Digital Commons Network^™

Virtual Humans And Photorealism: The Effect Of Photorealism Of Interactive Virtual Humans In Clinical Virtual Environment On Affective Responses, Himanshu Chaturvedi

All Theses

The ability of realistic vs stylized representations of virtual characters to elicit emotions in users has been an open question for researchers and artists alike. We designed and performed a between subjects experiment using a medical virtual reality simulation to study the differences in the emotions aroused in participants while interacting with realistic and stylized virtual characters. The experiment included three conditions each of which presented a different representation of the virtual character namely; photo-realistic, non-photorealistic cartoon-shaded and non-photorealistic charcoal-sketch. The simulation used for the experiment, called the Rapid Response Training System was developed to train nurses to identify symptoms …

Eye Tracking Recycle Labels On Packaging: Are Attitudes And Behaviors A Predictor Of Viewing Them?, Valerie Smith

All Theses

In the United States, the use of the chasing arrows is the most recognizable label for consumers to interpret the recyclability of packaging and other materials. Yet, the use of the label can be used interchangeably for different purposes, which may lead to misinterpretation of the label. Recently, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) revamped the recycle label to provide more information, avoid confusion, and misinterpretation. Recycle rates have only increased seven percent in the past decade. Furthermore, there is a lack of research about the utility of recycle labels in efforts to increase recycling rates. The over-arching goals of this …

The Mediating Effects Of Positive Psychological States On The Relationships Between Hindrance Stressors And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: A Multi-Level Approach, Kandice Goguen

All Theses

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are informal and voluntary behaviors that positively contribute to organizational functioning (Organ 1997; Katz & Kahn, 1978). To better understand and encourage such behaviors, the present study investigated the influence of hindrance stressors and positive psychological states in the workplace. Responses from a sample of university employees were analyzed to examine the individual and unit-level effects of role ambiguity, organizational constraints, and lack of job control on individual-level supervisor-rated OCBs through individual and unit-level positive psychological states. Results showed that each hindrance stressor negatively influenced OCB participation directly and through decreased positive psychological states at the …

Weeds, Nitrogen, And Yield: Measuring The Effectiveness Of An Organic No-Till System, David Robb

All Theses

Previous research in the mid-Atlantic and midwestern USA has identified advantages and drawbacks of "organic no-till" vegetable production, but few studies have been conducted in the warmer southeastern region. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of tillage [no-till (NT) vs. conventional tillage (CT) of a cereal rye/crimson clover cover crop] and three nitrogen fertilization rates on organic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) yield, weed suppression, and soil N dynamics in two years in a soil series in Clemson, SC. Squash yields were similar between tillage treatments in both years. NT tomato …

Design Of A Web Application To Improve The Efficiency Of Crnas., Venkatramanan Chanchapalli Madhavan

All Theses

Physical artifacts such as whiteboards have been successfully used in healthcare facilities to keep track of dynamic changes in information and to manage work schedules. Since these whiteboards are easy- to- use and do not require any technical expertise, they have been easy- to-adopt. Additionally, they act as memory aids for the users by capturing transient information. However, they have their own limitations, the primary ones being the lack of mobility and real-time updates, both of which are crucial in a high consequence environment such as a healthcare facility. These whiteboards are usually kept in a central location with the …

South Africa, Gordon A. Crews, Sara K. Green

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Since the late 1990s, empirical evidence has strongly suggested a gradual increase in drug-related problems and substance abuse (illicit and prescription) in South Africa. Abuse of alcohol is still the primary issue, but other illegal drugs are a very close in any list of social ills for South Africa As in most parts of the world, issues and social problems associated with substance abuse continue to be exacerbated and perpetuated by socio-economic and developmental factors in South Africa. This issue is made worse by the fact that South Africa is one of the world’s largest producers of some illegal drugs …

Long-Term Winter Inversion Properties In A Mountain Valley Of The Western United States And Implications On Air Quality, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Lawrence E. Hipps, Oi-Yu Chung, Robert R. Gillies, Randy S. Martin

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Because of the geography of a narrow valley and surrounding tall mountains, Cache Valley (located in northern Utah and southern Idaho) experiences frequent shallow temperature inversions that are both intense and persistent. Such temperature inversions have resulted in the worst air quality in the nation. In this paper, the historical properties of Cache Valley’s winter inversions are examined by using two meteorological stations with a difference in elevation of approximately 100 m and a horizontal distance apart of ~4.5 km. Differences in daily maximum air temperature between two stations were used to define the frequency and intensity of inversions. Despite …

