Ironic images of motherhood in contemporary French cinema

There is an increasing trend for contemporary French cinema to feature the family unit. As such, it now serves as the ideal locus for criticism and commentary on individual family members. One of the key members, who functions as the basis for many analytical conversations in the real world, is the mother figure. Through presenting her and her various roles in an ironic manner, contemporary French directors François Ozon, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, and Noémie Lvovsky are each able to provide insight into what society expects of mothers and how mothers and non-mothers react and exist inside the demands of a patriarchal society. In films from the early 2000's to present, Ozon, Lvovsky and Bruni Tedeschi have showcased a myriad of mothers, from the non-mothers who seek motherhood, to the young single mothers struggling to survive, and from the well established mothers seeking empowerment through that role to the grandmother depending on her daughter for survival. By presenting the spectator with such a large variety of maternal imagery, Ozon, Lvovsky and Bruni Tedeschi are each able to criticize what society demands of mothers. Mothers are expected to bear sole responsibility for raising their children, with each fault in behavior a failing on their part. They are also expected to be wholly devoted to their children, sacrificing their own dreams, ambitions, and identities to become the ideal of maternal love. By presenting these mothers, who strive to meet their society's expectations, with a hint of irony, Ozon, Lvovsky and Bruni Tedeschi point to the absurdity of such high expectations for any individual. Through the often optimistic, if not traditionally happy ending, Ozon, Lvovsky, and Bruni Tedeschi are also able to point to a changing climate in the expectations of motherhood within western society, and indicate a hope of the reality of that apparent change. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Schizophrenia in the news

This study compared coverage of schizophrenia in online traditional news sites and digital native news sites, or sites lacking a print counterpart. The articles studied were chosen by searching eight sites' online databases using the term “schizophrenia” for articles published between January 1 and December 31, 2015. Researchers coded 558 articles for the presence/absence of stereotypes concerning schizophrenia, the number and type of sources directly quoted, and the valence of source commentary and overall articles. Z-test analyses found that articles from traditional news sites stood greater chance of containing violent or criminal stereotypes about schizophrenia. Articles from traditional news sites stood greater chance of containing an overall negative valence than articles from digital native sites. Digital native sites were more likely to contain articles that were neutral. Articles stood better chance of being positive when they quoted personal sources, which included family, friends, and people with schizophrenia. Stories told from the first-person perspective of an individual with mental illness stood greater likelihood of having positive valence. Finally, personal sources stood greater likelihood of making positive comments about schizophrenia. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Laprostituta:: idiosincrasias del naturalismo en el mundo hispano

This dissertation is a comparative study of three novels: Nana (1880) by Emile Zola, La desheredada (1881) by Benito Pérez Galdós and Santa (1903) by Federico Gamboa. The three novels deal with the life of a young prostitute, one in Paris, France, one in Madrid, Spain and one in Mexico City, Mexico. All three have been traditionally classified as naturalistic, and while they have more than just the theme of prostitution in common, they deal with naturalism differently. We establish the points of contact between the novels to be able to compare them in the context of naturalism. In doing this we will determine to what extent Galdós and Gamboa adhered to Zola's model of naturalism and we will establish the main differences in the use of this model. At the same time we will bring to light the presence of certain topics such as narcissism that are not traditionally studied in the context of naturalism in hopes to expand the scope in this field of study. With this project we open the conversation on the magnitude of Zola's influence in literature, especially in the Spanish-speaking world. At the same time we highlight the idiosyncrasies of the other two authors in writing what would appeal to their audience. We will show how naturalism is not a set of rules to follow, but a set of guidelines that correspond with the trends of artistic expression and thought at the end of the XIX century. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Mult-radio vehicular communication and low data-rate traffic sensing network for intelligent transportation systems

