Theses and Dissertations

Pages

: 30 Years of New Music; This document is an annotated bibliography of commissioned "set pieces" by the Guitar Foundation of America organization for its International Concert Artist Competition. The primary goal of this document will be to act as a resource for guitarists seeking music outside of the standard repertoire for either performance and/or analysis. The bibliography is arranged chronologically, with each entry (29 in total) including composer name, composer biography, title and year of composition, style characteristics (i.e., tempo, form, movement structure, etc.), publication information, and recording information. The document is arranged in two chapters. Chapter 1 will provide an overview of the study, with a brief history of the Guitar Foundation of America organization, and suggestions for further research. Chapter 2 will consist of the works in their annotated format. The Appendix will contain a weblink for each score that will facilitate online purchases., Submitted Note: A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Music., Degree Awarded: Fall Semester 2016., Date of Defense: November 21, 2016., Keywords: bibliography, classical guitar, GFA, guitar, Guitar Foundation of America, set piece, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Bruce Holzman, Professor Directing Treatise; Jane Piper Clendinning, University Representative; Pamela Ryan, Committee Member; Benjamin Sung, Committee Member.

: 3D Molecular Cytological and Genetic Analysis of the SUN-Domain (Sad1-Unc-84) Proteins in Maize (Zea Mays, L.) Meiosis; Discovery of a Novel Plant Sun Family, Including SUN3, a Candidate Gene for the Desynaptic1 (dy1) Mutant; Meiosis is the process by which sexually reproducing organisms reduce their genomes from diploid (2n) to haploid (n) during the formation of gametes. It requires that homologous chromosomes pair, synapse, recombine, and finally segregate. These widely conserved processes are under genetic control, yet the exact details of many of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain under active investigation. The initial pairing and subsequent synapsis events are immediately preceded by the clustering of telomeres on the nuclear envelope in a widely conserved structure referred to as the bouquet arrangement of meiotic chromosomes. In animals and plants, genes required for genome reduction at meiosis I have been characterized and show a high degree of conservation between kingdoms and species within them. Higher plants (most notably maize) have provided an excellent large-genome model system for the study of the cytology of homologous chromosome behavior and therefore have allowed an in depth dissection of the meiotic process in eukaryotes. At the cellular level, meiotic chromosome behavior is accompanied by changes in the architecture of the cell nucleus, particularly with respect to the interaction of telomeres with the nuclear periphery. This dissertation presents the work involving the analysis of a classic meiotic mutant of maize, desynaptic (dy1). The dy1 mutant is characterized by a precocious telomere-nuclear envelope detachment phenotype at mid prophase, resulting in chromosome breaks, anaphase bridges, micronuclei, and defective pollen development. In this study, we observed new phenotypes as early as the telomere bouquet stage of meiotic prophase in dy1 lines of maize. Using linkage and translocation mapping techniques, the dy1 mutation was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 3, where a candidate gene with homology to a nuclear envelope-associated SUN domain protein gene was identified. SUN (Sad1p/Unc-84) domain proteins function with other proteins to form a physical link between the nucleoskeleton and the cytoskeleton. These bridges transfer forces across the nuclear envelope and are increasingly recognized to play roles in nuclear positioning, nuclear migration, cell cycle-dependent breakdown and reformation of the nuclear envelope, telomere-led nuclear reorganization during meiosis, and karyogamy. Using bioinformatic and molecular approaches, we characterized the family of maize SUN-domain proteins, starting with a screen of maize genomic sequence data. We characterized five different maize ZmSUN genes (ZmSUN1-5), which fell into two structural classes likely of ancient origin. Orthologs of these genes and prevalent in the plant kingdom as they are also found in other monocots, eudicots, and even mosses. The first class described here designated canonical C-terminal SUN-domain (CCSD, ZmSUN1 and ZmSUN2), includes structural homologs of the animal and fungal SUN-domain protein genes. The second class, the plant-prevalent mid-SUN 3 transmembrane (PM3, ZmSUN3-5), includes a novel but conserved structural variant SUN-domain protein gene class. Analysis of the expression levels for these genes revealed very low expression in multiple tissue types, with the exception of ZmSUN5 which showed a pollen=preferred expression profile. Cloning and Peptide antibodies specific for ZmSUN3, and ZmSUN4 were used in western-blot and cell-staining assays to show that they are expressed and show concentrated staining at the nuclear periphery. In order to characterize the CCSD class of SUNproteins, we obtained new reagents and performed immunolocalization analyses coupled with high resolution 3D deconvolution microscopy. We identified a novel structure at the maize nuclear periphery we refer to as the "Nuclear SUN Belt", NSB, which was present in multiple somatic cell types as well as meiotic nuclei. During meiosis, the NSB was present at the onset and well into the leptotene stage of meiotic prophase. Surprisingly at the bouquet stage the NSB appeared to be localized opposite of the nucleolus in a crescent shape, occupying a small region (<1/3) of the surface of the nuclear periphery, often co-localizing with meiotic telomeres. During late prophase, the NSB returned temporarily until the release of the telomeres from the NE and subsequent NE breakdown prior to metaphase. The NSB later returned in post-meiotic nuclei including uninucleate cells, and prophase II nuclei. Using peptide antibodies specific for the CCSD class, we detected a severe disruption of SUN proteins at the nuclear envelope in a line of maize defective in meiotic telomere tethering and chromosome synapsis (desynaptic1, dy1) as well as a line defective in the transition from a prophase microtubule array to a metaphase spindle (divergent1, dv1) (SHAMINA et al. 2000b; STAIGER and CANDE 1990a). The findings presented in this dissertation provide valuable new information regarding the spatial distribution and dynamics of maize SUN proteins at the NE and for an initial interpretation of the phenotypes of historical meiotic mutants of maize., Submitted Note: A Dissertation submitted to the Institute of Molecular Biophysics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy., Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2011., Date of Defense: October 4, 2011., Keywords: Bouquet, Maize, Meiosis, nuclear envelope, Sad1/Unc-84, telomeres, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Hank Henry W. Bass, Professor Directing Dissertation; Myra M. Hurt, University Representative; James Fadool, Committee Member; Hong Li, Committee Member; Lloyd Epstein, Committee Member.

