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The Relationship Between Nonword Repetition Performance And Social Behaviors In 7- To 11-Year-Old Children With Language Impairment, Bethany Lynne Hillary Dec 2008

The Relationship Between Nonword Repetition Performance And Social Behaviors In 7- To 11-Year-Old Children With Language Impairment, Bethany Lynne Hillary

Theses and Dissertations

Recent literature has suggested a link between verbal working memory and language impairment (LI) in children. There is limited research, however, about the link between verbal working memory and social behaviors in children with LI. This study was designed to explore the relationship between social behaviors (measured by the Teacher Behavior Rating Scale; Hart & Robinson, 1996) and verbal working memory abilities (measured by a 3-, 4-, and 5-syllable nonword repetition task) in children with LI. Thirty-six children (18 with LI and 18 typically developing) aged 7 to 11 years participated in the study. Children with LI were rated by …


Towards The Total Synthesis Of Thioviridamide: Thiyl Radical Approach To The Beta-Thioenamide Linkage Formation, Jung-Hoon Kang Dec 2008

Towards The Total Synthesis Of Thioviridamide: Thiyl Radical Approach To The Beta-Thioenamide Linkage Formation, Jung-Hoon Kang

Theses and Dissertations

We developed an approach to the β-thioenamide linkage contained in the S-(2-aminovinyl)cysteine (avCys) residue of thioviridamide.1,2 Kinetic and thermodynamic control of radical additions of thiols to ynamides were studied for the formation of β-thioenamide linkage. Thiyl radicals are electrophilic and ynamides are electron-rich alkynes. This complementary polarity of the radical and acceptor increases the likelihood of a successful radical addition reaction. Because little is known about these types of compounds (β-thioenamides), we were unsure what kinds of yields and stereoselectivities (cis vs. trans) to expect. The adduct stability is another issue to consider. Fortunately, under typical radical addition conditions, the …


Attitude Estimation And Maneuvering For Autonomous Obstacle Avoidance By Miniature Air Vehicles, James K. Hall Dec 2008

Attitude Estimation And Maneuvering For Autonomous Obstacle Avoidance By Miniature Air Vehicles, James K. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing the Euler-Rodrigues symmetric parameters (attitude quaternion) to describe vehicle orientation, we develop a multiplicative, nonlinear (extended) variation of the Kalman filter (MEKF) to fuse data from low-cost sensors. The sensor suite is comprised of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and a GPS receiver. In contrast to the common approach of using the complete vehicle attitude as the quantities to be estimated, our filter states consist of the three components of an attitude error vector. In parallel with the time update of the attitude error estimate, we utilize the gyroscope measurements for the time propagation of the attitude quaternion. The accelerometer and the …


Parentage Statements And Paired Stelae: Signs Of Dynastic Succession For The Classic Maya, Daniel Moroni Stewart Dec 2008

Parentage Statements And Paired Stelae: Signs Of Dynastic Succession For The Classic Maya, Daniel Moroni Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and document parentage statements and paired stela found on Maya monuments or portable objects. While the existence of parentage statements, within the Maya text, has been known since the late 1970s, no thesis or major research project has ever been published pertaining to this class of glyphs within the Maya script. In 1977 Christopher Jones is credited with the discovery of parentage statements in Maya hieroglyphic texts (Jones 1977). His discovery was followed by a detailed analysis of parentage statements by Floyd Lounsbury, Peter Mathews, and Linda Schele (1977). They introduced most …


Utilitizing And Moving Beyond A Constructionist Approach To Trace The Emergence Of Racial And Ethnic Identities Among Pre-Mexican, Mexican And Americans Of Mexican Descent, Owen Williamson Dec 2008

Utilitizing And Moving Beyond A Constructionist Approach To Trace The Emergence Of Racial And Ethnic Identities Among Pre-Mexican, Mexican And Americans Of Mexican Descent, Owen Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

Cornell and Hartmann (2007) developed a constructionist framework that can describe the development of racial and ethnic identities. Yet this framework has greater utility than its authors have intended as it also provides the best rubric to date for comprehending the transitions between collective identity group types. This study engages in a thorough investigation of the development of racial and ethnic identities within the context of those that precede it via an ethnohistorical analysis. It also demonstrates that this framework is capable of describing pre-modern religious and national identity types in addition to racial and ethnic identity types. This permits …


Developing Writing Fluency Through Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication, Rossana Camacho Dec 2008

Developing Writing Fluency Through Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication, Rossana Camacho

