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Patterning Layer -By -Layer Self -Assembled Multilayer By Lithography And Its Applications To Thin Film Devices, Feng Hua

Doctoral Dissertations

Nanoparticles are exciting materials because they exhibit unique electronic, catalytic, and optical properties. As a novel and promising nanobuilding block, it attracts considerable research efforts in its integration into a wide variety of thin film devices.

Nanoparticles were adsorbed onto the substrate with layer-by-layer self-assembly which becomes of great interest due to its suitability in colloid particle assembly. Without extremely high temperatures and sophisticated equipment, molecularly organized films in an exactly pre-designed order can grow on almost all the substrates in nature.

Two approaches generating spatially separated patterns comprised of nanoparticles are demonstrated, as well as two approaches patterning more …

Organic Diodes, Field -Effect Transistors, And An Inverter Circuit By Microfabrication Techniques, Guirong Liang

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this work is to fabricate microelectronic devices and circuits based on organic and polymer materials by micro fabrication techniques.

The organic microelectronic device is one of the most promising alternative to traditional inorganic devices due to its varieties of advantages, such as low-cost, large area (e.g. for display), and distinguished mechanical property (insensitive to mechanical deformation). For practical applications, it is necessary to reduce the fabrication cost as well as to improve the device's performance. In this work several fabrication processes have been developed to build organic diodes, field-effect transistors (FETs) and circuits.

Simple spin coating and …

Vocabulary Instruction And Its Effects On Writing Quality, Denise Soileau Moseley

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of writing, specifically in terms of vocabulary use, of students in the 8th grade whose teacher used intensive vocabulary instruction only or intensive vocabulary instruction together with explicit writing instruction. The investigation sought to determine if a deep knowledge of pretaught words would have an effect on those words used in student writing. All students in the study had the same intensive vocabulary instruction, but one group had the added component of explicit instruction on how to use pretaught words in their writing.

Intact groups, consisting of 87 students in …

A Three-Level Finite Difference Scheme For Solving A Dual-Phase-Lagging Heat Transport Equation In Spherical Coordinates, Lixin Shen

Doctoral Dissertations

Heat transport through thin films or micro-objects is of vital importance in microtechnology applications. For instance, metal thin films are important components of microelectronic devices. The reduction of the device size to microscale has the advantage of enhancing the switching speed of the device. On the other hand, size reduction increases the rate of heat generation, which leads to a high thermal load on the microelectronic devices. Heat transfer at the microscale is also important for the thermal possessing of materials with a pulsed-laser. Examples in metal processing are laser micromachining, laser patterning, laser processing of diamond films from carbon …

Modeling Of The Inverse Heat -Conduction Problem With Application To Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition And Bioheat Transfer, Peng Zhen

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two parts. Part one deals with three-dimensional laser induced chemical vapor deposition (3D-LCVD), whereas part two deals with a Pennes model of a 3D skin structure. LCVD is an important technique in manufacturing complex micro-structures with high aspect ratio. In part one, a numerical model was developed for simulating kinetically-limited growth of an axisymmetric cylindrical rod by pre-specifying the surface temperature distribution required for growing the rod and then by obtaining optimized laser power that gives rise to the pre-specified temperature distribution. The temperature distribution at the surface of the rod was assumed to be at …

Polymer-Based Capacitors, Junction Field -Effect Transistors, And A Follower Circuit By Lithography, Self -Assembly, And Ink -Jet Printing Techniques, Yuxin Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of organic materials to create field-effect transistors has recently emerged and is gaining much interest. All-polymer electronic devices are currently in their infancy, like semiconductor devices when they first appeared. As a result, current performance of these devices is in no way comparable to the state-of-the-art semiconductor devices. However, all-polymer devices have a few possible appealing advantages. First, all polymer devices have the potential for low-cost fabrication due to their ease of manufacturability, with fewer and simpler processing steps compared with solid-state semiconductor devices. Secondly, polymer devices offer the ability of material flexibility. Lastly, polymer devices may prove …

The Effect Of Hardiness On The Relationship Between Stress And Well-Being: Moderator, Mediator, Or Both?, Alison Jo Donnell

Doctoral Dissertations

Stress, and particularly its negative impact on health; is an important concern to society. Most research, however, has found the magnitude of the relationship between stress and well-being to be moderate, indicating that people's reaction to stress can be varied (Dohrenwend & Dohrenwend, 1981). These results have led researchers to question what factors influence a person's response to stress and to investigate individual differences as potential intervening factors between stress and well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a model of hardiness on the relationship between stress and both physical and mental well-being. Research has …

Personality Style And Psychological Reactance: Theory Confirmation And Empirical Prediction Of Reactant Personalities, Eric Alexander Seemann