: 3D Numerical Modeling of Hydrodynamics and Sediment Transport in Estuaries; As a USEPA recommended hydrodynamic and transport model, EFDC model has been widely used in modeling estuarine and coastal hydrodynamics and transport. EFDC employs sigma coordinate transformation to deal with irregular water depth. However, it is well known that this coordinate transformation introduces additional terms and produces computation errors in calculation of horizontal pressure gradient terms when a steep bottom slope exists in water domains. Errors in pressure gradient calculation can cause errors in velocity field and ultimately results in errors in spurious transports. In this study, a new algorithm is presented to reduce the numerical errors induced by the horizontal pressure gradient term near steep topography. The basic concept of this algorithm is to re-organize the pressure terms in sigma coordinate system to avoid the subtractions of two large horizontal pressure terms. To accomplish this objective, the 4th order Lagrangian interpolation method was firstly used in sigma space to obtain concentration in the corresponding z-level of the water column. Secondly, the horizontal concentration difference was determined. Finally, the horizontal pressure gradient in the water column was directly calculated from the horizontal concentration gradient. A stepwise bottom boundary condition was adopted for steep slopping bottom boundary. The algorithm has been used to enhance the EFDC model. The model code has been tested in three test cases: 1) flat bottom basin, 2) steep sloping channel, and a coastal shelf. Results indicate that conventional approach in current EFDC dealing with horizontal pressure gradient terms causes spurious surface elevation and velocity field. In comparison, the employment of the algorithm presented in this study this study significantly reduced numerical errors in predicting surface elevation and currents in navigation channels and coastal shelves. Equations for estimating horizontal diffusion coefficient in 3D numerical modeling of estuarine transport have been evaluated in this study in a shallow tidal river. In the application of a 3D hydrodynamic model to Little Manatee River located in Florida of USA, the popular Smagoringsky diffusion scheme was shown to result in the underestimate salinity in comparison with field observations. Another horizontal diffusion equation by Overton et al was also unable to provide satisfactory results of salinity variations in the shallow and narrow river. In an analytic test case of a non-tidal uniform flow channel, Smargorinsky equation results in unreasonable zero horizontal diffusion and no salinity intrusion in the nontidal one dimensional tidal river. An enhanced horizontal diffusion equation was presented in this study. Decoupled from the horizontal eddy viscosity, the enhanced horizontal diffusion equation is composed of the Smargorinsky equation with addition of a non-tidal background horizontal diffusion to account for the effects of shallow and narrow effects of streams. The enhanced equation has been calibrated with field observations of hourly surface and bottom salinity at two field stations during 2/15/2005-2/28/2005. It was also satisfactorily verified with field observations for the period of 3/1/2005-6/30/2005. Model predictions of salinity and currents fields from model predictions were presented to support water research. The enhanced horizontal diffusion equation will be helpful for more accurate modeling of other water quality constituents in tidal rivers. A 3D sediment transport model is applied to Apalachicola Bay to predict temporal and spatial distributions of sediment concentrations in water columns. The model is coupled with the 3D hydrodynamic model in the EFDC model code that provides information on estuarine circulations and salinity transport. The hydrodynamic model has been calibrated with field observations of water levels and salinity. The sediment transport model solves the transport equation with source and sinks terms to represent sediment deposition and re-suspension. The model is capable of predicting dye transport and fecol coliform. Basing on the collection of field observation and data analysis, the main driving force for sediment resuspension in the bay is found to be surface wind drive current. The calibrated hydrodynamic model then was used to simulate the total suspended sediments (TSS) transportation and get a satisfying result. The calibrated model can serve as an effective tool for environmental scientists and resources managers to examine effects of management scenarios on estuarine sediments transport and the aquatic ecosystem., Submitted Note: A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy., Degree Awarded: Summer Semester,2007., Date of Defense: April 9, 2007., Keywords: EFDC, Sediment Transport, Pressure Gradient, Numerical Error, Numerical Modeling, Hydrodynamics, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory committee: Wenrui Huang, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kaisheng Song, Outside Committee Member; Amy Chan Hilton, Committee Member; Gang Chen, Committee Member.

