Digital Commons Network^™

To Awaken A Sleeping Giant: The Case For A More United Africa And Its Diaspora, Jayden Jasper-Lee Martin

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

The idea of Pan-Africanism has long percolated amongst those of African descent, given the agglomeration of external exploitative forces that impact the continent and its people. This thesis aims to explore the history and tenability of a Pan-African Union within the modern context and state of the continent. Utilizing examples from other successful regional organizations and theories of regional integration, the thesis seeks to prescribe some possible means by which the ideal of an effective and stable Pan-African Union can approach realization, particularly amongst the nation-states of sub-Saharan Africa.

Dietary Analysis Of Malaclemys Terrapin Tequesta, James Porter

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) the world’s only exclusively estuarine turtle are listed as threatened and endangered through much of their range from Massachusetts to the east coast of Texas. Malaclemys terrapin is divided into seven subspecies based on geographic location and variations in physical appearance. For my research, I examined the diet of the Florida East Coast Diamondback Terrapins, M. terrapin tequesta, in the Indian River Lagoon near Vero Beach, Florida. I analyzed 13 terrapin fecal samples. Of these, all but one contained the remains of decapod crustaceans, the most common of which was the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii, …

The Vexed Application Of The Social Contract Theory On Black People, Aaron Chichester

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

The Social Contract details the liberties of members in society; those willing and able to consent to the contract were afforded the luxuries of protection and assistance through the government. I draw on the theory of Charles Mills in The Racial Contract, which argues that the black life was never intended to fit into the Social Contract. During the early stages of it’s inception, black people weren’t regarded as valid members who enter the contract. Disagreement about the validity of frustration felt by the Black community as a result of this exclusion has created a social and political divide. I …

Identification Of Notes And Structures In Music Through Fourier Transforms, Andy Romero

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Can we use the mathematical rules that govern waves to characterize notes and chords from a sound sample? For this project I designed a python program that uses Fourier transforms, a mathematical technique to extract the frequencies that make up a sound wave, to do just that. I will describe the method and explain how this can be used to identify musical structures in a piece of music.

Unequal Justice In Applying The United States Death Penalty, Camilla Andrade

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Several studies reveal a connection between a victim’s skin color and the probability that their aggressor will receive the death penalty. Other studies conclude that a defendant’s race will be a factor in determining whether or not they are sentenced to capital punishment. Despite the evident racial discrimination that plagues capital cases, Ernest van den Haag contends that “unequal justice is still justice” and that if someone is guilty of a capital offense, they don’t deserve any less punishment simply because the death penalty is applied disproportionately based on race. I argue, against van den Haag, that unequal justice violates …

A Literature Review Of The Impacts Of College Major On Student Moral Development, Jack Elm

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Researchers in moral psychology have established relatively strong evidence of moral development during students’ time in undergraduate university education. Intuition would suggest that one’s major of choice has an impact on this development, but the existing research appears mixed. Conducting a review of the existing literature pertaining to the subject, I establish a firm understanding of broad trends in the data. Correlative effects of major choice do exist in some specific areas, but it is currently unclear whether such effects exist as a product of student self-selection or from direct impacts of the curricula.

Folkway To National Religion: The Metamorphosis Of Shinto During The Meiji Era, Jorge Rafael Hernanez

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

During the Meiji era (1869-1912) a group of academics known as the National learning school helped create and then institute a civic religion known as State Shinto. This belief system took aspects of the folkway known as Shinto and modified it into a form of nationalism which centered on the figure of the Japanese Emperor. This Thesis examines the applications of State Shinto, how affected the lives of those living in Imperial Japan, and how State Shinto differs from its namesake.

Funding The Fundamental Right To A Legal Defense, Raven Mello

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution guarantees all United States citizens the right to a fair trial. However, that right has not been made equally accessible to all defendants in the criminal justice system due to the underfunding of Public Defender’s offices nationwide. This thesis examines the impact of this underfunding on indigent criminal defendants and analyzes social psychology research to understand the psychological biases that help explain this underfunding, and how they might be overcome. Evidence suggests that the disproportionate government expenditure on the State Attorney and underfunding of the Public Defender has led to a skewed legal system …

Neurofeedback Training Therapy: The Future Of Treatment Options For Alzheimer’S Disease, Alyssa Maria Payne

