Digital Commons Network^™

Flexibilities Under Trips: An Analysis Of The Proposal For Reforming Brazilian Patent Law, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 150 (2016), Roberto Romandini

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

This article analyses the proposal for reforming the Brazilian patent system pending before the Brazilian Parliament as Bill No. 5402/13. The proposed legislation addresses such issues as the assumed insufficiency of the inventive step requirement in preventing unjustified “monopolies,” the proliferation of so-called secondary patents, and the extension of market exclusivity positions through strategic filings, which are being debated also in Europe and the U.S. The proposed legislation offers an example for possible actions in these critical areas of the patent system. In doing so, it puts forward options that depart from consolidated Western normative patterns. In analyzing the reform …

Beyond The Destruction Of Syria: Considering A Future In Syria And The Protection Of The Right To Culture, Sarah Dávila-Ruhaak

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Although the right to culture has been widely recognized under international human rights, its reach and practical application has been limited in cultural preservation efforts. Individuals and communities that attempt to be part of the decision-making process in preservation efforts often face barriers to access in that process. The need to re-conceptualize the right to culture is vital for its protection and preservation. This article proposes that the right to self-determination must be utilized as a core fundamental principle that enables a disenfranchised individual or community to have ownership in preservation efforts and decide how to shape their identity. It …

Open Source Paradigm: Beyond The Solution To The Software Patentability Debate, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 647 (2016), Giovanna Massarotto

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Around 300 BCE, a Greek mathematician, Euclid discovered a theorem on which modern geometry and a fundamental algorithm is based. Euclid’s theorem represents a method for calculating the greatest common divisors between two integers. Since 300 BCE, both Euclid’s Theorem and algorithm have been applied in many fields, including algebra and geometry. But what would have happened if Euclid’s Theorem had been patented? The issue is not whether we can continue to use Euclid’s Theorem without paying royalties, but if software and algorithms underlying the software are patentable. Although software is based on algorithms similar to the algorithm discovered by …

Automatic Discovery Of Prior Art: Big Data To The Rescue Of The Patent System, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 44 (2016), Amir Khoury, Ron Bekkerman

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

In this research, we offer a fresh approach as to determining prior art. We do this by using Big Data methods. More specifically, we apply a model which constructs the semantic space of patents, in which all published patents and patent applications are arranged according to semantic similarities between each other. Our model provides a clear indication of how closely patents stand in relation to existing technologies, which we refer to as Near Inventions (“NI”). Our model exposes a certain level of deficiency when it comes to the disclosure, by patent applicants, of NIs. One conclusion which we draw from …

Literary Dialect In Flannery O'Connor's "The Lame Shall Enter First" And "Good Country People", Katherine Ireland Kuiper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flannery O’Connor is known for her widely read and loved short stories. By employing sociolinguistic, quantitative, qualitative, and corpus linguistic methods along with R Studio to gather data about literary dialect utilized in Flannery O’Connor’s short stories “Good Country People” and “The Lame Shall Enter First”, I argue that not only was O’Connor a gifted author in her portrayal of African American English and Southern English, but that her writing was also accurate in comparison to language use in the South. The findings suggest that O’Connor’s characters were true to life in the Southern US at the time of her …

Academic And Language Socialization Of Russian Ma Tesl Students At Us Universities: Struggles, Triumphs, And New Identities, Marina Lepekhova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year a great number of students leaves their home countries to study abroad. As a result, international students constitute a considerable portion of student body in us universities and around the world. For many students, study abroad is a holistic and a life-changing experience. Life in a foreign country and everyday exposure to new social and academic cultures make international students undergo an uneasy academic socialization process and re-imagine themselves through the use of second language (l2). This process is simultaneously coupled with academic and language socialization practices that construct novices as certain kinds of situationally organized persons, with …

Language In Schizophrenia: What We Can Learn From Quantitative Text Analysis, Sasha Deutsch-Link

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

LANGUAGE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM QUANTITATIVE TEXT ANALYSIS

Sasha Deutsch-Link, Sarah Fineberg, Philip R. Corlett. Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Background: People living with schizophrenia demonstrate broad language and communication deficits. Prior research has focused on qualitative changes in thought, speech production, and language comprehension. In this thesis I expand upon our understanding of language in schizophrenia, by using a novel, quantitative method for language analysis, Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC).

