Digital Commons Network^™

The Rise And Fall Of South Carolina College, Robert D. Cathcart Iii

Senior Theses

Through a thorough examination of the underpinnings of Classical education, as well as the history of South Carolina College, it is clear that the classical system is superior to the later University system imposed upon the College during the Reconstruction period. Classical education began in the Greek philosophic schools, such as the Academy and the Lyceum, and was intended to enrich the soul of its students, as well as to equip them for leadership in the future. But the most important aspect of this education was its universality. It is highly ironic that the original concept of the University …

Kitchen Chronicles And Crude Expectations: Understanding Everyday Life In The Upper Ecuadorian Amazon, Emily A. Babb

Senior Theses

My thesis examines the everyday life of my Ecuadorian, Kichwa host family in an attempt to better understand how, if at all, they interact with and think about oil companies on a regular basis. In this way, I attempted to supplement the current literature, which tends to focus on the large, contentious interactions between indigenous people and the petroleum industry. It was my hope to expand the understanding of their identities both within and outside the context of oil and to show the complexity of their relationship with petroleum companies.

Circulation, Volume 25, No. 2, Center For Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University, George Hagerman

CCPO Circulation

Spring 2020 issue of CCPO Circulation featuring the article, "Offshore Wind Activities at CCPO as Turbines Rise off the Virginia Coast in 2020," by George Hagerman, Senior Project Scientist.

An Abundance Of Good Things : Paul Ricoeur's Cultural Imagination And A Phenomenology Of Deuteronomism, Tad C. Blacketer

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Social Media In Recommending Tourism Destinations: A Study Of Kuwait, Ibrahim Ahmad Mohammad Alkandari

Mass Communication Dissertations

Technology has played an essential role in both personal and business applications. In this context, the Social Media (SM) is considered to be among the most powerful communication platforms, with an impact on the supply and demand sides of tourism. The impact of SM on tourism have been studied and researched from various perspectives. Yet the volume of research suggests that few have studied the use of the SM to recommend tourism destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Therefore, this dissertation intends to study the impact of SM on the intention to recommend tourism destinations based on users’ …

Making Meaning Of A Whole School Transformation Model: A Policy Ethnography Of A Schools Of Hope Legislation Implementation, Adam Charles Rea

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cheryl High School (CHS) is a geographically large county in Florida that received funding through the state of Florida's "Schools of Hope” grant. The grant’s parameters called on Carter County Schools (CCS) to partner with an external consultant and a research university to help improve teacher and school administrative capacity. The district chose Scientific Pedagogy Services (SPS) and to continue their existing relationship with Tampa Bay State University (TBS). The consultant’s mission was to improve school performance through a unique form of professional development. TBS was charged with developing an on-site program that funded staff efforts to obtain advanced degrees …

Stevenson Center Report For The School Street Food Pantry, Erik Carlson, Tessa Lance, Jose Molina, Tobi Oladejo, Jack White

Community Project Design and Management Reports - Sociology

No abstract provided.

How Ell And Mainstream Teachers Foster A Culturally Responsive Classroom Environment, Mariah G. Cox

Honors College Theses

This study explores the culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices of mainstream and English language learner (ELL) teachers as well as how to foster such practices. The study was completed with surveys, interviews, and an observation used to determine the knowledge of and practices concerning CRT. Participants of the study included 20 ELL teachers and 11 mainstream teachers from 11 different public-school districts. Due to pandemic restrictions, there was only one observation participant. ELL teachers reported incorporating CRT through class discussions and activities on diverse cultures. Mainstream teachers gave varied answers, but most spoke about differentiation methods and appeared to lack …

Understanding Etiologies Of Road Traffic Crashes, Injuries, And Death For Patients At National Hospital Abuja: A Qualitative Content Analysis Using Haddon's Matrix, Benjamin D. Holmes, Kristin Haglund, Emmanuel A. Ameh, Oluwole O. Olaomi, Uthman Uthman, Laura D. Cassidy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Road traffic crashes and sequelae are reaching pandemic proportions globally and have currently achieved disproportionately high levels in Nigeria. Quantitative studies are accumulating in the peer-reviewed literature, but there is a paucity of qualitative research in Nigeria. Data for this study of structural and behavioral factors of road traffic crashes and injuries in Federal Capital Territory were collected in semi-structured interviews with crash survivors at National Hospital Abuja. Interviews were analyzed via qualitative content analysis, revealing crash location and participant beliefs about crash etiologies. Units of analysis were developed from participant statements and were structured within four a priori etiologic …

Racial-Ethnic Differences In Social Networks And Perceived Support: Measurement Considerations And Implications For Disparities Research, Melissa Flores, John M. Ruiz, Christian Goans, Bert N. Uchino, Michiyo Hirai, Ruben Tinajero, Timothy W. Smith

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objectives: Racial-ethnic differences in physical/mental health are well documented as being associated with disparities; however, emerging conceptual models increasingly suggest that group differences in social functioning and organization contribute to these relationships. There is little work examining whether racial-ethnic groups respond similarly to classic measures of social networks and perceived support and whether there are significant between-groups differences on these measures.

