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2017

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Educational Journey Of First Generation, Foreign-Born Immigrant Students In The U.S. : Transnational Experiences And The Role Of Cultural Capital In Pursuing Higher Education, Gulshirin Orazova Jan 2017

Educational Journey Of First Generation, Foreign-Born Immigrant Students In The U.S. : Transnational Experiences And The Role Of Cultural Capital In Pursuing Higher Education, Gulshirin Orazova

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The central purpose of this qualitative study was to examine, from the transnational and cultural capital perspectives, transition, integration, and success in higher education through the lived experiences of first generation, foreign-born immigrant students legally residing in the U.S. Transnationality and cultural capital theories have been determined as being important for seeking responses to the raised research questions of this study. A transnationality theory allowed me to deeply understand the participants' migration experiences and their influences on the students' educational practices, while acquisition of cultural capital in this study focused on exploring factors such as family background, cultural values and …

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Effect Of Nutrition And Growth Conditions On D-Cycloserine Sensitivity Of Escherichia Coli, Poornima Vasireddy Jan 2017

Effect Of Nutrition And Growth Conditions On D-Cycloserine Sensitivity Of Escherichia Coli, Poornima Vasireddy

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

D-cycloserine (DCS) is a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic produced by Streptomyces orchidaceus. It is a structural analog of D-alanine and it is used for the treatment of antibiotic resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in conjunction with other first line drugs like isoniazid and rifampin. It inhibits the synthesis of the cell wall by inhibiting the enzymes alanine racemase and D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase. In previous studies, three DCS resistant Escherichia coli mutants were isolated by Curtiss et al (1965). Wargel et al (1971). identified in these mutants that cycA is responsible for the transport of DCS. Later, a study by Baisa et al (2013) …

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Exploring Racial Bias Within Clinical Supervisory Relationships : The Experiences Of Supervisees Of Color, Tonya C. Davis Jan 2017

Exploring Racial Bias Within Clinical Supervisory Relationships : The Experiences Of Supervisees Of Color, Tonya C. Davis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Critical race theory has often been described as a lens in which to see and understand how racism can impact or affect people of color. This lens makes room for a deeper consideration of ones lived experiences as a direct result of racial bias. Sometime in the mid 1970's, Derrick Bell, Alan Freeman, and Richard Delgado acted in response to the lack of acceptable forward movement with regards to civil rights during the 1960's. Critical race theory was viewed as a direct call to action. This theory takes on a multidisciplinary approach, has the capacity to provide insight between relationships …

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Communicating Church Branding Through Anniversary Services, Kate E. Mead Jan 2017

Communicating Church Branding Through Anniversary Services, Kate E. Mead

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study provides an analysis of communication as presented through church anniversary services. The paper includes a discussion on organizational branding, which is then applied to religious organizations and, more specifically, the megachurch. Anniversary services to be analyzed originate from Willow Creek Community Church of South Barrington, Illinois and include those presented during the years 2011 to 2015. These services are employed as a case study through which communication is analyzed in two primary ways: first, as part of a church organizational branding process and second, through a lens of community-building ritual communication (per James Carey and Eric Rothenbuhler). Attention …

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An Examination Of Vocabulary Acquisition By Kindergarten English Learners, Judith L. Matuszewski Jan 2017

An Examination Of Vocabulary Acquisition By Kindergarten English Learners, Judith L. Matuszewski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

American classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse as students enter with native language knowledge (other than English). Addressing the needs of all students is more difficult given most teachers are native English speakers, have little experience with multiple language knowledge, and can be apprehensive about teaching ELs. With this in mind, this study was undertaken to look at the feasibility of teaching kindergarten students strategies (e.g., use of picture dictionary, word wall, anchor chart use, partnering with peers), thus allowing the student to create their own understanding of English vocabulary rather than having an adult simply give the meaning to them …

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The Effect Of Silicon Dioxide And Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles On The Thermal Decomposition Characteristics Of Molten Salts At Elevated Temperatures, Shalini Pogula Jan 2017

The Effect Of Silicon Dioxide And Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles On The Thermal Decomposition Characteristics Of Molten Salts At Elevated Temperatures, Shalini Pogula

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Today there is a strong motivation to explore the possibility of harnessing solar thermal energy around the world to produce electricity. Thermal energy storage (TES) is extremely important in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants as it allows the plants to have energy availability and dispatch ability using industrial technologies. Rankine cycle is used to determine the efficiency of the CSP plants, the efficiency of the cycle is increased by 40% when the present working fluid (Therminol VP-1 whose efficiency is between 10--25%) is replaced with molten salts (a combination of 60 wt% NaNO3 and 40 wt% KNO3). Molten salts are …