Theses and Dissertations

Drawing from sociocultural theory, this research investigated the effects of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in the development of writing fluency. Likewise, the study aimed at confirming previously cited affective benefits linked to SCMC. Measuring fluency in words per 30 minutes, the study compared pre and post-test essay scores of two groups of ESL learners (a control group and a SCMC group) in two intermediate levels. Two evaluation questionnaires were also administered to the SCMC group in order to obtain students' opinions of this technology-based medium, and to analyze change in their perceptions. The SCMC group outperformed the control group in …


Improving Library Searches Using Word-Correlation Factors And Folksonomies, Maria Soledad Pera Dec 2008

Improving Library Searches Using Word-Correlation Factors And Folksonomies, Maria Soledad Pera

Theses and Dissertations

Libraries, private and public, offer valuable resources to library patrons; however, formulating library queries to retrieve relevant results can be difficult. This occurs because when using a library catalog for library searches, patrons often do not know the exact keywords to be included in a query that match the rigid subject terms (chosen by the Library of Congress) or terms in other fields of a desired library catalog record. These improperly formulated queries often translate into a high percentage of failed searches that retrieve irrelevant results or no results at all. This explains why frustrated library patrons nowadays rely on …


Ontology Generation, Information Harvesting And Semantic Annotation For Machine-Generated Web Pages, Cui Tao Dec 2008

Ontology Generation, Information Harvesting And Semantic Annotation For Machine-Generated Web Pages, Cui Tao

Theses and Dissertations

The current World Wide Web is a web of pages. Users have to guess possible keywords that might lead through search engines to the pages that contain information of interest and browse hundreds or even thousands of the returned pages in order to obtain what they want. This frustrating problem motivates an approach to turn the web of pages into a web of knowledge, so that web users can query the information of interest directly. This dissertation provides a step in this direction and a way to partially overcome the challenges. Specifically, this dissertation shows how to turn machine-generated web …


Characterization Of The Thermal Transport Through A Temporally-Varying Ash Layer, Darron Palmer Cundick Dec 2008

Characterization Of The Thermal Transport Through A Temporally-Varying Ash Layer, Darron Palmer Cundick

Theses and Dissertations

Ash deposits in commercial coal-fired boilers frequently pose serious maintenance challenges and decrease thermal efficiency. A better understanding of fundamental thermal transport properties in ash deposits can help mitigate their negative effects. In order to characterize the thermal properties of boiler-side deposits, this work presents a thermal transport model and in-situ measurements of effective thermal conductivity in coal ash deposits. A simple model of the thermal transport through an ash deposit, with and with out slagging, was developed. The model approximates the deposit by dividing it into four regimes: particulate, sintered, solidified slag, and molten slag. The development of this …


Comparison Of Two Training Programs On Acceleration Out Of The Break In American Football, Micah Adam Alba Dec 2008

Comparison Of Two Training Programs On Acceleration Out Of The Break In American Football, Micah Adam Alba

Theses and Dissertations

Athletes of American football need the ability to stop, start, and reach top speed in an efficient manner. Football players on the defensive side of the ball require the skill of stopping a backward run and accelerating to a forward run. This action is termed the break. Football players receive year-round training in an effort to improve performance. Yet, many times, these athletes may not focus specifically on the muscular systems that are unique to the position they play. The law of specificity states that the more specific the training is for the action required, the more beneficial the outcome. …


Client Change In Multi-Model Treatment: A Comparison Of Change Trajectories In Group, Individual, And Conjoint Formats In A Counseling Center, Bryan K. Mickelson Dec 2008

Client Change In Multi-Model Treatment: A Comparison Of Change Trajectories In Group, Individual, And Conjoint Formats In A Counseling Center, Bryan K. Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations

Providing clinicians with a clearer understanding of how clients' recover over the entire course of therapy has important implications for referral and treatment strategies. The present study compares rates of change in 160 clients in group therapy with 6632 clients in individual therapy and 864 clients receiving both individual therapy and group therapy. Therapeutic outcomes were measured using the Outcome Questionnaire-45. Data was analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), also called Multi-Level Modeling (MLM), to produce recovery curves for clients in each group. Recovery curves showed that most change occurred in the early part of group therapy and slowed near …


Menstrual Cycle And Visual Information Processing, Michelle Nash Dec 2008

Menstrual Cycle And Visual Information Processing, Michelle Nash

Theses and Dissertations

This project examined the effects menstruation may have on visual attention in women. A recent study examined electroencephalographic (EEG) gender differences using a visual object recognition task. Results indicated certain EEG amplitudes (specifically, P300 and N400) are greater in women than men. This study extended the previous findings to determine if these increased EEG amplitudes vary across menstrual phases. Eighteen female participants participated in a series of 3 EEG recording sessions using the same visual object recognition task from the previous study; 18 male participants completed this task once. Analyses from 15 of the 18 female and 16 of the …


