Digital Commons Network^™

Machining Strategies Exploring Reduction In Energy Consumption, Abdullah Al Mamun

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The main aim of this thesis is to explore machining strategies, analyzing energy consumption using Design of Experiments (DOE) at the material removal rate (MRR), compare to cutting geometrical trajectories according to CNC parameters such as spindle RPM, feed rate, depth of cut per pass and total depth of cut. Spindle RPM, depth of cut per pass, and feed rate are selected as the main three factors and each factor has two levels: low-level (-) and high-level (+). These experiments have been performed at an end-milling machine by using a concept of a constant volume of material removal processes in …

A Migration Analysis Of Demographic Transitions In The Upper-Midwest From 2006-2010, Andrew Brick

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Rural communities in the Upper-Midwest are essential for contributions to agriculture, oil and development of economic networks to larger towns and cities. Concerning rural population stability and transitions, this research study aims to discover complex migration flows by constructing specified groups of Upper-Midwest regions (i.e., Bakken oil, Taconite iron, high agriculture, developing area of rural depopulation and Interstate 94). Research questions on migrant distributions will be answered by investigating (in-) and (out-) flow data by demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender and ethnicity) on a county-to-county level. By weighing total demographic populations, a more accurate representation of migration trends called Crude …

Traditional Methods Versus Tprs: Effects On Introductory French Students At A Medium-Sized Public University In The Midwestern United States, Rishani Samari Merinnage De Costa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of introducing a Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) approach in a French immersion classroom in comparison with a method which does not incorporate a story context within the lesson. This research was conducted in an introductory college level classroom setting. It is hypothesized that the language skills of the students in the experimental group using the TPRS method would show greater improvements on measures of listening, vocabulary, culture, grammar and writing abilities than those taught using methods which do not incorporate the story context. The research utilized a …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Clinical Intuition Among Alcohol And Drug Counselors, Zach Hansen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study investigates the experience of clinical intuition among alcohol and drug counselors. Clinical intuition has been acknowledged as an integral component to counseling by numerous influential theorists, and has recently been researched in the context of clinical psychology, and marriage and family counseling. However, little or no research has been conducted on clinical intuition among alcohol and drug counselors. In order to thoroughly describe the essence of clinical intuition among this population, phenomenological research methods were utilized. Five alcohol and drug counselors with varying backgrounds with between 5-40 years of experience participated in this study. Participants were interviewed, and …

The Crypt People From The Cathedral Basilica Of Saints Stanislaus And Vladislaus, Vilnius, Lithuania: Reconstruction Of Life Histories Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Kaylee Schotten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotope analyses of multiple tissue types have been used to reconstruct life histories of individuals from past populations. This thesis presents the life history reconstructions of a unique population recovered from a 16th to 18th century cathedral crypt located in Vilnius, Lithuania. The sample consists of 23 individuals (21 males, one possible female, and one juvenile). Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses were performed on bone and dentin collagen, and on bone and enamel hydroxyapatite, resulting in eight isotope values per individual, providing both childhood and adult dietary and migration information. For bone collagen the average δ13C isotope …

Makerspace: The Future Of Music, Anthony L. Paganelli

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Presentation regarding the use of Makerspace in creating and sharing music.

Timp-1 Activates A Unique Cardiac Stem Cell Population, Cd63+Ve/C-Kit+Ve, Thereby Enhancing Cardiac Differentiation, And Protects The Heart From Adverse Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction, Latifa Abdelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We previously demonstrated that embryonic stem (ES) cells over-expressing tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) have increased potential to engraft and differentiate into cardiac myocytes following transplantation into the infarcted heart. However, the ability of TIMP-1 to activate endogenous stem cells and enhance their differentiation into cardiac regenerative cell types is still unknown. We postulate that TIMP-1 may additionally activate a stem cell population that enhances cardiac cell type differentiation in the infarcted myocardium. To prove this hypothesis, we isolated c-kit+ve cells from four weeks old C57BL/6 mice and cultured them in vitro in presence of ES conditioned media (ESCM), ES-TIMP-1-CM …

Critical Velocity Is Associated With Combat Specific Performance Measures In A Special Forces Unit, Mattan Hoffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over recent years, military research has focused on ways of being able to predict operational success and readiness through the development of simulated operational tasks measuring the physical limits of the soldier. Therefore, to properly prepare the tactical athlete for the demands and rigor of combat, accurate assessment of baseline physical abilities and limitations are necessary. Currently, western armies use a basic physical fitness test, which has been heavily argued to have no bearing on operational readiness, thus they are in the process of transitioning to a more specific combat readiness test. However, specific assessments to predict operational success/readiness are …

Ode To Amiel: A Micro-Budget Experimental Essay Film, Phyllis Redman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ode to Amiel is a feature-length experimental essay film by Phyllis Redman, made as part of the requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in Film in the Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema track from the University of Central Florida. The film explores one woman's reaction to trauma and depersonalization disorder through the journal entries of 19th Century Swiss philosopher, Henri Frederic Amiel. Passages from Amiel's Journal Intime provide the narrative and voice over for the lead character, a grieving mother who finds herself locked behind an inescapable, invisible and immaterial barrier that separates her from the outside world. Following the …

