Digital Commons Network^™

Secondary English Teachers Dispositions Toward Technology Integration In One-To-One Environments, Reed Chewning

All Dissertations

This study examined how high school English teachers define technology integration and how teacher beliefs regarding technology integration impacts teacher and student use of digital technologies for instructional purposes. Thirty-nine teachers from three high school English departments in their initial year of a one-to-one device implementation participated in this study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed to examine how high school English teachers define technology integration and to examine if teacher beliefs informs technology integration practices. Quantitative data included the use of the TPACK formative assessment tool and an instructional technology use survey. Qualitative data included open-ended survey …

Designing Optical Properties In Infrared Glass, Benn Gleason

All Dissertations

Chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) are well-known for their attractive optical properties, such as high refractive index and transparency in across infrared wavelengths. ChGs also possess the ability to compositionally tune properties such as the refractive index, the thermo-optic coefficient, and other non-optical properties. Chalcogenide glasses with compositionally tailored physical and optical properties will provide optical designers with new materials necessary to create novel infrared imaging systems requiring new or expanded functionality. This dissertation has evaluated the relationship between glass composition, the resulting atomic structure, and resulting optical and thermo-optical properties, with specific focus on the infrared refractive index and the thermo-optic …

Optimization Of Pyrochlore Catalysts For The Dry Reforming Of Methane, Felipe Polo Garzon

All Dissertations

The conversion of methane into syngas (a mixture of CO and H2), which can be further converted into a variety of chemicals and particularly liquid fuels, is of growing importance given recent increases in methane production world-wide. Furthermore, since using CO2 as the co-feed offers many environmental advantages, dry reforming of methane (DRM, CH4 + CO2 ⇌ 2CO + 2H2) has received renewed attention. In recent years, experimentalists have shown that the Rh-substituted lanthanum zirconate pyrochlore (LRhZ) material is catalytically active for DRM, exhibits long-term thermal stability and resists deactivation; however, previous to this doctoral work, a detailed understanding of …

Multi-Factor Models To Resolve Growth Responses In Vitro And During Subsequent Greenhouse Growth For Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.), Rabia El-Hawaz

All Dissertations

Plant media has been developed over the last six decades, yet, there has not been medium optimized for microplant greenhouse growth, which may be important for producing chemical compounds and preparing transplants for success in the field. A series of multi-factor optimization experiments were conducted on turmeric (Curcuma longa L., genotype L 35-1) to identify the effects of mineral nutrition and plant density in vitro on laboratory and greenhouse production. The first experiment optimized PO43-, Ca2+, Mg2+, and KNO3 for five-months growth in bioreactors with periodic supplementation of sucrose solution +/- nutrients. Phosphorus (6.25 mM) increased sucrose supplement and rhizome …

Development And Validation Of A Novel In Vitro Model For The Assessment Of Heterocellular Interactions Mediated By Connexin43, Emily Ongstad

All Dissertations

The injury border zone (IBZ), a region of transitional tissue between intact myocardium and the ischemic area, is often the site of lethal reentrant arrhythmia generation in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Disruption to normal connexin43 (Cx43) localization at the intercalated disc (ID), separation of myocytes by activated fibroblasts and deposited scar tissue are thought to be factors that render the IBZ a pro-arrhythmic substrate, though there is a current need to better understand these changes so directed therapies can be developed. There are no clinically available therapies focused on the mechanistic changes in the IBZ. Additionally, generation of new compounds …

Editorial, Teri Behrens, Michael Quinn Patton

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

The Theory Of Philanthropy Of The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, James Radner, Nathaniel Foote, Michael Quinn Patton

The Foundation Review

This article presents the theory of philanthropy of the Palix Foundation, which seeks to improve health and wellness outcomes for children and families in Alberta, Canada, by mobilizing and applying knowledge about brain and early childhood development and the link to lifelong mental health and addiction outcomes.

Through years of intuitive exploration and adaptation, the foundation evolved its role to include brokering access to the latest scientific knowledge, convening key players in multiple forums to explore applying that knowledge, and serving as a learning partner to public systems and communities in Alberta.

Following evaluation of a major phase of the …

A Foundation's Theory Of Philanthropy: What It Is, What It Provides, How To Do It, Michael Quinn Patton, Nathaniel Foote, James Radner

The Foundation Review

This article argues that philanthropic endeavors should be undergirded by a theory of philanthropy. Articulating a theory of philanthropy is a way for a foundation to make explicit what is often only implicit, thereby enabling internal and external actors to pose and resolve significant questions, understand and play important roles more fully and effectively, and improve performance by enhancing alignment across complex systems.

