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Enhancing The Quality Of Friendship In Married Couples' Relationships In The Madison, Tennessee Hispanic Sda District, Nathan Delima

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to explore the possibility of enhancing the friendship of certain married couples in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Madison, Tennessee Hispanic District. This project resource should add to the academic field of study by possibly helping pastors, family educators, and church family life leaders to consider using this project to help enrich the relationships of married couples. It will likely provide resource information for those doing projects or working with married couples.

Justification for the Project

There is a need to nurture the friendship of the married couples within the churches of …

Equipping Church Leaders To Minister To Abused And Oppressed People, Marion Winifred Duncan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Miles (2011) maintains that no church community is "immune" to situations of abuse, "yet" he said, "pastors still receive very little training in this area" (p. x). As a result, many victims of abuse are seen to experience secondary victimization on top of the trauma that brought them to their church for help in the first place. This secondary victimization has been caused by the utilization of simplistic scriptural solutions to complex life situations. These solutions are well known in the churches and commonly used, having been handed down from generation to generation. The pastors who use them are …

A Free Start: Community-Based Organizations As An Antidote To The Mass Incarceration Of Women Pretrial, Amber Baylor

Faculty Scholarship

In 1973, the feminist newsmagazine Off Our Backs featured a segment on women in jail awaiting trial in Washington, D.C. Many of the women faced minor charges, such as soliciting prostitution, but remained in detention because they could not afford to pay even very low amounts of monetary bail. The magazine interviewed Myrna Raeder, then a fellow at Georgetown, and other attorneys involved in a class action suit against D.C. corrections, who argued that low-income women were unjustly subjected to the punitive effects of pretrial detention, in violation of their due process rights. Raeder reported to the newsmagazine, “as a …

Customizing Course Redesign And Flipped Classroom Models To Improve Learning Environment, Taeil Yi, Jerzy Mogilski

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This article is about a successful adoption of course redesign model of mathematics courses at the Department of Mathematics in the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB), a Hispanic serve university in the south Texas. Around 2007 National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) recommended six models for using of information technology to redesign courses in mathematics: the supplemental model, the replacement model, the emporium model, the fully online model, the buffet model, and the linked workshop model. Because of the local educational environment and resources none of the six models could be implemented exactly like it was described by NCAT. …

Geomorphic Landform Design As An Alternative For Conventional Valley Fill Surface Mine Reclamation: Assessing Conceptual Design, Groundwater Modeling, And Contaminant Desorption, Nathan C. Depriest

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research aimed to evaluate the potential of applying geomorphic landform design (GLD) principles to valley fill reclamation, specifically in southern West Virginia, central Appalachia, USA. When constructing reclaimed landforms, GLD aims to mimic the geomorphology of reference landforms that are stable and in erosive and hydrologic equilibrium. Challenges with the technique have been identified related to use in central Appalachia. Reference landform design values vary by location and need to be quantified at a local scale for site-specific design. Due to the steep slopes of existing valleys, constructing engineered landforms that naturally blend in with the surrounding environment may …

The Modeling And Stability Analysis Of Humans Balancing An Inverted Pendulum, Yaohui Ding

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The control of an inverted pendulum is a classical problem in dynamics and control theory. Without active control, the inverted pendulum by itself is inherently unstable, thus serving as an ideal platform for control algorithms design and testing. This study utilizes an inverted pendulum setup to investigate the characteristics of manual control in executing a single-axial compensatory task. An inverted pendulum with sliding base on a single-axial rail was built for this purpose. Human subjects were asked to stabilize the pendulum by sliding the base on the rail. To mathematically quantify the characteristics of human manual control, a quasi-linear lead-lag …

Mission Design, Guidance, And Navigation Of A Callisto-Io-Ganymede Triple Flyby Jovian Capture, Alan M. Didion

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Use of a triple-satellite-aided capture maneuver to enter Jovian orbit reduces insertion DeltaV and provides close flyby science opportunities at three of Jupiter's four large Galilean moons. This capture can be performed while maintaining appropriate Jupiter standoff distance and setting up a suitable apojove for plotting an extended tour.;This paper has three main chapters, the first of which discusses the design and optimization of a triple-flyby capture trajectory. A novel triple-satellite-aided capture uses sequential flybys of Callisto, Io, and Ganymede to reduce the DeltaV required to capture into orbit about Jupiter. An optimal broken-plane maneuver is added between Earth and …

Enriching Online Classroom Discussion (2015), Christopher Bevard

Faculty White Papers

No abstract provided.