Mia-Mi: Exploring The Affect Of Digital Cinema Through Micro-Budget Production Techniques, Yesenia Lima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

MIA-mi is a feature-length, micro-budget, and digital motion picture, produced, written, and directed by Yesenia Lima in pursuit of the Master of Fine Arts in Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema from the University of Central Florida. The film is a satirical and naturalistic look at the standing global image of a city, Miami, FL, and its inhabitants. The guiding question behind the production is whether a portrayal of a city, outside of its stereotypical portrait in mass media, could spark and affect a dialogue on the global image of the city and its inhabitant's ability to adjust that image rather than conform …

Wise The Wizard: A Feature Documentary About The Late Harry Wise Of Sanford, Florida, Daisy Blakelock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wise the Wizard is a feature-length documentary by Daisy Sara Blakelock, made as part of the requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema from the University of Central Florida. The film focuses on the late Harry Wise, a magician from Sanford, Florida, as remembered by the people who knew him best. Interview subjects include the following: author and TV Producer Charlie Carlson, who wrote a biography about Harry Wise entitled A Wizard's Tux and Tales (Luthers Press, New Smyrna Beach: 2004); Brendan and Anna McWilliams, who accompanied Harry on countless adventures throughout Sanford and the …

Testament: Mastering And Transcending The Microbudget Model For A Feature Film, Timothy Ritter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Testament is a feature film serving as part of Tim Ritter's thesis requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in the Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema program at the University of Central Florida. The film follows a bitter former follower of a marginally popular social-justice movement who must keep the movement alive after its mysterious leader is killed violently and publicly. The drama, set in an fictional land known as The Commonwealth, presents a modern-day retelling of the life of St. Peter in the years after the death of Jesus, creating a new context for familiar Biblical tales and morals while …

Chemical And Behavioral Ecology Of The Coastal Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon Tenebrosus), David Reavill

All Master's Theses

Intraspecific interactions are an important factor in shaping the population structure of terrestrial salamanders. Both physical interactions and scent-marking are vital components to the establishment of territories and influence dispersion of individuals. However, little is known about the terrestrial interactions of many salamander species, particularly that of the Coastal Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus). In this study, I observed the first evidence for the use chemical cues by terrestrial D. tenerosus in regards to shelter selection. I also observed the first accounts of agonistic and display behavior of terrestrial D. tenebrosus. These results suggest that terrestrial D. tenebrosus …

Food- And Health-Related Correlates Of Self-Reported Body Mass Index Among Low-Income Mothers Of Young Children, Karen Mccurdy, Tiffani S. Kisler, Kathleen S. Gorman, Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine how income-related challenges regarding food and health are associated with variation in self-reported maternal body weight among low-income mothers.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: Two Northeastern cities. Seven day care centers and a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach project.

Participants: Sample of 166 mothers; 67% were overweight or obese, 55% were Hispanic, and 42% reported household food insecurity (HFI).

Main Outcome Measures: Maternal self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI). Independent variables were food program participation, supermarket use, 8-item food shopping practices scale, HFI, maternal depressive symptoms, and self-rated health.

Analysis: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis …

Synchronic Contingency And The Problem Of Freedom And Foreknowledge, Michael Rota

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Would You Stomp On A Picture Of Your Mother? Would You Kiss An Icon?, Nicholas Wolterstorff

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Postbaccalaureate Stem Students’ Perceptions Of Their Training: Exploring The Intersection Of Gender And Nativity, Amy Roberson Hayes, Rebecca S. Bigler

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The number of international students in graduate school within STEM fields at US institutions has risen dramatically over the last few decades, whereas the numbers of US women attending graduate school in STEM fields has largely stagnated. These trends suggest the importance of intersectionality to understanding individuals’ pursuit of STEM careers. Here we examined doctoral (N = 270) and postdoctoral (N = 27) students' satisfaction with their graduate training at a large, research focused institution in the US as a function of the intersection of participants’ gender and nativity. Participants completed measures of occupational values, perceived fit of their values …

Environmental Justice, Human Rights, And The Global South, Carmen Gonzalez

Faculty Articles

From the Ogoni people devastated by oil drilling in Nigeria to the Inuit and other indigenous populations threatened by climate change, communities disparately burdened by environmental degradation are increasingly framing their demands for environmental justice in the language of environmental human rights. Domestic and international tribunals have concluded that failure to protect the environment violates a variety of human rights (including the rights to life, health, food, water, property, and privacy; the collective rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral lands and resources; and the right to a healthy environment). Some scholars have questioned the utility of the human rights …

A Homeless Bill Of Rights (Revolution), Sara Rankin

Faculty Articles

This article examines an emerging movement so far unexplored by legal scholarship: the proposal and, in some states, the enactment of a Homeless Bill of Rights. This article presents these new laws as a lens to re-examine storied debates over positive and social welfare rights. Homeless bills of rights also present a compelling opportunity to re-examine rights-based theories in the context of social movement scholarship. Specifically, could these laws be understood as part of a new “rights revolution”? What conditions might influence the impact of these new laws on the individual rights of the homeless or the housed? On American …

