Digital Commons Network^™

A Test Score Comparison Between Block And Traditional Scheduling, Yancy J. Ford

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how schools utilizing block scheduling and traditional scheduling models differ in achievement levels on the five Georgia End-of-Course Exams (EOCT) and the Georgia High School Graduation Writing test (GHSWT) at two high schools in ruralSouth Georgia. The researcher will investigated if there is a differential benefit in terms of higher EOCT/GHSWT scores during block or traditional scheduling when considering demographic variables student gender, race, or SES. No experimentation occurred as the study relied on historical data. Both high schools were examined individually; comparing the five EOCT’s and the GHSWT under the block …

Perception Of The School Experiences Of Five Generations Of Deaf Students, Charles Depew

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate deaf participants’ perspectives of their educational experiences within the last 50 years. The study was comprised of five deaf participants educated in the public school setting, and four deaf participants educated in the residential setting. The qualitative study utilized three in-depth interviews, a survey, and the researcher’s reflections/notes. The findings suggest deaf students’ educational experiences are impacted by low academic expectations. Sign language can be a powerful learning tool or a barrier for deaf students as deaf students depend on sign language and visuals to support their learning. Both spoken and written …

Aggro Duality, Michael B. Lesh

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Aggro Duality features sculptures inspired by skateboarding and custom–automobile cultures. This body of work is inspired by the manufacturing process, physicality of materials, individual aesthetic, and attention to craft. Each sculpture in Aggro Duality is created through intensive construction techniques that aim to modify materials into a unified form; which indicate a combination, a duality of mechanical and organic coexistence. Within the skateboarding and custom/automobile cultures there is an aggressive attitude that pushes individuals above and beyond boundaries of traditional standards, meaning, and styles. These cultures intend to create products that are dramatic, personalized, and stand-out from the norm. This …

Provider Recommendations For Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (Hpv) Among Adolescent Males In Southwest Georgia Counties And The Associated Hpv Prevalence In This Population, Benjamin K. Poku

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this research study was to examine the variation in healthcare providers’ behavior in recommending the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to young male adolescents (aged 11-12), middle male adolescents (aged 13-17) and late male adolescents (aged 18-26) in rural Southwest Georgia counties. This research also aimed to identify factors associated with providers’ behaviors concerning HPV vaccination recommendation to youth in various age groups.

Methods: Upon IRB approval, secondary data were obtained from Albany Area Primary Care for a paper-based survey that was conducted in 2014 using a representative random sample of family physicians (n=12), pediatricians (n=6), and …

An Evaluation Of Principals’ Perceptions Of Georgia’S Teacher Keys Effectiveness System, Denise B. Warnock

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

“Teachers are by far the most important in-school factor in determining whether our students succeed and our nation’s schools improve” (Education Trust, 2009. p. 3). Quality instruction should be the objective of all educators. Accountability measures have increased the focus on instruction quality making teacher evaluation an important element in determining teacher effectiveness. A greater emphasis on accountability in the field of education calls for teachers and students to demonstrate standards of competency and performance. In light of current educational policy, the means by which teachers are observed and appraised are as important as the content and students they teach. …

Labeled Trees And Spanning Trees: Computational Discrete Mathematics And Applications, Demet Yalman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we examine two topics. In the first part, we consider Leech tree which is a tree of order n with positive integer edge weights such that the weighted distances between pairs of vertices are exactly from 1 to n choose 2. Only five Leech trees are known and some non-existence results have been presented through the years. Variations of Leech trees such as the minimal distinct distance trees and modular Leech trees have been considered in recent years. In this thesis, such Leech-type questions on distances between leaves are studied as well as some other labeling questions …

Helping To Resolve Taxonomic Conflicts Within The Genus Amblyomma (Acari:Ixodidae) From A Molecular Perspective, Paula Lado

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This work sought to reassess the taxonomic status of Amblyomma parvum Aragao, 1908 and of the A. maculatum group of ticks Camicas, 1998. By using different molecular markers, 12SrDNA, 16SrDNA, DL, COI, COII (mitochondrial) and ITS2 (nuclear), I analyzed the systematic relationships between these taxa and their closest relatives. Phylogenetic analyses by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis were performed in order to determine relationships among species and populations, and to determine the evolutionary history of these ixodids. The data obtained supported the hypothesis of cryptic speciation occurring within A. parvum, with the northern populations of Central America being …

Cues Of Colorism: The Psychological, Sociocultural, And Developmental Differences Between Light-Skinned And Dark-Skinned African-Americans, Tasia M. Pinkston