Dynamic Load Balancing Of Virtual Machines Hosted On Xen, Terry Clyde Wilcox Dec 2008

Dynamic Load Balancing Of Virtual Machines Hosted On Xen, Terry Clyde Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

Currently systems of virtual machines are load balanced statically which can create load imbalances for systems where the load changes dynamically over time. For throughput and response time of a system to be maximized it is necessary for load to be evenly distributed among each part of the system. We implement a prototype policy engine for the Xen virtual machine monitor which can dynamically load balance virtual machines. We compare the throughput and response time of our system using the cpu2000 and the WEB2005 benchmarks from SPEC. Under the loads we tested, dynamic load balancing had 5%-8% higher throughput than …


Action Research As Professional Development: A Study Of Two Teachers, Wade R. Glathar Dec 2008

Action Research As Professional Development: A Study Of Two Teachers, Wade R. Glathar

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of two teachers in a public charter school who implement action research in their classrooms. The study explored the key elements of professional development as well as action research and makes the case as to why action research is an effective tool for teacher development. Participants were selected based on having little teaching experience and familiarity with action research. The study examined the experiences of teachers who have had limited professional development as they use action research in their practices. Data for the study were drawn from interviews as well as researcher and participant journals.


Faith And News: A Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Tv News Exposure, Raquel Marvez Dec 2008

Faith And News: A Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Tv News Exposure, Raquel Marvez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between religiosity and broadcast news usage. This study examines the level of religiosity of individuals and its correlation to broadcast news exposure. The correlation between religiosity and perceptions of violence on broadcast news was also measured. Two theories were applied in this study. Uses and Gratifications asserts the active character of the audience to choose what they watch, how often, etc., and Selective Exposure defends the ability of the individual to select media that coincides with personal value systems. These two theories complement each other and provide support in the …


Does Shape Predict Performance? An Analysis Of Morphology And Swimming Performance In Great Basin Fishes, John R. Aedo Dec 2008

Does Shape Predict Performance? An Analysis Of Morphology And Swimming Performance In Great Basin Fishes, John R. Aedo

Theses and Dissertations

Swimming performance strongly influences fitness in aquatic organisms and is closely tied to external body morphology. Although this connection has been closely examined at the individual and species level, few studies have focused on this relationship as it pertains to functional group assemblages. Using functional groups based on similarities in habitat use and morphology, I tested the hypothesis that swimming performance can be reliably predicted by functional group composition. I measured swimming performance as burst speed using a simulated predator attack and as prolonged speed using a step-endurance test in a laboratory flume. I measured morphology using geometric morphometric techniques. …


Investigation Of Heterogeneity Of Fsw Inconel 718 Coupled With Welding Thermal Cycle, Dong Fang Huang Dec 2008

Investigation Of Heterogeneity Of Fsw Inconel 718 Coupled With Welding Thermal Cycle, Dong Fang Huang

Theses and Dissertations

In order to develop a better understanding of the property, microstructure evolution and thermal history of FSW Inconel 718's, the strain, strain rate and thermal cycles need to be determined. In order to estimate the strain field of a deformed body, a displacement function needs to be determined. A 3D deformation model was developed to determine the displacement coefficients. A rectangular box created in this model deforms following a linear displacement function. Three orthogonal planes cut this deformed box, which leads to three deformed planes. The shape parameters (L, H, θ¹ and θ²) on the three orthogonal planes can be …


Using Geoscience Education Graduate Students To Help Faculty Transform Teaching Practice, Teagan L. Tomlin Dec 2008

Using Geoscience Education Graduate Students To Help Faculty Transform Teaching Practice, Teagan L. Tomlin

Theses and Dissertations

Universities make claims about student learning that graduates don't often achieve and are under pressure to show improvement in teaching and learning in their undergraduate programs. This has been the constant focus of university-level professional development programs, but most teachers are still not using the most effective teaching methods. Individual departments need to find ways to help their instructors overcome three main challenges associated with adopting more effective student-centered teaching methods. No matter what strategy is adopted, instructors need considerable support to 1) change their beliefs about what constitutes effective teaching and learning, 2) learn to effectively implement new strategies, …


The Ability Of Children With Language Impairment To Understand Emotion Conveyed By Prosody In A Narrative Passage, Chelsea Celeste Voorhees Dec 2008

