Digital Commons Network^™

Coast Guard Public Affairs Middle Management And The Excellence Study, Stephen Bailey Lehmann

Theses - ALL

As is the nature of any organization, the U.S. Coast Guard is constantly seeking to improve its functions, operations, policies and procedures. In terms of communications, the service’s Public Affairs Program has instituted a number of different competencies and qualifications to better prepare candidates as they approach the next rank. This study sought to provide an outline of the middle-management component as it exists within the public affairs element and compare the findings to those published in the Excellence Study to assist the service by providing a basis from which additional policy recommendations could be made.

The study was conducted …

Cell Laden Hydrogel Microspheres Using 3d Printed Microfluidics, Sanika Nitin Suvarnapathaki

Theses - ALL

Cell laden hydrogel microspheres using 3D printed microfluidics

Abstract

By

Sanika Suvarnapathaki

Current tissue engineering therapies use macro-scale three dimensional (3D) scaffolds to treat tissue defects surgically. Uneven cell seeding and oxygen and media perfusion cause low cell viability in these macro-scale scaffolds. Microencapsulation, a technique of encapsulating cells in biocompatible polymers or hydrogels, has the potential to address these key issues, and therefore this technology has been used for numerous healthcare applications over the last two decades. Cell microencapsulation in hydrogels that mimic the tissue physiology and biochemistry has made it possible to use natural hydrogels like gelatin methacrylate …

International Differences In Support For Human Rights, Sam Mcfarland Phd

Societies Without Borders

International differences in support for human rights are reviewed. The first of two sections reviews variations in the strength of ratification of UN human rights treaties, followed by an examination of the commonalities and relative strengths among the five regional human rights systems. This review indicates that internationally the strongest human rights support is found in Europe and the Americas, with weaker support in Africa, followed by still weaker support in the Arab Union and Southeast Asia. The second section reviews variations in responses to public opinion polls on a number of civil and economic rights. A strong coherence in …

Rainbows For Rights: The Role Of Lgbt Activism In Gay Rights Promotion, Victor Asal Phd, Amanda Murdie Phd, Udi Sommer Phd

Societies Without Borders

Are advocacy efforts successful in improving the de jure rights of sexual minorities? In this paper, we argue that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights NGO movement has been a powerful force in the struggle against sexual discrimination. However, the work of LGBT organizations is much harder in areas of the world where pre-existing public attitudes are not supportive of the rights in question. By focusing on the issue of sexual minority rights, we are able to see how underlying public attitude divergence on a human rights issue can influence advocacy success. We test the implications of our …

Who Says Human Rights Are Not Respected? Assessing Local And Third Party Ratings, Rob Clark Phd

Societies Without Borders

Country ratings of human rights conditions are now quite popular in macro comparative research. However, little is known as to whether (or to what extent) these scores correspond with mass sentiment in each country. Do local ratings issued by the public correspond with third party ratings, such as those produced by the Cingranelli-Richards index (CIRI), the Political Terror Scale (PTS), and Freedom House (FH)? In this study, I address this question, drawing from the most recent wave of the World Values Survey (2010 – 2014), in which respondents from 59 countries are asked to assess the level of respect for …

The Political Economy Of Resource Conflicts And Forced Migration: Why Afghanistan, Colombia And Sudan Are The World's Longest Forced Migration, Tarique Niazi Phd, Jeremy Hein Phd

Societies Without Borders

Afghanistan, Colombia, and Sudan are the world’s three longest producers of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Why? To answer this question, we evaluate the conventional and dominant geopolitical model of forced migration, as well as alternative models that focus on resource-based conflicts and political economy. We demonstrate that in each of the three cases, natural resources are at the heart of the conflicts that precede the involuntary movement of people both across international borders (refugees) and within national borders (IDPs). But the presence of resources by itself does not cause conflicts or forced migration. In Afghanistan, Colombia and Sudan, …

Notes From The Field: It’S Not About Love: Brazilian Social Work Celebrates 80 Years In The Fight For Social Rights, Jane Mcpherson Phd, Mph, Lcsw

Societies Without Borders

In 2016, Brazilian social work celebrated 80 years of existence. This writer, a U.S. social worker, traveled south to participate in the celebrations, and to observe—and reflect upon—the role of human rights activism in the practice of our shared profession. This article will discuss both Brazil’s history and its social work profession as they relate to human rights, and highlight ways that Brazilian social workers speak about human rights that challenge the author to become a better social worker and educator.

