ABSTRACT This work presents turbulence data collected in the Gulf of Mexico in an attempt to quantify the source or sources of turbulent dissipation along the continental shelf and any possible causes for its seasonal change. In addition, this work is an effort to assist those concerned with mixing and transport problems working in similar environments. Multiple offshore research cruises were held in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean for data collection. The basis of the work is a tethered profiler that measures dissipation-scale turbulence as well as temperature and conductivity at high-resolution. This data is compared against that collected by an in situ acoustic Doppler current profiler and wind meter along with salinity and conductivity measurements taken during the casts. The primary location for this study is a flat, featureless location in the northeastern portion of the Gulf known as Apalachee Bay in water of 20 meters depth. Because of the extremely gradual slope of the shelf in this region, this location is approximately 20 nautical miles off shore. Due to the tidal and wind variations in the area, along with the extreme seasonal temperature swings and surface freshwater flux, it has been found that a significant amount of turbulent energy is absorbed in this region. Density calculations indicate an abrupt seasonal overturning of the water column; cooling during the winter months creates a thermally homogeneous water column. What little stratification does exist, however, is subsequently overturned by a combination of the reversal of the along-isobath currents and increasing winds. Late summer profiles showed a well-mixed water column with very little remaining stratification. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2012. / December 19, 2011. / boundary layer, dissipation, Gulf of Mexico, microstructure, turbulence / Includes bibliographical references. / Carol Anne Clayson, Professor Directing Thesis; Markus Huettel, Committee Member; Louis St. Laurent, Committee Member; Georges Weatherly, Committee Member.

The purpose of this dissertation is to argue that while a discussion of the nature of human knowledge might be a worthy goal to pursue in public education, the science classroom is not the appropriate place for this discussion. The concern that no claims to knowledge - including scientific claims - are void of a metaphysical and epistemological framework has been voiced recently by Thomas Nagel in his defense of intelligent design. Intelligent design theory is a contemporary version of creation science that has been used to challenge evolutionary theory in the US legal context surrounding public education. It has failed to date and a key reason for this is because it is not understood to be science by the courts. As a result, proponents of intelligent design have attempted to show that if intelligent design theory is not science, then neither is evolutionary theory. A strategy pursued by Phillip Johnson, and more recently by Nagel, is to claim that evolutionary theory itself depends on a dogmatic metaphysical commitment - what Johnson calls `philosophical naturalism' and what Nagel calls `scientism.' However, there are two key differences between their approaches: 1) Johnson believes that the methodological naturalism assumed in science is motivated by a personal commitment of its proponents to philosophical naturalism, but he clearly states that there is no necessary connection between the two. Nagel, on the other hand, believes that methodological naturalism requires philosophical naturalism. If Nagel is correct, then science's claim to metaphysical neutrality fails and this could pose a challenge to it in the legal context of US public education. 2) Johnson advances intelligent design theory as his positive thesis and aligns himself with creationist motivations in his publications, in his affiliation with the Discovery Institute, and in his personal life insofar as he is a self-professed born-again Christian. Nagel advances no such positive thesis and possesses no religious motivations. The extent of his concern seems to be his belief that humans do not possess - and perhaps will never possess - adequate conceptual frameworks to understand everything we might seek to understand. It appears that he has an affinity for intelligent design theory simply because its proponents reject the framework of naturalism assumed in the sciences. Because Nagel believes that science - and he discusses evolutionary theory in particular - is not metaphysically neutral, he contends that it is intellectually irresponsible to exclude a discussion of the connection between evolutionary theory and religion in public education. Critics have argued that he is further committed to the conclusion that intelligent design theory and evolutionary theory are equally viable candidates for biology curriculum. I don't believe this conclusion follows. Nagel is not advocating for intelligent design. Rather, he is arguing that the beliefs one holds about certain possibilities (such as whether or not an intelligent designer is possible) necessarily inform the methodologies and explanations one arrives at when doing science and that is the key issue he seems to think needs to be introduced in public education. There are a number of questions raised by Nagel's arguments such as what counts as scientific evidence, what standards of evidence are accepted to confirm or disconfirm a scientific hypothesis, and how should such standards be taught to students. I take the position that it is important to investigate what scientists say about science and science education in order to determine whether this field has any necessary or particularly unique connection to one philosophical commitment over any other. I argue that no particular philosophical commitment is necessary or unique to science and that a noncommittal agnosticism can serve as a philosophical framework for scientific investigation and exploration. I also argue that individual commitments to philosophical naturalism or scientism can be understood as judgments that result from work in the sciences rather than antecedent beliefs that are necessary to the methods of science. While I do believe that critics have been less than charitable to Nagel and that he is ultimately pursuing an important project in philosophy, I argue that he is wrong to suggest that such a project be advanced in science classrooms. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Philosophy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / February 10, 2012. / Biology Education, Intelligent Design, Philosophical Naturalism, Public Education, Science Education, Thomas Nagel / Includes bibliographical references. / Michael Ruse, Professor Directing Dissertation; Sherry Southerland, University Representative; Justin Leiber, Committee Member; Piers Rawling, Committee Member.