The Ability Of Children With Language Impairment To Understand Emotion Conveyed By Prosody In A Narrative Passage, Chelsea Celeste Voorhees

Theses and Dissertations

Several recent studies indicate that children with Language Impairment (LI) have difficulty recognizing and inferring meaning from emotional prosody. The present study is a replication investigating the ability of children with LI to recognize emotion conveyed by prosody in an orally presented narrative passage. Twenty-two children with LI and twenty-two age matched peers ranging from age 7;0 to 10;11 (M= 9.11, SD= 2.54) were selected to participate. Participants listened to recordings of a seven sentence passage read by actors to express happiness, anger, sadness, and fear. The children's task was to identify which emotion the speaker portrayed. Scores obtained from …


Value Conflicts In Psychotherapy: Psychology Graduates' Perspectives, Shannon Vincent Wilde Dec 2008

Value Conflicts In Psychotherapy: Psychology Graduates' Perspectives, Shannon Vincent Wilde

Theses and Dissertations

Although psychotherapy has been viewed historically as value-neutral, developments over the last half-century have led to the generally accepted position that values are inescapable in therapy. However, many questions remain as to how values should be managed in psychotherapy in order to protect client autonomy. These issues are of particular concern to training programs, which bear the responsibility of instructing new psychologists in ethical values management and of helping trainees manage personal values when those values are in conflict with those of their clients or with the values of the field in general. One aspect that has not previously been …


A Correlational Study: The Relationship Between Physical Activity Levels, Physical Self-Worth, And Global Self-Worth In High School Physical Education Students, Ashley Danelle Eyre Dec 2008

A Correlational Study: The Relationship Between Physical Activity Levels, Physical Self-Worth, And Global Self-Worth In High School Physical Education Students, Ashley Danelle Eyre

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity levels, physical self-worth, and its sub-domains; (a) skill, (b) body attractiveness, (c) fitness and conditioning, and (d) strength, and overall global self-worth in high school students. One-Hundred and sixty-seven students (male = 66;female = 101) from the western United States, ages 13-18, participated in this study. Each participant completed a minimum of four days of physical activity (PA) data collection and completed the self-worth questionnaire. Pedometers were used to collect PA levels, calculating mean step counts, and the Children and Youth Physical Self-Perception Profile (CY-PSPP) was used …


Monarch Cheers, Integration Whimpers, And A Loyalty Conflict: Kansas City Call's Coverage Of The Black Yankees, 1937-1955, Eric M. Eames Dec 2008

Monarch Cheers, Integration Whimpers, And A Loyalty Conflict: Kansas City Call's Coverage Of The Black Yankees, 1937-1955, Eric M. Eames

Theses and Dissertations

Already regarded as one of the top teams in Negro League baseball, the Kansas City Monarchs became known as a powerhouse unit in the 1930s and 40s. They rolled into towns with lights, amazing athletes, and competitive play. They won championship after championship during these years as Kansas City baseball fans strongly supported them. As they became an integral part of the city, the Monarchs' success, open-seating policy, and jazzy home openers fostered a large following of mixed-race fans. The local black newspaper, the Kansas City Call, held them up on a pedestal, while sportswriters for the mainstream Kansas City …


A Population Genetic Study Of Middle Eastern Populations Using Dys 458 Microvariants And Cohen Modal Haplotypes, Enass Nabeel Tinah Dec 2008

A Population Genetic Study Of Middle Eastern Populations Using Dys 458 Microvariants And Cohen Modal Haplotypes, Enass Nabeel Tinah

Theses and Dissertations

A comprehensive population study in the Middle East was conducted using different genetic markers in order to establish a wider genetic profile of the Middle Eastern populations. The main goal of this study was to analyze DNA from samples collected from different locations, and produce genetic motifs and patterns that could be used to identify and distinguish the target populations. This information will allow us to analyze the ancestry of these populations, their interactions through time and space, and the effects these interactions have on the populations' structure. We have collected around 1300 individual samples from different populations in the …


Views And Use Of Theory By Practicing Instructional Designers, Joseph B. South Dec 2008

Views And Use Of Theory By Practicing Instructional Designers, Joseph B. South

Theses and Dissertations

Formal instructional design (ID) theories, intended to guide instructional designers' decision-making and design practices, have grown in abundance in recent years. These ID theories are based on learning theories that form the foundation for applied work in the field. However, researchers are concerned that these theories may not be applicable to the day-to-day practice of instructional designers. While some studies investigate the application of ID process models, studies of learning theory and ID theory in practice are rare. Consequently, there is little information about the nature and extent of the gap between our field's theory and its practice. This qualitative …


