Digital Commons Network^™

Operatic Mysticisms: Mountains, Deserts, Waterscapes, Andrew Demczuk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Operatic Mysticisms: Mountains, Deserts, Waterscapes examines the ways we encounter environments as readers/viewers of operas, literature, film, and sound recordings, and how each medium requires different detail-gathering techniques. Respective to the previously mentioned mediums, Sun & Sea (2017), Mount Analogue (1952), El Mar La Mar (2017), and Energy Field (2010) are analyzed by engaging with environmental media studies and invention. Reflecting the nature of each landscape—summits of mountains, aporias of deserts, and mysteries of waterscapes—an elemental approach is taken in investigating how these spaces may be noticed, internalized, recorded, and traversed by both the artist and viewer. …

Finding A Representative Distribution For The Tail Index Alpha, Α, For Stock Return Data From The New York Stock Exchange, Jett Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Statistical inference is a tool for creating models that can accurately display real-world events. Special importance is given to the financial methods that model risk and large price movements. A parameter that describes tail heaviness, and risk overall, is α. This research finds a representative distribution that models α. The absolute value of standardized stock returns from the Center for Research on Security Prices are used in this research. The inference is performed using R. Approximations for α are found using the ptsuite package. The GAMLSS package employs maximum likelihood estimation to estimate distribution parameters using the CRSP data. The …

Community Structure Analysis Of Mammals Found At The Gray Fossil Site, Tn, Sarah Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) is a biodiverse site with a unique faunal assemblage that represents one of few sites of its age in eastern North America. A community structure analysis of the mammals at GFS was done to characterize species and better understand the paleoenvironment. Data and was gathered from twenty modern communities and five late Neogene sites to compare with GFS. Species from these 26 sites were categorized by body size, locomotor mode, cheek tooth crown height, and diet to characterize niches occupied. Descriptive statistics contrasted proportions of species within categories across communities. Discriminant function analyses …

Early Detection Of Atypical Motor And Neurobehavior Of Infants At Risk Secondary To Opioid Exposure: A Prospective Study, Kara Boynewicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prenatal opioid exposure has been studied in relation to infants' medical outcomes. However, large gaps exist in the literature supporting early identification of atypical neurobehavior and motor development of infants with prenatal opioid exposure. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether prenatal opioid exposure has a negative influence on a newborn infant’s neurobehavior and motor development to aid in the early identification of potential delays. Using a prospective quasi experimental design, infants motor development using the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and neurobehavior using the NICU Neonatal Network Scale (NNNS) was assessed on 58 infants in a …

Digital Manipulation Of Human Faces: Effects On Emotional Perception And Brain Activity, Martin Knoll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of human face-processing has granted insight into key adaptions across various social and biological functions. However, there is an overall lack of consistency regarding digital alteration styles of human-face stimuli. In order to investigate this, two independent studies were conducted examining unique effects of image construction and presentation. In the first study, three primary forms of stimuli presentation styles (color, black and white, cutout) were used across iterations of non-thatcherized/thatcherized and non-inverted/inverted presentations. Outcome measures included subjective reactions measured via ratings of perceived “grotesqueness,” and objective outcomes of N170 event-related potentials (ERPs) measured via encephalography. Results of subjective …

An Examination Of The Factors Contributing To Academic Resilience Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Individuals In Northeast Tennessee, Connie Larissa Trivette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the factors of resilience that educators could replicate to increase the number of socio-economically disadvantaged students that successfully complete high school and continue to become successful adults. An examination of the factors that socio-economically disadvantaged individuals attribute to their success was conducted in this study. This study used interview data from 15 participants ranging in age from 21 to 80 years old. Nine themes emerged from the interview data that affects the resilience of socio-economically disadvantaged students. The 9 themes identified were 1) Definition of success is different for each …

Water Quality Assessment Of Karst Spring Water As A Private Water Supply Source In Northeast Tennessee, Lukman Fashina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Karst springs are an essential source of private water supply for about 10% of households in Tennessee. However, these springs, which can be easily polluted, are unregulated. This study, therefore, assesses water quality spatial patterns and water quality rating of roadside springs in northeast Tennessee.