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Investigating The Associations Among Perceived Social Support, Neuroticism, Extraversion, And Depressive Symptoms In Early Adolescence, Raymond L. Geosling Jan 2017

Investigating The Associations Among Perceived Social Support, Neuroticism, Extraversion, And Depressive Symptoms In Early Adolescence, Raymond L. Geosling

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Depression is a disorder that affects many adolescents. It can affect individuals from many different walks of life and can be devastating. While there are many factors that put an individual at risk, there are also factors that may serve to protect individuals. Two important factors that are related to depression are personality and perceived social support. It has been hypothesized that high levels of neuroticism and low levels of positive emotionality (a facet of extraversion) are underlying factors in depression. Furthermore, high levels of perceived social support from parents and classmates have been shown to decrease the risk of …

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Role Of Urda In Regulation Of Development And Secondary Metabolism In Aspergillus Nidulans, Sandesh S. Pandit Jan 2017

Role Of Urda In Regulation Of Development And Secondary Metabolism In Aspergillus Nidulans, Sandesh S. Pandit

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The genus Aspergillus includes important agricultural plant pathogens, such as Aspergillus flavus, and also opportunistic human pathogens, for instance A. fumigatus. These organisms synthesize a wide range of secondary metabolites, including harmful mycotoxins. The production of these secondary metabolites as well as developmental processes are subject to a complex genetic regulation responsive to different intracellular and extracellular signals. The goal of my study is the characterization of the urdA gene, which encodes a putative Helix-loop-helix DNA binding domain protein, in the filamentous model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Bioinformatics analyses suggests that urdA is discrete to the genus Aspergillus and few other …

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Ros-Based Control Of A Manipulator Arm For Balancing A Ball On A Plate, Khasim Ali Khan Jan 2017

Ros-Based Control Of A Manipulator Arm For Balancing A Ball On A Plate, Khasim Ali Khan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Automation and robotics are the growing phenomena replacing human labor in the industries. This idea of robots replacing humans is positively influencing the business thereby increasing its scope of research. This thesis discusses the development of an experimental platform to control a robotic arm through ROS (Robot Operating System) -- open-source framework for robot software development providing advanced capabilities for several types of robots. In ROS, the major functioning is divided into several 'nodes' that may receive or send messages to various platforms of sensors, states, and actuators. Furthermore, since ROS already has many written development packages, it allows not …

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School Counselor Clinical Supervision : An Exploration Of Relationships Between Supervision Training, Professional Experience, Professional Identity, And Site Supervisor Self-Efficacy, Tracy Peed Jan 2017

School Counselor Clinical Supervision : An Exploration Of Relationships Between Supervision Training, Professional Experience, Professional Identity, And Site Supervisor Self-Efficacy, Tracy Peed

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Due to the challenging nature of the school counseling profession, it is vitally important for school counselors to have clinical supervision, from a school counselor who is trained in clinical supervision throughout their internship and as a practicing professional. The purpose of this quantitative study (N = 220) was to explore how clinical supervision training and professional years of experience in the field are related to site supervisor self-efficacy and professional identity. The aim was to better understand how all these factors, seemingly important in some capacity to engagement in clinical supervision training and serving as a site supervisor conducting …

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School Librarians' Self-Efficacy In The Multiple Literacies : A Mixed-Methods Study, Kristina J. Weber Jan 2017

School Librarians' Self-Efficacy In The Multiple Literacies : A Mixed-Methods Study, Kristina J. Weber

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to investigate school librarians' self-efficacy in the multiple literacies. This study was conducted to develop an understanding of the role of librarians in the multiple literacies, and what they feel has an impact on their capacity to implement multiple literacies practices. Research Question 1 asked, What are the self-efficacy beliefs of school librarians with regard to the teaching of the multiple literacies? Research Question 2 asked, How do school librarians describe their self-efficacy beliefs and experiences in the multiple literacies? Mixed-Methods Research Question: In what ways does the qualitative interview data …

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Teacher, Parent, And Administrator Perceptions Of Social Responsibility At The Elementary School Level, Scott Benjamin Fink Jan 2017

Teacher, Parent, And Administrator Perceptions Of Social Responsibility At The Elementary School Level, Scott Benjamin Fink