Work Is Fun: The Phenomenon Of Boys Enjoying Work In A Camp Setting, Zina Lenore Bennion Dec 2008

Work Is Fun: The Phenomenon Of Boys Enjoying Work In A Camp Setting, Zina Lenore Bennion

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived outcomes of participation in a summer camp that included physical work and service as a major component. A qualitative data analysis approach was used. A convenience sample of 10 male adolescents and 10 parents were selected. The data was analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Data analysis was used to ascertain perceived outcomes from the program from both boys and their parents. Analysis of the data showed the emergence of a core theme of boys learning to work and enjoying work. Enjoying work was the term chosen to represent …


Altered States Of Style: The Drug-Induced Development Of Jack Kerouac's Spontaneous Prose, Eric M. Izant Dec 2008

Altered States Of Style: The Drug-Induced Development Of Jack Kerouac's Spontaneous Prose, Eric M. Izant

Theses and Dissertations

Jack Kerouac's spontaneous prose method was inspired in part by his use of drugs while writing. While there is abundant biographical evidence that Kerouac used drugs frequently, little attention has been paid to their effects on the development of his style. This thesis attempts to demonstrate that the altered states of consciousness produced by Kerouac's drug use should be considered in conjunction with historical, cultural, and biographical forces in tracing the evolution of Kerouac's creative growth. As a member of the Beat Generation, Kerouac used drugs both as a social statement of rebellion and for artistic insight. In fact, he …


Marital Problems And Marital Satisfaction: An Examination Of A Brazilian Sample, Nalu De Araujo Nunes Dec 2008

Marital Problems And Marital Satisfaction: An Examination Of A Brazilian Sample, Nalu De Araujo Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to examine the types of problems faced by Brazilian couples in the sample, the gender differences in the perception of marital problems, and the associations between marital problems and marital satisfaction. The sample used in this study was part of the third wave of data collection of a longitudinal study of 126 families living in Porto Alegre, a city in southern Brazil. The RDAS was the instrument used to assess marital satisfaction. Marital problems were identified by asking participants to check the problems they perceive in their marriage from a list of common marital …


The Effect Of Liquid Hot Filling Temperature On Blow-Molded Hdpe Bottle Properties, Benjamin S. Hudson Dec 2008

The Effect Of Liquid Hot Filling Temperature On Blow-Molded Hdpe Bottle Properties, Benjamin S. Hudson

Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of deformation in plastic bottles is a common problem in the bottling industry where bottles are blow molded, hot filled at high temperatures and sealed. Plastics have unique properties that make it difficult to predict when and why such changes may occur. The root cause of such deformation is unknown by many bottle producers and recent attempts have been made to minimize the occurrence of such defects. The purpose of this research is to determine which variables involved in the bottle production process influence bottle shape. Earlier variables that were tested included both blow molding resin and total …


Psychometrically Equivalent Thai Monosyllabic Word Recognition Materials Spoken By Male And Female Talkers, Chela Williams Dec 2008

Psychometrically Equivalent Thai Monosyllabic Word Recognition Materials Spoken By Male And Female Talkers, Chela Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate a set of Thai monosyllabic word lists to use in the measurement of word recognition ability. A native male and female talker from Thailand, who were judged to have a standard Thai dialect, participated as talkers in digitally recording familiar Thai monosyllabic words. Twenty native Thai participants were used as subjects to determine the percentage of correct word recognition for each word at 10 intensity levels ranging from --5 to 40 dB HL in 5 dB increments. The 200 words with the highest raw scores were …


The Effects Of Excess Corticosterone On Lkb1 And Ampk Signaling In Skeletal Muscle Of Rats, Gary N. Nakken Dec 2008

The Effects Of Excess Corticosterone On Lkb1 And Ampk Signaling In Skeletal Muscle Of Rats, Gary N. Nakken

Theses and Dissertations

Cushing's syndrome and glucocorticoid therapy lead to central obesity, insulin resistance, and symptoms of altered energy regulation similar to those observed in the metabolic syndrome. We hypothesized that excess glucocorticoids alter energy sensing/signaling in skeletal muscle through mediation of the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway. To test this hypothesis, three 100 mg pellets of corticosterone were implanted subcutaneously in each of nine rats for two weeks. Responses were compared with sham operated controls fed ad libitum or food restricted to produce the body weights similar to the treatment group rats. After the treatment period, animals were anesthetized and the right gastrocnemius-plantaris and …