Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Relating To The Multicultural Efficacy And Attitudes Of Teachers, Donna L. Strickland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The study was conducted to examine the relationship between factors of professional development in diversity issues, teachers’ years of experience, and experiences with diversity with teachers’ multicultural attitudes and multicultural self-efficacy. The research was conducted using a sample population from southeast Georgia. A multiple regression was conducted using survey data (Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES)) collected from Qualtrics. There were 209 responses. Demographic data and multiple regression results are discussed as well as recommendations for future research. Findings indicate no relationship between teachers’ multicultural efficacy and multicultural attitudes and their professional development in diversity issues, years of teaching experience and experiences …

Alcoholic And Nonalcoholic Parents’ Orientations Toward Conformity And Conversation As Predictors Of Attachment And Psychological Well-Being For Adult Children Of Alcoholics, Marie Haverfield, Jennifer Theiss

Faculty Publications

Alcoholism is a family illness that has implications for the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of the spouse and children of individuals with alcoholism (Johnson & Stone, 2009). One in four families in the United States is affected by alcoholism (Grant, 2000), with approximately 26.8 million children growing up with a parent with alcoholism (Alcohol and Drug Programs [ADP], 2007). Children of parents with alcoholism tend to experience more frequent depression and struggle to develop healthy intimate relationships when compared to children of parents without alcoholism (Drejer, Theikjaard, Teasedale, Schulsinger, & Goodwin, 1985). Adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) who had …

Genome-Wide Association Study For The Relationship Between Temperature And Feed Intake In Beef Cattle, Robel Araya Ghebrewold

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Environmental conditions, such as changes in ambient temperature, can cause changes in animal behavior and performance. In general, it is believed that as ambient temperature increases, dry matter intake (DMI) of beef cattle decreases. However, our hypothesis was that the degree to which animals adjust their daily DMI due to changes in ambient temperature is partially controlled by genetic effects. Consequently, the objective of this study was to estimate the genetic component of the regression of DMI on ambient temperature using an admixed beef cattle population consisting of various crosses of Angus, Simmental, and Piedmontese (n = 239). Ambient …

Not Cruel, Blessed, Or Merciful: Pratchett, Gaiman, And The Personification Of Death, Kiki V. Canon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman helped to change the cultural view of Death personified through their work with the Discworld novels and Sandman comics. Despite taking seemingly different paths in portraying Death, these two authors presented a cohesive view of mortality that encourages readers to re-consider the long-held Western cultural notions of Death as a frightening figure to be tricked or avoided at all cost. Despite meeting Barthes’ criteria of the work of “bliss” that changes the mythology of the culture, academic circles frequently overlook the importance of “pop culture” writers, especially when dealing with underrepresented genres such as fantasy, …

The Relationships Among Trauma History, Disordered Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, And Social Anxiety, Rebekah Mitchell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Eating disorders are highly prevalent and cause significant psychological impairment, up to and including death (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielson, 2011). This research examined how trauma history in the general population explains variation in eating disorder risk. The purpose of the current study was to provide further evidence for the relationship between abuse history and eating disorder risk. Disordered eating behaviors, body dissatisfaction, and social anxiety are all known risk factors for the development of eating disorders (Brewerton, 2007). Trauma history is related to all three of these known risk factors (Brewerton, 2007) with sexual trauma being more linked to …

Application Of Evolutionary Network Concept In Structuring Mathematics Curriculum, Aditi Mitra

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Phylogenetic tree and in general, evolutionary network, has found its application well beyond the biological fields and has even percolated into recent high demanding areas, such as data mining and social media chain reactions. An extensive survey of its current applications are presented here. An attempt has been made to apply the very concept in the mathematics course curriculum inside a degree program. Various features of the tree structure are identified within the curriculum network. To highlight various key components and to enhance the visual effect, several diagrams are presented. The combined effect of these diagram provides a sense of …

Cutting The Cords: Provider, Payer, Policy And Maternity Outcomes In Selected U. S. States, Courtney Gustin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is variation in interventions and complications in the labors of women cared for by nurse midwives compared with physicians after controlling for medical risks and sociodemographic factors in pregnant women in Georgia, New Mexico, Illinois, Virginia, and Alaska.

