Pragmatic language refers to the use of language in social contexts and encompasses a broad range of verbal and nonverbal skills, which are critical to effective communication (Berko-Gleason & Bernstein-Ratner, 2009; Mey, 1993). Difficulties in pragmatic communication are a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Similar deficits are also...
Television's history has at numerous points been punctuated by pronouncements that technological innovations will improve its programming, empower its audiences, and heal the injuries it has inflicted on American society. This enduring faith in the inevitability and imminence of television's technological salvation is the subject of this dissertation. "TV Repair"...
Wood-derived ceramics and composites have been of interest in recent years due to their unique microstructures, which lead to tailorable properties. The porosity and pore size distribution of each wood type is different, which yields variations in properties in the resultant materials. The thermal properties of silicon carbide ceramics and...
To increase the butanol titers and selectivity in <em>Clostridium acetobutylicum</em> we replaced the promoter of the alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase (<em>aad</em>) gene with the phosphotranbutyrylase (<em>ptb</em>) promoter and combined this with CoAT downregulation to minimize acetone production. This led to early production of high alcohol (butanol plus ethanol) titers and overall solvent...
The cause(s) of Aβ overproduction and accumulation in SAD are unknown; however, several lines of evidence indicate that impaired energy metabolism in the brain may be involved. Furthermore, the rate-limiting enzyme in Aβ production, BACE1, is elevated in SAD brains around amyloid plaques, indicating that BACE1 may also play a...
This work explores the development and implementation of a biofilm model for multiple solid species and multiple dissolved components. The model makes use of several different advanced numerical methods in order to achieve the goal of describing the behavior of biofilms growing in wastewater treatment reactors. Using the model we...
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of applied improvisation and composition assignments that were related to and reinforcing of curriculum content on fifth-grade students' ability to sight-read traditional music notation, ability to learn to play the soprano recorder, and understanding of music theory. Specifically, the research...
Liquid metal melt-lubrication of high-power and high-speed sliding electrical contacts improves electrical current collection and reduces friction. However, armature material loss may cause transition to arcing or plasma contact. Boundary lubrication of the sliding contact with low melting-point alloys can provide comparable improvement in current collection at reduced temperatures. Bismuth,...
In 2008, the term "remix culture" is widely understood to refer to mash-up videos and movie parodies, distributed on websites such as YouTube and authored primarily by white male teenagers. This dissertation argues that digital remix was invented primarily by African American men, who, in the mid-1980s, began using digital...
The measurement of weak adhesive energies has previously been difficult to obtain. To measure these energies, I designed a technique that uses the combined sensitivities of both a quartz crystal resonator and the inflation of an elastomeric polymer membrane. The surfaces of the quartz crystal and/or the membrane are modified...