Karst spring water samples collected from 50 springs were assessed using EPA Standard methods for pathogens, nutrients, radon, and physicochemical parameters. Springs generally met federal and state standards for physicochemical parameters, 90% of samples contained E. coli, and all samples contained fecal coliform. High E. coli was spatially clustered causing a fecal contamination hot …

“It Is Not Enough To Be In One Cage With One Self”: The Poetic Subject, Incarceration, And Envisioning Abolition, Emily Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Beat poet Bob Kaufman was in many ways nearly destroyed by the state. Forcible electroshock therapy, repeated targeting by police, repeated brutalization by police, and frequent homelessness all threatened to snuff him out, but Kaufman refused to give in. He remained a political beacon of hope for his community throughout his life, asking those around him to envision a world where he could be free. Through his poems, through the poems of Etheridge Knight and Jimmy Santiago Baca, and through contemporary visions of abolition from Angela Davis and community organizers that become ever more relevant as the prison system …

Why Do Gps Rarely Do Video Consultations? Qualitative Study In Uk General Practice, T Greenhalgh, E Ladds, G Hughes, L Moore, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Background Fewer than 1% of UK general practice consultations occur by video. Aim To explain why video consultations are not more widely used in general practice. Design and setting Analysis of a sub-sample of data from three mixed-method case studies of remote consultation services in various UK settings from 2019–2021. Method The dataset included interviews and focus groups with 121 participants from primary care (33 patients, 55 GPs, 11 other clinicians, nine managers, four support staff, four national policymakers, five technology industry). Data were transcribed, coded thematically, and then analysed using the Planning and Evaluating Remote Consultation Services (PERCS) framework. …

Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Associated Demyelinating Disorder Presenting As Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis After Sars-Cov-2 Vaccination: A Case Report, Jesse Lou, Dustin Sielski, Hanan Saleh, Brandon Trivax, Julie Ferris, Ronald Taylor

Posters

No abstract provided.

Sarcoid Myelitis Masking As Multiple Sclerosis In An Otherwise Healthy 45-Year-Old: A Case Report, Jesse Lou, Brandon Trivax

Posters

No abstract provided.

Right Arm Weakness And Vaginal Spotting: A Curious Case Of Paraneoplastic Necrotizing Myopathy Associated With Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma, Jesse Lou, Julie Ferris

Posters

No abstract provided.

Vagabondage, Andrea Lora Castillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Vagabondage is a novel about grief and identity. The novel opens with its protagonist, Jilly, learning about her brother Parisâ??s death via a phone call with her grandma. Throughout her time of grief, she must contend with her husband, James, taking advantage of her grieving state and using her as a model for his photography careerâ??a career in which he amasses quite a reputable amount of fame. As Jamesâ?? career grows, Jilly is introduced to his best friend, Michael, a musician in a rock band. He and Jilly begin a love affair, and it is through this relationship that Jilly …

The Principal's Role In The Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities: From Compliance To Change, Cindy Corinne Contreras

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Campus administrators have the responsibility to be both building managers and instructional leaders ensuring they are improving instructional practices and student achievement. Learning how these specific tasks can be accomplished while maintaining all their other campus responsibilities is critical to the success of aspiring administrators. This work can and has been accomplished through the implementation of weekly professional learning communities (PLC) with administrators playing an active role in these meetings. Through interviews, observations, and a focus group discussion this study seeks to better understand the role of the administrator in the implementation and process of professional learning communities. This research …

Understanding Depressive Symptoms Among Emerging Adults, Salvador Dominguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As societies have progressed following the industrial revolution, the transitioning into adulthood has undergone constant changes. This shift has resulted in young adults delaying traditional roles such as marriage and parenthood to pursue tertiary education and other opportunities. Emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) is a phase during an individual's life where they undergo constant changes because of newfound independence, new relationships, and other life-changing events. Currently, it has transitioned into a period where symptoms of depression are commonly experienced more than any other time in life. Given the negative impacts that depressive symptoms can have on individuals' well-being, two studies were …

Numerical Study Of Cahn-Hilliard Equations, Oula Khouzam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis we study the well-known first-order Eyre's convex splitting numerical scheme for solving the Cahn-Hilliard equation and theoretically prove and numerically demonstrate the key properties of the scheme namely: mass conservation, unique solvability and unconditional stability. While the convex splitting scheme has been around for over two decades, explicit proofs for these important properties for the fourth order Cahn-Hillard equation are not directly available in the existing literature. This thesis aims to bridge this gap by providing the complete proofs of the aforementioned key properties of the scheme and numerically demonstrating the performance of the scheme.

