Digital Commons Network^™

Domestic Relations, Barry B. Mcgough, Elinor H. Hitt, Katherine S. Cornwell

Mercer Law Review

This Article addresses significant case law that arose during the survey period,' minor statutory changes specific to child support, and changes to the Uniform Superior Court Rules.

Victim Compensation Funds And Tort Litigation Following Incidents Of Mass Violence, Paul Heaton, Ivan Waggoner, Jamie Morikawa

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Daily Gamecock, Tuesday, December 1, 2015, The University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

December

No abstract provided.

Study Of Homogeneous Mineral Acid Dehydration Of Monosaccharides In A Cstr, Siddharth Sharad Bhat

Dissertations - ALL

Simple sugars (Aldohexoses/pentoses), (Ketohexoses/pentose) when subjected to a dehydration reaction, produce various compounds. An example of one such compound is 5-hydroxymethyl furfural. Such chemical products may be used in subsequent processing steps (hydrolysis, aldol condensation, hydrogenation and dehydration) to produce similarly structured condensed compounds that form the basis of complex molecules used in various industries such as production of fuels, chemical reagents and fertilizers. Most studies focus on heterogeneous packed beds and batch reactors to carry out dehydration reactions. This study illustrates use of a Continuous Stirred-Tank reactor to carry out such dehydration reactions. In order to maintain the homogenous …

Detecting At-Risk Drinking In University Primary Care: Validity Of The Audit-C, Clare Elizabeth Campbell

Dissertations - ALL

Research has shown that primary care physicians are more likely to discuss alcohol use with their patients when brief screens are routinely administered. One such screen, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C; Bush, Kivlahan, McDonnell, Fihn, & Bradley, 1998), has yet to be validated for detecting at-risk alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences among students presenting to a university student health service for primary care. Accordingly, the proposed study aimed to assess the construct validity of the AUDIT-C among students (N = 387) recruited from Syracuse University's University Health Service (UHS). Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses were used to …

Effects Of Ultrasound As Visual Feedback Of The Tongue On Generalization, Retention, And Acquisition In Speech Therapy For Rhotics, Greta Sjolie

Dissertations - ALL

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an initial comparison of exposure to ultrasound visual feedback of the tongue and no exposure to ultrasound in speech therapy for postvocalic rhotics (the /r/ family of sounds). Effects of the two treatments on acquisition, retention, and generalization were explored in participants ages 7-9.

Methods: A single-subject randomized block design replicated across four participants was used. Each week for seven weeks, one session containing high frequency ultrasound use and one session containing no ultrasound use were randomly ordered. A Training Probe List and Generalization Probe List consisting of monosyllabic words, multisyllabic …

Effects Of An Expressive Writing Intervention Aimed At Improving Academic Performance By Reducing Test Anxiety, Stephanie Lauren Spielberger

Dissertations - ALL

This study examined the effectiveness of a brief, class-wide, expressive writing intervention aimed at improving academic performance and decreasing test anxiety. This study included 110 students from six undergraduate psychology classes. In the first phase of the study, students completed a trait test anxiety measure and a demographic survey. In the second phase of the study, students completed a pre-intervention state test anxiety measure, responded to a 10-minute writing prompt (expressive or neutral), and completed the same state test anxiety measure, and then were administered an in-class exam. Approximately half the students were randomly assigned to the expressive writing group, …

Composite Minimization: Proximity Algorithms And Their Applications, Feishe Chen

Dissertations - ALL

ABSTRACT

Image and signal processing problems of practical importance, such as incomplete

data recovery and compressed sensing, are often modeled as nonsmooth optimization

problems whose objective functions are the sum of two terms, each of which is the

composition of a prox-friendly function with a matrix. Therefore, there is a practical

need to solve such optimization problems. Besides the nondifferentiability of the

objective functions of the associated optimization problems and the larger dimension

of the underlying images and signals, the sum of the objective functions is not,

in general, prox-friendly, which makes solving the problems challenging. Many algorithms have been …

Postemancipation Landscapes And Material Culture: The Bethel Community And The Benjamin W. Jackson Plantation, Sarah Elizabeth Loftus