Sexual Assault In Universities, Vanessa A. Gebka

Honors Capstones

In this study, the author investigates how and why rape culture continues to exist in our society today. Certain concepts such as gender roles, college experience, acquaintance rape, and victim blaming are discussed in order to elaborate on this ideology. Furthermore, the author looks at how rape culture effects outcomes and survivors of sexual assault, specifically within universities, and how institutions handle such cases. Using surveys and research, it is clear that victims of sexual assault are not being supported and more needs to be done to help them. The author argues that because college environments and institutions tolerate sexual …

From A Woman’S Right To Choose To ‘A Woman’S Right To Shoes’: The Commodification Of Feminism And The Politics Of Choice From Fear Of Flying To Bridget Jones’ Diary, Megan Behrent

Publications and Research

This essay looks at the transformation of the first-person fiction narratives from the feminist movement in the age of postfeminism. It explores the trajectory from feminism to postfeminism and the shift from a collective to a purely personal understanding of liberation as lifestyle politics, “power” feminism, and individualism gain ground. Central to this transformation is the commodification of the feminism itself as the politics of choice signal a broader shift to neoliberal ideology in which the rhetoric of choice is used to undermine radical demands for rights that emerged from the political movements of the 1960s and 70s. I argue …

Perchlorate-Coupled Carbon Monoxide (Co) Oxidation: Evidence For A Plausible Microbe-Mediated Reaction In Martian Brines, Marisa R. Myers, Gary M. King

Faculty Publications

© 2017 Myers and King. The presence of hydrated salts on Mars indicates that some regions of its surface might be habitable if suitable metabolizable substrates are available. However, several lines of evidence have shown that Mars' regolith contains only trace levels of the organic matter needed to support heterotrophic microbes. Due to the scarcity of organic carbon, carbon monoxide (CO) at a concentration of about 700 parts per million (about 0.4 Pa) might be the single most abundant readily available substrate that could support near-surface bacterial activity. Although a variety of electron acceptors can be coupled to CO oxidation, …

Exploring Nurses' Perceptions Of Dignity During End-Of-Life Care, Barbara Crump

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to understand nurses' perceptions of care that supports patients' dignity during hospitalization at the end of life, and to propose a theoretical foundation consistent with these perceptions as a guide to practice. The research involved analyzing perceptions about processes that can explain how nurses perceive care that supports patients' dignity at the end of life during hospitalization. The aim of the research in this study included a focus on the general problem that patients' dignity is not always respected by healthcare providers according to the review of the literature and the …

Archives Annual Report, 2016-2017, Meg Miner

Administrative Reports

No abstract provided.

Facilitating Social Support Systems For Adults In Assisted Living Communities, Kathryn Marie Detwiler

Theses - ALL

This thesis project seeks to unpack how older adults living in assisted living facilities

maintain and deepen their social connections. According to established research, social support systems and active lifestyles are major factors in improving quality of life. By sitting down with residents in the assisted living division of Menorah Park in

Syracuse, and conducting a series of research activities, a better understanding of how older adults live in assisted living facilities.

One potential design solution currently being explored to keep older adults socially engaged could be the design of a social hub terminal that encourages residents to congregate daily …

Etsu Runs Past Men’S Basketball 79-59, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

• ETSU Runs Past Men’s Basketball 79-59
• The Eagles open their SBC schedule at Troy Dec. 29

The Public And Private Spirit Of Engagement, Darrell Hamlin

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Developing A “Sense Of Community”: Exploring A Cognitive Component Of Civic Engagement, Tabitha Underwood

eJournal of Public Affairs

Civic engagement has become an important component of higher education practice that assists colleges and universities in fulfilling their civic mission and public purpose. This reflective essay outlines an oftentimes forgotten aspect of that work—how we integrate students into the life of a community and help them develop a sense of interdependence with it. The concept of “sense of community” allows this opportunity and should be incorporated in higher education professions as both a guiding principle and an outcome of engaged scholarship. The author outlines the idea of incorporating the sense of community concept into higher education civic engagement, including …