A theory of philanthropy articulates how and why a foundation will use its resources to achieve its mission and vision. The theory-of-philanthropy approach is designed to help foundations align their strategies, governance, operating and accountability procedures, and …

The Blandin Foundation: The Journey To A Theory Of Philanthropy, Kathy Annette, Wade Fauth, Allison Ahcan

The Foundation Review

The Blandin Foundation, located in Grand Rapids, Minn., is one of the few foundations focused on rural communities.

The foundation’s trustees commissioned the senior leadership team in 2007 to undertake serious, sustained, and annual assessments of the foundation’s work and impact. The first assessments focused on the ways in which they were delivering on the strategic plan, observations about impact, and potential adjustments.

After focusing on strategies, foundation leadership asked themselves what their theory of change was. This question led to a deeper process of exploring why and how they do their work, eventually leading them to a theory of …

Influences Of Venture Philanthropy On Nonprofits’ Funding: The Current State Of Practices, Challenges, And Lessons, Tamaki Onishi

The Foundation Review

This article looks at the current state of venture philanthropy practices in the nonprofit sector, based on data from a survey of 124 nonprofits that engage in venture philanthropy.

The survey probes to what degree nonprofit funders are implementing core activities of venture philanthropy – use of market-based funding instruments, providing strategic assistance, board participation, and use of social and financial performance criteria.

Seven venture philanthropy organizations were also interviewed for this article. Various tactics they have used to mitigate internal and external tensions are examined, including complying with diverse interests to balance conflicting views if internal tension is moderate …

Place-Based Initiatives: Lessons From Five Decades Of Experimentation And Experience, James M. Ferris, Elwood Hopkins

The Foundation Review

This article summarizes the findings from a yearlong inquiry into the state of place-based initiatives, underscores the lessons learned, and develops implications for foundation practice.

Place-based approaches have matured in response to five decades of historical change. In more recent years, a new framework for such initiatives has emerged that views place as an open system where neighborhoods are aligned with larger areas and influenced by market forces and public policy. Consequently, place-based initiatives targeted to a specific neighborhood are only part of any solution.

Seven key lessons emerged from this inquiry that animate a renewed sense of the possible …

When Backbone Organizations Become The Funder: The Use Of Fiscal Intermediaries In The Context Of Collective Impact, Jewlya Lynn, Kirsten Breckinridge, Ashley Denault, Chris Marvin

The Foundation Review

Intermediary organizations are increasingly being engaged to work with grantees in the context of collective impact and similar collaborative approaches that aim to solve significant societal problems. At times the backbone organization – the group providing support to the collective effort – takes on the work of a fiscal intermediary. This dual role has two distinct functions: engagement of collaborative partners to advance a shared agenda, and distributing funds while holding those partners accountable.

This article explores the complexities of the dual relationship by using examples from the Social Innovation Fund, a White House initiative, and Got Your 6, a …

Understanding Collective Impact In A Rural Funding Collaborative: Collective Grantmaking In Appalachian Ohio, Judith Millesen

The Foundation Review

This article documents the history and work of the Appalachian Ohio Funders Group, a ninemember regional grantmaking collaborative committed to strategically enhancing the region’s assets through leadership, networking, financial and in-kind investments, leveraged resources, and collaboration.

The work of the collaborative is positioned within the broader context of recent publications examining funder collaboratives, networks, and collective impact as ways to address social problems, achieve economies of scale, and inspire innovation. Specific attention is given to what makes the collaborative unique – namely, the organizational diversity of the funding partners, the lack of a shared issue area, and the fluidity of …

Creating Choices Before Making Choices: One Family Foundation’S Journey To Finding A Strategic Focus, Kelly C. Medinger, Angela R. Logan

The Foundation Review

Rooted in business principles, philanthropic study, and reflective practice, this article examines the journey of the Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation, a small family foundation established in 1977, toward a strategic grantmaking focus.

This article examines a foundation’s first step toward building a grantmaking strategy – finding an issue or problem to address – alongside a three-part model for creating choices that reflect donor intent, organizational talents and resources, and broader community needs.

The study adds to the body of knowledge about the value, process, and challenges of finding a strategic grantmaking focus, whether that focus is for …

Chinese Tallow Invasion In Maritime Forests: Understand Invasion Mechanism And Develop Ecologically-Based Management, Lauren Susan Pile

All Dissertations

Invasion by highly aggressive, non-native, invasive plants is a significant threat to management and conservation priorities as these plants can transform ecosystem functions and processes. In this study, I investigated the non-native, invasive tree, Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) in the maritime forests of Parris Island, South Carolina. I studied the role of land-use history and modern forest disturbance in facilitating the invasion of Chinese tallow. I found that stands previously cleared for agriculture and reforested with slash pine (Pinus elliottii Englem.) since the 1970s had significantly more Chinese tallow stems than stands that remained forested since …

Interacting Partners Of The Sunn Symbiotic Kinase, Ashley Dawn Zearfoss Crook

All Dissertations

The control of nodule number in legumes is primarily accomplished through a complex systemic signaling pathway termed autoregulation of nodulation (AON). The protein kinase SUNN, a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase, exhibits shoot control of AON. I show subcellular localization of SUNN to the plasma membrane and specifically to the plasmodesmata, a prime location for systemic signaling. To aid in better understanding the mechanisms of signaling in AON, I used different approaches to identify potential protein-protein interactions involving SUNN, including candidate genes, exploratory proteomics, and forward genetic screens. Candidate interactors, including CLAVATA2 (CLV2), CORYNE (CRN) and guanine exchange factors of the …

Robust Modeling Framework For Transportation Infrastructure System Protection Under Uncertainty, Jie Lu

All Dissertations

This dissertation presents a modelling framework that will be useful for decision makers at federal and state levels to establish efficient resource allocation schemes to transportation infrastructures on both strategic and tactical levels. In particular, at the upper level, the highway road network carries traffic flows that rely on the performance of individual bridge infrastructure which is optimized through robust design at lower level. A system optimization model is developed to allocate resources to infrastructure systems considering traffic impact, which aims to reduce infrastructure rehabilitation cost, long term economic cost including travel delays due to realization of future natural disasters …

Filtering Impulses In Dynamic Noise In The Presence Of Large Measurement Noise, Jungphil Kwon

All Dissertations

This work considers the problem of filtering a system in which the dynamic noise occasionally has an impulse value that is an order of magnitude or more larger than its typical expected distribu-tion. This is particularly challenging when the ratio of measurement noise to typical dynamic noise is large enough that the impulse dynamic noise cannot be easily distinguished from a large random occurrence of measurement noise. A new filter model is proposed using a multiple model approach in which one of the models is an impulse. The implementation of the model is demonstrated in a Kalman filter framework. Simulation …

Creating Arguments Using A Multiliteracies Approach: A Formative Experiment, Emily Howell

All Dissertations

This dissertation study addresses the New London Group’s (1996) concern that technology and globalization require an expanded concept of literacy that focuses upon the multimodal nature of communication. This study combined a formative experiment with multiple-case-study methods to understand the pedagogical implications of implementing an intervention based upon the multiliteracies perspective (New London Group, 1996), a perspective that remains theoretical in application. This study sought to implement this perspective in a ninth- and a tenth-grade English class in a rural school district and develop assertions that further the localized, pedagogical understanding and application of the present study’s intervention (Gravemeijer & …

Arsenic Inhibits P19 Stem Cell Differentiation By Altering Microrna Expression And Repressing The Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway, Jui Tung Liu

All Dissertations

Arsenic is a naturally-occurring toxicant that exists in bedrock and can be leached into ground water. Humans can be exposed to arsenic via contaminated drinking water, fruit, rice or crops. Epidemiological studies have shown that arsenic is a developmental toxicant, and in utero exposure reduces IQ scores, verbal learning ability, decreases long term memory, and increases the likelihood of dying from a neurological disorder. Arsenic can also reduce birth weight, weight gain, and muscle function after an in utero exposure. Although the mechanism behind these physiological changes is not known, in vitro studies have shown that arsenic can reduce muscle …

Nutrition Education For Children Attending Preschool (Necap), Ibtehal Alsallaiy

All Dissertations

There is a need to educate children as young as 3-5 years old about nutrition. It is at this age when children start to develop their preferences for certain foods. The purpose of this research study was to; explore the perceptions, preferences, and dietary intake of the main food groups in preschool children, explore the availability, choices, and preparation of the main food groups by the care providers, design and present a nutrition education program to the children and their care providers. The average consumption of fruits during breakfast and lunch prior to the program was 51.6 %, 59.3 % …

Production And Characterization Of Cut Resistant Acrylic/Copolyaramid Fibers Via Bicomponent Wet Spinning, Stephen Hipp

All Dissertations

A composite fiber system consisting of a sheath core bicomponent polymer fiber loaded with hard ceramic particles was developed and characterized for use in cut protective clothing. The core component was comprised of a copolyaramid in order to provide high base cut resistance. An acrylic-copolyaramid polymer blend was used for the sheath component to improve processability and provide potential benefits such as dyeability. Lastly, aluminum oxide particles were incorporated into the fiber core to deflect and deform the cutting edge, further improving cut resistance. A series of designed experiments was used to explore the effects of the wet spinning and …

Estimating The Effect Of Extended And Emergency Unemployment Benefits On The Long-Term Unemployed, James Jones

