Digital Commons Network^™

A Retrospective-Longitudinal Examination Of The Relationship Between Apportionment Of Seat Time In Community-College Algebra Courses And Student Academic Performance, Steven M. Roig-Watnik

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase by postsecondary institutions in providing academic programs and course offerings in a multitude of formats and venues (Biemiller, 2009; Kucsera & Zimmaro, 2010; Lang, 2009; Mangan, 2008). Strategies pertaining to reapportionment of course-delivery seat time have been a major facet of these institutional initiatives; most notably, within many open-door 2-year colleges. Often, these enrollment-management decisions are driven by the desire to increase market-share, optimize the usage of finite facility capacity, and contain costs, especially during these economically turbulent times. So, while enrollments have surged to the point where nearly one …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Classroom And Multi-User Virtual Environments On The Perceived Speaking Anxiety Of Adult Post-Secondary English Language Learners, Abdulaziz Abal

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The population of English Language Learners (ELLs) globally has been increasing substantially every year. In the United States alone, adult ELLs are the fastest growing portion of learners in adult education programs (Yang, 2005). There is a significant need to improve the teaching of English to ELLs in the United States and other English-speaking dominant countries. However, for many ELLs, speaking, especially to Native English Speakers (NESs), causes considerable language anxiety, which in turn plays a vital role in hindering their language development and academic progress (Pichette, 2009; Woodrow, 2006).

Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT), such as simulation activities, has long …

Transcription-Coupled Dna Supercoiling In Escherichia Coli: Mechanisms And Biological Functions, Xiaoduo Zhi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transcription by RNA polymerase can induce the formation of hypernegatively supercoiled DNA both in vivo and in vitro. This phenomenon has been explained by a “twin-supercoiled-domain” model of transcription where a positively supercoiled domain is generated ahead of the RNA polymerase and a negatively supercoiled domain behind it. In E. coli cells, transcription-induced topological change of chromosomal DNA is expected to actively remodel chromosomal structure and greatly influence DNA transactions such as transcription, DNA replication, and recombination.

In this study, an IPTG-inducible, two-plasmid system was established to study transcription-coupled DNA supercoiling (TCDS) in E. coli topA strains. By performing topology …

Reduced Vowel Production In American English Among Spanish-English Bilinguals, Emily Byers

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prominent views in second language acquisition suggest that the age of L2 learning is inversely correlated with native-like pronunciation (Scovel, 1988; Birdsong, 1999). The relationship has been defined in terms of the Critical Period Hypothesis, whereby various aspects of neural cognition simultaneously occur near the onset of puberty, thus inhibiting L2 phonological acquisition. The current study tests this claim of a chronological decline in pronunciation aptitude through the examination of a key trait of American English – reduced vowels, or “schwas.” Groups of monolingual, early bilingual, and late bilingual participants were directly compared across a variety of environments phonologically conditioned …

The State Of Our Toolbox: A Meta-Analysis Of Reliability Measurement Precision, Krzysztof Duniewicz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My study investigated internal consistency estimates of psychometric surveys as an operationalization of the state of measurement precision of constructs in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology. Analyses were conducted of samples used in research articles published in the Journal of Applied Psychology between 1975 and 2010 in five year intervals (K = 934) from 480 articles yielding 1427 coefficients. Articles and their respective samples were coded for test-taker characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and ethnicity), research settings (e.g., lab and field studies), and actual tests (e.g., number of items and scale anchor points). A reliability and inter-item correlations depository was …

Test Of A Smock System On Cpr Primary Emergency Measures And Medical Errors During Simulated Emergencies, Ruth Thomas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rates of survival of victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) using cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have shown little improvement over the past three decades. Since registered nurses (RNs) comprise the largest group of healthcare providers in U.S. hospitals, it is essential that they are competent in performing the four primary measures (compression, ventilation, medication administration, and defibrillation) of CPR in order to improve survival rates of SCA patients. The purpose of this experimental study was to test a color-coded SMOCK system on:1) time to implement emergency patient care measures 2) technical skills performance 3) number of medical errors, and 4) …

Approaches To Provisioning Network Topology Of Virtual Machines In Cloud Systems, Mani Shafaatdoost

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current infrastructure as a service (IaaS) cloud systems, allow users to load their own virtual machines. However, most of these systems do not provide users with an automatic mechanism to load a network topology of virtual machines. In order to specify and implement the network topology, we use software switches and routers as network elements. Before running a group of virtual machines, the user needs to set up the system once to specify a network topology of virtual machines. Then, given the user’s request for running a specific topology, our system loads the appropriate virtual machines (VMs) and also …

Improved Electronics For The Hall A Detectors At Jlab: Summing Modules And Vdc Amplifier/Discriminator Cards, Casey M. Neville

