This thesis covers a series of etchings created between 1998 and 2000 in completion of the requirements for graduation. The paper covers the origins and implications of the symbology within the artwork as well as the natural settings displayed. It also speaks of the mythos of art and symbols, as well as my strategy in Art making.

This study proposes a method for measuring the regional economic impact of a relatively new sport: stock car racing. Although research on the economic impact of most major league sports is abundant, little has been written on stock car racing. The purpose of this paper is to estimate, through a simulation, the regional economic impact of Texas Motor Speedway. The study finds that the Texas Motor Speedway boosted economic activity by $87,179,367 in 1998 from racetrack operations, and supported 5,300 jobs paying $22,293,135 in earnings. In addition, expenditures by speedway visitor from outside the region are estimated at $22,985,200, further increasing the total local economic activity by $49 million.

This study examines the fiscal impact the Ballpark in Arlington has on the City of Arlington. Many individuals argue that the new Ballpark in Arlington would create numerous new jobs and bring added economic development to the city, thus increasing tax revenues. An interrupted time-series approach was used to determine whether or not the new ballpark has a measurable impact on retail sales tax receipts in the City of Arlington. Based on sales tax rebate data obtains from the Texas Comptroller's Office, the study found no significant increase in sales tax receipts for Arlington during the baseball season. However, this is not to say that the Ballpark in Arlington has no impact on total local economic activity. These findings do call into question, as other studies have, the relative fiscal value of publicly-sponsored professional sports venues.

Assisted living, the fastest growing segment of the senior housing industry, allows individuals to remain as independent as they prefer and still receive necessary services. However, assisted living residences exist primarily to serve those seniors who can pay for the services from their own savings/income. We are facing a critical need for housing options for both the current senior generation and the soon-to-be-retired baby boomers. How will access to assisted living be opened to all types of payors? How will states fund the growth of assisted living? The purpose of this paper is to discuss opportunities for expansion that will make assisted living an affordable option for the low- and moderate-income elderly.

M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative diplococci frequently associated with infections of the upper respiratory tract. During the past decade, some preliminary studies have attempted to elucidate mechanisms of adherence and haemagglutination of M. catarrhalis. These studies have reported, in many cases, inconsistent results. There are two purposes of this research. First, identify mechanisms that may potentially be associated with the adherence and haemagglutination of M. catarrhalis. Second, suggest research directions that may be fruitful in clarifying these mechanisms.

"Harry Partch's Keyboard Innovation" is a computer-assisted demonstration that introduces the tuning system used primarily by the twentieth-century American composer, Harry Partch. The multimedia product was developed in Director 6.0, and it includes sound and video clips from CDs and videocassettes of Partch's works produced by Phillip Blackburn and distributed by the American Composers Forum. The content of the demonstration involves a 43-tone microtonal tuning system and its application in the music literature. This demonstration will discuss the chronological order in which these prototypes were developed and also includes samples of the tuning of notes in Partch's scale that the novice can experiment with interactively. These tones were synthesized using the Csound scores shown in Appendix B. Materials for this demonstration are based on Harry Partch's Genesis of a Music.