Calcium Enhanced Protein Recovery From Underutilized Aquatic Resources And Optimizing Protein Gelation Strategies Using Functional Ingredients, Ilgin Paker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Utilization of aquatic resources has rapidly gained importance. Traditional fish processing does not utilize the majority of the fish, thus generating large quantities of waste that impacts the economy, sustainability and environmental stress adversely. Protein can be extracted from underutilized sources such as silver carp and catfish using a pH shift processing method and incorporated into the human diet. Therefore, myofibrillar proteins were extracted from ground fish using different alkali solubilization and precipitation strategies. The efficacy of protein separation from lipids, and insoluble such as skin, fins, scales and bones were investigated and compared. Protein and lipid recovery yields were …

Electrochemical Investigation Of Corrosion Resistance Of Weldments In Steel Bridges, Qusay Adel Al-Kaseasbeh

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Welding is commonly used for connecting steel components in steel bridge fabrication and construction. Welding processes change the microstructures, properties of surrounding steel and its surface texture. In this study, an investigation of corrosion behavior of steel bridge welds was performed under simulated corrosive environments in the laboratory. Four electrochemical tests: a) open circuit potential, b) Rp/Ec Trend, c) electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and d) potentiodynamic polarization, were identified and conducted to gain fundamentals to weldment corrosion in two commonly used bridge steels (A572 and A588). In addition, three coating systems (3-coat, Calcium sulfonate alkyd, and metallizing coating) in steel bridges …

Prediction Of Discretization Error Using The Error Transport Equation, Don Roscoe Parsons Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since its conception, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has had a role to play in both the industrial and the academic realm. Due to the availability of relatively cheap computer resources, CFD is now playing an increasingly critical role in the industry compared to experiments. It is also becoming increasingly important for the CFD analyst to have an in-depth understanding of the error inherently present in numeric and mathematical models. At a minimum, CFD simulation results should be accompanied by some analysis of the error including some type of grid convergence study and an estimation of the corresponding numerical uncertainty.;Error estimation …

Characterization Of Activities Of Crumb Rubber In Interaction With Asphalt And Its Effect On Final Properties, Amir Ghavibazoo

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Recycling of millions of scrap tires produced everyday is crucial challenge encountered by waste management systems. Recycling tire rubbers in form of ground tire rubber, known as crumb rubber modifier (CRM), in asphalt industry was introduced in early 1960's and is proved as an effective recycling method. Interaction between CRM and asphalt is physical in nature which happens mainly due to exchange of components between CRM and asphalt and enhances the time temperature dependant properties of asphalt. In this work, the interaction between CRM and asphalt was evaluated through monitoring the evolutions of CRM in asphalt in macro and micro-level. …

In-Line Fiber Optic Sensing System For Pipeline Corrosion Detection, Xiao Liang

Civil and Environmental Engineering

To understand the impact of corrosion on metal on-shore buried transmission pipeline, which is one of the most critical damages, corrosion evaluation plays an important role. An effective approach for real-time in-line detection of corrosion is still not fully developed yet. This study introduces a concept of using an in-line optical fiber sensor system embedded inside metallic corrosion-resistant coating to conduct corrosion detection. Fiber Bragg grating sensors were selected as sensing units and the metallic corrosion-resistant coating was achieved using the high velocity oxygen fuel thermal spraying technique. The successful embedment technique was developed by using stainless steel adhesive protection …

