Digital Commons Network^™

Probabilistic Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Of Freestanding Historic Monuments, Marie E. Wagner

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Seismic events can cause significant damage to structures, especially to freestanding structures which are not fixed to the ground and are free to rock independently. This thesis will study the response of freestanding statues and monuments to ground motions and develop probabilistic models for overturning, in order to assist in retrofitting and repair efforts. To do this, single and dual block system models were created with a variety of sizes, aspect ratios, and asymmetries, then subjected to several historic ground motions to determine whether they overturn using three-dimensional distinct element analysis as a result of rocking, sliding or twisting in …

Exploring The Researcher’ Perception And Adoption Technique Of Open Access Journals In Central University Libraries Of North India: A Survey, Neha Kanojia Research Scholar, Shilpi Verma Prof. & Hod

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The research study presents the aim of the paper that open access journal is one of the most significant primary sources of information, which is helpful in the reference of scholarly publishing. A research article was undertaken to look at the accessibility and usage of perception in the library's open access journals. An effort has been made in this research paper to describe the perception and awareness of open access journals. The motive of the study explores the many resources that impact on the research scholar to select open access journals for publication. According to the methods used for the …

Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Type 2 Diabetes And Hemoglobin A1c: An Integrative Review, Kimberly Dawn Fairchild

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are used to measure a patient’s glucose levels every few minutes around the clock. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), CGMs are mostly used by Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients, but research has shown that Type 2 DM patients can benefit from them as well (Ida et al., 2019; NIDDK, 2017). Glucose levels can change over hours or days, and seeing the trends by using a CGM will help patients make more informed decisions about the food they eat and how much they exercise, and the type and amount …

A Phenomenological Study Of How English Teachers' Beliefs Affect Their Grammar Instruction, Athena Pualeilani Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how beliefs about grammar affected the grammar instruction of 10 high school English teachers in central Florida. Fishbein and Ajzen’s (2010) theory of reasoned action guided the study since the theory shows the relationship between beliefs and actions. A phenomenological design with a transcendental approach was used, and data was collected through three methods: interviews, observations, and participant reflections. Data was analyzed according to Moustakas’ (1994) steps for data analysis. Data analysis included horizonalization, theme development, textural descriptions, structural descriptions, composite descriptions, and a synthesized essence of the experience. Many participants …

A Case Study Of Teachers Of Elementary Gifted Students And Their Perceptions Of Best Practices For Teaching Visual Spatial Activities In The Classroom, Sandra J. Young

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Elementary gifted students with spatial strengths are often overlooked, under identified, and underserved in elementary school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify how visual spatial training can be implemented in the elementary gifted curricula and how the teachers of the gifted program can be supported in their efforts to develop visual spatial activities for the elementary gifted classroom in a large, urban school district in South Carolina. There are approximately 35 teachers of the district’s elementary gifted program. This program services those students in grades 3, 4, and 5 who qualified based on state-mandated criteria. The …

The Predictive Relationship Between Elementary Pre-Service Teacher Praxis Subject Assessment Scores And Pedagogical Knowledge, Miranda Arnold

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of elementary pre-service teachers’ pedagogical knowledge with the predictor variable of content knowledge. This quantitative, correlational study measured content knowledge through the Praxis Subject Assessment – Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects scores, including the four subtests: Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. The criterion variable of pedagogical knowledge was obtained through the scores from the Candidate Preservice Assessment of Student Teaching Form. Scores from the two assessment instruments for 167 elementary education pre-service teachers were collected through archived data from one educator preparation program. A multiple regression analysis …

The First-Year Experiences Of Women Engineering Majors At Community Colleges: A Phenomenological Study, Brandy Ann Robertson Naughton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of women engineering majors who transitioned to community colleges and persisted to the second year. Guiding this study was Schlossberg’s transition theory as it explains the transition to first-year engineering student and Tinto’s theory of student departure. The study used purposeful, criterion sampling to identify the participants who met the following criteria: full- or part-time female engineering student who completed the first year of study, as defined by the completion of 30 credits, and persisted into the second year of study at a community college. Data were …

Effective Sermon Application In A Charlotte Exurb Baptist Church, David Keuss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis explores an improvement in expository sermon application using two technical tools added to the sermon divisions of sermon series messages. The background of applicational improvements is explored, the problem at Sandy Plains Baptist Church of Gastonia is outlined, and the solution employed. The problem is a spiritual comfort or plateau among members with previous life applications of sermons. The goal was to provide two new resources that would overcome the spiritual status quo in Sunday worship attendee’s lives. This method was tested utilizing Likert scale surveys, unpaired T-tests, and facilitator notations. The thesis project provides guidance to other …