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Skin color biases, henceforth referred to as colorism, are the biased judgments, attitudes and behaviors toward an individual based on the lightness or darkness of their skin. Available research on the topic has examined a select group of variables, such as mate selection, self-esteem and perceived attractiveness. However, there is no single study on differences between African-Americans across several domains, including their psychological (skin color satisfaction and self-esteem), sociocultural (media influence on appearance and discriminatory events), and developmental (ethnic identity) well-being. Moreover, there is no research on differences in these variables between African-Americans reared in rural versus non-rural areas. To …

Female Social Rank And Steroid Production In Semi-Free Ranging Lemur Catta On St. Catherines Island, Georgia, Tiffany Burgess

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Many mammalian species live in complex social groups that profoundly affect the behavior and ecology of their members. In ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) these groups are characterized by female dominance, where females have priority over males for food, grooming, and space. Among females there is also a linear dominance hierarchy. L. catta have a strong matrilineal social core due to females staying within their natal group and males dispersing at sexual maturity. Daughters “inherit” their mother’s social rank. However, it is not known if the matrilineal lines are maintained through learned dominant/aggressive behavior or inherited via genetically determined hormonal …

Enumerating Graphs Using Integrals From Quantum Field Theory, William A. Coggins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Enumerating graphs is a relatively new subfield of mathematics. In this thesis, we will discuss a enumerative method that derives from Quantum Field Theory. We begin with the basic ideas of Calculus and extend them into a enumerative method that will allow us to classify graphs embedded on surfaces.

The Role Of Artificial Structures In Facilitating Range Expansion Of The Introduced Barnacle Megabalanus Coccopoma In The Southeastern U.S.A., Alicia M. Reigel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The barnacle Megabalanus coccopoma is a recent invader of the southeastern U.S.A. from the tropical eastern Pacific. In Georgia, M. coccopoma populations along the immediate coastline often suffer extensive mortality during the winter, but population rebuilding is common after these events suggesting that there may be nearby larval sources. I investigated the hypothesis that artificial structures (i.e., buoys, towers), occurring far enough offshore of Georgia for water temperatures to be moderated by the Gulf Stream, provide refuges for breeding adults of M. coccopoma and can serve as the larval source. I investigated this hypothesis by first developing thirteen microsatellite primer …

Solutions Of Inequality Constrained Spline Optimization Problems With The Active Set Method, Joshua A. Holloway

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

We solve the problem of finding a near-interpolant curve, subject to constraints, which minimizes the bending energy of the curve. Using B-splines as our tools, we give a brief overview of spline properties and develop several different cases of inequality constrained optimization problems of this type. In particular, we develop the active set method and use it to solve these problems, emphasizing the fact that this algorithm will converge to a solution in finite iterations. Our solution will solve an open problem regarding near-interpolant spline curves. Furthermore, we supplement this with an iterative technique for better choosing data sites so …

Myosin 10 Is Required For Spinal Motor Axon Growth And Guidance In Zebrafish Embryos, Crystal Ivey

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Neurodevelopmental disorders are disabilities caused by malfunctioning mechanisms within the developing nervous tissue. These abnormalities often result in conditions such as autism spectrum disorders, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), motor dysfunctions, learning disabilities and mental retardation. Recent surveys indicate that there will be a 12% increase of children in the United States alone who are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus, it is important to understand both the normal and abnormal mechanisms of neural development. Neural development involves specification of new neurons and formation of neural circuits that connect the nervous system to every organ of the developing embryo. Neural circuits …

An Evaluation Of A Secondary Student Advisement Program, Barbara A. Jordan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This mixed methods program evaluation examines the effectiveness of a high school advisory program in meeting its stated goals from the perspective of its various stakeholders. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods and applying a concurrent embedded strategy, the researcher uses Stufflebeam’s CIPP Model (Stufflebeam, McKee & McKee, 2003) as a framework to conduct a study of the Teachers-As-Advisors (TAA) Program in a rural high school in Georgia. Surveys were administered to 205 students, 40 parents, and 17 advisors. Two district administrators, three school administrators, and two counselors were interviewed. In addition, focus group discussions were held with a purposeful …

Bayesian Inference Of The Weibull-Pareto Distribution, James Dow

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Weibull distribution has many applications in various topics. Some of these topics include survival analysis, reliability engineering, general insurance, electrical engineering, and industrial engineering. The Weibull distribution was further extended by the Weibull-Pareto distribution. A desirable property this distribution has is its shape can skew being able to better model left or right skewed data. Examples of skewed data include human longevity and actuarial data. In this work a hierarchical Bayesian model was developed using the Weibull-Pareto distribution.