Book Review: Scientists, Experts, And Civic Engagement: Walking A Fine Line, Alexander Wait

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Civic Intentions And Actions: Exploring Civic Engagement Among College Students In Mainland China, Jonathan F. Zaff, Jingtong Pan, Wei Zhang, Shuangju Zhen

eJournal of Public Affairs

For the study discussed in this article, the authors developed a survey instrument to assess civic engagement among college students in China. Derived from focus-group interviews and extant literature on civic engagement, the survey was administered to 587 students from three universities in Southern China. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on a randomly split-half sample, and a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the other split-half sample to evaluate measurement structure and measurement invariance of the survey. A total of 22 items were included in the final measurement model. The authors identified five first-order factors from the survey (i.e., …

Rethinking Service-Learning: Bridging The Gapbetween Academic And Student Affairs, Tamara J. Lynn

eJournal of Public Affairs

Although the service-learning literature has clearly demonstrated the importance of reflection in connecting service to learning, this is often a difficult task for faculty. As colleges and universities continue to promote civic engagement through a wide array of service activities, in the classroom, and increasingly through co-curricular projects, greater emphasis needs to be placed on reflecting well. This study evaluated changes in perceptions of poverty by undergraduate students engaged in a co-curricular service project. Poverty was selected as one indicator for understanding concepts of justice. Pre- and post-project surveys were conducted by the student participants, who were members of an …

Catalytic Synthesis Of Biodiesel Fuel Under Sub/Supercritical Conditions: Kinetics And Phase Behavior, Jiuxu Liu

Dissertations - ALL

In this thesis, transesterification of triglycerides and esterification of free fatty acids were executed under subcritical and supercritical alcohol conditions, and discussed in Chapter 2-5. The project was initiated by studying the phase behavior and kinetics of transesterification reactions under severe reaction conditions (T: 300-400 oC, P=200 bar), since those conditions were suggested and commonly used in the literature. At these conditions, triglycerides reacted with alcohol within minutes, and the oil-alcohol mixture formed a homogeneous phase which minimized the boundary mass transfer resistance. The composition change of the reaction mixture made the critical point of the system approach supercritical region …

Design Of Tribologically Enhanced Polymeric Materials For Biomedical Applications, Allen Osaheni

Dissertations - ALL

Anytime two surfaces are in normal contact, accompanied by tangential motion, there is potential for deterioration of one or both surfaces. Gradual wear, or the removal of surface material, is typically an undesirable event. Therefore, the need for lubrication arises to minimize the amount of shear stress that develops between opposing surfaces. This reduction in shear stress is characterized by the coefficient of friction (COF). Friction is one of the primary subjects of interest in tribology, the science of the friction and wear of articulating surfaces.

A number of fascinating tribological systems can be found in nature. One example which …

Readers’ Perceptions Of Newsworthiness And Bias As Factors In Participation With Digital News Content, Gregory James Munno

Dissertations - ALL

Audience participation with digital news content has become a central feature of news consumption. These participatory news behaviors – commenting on, sharing, and “liking” news stories – have implications for both newsreaders and producers of news. This dissertation tests a structural model of commenting behavior using survey data (N = 335). The model builds on suggestions of a connection between hostile-media effects and commenting. This study adds newsworthiness to the structural equation, hypothesizing that newsworthiness increases readers’ perceptions that an article will influence other readers. These relationships should increase hostile-media effects, and, therefore, a reader’s likelihood of commenting. The model …

Rectangular Waveguide Filled With Uniaxial Medium And Negative Resistance Enhanced Composite Right/Left-Handed Transmission Line, Kepei Sun

Dissertations - ALL

Two wave-guiding problems are treated in this work. The first part addresses the problem of a rectangular waveguide filled with a uniaxially anisotropic or uniaxial medium. Different orientations of the optic axis of the uniaxial medium are considered and the wave transmission and modal behaviors are investigated. When the optic axis is aligned with one of the coordinate axes, i. e., x, y, or z axis, the method of wave decomposition with respect to the optic axis orientation is proposed and the complete analytic solutions are presented and compared with conventional transverse-to-z solutions. When the optic axis is tilted but …