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Due to the escalating moral problems in society, parents are asking schools to create an environment to not only teach academics but values and social responsibility as well. This dissertation examines the perceptions of teachers, parents, and administrators in regard to social responsibility at the elementary school level. Many programs exist to teach moral and values education to elementary students and are utilized to address acts of school violence, bullying, drug and alcohol abuse. These programs are widely accepted within schools; however, at what point does a school's obligation for social instruction stop and parents' responsibility begin? If there is …

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Teachers' Strategies For Involving Parents In The Development Of Their Children's Literacy Skills, Sadia Qamar Jan 2017

Teachers' Strategies For Involving Parents In The Development Of Their Children's Literacy Skills, Sadia Qamar

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Parental involvement plays a significant role in supporting children's literacy skills. However, limited research has been conducted to uncover effective strategies for increasing parental involvement in countries, such as Pakistan, where such involvement is limited. Therefore, this study focused on strategies used by elementary teachers in the United States to involve parents in the development of their children's literacy skills. Findings of the study will be helpful for increasing parental involvement in Pakistan's elementary schools. A qualitative collective case study method was used to analyze data from interviews with five elementary teachers who were recruited through purposive sampling technique. Data …

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Synthetic Methods Involving Cationic Electrophiles And Intermediates, Ahmad Fawzi Qarah Jan 2017

Synthetic Methods Involving Cationic Electrophiles And Intermediates, Ahmad Fawzi Qarah

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation describes new synthetic reactions promoted by superacid. The second chapter describes a cyclization of N-carbamoyl iminium ions to give 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-ones. The cyclization of the N-carbamoyl iminium ion is considered to occur by either an electrophilic aromatic substitution or a 6pi-electrocyclization. In the third chapter, chemistry is described in which Friedel-Crafts-type reactions of ferrocene with isocyanates provide ferrocenyl carboxamides in good yields. This research was extended to ferrocenecarboxylic acid, the imide-based products were obtained in modest yields. The fourth chapter describes the 6pi-electrocyclizations of unsaturated N-acyliminium ions to provide indolizidine ring systems. Finally, the fifth chapter describes a novel …

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Taiwanese Identity And Transnational Families In The Cinema Of Ang Lee, Ting-Ting Chan Jan 2017

Taiwanese Identity And Transnational Families In The Cinema Of Ang Lee, Ting-Ting Chan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation argues that acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee should be regarded as a Taiwanese transnational filmmaker. Thus, to best understand his work, a Taiwanese sociopolitical context should be employed to consider his complicated national identity as it is reflected in his films across genres and cultures. Previous Ang Lee studies see him merely as a transnational Taiwanese-American or diasporic Chinese filmmaker and situate his works into a broader spectrum of either Asian-American culture or Chinese national cinema. In contrast, this dissertation argues his films are best understood through a direct reference to Taiwan's history, politics, and society. The chapters examine …

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Race, Gender, And The Stigma Of Homelessness, Jeff Syverson Jan 2017

Race, Gender, And The Stigma Of Homelessness, Jeff Syverson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how Americans view the homeless, and how their perceptions are influenced by the race and gender of homeless individuals. It seeks to replicate and extend the research of Phelan, Link, Moore, and Stueve, and uses their findings as a point of departure. Phelan et al. established twenty years ago that the homeless label imposes a stigma, which induces the public to distance themselves from those to whom it is applied. However, Phelan and colleagues did not examine the effects of the race or gender of homeless persons on social distance. Drawing upon attribution theory and using data …

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Race, Ethnicity, Economics, And Federalism : State Sentiment Regarding Noncitizens From 2009 To 2014, Timothy Marquez Jan 2017

Race, Ethnicity, Economics, And Federalism : State Sentiment Regarding Noncitizens From 2009 To 2014, Timothy Marquez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the causes and means of state legislative action on immigration in the United States along a range of policy issues from 2009 to 2014. The work begins by placing the phenomenon of immigration restriction and accommodation in its historical context, alongside other instances of localized opposition to demographic change. Next, I examine the state-level demographic changes which occurred during the last Census period, from 2001 to 2010. I find that Latino population growth occurred heaviest in rural states with large African American populations. I then turn to analyze state restrictions placed on noncitizens residing in the American …

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Rapport-Development Practices Of Outstanding College Faculty, Robert A. Remedi Jan 2017

Rapport-Development Practices Of Outstanding College Faculty, Robert A. Remedi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In an environment in which performance funding for higher education is increasingly common, mechanisms for improving student success will be important for ensuring a consistent revenue stream for higher education institutions. One important factor found to improve student success is when students perceive rapport with faculty. However, there is a significant gap in the qualitative literature demonstrating how faculty develop and improve rapport with students. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to interview award-winning faculty to investigate how they develop rapport with their students. As a result, a qualitative study of 15 award-winning faculty from throughout the eastern and …