Not (Just) Donne: Alchemical Transmutation As Immortality In Shakespeare’S Sonnets, Brandi L. Moody

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Shakespeare, in his sonnets, employs alchemical references in the sonnets that ultimately fail, in order to show how fruitless it is to pursue immortality. The poet urges the fair friend, who himself is like the self-consuming ouroboros, to father a child that will continue his legacy and allow the fair friend to live on via the child. Language associated with the child is alchemical, referencing distillation, vials, flasks, and the renewing power of the philosopher’s stone. The dark lady, the opposite of the fair friend in every way, can be explained as fulfilling alchemy’s union of opposites needed for a …

Myosinx Is Required For Craniofacial Development In Danio Rerio, Cole Yancey

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Craniofacial development is the process of laying early cartilage and bone patterns in the anterior region of the embryo, which ultimately results in shaping the structure of the face and head of an organism. Craniofacial abnormalities in humans, such as cleft lip and palate, are among the most common of all birth defects. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in craniofacial development will help us understand both evolutionary processes and genetic diseases. Craniofacial cartilage and bone structures are almost entirely derived from neural crest cells. Neural crest are a pluripotent migratory stream of cells that originate from the early developing …

Color Removal From Pulp Mill Effluent Using Coal Ash Produced From Georgia Power Coal Combustion Plants, Christopher B. Willett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Two environmental concerns currently face Georgia: coal fly ash (CFA) waste from coal power plants, and the effluent generated by pulp mills. Pulp mill effluent discolors surface waters into which it is discharged, and has been proven to negatively impact the dissolved oxygen and carbon necessary for aquatic life. The proposed solution is a cost-effective adsorption treatment using an inexpensive but abundantly available waste material: CFA. CFA possesses beneficial properties that allow it to effectively remove contaminants, and is available at significantly reduced cost. The primary research objective was to define treatment parameters that would result in the maximum removal …

Objective Predictor Metric Of Annoyance For Hydraulic Engine Mount Cavitation, John Powell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Vehicle acoustics has been found to have a direct impact on customer experience. Unexpected noises play a role in this experience. Hydraulic engine mount cavitation, the noise heard from the collapse of vapor bubbles in the mount, is considered one of those unexpected noises. During the design phase of a vehicle when an unexpected noise is found there is a need for a method to quantify how much of the noise is too much. Subjective evaluations alone are not enough due to variability from engineer to engineer. An objective way needed to be developed in order to evaluate the cavitation …

Examination Of Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Ovarian Cancer Stage Of Diagnosis, Surgery Treatment And Survival: Multilevel Analysis Of 2001-2012 Seer Data, Chen Chen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Context. Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer outcomes are major public health concerns. Ovarian cancer is the tenth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Identifying individual- and contextual-level factors contributing to racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer stage of diagnosis, surgery treatment and survival is necessary for reducing and eliminating these disparities.

Objective. The study aims to examine racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer diagnosis, surgery treatment and survival outcomes; to explore individual- and contextual-level factors contributing to these disparities, and to examine the trend of ovarian cancer racial/ethnic disparities from 2001 to 2012.

Methods. The …

Nonstructural Carbohydrate Concentrations Of Pine Trees As A Function Of Evolutionary History, Joshua T. Mims

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) can supply substrate during periods when current photosynthate is unavailable or inadequate to meet metabolic demands. I hypothesized that natural selection has favored higher nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations ([NSC]) in species that have an evolutionary history of frequent disturbance and tested this using three southern pine species that have evolved under a continuum of disturbance frequencies (evolutionary history of fire ~ longleaf > slash > loblolly). Stem and root samples were collected from 12 similar-sized individual trees of each species during time periods that reflect the annual minimum and maximum [NSC]. A modified colorimetric method was performed on the samples …

When Good Business Relationships Go Bad: A Quantitative Analysis Of Dark Side Variables In Mature Supply Chain Relationships, Heather L. Monteiro

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study examines the dark side effect of relationship variables on relationship financial performance and likelihood of relationship termination, moderated by relationship quality. The study tests propositions found in Social Exchange Theory. The cross-sectional survey was conducted with a population of logistics purchasers and providers. Three of ten hypotheses were supported; contributing evidence supporting the positive effect of relationship quality on the path between some relationship variables and performance, thereby corroborating Social Exchange Theory.