Method: A multisite, cross-sectional study of 2,793 non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic participants was conducted using common measures of social networks and perceived support. A confirmatory factor analytic model was used to test for the invariance …

An Unknown Past, An Unequal Present, And An Uncertain Future: Transnational Environmental Law Through Three Research Challenges, Natasha Affolder

All Faculty Publications

This chapter seeks to bring into focus three broad research challenges facing transnational environmental law – an unknown past, an unequal present, and an uncertain future. Transnational law theory invites scholars to stand at a distance from current orthodoxies and to contemplate environmental law and its practice from new vantage points. The study of transnational environmental law thus prompts new ways of thinking about where to look for environmental law and its foundational influences. New research agendas emerge organically from such shifts of gaze. By identifying future research agendas, we can illuminate both the diversity of sites of past and …

Spatial Analysis Of Mediterranean Migrant Routes To Europe, Olivia Bachtold

Geography, Geology, and the Environment

How has the flow of Mediterranean migrant routes fluctuated before, during and after the European migrant crisis? Successfully integrating migrants into the European Union system has been one of the most difficult and controversial challenges within the Union. Since the migrant crisis peak in 2015, there has been a universal spotlight on the abundant migrant activity through the Mediterranean. A visual analysis of migrant route patterns within the Western, Central and Eastern Mediterranean Sea regions will allow one to see how the flow of migrants has fluctuated overtime due to policy changes in Europe. My research will focus on the …

How Effective Are Police? The Problem Of Clearance Rates And Criminal Accountability, Shima Baradaran Baughman

Faculty Scholarship

In recent years, the national conversation in criminal justice has centered on police. Are police using excessive force? Should they be monitored more closely? Do technology and artificial intelligence improve policing? The implied core question across these national debates is whether police are effective at their jobs. Yet we have not explored how effective police are or determined how best to measure police effectiveness.

This Article endeavors to measure how effective police are at their principal function—solving crime. The metric most commonly used to measure police effectiveness at crime-solving is a “clearance rate:” the proportion of reported crimes for which …

Assessment Of The Impact Of Climate Change On Land Use In The Emirate Of Abu Dhabi - An Environmental And Socio-Economic Perspective, Latifa Saeed Al Blooshi

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the impact of climate change on land use in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi – UAE. Climate change is a significant challenge resulting from natural and anthropogenic causes. Land use can stimulate changes in communities under climate change. The main objective of this dissertation is to assess the impact of climate change from an environmental and socio-economic perspective. In 2001, coastal sabkhas, mixed class and urbanized areas experienced an increase in temperature by (0.67, 1.14 and 1.16°C) respectively. In cities, urban areas are warmer than neighbouring rural areas. Unexpectedly, urbanization in desert areas in UAE led …

Chief Legal Officer 5.0, Omari Scott Simmons

Fordham Law Review

This Essay builds upon the business-lawyer value-creation literature by analyzing the contemporary CLO and argues for an enhanced CLO role. It emphasizes the sometimes ignored and underemphasized demand-side considerations involved in the provision of legal services. These demand- side considerations will help to predict the competencies and expanded skill sets CLOs will need to navigate the challenging contemporary business environment. Part I of this Essay discusses CLOs’ sophisticated purchasing competencies. It explores how CLOs have revolutionized legal service provision by addressing problems stemming from information asymmetries between the client corporation and external legal service providers. Part II examines how the …

(Un)Corporate Crypto-Governance, Carla L. Reyes

Fordham Law Review

Public blockchain protocols face a serious governance crisis. Thus far, blockchain protocols have followed the path of early internet governance. If the architects of blockchain protocols are not careful, they may suffer a similar fate—increased governmental control, greater centralization, and decreased privacy. As blockchain architects begin to consider better governance structures, there is a legal movement underway to impose a fiduciary framework on open-source software developers. If the movement succeeds, the consequences for open-source software development could be dire. If arbitrarily imposed on blockchain communities without consideration of variances among communities or the reality of how such communities operate, the …

