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A History of Contemporary Independent Film Marketing in the United States (1989-1998)
This study explores the reasons for the rise in independent film's popularity, which have created a unique Hollywood phenomenon, the successful "mini-major" independent studio, dedicated to both art and commerce. Chapters cover the history of independent film, characteristics of both independent and mainstreamfilms with regards to financing, acquisition, distribution and marketing, trends within independent film in the late 1980s and 1990s, crucial distributors and landmark independent films, and key growth areas in the future for independent film.
The Formation of Learning Sets on Thee Discrimination Problems by Five- to Six-Year-Olds
The problem was to determine the levels of intellectual capacity necessary at various ages for acquiring rapid and efficient nonspatial discrimination learning sets on problems of increasing complexity.
Parental Cultural Mistrust, Background Variables, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services for Their Children
Attitudes toward mental illness and the willingness to seek psychological treatment for their children among ethnic minority group parents were investigated. Participants consisted of black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian parents. All parents were given the Terrell and Terrell Cultural Mistrust Inventory, Cohen and Struening Opinions About Mental Illness Scale, Reid-Gundlach Social Services Satisfaction Scale, Fischer-Turner Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help Scale, and Ahluwalia Parents' Psychological Help-Seeking Inventory. A multiple regression model was used to explore the purpose of this study. Parental mistrust level, ethnicity, education, income level, and opinions about mental illness served as predictor variables. The criterion variables consisted of scores on the Social Services Satisfaction Scale and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. The results indicated that the most significant predictor of psychological help-seeking was parental cultural mistrust level. Parents with higher cultural mistrust levels were less likely to seek help. Education was also predictive of black and Native American parents' help-seeking attitude and willingness to seek psychological help for their children. Black and Native Americans with lower levels of education were less willing to seek treatment for their children than members of those ethnic groups with higher levels of education. Ethnicity was also related to parental willingness to seek help for their children. Hispanic and black parents expressed more willingness to seek help than Native American and Asian parents. Finally, parents' opinions about mental illness were found to be significantly related to help-seeking attitude. Parents with positive opinions about mental illness were more likely to utilize professional psychological help than those parents with negative opinions about mental illness. Some clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
The Effect of Online Consumer Reviews and Brand Equity on the Consumer Decision Making Process
This research aims to investigate the (1) review effects on consumer decision making process, (2) effects of negative reviews on brand equity, and (3) consumers' likely response to a brand's request for reviews. The objective of the first essay is to investigate the nature of the relationship between skepticism and consumer decision making in an online behavior context. Its second objective is to know whether people's belief on their abilities or their hedonic principle moderates the relationship between a person's skepticism toward online reviews and their reliance on online reviews. The objective of the second essay is to explore whether negative online reviews that focus on service quality specific dimensions have a different effect on a service organization's perceived brand equity. Its second objective is to analyze the role of emotional contagion in the relationship between negative reviews related to various service quality dimensions and its effect on perceived brand equity. The main objective of the third essay is to know whether consumers are more likely to write an online review for a brand when the request comes from a higher equity brand. This essay also investigates how message trust and persuasion knowledge influence the relationship between a brand's request to write online reviews and the likelihood of consumers to write reviews. These three essays altogether contribute to the online review and the brand equity literature by providing new insights about the intricate relationship between online reviews, brand equity, and consumer decision-making.
The Flute Professors of the Paris Conservatoire from Devienne to Taffanel, 1795-1908
Since its establishment (1795), the Paris Conservatoire has attracted top-ranking flutists who, through their playing, teaching, writings, and attitudes, (toward the Boehm flute, for example), have influenced flutists and composers throughout Europe. Through Paul Taffanel, who founded the Societe d'Instruments a Vent in 1876, standards of woodwind playing reached new heights. When Taffanel's students, Georges Laurent and Georges Barrere, emigrated to the United States, they influenced the style and development of flute-playing in this country. Through Barrere's famous student, William Kincaid, there arose what might be termed the American school. The intent of this paper is to place these flutists in perspective. The professors are discussed chronologically; information on the style, works, students, and influence of each man is included.