Emotion Regulation In Families Of Children With Behavior Problems Versus Nonclinical Comparisons, Lauren Borduin Quetsch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following study explored the relationship between emotion regulation in children with and without externalizing behavior problems and their caregivers. The study examined emotion regulation in both clinical and comparison samples. The main research question for the study was determining if there was a link between parent and child emotion regulation in both clinical and comparison samples. Sixty families were collected from two rural populations in the United States. Families referred for parent training with children ages 2 through 8 were recruited for a clinical sample (n = 34) along with a nonclinical comparison group (n = 26). A blocking …

Fundamental Study Of Nano-Scale Adhesion And Friction Properties Of Graphene In Ambient Air And Liquid Environments, Sai Suvineeth Ramayanam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this study is to understand the fundamental tribological interactions of model contacts developed between a 'single' asperity silicon tip and a few layer graphene surface in ambient air, ionic liquid, and lubricating oil environments. The motivation to investigate such fundamental interactions stems from the need to gain an understanding of the tribological properties, morphology and defects of few layer graphene with respect to different synthesis methods including both bottom-up and top-down approaches. In particular, the surface properties of atomically thin sheets of graphene synthesized by three methods; (i) liquid phase exfoliation of graphene, (ii) chemical reduction of …

Synthesis, Characterization And Photocatalytic Activity Of Au-Zno Heterostructures, Oshadha Kanchana Ranasingha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heterostructures of semiconductor metal oxides and metals have been studied extensively due to the synergistic photocatalytic activity they display. Gold-Zinc oxide (Au-ZnO) heterostructured photocatalysts are one of the most widely studied photocatalysts due to the high photocatalytic activity of ZnO and the ability of Au to transfer photoexcited electrons away from ZnO, which leads to enhanced carrier separation and improved catalytic activity. Au heterostructuring is also known to alter the electronic structure of ZnO leading to better photochemical band alignment and a decreased work function which both contribute to enhanced catalytic activity. The use of Au to form heterostructures with …

The Application Of Electroanalytical Techniques To The Study Of Coating Systems, Kenneth James Croes

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

Electroanalytical techniques are often employed to augment standard practices utilized to study and characterize coating performance on metal substrates, yielding information that is not provided by standard coating analysis methods. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was utilized to study epoxy-amine coatings incorporating oligomers and monomers of phenylenediamine in the coating structure; these results were compared to unusual EIS results obtained in previous studies of organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel coatings attributed to the sol-gel structure. With a different coating structure, the unusual results were replicated in coatings containing phenylenediamine oligomers but not monomer. The results suggested the oligomers caused the coatings to act …

Electrochemical Investigation Of Powder Coatings And Their Application To Magnesium-Rich Primers For Corrosion Protection, Casey Roy Orgon

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

Corrosion is the decomposition of metal and metal alloys which threatens the integrity of manmade structures. One of the more efficient methods of delaying the corrosion process in metals is by coatings. In this work, the durability of two polyester powder coatings were investigated for corrosion protection of AA-2024-T3. Polyester powder coatings crosslinked by either triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) or β-hydroxyalkyl amide (HAA) compounds were prepared and investigated for barrier protection of metal substrates by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Polyester-TGIC coatings were found to provide better long-term protection, which can be attributed to the increased mechanical strength and higher concentration of …

Quantitative Assessment Of The Discrimination Potential Of Class And Randomly Acquired Characteristics For Crime Scene Quality Shoeprints, Nicole Richetelli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Footwear evidence has tremendous forensic value; it can focus a criminal investigation, link suspects to scenes, help reconstruct a series of events, or otherwise provide information vital to the successful resolution of a case. When considering the specific utility of a linkage, the strength of the connection between the source footwear and an impression left at the scene of a crime varies with the known rarity of the shoeprint itself, which is a function of the class characteristics, as well as the complexity, clarity, and quality of randomly acquired characteristics (RACs) available for analysis. To help elucidate the discrimination potential …