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is the integration of advanced communication technologies into the transportation infrastructure and in vehicles. It is aimed to improve transportation safety and to enhance traffic management. Vehicular networks and traffic monitoring are two important research topics in ITS. Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) is a wireless communication standard specially designed for vehicular networks. DSRC provides traffic safety operations in vehicle-to-vehicle communications and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications with low communication latency and a long transmission rang of up to 1000 meters. Many possible applications are able to be implemented on DSRC. However, the insufficient capacity of a DSRC roadside unit limits the deployment of DSRC in cities. We propose a multi-radio DSRC scheme in this dissertation. Multi-radio technology can improve the safety characters of DSRC, and can increase DSRC bandwidth. Then we analyze and provide the antenna isolation requirement of multi-radio DSRC. The feasibility study in multi-radio DSRC will be discussed in this dissertation too. 40 percent of crashes occurred in the states were intersection-related crashes [76]. It is imperative to monitor intersections. Video cameras are deployed at main intersections for area surveillance, traffic monitoring, traffic light control, ticket issuing, crime fighting, etc. However, the hardware deployment, data transmission, data storage, and real-time data processing of each video camera cost a lot of money. Traffic cameras are only deployed at a few main intersections in most cities. We propose a low cost low data-rate pyroelectric sensing system to monitor non-camera-monitored intersections. A high dynamic signal conditioning circuit for pyroelectric sensor is implemented and tested to detect vehicles. We also propose and evaluate a hierarchical wireless mesh network structure for the pyroelectric sensing system. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Salt production in the southeastern Caddo homeland

During the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the Drake’s Salt Works Site Complex, located in the southeastern Caddo Indian Homeland, was a major hub of the salt trade. Elsewhere, in eastern Texas and southern Arkansas, the Caddo had already been making salt for at least several centuries before utilizing Drake’s Salt Works. While some salt was produced in northwestern Louisiana prior to sustained European contact, it is argued here that much of the salt in this region was made with the aim of exploiting and profiting from the European demand for salt and salt-treated commodities, such as animal hides and meat. Despite this demand, there is little evidence that salt making was more than a seasonal or short-term activity at Drake’s Salt Works. Although Drake’s Salt Works contains half a dozen extant salt licks, only two, the Upper Lick and the Little Lick, appear to have been utilized to any noticeable extent before the salt works were taken over by Euro-Americans around the beginning of the nineteenth century. Prior to this time, historical and ethnohistoric data suggest that the Upper and Little licks likely were used by small groups of predominantly female salt makers. These individuals filtered salt-impregnated soil through woven baskets and evaporated the resulting brine in a standardized ceramic bowl. Using containers of a similar size not only helped the producers manufacture a known and portable quantity of salt, such bowls also may have made the production process more efficient, which in turn, allowed the producers to make more salt while maximizing the return on their efforts. In addition, standardized bowls were easy to stack on top of each other, which would have been beneficial if the salt makers were making the vessels elsewhere and then transporting them to the saline. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

The effects of a self-monitoring practice in a middle school setting

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a self-monitoring practice in a middle school setting. A total of three participants who received special education services utilized this self-monitoring practice to evaluate their individual behaviors. This investigation took place in an inclusive classroom setting where the participants received instruction from a certified teacher alongside their non-disabled peers. A multiple baseline ABAB design was employed to determine the effectiveness of a cuing procedure on two specific measures; 1.) staying on task and 2.) following directions. The participants recorded data on their individual intervention sheets during the intervention phases. Each of the participants made improvements toward the two specified measures. This investigation revealed that self-monitoring practices can be used to manage students’ behaviors and to assist teachers with classroom management. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Energy modeling and calibration of a mixed-use building with laboratories, offices, and classrooms

In general, mixed-use building with laboratories, office, and classrooms consume a significant amount of energy and very energy intensive. These buildings provide great opportunities for energy efficiency improvement from mechanical and energy system, including Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) plugs, and lighting subsystems. Building Energy Modeling (BEM) recently has received more and more attention as a tool to reduce building energy consumption. However, the interconnected complexity of system and equipment in buildings with laboratories makes modeling of these buildings a unique and challenging task. This study presents a development and calibration of a university mixed-use building using the EnergyPlus simulation program. The building under study is the South Engineering Research Center (SERC) building. This building was built in 2012 and has a total area of 175,000 ft2 with three floors. SERC mainly consists of research and teaching laboratories, classrooms, conference rooms and offices. Air Hander Units (AHU) equipped with Energy Recovery Units (ERU) supply 100 percent outside air to the laboratory spaces through terminal Variable Air Volume (VAV) Boxes. Chilled and hot water are delivered from the campus central energy plant. Building geometry was created using DesignBuilder. Meter and sensors data from Building Automation System (BAS) are being collected and used for calibration. The modeling process, preliminary calibration and verification results, as well as implementation issues encountered throughout the modeling and calibration processed from a user’s perspective, are presented and discussed. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Take (meta) physic, pomp: King Lear and (dis) oriented ontology