A Comparison Of Secondary Dropout Rates In Rural And Urban Costa Rica, Mary Flynn Doran

Master's Theses

This study examined the issue of secondary school abandonment in Costa Rica. It took the national percentage of dropouts as well as the evident problem of regional disparities in terms of high school completion into consideration while it analyzed the opinions of high school aged students in both a rural and urban area. There were four participant groups in total, two in each location. The groups consisted of 5 enrolled and 5 previously enrolled subjects in both areas and each participant was asked open ended questions about their education, future, opinion on high school in general, and attitudes in regards …

Wanted Dead & Alive: Modern Law, Universality, And The Colonial Exception, Tayyab Mahmud

Faculty Articles

The ubiquitous exclusion/inclusion binary is not a helpful frame to measure the depth and reach of constitutionalism and human rights. Inscription of the law over subjugated bodies and spaces continues to subscribe to an enduring grammar of modernity’s engagement with alterity. This grammar is not one of exclusion, but, rather, forms a three-pronged matrix engagement: engulfment/exception/subordination. The Other is not “discovered,” left out or left alone — excluded from operations of constitutional regimes, and then gradually incorporated as a rights-bearing subject. The Other is always-already engulfed in operations of modern law, placed in zones of exception, and positioned in states …

Re-Engaging Youth With The Protective Power Of Education, Daniel T. Satterberg, Violetta A. Stringer, Carla C. Lee

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Listening From The Bench Fosters Civility And Promotes Justice, Paula Lustbader

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Learning To Use, Useful For Learning: A Usability Study Of Google Apps For Education, Maury Elizabeth Brown, Daniel L. Hocutt

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

Using results from an original survey instrument, this study examined student perceptions of how useful Google Apps for Education (GAFE) was in students' learning of core concepts in a first-year college composition course, how difficult or easy it was for students to interact with GAFE, and how students ranked specific affordances of the technology in terms of its usability and usefulness. Students found GAFE relatively easy to use and appreciated its collaborative affordances. The researchers concluded that GAFE is a useful tool to meet learning objectives in the college composition classroom.

A Cross Sectional Exploration Of Emotional Intelligence In Us Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Marcianna Nosek

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: New nurses may be vulnerable to bullying as they often lack confidence or do not have the skills or maturity to communicate their needs or those of their patients. Increasing emotional intelligence particularly in at-risk nursing students may be one way to foster resiliency. This exploratory cross sectional study aimed to exam the overall level and specific components of emotional intelligence as well as associations with age, ethnicity, gender, or academic standing in baccalaureate nursing students.

Methods: A cross sectional analytical study was conducted using a paper demographic survey and an online emotional intelligence (EI) instrument, the …

Recommendations For Enhancing Psychosocial Support Of Nicu Parents Through Staff Education And Support, S L. Hall, J Cross, Nancy Selix, C Patterson, L Segre, R Chuffo-Siewert, P A. Geller, M L. Martin

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Providing psychosocial support to parents whose infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can improve parents’ functioning as well as their relationships with their babies. Yet, few NICUs offer staff education that teaches optimal methods of communication with parents in distress. Limited staff education in how to best provide psychosocial support to families is one factor that may render those who work in the NICU at risk for burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress syndrome. Staff who develop burnout may have further reduced ability to provide effective support to parents and babies. Recommendations for providing NICU …

Business Processes Management In The Netherlands And Portugal: The Effect Of Bpm Maturity On Bpm Performance, Kevin J. Janssen, Pascal Ravesteyn

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

In the last decade, business process management (BPM) has become essential for corporations to maintain their control over business processes. Therefore it is highly important for companies to know which factors influence business process performance. Consequently, this study focuses on the relationship between BPM maturity and BPM performance. The paper aims to determine (1) whether BPM maturity has a significant effect on BPM performance and (2) whether there is a significant difference between a country that is in a relatively more mature stadium with regard to BPM practices and one that is still going through an adapting phase. In this …

Redefining The Insular Tradition: Illuminated Manuscripts Of The Seventh Through Ninth Centuries, William Boyles

Honors Theses

During my studies as an undergraduate student with an interest for medieval art, I found myself drawn to the beautifully painted works of illuminated manuscripts. Especially interested in the history, culture, and tradition of the British Isles, I became intrigued by the oftentimes-interchangeable term Insular. Textbooks, scholars, and various journal articles that I read all viewed Insularity in a slightly different light. So when given the chance to explore a unique topic for my honors thesis, I immediately knew that I had to research this problematic designation. My research began with a broad reading of the core of books, journals, …

The Wlbs: Women Of Whimsy, Rachel Ellen Banka

Honors Theses

This thesis is an entirely fictional novel about the five members of a women's book club in a small Mississippi town. It is told from three alternating perspectives and spans the course of one month, November, 2013. It is a story of lies, literature, love, and loss; of identity, community, friendship, and betrayal; and of hidden treasure, whatever form that takes.

The Comedy Of Frenchness: Exploring Social Issues In Mainstream French Cinema, Samantha Lund

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.