Slow-Onset, Potent Inhibition Of Mandelate Racemase By 2-Formylphenylboronic Acid. An Unexpected Adduct Clasps The Catalytic Machinery, Colin D. Douglas, Lia Grandinetti, Nicole M. Easton, Oliver P. Kuehm, Joshua A. Hayden, Meghan C. Hamilton, Martin St. Maurice, Stephen L. Bearne

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

o-Carbonyl arylboronic acids such as 2-formylphenylboronic acid (2-FPBA) are employed in biocompatible conjugation reactions with the resulting iminoboronate adduct stabilized by an intramolecular N–B interaction. However, few studies have utilized these reagents as active site-directed enzyme inhibitors. We show that 2-FPBA is a potent reversible, slow-onset inhibitor of mandelate racemase (MR), an enzyme that has served as a valuable paradigm for understanding enzyme-catalyzed abstraction of an α-proton from a carbon acid substrate with a high pK_a. Kinetic analysis of the progress curves for the slow onset of inhibition of wild-type MR using a two-step kinetic mechanism …

Prevalence Of Musculoskeletal Disorders In Third- And Fourth-Year Dental Students At The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center College Of Dentistry, Felisa Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of pain suffered from musculoskeletal disorders by dental professionals may lead to reduced work hours, loss of production, and early retirement. Although third- and fourth-year dental students are provided lectures about musculoskeletal disorders, proper positioning and ergonomics, they are at an increased risk of developing MSD. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence on musculoskeletal disorders in third- and fourth-year dental students and to determine if third-year dental students experience more MSD pain than fourth-year dental students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry. A total of 50 third- and fourth- year dental …

Blitzkrieg: The Evolution Of Modern Warfare And The Wehrmacht’S Impact On American Military Doctrine During The Cold War Era, Briggs Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The evolution of United States military doctrine was heavily influenced by the Wehrmacht and their early Blitzkrieg campaigns during World War II. This thesis traces the origins of this development and shows how the context of the Cold War led to a heavy influence by the Wehrmacht on American military doctrine. By analyzing studies conducted by the United States Army Historical Division from 1946-1961, I will show how these studies left a profound impact on American Military doctrine, particularly in the context of the Cold War. I will show the development of the Active Defense Doctrine and AirLand Battle during …

Active Travel For Children And Youth: Lessons From Active Routes To Schools North Carolina, Leah Ferguson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Integrated Learning Experience (ILE) investigates literature regarding the impact of national Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs and takes a deeper dive into the lessons that can be learned from North Carolina’s Active Routes to School (NC ARTS) programs through an analysis of data collected from 2007 to 2019. This report is focused on understanding the relationship between and among variables included in the Six Es of SRTS framework: Education, Engineering, Encouragement, Enforcement, Equity, and Evaluation. This investigation provides insight that extends understanding of parental comfort and engagement with these programs. A unique theoretical model was developed as were …

A Comparative Analysis Of Levels Of Importance, Satisfaction, And Engagement Among Adult Learners And Tennessee Reconnect Recipients At Two Community Colleges, Kelly A. Moore-Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This primary goal of this study was to compare the levels of importance, satisfaction, and perceived engagement between adult learners and Tennessee Reconnect adult learners at two Tennessee community colleges. A two-group comparison research design using existing data from two survey instruments was used for this study. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics based on the scales and subscales of the two surveys: Adult Learner Inventory (ALI) and Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE). Because Tennessee Reconnect is a new program, very little literature has been conducted targeting this specific population. Therefore, this study attempted to add …

Performance Comparison Of Imputation Methods For Mixed Data Missing At Random With Small And Large Sample Data Set With Different Variability, Kyei Afari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the concerns in the field of statistics is the presence of missing data, which leads to bias in parameter estimation and inaccurate results. However, the multiple imputation procedure is a remedy for handling missing data. This study looked at the best multiple imputation methods used to handle mixed variable datasets with different sample sizes and variability along with different levels of missingness. The study employed the predictive mean matching, classification and regression trees, and the random forest imputation methods. For each dataset, the multiple regression parameter estimates for the complete datasets were compared to the multiple regression parameter …

Applying Deep Learning To The Ice Cream Vendor Problem: An Extension Of The Newsvendor Problem, Gaffar Solihu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Newsvendor problem is a classical supply chain problem used to develop strategies for inventory optimization. The goal of the newsvendor problem is to predict the optimal order quantity of a product to meet an uncertain demand in the future, given that the demand distribution itself is known. The Ice Cream Vendor Problem extends the classical newsvendor problem to an uncertain demand with unknown distribution, albeit a distribution that is known to depend on exogenous features. The goal is thus to estimate the order quantity that minimizes the total cost when demand does not follow any known statistical distribution. The …