A Central Compact Hybrid-Variable Method With Spectral-Like Resolution, Md Mahmudul Hasan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Numerical methods for hyperbolic conservation laws have been a driving force for theresearch in scientific computing and simulation science in the past decades, as many physical, biological, and engineering systems are governed by these equations, such as fluid mechanics, tumor growth, and virtual wind tunnel simulations. Despite the existence of many schemes in the literature, people have never stopped searching for more accurate and efficient methods for these problems. Indeed, the increasing complexity of systems in emerging applications demands better resolution of sub-grid scale phenomenon whereas classical methods usually fail to deliver high-fidelity simulation results of such systems within realistic …

Ultrahigh Strength-High Ductility Combination Low Density Austenitic Steel: Effect Of Aging Temperature And Strain Rate, Jaehyun Kim

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of the study was to optimize the post-thermal treatment of hot rolled Fe-0.92C-26.3Mn-8.79Al-0.05Nb steel. In this regard, the hardness of the experimental steel was studied as a function of aging time and/or strain rate. The study provided an understanding of aging heat treatment for the experimental steel, which was processed by vacuum induction melting, followed by thermo-mechanical rolling involving multiple passes. The rolled steel was subsequently annealed at 900 °C for 4 h followed by water quenching. X-ray diffraction in scanning mode of 2¸=20-100o indicated the presence of austenite structure. In order to study the influence of aging …

Femtosecond Laser Machining Of Drilled Holes In Silicon Nitride, Stephani Nevarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this study, the laser drilling parameters of a Nd:YAG ultrashort pulsed laser are evaluated to produce zero taper through holes on silicon nitride ceramics. Manufacturing of ceramics is expensive and difficult because of the mechanical and thermal properties of ceramics, limiting applications. Additionally, the high level hardness of the ceramic can affect the ceramic and the manufacturing tool. There is a need to explore non-contact machining such as laser machining to expand the uses of ceramics in industry applications.In order to accomplish this goal, understanding of the physical mechanisms that occurs while laser ablation is needed. Furthermore, the minimum …

The International Student Border Commuter Experience: An Investigation On The Southern U.S. Border, Kristin Oberheide

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prior literature on transborder (transfronterizos, transfronteriz@s, or transfronterizx) students in the Mexico-United States border region focuses predominantly on United States citizens and the San Diego-Tijuana region. This phenomenological study focuses on Mexican citizen international students, who live in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and commute across the border with student visas daily to attend college in El Paso, Texas. The study sought to determine â??What are the everyday experiences of Mexican international student border commuters?â?? Twenty-three international student border commuters were interviewed with a series of open-ended questions, during June 2016 in El Paso. The following seven themes emerged as the essence …

The Use Of Person-First Language In Diabetes Care & Research. How Far Have We Come Since Ada & Adces Recommendations?: A Systematic Review, Denise Nicole Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that affects more than 34 million people across the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2020). Diabetes is characterized as the inability to create or regulate insulin adequately (Costabile et al., 2020). There are three main types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and gestational diabetes (CDC, 2020). Of the more than 34 million people with diabetes, 5 to 10% have T1D, while the remaining 90-95% have T2D (CDC, 2020). In 2017, the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) and the American …

Understanding Mental Health Related Factors And High-Risk Behaviors Among Emerging Adults Through The Lens Of The Social-Ecological Model, Sheralyn Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a transitional period where young adults are faced with new challenges while exploring their identity and experimenting with life choices. However, during this time, young adults are more at risk of engaging in risky behaviors. The focus on emerging adults is important since the health and development of young adults can influence their health and life outcomes. The social-ecological model was used to understand the relationship between mental health and high-risk behaviors, in addition to the influence from different ecological factors (individual, relationship, and community). This study examined the relationship between the presence of mental health issues …

High School Career Guidance: From The View Of A Street-Level Bureaucrat, George Clair Thomas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

High school counselors struggle to complete the tasks assigned to them. Often serving more than 500 students, counselors must address requirements specified by the American School Counselor Associationâ??s national model. They must also perform duties required by state and local policy, as well as campus-designated priorities. Empirical studies of school counselors have focused on identifying the duties that counselors perform, the effectiveness of training that counselors have received, and issues that occur from the standpoint of local control of counselor duties. I found no study that identified how counselors prioritize what they do or the level of discretion that counselors …

All-In-One Multi3d System: Exploring Potential Of 5-Axis Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing, Angel Vega