The Role Of Police And Courts In The Implementation Of Domestic Violence Policy In Brazil, Ellen Belchior Rodrigues

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation investigated factors that influence the decision-making process of police officers, prosecutors, public attorneys and judges when dealing with cases of domestic violence. The study specifically looked at the types of information the police and the judiciary considered relevant to ask victims when they filed complaints at police stations and at court hearings, respectively. Based on the literature on judicial politics and policing, this research focused on how individuals act as agents, helping or hindering the implementation of the policy. It highlighted the various factors that influence these agents, particularly in the context of small communities such as courts …

Against The Thalassocracy: Sacred Geography, Nationhood And Perennial Traditionalism In Alexander Dugin's Neo-Eurasianist Philosophy, Jonathan Rushbrook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis discusses the ideological makeup of the Russian right wing philosopher Alexander Dugin's and his conceptualization of race and nation in his Neo-Eurasianist imperial project. Tracing Dugin's ideological influences from early Eurasianism, the European New Right and esoteric religious beliefs such as Perennial Traditionalism, the thesis then goes on to place Dugin's body of thought within a larger debate on defining fascism and whether Dugin can be considered a fascist. Ultimately this thesis contests some scholars' interpretations of Dugin's worldview as a fundamentally ethnocentric or even racist Russian nationalism. Rather, by examining Dugin's writings on nation through an ethno-symbolist …

Use Of Wireless, Ad-Hoc Networks For Proximity Warning And Collision Avoidance In Surface Mines, Venkata Raghava Siva Naga Shashank Sabniveesu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite the record of progress achieved in the United States with respect to reducing fatal and non-fatal injuries in surface mines, both the number and severity of these injuries remain unacceptable. A large fraction of these injuries in surface mines are caused by collisions involving large haulage equipment such as trucks, dozers, and front-end loaders. There are two main contributing factors for these collisions: (i) the massive size of these vehicles, which causes several blind spots surrounding the vehicle for the driver, and (ii) the sheer momentum of these vehicles, which makes it hard to maneuver these vehicles and often …

Theory Of Flame Propagation In Open Obstructed Channels, Jad Sadek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obstructed pipes constitute one of the most relevant configurations for extremely fast premixed flame acceleration and deflagration-to-detonation transition. While the flame propagation through obstacles is often associated with turbulence and/or shocks, a conceptually-laminar and shockless mechanism of extremely fast flame acceleration in semi-open "tooth-brush"-like obstructed pipes has been developed by Bychkov et al [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 101 (2008) 164501]. Namely, a flame front is ignited at the closed end of a pipe, with the flame propagating towards the open pipe end. This acceleration scenario is devoted to a powerful jet-flow, which is produced by delayed combustion in the spaces …

Design Of Scattering Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope, Dustin Schrecongost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary objective of this work is to construct a fully functional scattering type Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope (s-SNOM), and to understand the working mechanisms behind it. An s-SNOM is an instrument made up of two separate instruments working in unison. One instrument is a scanning optical microscope focusing light onto a raster scanning sample surface combined with an interferometer set up. The second instrument is an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) operating in noncontact mode. The AFM uses a small probe that interacts with the raster scanning sample surface to map out the topography of the of the sample surface. …

Hydrologic Response And Erosion Modeling Of Geomorphic Landform Reclamation In Mountainous Terrain, Alison E. Sears

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Surface mining and valley-fill practices often lead to environmental impacts including headwater stream loss, increased flooding risk, and degraded downstream water quality. Geomorphic landform design (GLD) is an innovative reclamation technique proposed to lessen the impacts associated with surface mining and valley-fill activities. GLD incorporates mature landform shapes and created stream channels on site, imitating the function of the undisturbed landscape. The purpose of this research was to model GLDs in mountainous terrain and evaluate the hydrologic response and erosion potential of GLD in surface mining application. Computer modeling of valley-fill designs using geomorphic landform principles of a study site …