Analysis And Risk Estimation Of High Priority Unstable Rock Slopes In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee And North Carolina, Samantha Farmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) received 12.5 million visitors in 2020. With a high traffic volume, it is imperative roadways remain open and free from obstruction. Annual unanticipated rockfall events in GRSM often obstruct traffic flow. Using the Unstable Slope Management Program for Federal Land Management Agencies (USMP for FLMA) protocols, this study analyzes high priority unstable rock slopes through 1) creation of an unstable slope geodatabase and 2) generation of a final rockfall risk model using Co-Kriging from a preliminary risk model and susceptibility model. A secondary goal of this study is to provide risk estimation for the …

Perceptions Of Resilience-Informed Education In Postsecondary Instructors, Chelsea L. Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have noted the detrimental impact adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have on individuals’ developmental trajectories and, as a result, the utilization of trauma-informed practices has been of increasing interest within the field of education. Most research on trauma-informed pedagogy is derived from samples of children in grades K-12, whereas research on trauma-informed teaching practices within higher education is comparatively scarce. The specific aims of the current investigation are two-fold. The first aim is to explore the effect of postsecondary instructors’ disciplinary specialization (i.e., person-thing orientation) on their receptivity to compassionate teaching practices. The second aim is to implement …

Manifold Learning With Tensorial Network Laplacians, Scott Sanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interdisciplinary field of machine learning studies algorithms in which functionality is dependent on data sets. This data is often treated as a matrix, and a variety of mathematical methods have been developed to glean information from this data structure such as matrix decomposition. The Laplacian matrix, for example, is commonly used to reconstruct networks, and the eigenpairs of this matrix are used in matrix decomposition. Moreover, concepts such as SVD matrix factorization are closely connected to manifold learning, a subfield of machine learning that assumes the observed data lie on a low-dimensional manifold embedded in a higher-dimensional space. Since …

Neuroinflammation, Peripheral Inflammation And Gut Microbiome Profiles In Male Mice From Two Proposed Mouse Models Of Social Behavior Deficits, Sarah Parkinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by social deficits and repetitive actions. A communication pathway exists between the brain and gut called the gut-brain axis. It is thought that gut bacteria can secrete signaling molecules, triggering inflammation across the body. These studies attempt to determine if markers are expressed in two mouse models of ASD behaviors, BTBR and a valproic acid model. Immunohistochemistry of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 from male mouse brain tissue showed no microglial activation in any group. Cytokine analysis did exhibit an increase in interleukin 1 (IL-1) in male adult mice only. …

Educator And Administrator Perceptions Of Sheltered Instruction In Stem Courses, Tommy D. Duncan Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions held by educators and administrators regarding sheltered instruction of English Language Learners (ELLs) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms; relevant professional development; and the use of the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) within lesson plans. ELLs represent a subpopulation of students with significant achievement gaps in STEM, ultimately affecting student engagement and career interest in STEM. Ten STEM teachers and two administrators from a midsized middle school in west Texas participated in the study. Online semistructured one-on-one interviews and document analysis of submitted lesson plans from …

Student Perceptions Of The Effects Of The Modern Educational Reform Movement On The Concept Of The Whole Child, Edward Theodore Knight

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a robust public education system is critical to the future of the U.S. democracy, efforts to improve or reform education have been prominent since its inception. Unfortunately, recent strategies to improve academic achievement have not been successful, and unintended consequences were noted for both students and staff. A specific issue related to modern reform was the construct that the focus on the whole child was disappearing as educators focused solely on the cognitive aspects of their students. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of recently graduated high school students in an effort to determine if …

The Curious Cases Of Cancel Culture, Loydie Solange Burmah

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Cancel culture is a complex phenomenon that challenges our notions of civic practices, perpetuates surveillance practices amongst individuals who encourage digital public shaming and obscures communal ideas regarding accountability. Hence, it is imperative to complicate and nuance “cancel culture” to understand the different meanings derived from its diverse mechanizations. Other matrices such as power, platform governance, decoloniality, and more bolster ideas about the phenomenon’s extensive sociocultural reach. Using a critical digital ethnographic approach, I exemplify with the analysis two cancel culture cases uncovering themes such as selective cancelations, cancelation effectiveness, performative activism, performative wokeness, hypocrisy, victimization, and empathy. This study …

A Mixed-Method Study On The Mentor Experiences At A Public 4-Year University, Avisinia Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Traditionally, students sign up for peer mentoring programs to receive services and resources as mentees in order to be successful in college. Studies have shown that mentoring relationships benefit mentees (Salinitri, 2005; Morales, 2009) while others (Colvin and Ashman, 2010; Gannon and Maher, 2012; Good et al. 2000) examined how mentors received training to support mentees. The studies exploring the experiences of mentors is not as robust, this study tries to explain the self-reflection unexpected benefits of mentors who participate in peer mentoring programs.