“‘Take (Meta) Physic, Pomp’: King Lear and (Dis)oriented Ontology” negotiates the intersection between ontology—our abstract, philosophical conception of reality—and practice—how characters relate to objects in the play. In chapter one, I use Object-Oriented Ontology to demonstrate that Lear’s interaction with human and non-human objects does not fundamentally change from act one to act five, which supports the conclusion that the king’s cognitive resistance to resolution echoes the play’s dramatic desolation. By examining several of Lear’s object-oriented speeches alongside their representations on stage and film, I show how Lear’s preoccupation with the superficial aspects of objects—as opposed to their interiority—indicates his perceptive crisis. I argue that analyzing King Lear using Object-Oriented Ontology exposes Lear’s philosophical framework as a basis for the play’s cosmic tragedy. In the second chapter, I examine the diverse ways productions have depicted objects in the play and how these depictions modify each production’s thematic and dramatic structure. I analyze the coronet and map in the first scene, and the glass and feather in the last scene, to argue that Peter Brook’s minimalist production beautifully intensifies the play’s tragic, irreconcilable ending. I suggest that a minimalist aesthetic appropriately amplifies Lear’s emphasis on nothing, value, and irresolution. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Preliminary study of Alabama department of transportation's use of a computerized maintenance management system

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Maintenance Bureau is responsible for conducting effective and efficient highway maintenance operations throughout the state. A primary maintenance objective is to ensure efficient utilization of resources in the accomplishment of maintenance activities. In 2011, the Maintenance Bureau upgraded software programs used to collect and store data related to daily maintenance activities. Specifically, a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) and a statistical software package were acquired. The reason for purchasing the new systems was to improve budgeting performance through maintenance data collection and analysis. This study has two main objectives: to evaluate statewide use of the program towards daily maintenance projects and to assist the Bureau in developing methods for analyzing the collected data. This paper reports the research project’s findings while assessing the programs’ usage and identifies techniques to enhance the benefit of the large amount of quality data being captured daily in the Maintenance Bureau’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) entitled RoadMAP. The techniques developed will specifically target increasing efficiency and effectiveness of the budgeting process without burdening the current process. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Value creation and capture in strategic management and it outsourcing theory: developing and validating a formal model

The question of the value contribution of Information Technology (IT) to the firm is a continuing concern in Management Information Systems (MIS) research. While firms make significant investments in IT resources and capabilities in the hope of improving their competitive performance, research remains inconclusive as to the how (and how much) IT contributes to firm performance. One of the largest challenges in measuring this “Business Value of IT” is selecting the theoretical mechanism to predict and measure the contribution effectively. While the Strategic Management literature encompasses several theories that focus on how resources and capabilities may contribute to firm performance, it has yet to fully synthesize the underlying goals of value creation and capture in the transactions to acquire or develop them. In this sense, MIS literature may lack guidance for effectively applying theories to the IT context. This dissertation comprises a multi-method, three-essay research study to examine the concepts of value creation and capture in the context of IT acquisition transactions. My objective is to address these unresolved theory application issues in the Strategic Management and MIS literatures. In the first study, I analyze and synthesize theoretical mechanisms for value creation and capture. Through this synthesis, I develop a new concept, value channels, for the collection and distribution of value to transaction partners. In the second study, I refine this value channel concept through a multi-theoretical formal model. In the third study, I empirically test the value channel concept in a sample of IT acquisition and development transactions. Collectively, these studies address unresolved theoretical and contextual issues of the concept of value creation and capture in the Strategic Management and MIS literatures. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries