Digital Commons Network^™

Architectural Representation And The Dragon’S Lair In Beowulf, Margaret Heeschen

Masters Theses

Since the early twentieth century, the dragon’s lair of Beowulf has been primarily associated with the early megalithic mounds of northern Europe. This interpretation of the space, however, does not account for the many contradictions present in the poet’s descriptions. In order to fully understand the quiddity of the dragon’s lair, we must resolve three major issues with previous interpretations: the use of rare words with unclear meanings, contradictions in descriptions of the physical space, and an assumption by scholars that the poet is describing a single type of space identifiable in the historical record. By addressing each of these …

Linear Elastic Mesh Deformation Via Localized Orthotropic Material Properties Optimized By The Adjoint Method, William L. Shoemake

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The finite element method has been shown to be a powerful tool in computational engineering with recent application to electromagnetics and fluid dynamics. However, achieving the high orders of accuracy easily available to the finite element method has proven difficult due to conforming higher-order meshes to curved geometries. If higher-order nodes are not placed on the surface of the geometry error is introduced into the simulated solution. This barrier is largely a non-issue for inviscid meshes where a mid-edge node can be projected onto the nearest geometry surface with minimal detrimental side effects. Viscous meshes however have to deform most …

Identifying Users On Social Networking Using Pattern Recognition In Messages, Justin Joshuva

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, have become a huge part of many people's lives, often as their main means of communication with other people. Because of frequency of use and the apparent security measures of these sites, users often falsely believe the proffered identity of the person they are talking to. This blind belief sometimes results in security threats due to the passing of private or confidential information to the wrong user. This may lead to malicious readers getting a user's private information and using it illegally. This work proposes a mathematical model for identifying security threats …

Booming Laughter: The New Era Of Experimental Comedy Shows, Oscar F. Gonzalez

Capstones

This project looks at the rise of experimental comedy shows in New York City. The comedy industry is in a second boom that caused an increase in variety shows that test performers 'writing and performance skills. I interview the producers of the shows, the comedians that perform in them to understand how they're challenged and the audience members who watched the show. I talk with historians and comedy experts on the history of the comedy industry and the neighborhood in New York City where it originated in.

https://oscarfgonzalez.com/2018/12/21/booming-laughter-the-new-era-of-experimental-comedy-shows/

Evacuation And Return: Increasing Safety And Reducing Risk, The University Of New Orleans Center For Hazards Assessment, Response & Technology

CHART Publications

The City of New Orleans enlisted UNO-CHART to improve the evacuation of the vulnerable populations in the city, defined broadly to include those who are not able to access or use the standard resources offered in disaster preparedness and planning, response, and recovery. To do this, UNO-CHART analyzed the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) and Special Needs Registry databases, conducted a literature review of risk communication best practices, reviewed ready.nola.gov for content and readability, conducted a social vulnerability analysis of the Evacuspots, conducted interviews and focus groups with vulnerable populations in the City of New …

Missing Data In Longitudinal Surveys: A Comparison Of Performance Of Modern Techniques, Paola Zaninotto, Amanda Sacker

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Using a simulation study, the performance of complete case analysis, full information maximum likelihood, multivariate normal imputation, multiple imputation by chained equations and two-fold fully conditional specification to handle missing data were compared in longitudinal surveys with continuous and binary outcomes, missing covariates, and an interaction term.

December 2017 Newsletter

Ergo

No abstract provided.

Keep Your Powder Dry And Your Standards High: Protect The Second Amendment's Core With Strict Scrutiny Review, Rebecca L. Trump

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Atrición Del Español Como Lengua Materna: Diversidad Y Sofisticación Léxicas, Martha Alexander Walch

Theses and Dissertations

Es natural que la lengua materna de un bilingüe cambie. Sin embargo, si un individuo vive en un contexto donde se habla su segunda lengua como lengua mayoritaria, si usa constantemente su segunda lengua y si el uso de su lengua materna ha disminuido, es muy probable que se vea afectado por la atrición de las habilidades lingüísticas. Esta investigación se concentra en el estudio de la atrición léxica del español como lengua materna. Los participantes son mexicanos adultos con educación universitaria entre los 25 y los 35 años de edad, los participantes del grupo experimental (n=10) inmigraron a los …

Mixed Methods Not Mixed Messages: Improving Libguides With Student Usability Data, Nora Almeida, Junior Tidal

Publications and Research

Objective – This article describes a mixed methods usability study of research guides created using the LibGuides 2.0 platform conducted in 2016 at an urban, public university library. The goal of the study was to translate user design and learning modality preferences into executable design principles, and ultimately to improve the design and usage of LibGuides at the New York City College of Technology Library.