This mixed-method study examined the experiences first-generation peer mentors have at a pubic four-year university. Though …

Covalent Immobilization Of Molecular Complexes On Metal-Organic Frameworks Towards Robust And Highly Efficient Heterogeneous Water Oxidation Catalysts, Xiangming Liang, Sizhou Yang, Junyi Yang, Wanjun Sun, Xiangyang Li, Baochun Ma, Jier Huang, Jiangwei Zhang, Lele Duan, Yong Ding

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The major challenges to practical implementation of efficient noble metal based molecular water oxidation catalysts are their stability and recycle ability. Herein, noble metal Ru based molecular water oxidation catalysts were covalently anchored in MOFs through “amide bond” as bridges, which leads to the formation of high-efficiency and robust heterogeneous catalysts for water oxidation reaction. We show that the efficiency for Ce^IV-driven water oxidation was significantly enhanced by 120 times when the Ru molecules were immobilized on the frameworks of MIL-101(Cr). The relationship between recycle stability and the structure of the Ru complexes covalently anchored in MOFs was …

Contemporary Commercial Music And The Young Singer, Kali L. Sonnenburg

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Kenneth A. Roberts Papers: Finding Aid, Bethany Latham

Finding Aids

This collection contains correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, memos, news releases, and other information related to Democratic Congressman Kenneth A. Roberts’ (1912-1989; representative from 1951-1965) time in office as a member of the US House of Representatives. The materials relate to a few broad categories: the construction of a hospital located at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama; the construction of Howell Mill Shoals Dam; and concerns brought before the House Subcommittee on Health and Safety, such as working mothers, automobile safety, and refrigerator safety.

Kenneth Allison Roberts was born in Piedmont, Alabama in 1912 where he attended public school and then …

Tumor-On-Chip Modeling Of Organ-Specific Cancer And Metastasis, Nuala Del Piccolo, Venktesh S Shirure, Ye Bi, S Peter Goedegebuure, Sepideh Gholami, Christopher C W Hughes, Ryan C Fields, Steven C George

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Every year, cancer claims millions of lives around the globe. Unfortunately, model systems that accurately mimic human oncology - a requirement for the development of more effective therapies for these patients - remain elusive. Tumor development is an organ-specific process that involves modification of existing tissue features, recruitment of other cell types, and eventual metastasis to distant organs. Recently, tissue engineered microfluidic devices have emerged as a powerful in vitro tool to model human physiology and pathology with organ-specificity. These organ-on-chip platforms consist of cells cultured in 3D hydrogels and offer precise control over geometry, biological components, and physiochemical properties. …

Mathematical Approach Of Liutex Core Line And Liutex Core Tube For Vortex Structure Visualization, Dalal Khalid B Almutairi

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

During the past decades, many vortex identification methods have been published to present a clear definition and identification of the vortex. However, all these methods are failed to offer a unique identification method, and they also cannot answer the six essential issues for vortex identification methods, which are: 1) absolute strength, 2) relative strength, 3) rotational axis, 4) vortex core center location, 5) vortex core size, and 6) vortex boundary. In this work, two vortex identification methods, which are never affected by the threshold, will be proposed. Moreover, this study will address two critical questions: 1) Where is the rotational …

Green Waves, Machine Learning, And Predictive Analytics: Making Streets Better For People On Bikes, Stephen Fickas

TREC Final Reports

This project focuses on giving bicyclists a safer and more efficient path through a city’s signalized intersections. It builds on a prior NITC project that tested an app for a fixed-time corridor. The goal of this project is to lay the groundwork for extending this earlier app to include actuated signals. Two machine-learning algorithms are introduced that have a good track record with time-series forecasting: LSTM and 1D CNN. The algorithms are tested on data captured from a busy bike corridor on the south end of the University of Oregon campus. A specific actuated intersection is identified on this corridor …

Challenges Of Industrial Heritage Renovations, Huiyang Gong

English Language Institute: Architecture Posters

No abstract provided.