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Testing of summing electronics and VDC A/D Cards was performed to assure proper functioning and operation within defined parameters. In both the summing modules and the VDC A/D cards, testing for minimum threshold voltage for each channel and crosstalk between neighboring channels was performed. Additionally, the modules were installed in Hall A with input signals from shower detectors arranged to establish a trigger by summing signals together with the use of tested modules. Testing involved utilizing a pulser to mimic PMT signals, a discriminator, an attenuator, a scaler, a level translator, an oscilloscope, a high voltage power supply, and a …

Predictors Of Adolescent Sexual Intentions And Behavior: Attitudes, Parenting, And Neighborhood Risk, Anne S. Frankel

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study was a cross-sectional examination of data collected during an HIV risk reduction intervention in south Florida. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between neighborhood stress, parenting, attitudes, and adolescent sexual intentions and behavior. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used as a model to guide variable selection and propose an interaction pathway between predictors and outcomes.

Potential predictor variables measured for adolescents ages 13-18 (n=196) included communication about sex, parent-family connectedness, parental presence, parent-adolescent activity participation, attitudes about sex and condom use, neighborhood disorder, and exposure to violence. Outcomes were behavioral intentions and …

Adaptive Software Fault Prediction Approach Using Object-Oriented Metrics, Djuradj Babic

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As users continually request additional functionality, software systems will continue to grow in their complexity, as well as in their susceptibility to failures. Particularly for sensitive systems requiring higher levels of reliability, faulty system modules may increase development and maintenance cost. Hence, identifying them early would support the development of reliable systems through improved scheduling and quality control. Research effort to predict software modules likely to contain faults, as a consequence, has been substantial.

Although a wide range of fault prediction models have been proposed, we remain far from having reliable tools that can be widely applied to real industrial …

Wage Matters & Globalization: South Florida’S Low-Wage Immigrant Plant Nursery Workers And Business Protectionism In The Age Of Neoliberalism, Alejandro Angee

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ornamental plant production in the State of Florida is an anomaly with respect to current theories of globalization and particularly their explanation of the employment of low-wage, immigrant labor. Those theories dictate that unskilled jobs that do not need to be performed within highly developed countries are outsourced to where labor is cheaper and more flexible. However, the State of Florida remains an important site of ornamental plant production in the US amidst a global economic environment of outsourcing and transnational corporate expansion. This dissertation relies on 50 semi-structured interviews with insiders of the Florida plant nursery industry, focus groups, …

Personality And Performance: Assessing The Mediating Role Of Mental Model Formation In The Personality-Performance Relationship, Eric Cartaya

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personality has long been linked to performance. Evolutions in this relationship have brought forward new questions regarding the true nature of how personality impacts performance. Both direct and indirect relationships have been proven significant. This study further investigated potential indirect relationships by including a mediating variable, mental model formation, in the personality-performance relationship. Undergraduate students were assessed in a 6-week period, Time 1 - Time 2 experiment. Conceptualizations of personality included measures of the Big 5 model and Self-efficacy, with performance measured by content quiz and overall course scores. Findings showed that the Big 5 personality traits, extraversion and agreeableness, …

Perceptions Of Character Education In A Seventh-Day Adventist School, Marva E. Tyrell

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Character education has been viewed by many educators as having significant

historical, academic, and social value. Many stakeholders in education argue for

character development as a curricular experience. While understanding the degree to

which character education is of worth to stakeholders of institutions is important,

understanding students, teachers, and administrators perspectives from their lived

experiences is likewise significant.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding

of character education within a Biblical framework environment by examining the lived

experiences of students, administrators, and teachers of a Seventh-day Adventist

School. Phenomenology describes individuals’ daily experiences of phenomena, …

Hydro-Physical Characterization Of Media Used In Agricultural Systems To Develop The Best Management Practices For Operation Of An Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Enterprise, Vivek Kumar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Florida is the second leading horticulture state in the United States with a total annual industry sale of over $12 Billion. Due to its competitive nature, agricultural plant production represents an extremely intensive practice with large amounts of water and fertilizer usage. Agrochemical and water management are vital for efficient functioning of any agricultural enterprise, and the subsequent nutrient loading from such agricultural practices has been a concern for environmentalists. A thorough understanding of the agrochemical and the soil amendments used in these agricultural systems is of special interest as contamination of soils can cause surface and groundwater pollution leading …

Preservation Of Nitric Oxide Availability As Nitrite And Nitrosothiols, Kumpal J. Madrasi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitric Oxide (NO) has been known for long to regulate vessel tone. However, the close proximity of the site of NO production to “sinks” of NO such as hemoglobin (Hb) in blood suggest that blood will scavenge most of the NO produced. Therefore, it is unclear how NO is able to play its physiological roles. The current study deals with means by which this could be understood. Towards studying the role of nitrosothiols and nitrite in preserving NO availability, a study of the kinetics of glutathione (GSH) nitrosation by NO donors in aerated buffered solutions was undertaken first. Results suggest …

The Impact Of Friends On Newly Immigrant Children’S Emotional And Behavioral Adjustment, Ayse Cici Gokaltun

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Immigration disrupts an individual’s support network; however, the stresses of the immigration process increase the need for social support. The presence of social support becomes essential for immigrant children and adolescents to cope with these important transitional circumstances. Friends are both sources of social support and models for behavior. Furthermore, friendship networks are known to have a significant influence on youths’ functioning. Literature suggests that peer relations become more important in adolescence and friend support is related to child and adolescent well-being. Thus, friend relationships may be particularly important for immigrant youths who experience disruption in their friendship networks during …

Design Optimization Of Nozzle Shapes For Maximum Uniformity Of Exit Flow, Karla K. Quintao

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to identify the optimal designs of converging-diverging supersonic and hypersonic nozzles that perform at maximum uniformity of thermodynamic and flow-field properties with respect to their average values at the nozzle exit.

Since this is a multi-objective design optimization problem, the design variables used are parameters defining the shape of the nozzle. This work presents how variation of such parameters can influence the nozzle exit flow non-uniformities.

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package, ANSYS FLUENT, was used to simulate the compressible, viscous gas flow-field in forty nozzle shapes, including the heat transfer analysis. The …

Top Down Control In A Relatively Pristine Seagrass Ecosystem, Derek A. Burkholder

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The loss of large-bodied herbivores and/or top predators has been associated with large-scale changes in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems around the world. Understanding the consequences of these declines has been hampered by a lack of studies in relatively pristine systems. To fill this gap, I investigated the dynamics of the relatively pristine seagrass ecosystem of Shark Bay, Australia. I began by examining the seagrass species distributions, stoichiometry, and patterns of nutrient limitation across the whole of Shark Bay. Large areas were N-limited, P-limited, or limited by factors other than nutrients. Phosphorus-limitation was centered in areas of restricted water exchange …

Cognitive Competence And Life Course Change In Multi-Problem Adolescents, Brent M. Maximin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation reports on two studies. The purpose of Study I was to develop and evaluate a measure of cognitive competence (the Critical Problem Solving Skills Scale – Qualitative Extension) using Relational Data Analysis (RDA) with a multi-ethnic, adolescent sample. My study builds on previous work that has been conducted to provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the RDA framework in evaluating youth development programs (Kurtines et al., 2008). Inter-coder percent agreement among the TOC and TCC coders for each of the category levels was moderate to high, with a range of .76 to .94. The Fleiss’ kappa …

Study On Bivariate Normal Distribution, Yipin Shi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Let (X, Y) be bivariate normal random vectors which represent the responses as a result of Treatment 1 and Treatment 2. The statistical inference about the bivariate normal distribution parameters involving missing data with both treatment samples is considered. Assuming the correlation coefficient ρ of the bivariate population is known, the MLE of population means and variance (ξ, η, and σ²) are obtained. Inferences about these parameters are presented. Procedures of constructing confidence interval for the difference of population means ξ – η and testing hypothesis about ξ – η are established. The performances of the new estimators …

Goma Curriculum, A Character Education Paradigm: Composing A Text For Shaping Classroom Character Culture, Alicia D. Ritchey

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The written text, and approaches to reading it, serves well as an analogy for the classroom space as a “text” that teachers are able to compose; and students are able to read, interpret meaning(s) of, and make responses to and about (Rosenblatt, 1988). Researchers point to ways in which the classroom can be conceptualized as a text to be evoked, experienced, and read (Freire & Macedo, 1987; Powell, 2009; Rosenblatt, 1988; Spears-Bunton & Powell, 2009).

The present study analyzed secondary data including: 10 transcripts of teacher talks and six self-reports retrieved from the program evaluation archives of DOR Foundation. The …

The Effectiveness Of Outdoor Education On Environmental Learning, Appreciation, And Activism, Jessica Okaty

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of outdoor education on student knowledge retention, appreciation for nature, and environmental activism in a college level course on south Florida ecology. Six class sections were given quizzes on four course topics either post-lecture or post-field trip. Students were also given pre-course and post-course opinion surveys. Although mean quiz scores for the post-field trip were higher than for the post-lecture, statistical analysis determined that there was no significant difference in quiz scores for location taken (post-lecture or post-field trip). Survey results show a correlation between knowledge of environmental issues …

Developing A Process To Create And Validate An Instrument Assessing Student Attainment Of Competencies At An Intercultural University In Mexico, Martha Fernanda Pineda