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True Crime Does Pay : Narratives Of Wrongdoing In Film And Literature, Andrew T. Burt Jan 2017

True Crime Does Pay : Narratives Of Wrongdoing In Film And Literature, Andrew T. Burt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines true crime's ubiquitous influence on literature, film, and culture. It dissects how true-crime narratives affect crime fiction and film, questioning how America's continual obsession with crime underscores the interplay between true crime narratives and their fictional equivalents. Throughout the 20th century, these stories represent key political and social undercurrents such as movements in religious conservatism, issues of ethnic and racial identity, and developing discourses of psychology. While generally underexplored in discussions of true crime and crime fiction, these currents show consistent shifts from liberal rehabilitative to a conservative punitive form of crime prevention and provide a new …

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Faculty And Student Out-Of-Class Communication : The Role Of Academic Entitlement On Relational Frame Activation, Jimmy L. Clark Jan 2017

Faculty And Student Out-Of-Class Communication : The Role Of Academic Entitlement On Relational Frame Activation, Jimmy L. Clark

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to investigate out-of-class communication between faculty and students. The study addressed the role of academic entitlement on relational frame activation. Participants, N=135, read a scenario of an out-of-class communication interaction between a faculty and a student. The participants then completed measures of dominance, affiliation, involvement, academic entitlement, and demographic information. The results of the study indicated that out-of-class communication was a dominance framed form of interaction and that academic entitlement moderated frame activation.

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First World Problems : Neocolonial Discourse In Contemporary American Literature, Tracy Stephens Jan 2017

First World Problems : Neocolonial Discourse In Contemporary American Literature, Tracy Stephens

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation argues that contemporary American literature has a tendency to represent the problems of American life in a manner that mystifies the operation of the global economy and thus perpetuates the American exceptionalist disavowal of US imperialism. I look at a specific set of "first-world problems" described by cultural theorists and depicted within American fiction from 1985 to the present, describing the representation of each problem in multiple texts to emphasize the general trend. These novels focus on first-world experiences and perspectives in isolation from the rest of the world, they decontextualize problems within the US from the neocolonial …

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From Technology Teacher To Technology Integration Specialist : Preparing For A Paradigm Shift, Jennifer Lynn Penry Dalrymple Jan 2017

From Technology Teacher To Technology Integration Specialist : Preparing For A Paradigm Shift, Jennifer Lynn Penry Dalrymple

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of a professional development program designed specifically to provide foundational knowledge and skills to Technology Teachers in preparation for a transition to a Technology Integration Specialist position. Specifically, it evaluates the Technology Teachers' changes in knowledge and beliefs as a result of the professional development. The program evaluation also looks at the Technology Teachers' perceptions of organizational support and their own abilities to fulfill the Technology Integration Specialist role. All aspects are surveyed prior to and at the conclusion of the professional development program to assess changes. Qualitative data from meeting notes, discussion boards, and …

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Fundamental Study Of Two-Phase Flow In The Porous Media Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (Pemfc), Kyamra Marma Jan 2017

Fundamental Study Of Two-Phase Flow In The Porous Media Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (Pemfc), Kyamra Marma

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of fuels into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions. Due to the zero emissions and high efficiency, PEMFC has been regarded as one of the most promising future energy sources. However, water management in the PEM fuel cell is a critical issue for the effective cell operation and full-scale application. Sufficient water must be maintained in the membrane to facilitate proton transfer, but if it exists in excess, the water will flood the catalyst layer. The amount of water generation is directly and entirely contingent upon …

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Gay Men's Literature In The United States (1903 - 1968) : Uncovering The Buried Roots Of A Queer Tradition, Adam Wayne Burgess Jan 2017

Gay Men's Literature In The United States (1903 - 1968) : Uncovering The Buried Roots Of A Queer Tradition, Adam Wayne Burgess

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation draws on queer-postmodernism and feminist standpoint theory to investigate and describe aspects of the gay American literary tradition before the historic Stonewall Riots. Specifically, the dissertation offers four points of enquiry: the significance of a text's displacement in time and location; the successful pulp fiction genre; the importance of intertextuality in establishing discourse; and the complexities of gender and sexuality in fictional texts that incorporate and describe same-sex relationships. There are many works that examine gay American writing in the twentieth-century but much of this scholarship pertains to literature of the 1950s and later; criticism of gay texts …

