Billy Graham Comes to Las Vegas: Faith at Work on the Strip

An exploration of Billy Graham’s 1978 Christian Crusade in Las Vegas, this paper argues that the Billy Graham Evangelical Association (BGEA) developed distinctly Vegas-styled evangelical tactics to address challenges posed by the city’s fragile religious infrastructure and competing attractions on the Las Vegas Strip. To organize a spectacular and successful ecumenical event that would garner local and national attention, BGEA simultaneously leveraged popular notions of Vegas as “Sin City” while recruiting Christian evangelicals from beyond the city proper to temporarily transform the religious ecology of the Strip

Prenatal programming of neuroendocrine reproductive function

It is now well recognized that the gestational environment can have long-lasting effects not only on the life span and health span of an individual but also, through potential epigenetic changes, on future generations. This article reviews the “prenatal programming” of the neuroendocrine systems that regulate reproduction, with a specific focus on the lessons learned using ovine models. The review examines the critical roles played by steroids in normal reproductive development before considering the effects of prenatal exposure to exogenous steroid hormones including androgens and estrogens, the effects of maternal nutrition and stress during gestation, and the effects of exogenous chemicals such as alcohol and environment chemicals. In so doing, it becomes evident that, to maximize fitness, the regulation of reproduction has evolved to be responsive to many different internal and external cues and that the GnRH neurosecretory system expresses a degree of plasticity throughout life. During fetal life, however, the system is particularly sensitive to change and at this time, the GnRH neurosecretory system can be “shaped” both to achieve normal sexually differentiated function but also in ways that may adversely affect or even prevent “normal function”. The exact mechanisms through which these programmed changes are brought about remain largely uncharacterized but are likely to differ depending on the factor, the timing of exposure to that factor, and the species. It would appear, however, that some afferent systems to the GnRH neurons such as kisspeptin, may be critical in this regard as it would appear to be sensitive to a wide variety of factors that can program reproductive function. Finally, it has been noted that the prenatal programming of neuroendocrine reproductive function can be associated with epigenetic changes, which would suggest that in addition to direct effects on the exposed offspring, prenatal programming could have transgenerational effects on reproductive potential

An Exhibition of Women\u27s United States Air Force Uniforms

The new Women in the Air Force exhibit under development at the Hill Aerospace Museum, located at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is long overdue. The exhibit is set to replace the existing display in order to more accurately and comprehensively represent women’s continuing legacy of service to our nation. The uniforms in the Hill Aerospace Museum collection constitute the focal point of the new exhibit. Material culture methodologies form the foundation of this exhibit work; seeking to provide greater understanding of women’s military experience and history through the analysis of their uniforms. This approach therefore utilizes uniforms, the museum’s greatest resource of service women’s primary source material, to learn more about female participation in the United States Air Force (USAF) in the 20th century. The development of this exhibit will provide a greater representation of Air Force women and their history in the USAF through their uniforms. This completed exhibit acknowledging the ever-present women of the United States Air Force will serve to inspire the next generation of female airmen and all who look upon the stories of these patriotic women

Microstructural and geometric effects on the piezoelectric performance of PZT MEMS

The performance of a piezoelectric membrane in MEMS was evaluated for use inpower generation. An investigation was conducted to examine geometric and materialproperties that influence the ability to strain a piezoelectric membrane. The amount ofstrain and electrical energy produced by mechanically actuating the membrane revealedinsight to improve the amount of power produced by the piezoelectric element within themembrane. The amount of deflection was the key influence to create biaxial strains of up to approximately 0.2%, above which membrane fracture tends to occur. This level ofstrain was found to limit the coupling coefficient to 3% and the amount of RMS powerproduced during dynamic operation to approximately 20 μW in an 8 mm membrane. Inorder to achieve desired amounts of power for PZT MEMS device applications, theoperating conditions, piezoelectric membrane properties, and membrane geometry can be tailored. Each of these aspects are included in the developed predictive expressions for output power and the coupling coefficient, which are verified with experiment anddiscussed in this dissertation

Protecting a Celebrity’s Child from Harassment: Is California’s Amendment Penal Code § 11414 Too Vague to be Constitutional?