This dissertation extends research that seeks a better understanding of the complex relationships between humans and the urban environment by focusing on one of the more pervasive topics in recent human-environment studies: the investigation and analysis of the connections between transportation and land-use. Currently, the multitude of environmental, economic, and social-welfare concerns incumbent to a society dependent on the automobile have compounded the need to further understand and develop models of these connections. By conceptualizing the urban environment as the locations of housing and the locations of jobs, or urban structure, this dissertation builds upon previous research that utilizes urban commuting to explore connections between transportation and land-use in US metropolitan regions. Motivated by the prospects of providing new insights into the relationship between commuting, sprawl, sustainability and the urban structure; this dissertation develops a methodology to assess and evaluate changes to the urban structure over time by synthesizing elements from both the planning and geographic literatures. The Model of Urban Structure and Evaluation of Change (MUSEC) presented in chapter 6 proposes that for a given city or region, changes to the urban structure can be modeled using homogenous data to model the urban structure and evaluated using the commuting carrying capacity to assess the changes. To better support those assumptions, two analytical chapters are presented exploring the role of homogenous data in commute studies (chapter 4) and the role of the commuting carrying capacity in urban structure assessment (chapter 5). The ability to assess urban structure changes will help broaden the understanding of the transportation/land-use connection and can provide planners, government officials, and geographers' knowledge to address prevalent urban issues such as sprawl and sustainable development. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Geography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 19, 2012. / Excess Commuting, Policy, Spatial Modeling, Transportation, Urban Sprawl, Urban Sustainability / Includes bibliographical references. / Mark Horner, Professor Directing Dissertation; Timothy Chapin, University Representative; Victor Mesev, Committee Member; Tingting Zhao, Committee Member.

The preeminence of Langston Hughes as a seminal figure in twentieth century literature is a well-chronicled phenomenon in academic circles. What has not been researched in a comprehensive fashion is Hughes' importance to both popular and classical genres of American music. This treatise lays the foundation for that research by first chronicling Hughes' contribution to American music as a songwriter, playwright, and opera librettist and then examining how his poetic aesthetic is captured in American art song. It is the aim of this treatise to examine the various themes prevalent in the body of Hughes' poetry and to discuss how different composers captured the Hughes aesthetic in musical terms. Additionally, it is the thrust of this treatise to place Langston Hughes as an heir to the legacies of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Heinrich Heine, and Victor Hugo: literary figures prominent in the art song repertoire who were compelled by the socio-political winds of their time to write verse which resonated with various composers. The art song settings of Margaret Bonds, Ricky Ian Gordon, Robert Owens, and Elie Siegmeister are examined here. A testament to the importance of Hughes as a source of poetic inspiration, each composer has over twenty-five settings of Hughes' poetry among their compositions. The song cycles chosen for specific examination represent Hughes' early poetry celebrating the culture and illuminating the lives of African Americans, his middle period foray into purely lyric poetry, and his late period poetry consisting mainly of social commentary and political protest both on behalf of African Americans but also on behalf of oppressed, underserved, and economically disadvantaged people universally. Through the music of the aforementioned composers, Langston Hughes' poetic purpose, speaking on behalf of those whose voices might be easily marginalized and giving dignity to their experiences, continues to carry his literary legacy into the twenty first century. / A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 29, 2012. / American Art Song, Elie Seigmeister, Langston Hughes, Margaret Bonds, Ricky Ian Gordon, Robert Owens / Includes bibliographical references. / Stanford Olsen, Professor Directing Treatise; David Kirby, University Representative; Douglas Fisher, Committee Member; Marcía Porter, Committee Member.