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

This exploratory investigation seeks to evaluate the efficacy of Neurofeedback (NFB) Training Therapy, a type of biofeedback that works with the brain’s natural capacity for plasticity, as a viable treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Strengthening connections among remaining neurons despite neurogenesis may benefit patients. However, the vast array of methodologies utilizing different technologies and focusing on varying brain waves makes it challenging to determine the true efficacy of the treatment methods, especially when compounded with the number of disorders each method is claimed to treat. Therefore, this investigation aims to address 1) technology that will best target specific …

Self-Driving Cars And The Value Of Human Life, Madison Nissan

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

There are several different normative ethical frameworks one can use for determining or measuring the value of a human life, including deontological and utilitarian theories on how we ought to make decisions regarding which lives have more value. I intend to evaluate these frameworks and apply them to the problem of self driving cars, which pose both ethical and legal issues. These cars will have to be programmed to make decisions in the case of emergency situations, and the question of who and how we should be programming these vehicles to best promote the common good is a difficult one. …

Economics In Literature: An Analysis Of Economic Theory In John Milton’S Paradise Lost, Thalita Saide

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a poetry text rife with economic thought that precedes the publications of the most prominent thinkers in modern economics. Centered mostly around ideas of Christianity, Milton’s work uses allegory and imagery to emphasize the economic dynamics that are embedded in religious thought. I will analyze Paradise Lost as a theoretical economic framework that consolidates the never-ending struggle between free-market capitalism and communism—represented by the Devil and God. Looking closely at key features of Christian theology and analyzing it through the lens of Milton’s work, I will relate key events in Genesis to modern economic theory.

Knowledge Mobilisation Crossing Boundaries: A Multi-Perspective Framework For Agri-Food Value Chains, S. Liu, G. Zhao, H. Chen, A. Fernandez, D. Torres, L. Antonelli, H. Panetto, M. Lezoche

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

Children And Crime: In The Moment, K Haines, S Case, R Smith, Laidler K Joe, N Hughes, C Webster, T Goddard, J Deakin, D Johns, K Richards, P Gray

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Traditional approaches to understanding and responding to children and crime are fundamentally based on ‘miniaturised’ adult models. The assumption appears to be that children are adults in the making, essentially just smaller, developing versions of grown-ups. This view of children is increasingly being challenged. Children are not simply putative adults, they are different, distinct and developing. This article sets out to explore the notion that children essentially think and behave ‘in the moment’. The implications of this for our understanding of children and crime are also explored.

Extracellular Asc Level As A Potential Biomarker For Alzheimer’S Disease, Qi "Phoebe" Dong, Shanya Jiang, Kathryn Sanchez, Gary Rosenberg, Kiran Bhaskar

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Purpose:

There is mounting evidence of a link between pathological tau (p-tau) and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In previous studies, we found that p-tau can induce neuroinflammation through activating inflammasomes, a multi-protein complex that recognizes danger signals including bacterial toxins lipopolysaccharide (LPS), nigericin and endogenous danger signals including extracellular ATP and p-tau. Activation of inflammasomes leads to maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 (IL)-1b and IL-18, causing neuroinflammation. We aim to obtain quantitative measurements of activated inflammasomes, specifically the levels of assembled ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD), a key adaptor protein of inflammasomes, in the …

Loss Of Neurodevelopmental Transcription Factors In Glioblastoma Leads To Decreased Progression And Proliferation And Increased Survival, Bianca L. Myers, Matthew Keith, Rebekkah Anderson, Tou Yia Vue

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Glioblastoma (GBM) makes up about 50% of primary brain tumors and survival has not increased over the last 30 years, with less than 5% of patients surviving past 5 years of diagnosis. The lethality of GBM is likely due to high degree of inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity and the presence of key neurodevelopmental transcription factors such as ASCL1 and OLIG2, which have been shown to be present in the majority of GBMs. Functionally, these basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors form heterodimers with E-proteins (E47/TCF4) and bind to DNA to regulate gene transcription. Previously, we showed that ASCL1 binds to promoter and …

Techno-Art Of Selariu Supermathematics Functions, Vol. Iii, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The name of supermathematics (SM) was coined by the late mathematician Prof. em. Dr. doc. eng. Gheorghe Silaş who, at the presentation of the first works in this field, at the First National Conference of Vibrations in Machine Construction, Timişoara, 1978, entitled “EXCENTRIC CIRCULAR FUNCTIONS” declared: “Young man, you didn't just discover some new functions, but a new mathematics, a supermathematics”. Then, at my age of 40, I was as happy as I was when a teenager. And I found, with great satisfaction, that he might be right! In 1978! In 2000, after 22 years, he offered me to write …

Neutroalgebra Theory, Vol. I, Florentin Smarandache, Memet Şahin, Derya Bakbak, Vakkas Uluçay, Abdullah Kargın

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In general, in any field of knowledge, with respect to any structure, one has the following neutrosophic triplet . They were introduced by Smarandache in 2019 and 2020.