Methods: The study was based on a secondary analysis of 2015 Birth Certificate Data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The outcome variables included VBAC, induction/augmentation of labor, third and fourth-degree laceration, and chorioamnionitis. The exposure of interest was provider type- nurse-midwife or physician. Multiple logistic regression was used to …

Saccadic Eye Movements Between Strategic, Interceptive, And Non-Athletes, Brian Szekely

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Athletes have differences in object tracking, search strategies, number and duration of fixations, dynamic visual acuity (DVA), and predictive eye movements than non-athletes (NON). However, these eye functions have not been assessed between athlete groups during a task that encompasses antisaccade and DVA characteristics. Purpose: To evaluate the oculomotor control sport paradigm differences between interceptive (INT) and strategic (STR) Division I collegiate athletes, as well as NON with an antisaccade task (AS) and a sport-like dual task (SDT). Methods: Fifty-seven participants (19 STR, 19 INT, and 19 NON) performed 2 trials of an AS and a SDT. Participants stood …

2018 Spring Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Elasmobranch Bycatch And Shark Depredation In The Georgia Shrimp Fishery, Matthew M. Scanlon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Georgia shrimp fishery has seen a dramatic decrease in profit and productivity since the 1980’s due to a number of economic factors. Additional, yet undocumented, pressures on this fishery include interactions between foraging sharks with trawl gear. Fishermen report that sharks frequently bite nets in an attempt to prey on netted fish, resulting in large holes in the gear. Further elasmobranch interactions with trawl gear occur as bycatch; shrimp trawls represent nearly 100% of elasmobranch commercial bycatch in Georgia state waters, the species composition of which is largely unstudied. Shark interactions with nets were detailed through fishery-dependent observations on …

Foraging Ecology Of A Winter Bird Community In Southeastern Georgia, Rachel E. Mowbray

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Classical views on community structure emphasized deterministic processes and the importance of competition in shaping communities. However, the processes responsible for shaping avian communities remain controversial. Attempts to understand distributions and abundances of species are complicated by the fact that birds are highly mobile. Many species migrate biannually between summer breeding grounds and wintering grounds. The goal of this study was to test four hypotheses that attempt to explain how migratory species integrate into resident assemblages of birds (Empty-Niche Hypothesis, Competitive-Exclusion Hypothesis, Niche-Partitioning Hypothesis, and Generalist-Migrant Hypothesis). I collected data on birds foraging during the winter of 2017-2018 in Magnolia …

Environmental Factors Affecting Hatch Success In The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta), Mattie J. Whitesell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is a species federally listed as “threatened” whose global populations are declining. Georgia Department of Natural Resources conservation protocols for this species require the daily monitoring of nesting activity and permit physical relocation of nests which are at risk of being eroded or flooded by storms and high tides in order to increase hatch success--the proportion of hatched to unhatched eggs. Relocated nests are moved to an area with higher elevation in order to avoid flooding, but other variables such as increased temperature and decreased moisture are introduced when relocating. For years temperature …

Common Data Set, 2017-2018, Planning, Research, And Policy Analysis

Common Data Set (2001-present)

Common Data Set 2017-2018 for Illinois State University

Process Simulation And Experimental Investigation Of Biofuel Production In A High Rate Anaerobic Digestion Process, Haider Al-Rubaye

Doctoral Dissertations

"The non-hazardous waste management hierarchy of the US EPA calls for “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” (or the three R’s) of wastes. The anaerobic digestion process is one of the most important methods that used to treat the wastes and at the same time generate energy out of it. The anaerobic digestion process generates a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide gases which is known as biogas.

The biogas composition is about 50-70% methane and 10-30% of carbon dioxide and trace amount of other gases like hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. This biogas can be used in power generation, heating systems and …

Laser Foil Printing And Surface Polishing Processes, Chen Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

"A foil-based additive manufacturing technology for fabricating metal parts, called Laser Foil Printing (LFP), was proposed and developed in this dissertation. The manufacturing sub-processes comprising the LFP technology were comprehensively studied, which include the laser spot welding of foil, laser raster-scan welding of foil, laser cutting of foil, and laser polishing processes. The fabricated free-form parts were demonstrated and own better mechanical properties (micro hardness and tensile strength) than the raw material, because of the rapid-cooling process of laser welding. The full and strong bond between layers was formed by the laser welding process, with no micro-cracks or pores observed. …

Evaluation Of The Redesign Of A Stem Gatekeeper Course, General Chemistry I, Incorporating Active-Learning Strategies And Implementation Of A Student-Choice Model, Travis Rae Mcdowell

Doctoral Dissertations

"The first courses freshman university students typically enroll in are the introductory science and math, courses that bridge from and build upon their prior educational experiences. These introductory courses often have large enrollment lectures coupled with supplemental sessions to teach using traditional educational practices, which may operate counter to the attitudes and culture of the students who take them. To address this, the general chemistry faculty through collaboration with a team of educational specialists initiated a redesign of the general chemistry course, which primarily serves first-year undergraduates. The redesign efforts included changes such as reducing lecture time and placing emphasis …

Evolving Specialization In An Agent-Based Model Without Task-Switching Costs, Shane Robert Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations

"This work examines the possibility of evolving the phenotypic specialization associated with division of labor in an agent-based model without task-switching costs. The model examines two groups competing for vital resources, where members of one group are capable of sharing resources with other agents in their group. Agents attempt to collect resources which allow them to reproduce, with more resources leading to a greater number of offspring by asexual reproduction. Four variants of the model are examined, with combinations of one or two resources and the presence of a foraging risk. The presence of the foraging risk can lead to …

Machine Learning Techniques Implementation In Power Optimization, Data Processing, And Bio-Medical Applications, Khalid Khairullah Mezied Al-Jabery

Doctoral Dissertations

"The rapid progress and development in machine-learning algorithms becomes a key factor in determining the future of humanity. These algorithms and techniques were utilized to solve a wide spectrum of problems extended from data mining and knowledge discovery to unsupervised learning and optimization. This dissertation consists of two study areas. The first area investigates the use of reinforcement learning and adaptive critic design algorithms in the field of power grid control. The second area in this dissertation, consisting of three papers, focuses on developing and applying clustering algorithms on biomedical data. The first paper presents a novel modelling approach for …

Bio-Inspired Geomaterial Improvement And Development Of Innovative Characterization Methods, Junnan Cao

Doctoral Dissertations

"This study experimentally investigated the bio-inspired improvement on geomaterials, including enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) and biopolymers. This study also developed several innovative characterization tools to advance the state-of-the-art testing techniques, including SIP-BE column, rotational sedimental panel, and backpressure saturated constant hydraulic gradient break through column. Firstly, EICP test was performed on Ottawa 50-70 sand in a newly developed SIP-BE column. Nondestructive techniques -- spectral induced polarization (SIP) and bender element were used to monitor the precipitation process and shear wave velocities (V_s). SIP, V_s, and SEM results all suggest contact cementation as the preferential precipitation …

Cappack Devices For The Evaluation Of Parameters And Pulse Performances In Liquid And Solid-State Nmr Spectroscopy, Lingyu Chi

Doctoral Dissertations

"NMR spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool to obtain explicit information about molecular structures, conformations, dynamics, and functions. To extract the desired information most accurately, NMR reference standards and devices are needed for calibrating the spectrometer hardware, generating reference data for the NMR software, and testing the applicability of pulse sequences. In this dissertation, the CapPack (Capillary-tube Package) platform is introduced which provides well-defined external reference and calibration standards for liquid and solid-state NMR applications. CapPacks consist of one or more permanently sealed capillary tubes that, depending on the intended application, come arranged in different geometries such as side-by-side or …

Characterization Of The Cylinderical Split Internal-Loop Photobioreactor With Scenedesmus Microalgae: Advanced Culturing, Modeling, And Hydrodynamics, Laith S. Sabri

Doctoral Dissertations

"Microalgae are fast growing photoynthetic microorganisms and it have very wide range of industrial applications such as biofuels and wastewater treatment. These cells can be grown in a wide variety of systems ranging from open culture systems (e.g., ponds) to closed culture systems of photobioreactor (e.g., airlift). The open culture systems exist in the external environment, and hence, are not intrinsically controllable. However, the microalgae production in enclosed photobioreactors faces prohibitively high production costs with special difficulty in reactor design and scale-up. The light availability and utilization efficiency in the photobioreactor in terms of design and scale-up consider as the …

Correlation Between Delay Time And Measured Concentration And Concentration Uncertainty By Neutron Activation Analysis, James Thomas Seman

Doctoral Dissertations

"For the last several decades, it has been apparent that new methods of identifying explosives can help investigators trace their origins. One way to identify an explosive is through the use of taggants: materials added to a product that encodes information about the product such as when it was manufactured.

This research investigates the survivability of a new identification taggant called the Nuclear Barcode that overcomes some of the downfalls that have been identified in prior taggants. The Nuclear Barcode encodes information as a unique combination of concentrations of rare earths (Ho, Eu, Sm, Lu, and Dy) and precious metals …

Modeling And Control Of Probe-On-Probe Dynamics In Dual-Probe Atomic Force Microscopy, Ayad Al-Ogaidi

Doctoral Dissertations

“The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a widely used instrument for imaging and direct manipulation of materials and particles at the nanoscale. The AFM uses a probe, which is a microcantilever with a sharp point at the end. Typically, the AFM is constructed with a single probe. The disadvantage of this construction is that it can only be used either for imaging or manipulation in one implementation. An AFM was constructed using two probes, permitting simultaneous imaging and manipulation. A dual-probe AFM (DP-AFM) provides a foundation for feedback controlled manipulation.