The other hypotheses support the existence of the dark side effect of some relationship variables. Theoretically, this study strengthens the argument of Social Exchange Theory, …

Combinatorial Game Theory: An Introduction To Tree Topplers, John S. Ryals Jr.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to introduce a new game, Tree Topplers, into the field of Combinatorial Game Theory. Before covering the actual material, a brief background of Combinatorial Game Theory is presented, including how to assign advantage values to combinatorial games, as well as information on another, related game known as Domineering. Please note that this document contains color images so please keep that in mind when printing.

Ammonia Oxygen Demand Determination For The Design Of An Oxygenation System In A Water Supply Reservoir, Armond Jenkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Occoquan Reservoir is a eutrophic reservoir that is part of an indirect potable reuse system. To protect the reservoir water quality, a high quality nitrified product water from a water reclamation facility and an oxygenation system are used during periods of thermal stratification to prevent the onset of anaerobic conditions above the sediments. During the stratified warmest months of the year, oxygen depletion rates exceed nitrate and artificial oxygen supply rates near the dam resulting in ammonia accumulation in the water column. Field observations and laboratory experiments revealed that sediment ammonia release rates ranged from 170-542 mg/m²∙day. …

The Road Less Traveled: Alumni Perceptions Of The Georgia Early College High School Experience, Tequila Tranise Morgan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite the efforts of traditional high schools to educate all students, at-risk populations tend to lag behind their White and more affluent counterparts in educational achievement, high school graduation rates, and college attendance rates. Early College High Schools (ECHSs) were designed to attract and retain at-risk students through rigorous academic practices, strong support systems, and by providing free access to college credits while students are still in high school.

With the case study approach as a guide, this research used an open-ended interview protocol to collect data from a sample of 16 students who attended one ECHS in Georgia between …

Excessive Tanning As A Presentation Of Body Dsymorphic Disorder, Jennifer Headrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) involves a potentially debilitating preoccupation with an imagined or minor flaw in one’s appearance (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Phillips, 2005). Common body areas of preoccupation include the skin, face, hair, and muscles (Castle, Ross, & Kyrios, 2006; Mosley, 2009; Phillips, 2005; Veale, 2003). With the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—5th edition (APA, 2013), BDD was moved from the Somatoform Disorder classification to the new diagnostic category of Obsessive-Compulsive and related disorders. A new example of preoccupation with skin tone and an associated behavior of excessive tanning were added to the BDD …

African-American Males, African-American Female Principals, & The Opportunity Gap, Jennifer N. Dunbar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Over the past decade, research has been devoted to bridging the gap in academics and opportunity among African-American males. Missing from the dialogue however, are the voices of African-American female leaders. This voice will not only play an instrumental part in mediating cultural misunderstandings that occur in the classroom, but it will also facilitate a much needed conversation in understanding gender and race by displaying different views on educational leadership. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of the opportunity gap among African-American female principals in Title I schools to raise the presence of their voice …

From This Dark Place To The Other: Violence And Connection In The Poetry Of Brian Turner, Alan R. Swirsky

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Brian Turner is a poet and American soldier who served in Iraq at the start of the 21^st century. His poetry is about his experiences as a soldier interacting with the Iraqi people, his time in America following the war, PTSD, and the endless violence in the war zone. As a comparatively recent entry into the genre of War Poetry, his work pays homage to the writers who preceded him, like Wilfred Owen and Bruce Weigl, while also referencing Middle Eastern poets typically outside the scope of American literature. Through Turner’s recurring themes and motifs, connections are established between …

Fighting On The Frontline: An Examination Of Teacher Retention Practices In Urban Elementary Schools, Kelley J. Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For many teachers employed in schools in metro Atlanta, meeting the demands of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top is complicated by social realities characterized by the urban environment. Teachers’ beliefs about learning, operationalized at either the individual or the collective level, are influenced by the context of the schools in which they teach, and when teaching in the urban context, it is critical that teachers believe students can learn despite their circumstances (Halvorsen, Lee, & Andrade, 2009). The purpose of schools is to ensure academic achievement for children despite age, creed, color, race, or religion; however, …

Understanding A Sense Of School Membership For Students With Disabilities In Two Middle Schools, Heather Holland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In today’s educational system, a conversation that is often deprioritized is the need to consider students’ affective skills. One such aspect of this domain is how students feel as a member of their school environment. This need to belong is a basic psychological need (Goodenow, 1993); however, this is a critical component for students who may be marginalized, such as students with disabilities (Hagborg, 1998b). Hagborg (1998b) projected during his study that SWDs would have a lower sense of school membership that their non-disabled peers due, but the results of his study found that SWDs had comparable rates. Hagborg concluded …