1) A classical Structure is a structure whose all elements are characterized by the same given Relationships and Attributes and Laws.

2) A NeutroStructure is a structure that has at least one NeutroRelation or one NeutroAttribute or one NeutroLaw, and no AntiRelation and no AntiAttribute and no AntiLaw.

3) An AntiStructure is a structure that has at least one AntiRelation or one AntiAttribute or one AntiLaw.

As a particular case, in the …

More Than Idle Talk: Examining The Effects Of Positive And Negative Team Gossip, Trevor Spoelma, Andrea Hetrick

Faculty and Staff Publications

Gossip is a behavior that has been traditionally viewed as harmful in organizations. However, a more balanced perspective has emerged in recent years that suggests gossip can have important benefits. We propose that one way to uncover potential benefits of gossip in teams is to focus on the valence (positive or negative nature) of the gossip. Drawing on expectancy theory, we propose team gossip indirectly influences team performance through social loafing because it plays a key role in shaping beliefs about effort in team contexts; effects determined by team gossip valence. We hypothesize that positive team gossip decreases social loafing, …

Information Literacy Skills Of Pre-Service Music Teachers, Edith Nwakaego Nwokenna, Ogechukwu Vivian Amanambu, Blessing Chisom Umeano, Frances Jumoke Oloidi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information literacy enables students to develop critical skills that will help them to become independent lifelong learners. The information literacy skills of pre-service music teachers from public and private tertiary institutions in Nigeria's southern region were assessed in this study. In this study, a survey research method was used. The study's population consisted of all pre-service music teachers in the region. Participants received an electronic copy of the researcher-created questionnaire. A total of 450 completed questionnaires were returned by participants. This study's data was analyzed in IBM SPSS. The finding of this study revealed that pre-service music teachers had moderate …

Exploiting Virtual Realities For Library Serial Services To Nigeria Disabled Patrons, Adebowale Jeremy Adetayo, Augustine I. Enamudu, Folashade Munirat Lawal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Disabled patrons have faced unparalleled marginalization in Nigerian libraries due to facilities designed for ordinary users, which the disabled find challenging to navigate. As a result, access to serial services supplied by these institutions is constrained. The challenge of libraries is apparent, as seen by the decline of disabled patronage. In the face of this difficulty, they must act quickly to guarantee that their primary goal of fulfilling the information requirements of all classes of people is met. Librarians must re-strategize their serial services utilizing virtual realities in order to remain relevant. The article delves into the practical application of …

Critical Issues In Cataloging And Classifying Arabic Books: A Case Study By Abdrahman Atanda Moustapha (Cln, Nla) & Raihanat Ahmad (Ala), Abdrahman Atanda Moustapha, Raihanat Ahmad

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Cataloging of Arabic materials in the library has posed great challenges for librarians especially the cataloguers who define the access factors to facilitate easy retrieval. The main hassle in cataloging Arabic books is identifying the part of a set of nouns and adjectives for the main entry selection. Usually, in an Arabic name, the name of his father or ancestors may be included with some adjective or one which suggests the area of birth. Catalogers also face different issues with cataloging Arabic books in terms of the duration of the writer's name, the reversal of the call, the authors with …

Subject Headings List For Filipino Cultural Literature And Studies: The Case Of An Academic Library, Pacita P. Sugando, David A. Cabonero

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study aimed to determine the status, describe the importance, and identify the challenges encountered by catalogers, specifically on the subject authority files for Filipino cultural literature and studies at the University of Baguio (UB) Libraries. The study used a quantitative method to determine the status, importance, and challenges on the subject authority files using a researcher-made questionnaire and a qualitative method to analyze the existing subject headings used in the OPAC to reflect the local subject headings. The catalogers validated the use of local terms as subject headings through an interview. The primary respondents were the 13 librarians of …