Design Catalogue For Eco-Engineering Of Coastal Artificial Structures: A Multifunctional Approach For Stakeholders And End-Users, Kathryn A. O’Shaughnessy, Stephen J. Hawkins, Ally J. Evans, Mick E. Hanley, Paul Lunt, Richard C. Thompson, Robert A. Francis, Simon P.G. Hoggart, Pippa J. Moore, Gregorio Iglesias, David Simmonds, James Ducker, Louise B. Firth

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coastal urbanisation, energy extraction, food production, shipping and transportation have led to the global proliferation of artificial structures within the coastal and marine environments (sensu “ocean sprawl”), with subsequent loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. To mitigate and compensate impacts of ocean sprawl, the practice of eco-engineering of artificial structures has been developed over the past decade. Eco-engineering aims to create sustainable ecosystems that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both. The science of eco-engineering has grown markedly, yet synthesis of research into a user-friendly and practitioner-focused format is lacking. Feedback from stakeholders has repeatedly …

The Epidemiology And Burden Of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors In A Young Emirati Population, Fatima Abobakr Hussein Mezhal

Dissertations

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced rapid economic growth that was paralleled by a drastic rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs); primarily cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which account for 40% of mortality in UAE. CVDs have complex etiology, interplay, and accumulation of many risk factors. Understanding the clustering and interrelationships between common risk factors like obesity, deglycation, dyslipidemia, hypertension and central obesity, and the associations with social and lifestyle determinants are warranted. The study aimed to estimate the burden of cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs), their interrelationship, and their associations with other social and lifestyle determinants in a young Emirati population. Data …

Children's Equality Rights: Every Child's Right To Develop To Their Full Capacity, Nancy E. Dowd

Cardozo Law Review

Children are born equal. Yet as early as eighteen months, hierarchies emerge among children. These hierarchies are not random butfall into patterns by race, gender, and class. They are not caused nor voluntarily chosen by children or their parents. The hierarchies grow, persist, and are made worse by systems and policies created by the state, perpetuating the position of the privileged and continuing the disadvantage of the subordinated. Children's equal right to develop to their capacity is severely undermined by policies and structures that hamper and block the development of some by creating barriers and challenges or failing to support …

A Collective Case Study Understanding The Barriers To College Access Facing Low-Income African American Male High School Graduates, Emmanuel Schuller Cherilien

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the barriers to college access facing low-income African American males in the northeastern region of the United States. This study employed a qualitative methodology approach involving 10 low-income African American high school graduates from two states. The theoretical framework that guided this study was critical race theory. The central research question was: What are the barriers to college enrollment for low-income African American male high school graduates? The data collection methods consisted of semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and a focus group. The data analysis process involved open coding, axial coding, …

A Parallel Algorithm And Implementation To Compute Spatial Autocorrelation (Hotspot) Using Matlab, Mingjun Li

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Being a spatial autocorrelation visualization tool in recent years, hotspot is often used in various fields, such as disease analysis, crime analysis, and weather conditions analysis and prediction in a certain area. Most of the research in hot spot analysis is in applying the concept to a variety of fields and to gain insights on the statistical significance prevalent in the clustering of data. Only a few of them discussed the efficiency and optimization of the algorithm. Commonly, these kinds of analyses would be based upon a huge dataset about space and time, and the conventional algorithm would take too …

A Critical Study Of Geospatial Algorithm Use In Crime Analysis And Predictive Policing, Katy Weathington

Master's Theses (2009 -)

We examine in detail two geospatial analysis algorithms commonly used in predictive policing. The k-means clustering algorithm is used to partition input data into k clusters, while Kernel Density Estimation algorithms convert geospatial data into a 2-dimensional probability distribution function. Both algorithms serve unique roles in predictive policing, helping to inform the allocation of limited police resources. Through critical analysis of the k-means algorithm, we found that parameter choice can greatly impact how crime in a city is clustered, which therefor impacts how mental models of crime in the city are developed. Interviews with crime analysts who regularly used k-means …

Clergy & Police A Semiotic Analysis Of Clergy On Patrol, Ricardo Estevan Reyes

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

The Clergy On Patrol (COP) program is a collaboration between the Norfolk Police Department and community faith leaders of the Norfolk Urban Renewal Center. This study analyzed themes and patterns in the communicative relationship between police and clergy members, using a semiotic approach and the scholarship of intergroup communication. Additionally, an added secondary analysis of media coverage helped focus the results of the study using themes. This thesis merged the two semiotic analyses to examine a style of community policing that has lacked a closer eye.