: 3D Solution Structure of the C Terminal Domain of Diphtheria Toxin Repressor; Diphtheria toxin repressor protein (DtxR) is a 226 amino acid protein that regulates the genes for iron uptake in Corynebacterium diphtheria and also regulates the Diphtheria toxin production. The known functions of this protein include binding divalent metals, dimerazation, and DNA binding. All these functions are accounted for by the N terminal domain of the protein. The C terminal domain was not well defined in early crystal structures but by 2000 both crystallography and NMR agreed that the C terminal domain has an SH3 like fold. This has led us to investigate the possible role of the C terminal domain as a "switch" for the activation of DtxR. We propose that the C terminal domain binds to the linker between the N and C terminal domains of this protein and stabilizes the monomeric form of DtxR. Once this region is released by the C terminal domain the N terminal domain most have some sort of "folding event" then metal is bound and dimerazation can take place. To investigate the mechanism of binding to this linker region by the C terminal domain two protein constructs were made one from residues D144-L226 and the other from D110-L226. The first construct would be the Free form and the second would be the bound form thus given us insight into the mechanism of binding. Here the 3D solution structures of these two domains and a comparison is presented., Submitted Note: A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Chemistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy., Degree Awarded: Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2003., Date of Defense: Date of Defense: January 27, 2003., Keywords: Diphtheria Toxin Repressor Protein (DtxR), Iron Uptake, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory committee: Timothy M. Logan, Professor Directing Dissertation; Piotr G. Fajer, Outside Committee Member; Michael Blaber, Committee Member; Naresh Dalal, Committee Member.