Access To E-Resources By Librarians In University Libraries In Niger Delta Region, Nigeria, Vincent Osamuyimen Ekhaguosa, Mary Irughe, Efosa Egharevba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated Access to Electronic Resources by Librarians in University Libraries in Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted for this study using 73 items self-structured questionnaire to collect data. In selecting the university libraries, the researcher applied the stratified random sampling technique to select the universities. One hundred and fifty (150) librarians were selected from three (3) centrally located states which include Delta, Bayelsa, and Edo from the nine (9) Niger Delta States from a target population of four hundred and thirty-two (432) librarians. seven research questions were formulated to guide the study. A reliability …

Availability And Remote Accessibility Of Academic Library Services In Nigerian Universities During The Covid-19 Lockdown, Helen U. Emasealu Dr. (Mrs)., Susan N. Umeozor Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the state of operations of academic library services in the Nigerian Federal Universities by assessing the existence of functional library websites and remote availability and remote access to library services during the COVID-19 lockdown. All the academic libraries in the 43 Federal Universities form the population of the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to sample all the 43 academic libraries. Results indicated that 10 (23.3%) of the libraries had no functional websites while 33 (76.7%) of the libraries had websites and subscribed to various e-resources some of which were library …

Influence Of Job Satisfaction On Librarians' Job Performance In Federal University Libraries In South East Nigeria, Patrick C. Igbokwe Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study was designed to ascertain the influence of job satisfaction on performance of librarians in federal university libraries in South East Nigeria. The study was guided by six specific objectives which include identifying factors that constitute job satisfaction and performance, determine the extent job satisfaction influences librarians’ performance, find out the extent the librarians are satisfied with their jobs, and find out the strategies for enhancing job satisfaction and performance of librarians in federal university libraries in South East Nigeria. The instrument for the study was a questionnaire. The research design was a survey design and the population comprises …

Awareness And Use Of E-Journals By The Research Scholars And Faculty Members In The Department Of Political Science Of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh: A Study, Kasam Ali

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Electronic-journals are playing an essential role in today’s digital world for higher academic education and institutions. The aim of the study was to ascertain the level of awareness and use of e-journals by the research scholars and faculty members in the department of political science of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. A well structured questionnaire was prepared for the research scholars and faculty members of political science to gather data related to the use of e-journals. The study revealed that most of the research scholars and faculty members were aware of e-journals and largely uses them for reference purposes in their …

Ethnicity In Nigeria In Post Colonial Era And Implications For Reader-Centred Library Collections, Frances Jumoke Oloidi, Leonard Ilechukwu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The existing information and researches on the causes, challenges, and solution on ethnic issues in Nigeria’s post colonial era holds some implications for creating a reader-centred library collection. This paper focuses on ethnicity in Nigeria and the challenges of integration and unity and its implications for reader-centred library collections. Nigeria is the most diverse in terms of ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious differences, just as it is the most populous in Africa. Nigeria embodies all the challenges which ethnic cleavages posed to post-colonial societies anywhere in the world. The article traces the causes, challenges and proffer solutions to ethnicity to …

Human Rights In Nigeria And The Implications Of Human Rights Education For Resource Collection By Libraries, Nkechinyere Omumu Anyadike, Stephen Tochukwu Nwachukwu, Joseph O. Wogu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper theorizes the concept of human rights as contextually determinable and posits that the potency of the empirical trajectories of such rights is setting-dependent. The methodology of the presentation is logical argumentation and the theoretical framework is the interest theory of rights. The West African state of Nigeria has been chosen for the discussion. The paper’s thesis is that human rights milieus are expandable. The normative designs of the work necessitate framing the illustrations on a nation state. This paper also underscores the roles of libraries as institutions for expanding access to human rights education and resource collection on …

Evaluation Of Resources, Services And Systems Of Tevta College Libraries In Punjab, Ayub Aslam, Arslan Sheikh, Shamshad Ahmed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the resources, services and system of TEVTA libraries in the Punjab. A total of 40 libraries are established in TEVTA colleges in Punjab. In order to evaluate these libraries, their physical, information resources, services, systems and staff was main considerations of this study.

Methodology

This study was quantitative in nature; therefore, to achieve the objectives of this study a self-structured questionnaire was designed and distributed among the respondents. The data were collected from the librarians through an online questionnaire designed in Google forms. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS software version 21.

Findings …

Optimising Research Support Services Through Libraries: A Review Of Practices, Aditi Das, Swapna Banerjee Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.