breanna Bocciolatt

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Chronic pain has significant, multifaceted effects on both the health care system and the individual. The total cost of pain to the U.S. healthcare system is estimated to be over $600 billion annually (Skinner, Wilson, & Turk, 2012). People with chronic pain may frequent multiple providers, often dominating the time and resources of healthcare professionals (Skinner et al., 2012). The approximately 100 million people with chronic pain miss work, experience financial distress, and strained relationships, which leads to comorbid psychological diagnoses (Birnie, McGrath, & Chambers, 2012). Pain treatment strategies have largely followed a biomedical framework, seeking to identify the source …

Coping Methods That Predict Reduced Symptoms Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Autumn Van Meter

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Objective: Most individuals experience a stressful event at some point in their lives. A third to half of those individuals will meet criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during their lifetime. Individuals that do not develop PTSD likely have better coping skills regarding trauma. Targeting specific coping strategies that reduce PTSD symptoms helps mental health professionals and providers create interventions and prevention skills.

Method: Eighty-four participants from a university took an online survey. Demographic information were gathered. Questionnaires were given to determine if the participant had experienced one or more traumatic events. Next, a questionnaire that measured the extent that …

Exploration And Development Of Crash Modification Factors And Functions For Single And Multiple Treatments, Juneyoung Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traffic safety is a major concern for the public, and it is an important component of the roadway management strategy. In order to improve highway safety, extensive efforts have been made by researchers, transportation engineers, Federal, State, and local government officials. With these consistent efforts, both fatality and injury rates from road traffic crashes in the United States have been steadily declining over the last six years (2006~2011). However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 2013), 33,561 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States in 2012, compared to 32,479 in 2011, and it …

A Framework For Safety Training Using Virtual Reality Software, Rana Riad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Safety training is a vital component to the well-being of individuals in all industries. With technology advancing at the current pace, conventional training methods are no longer the most effective way to communicate information. There is a strong need for safety training that incorporates new methods and forms of communication to obtain higher levels of comprehension. Virtual reality systems offer a highly customizable and interactive form of delivering information to users. This research addresses major gaps in the field of safety training using virtual reality systems and provides a design framework for creating a virtual safety-training system. A model for …

Snowy Owl (Bubo Scandiacus) Morbidity And Mortality Investigation In The Dos Region In The Winters Of 2013 – 2014 And 2014 – 2015, Erica A. Miller, Cindy P. Driscoll, Sherrill Davison, Lisa Murphy, Ellen Bronson, Allison Wack, Annie Rivas, Justin Brown

Delaware Ornithologist

No abstract provided.

Management And Production Practices Of The Missouri Beef Cattle Industry, Jordan Lee Kinder

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

A survey of beef cattle producers in Missouri was conducted to evaluate the management and production practices of the beef cattle industry. Production and demographic data from 112 (response rate of 5.9%) were analyzed to identify areas in need of future research and education. The web-based survey was conducted through Survey Monkey© and distributed by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association to a list of their members. Responding producers were located in 65 of the 114 counties in Missouri, with 63.3% located north of Interstate 44 and 36.7% south of Interstate 44. The majority (47.3%) of producers were between ages 31 and …

Effects Of Low Concentrations Of Carbon Nanotubes On Growth And Gas Exchange In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Rajeeva Voleti

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The effect of pure single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on plant growth and gas exchange was investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana. To date there has been no research on the effects of SWCNTs on whole plant physiology. A. thaliana seeds were directly grown in growth medium containing SWCNTs concentrations of 24.93micrograms/ml and 53.55 micrograms/ml. control plants were grown in media containing distilled water. I determined growth by measuring dry mass of plants. I determined gas exchange by measuring photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates, and water use efficiency. I also examined the following physiological mechanisms that would limit plant growth: ATP and …