: 4-D Var Data Assimilation and POD Model Reduction Applied to Geophysical Dynamics Models; Standard spatial discretization schemes for dynamical system (DS), usually lead to large-scale, high-dimensional, and in general, nonlinear systems of ordinary differential equations.Due to limited computational and storage capabilities, Reduced Order Modeling (ROM) techniques from system and control theory provide an attractive approach to approximate the large-scale discretized state equations using low-dimensional models. The objective of 4-D variational data assimilation (4-D Var) is to obtain the minimum of a cost functional estimating the discrepancy between the model solutions and distributed observations in time and space. A control reduction methodology based on Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), referred to as POD 4-D Var, has been widely used for nonlinear systems with tractable computations. However, the appropriate criteria for updating a POD ROM are not yet known in the application to optimal control. This is due to the limited validity of the POD ROM for inverse problems. Therefore, the classical Trust-Region (TR) approach combined with POD (TRPOD) was recently proposed as a way to alleviate the above difficulties. There is a global convergence result for TR, and benefiting from the trust-region philosophy, rigorous convergence results guarantee that the iterates produced by the TRPOD algorithm will converge to the solution of the original optimization problem. In order to reduce the POD basis size and still achieve the global convergence, a method was proposed to incorporate information from the 4-D Var system into the ROM procedure by implementing a dual weighted POD (DWPOD) method. The first new contribution in my dissertation consists in studying a new methodology combining the dual weighted snapshots selection and trust region POD adaptivity (DWTRPOD). Another new contribution is to combine the incremental POD 4-D Var, balanced truncation techniques and method of snapshots methodology. In the linear DS, this is done by integrating the linear forward model many times using different initial conditions in order to construct an ensemble of snapshots so as to generate the forward POD modes. Then those forward POD modes will serve as the initial conditions for its corresponding adjoint system. We then integrate the adjoint system a large number of times based on different initial conditions generated by the forward POD modes to construct an ensemble of adjoint snapshots. From this ensemble of adjoint snapshots, we can generate an ensemble of so-called adjoint POD modes. Thus we can approximate the controllability Grammian of the adjoint system instead of solving the computationally expensive coupled Lyapunov equations. To sum up, in the incremental POD 4-D Var, we can approximate the controllability Grammian by integrating the TLM a number of times and approximate observability Grammian by integrating its adjoint also a number of times. A new idea contributed in this dissertation is to extend the snapshots based POD methodology to the nonlinear system. Furthermore, we modify the classical algorithms in order to save the computations even more significantly. We proposed a novel idea to construct an ensemble of snapshots by integrating the tangent linear model (TLM) only once, based on which we can obtain its TLM POD modes. Then each TLM POD mode will be used as an initial condition to generate a small ensemble of adjoint snapshots and their adjoint POD modes. Finally, we can construct a large ensemble of adjoint POD modes by putting together each small ensemble of adjoint POD modes. To sum up, our idea in a forthcoming study is to test approximations of the controllability Grammian by integrating TLM once and observability Grammian by integrating adjoint model a reduced number of times. Optimal control of a finite element limited-area shallow water equations model is explored with a view to apply variational data assimilation(VDA) by obtaining the minimum of a functional estimating the discrepancy between the model solutions and distributed observations. In our application, some simplified hypotheses are used, namely the error of the model is neglected, only the initial conditions are considered as the control variables, lateral boundary conditions are periodic and finally the observations are assumed to be distributed in space and time. Derivation of the optimality system including the adjoint state, permits computing the gradient of the cost functional with respect to the initial conditions which are used as control variables in the optimization. Different numerical aspects related to the construction of the adjoint model and verification of its correctness are addressed. The data assimilation set-up is tested for various mesh resolutions scenarios and different time steps using a modular computer code. Finally, impact of large-scale unconstrained minimization solvers L-BFGS is assessed for various lengths of the time windows. We then attempt to obtain a reduced-order model (ROM) of above inverse problem, based on proper orthogonal decomposition(POD), referred to as POD 4-D Var. Different approaches of POD implementation of the reduced inverse problem are compared, including a dual-weighed method for snapshot selection coupled with a trust-region POD approach. Numerical results obtained point to an improved accuracy in all metrics tested when dual-weighing choice of snapshots is combined with POD adaptivity of the trust-region type. Results of ad-hoc adaptivity of the POD 4-D Var turn out to yield less accurate results than trust-region POD when compared with high-fidelity model. Finally, we study solutions of an inverse problem for a global shallow water model controlling its initial conditions specified from the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) datasets, in presence of full or incomplete observations being assimilated in a time interval (window of assimilation) presence of background error covariance terms. As an extension of this research, we attempt to obtain a reduced-order model of above inverse problem, based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), referred to as POD 4-D Var for a finite volume global shallow water equations model based on the Lin-Rood flux-form semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit time integration scheme. Different approaches of POD implementation for the reduced inverse problem are compared, including a dual-weighted method for snapshot selection coupled with a trust-region POD adaptivity approach. Numerical results with various observational densities and background error covariance operator are also presented. The POD 4-D Var model results combined with the trust region adaptivity exhibit similarity in terms of various error metrics to the full 4-D Var results, but are obtained using a significantly lesser number of minimization iterations and require lesser CPU time. Based on our previous and current research work, we conclude that POD 4-D Var certainly warrants further studies, with promising potential for its extension to operational 3-D numerical weather prediction models., Submitted Note: A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Mathematics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy., Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2011., Date of Defense: March 18, 2011., Keywords: Proper Orthogonal Decomposition, Shallow Water Equations, Trust-Region Method, Finite Volume, 4-D Var, Inverse Problem, Finite Element, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Ionel Michael Navon, Professor Directing Dissertation; Mark Sussman, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Robert Hart, University Representative; Xiaoming Wang, Committee Member; Erlebacher Gordon, Committee Member.