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study took place at one of the intercultural universities (IUs) of Mexico that serve primarily indigenous students. The IUs are pioneers in higher education despite their numerous challenges (Bertely, 1998; Dietz, 2008; Pineda & Landorf, 2010; Schmelkes, 2009). To overcome educational inequalities among their students (Ahuja, Berumen, Casillas, Crispín, Delgado et al., 2004; Schmelkes, 2009), the IUs have embraced performance-based assessment (PBA; Casillas & Santini, 2006). PBA allows a shared model of power and control related to learning and evaluation (Anderson, 1998). While conducting a review on PBA strategies of the IUs, the researcher did not find a PBA …

Bayesian Estimation Of Small Proportions Using Binomial Group Test, Shihua Luo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Group testing has long been considered as a safe and sensible relative to one-at-a-time testing in applications where the prevalence rate p is small. In this thesis, we applied Bayes approach to estimate p using Beta-type prior distribution. First, we showed two Bayes estimators of p from prior on p derived from two different loss functions. Second, we presented two more Bayes estimators of p from prior on π according to two loss functions. We also displayed credible and HPD interval for p. In addition, we did intensive numerical studies. All results showed that the Bayes estimator was preferred …

Spatiotemporal Variation In Abundance And Social Structure Of Bottlenose Dolphins In The Florida Coastal Everglades, Robin E. Sarabia

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are large-bodied predators that are locally abundant in the coastal Everglades. Because of their potential to exert strong top-down effects on their communities, it is important to understand how spatiotemporal variation in biotic and abiotic factors affects the abundance and behavior of dolphins. This study combined two years of transect surveys with photographic identification methods to assess spatiotemporal variation in the abundance and group sizes of bottlenose dolphins across four large regions of the coastal Everglades including the Shark and Harney Rivers, Whitewater Bay, and coastal oceans of the Gulf of Mexico and Florida …

Not Getting By: Poverty Management And Homelessness In Miami, Karen M. Mahar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban inequality has emerged as one of the dominant themes of modern life and globalization. More than three million people experienced homelessness in the United States last year; in Miami-Dade, more than 15,000 individuals were homeless. Surviving extreme poverty, and exiting or avoiding homelessness, involves negotiating a complex mix of public and private assistance. However, a range of factors influence what types of help are available and how they can be accessed. Frequently, larger social structures determine which resource are available, leaving many choices entirely out of the individual’s control. For single men, who are ineligible for many benefits, homelessness …

Positron Emission Tomography (Pet) Tumor Segmentation And Quantification: Development Of New Algorithms, Ruchir N. Bhatt

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tumor functional volume (FV) and its mean activity concentration (mAC) are the quantities derived from positron emission tomography (PET). These quantities are used for estimating radiation dose for a therapy, evaluating the progression of a disease and also use it as a prognostic indicator for predicting outcome. PET images have low resolution, high noise and affected by partial volume effect (PVE). Manually segmenting each tumor is very cumbersome and very hard to reproduce. To solve the above problem I developed an algorithm, called iterative deconvolution thresholding segmentation (IDTS) algorithm; the algorithm segment the tumor, measures the FV, correct for the …

Preparation Of An Immunosorbent And Its Use In The Solid Phase Extraction Of Benzodiazepines, Jorge E. Quintana

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) has been restricted to applications having high sample concentrations because of its low sensitivity caused by small injection volumes and, when ultraviolet (UV) detection is used, the short optical path length. Sensitivity in CE can be improved by using more sensitive detection systems, or by preconcentration techniques which are based on chromatographic and/or electrophoretic principles. One of the promising strategies to improve sensitivity is solid phase extraction (SPE). Solid Phase Extraction utilizes high sample volumes and a variety of complex matrixes to facilitate trace detection. To increase the specificity of the SPE a selective …

Silicon Photonic Device For Wavelength Sensing And Monitoring, German R. Vargas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade advances and innovations from Silicon Photonics technology were observed in the telecommunications and computing industries. This technology which employs Silicon as an optical medium, relies on current CMOS micro-electronics fabrication processes to enable medium scale integration of many nano-photonic devices to produce photonic integrated circuitry.

However, other fields of research such as optical sensor processing can benefit from silicon photonics technology, specially in sensors where the physical measurement is wavelength encoded.

In this research work, we present a design and application of a thermally tuned silicon photonic device as an optical sensor interrogator.

The main device …

A Longitudinal Exploration Of The Relationship Between Oral Reading Fluency And Reading Comprehension Achievement Among A Sample Of Diverse Young Learners, Teri L. Acquavita

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exploring the relationship between early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement among an ethnically and racially diverse sample of young learners from low-income families, attending elementary school within a large public school district in southeast Florida is the purpose of this longitudinal study. Although many studies have been conducted to address the relationship between oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement, most of the existing research failed either to disaggregate the data by demographic subgroups or secure a large enough sample of students to adequately represent the diverse subgroups.

The research questions that guided this study were: …