What's Mine Is Yourls, Kimberly R. Abrams, Junior R. Tidal

Publications and Research

Hyperlink management is critical to website functionality because a site with dead links is not fully operable for the end user. In libraries, links used for marketing, course materials, electronic resources, social media, and other uses are laborious to maintain. Often, these links are long, unreadable, and unmemorable. In order to streamline link maintenance, improve link usability, and promote resources, an open source, short link manager called Your Own URL Shortener (YOURLS), was implemented at an academic library. This primer describes this process. Not only does YOURLS shorten links, it also acts as a database link manager. Long URLs are …

Mammy Representations In The 21st Century, Ayondela Mcdole

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines the signification of the mammy stereotype in the 21st century. The performances of Martin Lawrence, Tyler Perry and Eddie Murphy’s as mammies in drag are the selected texts for the project. By presenting the many mammy representations over the past 150 years, I outline the ways in which the mammy stereotype dehumanizes black women and hinders the Pan African agenda. Through the commodification of the mammy stereotype it has been de-historicized and thus separated from its beginnings as a part of the white supremacist imagination. Discourse analysis is used to analyze its meaning and signification while black …

Utilization Of Evidence-Based Health Teaching By Providers To Improve Parents Perception Of Immunizations And Vaccine Schedules, Jo A. Silvaroli

DNP and Student Works

Parental refusal or delay in administering vaccines for their children has become a public health concern, contributing to an increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. Informed decision-making is necessary for parents deciding to immunize, helping parents understand the evidence-based information will aid in reducing concerns. The method was providing a parental education about immunizations and vaccine schedules, with the use of a health teaching corroborate, about me, science, explain/advise a (CASE) method to help families in making an informed decision to immunize.

The Ageing Of The Archives: Community, Conflict, And Queer Potential At The Lesbian Herstory Archives, Rebekah Orr

Dissertations - ALL

The Lesbian Herstory Archives is the oldest and largest lesbian archives in the

world. This dissertation project examines the role of this community archive in

building, defining, redefining, and sustaining community over time. More

specifically, this dissertation seeks to explore the relationship between queer

archives and community through the following research questions:

1. How does the act of archiving produce community?

2. How does a community archive and project of collective memory, rooted

in a specific identity, respond to a radically shifting socio-political

climate?

3. In what ways does the deployment of community produce boundaries of

inclusion and exclusion?

Drawing …

Semi-Open Space And Micro-Environmental Control For Improving Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, And Building Energy Efficiency, Meng Kong

Dissertations - ALL

Local air delivery, heating, and cooling combined with local space partition and confinement (called semi-open space or SOS) have the potential to provide micro-environment that is tailored to the individual preference of the occupants, and hence increase the percentage of satisfied occupancy from currently 80% to near 100%. This research investigates the use of a micro-environmental control system (µX) and semi-open space (SOS) to efficiently provide the desired thermal comfort and air quality conditions for individual occupants while the ambient air temperature set-points were relaxed for reducing the overall energy consumption of the building. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model …

“In Our Own Words”: The Phenomenological Exploration Into The African American Experience Of Relational Therapy With White Therapists, Melody Michele Brown

Dissertations - ALL

The consideration of one’s cultural context is a critical component of systemic therapy. Marriage and family therapy literature underscores this importance with a wealth of information on working with various diverse family systems. The literature has not adequately reflected the voices of the African American client. The purpose of this study was to understand the African American experience in relational therapy with White clinicians. Phenomenological methodology was employed via semi-structured interviews with eleven participants across the United States. The findings revealed three themes (lived experiences of African Americans, lack of culturally responsive clinical practice, and what works in therapy). The …

Collaboration And Conflict In Transnationally-Dispersed Zimbabwean Families, William John Suk

Dissertations - ALL

Approximately one quarter of Zimbabwean adults left their country of birth during the past twenty years. These sojourners are increasingly dispersed as tightening immigration regimes in preferred destinations and fluctuating global opportunities lead them to places with fewer historical links to Zimbabwe. This dispersive process fractures many families between multiple international locations. Nevertheless, the idea of family remains centrally important to diasporans, who work with relatives around the world to care for children and elders, to acquire important documents like passports, and to prepare for an eventual return home. Following from performative and relational theorizations of kinship, this dissertation argues …