: 4D-Var Assimilation of Toms Ozone Measurements for the Prediction of Mid-Latitude Winter Storms; In this study, two kinds of methodology are proposed for incorporating total column zone data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) into initial conditions of a mesoscale prediction model. The first methodology is based on the strong linear correlation between vertical mean potential vorticity (MPV) and TOMS ozone (O3). The second methodology assimilates the TOMS ozone observations directly by adding the ozone transport equation into the MM5 model and its adjoint. The three-dimensional ozone initial condition for the transport equation is estimated from the observed ozone. The proposed first approach of ozone assimilation is applied to two case studies. The first case is the notable Washington D. C. snow storm (to be called DCSTORM) that occurred between 24 - 25 January 2000 along the East Coast of the United States. The second case is an Atlantic Ocean winter storm that was observed between 14-16 February 1997 (to be called AOSTORM). It is found that adjustments in model initial conditions assimilating TOMS ozone-only data are confined to the upper levels and produced almost no impact to the prediction of the storm development. However, when TOMS ozone data are used together with radiosonde observations, a more rapid deepening of the sea level pressure of the simulated storm is observed than with radiosonde-only observations. The predicted motion of the DCSTORM is also altered, with a track closer to the coast. On the contrary, assimilation of only TOMS ozone data produces non-negligible adjustment of wind and temperature fields at all levels in the AOSTORM case. When compared with dropsonde observations, TOMS ozone data improves model forecasts of both temperature and moisture fields. Adjoint sensitivity studies indicate that the significant impact of TOMS ozone on cyclone prediction is expected if large TOMS ozone anomalies appear in a region where model error is grow., Submitted Note: A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Meteorology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy., Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2004., Date of Defense: March 23, 2004., Keywords: Winter Storm, TOMS Ozone, 4D-Var, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Xiaolei Zou, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ionel M. Navon, Outside Committee Member; Albert I. Barcilon, Committee Member; T. N. Krishnamurti, Committee Member; James J. O'Brien, Committee Member.

: 5-Endo-Dig Cyclization of a Carbon-Centered Radical and Utility of Cyclopentene Bromosulfone Product; The Baldwin rules provide a robust guideline for predicting the favorability of ring closure of reactive intermediates based upon stereoelectronic considerations. Our group was intrigued by the lack of examples of 5-endo-dig cyclizations with carbon-centered radicals, particularly because these reactions were suggested to be favorable according to the Baldwin rules and to our previous computational investigations using density functional analysis. We therefore set out to fill the gap in the arsenal of radical C-C bond forming processes by using computational data to design a new radical process. The first part of this thesis describes our studies aimed at the discovery of the first efficient 5-endo-dig cyclization of a carbon-centered radical. This is followed by experimental design and synthesis of substrates and finally reaction conditions which yield products through this novel mode of cyclization. The second part of this thesis explores the synthetic utility of the cyclized cyclopentene bromosulfone products. First, background information for the preparation and utility of vinyl sulfones is provided. This is followed by our results for derivatization of the bromide functional group of our cyclopentene bromosulfone products. Proper design of substrates and reaction conditions has allowed the 5-endo-dig radical cyclizations to finally become an experimental reality after more than forty years since the original prediction. The cyclized products which are enriched with functionality have been transformed into a variety of other products, emphasizing the importance of this discovery., Submitted Note: A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy., Degree Awarded: Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2009., Date of Defense: Date of Defense: July 22, 2009., Keywords: Cyclization, Endo, Dig, Radical, 5-Endo-Dig, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory committee: Igor Alabugin, Professor Directing Dissertation; William Landing, University Representative; Gregory Dudley, Committee Member; Brian Miller, Committee Member.

: 50 MeV lithium-6 scattering from carbon-12, oxygen-16, and beryllium-9 and the calibration of the tensor-polarized lithium-6 beam; The experimental work reported consists of (1) the measurements of the angular distributions for the scattering of $\sp6$Li from the targets $\sp9$Be, $\sp{12}$C, and $\sp{16}$O at a lithium bombarding energy of 50 MeV, and (2) the measurement of the tensor polarization of the FSU polarized $\sp6$Li source. 50 MeV data were taken for elastic and inelastic scattering to the 2$\sp+$ (4.44 MeV), 0$\sp+$ (7.65 MeV), and 3$\sp-$ (9.64 MeV) states in $\sp{12}$C, the 5/2$\sp-$ (2.43 MeV) state in $\sp9$Be, and the unresolved 0$\sp+$/3$\sp-$ (6.05/6.13 MeV) and $2\sp{+}/1\sp{-}$ (6.92/7.12 MeV) states in $\sp{16}$O. The measurement of the tensor polarization of the FSU $\sp6$Li source allowed the absolute polarization efficiency of the source-accelerator system to be determined., The analytical work reported consists of a determination of the energy dependence of the optical potential parameters for $\sp6$Li + $\sp{12}$C scattering over the energy range from 11 MeV to 210 MeV. This has been attempted previously and the results have not been successful. A large body of data for $\sp6$Li + $\sp{12}$C allows more severe constraints than in previous studies. The inclusion of an angular momentum-dependent imaginary potential provides a good description of the elastic scattering data and the parameters determined in this study are smoothly varying with energy using Woods-Saxon form factors for the real and imaginary potentials. Inelastic scattering to the 2$\sp+$ (4.44 MeV), 0$\sp+$ (7.65 MeV), and 3$\sp-$ (9.64 MeV) states in $\sp{12}$C are described well using the constructed energy dependent potentials in DWBA calculations. Analysis using the double folded real potential and a Woods-Saxon imaginary potential were performed on the same $\sp6$Li + $\sp{12}$C scattering data from 11 MeV to 210 MeV., The scattering data for 50 MeV $\sp6$Li scattering from the targets $\sp{16}$O and $\sp9$Be are described using optical potentials and DWBA calculations. Less information is obtained from these analyses because data do not exist at this time over a wide enough energy range to provide a constraint on the interaction potentials., Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-08, Section: B, page: 3543., Major Professor: Kirby W. Kemper., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