Methods – User-centred design demands that stakeholders participate in each stage of an application’s development and that assumptions about user design preferences are validated through testing. Methods used for this usability study include: a task …

A Great And Good Place, David Forte

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

No abstract provided.

Colorful Seashells: Identification Of Haem Pathway Genes Associated With The Synthesis Of Porphyrin Shell Color In Marine Snails, Suzanne T. Williams, Anne E. Lockyer, Patricia Dyal, Tomoyuki Nakano, Celia K. C. Churchill, Daniel Isaac Speiser

Faculty Publications

Very little is known about the evolution of molluskan shell pigments, although Mollusca is a highly diverse, species rich, and ecologically important group of animals comprised of many brightly colored taxa. The marine snail genus Clanculus was chosen as an exceptional model for studying the evolution of shell color, first, because in Clanculus margaritarius and Clanculus pharaonius both shell and foot share similar colors and patterns; and second, because recent studies have identified the pigments, trochopuniceus (pink-red), and trochoxouthos (yellow-brown), both comprised of uroporphyrin I and uroporphyrin III, in both shell and colored foot tissue of these species. These unusual …

Relative Importance Of Different Body Channels To The Believability Of A Stylized 3d Character Animation In A Full Body Shot, Saikiran Anasingaraju

Open Access Theses

Character animation involves movement in different channels of the character’s body. There is a norm in the animation industry that each of these different body channels has varying contributions to the believability of an acting performance: body movement being the highest contributor and lip sync the lowest. This thesis investigated this norm using statistical analysis. While the reduction of body motion caused the biggest drop in believability, similar reductions in facial animation and lip sync have not made a significant effect on the believability. The only exception to the above statement is the animation depicting the emotion sadness, where no …

Interactivity Factors In Visualization-Based Exploratory Search, Ali Baigelenov

Open Access Theses

Two of the main components of visualizations are representation and interaction. Several researchers have noted that the interaction component has been receiving less attention than the visual (representation) component. It was also noted by several researchers that there is currently no well-developed theoretical base for interaction research in information visualization. A number of important contributions to this problem were made, resulting in different frameworks that aimed to deal with various aspects of interaction design, such as benefits, costs, and techniques, to name a few. Despite the contributions and findings, the interactivity factors of diversity, complementarity, and fitness are still relatively …

Autoignition Of Diesel Water Emulsions At Conditions Relevant To Gas Turbine Engine Operation, Venkatasubramanian Athmanathan

Open Access Theses

Lean premixed prevaporixed (LPP) combustion systems are commonly used in gas turbine engines. The advantages of using an LPP system are many including lower NOx emissions and better combustion eÿciency. However, LPP systems pose the risk of autoignition and fashback in the premixer. Therefore understanding the autoignition characteristics of fuels used by modern–day fuel fexible stationary gas turbine engines is imperative for the safe operation of land–based gas turbine engines. In a gas turbine premixer, when the fuel-air mixture temperature is suÿciently low, the combustion reaction occurs via a low-temperature chemical reaction pathway called cool fames. When the mixture temperature …

What Are The Lived Challenges Experienced By Black Females In A Stem Doctoral Program At A Majority White Institution?, Sharlane S. Cleare

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges experienced by Black female STEM doctoral students at a Majority White Institution. This study examined how, and to what extent did the Majority White Institution’s STEM environment infuenced such challenges. The qualitative phenomenological approach to this investigation utilized the lenses of Black Feminist Thought and Critical Race Feminism Theoretical Frameworks as interconnected lenses by which to conceptualize this phenomenon. This study answered the following question: What are the lived challenges experienced by Black female in a STEM doctoral program at a Majority White Institution? Purposeful and snowball sampling were employed …

Development Of A Five-Factor Model Measure Of Machiavellianism., Katherine L. Collison