The present study aimed to translate the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS; Prevatt et al., 2011), which was originally developed in an English speaking Western culture in the United States, into the Korean language and to test the cross-cultural validation of the Korean version of the ASICS with a sample of Korean college students. This translation and adaptation of the Korean language version of the ASICS is intended to be used to in cross-cultural research to enhance our understanding of academic success in Korean college student and to improve cross-cultural measurement generalizability in the area of academic success in college students. The present study strictly followed prescribed and validated translation procedures suggested by researchers to translate the original ASICS into Korean language (Brislin, 1970; Chapman & Carter, 1979; Geisinger, 1994; Hambleton, 2001). Given both the current lack of effective measurements of academic success in college students and the limited existing information regarding these measurements in non-Western cultures, the present study makes a significant contribution to research in the area of cross-cultural measurement of academic success in college students. Data analyses of the present study were conducted in order to find empirical evidence for the reliability and four validities such as criterion, convergent, discriminant, and factorial validities of the Korean translated version of the ASICS with a South Korean sample. The Korean ASICS's reliability was calculated by internal consistency (e.g., a coefficient alpha value) and compared to the Cronbach's alpha reliability from a U.S. sample. The criterion validity of the Korean ASICS was conducted by a normal test of correlations between students' subscale scores of the ASICS and their overall grade point averages. The convergent validity was conducted by a normal test of correlations between students' subscale scores on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991). The discriminant validity was examined by using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for comparison between high performing students and low performing students among Korean college students. Finally, the factorial validity was tested by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the consistency of the factor structure of the Korean ASICS with that of the original English version of the ASICS. In result, the ten Korean ASICS subscales were found to possess an excellent overall internal consistency of.91. Correlational analysis between the ten scale scores of the Korean ASICS and cumulative GPA of the Korean sample were conducted and eight subscales were positive and showed statistically significant correlations with GPA at a level of .01, thus supporting criterion validity in predicting GPA with a Korean sample. As hypothesized, there appears to be strong evidence that ASICS and MSLQ questionnaires converge to measure constructs of academic success and motivation. The results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to investigate differences in the ten mean scale scores between the high performing and the low performing groups showed statistically significant on seven out of the ten Korean ASICS subscales. In terms of factor structure of the ASICS with a Korean sample, the results of the confirmatory factor analysis of the ten-factor model of the Korean ASICS fit best. The findings of the present study may provide a preliminary reference for the first use of a translated version of the ASICS as a potential prescreening tool for at-risk college students in South Korea. Findings need to be carefully interpreted when gathered from local populations in Korea. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / April 23, 2012. / Academic Success, College Students, Cross-Cultural Validation, Korean, Translation / Includes bibliographical references. / Frances Prevatt, Professor Directing Dissertation; Georgios Lampropoulos, Committee Member; Deborah Ebener, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to compare the percentage of male and female band directors with the percentage of male and female adjudicators being hired for Music Performance Assessments (MPA) in the state of Florida across a ten-year span of time. Public data about adjudicators hired between the 2001-02 and the 2010-11 school years, found on the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) website, was used for analysis. Data was analyzed and categorized by gender. Membership lists for those same years were acquired from the Executive Director of FBA. Data was analyzed and categorized by teaching level and gender. Results found that in all adjudication captions females were the minority, except for the Marching Auxiliary caption. Results also found that across the entire ten-year time span females were the minority at all teaching levels included in the study (middle school and high school), but that the discrepancies were less profound at the middle school level. Additionally, the percentages of male and female adjudicators did not match the percentage of male and female band directors for any caption or level, but came extremely close in 3 out of the 10 years included in the study for high school Concert MPA Adjudicators and high school band directors. Recommendations for further research include incorporating a survey component to collect information from former female band directors who have left the profession and collection of similar data for each of the remaining states in the US fo comparison on a national level. / A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Education. / Spring Semester, 2012. / April 2, 2012. / Adjudication, Band Director, Female, Florida, Gender, Music / Includes bibliographical references. / Kimberly VanWeelden, Professor Directing Thesis; Patrick Dunnigan, Committee Member; Steven Kelly, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT Obesity is the top public health threat in the US and precedes cardiovascular disease. Little improvement in obesity incidence and prevalence has occurred in women greater than 40 years of age. Dietary calcium is known for its role in bone health and has also been implicated to have a role in body adiposity, adipokine concentration, and lipidemia. Calcium homeostasis may be affected by various factors, including dietary protein and vitamin D. Structural equation modeling may be helpful to elucidate these relationships. This study examined differences between 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and adipocytokine (adiponectin and leptin) hormone concentrations in African American (AA) and Caucasian groups of postmenopausal women and the effects of dietary calcium-to-protein ratios and vitamin D intakes on circulating levels of 25(OH)D and PTH, adiposity (BAI, BMI, and girth circumferences), adipocytokines, and lipidemia (TG, HDL, and LDL levels) using structural equation modeling (SEM). Low calcium consumers were selected (<900 mg/day). Women did not differ based on age, education level, or BMI. PTH levels were significantly lower and leptin-to-adiponectin significantly higher in AA women compared to Caucasian. There was a relationship between adiposity and 25(OH)D levels but not PTH in both groups of women. Years of menopause were longer in AA women and a major confounding factor in the model. Dietary factors did not impact adiposity, adipokines, or lipidemia in either group of women. Data indicate minimal influence of dietary calcium-to-protein ratio on obesity. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 28, 2012. / epidemiology, nutrition, obesity, SEM / Includes bibliographical references. / Jasminka Ilich-Ernst, Professor Directing Dissertation; Katherine P. Mason, University Representative; Penny A. Ralston, Committee Member; Maria Spicer, Committee Member; Ming Cui, Committee Member.