: 610 Stompers of New Orleans; In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Nearly nine years later, the city still fights to recover. Within this landscape, mustachioed men wearing sweat bands, red satin jackets, blue coach shorts, and gold tennis shoes have emerged. These are the 610 Stompers, a group of everyday men with self-proclaimed "extraordinary moves" who have used dance, humor, and their local pop culture celebrity status to continually forge, embody, preserve, and serve the community of post-Katrina New Orleans in a way unparalleled by other organizations. The 610 Stompers are a dance group on one hand, but a representation of the New Orleans citizenry on the other. They emerged in the euphoria of the New Orleans Saints' first trip to the Superbowl, quickly being adopted as the city's favorite dance group. Since then, they have appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, danced at local sporting and charity events, and served as poster boys for local safety campaigns and public service announcements. Additionally, they now host two annual charity events. Dance is at the forefront of their existence, including high-energy booty-shaking, the Running Man, "riding the horse," displays of machismo, and high-fives all around. Their use of popular, nostalgic, uninhibited moves makes dance not only accessible to the community, but a chance to find collective joy and the opportunity to play. The 610 Stompers are a unique symbol of a post-Katrina New Orleans culture that values the past, takes pride in the city, and lives in the moment. The Stompers' story is one of simple beginnings and unexpected stardom. Through the 610 Stompers, New Orleanians are able to unite over a common cause, see that even underdogs can become extraordinary, preserve local traditions, help others in need, and experience unabashed happiness through dance. Through dance, the Stompers preserve the traditions of the city's past, embrace the present, and strive for a better future in post-Katrina New Orleans., Submitted Note: A Thesis submitted to the School of Dance in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts., Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2014., Date of Defense: April 4, 2014., Keywords: 610 Stompers, Community, Dance, Marching Groups, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Jennifer Atkins, Professor Directing Thesis; Tricia Young, Committee Member; Ilana Goldman, Committee Member.

: 81st Division; The poems in the dissertation 81st Division explore British colonialism and its legacy in Nigeria. The dissertation adopts various European poetic styles as a way of acknowledging European influences in Nigeria while breaking the rules of these forms to point out that these influences are now localized., A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy., April 1, 2022., Includes bibliographical references., David Kirby, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Barbara Hamby, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Frank Gunderson, University Representative; James Kimbrell, Committee Member; Maxine Montgomery, Committee Member.

: 880 Square Foot House; There exist a multitude of problems within the United States housing market. First is a lack of affordability. Forty-two percent of Americans cannot afford to purchase a home (Savage, 2009). Many households devote more than 50% of their income to paying for housing (Quigley & Raphael, 2004). Also, families with lower incomes will pay a higher rate of interest to purchase a residence (O'Hara & Short, 2008). Second is a lack of suitability. Residences often fail to meet the needs of their occupants because they are built by developers from stock plans designed for an old version of America: post-World War II households, which were young and white with a housekeeping mother, a working father, and three children (Hayden, 2002). This outdated vision of American life does not represent the present reality of our diverse society. The ideal home is one built with the occupants' needs in mind and as a direct reflection of their lifestyle (Kicklighter & Kicklighter, 2005). However, only 30% of housing units started in 2009 were built specifically for the occupant, either by the owner themselves or by a contractor (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). Finally, the size and development patterns of American homes are not sustainable. Since 1940, the average number of people living in an American home has dropped significantly, but the average size of new houses has doubled (Wilson & Boehland, 2005). These large homes are built in a low-density pattern that creates sprawl and car dependency (Meredith, 2003). Between 1945 and 2002, urban land area increased two times faster than population growth (Lubowski, Vesterby, Bucholtz, Baez, & Roberts, 2006). The pattern of building large homes at low densities will be unsustainable in the future due to population increases, energy consumption and natural resource depletion. The design solution proposes an 880 square foot home that addresses the problems of suitability, affordability, and sustainability. The residence includes integrated flexibility that allows it to adapt to meet the needs of every household type that could occupy it. The small size creates a sustainable prototype, allowing more homes to be built on a smaller footprint. The size also makes the home more affordable, thereby making ownership a possibility for more people. The flexible features of the interior will allow for customization to occur over time and for each user's needs. This thesis project challenges the current pattern of the American home, and proposes a new residential solution that will solve the problems of affordability, suitability and sustainability inherent within our housing market., Submitted Note: A Thesis submitted to the College of Visual Arts, Theater and Dance in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts., Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2011., Date of Defense: June 30, 2011., Keywords: Housing, Homeownership, Housing Affordability, Housing Availability, Housing Sustainability, Housing Suitability, Workforce Housing, Housing Diversity, Housing Flexibility, Flexible Design, User Driven Design, Small House, Not So Big House, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Eric A. Wiedegreen, Professor Directing Thesis; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member; Lisa K. Waxman, Committee Member.