Open Access Theses

Machiavellianism is characterized by planfulness, the ability to delay gratification, interpersonal antagonism, and callousness. Although its theoretically positive relation with facets of conscientiousness should make Machiavellianism distinct from psychopathy, current measurements of Machiavellianism are indistinguishable from those of psychopathy. The goal of the present study was to create a theoretically grounded measure of Machiavellianism using an expert-derived trait profile based on the thirty facets of the Five Factor Model (FFM) and then test the validity of that measure by comparing it to relevant constructs. Expert ratings of the prototypical Machiavellian on FFM facets yielded a profile of 13 facets spanning …

Food And Language: Price-Based Lexical Variation In Turkish Online Restaurant Reviews, Maria Joy Cupery

Open Access Theses

Previous research has demonstrated price-based lexical variation in American online restaurant reviews and advertising (Freedman and Jurafsky, 2011; Jurafsky, Chahneau, Routledge & Smith 2014). According to the theories of Bourdieu (1986, 1987), and Douglas and Isherwood (2002), this type of variation may be the result of different social classes using differing cultural capital to evaluate their consumer experiences. As reviewers’ lexical choices reflect the criteria they apply to that good, the reviews of more expensive restaurants were expected to use significantly different lexicons than the reviews of less expensive restaurants. In comparing lexical, grammatical and etymological choices across four price …

Looking For A Reason: An Exploration Of Why Students Empathize With Some Characters Over Others, Ariel Cornelissen

Open Access Theses

In this study, 8th grade Language Arts students read the young adult novel, Torn. The study then looked to explain why the students empathized with some characters in the novel over others and the implications the findings could have in regards to classroom practice. The objective of the research was to develop an understanding of why students empathize with particular characters over others in order to inform future studies of empathy development in adolescents. In order to achieve this, the study employed the methodologies of grounded theory and action research to build upon the existing literature about empathy and young …

A Study On Understanding The Creation Of Component Maintenance Manual Using Model-Based Definition, Akshob Dasaiah Aravind

Open Access Theses

The use of Model-based definition (MBD) over 2D drawings is slowly becoming a reality in most organizations. The MBD models are intended to replace drawings in all downstream processes including technical publication. Technical authors have for long relied on engineering drawings as one of the inputs to create maintenance manuals. There exists no frameworks or models that can help define the contents of an MBD dataset for creation of maintenance manuals. The intent of this study was to develop one such model specific to creation of Component Maintenance Manuals (CMMs). A survey and an optional follow-up interview was used to …

Social Perceptions Of Word-Final Alveolar Stop Deletion: Examining The Meaning Of A Sociophonetic Variable, Emily C. Dick

Open Access Theses

Word-final alveolar stop deletion is a form of variation that is found in many dialects of American English, and therefore, has been extensively studied and documented in the literature. Within the available literature, however, there is very little information to be found regarding if and how listeners use this variation to form initial judgments about a speaker’s character. The work described in this thesis is an attempt to begin bridging this literary gap. This thesis studies how both word-final alveolar stop deletion and speaker gender, as well as the interactions between these two factors, affect a listener’s initial opinions about …

Facilitating Willingness To Communicate (Wtc): Communication For Academic And Social Life (Casl), Sarah Elizabeth Fehrman

Open Access Theses

Much has been written about learner Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in a second language. Multiple factors, including anxiety, motivation, personality, and context, have been identified as contributing to language learners’ willingness (or lack thereof) to attempt to communicate in a second language. Current research has identified these factors, yet there has been very little work done on how to facilitate WTC in learners or provide instructors with specific strategies and tools to utilize in the classroom. This thesis will undertake a historical overview of the development of WTC theory, examine the main antecedents to WTC, and finally examine current research …

A Systematic Literature Review To Identify Best Practices For Communication In Virtual Teams, Arielle Mabon

Open Access Theses

Virtual teams are necessary for organizations to remain competitive in today’s global society, but the complexities of virtual team environments impart strain on virtual teams to perform key team activities. Although virtual teams are expected to deliver complex projects, training for communicating in virtual teams is often overlooked. This thesis was conducted using a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles from 2012-2017 to identify elements of communication that contributed to virtual team effectiveness and communication best practices that may be perceived as prescriptive content for virtual team communication training. The results of this study suggest that virtual team communication training …

Effect Of A Brand Story Structure On Perceived Brand Image: The Mediating Role Of Immersion In A Brand Story Of A Luxury Hotel, Kyungin Ryu