This study was aimed at examining the relationships between culture and brand loyalty across culturally diverse groups in America. Two cultural dimensions were examined: Individualism vs. Collectivism and Masculinity vs. Femininity. The relationships between these two dimensions and brand loyalty were examined across five ethnic groups: Caucasians, African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic English and Hispanic Spanish. It was hypothesized that 1) ethnic groups that were more collectivist would display higher brand loyalty; and 2) ethnic groups that were more masculine would display higher brand loyalty. It was found that cultural dimensions are predictors of brand loyalty and that African Americans were the most brand loyal ethnic group. / A Thesis submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2011. / October 21, 2011. / brand loyalty, culture, ethnicity, marketing, multicultural / Includes bibliographical references. / Felipe Korzenny, Professor Directing Thesis; Gary Heald, Committee Member; Brian Parker, Committee Member.

When considering the design of bridge girders, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) determine how the loads will be transferred to each girder. The equations used in AASHTO Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) neglect the inertia added from secondary elements such as barriers and curbs. By neglecting these added effects, many bridges that are already built could have more strength than initially designed for. If the effects of these secondary elements were considered, it would be possible to reduce the distribution factors that are given for interior and exterior girders. The bridge of concern for this project has four spans and was built in the early 1950s. Some repair work and modifications were conducted on the bridge and a load test was performed a week afterwards. The tests were done to find out if the repairs were adequate based on full composite action between the girders and the slab. During this initial test, some problems were discovered in one of the interior spans. This interior span is unique because it contains an expansion joint and a physical barrier and curb joint at the mid-span of the bridge. After problems were discovered, the physical joints were recommended to be grouted and a second load test was conducted afterwards. The second load test yielded much lower strains in the exterior girders due to the decrease in localized stress at the physical joint. In order to prove that filling the joint could improve the bridges strength, a finite element model was constructed to simulate this activity. Two models were made, one prior to filling the physical barrier and curb joints and one after. The test data was compared to the data from the finite element model to ensure accuracy. After the model was calibrated, the secondary members of the bridge were modified to study their effects. The primary goal of this research is to prove that a physical joint in a continuous exterior secondary element will cause the same amount of strain at its location as if they weren't there to begin with. By analyzing the finite element model data, it was found that when the joint is filled the behavior of the bridge changes and the exterior girder has up to 50% reduction in strain. The effect of concrete cracking and stress distribution that is associated with it is a secondary topic that was discussed because it was a driving factor in the model calibration. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 29, 2012. / Barrier, Composite, Elements, Joint, Secondary, Steel / Includes bibliographical references. / Kamal Tawfiq, Professor Directing Thesis; Michelle Rambo-Roddenberry, Committee Member; Sungmoon Jung, Committee Member.

"An Annotated Bibliography of Published Duets for Clarinet and Marimba Available in the United States" is a study of available published duos. Many score collections were examined drawing on a wide range of resources. These included the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC), International Clarinet Association (ICA) Research Center Score Inventory, Bass Clarinet Organization (Alea Publishing and Recording specializing in music for bass clarinet) website, the Marimba Organization website, the Percussive Arts Society website (PAS) online database, and listings by retail dealers in sheet music, publishers, and composers. The treatise is in four sections: (1) a brief introduction with a description of difficulty levels identified for each work, and definitions of special performance techniques encountered in the various works; (2) an annotated bibliography of the duets, including information about each composer, compositional background or program notes, publisher, duration, extended techniques, availability of the scores and recordings, and an introductory paragraph on the piece; (3) a summary with an overview of all the music previously discussed; and (4) appendices listing the duets with publication information, difficulty level, duration, and page numbers, information on duets excluded from this treatise, and a discography. / A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music. / Summer Semester, 2012. / April 25, 2012. / annotations, bibliography, chamber, clarinet, duet, marimba / Includes bibliographical references. / Frank Kowalsky, Professor Directing Treatise; James Mathes, University Representative; Deborah Bish, Committee Member; Eric Ohlsson, Committee Member.