Tracking Anisotropic Optical Tracers To Study Biophysical Processes And Cytotoxicity, Khanh Van Nguyen

All Dissertations

We use anisotropic optical tracers (also called magnetically modulated optical nanoprobes – MagMOONs or MOONs for non-magnetic nanoprobes in this dissertation) to study biophysical processes such as enzyme-catalyzed cleavage through tissue, intracellular transport of these tracers and cytotoxicity based on this transport. The anisotropic optical properties cause these tracers to blink when rotating. This blinking is distinguishable from the background and can be tracked on a single-particle level in the absence of tissue, or for an ensemble average of tracers blinking through tissue. An alginate gel containing these tracers in the form of a thin film can be used as …

The Detection And Characterization Of Some Viruses Infecting Blackberry And Cherry In South Carolina, Bindu Poudel

All Dissertations

Three separate virus research projects were conducted. Blackberry yellow vein disease (BYVD), a disorder caused by virus complexes, has become a major threat to blackberry production in the United States, especially in the southeastern part of the country where blackberries are grown for the fresh market. More than 30 viruses have been found to be associated with the disease. Most of these induce no symptoms when infecting the plant alone. However, when more than a single virus is present in the host visible symptoms are displayed. The incidence of 6 different viruses (Blackberry yellow vein-associated virus, Blackberry virus Y, Blackberry …

Soviet Launch Of Sputnik: Sputnik-Inspired Educational Reform And Changes In Private Returns In America, Hyeonggu Cha

All Dissertations

On October 4th 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, into an elliptical low Earth orbit. This surprise triggered an arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, and science-oriented educational reform in the U.S. The Sputnik swung off of the U.S. in military, politics, policies, and education. The Sputnik woke Americans up from complacency came from technology, science, and educational superiority. Educational reform started with emphasizing science and defense education and it was expanded to educations at all level. Early reforms, National Science Foundation (NSF), National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958, …

Development And Implementation Of The Generations Eating Together Through Cooking (G.E.T.T. Cooking) Curriculum And Its Effects On An Inter-Generational Population: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth Ramirez

All Dissertations

The obesity epidemic continues to be a problem both in the US and worldwide. A number of factors have been attributed including: frequency of fast-food consumption, increased portion sizes, increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, increased sedentary lifestyles, lack of nutrition knowledge, and lack of cooking skills. Nutrition intervention programs continue to be created providing innovative and creative ways of educating the public with pertinent knowledge and skills necessary for improving healthful behaviors; however, few programs focus on cooking skill development within a familial environment. The Generations Eating Together Through Cooking (G.E.T.T. Cooking) program was created by the lead researcher as …

Effects Of Semi-Rigid Plastic Tray Geometry On Thermal Processing And Quality Factors In Retorted Foods, Curtis Stowe

All Dissertations

This research studied the effect of packaging geometry changes on heat penetration and quality attributes of a food system processed in a rotary retort vessel. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of package geometry in a rotary retort on heat penetration, analytical, and physical properties of a model food system processed at optimum conditions. Additionally, heat mapping for each shape was used to determine the heating profiles during retorting. Retort-able trays were filled with a tomato based food simulate and thermally processed in a water immersion, automated batch retort system (ABRS) using rotational speeds of 6 RPM and 11 …

The Impact Of Co-Workers On Safety Outcomes: Comparing Models Of Mediation, Moderation, And Incremental Effects, Anna Mcfadden

All Dissertations

The current study examined the role of co-worker support for safety within the broader context of perceived safety climate predicting safety behavior and outcomes for the mobile worker population of team truck drivers. Namely, the mediation, moderation, and incremental direct effects of co-worker support for safety were tested. The current study examined 366 team truck drivers from a single trucking company. Results indicated that co-worker support for safety did not moderate the relationship between safety climate perceptions and behavior and injury outcomes. However, co-worker support for safety did partially mediate the relationship between safety climate perceptions and safety behavior. Additionally, …

Characterizing The Effective Bandwidth Of Nonlinear Vibratory Energy Harvesters Possessing Multiple Stable Equilibria, Meghashyam Panyam Mohan Ram

All Dissertations

In the last few years, advances in micro-fabrication technologies have lead to the development of low-power electronic devices spanning critical fields related to sensing, data transmission, and medical implants. Unfortunately, effective utilization of these devices is currently hindered by their reliance on batteries. In many of these applications, batteries may not be a viable choice as they have a fixed storage capacity and need to be constantly replaced or recharged. In light of such challenges, several novel concepts for micro-power generation have been recently introduced to harness, otherwise, wasted ambient energy from the environment and maintain these low-power devices. Vibratory …

The Creation And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure School Stem Culture, Christopher White

All Dissertations

Although current research exists on school culture, there is a gap in the literature on specialized aspects of culture such as STEM Culture defined as the beliefs, values, practices, resources, and challenges in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) within a school. The objective of this study was to create a valid and reliable instrument, the STEM Culture Assessment Tool (STEM-CAT), that measures this cultural aspect based on a survey of stakeholder groups within the school community and use empirical data to support the use of this instrument to measure STEM Culture. Items were created and face validity was …

Essays On Deceptive Counterfeits In Supply Chains: A Behavorial Perspective, Jillian Watson

All Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays intended to contribute to the operations management discipline, specifically within supply chain management. The first essay provides a research agenda for studying deceptive product counterfeits, which are products that have been manufactured and/or distributed and sold by an entity in violation of another’s intellectual property rights and intentionally misrepresented by the seller as the genuine article. The proliferation of counterfeits into legitimate supply chains presents quality, health and safety and cost concerns for nearly all industries. We identify antecedents of vulnerability to deceptive counterfeits for firms and their supply chain partners using Situational …

Web-Based Nutrition Education Intervention For African American Women Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Joyce Senior Angulo

All Dissertations

African American women have been disproportionately impacted for decades by the obesity epidemic, which frequently leads to severe chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension. This increase in chronic diseases amongst African American women is the motivation for the design of a culturally tailored nutrition education (NE) program that combines a strong theoretical base with the use of technology such as the Internet, since its usage within the college aged African American community has rapidly increased. Little is known about the variables that motivate behavior change in regards to eating and physical activity habits among college aged African …

Evaluation Of Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus) For Duckweed (Lemna Minor) Control In South Carolina's Private Waters, William Heaton

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT We investigated the potential of Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) as a means for biological control of duckweed in agricultural impoundments, and assessed the potential for naturalization of this non-native fish in coastal regions of South Carolina. Additionally, we studied growth characteristics and nutrient accumulation abilities of duckweed (Lemna minor) growing in agricultural impoundments in the piedmont and coastal plain. Observations of tank feeding trials indicated juvenile Blue Tilapia consumed 36 – 86% of their body weight in fresh duckweed every 24 hours. Tilapia were stocked in agricultural impoundments in the piedmont and coastal plain during the 2012 and 2013 …

A Lipidomics Approach To The Viral–Host Dynamics Of The Unicellular, Eukaryotic Alga Chlorella Variabilis And Its Viral Pathogen, Pbcv-1, Suzanne L. Rose

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis focuses on the sterol and sphingolipid composition in the unicellular, green alga Chlorella variabilis and the lipidomic changes that occur during viral infection. Using lipid analysis by mass spectrometry, we have identified the major sterol, ergosterol and sphingolipid, glucosyl inositol phosphoceramide (GIPC) as constituents of C. variabilis cell membranes. Sterols and sphingolipids have essential biological functions such as hormone-based signaling, plant defense, and apoptosis as well as critical roles in structural components of the cell and organelle membranes. In chapters two and three, we focus on the characterization of sterol composition among both freshwater and marine alga …

President’S Newsletter, Jean Bartels

President's Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Oncogene-Dependent Regulation Of Autophagic Flux In Melanoma, Kirsten Anne Meyer White

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Skin cancer is the one of the most diagnosed cancers in the United States with increasing incidence of 6% every year. In 2015, it is estimated 73,870 new cases of melanoma will be identified and 9,480 individuals will die of their disease. While melanoma only accounts for approximately 2.4% of all cancer related deaths and is the 5th leading diagnosed cancer (US) it is the one of the most common cancers in young adults, age 25-29, particularly for young women. Of particular importance, the mean survival rate of patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma is six months, with five-year survival rates …

High-Dimensional Motion Planning And Learning Under Uncertain Conditions, Nick D. Malone

Computer Science ETDs

Many existing path planning methods do not adequately account for uncertainty. Without uncertainty these existing techniques work well, but in real world environments they struggle due to inaccurate sensor models, arbitrarily moving obstacles, and uncertain action consequences. For example, picking up and storing childrens toys is a simple task for humans. Yet, for a robotic household robot the task can be daunting. The room must be modeled with sensors, which may or may not detect all the strewn toys. The robot must be able to detect and avoid the child who may be moving the very toys that the robot …