Open Access Theses

Creating a more positive brand image in the competitive luxury hotel industry is an important goal for managers of such hotel brands. However, there are some skeptics as to the effectiveness of branding strategies of luxury hotels in developing a positive brand image for consumers. It has been suggested that consumers can be easily confused by the plethora of brand choices in the luxury hotel, making it difficult to remember a specific brand value differentiated from other choices. Based on psychographic research of luxury hotel consumers, these consumers have a tendency to prefer hedonic benefits stimulating emotional and symbolic benefits …

Atmospheric Rural Community And Tourists' Experience -- China's Rural Tourism And Seniors' Quality Of Life, Jieyu Shi

Open Access Theses

The increasing percentage of aged populations in many parts of the world is an issue of global attention and significance. China is no exception and faced with a pressing challenge to find solutions for improving seniors’ quality of life. Extending the extant knowledge on the relationship between tourism and health, the current study posits that rural tourism, as a growing and popular form of leisure in China, can enhance the quality of life for both senior tourists and senior locals and proposes the concept of atmospheric community for rural tourism. This study develops the concept by investigating the elements of …

Turning A Multivalent Lens Toward Depictions Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Film, Ashley Ann Albrecht

Open Access Dissertations

With innovations in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) advancing at an exponential rate, it is ever the more pertinent to interrogate the ramifications and potentialities of these developments. Luciano Floridi, known as “the Google philosopher,” considers this phenomenon an integral part of the digital information age or the “Fourth Revolution.” We are now forced to confront the following problems: What is the relationship between humans and AI? What does it mean to be “human”? What futures are possible given our current coevolution with AI? Such questions motivate close philosophical consideration. Here, the theoretical polarization of the doomsday neo-Luddite versus …

Game On: Massively Multiplayer Online Games (Mmog) As Tools To Augment Teaching And Learning, Papia Bawa

Open Access Dissertations

The study investigated the use of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) in English and Business classrooms in Higher Education from the context of learners’ performance outcomes, as well as stakeholders’ (learners, administrators, and faculty) perceptions pertaining to their experiences when using an MMOG based curriculum. The findings strongly suggest that MMOGs helped enhance learner performances in statistically significant ways, and provided valuable insights into elements of interest and concerns of stakeholders about MMOG usage in classrooms. Based on these insights, I designed a practitioners’ guide to assist future scholars interested in this curricular approach. This guide provides innovative tips on …

Cultivating Asian Students' Willingness To Communicate In American Classrooms Using An Online Video-Based Pre-Arrival Course, Hui-Ching Kayla Hsu

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was: 1) to document the design and implementation process of an online video-based pre-arrival course that was intended to cultivate Asian students’ willingness to communicate in American Classrooms; 2) to assess the effectiveness of the course by measuring students’ oral proficiency and willingness to communicate; and 3) to investigate their first-year classroom participation as well as their experiences with the pre-arrival course. This research inquiry was guided by two research questions: 1) How does completing an online pre-arrival course influence Asian students’ speaking abilities, willingness to communicate, and verbal participation in their first-year …

A Web-Based Intervention With Culturally Tailored Messages To Improve Mental Health Among Asian International Students With Mild-To-Moderate Depression: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Lan Jin

Open Access Dissertations

The study aims to: 1) design, develop, and test culturally tailored messages to address the mental health needs of Asian international students (AIS); and 2) assess the potential and acceptability of a web-based intervention (myCompass program) with culturally tailored messages to reduce depressive symptoms and improve related mental health outcomes among AIS with mild-to-moderate depression. The culturally tailored messages were designed, developed and tested through three focus groups (N=15), thirteen individual interviews (N=13), and an online survey (N=85) with AIS. Data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. The final cultural message themes used in the intervention arm included: 1) …

Reciprocal Relationships Between Parental Psychological Aggression And Adolescent Behavioral Problems, Yoonyoung Kwak

Open Access Dissertations

An extensive body of research has shown that parents’ harsh parenting and children’s behavioral problems are bidirectionally associated. These findings are in line with the transactional process theoretical model. Parental psychological aggression (PPA) is a nonphysical type of harsh parenting that is more prevalent among adolescents than corporal punishment and has rarely been tested for bidirectional relationships with diverse behavioral problems. This dissertation includes an investigation of the bidirectional relationship between PPA and four adolescent behavioral problems (delinquency, alcohol use, smoking, and running away) separately using samples from two different cultural contexts. The first sample is 591 adolescents who had …