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has experienced consistent growth since its inception across its seven process categories, especially Material Extrusion (MEX) with systems that can be seen in commercial and industrial settings. As MEX evolves, innovation can be traced in the growing variety of available process materials and new system capabilities leading to greater interest in the technology across various industries including automotive, aerospace and even nuclear weapons. This has created an increasing demand for end-use parts from MEX systems leading to more complex machines with additional Degrees of Freedom (DoF), specialized workflows, and expanded post processing that address the drawbacks of …

Exploring Tunable Magnetization And High-Temperature Ferromagnetism In Ternary Transition Metal-Based Chalcogenides, Hector Iturriaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The discovery of long-range magnetic ordering in ultrathin transition metal-based compounds shows great promise for the development of nanoscale memory and spintronic devices. Composed of cost-effective materials and boasting from strong chemical and thermal stability at low dimensions, van der Waals (vdW) ternary transition metal chalcogenide magnets like CrSiTe3 (CST), Fe2.7GeTe2 (FGT), and Mn3Si2Te6 (MST), provide not only possible energy solutions, but also a broad platform to explore the versatile magnetic character of this family of compounds. Although they have great potential, it has been found that their long-range magnetic ordering exists at temperatures far too low (the highest of …

Writing For Research In Brazilian Schools: The Landless Workers Movement's Education Of The Countryside, Ana Maria Doll Ghelere Portas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis, “Writing for Research in Brazilian Schools: The Landless Workers Movement’s Education of the Countryside,” examines pedagogical practices of rural areas in Brazil. More specifically, I analyze writing practices of high school students in public schools co-governed by the state and the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), a grassroots social movement that has fought for agrarian reform in Brazil for over 40 years. I analyze research papers developed in the social movement's research program: autobiographies written by students in their first year of high school and research papers written in the two final years. My analysis looks for connections between …

Characterization And Evolution Of The Professor Valley Pennsylvanian Salt Body (Paradox Basin, Ut) Using Gravity And Magnetotellurics, Derek Scott

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Syndepositional halokinetic movement of the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation in the Paradox Basin, UT & CO behaved as a control over the development of depositional systems during the Late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic periods (Trudgill, 2011). Understanding the controls on halokinetic evolution in the area serves as an invaluable outcrop analogue for similar subsurface salt bodies in petroleum-bearing basins and provides key insights for hydrocarbon exploration in salt basins world wide. Professor Valley, located 15 miles Northeast of Moab, UT is situated between the Fisher Valley (Onion Creek) and Cache/Salt Valley salt walls. It includes an anomalous, isolated 0.5 km² outcrop …

Present Limitations And Future Projections: Food Insecurity, Housing Insecurity And Optimism Among College Students, Amber Obermaier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the last decade, research has identified wide-ranging disparities in access to basic needs among university students. These differences, such as a lack of adequate food and housing during university, provide a negative environmental experience with potential to limit one’s optimism or hope for the future. This research explores how basic needs insecurity and social vulnerabilities among college students are related to subjective assessments of their prospects for the future. The present study utilizes survey data from a random sample of college students (n=300) enrolled at an urban university in the Midwest region of the United States of America. Logistic …

Perceived Covid-19 Threat Across The Intersections Of Age, Race/Ethnicity, And Gender, Christina Varghese

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studying how perceived threat of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) differs across intersections of age and race/ethnicity as well as age and gender will create a basis for identifying subgroups at greater risk of negative mental health outcomes. I analyzed nationally representative survey data collected in February 2021 from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (N=9,069). To measure perceived threat, the respondents were asked whether COVID-19 is considered 0) no threat, minor threat, or 1) major threat for personal and population health. Race/ethnicity, gender, and age categories are used as independent variables. Results from logistic regression models indicate that …

Unequal Treatment: An Exploration Of Immigrant-Related Factors And Likelihood Of Discrimination In The United States, Sophia Woods

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite the rapid and considerable growth of the Latino population in the United States, the continual xenophobic rhetoric surrounding Latino immigration along with the nativist public policies set in place have led to higher rates of discrimination. Latino immigrant discrimination has shown to have consequences on mental health, social isolation, physical health, and trust of law enforcement. Using data from the Pew Research Center, I explored the specific factors associated with Latino immigrants that increase the likelihood of experiencing discrimination in the United States. In line with much of the prior literature, age, ethnic identity, English proficiency, Mexican origin, fear …