This Note will describe a brief history of the legal attempts to restrict the paparazzi and the legislative history behind A.B. 3592 and its amendment, S.B. 606. The bills are controversial and have received a significant amount of criticism, due to the fact that they restrict speech by essentially prohibiting paparazzi, known for their harassing behavior, from taking pictures of the children of celebrities. The Note will conclude with an analysis utilizing the void-for-vagueness doctrine of whether the bill is in violation of the First Amendment

The Influences and Effects of Political Communication on Young Voters in the Digital Age

(The effects of political communication has been a topic in which many political communication researchers have devoted attention. In this digital age, the role of the Internet has a great effect on the political process that people may experience during campaign times. To understand how various forms of political communication affect the political process, one must understand what political communication is and how political communication has evolved into the digital age. Furthermore, to understand these effects, specific target segments should be analyzed separately. This study explores the evolution of political communication from the election of 1952 to the present, specifically investigating how young voters, ages 18 to 24, perceive political communication. Young people, who have the greatest presence on the Internet, but the lowest voter turnout rate, peiplexing generation to analyze. Using a focus group and two online surveys, the media habits, media consumption rates, and perceptions of various sources of political communication among young people were measured. From the results of the research, the Model of Interactive Political Communication Online was developed to illustrate the political process that young people may experience beginning with exposure to political information online to online political discussion to political engagement and action. The final survey results support the idea that political discussion online is a significant mediator between media stimuli and behavioral action among young people.] are

Still I rise! Public discourse surrounding the development of public schools for African Americans in Louisville, Kentucky, 1862--1872.

I conducted my dissertation research in the national, state, and local archives. Using Deborah Brandt\u27s Sponsors of Literacy as a conceptual framework and Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework, I offer Louisville, Kentucky as a historical case study for how an established and empowered community of free blacks can serve as a catalyst to bring about social and political change through the acquisition of literacy. This dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter One explains the scholarly context of my dissertation. I argue that post-emancipation African Americans had a sense of urgency for the acquisition of literacy, and that they were their own primary sponsors. Finally, I offer a review of the limited literature in this research area, an overview of my scholarly position, and a summary of the overall dissertation. Chapter Two contextualizes the development of African-American schools in Louisville, Kentucky. I offer a history of the emergence of public schools nationwide as a tool of assimilation. I also offer a discussion of Kentucky state legislative activity that hindered funding and postponed the opening of public schools for African Americans for more than 4 years statewide. I discuss ways in which rhetorical practices were used to victimize African-Americans who developed a funding plan to support schools for their own children while also contributing tax dollars to majority schools. Chapter Three offers Louisville as a historic case study. I argue that Louisville was a place with a unique set of circumstances that allowed for the development of an atypical African-American community. I argue that the acquisition of literacy permitted African-Americans in this community to exercise agency that spurred socio-economic change. I also argue that the newspaper was a powerful source of agency, and I juxtapose the self-report system in African-American newspapers with reports of African-American community activities in the publications of the majority. Finally, Chapter Four considers ways that this narrative contributes to scholarship in African-American studies, African-American literacy, African-African rhetoric, Rhetoric and Composition, and to some degree pedagogical practice

Advancement of photodissociation mass spectrometry methods for the analysis of protein post-translational modifications