Methods: I examined essays by four groups of authors: people with schizophrenia (n=77), family history of schizophrenia (n=25), psychiatric controls …

Identity-Construction And Development In The Modernist Bildungsroman, Victoria Gordon

Senior Theses

"Near the turn of the 20th century, with the advent of modernist modes of creation and thinking, there is a perceptible shift in the narrative of the Bildungsroman. This essay focuses on the shift in perception of the self and self-development in the modernist. Bildungsroman by performing a psychoanalytic reading of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian (1890) Gray and James Joyce’s The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." --pages 1-2

Remnants Of The Past: Grendel’S Mother, Wealhtheow, And The Pagan Past, Sarah Kinkade

Senior Theses

"Within medieval studies, Beowulf is, by far, one of the most well-known and analyzed texts. While much scholarship focuses on subjects such as lexical analysis, Beowulf’s actions, the symbolism of Grendel, women’s roles and expectations, medieval politics, and many other notable topics, a less-popular, but significant theme within Beowulf is the fluctuating state of religion throughout Anglo-Saxon history. Rather than depicting a binary system between Christianity and paganism, the poem acknowledges the ongoing conversion process, which presented overlaps of both beliefs. The result of this process was folklore and this ambiguous system plays a major role throughout Beowulf. However, this …

Adolescent Visual Voices: Discovering Emerging Identities Through Photovoice, Perspective And Narrative, Ann Mechem Ziergiebel

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative multicase study seeks to create dynamic pedagogical space - meaning making capacities encouraging multiple types of participation - where adolescent voices are privileged. Opening pedagogical space sits at the intersection of feminist standpoint theory, critical consciousness and social constructivism. Disturbingly, space supporting the inner lives and voices of students is shrinking in current educational environments, partially due to prescriptive curricula and rigid standards. The rationale for this study emanates from the researcher’s (as co-participant) educational journey and professional experience at the middle school and higher education levels. This study’s purpose explores, “what happens when space is created for …

The Art Museum As A Therapeutic Space, Sarah Hamil

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explores the essential qualities of the multiple perspectives informing the practice of art therapy in the museum context. Museum-based art therapy is defined as art therapy provided in partnership with museums as part of strategic efforts to engage in community practice. The study focuses on obtaining in-depth information through audio-recorded interviews with seven expert practitioners with direct knowledge and experience in the therapeutic use of art in museums that welcome community engagement. The interview contents were interpreted by identifying salient passages and important points emphasized in participant responses as an exploration into new perspectives regarding the use of …

Using Social Networking Sites During Public Health Crises: Theorizing The Diffusion Of Effective Messages, Sarah Vos

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

During a public health crisis, officials need to communicate with the public quickly and accurately. Social networking sites (SNS) have been identified as an appropriate channel for this type of communication; however, few studies have examined what makes SNS messages effective. Further limiting research in this area is a lack of attention to theoretical constructs that may explain message effectiveness in SNS.

In this dissertation, I propose that diffusion of innovations (DOI) be used to understand SNS and message success on SNS. In doing so, I compare traditional message success (persuasion) to message success on SNS platforms (amplification) and provide …

Do Black Lives Matter In American Mainstream News Media? Two Case Studies Of Police-Involved Shootings Of Black Men Explaining A Racist Media Environment, Alfred J. Cotton Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation examines two cases of fatal police-involved shootings of Black men in order to expose the power structures perpetuated through racist media narratives assuming the officers’ behavior was justified and the unarmed men the officers killed somehow were complicit in their death. In reporting on police-involved shootings, mainstream media practices that privilege elites and officials as primary sources of information may produce a dominant media narrative that masks the marginalization and mistreatment of minorities at the hands of these officials and their institutions. The two cases under consideration here examine the “floating signifier” of race in media coverage of …

Adding Quantitative Corpus-Driven Analysis To Qualitative Discourse Analysis: Determining The Aboutness Of Writing Center Talk, Jo Mackiewicz, Isabelle Thompson

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Second Language Writing Development And The Role Of Tutors: A Case Study Of An Online Writing Center "Frequent Flyer", Carol Severino, Shih-Ni Prim

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Focas Appalachia: A Cervical Cancer Prevention Program For The Women Of The Kentucky River Area Development District, Chrisanthi M. Masero

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In response to the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) funding announcement, the Kentucky River District Health Department (KRDHD) proposes to implement an evidence-based cervical cancer prevention program in the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) in southeastern Appalachian Kentucky. The proposed evidence-based program was part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) “Public Health Approaches to Breast and Cervical Cancer” research initiative and is one of nine cervical cancer Research Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) on the NCI’s RTIP database. The Forsyth County Cancer Screening Project (FoCaS) was designed to improve the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding breast and cervical cancer screening …

Fundamental Frequency Characteristics Of Modal And Vocal Fry Registers, Heidi Brubaker, Jason Albertson Whitfield Ph.D., Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers D.M.A.

Honors Projects

This study examined the distribution of fundamental frequencies in the connected speech of 14 healthy young adults. Acoustic analysis of fundamental frequency was performed on previously collected speech samples of a phonetically balanced reading passage. For the first three sentences of the reading passage, fundamental frequency contours were extracted using PRAAT, a speech analysis software package. The accuracy of these contours were visually verified and manually corrected when needed. The distribution of the fundamental frequency histories for each sample were then analyzed using Gaussian Mixture Model analyses in MATLAB. For most speakers, four statistical modes were identified in the data …

Writing Without Boundaries : Examining A Professional Writer's Environment Using Activity Theory, Lindsey Crane

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research used activity theory as a framework to explore the physical and figurative locations of writing in a professional setting. The researcher conducted a six-week case study of a technical writer in an IT department for an educational services company to examine how she navigates her environment during the writing process. After identifying one of her activity systems, the researcher interviewed and observed the writer as she collaborated with three subject matter experts on a writing project. The findings reinforced how writing is a social process and revealed how the company's "no boundaries" philosophy impacts the writer's work and …

The Genre Of The Linguistics Article Within Studies Of Language Variation And Change : A Diachronic Perspective, 1891-2015, David Durian

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

I analyze the rhetorical and structural elements of the genre of the linguistics article, specifically within the subfield of studies of language variation and change, also known as "American sociolinguistics." As my analysis demonstrates, the genre of the linguistics article in studies of language variation and change can most profitably be analyzed as having been shaped by intellectual movements occurring during three distinct eras. During the first era (1891--1954), the variationist linguistics article was primarily a "discovery text." That is, many of the topics discussed are first studies of those topics or first studies of the communities in which particular …

The Role Of Authentic Leadership And Interpersonal Trust In The Language Development Success Of Middle School English Language Learners, Tracy Renea Taylor

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The current research on second language acquisition suggests that it takes between 5 and 7 years of schooling in a bilingual education program for full academic proficiency in a second language to be attained. This quantitative study focused on students who, after more than 7 years in a bilingual education program, had yet to meet the criteria for being considered fully English proficient. This study examined middle school English language learners' perceptions of their teachers as authentic and trustworthy leaders in an effort to identify two variables that might contribute to the students' continued status as limited English proficient. Additionally, …

The Ideal Judge: How Implicit Bias Shapes Assessment Of State Judges, Rebecca D. Gill, Rafael Oganesyan

Political Science Faculty Research

Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) is generally seen as an important part of the merit system, which often suffers from a lack of relevant voter information. Utah’s JPE system has undergone significant change in recent years. Using data from the two most recent JPE surveys, we provide a preliminary look at the operation of this new system. Our results suggest that the survey component has difficulty distinguishing among the judges on the basis of relevant criteria. The question prompts intended to measure performance on different ABA categories are also indistinguishable. We find evidence that, on some measures, female judges do disproportionately …

Psalms On The Shannon: A Collection Of Choral Pieces In The Irish Celtic Style, Greta E. Hanks

Senior Honors Theses

The Irish music tradition has a rich heritage ranging from ancient ballads to nineteenth-century dances. One area of Irish music, a subset of Celtic music in general, that has been somewhat underrepresented in modern times is Irish choral music. Scripturally-based choral singing has been part of the Irish tradition ever since medieval monks began Christianizing the Celts. Today, several choral groups in Ireland are working to revive the art of Celtic choral singing. This collection, presenting psalms set to choral music in the Irish style, is one modern composer’s endeavor to join the Irish choral genre, incorporating traditional harmonic elements …

Growth In The Midst Of Perpetual Dependency, Hannah A. Lackey

Senior Honors Theses

International aid is a powerful, beneficial tool that has been known to improve many situations in a variety of targeted communities. While aid does provide basic necessities and resources to beneficiaries, it has the potential to simultaneously hinder or slow the development and independence of the assisted people groups if not correctly implemented. Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Boone, North Carolina, provides a variety of domestic and international relief services that break the trend of dependency through their encouragement of local self-sufficiency and growth. Specifically, Samaritan’s Purse’s Karamoja Integrated Maternal Child Health (KIMCH) project, based in …

Decoding Impressions: Understanding Appearances A Nonverbal Training Program, Michelle Lynn Spring

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Given the multitude of clothing options, jewelry, and adornments that exist in the modern world and the variety of colors these artifacts are available in, there is a need to understand the how appearance cues impact impressions. Saussure’s theory of Semiotics was used as the framework for this project as a means to decoding the sign structures associated with appearance cues that influence impressions. This project outlines an active training program that walks students through the semiotic theory, the elements of appearance cues and the resulting impressions that may be formed by artifact choices. The goal of this project is …

A Gendered Lens Of Understanding Confidence, Abbey Johnston

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Women make up approximately half of the U.S. workforce, yet far fewer women than men reach senior management and leadership positions. Women enter the workplace at levels similar to men, with comparable credentials and expectations, but their career paths rapidly diverge. This discrepancy among males and females can be associated, in part, to the documented difference in confidence between men and women. This study addressed the critical topic of how gender may impact an individual’s understanding and level of confidence and utilized the theoretical lenses of Mead’s (1934) Symbolic Interactionism and the Standpoint Theory of Harding (1991) and Wood (2004). …

Knowledge And Resistance: Feminine Style And Signifyin[G] In Michelle Obama’S Public Address, Tracy Valgento

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the public discourse of the first African American first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. I argue that Michelle Obama uses the double-voiced discourses of feminine style and African American Signifyin[g] to negate post-race and post-gender mythologies that suggest that American society is “beyond identity”. Looking at three of Obama’s speeches: Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech, The Remarks by the First Lady at Memorial Service for Dr. Maya Angelou, and Remarks by the First Lady at Tuskegee University Commencement Address this thesis argues that Michelle Obama performativity interrogates and questions gender and race relations …

Preservice Teacher Reflections About Short-Term Summer Study Abroad Experiences In Italy, Jaime Colwell, Diane Nielsen, Barbara A. Bradley, Mindy Spearman

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This chapter studies 21 preservice teachers' blog reflections about working in an Italian classroom and living with a host family during a four-week study abroad program in Northern Italy. During the program, preservice teachers were required to blog about their experiences living and studying abroad using personal blog sites. To encourage more candid reflection about the program, the blog posts could be related to any aspect of the program preservice teachers chose to reflect on. After setting the context of the study through description of the study abroad program and its requirements, the authors present qualitative findings regarding preservice teachers' …

Developing A Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program For Education Majors In A Non-English Speaking Country, Barbara A. Brandley, Jaime Colwell, Mindy Spearman

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This chapter describes how faculty can plan, develop, prepare, and lead a study abroad program in a non-English speaking country for students majoring in education. It presents an overview and timeline for directing a program, discusses how to plan and develop a program, tells how to recruit and prepare participants, and describes how to support participants while living and teaching abroad. It also presents issues that faculty should consider during each phase of a study abroad, and it provides suggestions for addressing these concerns.

Carving Characters In The Mind. A Theoretical Approach To The Reception Of Characters In Audio Described Films, Nazaret Fresno

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

From early childhood on we are exposed to characters in books, cartoons, films, theatre plays, and video games. Through these media we enter fascinating fictional worlds that seduce our imagination with every page or scene. As the events unfold, we become captivated by the story and its protagonists, whose deeper feelings are outlined in a succession of words and/ or images that the audience needs to endow with meaning. In their search for comprehension, readers and spectators “picture” the situations described in their minds by creating multimodal representations (mental models) about the events taking place, the place and time in …

Literary Texts In The Undergraduate Russian Curriculum: Leveraging Language Learning And Literary Discussion Through Scaffolding, William J. Comer

Russian Language Journal

In this article, I want to summarize the broader discussion about literary texts in the undergraduate curriculum for the more commonly taught languages, consider the nature of Russian undergraduate programs in light of that discussion, and then suggest a way that upper-division Russian classes can work with literary texts through the effective deployment of scaffolding in classroom tasks.