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation explores the history and archaeology of a postemancipation community that developed around the Benjamin W. Jackson Plantation in Bethel, Texas, particularly concentrating on the transformation of the landscape through the rise of black land ownership and material culture collected at two households occupied by generations of the Davis family. The Davises were tenant farmers whose ancestors were previously enslaved on the plantation and members of the family continued to occupy the lands through the 1950s. In the decades following emancipation the antebellum landscape of the Benjamin Jackson plantation and the Bethel community in East Texas were slowly transformed …

Optimizing Acyclic Identification Of Aptamers, Caitlin M. Miller

Dissertations - ALL

The minimal human alpha-thrombin binding aptamer, d(GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG), has previously been successfully identified from a DNA library of randomized hairpin loop, m=15, with the High Throughput Screening of Aptamers (HTSA) technique, later termed Acyclic Identification of Aptamers (AIA). AIA eliminated the need for multiple cycles of in vitro evolution typically used for aptamer discovery by employing libraries with an over-representation of all possible sequences and high throughput sequencing. Although the method was successful at identifying the thrombin binding aptamer, improvements to partitioning and sample preparation inconsistencies encountered during replication attempts were necessary in order to maximize its value. Subsequent revisions and …

Understanding Disordered Systems Through Numerical Simulation And Algorithm Development, Sean M. Sweeney

Dissertations - ALL

Disordered systems arise in many physical contexts. Not all matter is uni-

form, and impurities or heterogeneities can be modeled by fixed random disor-

der. Numerous complex networks also possess fixed disorder, leading to appli-

cations in transportation systems [1], telecommunications [2], social networks

[3, 4], and epidemic modeling [5], to name a few.

Due to their random nature and power law critical behavior, disordered

systems are difficult to study analytically. Numerical simulation can help

overcome this hurdle by allowing for the rapid computation of system states.

In order to get precise statistics and extrapolate to the thermodynamic limit,

large …

Breaking The Ice: Reforming State And Local Government Compliance With Ice Detainer Requests, Shareef Omar

Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Knowledge, Intake, And Willingness To Consume Fruits And Vegetables Of Children Located In A Food Desert Versus A Non-Food Desert, Brittany A. Pierce

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as “urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable foods” (“Food Deserts”, 2014). The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between knowledge, intake, and willingness to consume fruits and vegetables between students going to school in a food desert and students not going to school in a food desert. This study was conducted by showing students picture cards to determine knowledge of fruits and vegetables, surveying students to determine intake of fruits and vegetables, and food sampling to determine wiliness to …

Experimental Investigation Of Spatial-Mode-Selective Frequency Up-Conversion, Mohan Giribabu

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

We experimentally investigate the spatial-mode-selective frequency up-conversion by sum-frequency generation in a second-order medium. In particular, we are interested in zero and first order Gaussian modes. In our experiment, we generate pump and signal pulses of 400 ps duration, spatially modulate them, and couple them into a Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) waveguide. Only one signal mode selected by the pump’s spatial profile is up-converted. The up-converted signal is separated from the original signal and pump beams, modes are captured on a camera and efficiency of up-conversion is recorded. We also discuss some important phase-matching conditions for nonlinear interaction in …

Assessment Of Ell Written Language Progress In Designated Esl Noncredit Courses At The Community College Level, Janet L. Daugherty

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Assessment of the effect of targeted instruction of functional language skills for English language learners (ELL) enrolled in community college basic skills classes is important as community colleges continue to offer noncredit courses for ELL students designed to improve English skills. The Foundations Skills Committee at a community college in a rural setting in Northern California received a State of California grant to provide basic skills instruction, specifically grammar and sentence structure, to ELL. The present study evaluates the effect of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on improving functional skills in writing.

A review of the literature reveals that community college instructors …

A Comparative Analysis Of Vanpool And Single Occupant Commuters' Self-Reported Stress Level Before And After The Commute, Christina Ditmore

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Stress—and its impact on personal health and overall wellness—is a well-researched topic. Countless studies are devoted to the effects of stress and its correlation to various aspects of life, including the topic of transportation choice. There has been significant research conducted regarding both stress and commute choices. However, there is limited empirical data specific to vanpools. The purpose of this study is to examine whether commuters who utilize a vanpool (VP) to commute to and from work experience less stress than their single-occupant vehicle (SOV) counterparts. Survey respondents provided their personally perceived level of stress both before and after their …

How Do Politicians Use Facebook? An Applied Social Observatory, Simon Caton, Margeret A. Hall, Christof Weinhardt

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

In the age of the digital generation, written public data is ubiquitous and acts as an outlet for today’s society. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn have profoundly changed how we communicate and interact. They have enabled the establishment of and participation in digital communities as well as the representation, documentation and exploration of social behaviours, and had a disruptive effect on how we use the Internet. Such digital communications present scholars with a novel way to detect, observe, analyse and understand online communities over time. This article presents the formalization of a Social Observatory: a low latency method …

Final Project Report: Heliostat-Concentrator Solar Cooker, Ian Davison, Devin Mast

Mechanical Engineering

This document is the full report for the senior project of Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering students Ian Davison and Devin Mast. The report encompasses the full project process, including background research, identification of need, design requirements, design development, proposed design, design realization, changes to proposed design, and design verification. We were tasked with the design and manufacture of a “dual mirror” solar cooker to verify a concept for a new type of off-axis parabolic solar cooker conceived by Dr. Pete Schwartz, the sponsor of the senior project and a physics professor at Cal Poly. Previously, off-axis parabolic solar cookers have …

In-Store Use Of Mobile Phones For Point-Of-Purchase Product Information Searches In The Us, Kristine Johnson, Manuel C. Pontes

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This research investigates how US consumers use mobile phones in-store to acquire product-related information used to assist with purchase decisions. Data were collected in early January 2013 by a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of adults in the US. The data collection was sponsored by the Pew Foundation and made available for this research. Younger smartphone owners were significantly more likely to use their cell-phones to ask friends or family for product advice, to read product reviews online, and to engage in online price comparison while shopping. Women were significantly more likely than men to use their cell …

The Effects Of Explicit Code-Switching Instruction On Student Writing Performance For Students Who Speak Non-Standard Forms Of English, Jeffrey R. Allen

Education Masters

This research project began by asking how explicit code-switching instruction would impact the writing performance of non-standard English speaking students. Participants included twelve sixth grade students and twelve teachers. The data collected was teacher interviews, anecdotal notes, writing samples, teacher questionnaires, student work samples, and audio recorded code-switching practice sessions. Findings revealed that students were not able to translate their knowledge of and proficiency with oral code-switching and dialect variance to written code-switching. In addition, James Prep’s implementation of code-switching pedagogy is not adequate. The data implied that without valuing the home languages of students and building a culture of …

Implementing Literacy Strategies And Activities To Help Math Students In Geometry, Amanda Cappelli

Education Masters

This study examines how literacy strategies and activates help math students learn geometry concepts and solve problems. Three literacy activities were implemented in a 10^th grade geometry classroom, and three students of different math abilities were interviewed. Student work was also analyzed and presented as part of the findings. The data collected revealed the following three themes: the helpfulness of literacy strategies differs for high and low achieving students, using visual representations led to more successful problem solving, and content area vocabulary was essential to know for achievement. The results from this study suggest that math teachers need to …

Formulation And Evaluation Of Soy Polymer Based, Gravure Printed Resistive Inks For Applications In Printed Electronics, Bhushan Hiralal Patil

Masters Theses

Today, the majority of the commercially available conductive inks are formulated using expensive metallic particles, such as silver and gold. Most of the inks use volatile solvents in the formulation, which are hazardous to the environment as emission of VOCs is the major concern. In the case of water-based inks, usually petroleum-based acrylic polymers are used. Apart from being nonrenewable raw materials, acrylic polymers are carcinogenic in nature. Also, acrylic polymers are used in a variety of applications, such as the automotive, medical device, paint, and adhesive industries. Often times, the ink industry has to compete with other industries for …

Mobilerp, Anthony Fata

Computer Engineering

MobilERP is a system that increases traceability of parts in a manufacturing process in a simple paperless way. The system contains three components, a desktop application, a mobile app, and a database. The mobile application allows employees to scan (using a bar code scanner) parts that they are working/finishing on during the manufacturing process. As the part goes down the assembly line, individuals will barcode scan using the app to track the progress. These changes would get updated to the database, where then the designated person can track the progress of the part as well as any problems or concerns …

A Feed Forward Circuit For Jitter Attenuation On High-Speed Digital Signals, Eric Rule

Electrical Engineering

In the age of high-speed digital circuitry, there exists a need for clean, precise clock signals. In generating and distributing clock signals throughout a circuit, unwanted jitter can become a serious issue. A common technique for attenuating jitter uses phase-locked-loops to treat the signal, but as the clock frequency increases, so does the cost and complexity of the designs. Following the research completed by Dr. Tina Smilkstein [1], this project examines a purely feed-forward technique for attenuating jitter that is low-complexity and robust, and aims to design an integrated circuit that implements the technique.

Pthreads Profiler, Ryan Van Quinlan

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The goal of this senior project was to design and implement a program which would allow users to profile programs that utilize the Pthreads library. This profiler allows users to measure load balance and lock contention between threads as well as discover deadlocks. These tools can be essential to developers of multi-threaded applications, which are notoriously difficult to debug. Additionally, this tool can help find vital performance benefits by providing relative execution measurements. The profiler is written in C++ and utilizes the standard template library as well as glibc extensions.

Development Of A Set Of Force Response Equations To Represent The Musculature In Infants To Study Development Dysplasia Of The Hip, Brendan Jones

HIM 1990-2015

This paper describes how a force response equation was created to model muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the hip joint to improve a biomechanical model of an infant hip to study Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH). DDH is the most common abnormality in newborn infants and is defined as any amount of instability in the hip including complete dislocation. Researchers at our institution are attempting to increase the success rate of treatment methods by creating computer models of the biomechanics of infant hip instability and dislocation. The computer model used a scaled adult pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula and foot …

Design Of A Physical Windkessel Model For Use In Lvad In-Vitro Benchtop Modeling, Kyle W. Beggs

HIM 1990-2015

Despite improved life expectancy compared to medical management alone, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) recipients show survival rates of 80% at 12 months and 70% at 24 months. A large portion of VAD-associated mortality results from increased risk of stroke with an event frequency reported between 14-47%. Recent concerns have been raised about unprecedented increases of thrombus formation in VAD recipients with subsequent reports pointing towards implantation techniques as a critical contributor to these events. Thus, the overall prognosis with mechanical support can improve by advancing the surgeon’s approach to VAD implantation. Previous studies using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) were aimed …

Effects Of Binary Solvent System On Morphology Of Particles, Patrick Besana

HIM 1990-2015

Recent advancements in cancer research has led to the synthesis of a new drug known as docetaxel. Meant to replace paclitaxel, its more natural counterpart whose ingredients are difficult to obtain, the drug is known to effectively treat a wide array of cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer. The establishment of a synthetic alternative to paclitaxel has increased its bioavailability, thereby lowering the cost needed to utilize the drug. Still, the limiting factor in minimizing costs is the method in which the drug is processed. Current methods in drug processing have their limitations, which include the introduction …

Fabrication, Characterization, And Application Of Carbon Nanoparticles For The Detection Of Heavy Metal Ions In Aqueous Media, Aaron Michael Simpson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This research set out to develop a method for producing Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) from glycerol and use them to detect Cu2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+ ions in aqueous solution. Three synthesis methods were developed using the following mixtures: (1) glycerol and silica, (2) glycerol, silica, and H3PO4, and (3) glycerol with H3PO4. The structure of the particles was characterized using a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Size distributions were obtained from scanning electron microscopy images. The particles were spherical with average diameters of 66, 58, and 89 nm respectively and believed to consist of a carbon core with carboxylic acid and alcohol …

Best Practices Guidance For Nanomaterial Risk Management In The Workplace, Claude Ostiguy, Maximilien Debia, Brigitte Roberge, André Dufresne

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les nanotechnologies présentent aujourd’hui des enjeux majeurs en termes technologique, économique, éthique, social et environnemental, car elles offrent le potentiel d’améliorer de façon substantielle les propriétés de multiples produits dans tous les secteurs d’activité tant en matière de production de matériaux aux performances inédites que de diagnostic et de traitement médical. Les nanomatériaux favorisent ainsi l’émergence de nouveaux marchés, la création d’emplois, l’amélioration de la qualité de vie et peuvent contribuer à la protection de l’environnement. Du reste, l’impact se fait déjà sentir dans des secteurs aussi diversifiés que l’agroalimentaire, l’aérospatiale, la cosmétique, la construction et la santé. Au Québec, …