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important for regulating protein structure and function. Despite significant progress for PTM analysis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), opportunities for new method development remain. The research presented in this dissertation promotes 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) as an alternative activation technique for PTM analysis with specific utility for phosphorylated and sulfated peptides. A novel de novo sequencing method with applications for unbiased PTM discovery was developed utilizing Lys-N proteolysis, N-terminal imidazolinylation, and UVPD to direct fragmentation for the formation of N-terminal ions. The N-terminal a, b, and c ions generated by UVPD were differentiated from one another by characteristic mass shifts. Sets of triplet peaks were used to distinguish N-terminal ions from confounding C-terminal ions and improve the accuracy of de novo sequencing. UVPD was evaluated for the analysis of phosphopeptide cations and anions. Negative mode analysis was advantageous for the detection of casein peptides in high phosphorylation states, while positive mode proved more robust for global phosphoproteomic analysis of HeLa and HCC70 cell lysates. Compared to collisional activation, the depth of coverage was lower using UVPD yet more extensive fragmentation and improved phosphate retention on products ions was achieved. Phosphorylation mapping by LC-UVPD-MS was carried out in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II as a function of kinase treatment, ERK2 or TFIIH, and organism, yeast or fruit fly. Single phosphorylations on Ser2 or Ser5 in the consensus heptad, YSPTSPS, were observed across all experimental conditions. Analysis of the non-consensus fruit fly CTD revealed the significance of Tyr1 and Pro residues in the +1 position relative to Ser for phosphorylation to occur. For sulfated peptides, negative mode UVPD yielded a and x ions that largely retained the labile sulfate modification, facilitating peptide sequencing and PTM localization. With appropriate MS/MS tools established, the next step towards global sulfoproteomics was the development of enrichment methods. Weak anion exchange (WAX) was applied for this purpose. Following carbamylation to neutralize primary amines which otherwise repel the anion exchanger; improved WAX retention was observed for sulfopeptides relative to a complex mixture of unmodified bovine serum albumin peptides.Chemistr

Predictive Factors of Compassion Fatigue Among Firefighters

Few existing studies have examined compassion fatigue among emergency responders even though firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals have repetitive direct exposure to traumatic events. This study focused on identifying predictor variables for the development of compassion fatigue in firefighters. Karasek\u27s demand-control model, a commonly used work stress model, was the study\u27s theoretical framework as it focuses on specific construct interactions that predict employee well-being. Accordingly, this correlational study examined the predictive nature of EMS license level, years of service, and personality type on the development of compassion fatigue in career firefighters. Data collection occurred with surveys incorporating the Professional Quality of Life Scale and the Big Five Inventory. Mid-Michigan fire departments participated with 129 career firefighters returning completed surveys with results analyzed using logistic regression. Findings revealed a significant predictive relationship between personality traits and the development of compassion fatigue. These findings can inform preventative measures that protect the psychological well-being of these emergency responders by informing and educating the professionals and organizations as to who is at greatest risk and ultimately providing opportunity for risk mediation

Examining K-12 Principals\u27 Leadership Role and their Beliefs Toward Technology Integration in the 21st Century Classroom

Educational experts have evolved substantially over the past several decades in their thinking about educational leadership and the critical role that principals play in supporting the teaching and learning environment within schools through their leadership behaviors. Although educational leaders have had a significant impact on the field of education to integrate technology effectively with the goal of increasing student achievement and overall school performance, most of the research on technology integration has been teacher-focused, rather than on principals’ preparation, skill, knowledge, and related leadership. Continuation of teacher-focused research, though beneficial, has left a research gap concerning the skills and preparation that are needed by principals to become digital instructional leaders. Using a causal comparative quantitative research design, this study included eight K-12 principals and 20 teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools conveniently sampled from each of the schools in the selected district. The study measured K-12 principals’ and teachers’ knowledge of Teacher Digital Age Learning and Instructional Leader Digital Age Learning. The data were collected using a web-based survey and analyzed utilizing a series of independent samples t-tests. The results indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference in school principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of Teacher Digital Age Learning. Further, a statistically significant difference did not exist between the principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of Instructional Leader Digital Age Learning. The study’s findings could provide useful data for the district\u27s leadership development program to cultivate strategies that could assist principals in their acquisition of knowledge and skills regarding technology in schools