Expansion Of The Chlorovirus Genus By Studies On Virus Natural History And Chlorella Host Metabolism, Cristian F. Quispe

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Inland waters cover about 2.5 percent of our planet and harbor huge numbers of known and unknown microorganisms including viruses. Viruses likely play dynamic, albeit largely undocumented roles in regulating microbial communities and in recycling nutrients in the ecosystem. Phycodnaviruses are a genetically diverse, yet morphologically similar, group of large dsDNA-containing viruses (160- to 560-kb) that inhabit aquatic environments. Members of the genus Chlorovirus are common in freshwater. They replicate in eukaryotic, single-celled, chlorella-like green algae that normally exist as endosymbionts of protists in nature. Very little is known about the natural history of the chloroviruses and how they achieve …

The Classic, Winter 2015-2016, Public Relations

The Classic, 2010-2019

Zwemer View: A History of Overcoming Challenges; Around the Green: Taiwan-Bound; In Box; Community Service; Top of the Class; Graduate School Boosts Fall Enrollment; Campus Life: Improv Tradition; Raider Days; New in the Classroom: Wade Druin, Mark Haselhoff '12, Dr. Seunghun "Hun" Hong, Tonya Moore-Huss, Corky Koerselman '82, Chris Nonhof, Erica (Van Meeteren '00) Vonk; On Board; VanOort Accepts Call to Denver; Adoption-Friendly; Global Education Director; Face Value: Thomas Holm; Investing in the Mission; Award Winners: Ron De Jong '71, Janet (Hassebroek '84) Guthmiller, Marjorie (Hartog '56, '58) Vander Aarde; Red Zone; Beanie Babies; 1000 Words: Practicing to Compete; Things …

Social Learning Systems: The Design Of Evolutionary, Highly Scalable, Socially Curated Knowledge Systems, Nolan Hemmatazad

Student Work

In recent times, great strides have been made towards the advancement of automated reasoning and knowledge management applications, along with their associated methodologies. The introduction of the World Wide Web peaked academicians’ interest in harnessing the power of linked, online documents for the purpose of developing machine learning corpora, providing dynamical knowledge bases for question answering systems, fueling automated entity extraction applications, and performing graph analytic evaluations, such as uncovering the inherent structural semantics of linked pages. Even more recently, substantial attention in the wider computer science and information systems disciplines has been focused on the evolving study of social …

The Association Of Dorsiflexion Flexibility On Knee Kinematics And Kinetics During A Drop Vertical Jump In Healthy Female Athletes, Philip Malloy, Alexander Morgan, Carolyn M. Meinerz, Christopher Geiser, Kristof Kipp

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

While previous studies have examined the association between ankle dorsiflexion flexibility and deleterious landing postures, it is not currently known how landing kinetics are influenced by ankle dorsiflexion flexibility. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ankle dorsiflexion flexibility was associated with landing kinematics and kinetics that have been shown to increase the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in female athletes.

Methods

Twenty-three female collegiate soccer players participated in a preseason screening that included the assessment of ankle dorsiflexion flexibility and lower-body kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump task.

Results

The results demonstrated …

December 2015 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Comparing Reproductive Capacity Of Nearshore And Offshore Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, On Artificial Reefs In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Ricky J. Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

Red snapper collected quarterly from four artificial reefs in south Texas were examined to compare total length, total weight, age, and the proportion of male to female red snapper, calculate gonadosomatic index values, batch fecundity, annual spawning frequency, and annual fecundity, and estimate size and age at maturity. Spawning occurred from April to September, with most active spawning observed in June (58%). Despite larger red snapper producing more eggs, and fish being larger offshore, most active spawning (68%) and egg production (74%) was observed nearshore. Female red snapper reached 50% maturity (L50) between 350-550 mm, and L75 by 600 mm. …

Ecg Quiz, Chollada Buranakarl, Saikaew Sutayatram, Nawat Sannamwong

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

No abstract provided.

Situating Care In Mainstream Health Economics: An Ethical Dilemma?, John B. Davis, Robert Mcmaster

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

Standard health economics concentrates on the provision of care by medical professionals. Yet ‘care’ receives scant analysis; it is portrayed as a spillover effect or externality in the form of interdependent utility functions. In this context care can only be conceived as either acts of altruism or as social capital. Both conceptions are subject to considerable problems stemming from mainstream health economics’ reliance on a reductionist social model built around instrumental rationality and consequentialism. Subsequently, this implies a disregard for moral rules and duties and the compassionate aspects of behaviour. Care as an externality is a second-order concern relative to …