Expertise Revisited: Reflecting on the Intersection of Science and Democracy in the Case of Fracking
This dissertation aims to explain the conditions under which expertise can undermine democratic decision making. I argue that the root of the conflict between expertise and democracy lies in what I call insufficiently “representative” expertise – that is forms of scientific research that are not relevant to the policy questions at hand and that fail to make visible their hidden values dimensions. I claim that the scholarly literature on the problem of expertise fails to recognize and address the issue correctly, because it does not open the black box of scientific methodologies. I maintain that only by making sense of the methodological choices of experts in the context of policy making can we determine the relevance of research and reveal the hidden socio-political values and consequences. Using the case of natural gas fracking, I demonstrate how expert contributions – even though epistemically sound – can muddle democratic policy processes. I present four case studies from controversies about fracking to show how to contextualize scientific methodologies in the pertinent political process. I argue that the common problem across all case studies is the failure of expertise to sufficiently represent stakeholders’ problems and concerns. In this context, “representation” has three criteria: (1) the operational research questions on which the qualified experts work are relevant to stakeholders’ problems and concerns; (2) the non-epistemic values and consequences of epistemic choices of experts are compatible with social and political values and priorities; and (3) hidden values attached to facts are fully transparent and openly debated. In the conclusion, I propose a normative version of this representation theory that can be used to evaluate the appropriateness of expertise for democratic policy making. Instead of the value-free science ideal, I propose a new ideal to legitimately allow non-epistemic values in scientific reasoning without compromising the soundness of …
Ozone Pollution of Shale Gas Activities in North Texas
The effect of shale gas activities on ground-level ozone pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is studied in detail here. Ozone is a highly reactive species with harmful effects on human and environment. Shale gas development, or fracking, involves activities such as hydraulic fracturing, drilling, fluid mixing, and trucks idling that are sources of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), two of the most important precursors of ozone. In this study two independent approaches have been applied in evaluating the influences on ozone concentrations. In the first approach, the influence of meteorology were removed from ozone time series through the application of Kolmogorov-Zurbenko low-pass filter, logarithmic transformation, and subsequent multi-linear regression. Ozone measurement data were acquired from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) monitoring stations for 14 years. The comparison between ozone trends in non-shale gas region and shale gas region shows increasing ozone trends at the monitoring stations in close proximity to the Barnett Shale activities. In the second approach, the CAMx photochemical model was used to assess the sensitivity of ozone to the NOX and VOC sources associated with shale oil and gas activities. Brute force method was applied on Barnett Shale and Haynesville Shale emission sources to generate four hypothetical scenarios. Ozone sensitivity analysis was performed for a future year of 2018 and it was based on the photochemical simulation that TCEQ had developed for demonstrating ozone attainment under the State Implementation Plan (SIP). Results showed various level of ozone impact at different locations within the DFW region attributed to area and point sources of emissions in the shale region. Maximum ozone impact due to shale gas activities is expected to be in the order of several parts per billion, while lower impacts on design values were predicted. The results from the photochemical modeling can …
Energy Harvesting Wireless Piezoelectric Resonant Force Sensor
The piezoelectric energy harvester has become a new powering option for some low-power electronic devices such as MEMS (Micro Electrical Mechanical System) sensors. Piezoelectric materials can collect the ambient vibrations energy and convert it to electrical energy. This thesis is intended to demonstrate the behavior of a piezoelectric energy harvester system at elevated temperature from room temperature up to 82°C, and compares the system’s performance using different piezoelectric materials. The systems are structured with a Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PMN-PT) single crystal patch bonded to an aluminum cantilever beam, Lead Indium Niobate-Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PIN-PMN-PT) single crystal patch bonded to an aluminum cantilever beam and a bimorph cantilever beam which is made of Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT). The results of this experimental study show the effects of the temperature on the operation frequency and output power of the piezoelectric energy harvesting system. The harvested electrical energy has been stored in storage circuits including a battery. Then, the stored energy has been used to power up the other part of the system, a wireless resonator force sensor, which uses frequency conversion techniques to convert the sensor’s ultrasonic signal to a microwave signal in order to transmit the signal wirelessly.
A study of economic development and the formulation of a simulation model of the economy of Iran
The purpose of this dissertation was to study the economic development in Iran during its major planning periods and also to formulate a mathematical model of the economy of Iran and explore the applicability of an income expenditure model in a developing nation such as Iran.
A Study of Academic, Personal, Social and Financial Satisfactions of International Students at North Texas State University
The problem of this study was to determine the academic, personal, social, and financial level of satisfaction of the international students at North Texas State University. The subjects were 351 international students representing fifty-four different countries. These students were enrolled full time during the fall semester of 1981. The instrument used to gather the data was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by a panel of experts and pretested on a small sample of international students.
Characterization of the Specificity of DNA Uptake and Transformation by Naturally Competent Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus
Although cultures of A. calcoaceticus BD413 are naturally competent at all growth phases, genetic markers can only be successfully transformed by DNA from the genus Acinetobacter. Transformation frequencies of nearly 1.2% were obtained with pcaA mutants were incubated in liquid culture with wild-type DNA.
Structural Design and Its Impact on Thermal Efficiency and Corrosion of All-Aluminum Microchannel Heat Exchangers
In this study, high-fidelity conjugate heat transfer simulations are used to model a micro-channel heat exchanger (MCHE) in a crossflow to study its thermal-hydraulic performance. This study considers three different microchannels (internal flow) geometries (circular, triangular, and square) with louver-shaped fins. The local flow field showed a strong coupling between the microchannel flow, solid domain, and crossflow. The flow separation and wake regions formed near MCHE resulted in a large variation in the velocity field and temperature in the crossflow. The wake region had a significant spanwise variation due to its interaction with fins, which also causes variations in the thermal boundary layer. The heat conduction in the solid structure provided a non-uniform temperature field with a higher temperature near the microchannel and a slightly lower temperature near the surface exposed to the crossflow. The microchannel flow analysis showed that the internal geometry affects the pressure drop, which is highest for the triangular MCHE and lowest for the circular MCHE. However, the microchannel flow temperature change was relatively similar for all microchannels. Results showed that for the same volume of the microchannel, the circular shape microchannel has a higher performance index value than the triangular and square shapes. This study also considers three different fin (external flow/crossflow) geometries (louver, step, and saw) with the same tube and circular shape microchannel and identifies the corrosion hot spot. Crossflow shows higher temperatures near the boundary layer of the tube, which results in higher corrosion rates. A predicted flow field also identifies crevices between fins and tube surfaces as critical corrosion hot spots often associated with low-velocity regions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis was done on AA3102 (Alloy used in the circular channel and louver fin) alloy in corrosive environments containing low and high concentrations of the combination of sodium chloride and ammonium …
Satisfaction with College Among Selected Groups of International Students
The purpose of this study was twofold. The first purpose was to identify and determine the degree of satisfaction experienced by selected groups of international students at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. The second purpose was to analyze and interpret the data collected in relation to selected demographic variables. The following hypotheses were devised to guide the interpretation of the data findings. 1. There will be a significant difference in the degree of satisfaction with university administration among the three selected groups of N.T.S.U. international students. 2. There will be a significant difference in the degree of satisfaction with university faculty among the three selected groups of N.T.S.U. international students. 3. There will be a significant difference in the degree of satisfaction with fellow students among the three selected groups of N.T.S.U. international students.
Price Elasticity, J-Curve, and the Balance of Trade: An Econometric Study of Bangladesh
The question for this thesis is whether the static and the dynamic theory of international trade stability holds in reality in Bangladesh.
Journey for Jazz
This written thesis accompanies a 32-minute documentary video, Journey for Jazz, which explores four Korean students who major in jazz at the University of North Texas in Denton. Detailed accounts of the pre-production, production, and post-production of the video guide the reader to understand the challenging and rewarding process of making this documentary. Theoretical issues are also discussed, including Bill Nichols's typology of documentary modes as a useful tool for analysis of hybrid documentaries and conventions of the observational and interactive mode in Journey for Jazz, which is considered a hybrid of both modes. The film focuses mainly on the scholarly and artistic experiences that the four students undergo while studying jazz in the United States.
General Satisfaction of Students in 100% Online Courses in the Department of Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas
The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are significant relationships between the general satisfaction of students and learner-content interaction, learner-instructor interaction, learner-learner interaction, and learner-technology interaction in 100% online courses. There were 310 responses from the students. This study did not use data from duplicate students and instructors. Excel was used to find duplicate students and instructors; therefore, 128 responses were deleted. After examination of box plots, an additional four cases were removed because they were outliers on seven or more variables. Nineteen responses were deleted because they did not answer all questions of interest, resulting in a total sample of 159 students. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the four independent variables and the dependent variable. In addition to tests for statistical significance, practical significance was evaluated with the multiple R2 , which reported the common variance between independent variables and dependent variable. The two variables of learner-content and learner-instructor interaction play a significant role in predicting online satisfaction. Minimally, the variable learner-technology can predict online satisfaction and is an important construct that must be considered when offering online courses. Results of this study provide help in establishing a valid and reliable survey instrument and in developing an online best learning environment, as well as recommendations for institutions offering online learning or considering the development of online learning courses.
A Stylistic Evaluation of Charles Valentin Alkan's Piano Music: a Lecture Recital, together with Three Recitals of Selected Works of J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Schumann, and Villa-Lobos
Charles Valentin Alkan (1813-1888), one of the great genii in music history, was widely misunderstood by his contemporaries because of his highly idiosyncratic ideas. From the perspective of the late twentieth century, his innovations can be better understood, and his music is now gaining wider appreciation. Yet, today many musicians still do not know even his name, much less his achievements. The year 1988 marks the one hundredth year since his death. In commemoration of this centennial anniversary, this thesis is presented as a plea for a greater awareness of the achievements of this important figure in the development of piano music.
An Analytical Study of the Variations on the Theme of Paganini's Twenty-Fourth Caprice, Op. 1 by Busoni, Friedman, and Muczynski
The purpose of this study is to analyze sets of variations on Paganini's theme by three twentieth-century composers: Ferruccio Busoni, Ignaz Friedman, and Robert Muczynski, in order to examine, identify, and trace different variation techniques and their applications. Chapter 1 presents the purpose and scope of this study. Chapter 2 provides background information on the musical form "theme and variations" and the theme of Paganini's Twenty-fourth Caprice, Op. 1. Chapter 2 also deals with the question of which elements have made this theme so popular. Chapters 3,4, and 5 examine each of the three sets of variations in detail using the following format: theme, structure of each variation, harmony and key, rhythm and meter, tempo and dynamics, motivic development, grouping of variations, and technical problems. Chapter 6 summarizes the findings from this study and attempts to compare those elements among the three variations. Special attention is given to the application of the motivic cells, which are drawn from the original Paganini theme, in the development of succeeding variations. This study shows how these motivic cells contribute to the construction of new motives and melodies in each variation. Additionally, this study attempts to examine each composer's efforts in expanding variation procedure to the areas of structures and tempo markings in succeeding variations.
A Comparison of the Perceptions of Faculty and Students of Present and Ideal Institutional Goals in a Private University in Korea
This study is an investigation of the importance of institutional goals as perceived by the faculty and students in Chung-ang University in Seoul, Korea. The purposes of this study are (1) to determine if significant differences exist between the perceptions of faculty and students as to the present and ideal institutional goals of the university, (2) to determine if significant differences exist between the perceptions of faculty and students of different colleges as to the present and ideal institutional goals of the university, and (3) to determine if significant differences exist between the present and ideal institutional goals as perceived by the faculty and students within each of the colleges of the university.
Rhapsody for Piano and Small Orchestra
Rhapsody for Piano and Small Orchestra is a one-movement composition in a concerto fashion for seventeen players, and is about nine minutes in duration. The overall form of this work is A B C D E D1 C1 B1 A1. This work contains various hidden compositional devices such as the golden section principle and a palindrome structure. These devices are applied not only to the structure of the work, but also to the pitch related and rhythm-related matters. Also, certain melodic and rhythmic cells are employed for each section in the developmental procedure of that section almost exclusively. Since this work is a concerto-like piece, there are two cadenza-like passages for the piano with an accompanying solo instrument, which plays the obbligato passage. The following essay addresses the form, pitch materials, harmony, rhythm and technical difficulties, orchestration, and variant elements between the corresponding sections used in this work.
Low Leakage Asymmetric Stacked Sram Cell
Memory is an important part of any digital processing system. On-chip SRAM can be found in various levels of the memory hierarchy in a processor and occupies a considerable area of the chip. Leakage is one of the challenges which shrinking of technology has introduced and the leakage of SRAM constitutes a substantial part of the total leakage power of the chip due to its large area and the fact that many of the cells are idle without any access. In this thesis, we introduce asymmetric SRAM cells using stacked transistors which reduce the leakage up to 26% while increasing the delay of the cell by only 1.2% while reducing the read noise margin of the cell by only 15.7%. We also investigate an asymmetric cell configuration in which increases the delay by 33% while reduces the leakage up to 30% and reducing the read noise margin by only 1.2% compared to a regular SRAM cell.
An Analysis of Goals in Post-Primary Institutions in Nigeria with Special Reference to Kaduna-State
The problem addressed in this study is the identification of perceived and preferred goals in post-primary educational institutions in Kaduna-State, Nigeria. The purposes of the study are to identify and analyze the most important goals and to make recommendations for improvements based on these findings. Chapter I discusses the background and significance of the study and the procedures used in collecting and analyzing data; Chapter II surveys related literature. Methodology and analysis of data are presented in Chapters III and IV. Chapter V offers the study's findings, summary, conclusions, and recommendations.
An Introduction to Contemporary Characteristics in Twentieth-Century Piano Music for the Late-Intermediate Student: A Pedagogical Analysis of the Bagatelles, Opus 5 by Alexander Tcherepnin
Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977) was a Russian-born American composer, his musical style represents the modern and diverse features of much twentieth-century piano music. The purpose of this research is to conduct a comprehensive pedagogical analysis of Alexander Tcherepnin's Bagatelles, Op. 5 with the goal of introducing contemporary characteristics in twentieth-century piano music for the late-intermediate student. Chapter 2 contains overall biographical information regarding Alexander Tcherepnin and a discussion of the general compositional style of his piano works. Chapter 3 analyzes the Bagatelles, Op. 5 from the perspective of musical challenges concerning the contemporary characteristics, including contemporary harmony: interval of seconds, non-tertian chords, special use of the seventh chords, and ninth chords; contemporary rhythm and meter: shifted accents, asymmetric meter, meter change, and ostinato; modal melodic resources and tonalities; and other special tonalities. Chapter 4 has suggestions on fingering, pedaling, articulation, tone, dynamics and phrasing, and practicing procedures for individual technical difficulties. Studying the Bagatelles, Op. 5 provides a transition for the student from learning standard repertoire of the eighteenth and the nineteenth century, to contemporary repertoire through the combination of Russian compositional traditions with twentieth century repertory.
An Analysis of the Characteristics of Female Juvenile Offenders as Predictors of Resocialization or Recidivism.
Because there has been a paucity of research on the educational needs of females with academic, behavioral, and emotional problems involved with the juvenile justice system, this study has been an attempt to classify and compare specific characteristics of this population. In particular, it examined their demographics, disability prevalence rates, along with academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning levels, in order to further understand their relationship to the resocialization or recidivism of the different groups of female juveniles incarcerated in the state of Texas, and contribute to the research for further developing successful prevention and intervention programs. Various demographic factors of the female juveniles in this study were examined: (a) offender type, (b) county of commitment, (c) race/ethnicity, (d) age at first referral, and (e) English language proficiency. Prevalence rates of special education disabilities were determined. Academic functioning was measured by (a) IQ; (b) last school grade completed; (c) Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) reading gain score; and (d) TABE math gain score. Behavioral functioning was indicated through (a) offense history, (b) documented behavior incidents, and (c) total risk score. Emotional functioning included DSM-IV diagnoses and treatment needs. Due to the design of the research being a descriptive exploration, the findings produced this compilation of attributes. The population of study typically reached an education level of 8th grade or less before becoming incarcerated. Their IQ is usually in the range of 80 to 90 points, with their reading and math achievement levels lagging about five years behind those of their age group. Their gains in reading and math are usually two to three levels per year. The female juveniles averaged 10 documented behavior incidents during their periods of incarceration. Their Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores at intake showed they had moderate mental health symptoms and/or moderate difficulty in social, …
Space in Space: Privacy Needs for Long-Duration Spaceflight
Space exploration is a uniquely human activity. As humans continue to push the limits of exploring the unknown, they have sought knowledge supporting the sustenance of life in outer space. New technologies, advancements in medicine, and rethinking what it means to be a “community” will need to emerge to support life among the stars. Crews traveling beyond the Moon will rely on the development of new technologies to support the technological aspects of their missions as well as their quality of life while away from Earth. Likewise, through advancements in medicine, scientists will need to address remaining questions regarding the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and crew performance. Space explorers must learn to utilize these new technologies and medical advancements while learning to adapt to their new environment in space and as a space community. It is important that researchers address these issues so that human survival beyond Earth is not only achievable but so that life among the stars is worth living and sustaining. This thesis addressed these issues in an attempt to extend the trajectory of space exploration to new horizons.
Determination of Habitat Preferences of Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) on the Rolling Plains of Texas Using GIS and Remote Sensing
The Rocker b Ranch on the southern Rolling Plains has one of the last sizeable populations of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in Texas. To investigate habitat utilization on the ranch, pronghorn were fitted with GPS/VHF collars and were released into pastures surrounded by a variety of fences to determine how fence types affected habitat selection. Habitat parameters chosen for analysis were vegetation, elevation, slope, aspect, and distances to water, roads, and oil wells. Results showed that pronghorn on the ranch crossed modified fencing significantly less than other types of fencing. Pronghorn selected for all habitat parameters to various degrees, with the most important being vegetation type. Habitat selection could be attributed to correspondence of vegetation type with other parameters or spatial arrangements of physical features of the landscape. Seasonal differences in habitat utilization were evident, and animals tended to move shorter distances at night than they did during daylight hours.
To Develop a Desirable Method of Reporting Pupil Progress in the Elementary School
The problem is to examine and analyze the methods used for reporting pupil progress in the elementary schools; to give evidence of the significant changes underlying the concepts of educational achievement; and to give consideration to the basic principles involved in order to develop a desirable method.
Analysis and Evaluation of the Role of Public Relations in Leasing Dallas Petroleum Center
The problem in this study was to discover if the public relations program of the Dallas Petroleum Center was useful in leasing and if the program played a significant role in a leasing increase. The study was carried out by describing the development of the building project, by analyzing the planning and execution of the public relations program, by testing the program's effectiveness, and by drawing conclusions about the program and by making recommendations for this specific program and for office leasing in general. The effectiveness of the program was tested by questionnaires and interviews. The public relations program proved to be an effective tool in leasing office space; and a similar program was recommended for other buildings.
Texas Outlaw Radio: the Prelude to United States v. Gregg et al. (1934)
Unlicensed radio stations in 1933 tested the Radio Act of 1927 as to whether or not the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) had the right to regulate radio stations whose signals were allegedly intrastate. The FRC believed it could regulate such radio stations and proceeded to confiscate equipment, charge individuals with violation of the law, and bring them to trial, either in an injunction hearing, a criminal trial, or both. The most formidable case was that of United States v. Gregg et al. The challenge was met by the FRC and the judge, whose decision is still quoted in legal documents. The decision upheld the Radio Act of 1927 and the FRC's right to regulate all radio stations, licensed or unlicensed.
An Historical Analysis of the Macquarie Broadcasting Service Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia, 1938-1958
Australia's dual system of broadcasting has provided national and commercial radio services to Australians in both urban and remote areas. Networks were formed to serve these areas, but advertising agencies tended to dominate smaller commercial networks on behalf of their clients. Most of these failed. The Macquarie Broadcasting Service Pty. Ltd. (MBS) network began in 1938 and offered network programming and sales representation to stations affiliating with them. Its subsidiary, Artransa Pty. Ltd., also produced and syndicated programs and provided sales representation both nationally and internationally. This study concludes that MBS' contribution to Australian commercial broadcasting was the development of networking and that it had the greater listenership of any commercial network in this time period.
"Beowulf": Myth as a Structural and Thematic Key
Very little of the huge corpus of Beowulf criticism has been directed at discovering the function and meaning of myth in the poem. Scholars have noted many mythological elements, but there has never been a satisfactory explanation of the poet's use of this material. A close analysis of Beowulf reveals that myth does, in fact, inform its structure, plot, characters and even imagery. More significant than the poet's use of myth, however, is the way he interlaces the historical and Christian elements with the mythological story to reflect his understanding of the cyclic nature of human existence. The examination in Chapter II of the religious component in eighth-century Anglo-Saxon culture demonstrates that the traditional Germanic religion or mythology was still very much alive. Thus the Beowulf poet was certainly aware of pre-Christian beliefs. Furthermore, he seems to have perceived basic similarities between the old and new religions, and this understanding is reflected in the poem. Chapter III discusses the way in which the characterization of the monsters is enriched by their mythological connotations. Chapter IV demonstrates that the poet also imbued the hero Beowulf with mythological significance. The discussion in Chapter V of themes and type-scenes reveals the origins of these formulaic elements in Indo-European myth, particularly in the myth of the dying god. Chapter VI argues that both historical and mythological layers of meaning reflect traditional man's view of history as cyclic, a temporal period with a beginning and an end. At the juncture between end and beginning is conflict, which is necessary for regeneration. The interlacing of Christian, historical and mythic elements suggests the impossibility of extricating the individual and collective historical manifestations from the cosmic imperative of this cycle. The Beowulf poet perhaps saw in the ancient myths which permeated his cultural traditions the basis of meaning …
A Historical Review of Secondary Education in Western Nigeria: 1842-1976
The purposes of this study are to describe the past and the present system of secondary education in Western Nigeria; to examine the goals, achievements, and failures with special consideration for three distinct periods: (1) prior to the arrival of the British people in Western Nigeria, (2) between 1842 and 1960, and (3) between 1960 and 1976; to formulate generalizations about secondary schools, and to offer suggestions for the improvement of the secondary educational system in Western Nigeria. One recommendation that the study makes calls for mass secondary education, not education of the elite only. The recommendations call for programs that would lead to industrial and technological progress.
Soviet Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East: a Case Study of USSR'S Cultural Relations with Egypt and Syria, 1955-1971
This study examines the nature and patterns of Soviet cultural activities in Egypt and Syria, the motivations behind those activities, and the contribution of the Soviet cultural effort toward the attainment of overall Soviet Middle East policies. Chapter I provides background information on Soviet-Arab relations, and in Chapter II Soviet objectives in the Middle East are examined. Chapter III identifies the important components of the Soviet cultural instrument in Egypt and Syria. Chapter IV assesses the contribution made by the cultural tool toward the attainment of Soviet objectives in Egypt and Syria. Finally, Chapter V demonstrates that the Soviet cultural enterprise exerted little impact on overall Soviet policy in the Middle East.
Southern Genre Painting and Illustration from 1830 to 1890
The purpose of this thesis is to give a concise view of stylistic, iconographical, and iconological trends in Southern genre paintings and illustrations between 1830 and 1890 by native Southern artists and artists who lived at least ten years in the South. Exploration of artworks was accomplished by compiling as many artworks as possible per decade, separating each decade by dominant trends in subject matter, and researching to determine political and/or social implications associated with and affecting each image. Historical documents and the findings of other scholars revealed that many artworks carried political overtones reflecting the dominant thought of the white ruling class during the period while the significance and interpretation of other artworks was achieved by studying dominant personal beliefs and social practices.
The Effects of Adlerian Play Therapy on Maladaptive Perfectionism and Anxiety and in Children
I used singlecase A-B-A experimental design to examine the effectiveness of Adlerian play therapy (AdPT) for children identified with clinical levels of perfectionism on the Conners Parent Rating Scale-Revised and Conners Teacher Rating Scale-Revised. Participants were 2 children, a 10 year-old Hispanic male and a 7 year-old Caucasian female. To examine the effect of AdPT on maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety, the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale and the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale were administered to the children twice weekly over 3 phases of the study: baseline (6 administrations), intervention (12-16 administrations), and maintenance (6 administrations) for a total of 24 to 29 data points. Additionally, parents and teachers completed the Conners Rating Scales-Revised5 times: (1) prior to study, (2) following baseline/prior to treatment, (3) midpoint of treatment, (4) following treatment, and (5) following maintenance phase.During the intervention phase, the male and female participants attended 21 and 16 play therapy sessions, their mothers attended 6 and 5 parent consultations, and their teachers attended 6 and 3 teacher consultations, respectively. Analysis of the child self-report assessments indicated mixed and inconclusive results regarding the effects of AdPT on target behaviors. However, results of the parent and teacher reports indicated clinically significant reductionsin maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety over the five points of measurement for both participants. The participants’ maladaptive perfectionism moved from the clinical to the normal range. Implications for practice and future research are indicated.
Understanding and preventing police use of excessive force: An analysis of attitudes toward police job satisfaction and human rights laws.
Although governments try to create strict policies and regulations to prevent abuses, use of excessive force is still a problem for almost every country including Turkey. This study is intended to help Turkish National Police administrators to understand and prevent police use of excessive force. Studies on police brutality categorize three factors that explain why police officers use excessive force; these are individual, situational and organizational. In addition to brutality theories, job satisfaction literature is examined in this study to understand the use of excessive force. Job satisfaction is found to be related with burnout, turnover, stress, commitment, and performance. The impact of officers' attitude toward the criminal justice system and/or laws has not been tested widely. Police officers attitudes toward human rights laws are examined in this study to measure its impact on attitude toward use of excessive force. A secondary data collected in Turkey are analyzed by structural equation modeling which provides confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and causal relationships between variables. It is found that police officers' attitude toward human rights laws is a significant predictor of their attitudes toward use of excessive force. Job satisfaction and education level are the other significant variables affecting attitude toward use of excessive force. Based on the analyses of findings, educational and policy implications are posed for Turkish police administrators to better understand and prevent police use of excessive force.
Photoactivatable Quantum Dots in Super-Resolution Microscopy of Muscle
Super-resolution 3D imaging was achieved using newly synthesized photoactivatable quantum dot (PAQ dot) probes. Quantum dots were modified with a novel quencher system to make them photoactivatable. The unique properties of these PAQ dots enable single-fluorophore localization in three dimensions using a confocal microscopy optical sectioning method. Myosin and tropomyosin of rabbit myofibrilar bundles were specifically labeled with the newly synthesized PAQ dot. A sufficient number of single quantum dots were photoactivated, localized and reduced to their centroid and then reconstructed to a super-resolution image. The acquired super-resolution image shows a lateral and an axial sub-diffraction resolution and demonstrates ultrafine striations with widths less than 70 nm that are not evident by conventional confocal microscopy. The striations appear to be related to nebulin thin filament binding protein. This newly developed imaging system is cutting edge for its high resolution and localization as well its simplicity and convenience.
Determination of the Optimal Number of Strata for Bias Reduction in Propensity Score Matching.
Previous research implementing stratification on the propensity score has generally relied on using five strata, based on prior theoretical groundwork and minimal empirical evidence as to the suitability of quintiles to adequately reduce bias in all cases and across all sample sizes. This study investigates bias reduction across varying number of strata and sample sizes via a large-scale simulation to determine the adequacy of quintiles for bias reduction under all conditions. Sample sizes ranged from 100 to 50,000 and strata from 3 to 20. Both the percentage of bias reduction and the standardized selection bias were examined. The results show that while the particular covariates in the simulation met certain criteria with five strata that greater bias reduction could be achieved by increasing the number of strata, especially with larger sample sizes. Simulation code written in R is included.
Muscular Differences Between Female Power and Endurance Athletes
The purpose of this study was to compare the torque generating capabilities and fatigue responses of female power athletes, female endurance athletes, and age-matched female non-athletic controls.
Interdependence or Realism: A Study in United States-Iranian Relations
This study analyzes recent developments in U. S.- Iranian relations during the Nixon administration and attempts to portray the principal objectives of the United States and Iran vis-a-vis each other. Complex Interdependence is the model for development of the arguments. Due to the circumstances, however, the study substantially draws on Realism as well. Chapter I discusses methodology. Chapter II focuses on the Nixon Doctrine and its impact on U. S.-Iranian relations. Chapter III discusses the evolution of mutual interests between the two nations in the Gulf area. Chapter IV drawing on the previous chapters, concludes that an interdependent relation between the two nations has developed to the extent that in some areas policy of one nation would have an impact on the other, i.e., increase in the price of oil.
The Russian trumpet sonata: a study of selected representative sonatas for trumpet and piano with an historical overview of the Russian trumpet school
The impact of training on virtual team effectiveness was assessed in five areas: communication, planning tasks and setting goals, solving problems and making decisions, resolving conflict, and responding to customer requirements. A 12-page survey was developed exploring all aspects of virtual teams. 180 surveys were distributed, 52 were returned representing 43 companies. Training led to higher effectiveness in planning tasks and setting goals, solving problems and making decisions, and conflict resolution, but not in communication and responding to customer requirements. Training may not solve all the problems that virtual teams will encounter; however, training will make the challenges easier to handle.
Hydrophobicity of Magnetite Coating on Low Carbon Steel
Superhydrophobic coatings (SHC) with excellent self-cleaning and corrosion resistance property is developed on magnetite coated AISI SAE 1020 steel by using a simple immersion method. Roughness measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), contact angle measurement (CAM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), potentiodynamic polarization test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and qualitative characterization of self-cleaning behavior, antifouling property and durability of the coatings are assessed. A water contact angle as high as 152o on the coated surface with excellent self-cleaning and resistivity to corrosion and good longevity in atmospheric air is obtained. Self-cleaning test results prove that these surfaces can find applications in large scale production of engineering materials. Potentiodynamic polarization tests and EIS tests confirm that the superhydrophobic low carbon steel surfaces have better resistance to corrosion compared to bare steel and magnetite coated steel in 3.5% NaCl solution. But the longevity of the coated steel surfaces in 3.5% salt solution is limited, which is revealed by the immersion durability test. However, hydrophobic coatings (HC) have better stability in normal tap water, and it can stay unharmed up to 15 days. Finally, hydrophobic coatings on low carbon steel surface retains hydrophobic in open atmosphere for more than two months. Results of this investigation show surface roughness is a critical factor in manufacturing hydrophobic steel surfaces. Higher contact angles are obtained for rougher and more uniform surfaces. A linear mathematical relationship (y =6x+104; R2 = 0.93) is obtained between contact angle (y) and surface roughness (x).
Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Mechanical Behavior of Model Metallic Glasses
The thermophysical properties and deformation behavior of a systematic series of model metallic glasses was investigated. For Zr-based metallic glasses with all metallic constituents, the activation energy of glass transition was determined to be in the range of 74-173 kJ/mol while the activation energy of crystallization was in the range of 155-170 kJ/mol. The reduced glass transition temperature was roughly the same for all the alloys (~ 0.6) while the supercooled liquid region was in the range of 100-150 K, indicating varying degree of thermal stability. In contrast, the metal-metalloid systems (such as Ni-Pd-P-B) showed relatively higher activation energy of crystallization from short range ordering in the form of triagonal prism clusters with strongly bonded metal-metalloid atomic pairs. Deformation mechanisms of all the alloys were investigated by uniaxial compression tests, strain rate sensitivity (SRS) measurements, and detailed characterization of the fracture surface morphology. For the metal-metal systems, plasticity was found to be directly correlated with shear transformation zone (STZ) size, with systems of larger STZ size showing better plasticity. In metal-metalloid amorphous alloys, plasticity was limited by the distribution of STZ units, with lower activation energy leading to more STZ units and better plasticity. The alloys with relatively higher plasticity showed multiple shear bands while the brittle alloys showed a single dominant shear band and vein-pattern on the fracture surface indicating sudden catastrophic failure. The effect of chemistry change on thermodynamics, kinetics, and deformation behavior was investigated for the model binary NixP100-x and CoxP100-x metallic glasses. Alloys with higher phosphorous content showed greater activation energy of crystallization, indicating better thermal stability. In addition, metallic glasses with higher % P showed greater hardness, modulus, and serrated flow behavior during indentation that is characteristic of inhomogeneous deformation.
Determination of Molecular Descriptors for Illegal Drugs by Gc-fid Using Abraham Solvation Model
The Abraham solvation parameter model is a good approach for analyzing and predicting biological activities and partitioning coefficients. The general solvation equation has been used to predict the solute property (SP) behavior of drug compounds between biological barriers. Gas chromatography (GC) retention time can be used to predict molecular descriptors, such as E, S, A, B & L for existing and newly developed drug compounds. In this research, six columns of different stationary phases were used to predict the Abraham molecular descriptors more accurately. The six stationary phases used were 5% phenylmethyl polysiloxane, 6% cyanopropylphenyl 94% dimethylpolysiloxane, 5% diphenyl 95% dimethylpolysiloxane, 100% dimethylpolysiloxane, polyethylene glycol and 35% diphenyl 65% dimethylpolysiloxane. Retention times (RT) of 75 compounds have been measured and logarithm of experimental average retention time Ln(RTexp) are calculated. The Abraham solvation model is then applied to predict the process coefficients of these compounds using the literature values of the molecular descriptors (Acree Compilation descriptors). Six correlation equations are built up as a training set for each of the six columns. The six equations are then used to predict the molecular descriptors of the illegal drugs as a test set. This work shows the ability to extract molecular information from a new compound by utilizing commonly used GC columns available with the desired stationary phases. One can simply run the new compound in GC using these columns to get the retention time. Plugging in the retention time into the developed equations for each of the column will predict the molecular descriptors for the test compound and will give some information about the properties of the compound.