: 9.4 Ghz EPR Investigation of the Non-Heme Iron Active Site of Single Soybean Lipoxygenase-1 Crystals; Lipid oxidation pathways and nitric oxide signaling pathways are interrelating pathways with significance both separately and in conjunction (references 1-2). Lipid oxygenating pathways involve the formation of hydroperoxides, alkanes, alkenes, aldehydes (notably nonenal), epoxides, alcohols and other species from polyunsaturated fatty acids that are readily oxidized. The nitric oxide signaling pathway has been of great interest in the last several years and involves the formation of nitric oxide near the site of inflammation and its transport to other tissues to function as a messenger. Oxidized lipid signaling pathways are an active area of research, and many interactions with the nitric oxide pathway are left open to discussion. The interactions of nitric oxide and lipid oxidizing enzymes have been demonstrated, and these interactions are of particular significance in the regulation of vascular homeostasis. The studies presented here investigate the specific interactions of soybean lipoxygenase-1, a lipid-oxygenating enzyme, and nitric oxide by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses of single lipoxygenase crystals complexed with nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is known to bind with high affinity to the lipoxygenase active site iron. Though nitric oxide is often used as a dioxygen analog, molecular oxygen binds to a fatty acid radical and not directly to the active site iron in the lipoxygenase mechanism, so nitric oxide was not used as a dioxygen analog in our studies. Rather, we expected the electron configuration and any differences in coordination to be a reasonable model of a transition state that mimics a peroxyl radical formed during catalysis. The aim of this project was to determine the local structure of the active site of a transition state analog with mechanistic significance. To complete this line of experimentation, I obtained a number of lipoxygenase crystals similar to those used for x-ray analysis. The crystals were then complexed with nitric oxide using protocols that are similar to those used in previous studies of lipoxygenase and other iron proteins. X-band (9.26 GHz) EPR experiments were performed and analyzed to determine the suitability of the experimental methodology presented here for observation of changes in the electronic orbital structure of the active site. Differences between the structure of the resting enzyme and the structure of the NO–LOX complex that may be observed with EPR include both the positions of the electron orbitals and the spatial orientation of the nitric oxide-iron bond, from which one may be able to infer the positions and coordination of the other iron ligands. While no conclusions about the electronic structure of the lipoxygenase iron-nitric oxide bond could be drawn from these experiments, the suitability of the experimental conditions for further studies was proven. This project also represents an advancement in the area of EPR studies of small protein crystals, similar in size to those used in x-ray diffraction experiments. Further studies of the complex that were not included in the masters project may include W-band (92.4 GHz) EPR studies and X-ray crystallography of crystals of the nitric oxide-lipoxygenase complex., Submitted Note: A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Biological Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science., Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2004., Date of Defense: November 5, 2004., Keywords: Soybean Lipoxygenase Crystallization, Lipoxygenase, SLO, SBL-1, LOX, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, EPR, Single Crystal EPR, EPR Simulations, Nitric Oxide, NO, Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references., Advisory Committee: Betty Jean Gaffney, Professor Directing Thesis; Michael Blaber, Committee Member; Thomas Keller, Committee Member.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ADULT EDUCATION IN SELECTED RURAL COUNTIES AND ADMINISTRATOR'S PERCEPTIONS OF ITS ROLE AND SCOPE; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 39-03, Section: A, page: 1255., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL MIGRANT AND INNER CITY NEGRO DISADVANTAGED PRESCHOOL CHILDREN ON SEVERAL PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL DIMENSIONS; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 33-02, Section: A, page: 0625., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1972.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LEARNING STYLES AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ACHIEVING AND UNDERACHIEVING GIFTED ELEMENTARY STUDENTS; This study addresses the problem of: Are there identifiable differences between learning styles and personality characteristics of a group of achieving gifted elementary students and those of a group of underachieving gifted elementary students?, From a population of 636 gifted elementary students as identified by Florida State criteria as a mental development of two standard deviations or more above the mean, a group of 97 underachieving gifted elementary students was identified as part of a rural North Florida community's gifted program for grades four to six. The criteria for underachievement were falling eight months below expected attainment on two of the four major sub-categories of the California Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) as prescribed by national norms. Differences among learning style characteristics and personality characteristics were determined by administering two instruments to both sample groups: The Learning Style Inventories of Dr. J. S. Renzulli and Linda Smith, and the Children's Personality Scales of Karyn B. Coisol, Thomas J. Jones, and Stanley R. Cohen., The scores from these two instruments were analyzed with three two-way analysis of variance according to performance level, sex, grade level and economic levels. The personality inventory showed these significances: personality type T (Thinking) shows significance due to performance level; there were significances due to sex for personality types T (Thinking) and F (Feeling); there were significances due to grade level for personality types E (Extrovert) and I (Introvert); and there were significances due to economic levels and performance levels for personality type S (Sensing) and N (Intuitive)., Significant findings of the Learning Style Inventory were: there were significances due to sex and performance level for learning styles 2 (Simulation), 4 (Peer Teaching), and 7 (Independent Study); there were significances due to grade level for learning style 5 (Discussion). With reference to learning styles, additional findings showed that a definite ranked preference for certain learning styles appeared to exist for both achieving and underachieving gifted students which may be used to improve curriculum planning for gifted elementary students., No dominant differences were identified which produce a complete profile of an underachieving gifted student. Further research and development of refined instruments may achieve the desired results., Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-09, Section: A, page: 3993., Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MOVERS-WITHIN AND MOVERS-INTO HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT ON HOUSING RENOVATION ACTIVITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHOICES; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-06, Section: B, page: 2625., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLANNING PROCEDURES EXERCISED BY ADULT AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATORS; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 32-12, Section: A, page: 6732., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1971.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS' BIOGRAPHICAL AND DEMOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SEQUENTIAL PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS DEMONSTRATED ON THE APPLIED REHABILITATIVE JUDGMENT SCALE; Dynamic social change has influenced government's response to aid disabled persons' return to productive lives. Rehabilitation counselors are a keystone to this ambitious effort and program. Because much of rehabilitation professionals' work involves providing direction in case management and making decisions about extensive and varied problems, increasing attention is focused on their professional expertise, especially their problem solving capabilities., From discussion of these capabilities arises the issue of measurement. Many forms of assessment exist, one of the more effective of which is the multiple choice format employed in medical client management training programs. The purpose of this study, to examine relationships between rehabilitation professionals' biographical and demographical characteristics and their sequential problem solving skills, was pursued through formulation and use of such an assessment instrument. The Applied Rehabilitative Judgment Scale-79b, consisting of 25 multiple choice, forced tetrad item statements, represented fictitious case study abstracts with four alternative selections from which subjects were to select the most appropriate, next-best-step solution., The sample included 268 randomly selected rehabilitation supervisors and counselors from Alabama and Florida; of this number, 153 (61 percent) responded to mailed questionnaires. All returned instruments were validated for use., With alpha set at .05 by convention, beta set at .20 yielding power of .80, and a medium effect size (partial r('2)=.13, r=.30) pre-established, multiple regression analyses were performed to test eight null hypotheses. Results revealed significant and/or important relationships as follows: For the total sample, relationships between successful closure ranges (0 through 14 and 45 through 59) and Evaluation-Diagnostic sequential problem solving scores achieved on the ARJS were both significant and important. For Alabama only, the relationship between age (under 29 years) of subjects and Evaluation-Diagnostic sequential problem solving scores achieved on the ARJS was significant but not important. For Florida only, the relationship between subjects' certification status and Composite-Summation sequential problem scores achieved on the ARJS was both significant and important as well. The relationship between professional role (supervisors or counselor) and Planning Services sequential problem solving scores achieved on the ARJS were both significant and important. Finally, the relationship between sex and Evaluation-Diagnostic scores were both significant and important., Findings of this study suggest strong relationships exist between some biographic and demographic characteristics of rehabilitation professionals and their problem solving capabilities. Further research is needed to ascertain the nature of these relationships., Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 0947., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS LEGISLATED FOR THE VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN CONFLICT, AND THE VIETNAM ERA UNDER THE GI BILL; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 36-06, Section: A, page: 3443., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1975.

: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PROGRAM PLANNING PROCEDURES FOR ADULT EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AS PERCEIVED BY ADULT EDUCATORS AND URBAN PLANNERSIN FLORIDA; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-03, Section: A, page: 0996., Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

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