Paper I investigates probe-on-probe contact stability and examines the dynamics …

Design For Optical Metamaterial Design For Optical Metamaterial Absorber, Huixu Deng

Doctoral Dissertations

“Optical metamaterlal (MM) absorbers in the visible or near-infrared range have been widely investigated in these years since they are crucial in many promising applications, such as solar energy harvesting systems, thermo-photovoltaic energy conversion devices, thermal imaging and emissivity control. This dissertation aims to design and investigate various optical metamaterial absorbers based on different mechanisms and theories, such as cavity resonance, impedance match, equivalent circuit model and waveguide stop light mode. First, via utilizing the cavity resonance, a tunable narrowband MM absorber/emitter for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) is designed and analyzed based on gold nanowire cavities to improve the overall efficiency of …

Design And Characterization Of Multi-Spectral Underwater Beam-Port For Pool-Type Research Reactors, Meshari Mesfer Alqahtani

Doctoral Dissertations

“The beam-port is a cardinal facility at research reactors necessary for dry irradiation, testing and measurement experiments. The Missouri University of Science and Technology Reactor (MSTR) is one such reactor with a beam-port. Installation of additional beam-port in such reactor facilities can be prohibitive. A novel remedy to this is an underwater beam-port for pool-type reactors. The design and characterization of a conceptual underwater multi-spectral beam-port for neutron and gamma fluxes were completed for the MSTR. The neutron spectra from the MSTR were simulated using the Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP). The determined neutron spectra were experimentally validated using SAND-II. The …

Harmful Algae, Algal Toxin, Taste And Odor Control And Mitigation In Public Water System, Haiting Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

“Recent years, harmful algal blooms occurrence has increased quickly in the surface water worldwide, which has become a concern for drinking water plants due to the ability of toxic algae (cyanobacteria) to produce cyanotoxins including microcystins (MCs), mainly MC-LR, cylindrospermopsin (CYN), and taste and odor (T&O) compounds. Various types of chemicals are widely used in drinking water treatment plants as oxidants for treating source water challenged with harmful algal blooms. In this study, the release and degradation of intracellular MC-LR due to oxidation of Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa), most common specie of cyanobacteria, was examined kinetically. Effect of …

Detecting Cells And Analyzing Their Behaviors In Microscopy Images Using Deep Neural Networks, Yunxiang Mao

Doctoral Dissertations

"The computer-aided analysis in the medical imaging field has attracted a lot of attention for the past decade. The goal of computer-vision based medical image analysis is to provide automated tools to relieve the burden of human experts such as radiologists and physicians. More specifically, these computer-aided methods are to help identify, classify and quantify patterns in medical images. Recent advances in machine learning, more specifically, in the way of deep learning, have made a big leap to boost the performance of various medical applications. The fundamental core of these advances is exploiting hierarchical feature representations by various deep learning …

Part I: Design, Synthesis, And Studies Of Novel Age-Inhibitors And Age-Breakers; Part Ii: Novel Synthetic Methods For Organofluorine Compound, Jatin Mehta

Doctoral Dissertations

"Novel small molecule inhibitors and breakers of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) have been synthesized and their in vitro inhibitory activities have been studied by ¹³C NMR, fluorescence, and UV-visible spectroscopy. We have demonstrated that these AGE-inhibitors and AGE-breakers were found to be more effective in their sequestration of AGE intermediates, such as dehydroascorbate (DHA) than the state-of-the art phenacylthiazolium bromide (PTB)-based AGE-inhibitors and AGE-breakers. Citric acid and other polyphenolic antioxidants have substantial AGE inhibitory effects in the D-glucose/leucine or benzylamine Maillard reaction model systems, and thus they are suitable as dietary additives for ameliorating AGE-induced complications.

Organofluorine compounds have …

The History And Political Economy Of The Hatch-Waxman Amendments, Erika Lietzan

Faculty Publications

Reform of the Hatch–Waxman generic drug framework is in the air. Scholars, consumer advocacy groups, regulated industry, and policymakers are engaged in heated debate about perceived shortcomings in the scheme, flaws, and unexpected loopholes. Changes in how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implements the law, as well as changes to the law itself, are under serious consideration. These policymaking discussions take place against a backdrop of shared assumptions about the origins and nature of the original Hatch–Waxman legislation — assumptions that this Article claims are wrong. Convention wisdom holds that the Hatch–Waxman legislation was a delicate compromise privately …

Wetland Characteristics And Wintering Passerellidae Occupancy On Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Wetlands In West Virginia, Katharine Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wetland ecosystems are unique, important sources of numerous services such as wildlife habitat. Their widespread loss due to drainage and development in North America has promoted the creation of many programs and policies to try to reverse the damage done. One such program is the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). ACEP is administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides landowners with technical and financial assistance to restore wetlands on private agricultural land. One of the primary objectives of ACEP is to provide wildlife habitat while restoring wetlands in agricultural areas. It is important to monitor conservation practices …