Intersecting Identities and Conflict as Moderators of the Relationship Between Discrimination and Mental Health in Emerging Adulthood
Individuals with a minority sexual identity, such as lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGB) face increased risk for stigmatization surrounding their sexual identities and subsequent psychological distress. Sexual minorities of color (SMOC) face the same difficulties faced by White sexual minorities, often compounded with stigma and discrimination linked to their racial/ethnic identities. However, because SMOC remain underrepresented in research on LGB issues, empirically-driven knowledge about these groups is lacking, even among outcomes where noted disparities exist, such as depression. Emerging adulthood may be a particularly important period for understanding effects of intersectional identities and discrimination among SMOC, who often navigate identity-related milestones and experiences independently for the first time within this developmental period. This study examined the relationships between discrimination based upon racial/ethnic and sexual intersecting identities and depression symptoms among emerging adults, as well as ways that group identity factors (ethnic identity, sexual identity, conflicts in identity allegiances) moderated this relationship. Findings indicated that experience of intersectional discrimination was strongly, positively related to depression symptoms. Ethnic identity negatively related to depression independently, but not in the regression model accounting for other variables. Identity factors were not found to statistically significantly moderate the relationship between discrimination and depression symptoms. Discussion centers on potential mechanisms involved in the relationship between intersectional discrimination and depression, and future avenues to expand work with SMOC.
Sexual Identity and Social Anxiety in Emerging Adulthood
Elevated social anxiety (SA) is linked to issues with emotional distress, substance use, and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Notwithstanding concerns of how sexuality has been defined in the extant literature, emerging evidence suggests that the prevalence of SA and related challenges may be disproportionately present among sexual minorities, including lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGBs). This trend may be especially relevant within the developmental context of emerging adulthood, an important period for development of sexual identity, and a time when individuals are already predisposed to heightened feelings of SA. The present study examined the relationship between sexual orientation (measured using sexual identity, sexual attraction, and past romantic and sexual behavior) and social anxiety (related to social interaction and social performance) among emerging adults. minority sexual identities [Welch's F(5,48.08) = 5.56, p = .002, ηp2 = .02.], same-sex attraction [Welch's F(4,108.06) = 11.27, p < .001, ηp2 = .04], and same-sex romantic [Welch's F(5,85.91) = 6.88, p < .001, ηp2 = .03] and sexual experiences[F(5,61.95) = 8.88, p < .001, ηp2 = .04], particularly among those who indicated attraction to multiple sexes. Findings support research that indicates that sexual minority adults experience higher levels of SA than majority (i.e., heterosexual, opposite-sex oriented) adults, and that assessment of sexuality may reflect number of sexual minorities identified. Future directions including intersections of race/ethnicity and gender are discussed.
The Organizational Improvement of the Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Fort Worth, Texas, 1969-1988: a Case Study of Forces Responsible for Organizational Change
This study documents that external and internal forces were causes of change at VCWTP. External forces caused. Fort Worth to reorganize and introduce new management at VCWTP after 1982. These improvements led to VCWTP being selected best managed wastewater treatment plant in the nation by EPA in 1988. This study first analyzes external and internal forces responsible for changes at VCWTP. A history of plant operations also is reviewed. Personnel interviews were conducted of perceptions of employees. Finally, statistics obtained of the plant operation from 1969 to 1988 are compared with personal interviews. Five forces effect change at VCWTP; population, regulatory requirements, political conflicts, an organizational and managerial factors. Turnaround occurred as external and internal corrections were made.
Characteristics of Administrative Leadership Behavior : A Comparative Study of Municipal and University Administrators
The problem with which this study is concerned is comparative administrative leadership behavior between municipal and university administrators. The specially designed survey instrument elicited respondents' perceptions of their administrative leadership behavior based on the 12 dimensions of the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire- XII.
A Study to Determine the Common Elements in Ten Newbery Medal Books (1940-1949)
The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to determine whether the Newbery Medal Books under consideration meet the commonly accepted requirements of children's literature; and second, if they do not, to determine wherein they differ from acceptable criteria.
Perturbation of renewal processes
Renewal theory began development in the early 1940s, as the need for it in the industrial engineering sub-discipline operations research had risen. In time, the theory found applications in many stochastic processes. In this thesis I investigated the effect of seasonal effects on Poisson and non-Poisson renewal processes in the form of perturbations. It was determined that the statistical analysis methods developed at UNT Center for Nonlinear Science can be used to detect the effects of seasonality on the data obtained from Poisson/non-Poisson renewal systems. It is proved that a perturbed Poisson process can serve as a paradigmatic model for a case where seasonality is correlated to the noise and that diffusion entropy method can be utilized in revealing this relation. A renewal model making a connection with the stochastic resonance phenomena is used to analyze a previous neurological experiment, and it was shown that under the effect of a nonlinear perturbation, a non-Poisson system statistics may make a transition and end up in the of Poisson basin of statistics. I determine that nonlinear perturbation of the power index for a complex system will lead to a change in the complexity characteristics of the system, i.e., the system will reach a new form of complexity.
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