This thesis guided itself by the argument that clergy-police collaborative programs structure …

Dying For Equal Protection, Teri Dobbins Baxter

UC Law Journal

When health policy experts noticed that health outcomes for African Americans were consistently worse than those of their White counterparts, many in the health care community assumed that the poor outcomes could be blamed on poverty and lifestyle choices. Subsequent research told a different story. Studies repeatedly showed that neither money, nor marriage, nor educational achievement protect African American men, women, or children from poor health. Instead, the disparities were more likely explained by racism. Specifically, multiple studies have shown that experiencing racism has been linked to increased infant and maternal mortality rates, elevated stress levels, and an increased risk …

A Strategic Plan To Assist Pastors In The Succession Between A Mentoring Lead Pastor And His Or Her Mentee, Glen Wolf

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Within the next decade, thousands of churches in America will be transitioning the lead pastoral position from one generation to the next. Most lead pastors are not prepared for this succession. The primary research question driving this project is: Can a strategic plan be developed that will assist pastors in the succession between a mentoring lead pastor and his or her mentee? This question is worth researching for the following reasons: 1) most literature written on the subject focuses on principles and/or practices; 2) most literature written on the subject looks at succession as a whole (congregation, board, et cetera), …

Primates On The Farm – Spatial Patterns Of Human–Wildlife Conflict In Forest-Agricultural Landscape Mosaic In Taita Hills, Kenya, Mika Siljander, Toini Kuronen, Tino Johansson, Martha Nzisa Munyao, Petri K.E. Pellikka

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing concern for local communities living in the vicinity of protected areas. These conflicts commonly take place as attack by wild animals and crop-raiding events, among other forms. We studied crop-raiding patterns by non-human primates in forest–agricultural landscape mosaic in the Taita Hills, southeast Kenya. The study applies both qualitative and quantitative methods. Semi-structured questionnaire was used in the primary data collection from the households, and statistical tests were performed. We used applied geospatial methods to reveal spatial patterns of crop-raiding by primates and preventive actions by farmers. The results indicate most of the farms …

Temperature-Dependent Development And Survival Of Immature Stages Of The Coffee Berry Borer Hypothenemus Hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), A. G.A. Azrag, A. A. Yusuf, C. W.W. Pirk, S. Niassy, K. K. Mbugua, R. Babin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Although the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is the most destructive insect pest of coffee worldwide, there is much to learn about its thermal biology. This study aimed to develop temperature-based models for H. hampei development and to provide the thermal requirements of immature stages in the laboratory. Using a new observation method, larval development and survival were monitored daily on fresh Arabica coffee seeds, under seven constant temperatures in the range 15-35°C, with 80 ± 5% RH and 12:12 L:D photoperiod. Linear and non-linear functions were fitted to the development data plotted against temperature, using …

The Geographic Disparities In Transportation-Related Physical Activity In The United States: An Analysis Of The 2017 Nhts Data, Hongwei Dong

Mineta Transportation Institute

Research on the relationship between urbanicity and physical activity yielded mixed results despite many studies consistently showing that residents tended to undertake more transportation-related physical activity in a more urban environment. This study analyzed the 2017 NHTS data to examine the geographic disparities in physical activity, particularly transportation-related physical activity in the United States. Our analysis suggests the relationship between urbanicity and physical activity demonstrates a flat U-shape in graphed data. Residents are more physically active when they live in the areas from the two ends of the urbanization spectrum: inner cities and inner suburbs of large metropolitan areas and …

How Does The World Bank Influence The Development Policy Priorities Of Low-Income And Lower-Middle Income Countries?, Stephen Knack, Bradley C. Parks, Ani Harutyunyan, Matthew Dilorenzo

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This study investigates the World Bank’s use of lending and non-lending instruments to affect the policy priorities of developing countries. In a typical year, the World Bank lends more than $30 billion to its client countries. It also spends approximately $200 million on the provision of analytical and advisory products each year. However, insufficiently granular data on the nature, timing, and distribution of these analytical and advisory products and the policy priorities of client countries has made it difficult for policymakers and scholars to understand which World Bank instruments are most useful for effectuating change in the direction of government …

Bhopal In The Federal Courts: How Indian Victims Failed To Get Justice, Jayanth K. Krishnan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Over thirty-five years ago, the city of Bhopal, India, witnessed a horrific gas leak that originated from a facility operated by Union Carbide India Limited (“UCIL”), which had as its parent company the American-based Union Carbide Corporation (“UCC”). Thousands were killed, with many more injured. One hundred forty-five cases were filed throughout various U.S. federal district courts on behalf of the victims asserting that UCIL and UCC were liable. Eventually, these cases were consolidated through the multi-district litigation (“MDL”) process and placed onto the docket of federal Judge John Keenan. In 1986, Judge Keenan issued his famous forum non conveniens …