All Dissertations

Unemployment insurance is designed to help workers smooth consumption in the event of a negative employment shock. These benefits are traditionally funded and administrated by the individual states and territories of the United States. The depth and severity of the “Great Recession” that started in December of 2007 and ended in June of 2009 was such that, Congress was compelled on multiple occasions to extend those benefits. Legislation during this period extended the duration of unemployment benefits to the longest period in history, as unemployed individuals in many states could receive up to 99 weeks of unemployment compensation. The policy …

Configuration Management In Manufacturing And Assembly: Case Study And Enabler Development, Keith Phelan

All Dissertations

The overall goal of this research is to improve the product configuration change management process. The increase in the demand for highly customizable products has led to many manufacturers using mass customization to meet the constantly changing demands of a wide consumer base. However, effectively managing the configurations can be difficult, especially in large manufacturers or for complex products with a large number of possible configurations. This is largely due to a combination of the scope of the configuration management system and the difficulty in understanding how changes to one element of a configuration can propagate through the configuration system. …

Microrna-Mediated Plant Development And Response To Environmental Stress In Perennial Grasses, Shuangrong Yuan

All Dissertations

World population will pass nine billion by 2050, while the agricultural land area will not increase dramatically in the coming decades. To meet the ever-increasing food demand, genetically engineered crops have been rapidly adopted for crop productivity. MicroRNAs have become increasingly attractive as targets in crop genetic modification due to their regulatory role in fine-tuning many essential biological processes. My research explores the potentials of microRNA528 (miR528) and miR396 for use in genetic modifications of the important agronomic traits of plant development, abiotic stress response, and/or flowering time control in an economically and environmentally important perennial monocot species, creeping bentgrass …

Risk Analysis And Disaster Recovery: A Florida Lihtc Case Study, Valerie Hammett

All Dissertations

In spite of numerous programs and policies that encourage private investment in affordable housing, particularly after hurricane disaster, insufficient numbers of affordable units exist to meet demand. Some low-income households are displaced in the course of disaster recovery, and others face severe housing cost burdens as demand for affordable housing outstrips supply. Some suggest competitive uses for limited funds impede production. Others suggest that disaster and recovery policies tend to favor homeowners and economic recovery. Little attention has been given to the development decisions of affordable housing developers during disaster recovery. This study examines LIHTC development risk after the 2004 …

Understanding Group Cohesion Of Festival And Events Attendees Satifaction And Intention To Revisit, Younsuk Kong

All Dissertations

Festivals and events provide a venue for individuals to relax, to spend time with their family, to escape from the daily demands of modern life, to enjoy themselves and to socialize as a way to enhance their quality of life. In addition, many leaders have used festival and events for the economic development of their communities (Getz & Frisby, 1988). However, according to Petrick and Li (2006), this research has been limited to topics associated with marketing, management and economic impact. For example, Finkel, McGillivaray, McPherson, & Robinson (2013) pointed out that scholars have investigated the relationships between festival and …

High Temperature Synthesis And Characterization Of Reduced Polyoxometalate Salt-Inclusion Solids, Dino Sulejmanovic

All Dissertations

Herein, several new salt-inclusion solids (SISs) featuring electronically reduced Keggin polyoxometalate (POM) clusters were isolated for the first time using molten-salt high temperature (> 500 oC) synthetic method. These POM-based SISs are novel all-inorganic materials featuring an integrated lattice of ionic halide salt and covalent metal oxide clusters. Due to the weak interactions at the interface between these two chemically dissimilar lattices, these POM SISs are soluble in aqueous and polar solvents. While POM compounds are well-studied and are routinely synthesized in solution, the synthetic method presented in this dissertation yielded several POM solids with interesting structures and infrequently observed, …

Scalable Synthesis And Energy Applications Of Defect Engineered Nano Materials, Mehmet Karakaya

All Dissertations

Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have attracted a great deal of attention in a few decades due to their novel physical properties such as, high aspect ratio, surface morphology, impurities, etc. which lead to unique chemical, optical and electronic properties. The awareness of importance of nanomaterials has motivated researchers to develop nanomaterial growth techniques to further control nanostructures properties such as, size, surface morphology, etc. that may alter their fundamental behavior. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most promising materials with their rigidity, strength, elasticity and electric conductivity for future applications. Despite their excellent properties explored by the abundant research works, …

Understanding How Synthetic Organic Chemistry Graduate Students Navigate Scifinder, Lindsey Whitfield Cain

All Dissertations

Students pursuing a Ph.D. degree are expected to contribute research to their field, for which the success depends, in part, on their ability to find, interpret, and use scholarly information from the primary literature. However, studies from the information sciences show that graduate students from a variety of fields, including the sciences, frequently struggle to comprehensively search their respective dissertation topics because of insufficient prior content knowledge and lack of guidance from their disciplinary community. This body of literature is consistent with the results of my previous research of chemistry graduate students’ laboratory decision-making processes. Specifically, that study showed their …