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Glutamine Transporters In Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma And In The Emt6 Mammary Tumor And Adjacent Stroma In The Syngeneic Balb/C Mouse Model, Clare Kron Jan 2017

Glutamine Transporters In Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma And In The Emt6 Mammary Tumor And Adjacent Stroma In The Syngeneic Balb/C Mouse Model, Clare Kron

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an increasing threat worldwide due to cirrhosis of the liver developing from viral hepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women, with the most intractable type classified as triple negative. Both cancers depend on glutamine as the major oxidizable substrate for tumor growth, therefore, identification of glutamine transporters and transporter activity is of vital importance in the development of treatment options. It is well documented that ASCT2 is the major glutamine transporter in both cancers but little is known regarding the relative amounts of additional …

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Influence Of School Librarians As Change Agents : Strategies Using The Power Of Digital Tools For Creating Change, Sara Meyer Jan 2017

Influence Of School Librarians As Change Agents : Strategies Using The Power Of Digital Tools For Creating Change, Sara Meyer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated as to how the school librarian acts as a change agent for effective integration of technology in the school curriculum. Four teachers from a Midwestern junior high school participated in this project. The research was conducted as a case study using grounded theory methods for generating theory and analyzing data. To inform the study, Rogers' Diffusion Theory was also applied. The following research questions helped to guide the study: How is a school librarian a change agent for improving technology practices in a junior high school? What are strategies that allow the school librarian to act as …

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Karen Refugees Resettled In Aurora, Il : Their Identity, Their Resettlement, Their Oral Histories, Karla Findley Jan 2017

Karen Refugees Resettled In Aurora, Il : Their Identity, Their Resettlement, Their Oral Histories, Karla Findley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Refugees provide unique subject matter for identity studies as they are not able to continue living in their homeland. Refugees, instead, have been forced to abandon their homes, flee to a different country for safety, and often settle in a third country that is usually an ocean away, both physically and culturally. While concepts of identity are often easy to identify and maintain when a person can be continually surrounded by reaffirming objects, ideas, and people, what about when the refugee is not? This project endeavors to examine the resettlement process of Karen refugees in Aurora, Illinois, and how they …

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Memes And 4chan And Haters, Oh My! : Rhetoric, Identity, And Online Aggression, Erika M. Sparby Jan 2017

Memes And 4chan And Haters, Oh My! : Rhetoric, Identity, And Online Aggression, Erika M. Sparby

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This project takes a rhetorical approach to studying online aggression. Frequently, targets of aggression are told not to "feed the trolls," or not to respond to aggressive content lest they fuel further aggressive acts. However, this tactic does not work because it blames targets for further aggressive acts---not the aggressor---and it silences discourse. This dissertation examines methods for resisting online aggression without amplifying it while opening pathways to constructive dialog online. Each chapter studies a different popular locus of online aggression. The second chapter explores image macro memes and how they can perpetuate identity-based stereotypes; it offers counter-meming as a …

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More Than We Imagined : Toward A Map Of Beliefs And Attitudes About Creative Writing, Kelle Sills Mullineaux Jan 2017

More Than We Imagined : Toward A Map Of Beliefs And Attitudes About Creative Writing, Kelle Sills Mullineaux

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As creative writing studies moves toward becoming a discipline, scholars have called for inquiry into the diverse philosophies that drive creative writing as a field of study. To determine the extent to which writers' beliefs could be mapped or categorized along recognizable lines, I surveyed 117 creative writers about their opinions regarding the nature of creativity. The results were studied quantitatively and qualitatively using correlations, Exploratory Factor Analysis, and rhetorical analysis. The data demonstrated that creative writing philosophy is even more complex than literature on the subject might suggest. Respondents' beliefs about creativity were inextricably influenced by a wide variety …

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The Role Of Gln146 To The Stability And Activity Of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase, Ting Wang Jan 2017

The Role Of Gln146 To The Stability And Activity Of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase, Ting Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Gln146 is a highly conserved outer-sphere amino acid residue at the active site of MnSOD. It serves as a hydrogen bond donor to both the solvent molecules at the active site and Tyr 34, the conserved “gateway” amino acid residue. This dissertation develops our understanding of the effect of amino acid Gln146 at the second shell of the active site of metalloprotein MnSOD in facilitating metal binding, the modulation of redox potential, and the optimization of catalytic activity and structure stability. Different from the wild-type MnSOD, Q146E is always purified as a completely apo-protein with zero active metal ion and …

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