Escape And Apathy: How Narratives Of Homelessness Influence Benevolent Behaviors Among Domicile Publics, Amy Elaine Duchsherer

Communication

Using the theoretical lenses of attribution theory, contact hypothesis, and exemplification theory, this study examined how narratives of homelessness influenced domicile individuals when determining benevolent behaviors. Survey data were collected from 331 participants regarding the influence of particular narratives on the likelihood and types of assistance participants would be willing to provide homeless individuals. Participants also responded to two open-ended questions to identify other factors likely to influence the offering of assistance. Findings revealed that participants considered 12 factors when choosing whether or not to act benevolently, including cause, vulnerability of the homeless individual, and willingness to escape homelessness most …

Ndsu Scholar: Application To Search Articles Relevant To A Research Problem, Rahul Sharma

Computer Science

Because of recent development in the field of computers, there has been substantial growth in the field of online education that varies from online tutors to electronic research papers. Now days, a student can find almost any resource on the internet on any topic they wish to choose from. This platform also assists students in doing their research on a particular topic by providing them a search interface where they can enter their query and get relevant results. Some examples of these search engines are Google Scholar, ASK etc. I have built an online search application that will help assist …

The Role Of Self-Efficacy And Social Support In Emerging Adults' Physical Activity, Nicole M. Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emerging adulthood is a time where emerging adults develop health behaviors that persist throughout the life span (Barnett et al., 2014). However, only 55.4% of emerging adults engage in the recommended amount of physical activity each week (U.S. Department for Health and Human Services, 2013). The current study examined two factors that are associated with physical activity, specifically self-efficacy and social support, in 403 (M age = 19.25, SD = 1.12) emerging adults. Linear regressions indicated that emerging adults who reported higher levels of general self-efficacy (beta = .13, p < .05), domain self-efficacy (beta = .33, p < .05), and support from the entire social network (beta = .50, p < .001) engaged in more physical activity. Support from the entire social network still accounted for a significant portion of the variance in physical activity when accounting for general or domain self-efficacy (beta for support = .48, p < .001 and .30, p < .05, respectively). The differential effects of source of support (i.e., family and friends) and type of support (i.e., esteem support, informational support, and companionship support) were also examined. Emerging adults who reported higher levels of support from family (beta = .22, p < .001) and friends (beta = .33, p < .001) engaged in more physical activity. Although emerging adults reported receiving more esteem support from family (M = 2.95, SD = 1.23) compared to friends (M = 2.74, SD = 1.15), esteem support from friends (beta = .33, p < .001) had a larger effect on physical activity than esteem support from family (beta = .21, p < .05).

Optimization Of Pulsed-Vacuum Osmotic Dehydration Of Blueberries, Alexandra Marie Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fruit drying is energy intensive (thermal efficiency 25-50%). However, improved efficiency is possible if phase change during the process is minimized. To minimize phase change and simultaneously increase product yield and quality, osmotic dehydration and pulsed-vacuum osmotic dehydration can be applied to maximize water removal before final drying. The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of vacuum, osmotic solution temperature and concentration, and treatment duration on blueberry mass transfer. Frozen blueberries were exposed to 2 temperatures (25 or 50°C), 2 sugar solution concentrations (45 or 65°Brix), 2 vacuum treatments (no vacuum or 50 mbar), and 3 duration …

Impacts Of Multiple Stressors On Dryland Vulnerability And Land Conflict Among Border Communities, Alvin Maingi Solomon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines how individuals and groups respond to prevailing politico-economic and biophysical changes and how the adjustments they make influence and are influenced by their social relations and material condition in spatial and temporal terms. This dissertation comprises of three parts: The first part is a critique of the climate-conflict relationship debate and the problems associated with studies pushing for a causal relationship between climate variables and conflict. I argue that scholars lack of attention on varying institutional capacities and the focus solely on environmental factors as trigger mechanisms for conflict leads to misleading arguments about conflict distribution and …