Doctoral Dissertations

Psychological reactance (reactance) is a construct that has begun to attract attention in the past few decades. Reactance is the tendency of a person to react in some way to protect personal freedoms from real or perceived threats (Brehm, 1966; Brehm & Brehm, 1981). Current theorizing and research suggest that reactance is a characteristic related to an interaction between the situation and transient variables such as perceptions of self or available alternatives (Brehm, 1976; Cherulnik & Citrin, 1974; Hannah, Hannah, & Wattie, 1976). Current research and theory indicates that psychological reactance is likely characterological in nature and is more of …

Fabrication Of Cell Culture Scaffolds Using Micro/Nanotechnologies To Study The Attachment And Alignment Of Smooth Muscle Cells, Mengyan Li

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation elaborates the design and fabrication of in vitro cell culture scaffolds using microfabrication and electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) technologies, and develops the so-called layer-by-layer lift-off (LbL-LO) technique to control surface topography, surface properties, and underlying architectures of the scaffolds. Smooth muscle cells were cultured on the fabricated scaffolds with gelatin, fibronectin, and polyelectrolytes (PSS, PDDA, PAH, and PEI) as surface materials, multilayer polyelectrolytes as architectures, deposited in strip- and square-patterns. It was found that the exposed surface materials, which have different charge, hydrophobicity, and chemical structure (e.g., amino acid sequence), affect the adhesion of smooth muscle cells. Cells …

Study Of Energy Sampling Weights In The Dø Detector Using Multiparameter Fitting Method, Qun Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

The DØ calorimeter at Fermilab is a sampling calorimeter measuring the energy of particles produced in high energy proton-antiproton collisions. A set of accurate sampling weights is of significant importance to DØ research activity. The objective of this work was to obtain a set of optimized sampling weights for the DØ central calorimeter, the Inter-Cryostat Detector (ICD), the Central Calorimeter Massless Gap (CCMG), and the End Calorimeter Massless Gap (ECMG).

The foundation of the optimization method is that, in high energy physics, the ratio of energy E and the corresponding momentum P of a particle is approximately 1, in units …

The Influence Of Teacher Attitude About Professional Development, Master's Degree Training, And Teacher Certification On School Performance Scores In Selected Louisiana Parishes, Kay Lynn Tettleton

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among three independent variables: teacher attitudes about professional development, earning a master's degree, and teacher certification on School Performance Scores. Independent variables included teacher attitude about professional development, proportion of teachers with masters' degrees, and proportion of certified and uncertified teachers. The researcher used a correlational design to test the hypothesized relationships among these three independent variables and school and district School Performance Scores. A ten item self-report instrument was constructed to assess teacher attitudes about professional development in the school or district. This instrument, Teacher Perception of Professional Development …

A Case Study Of Reading Education For Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities, John Arthur Sargent

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate The Achieve Reading Curriculum, a reading curriculum based on whole language principles designed for middle school students with learning disabilities. A qualitative intrinsic case study was conducted using four sixth grade middle school students with learning disabilities as participants. Ethnographic methodology was used to focus on the multifaceted structure of classroom life and to acquire a thorough understanding of the connections between participants and teacher. A teacher as researcher approach facilitated insights on a daily basis due to the interaction between participants and teacher.

Data collection procedures included observations/field notes, teacher journal, …

Design And Fabrication Of A Novel Linear Oscillating Conventional Micro Air Pump, Shi-Je Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

A novel permanent magnetically and electro-magnetically powered, linear oscillating conventional micro air pump was designed, fabricated and characterized. This new pump might be used in a wrist-type blood pressure monitor or other similar devices that require high air pressure discharge. Factors considered in designing this micro air pump include feature size (especially the thickness), operation voltage, efficiency, heat transfer, noise and weight. For evaluating the feasibility of this novel design, basic performance calculations and ANSYS magnetic flux simulations had been conducted before the first prototype was made. Both theoretical calculations and simulation results show that this novel design meets the …

Nanoscale Platinum And Iron -Cobalt Catalysts Deposited In Microchannel Microreactors For Use In Hydrogenation And Dehydrogenation Of Cyclohexene, Selective Oxidation Of Carbon Monoxide And Fischer -Tropsch Process To Higher Alkanes, Shihuai Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

Chemical Process Miniaturization (CPM) has predominant advantages in heat and mass transfer limited unit operations, synthesis of hazardous materials, and as a process development tool. For years, engineers have been seeking ways to apply CPM to practical applications. Studies of catalysts and catalyst supports that can be applied to microreactors are important for a number of commercially desirable gas phase reactions. Parameters such as surface-to-volume ratio and the pore structure of catalyst supports influence the activity and selectivity of the catalysts.

In this study, platinum, iron and cobalt catalysts were fabricated by sputtering deposition and compared with catalysts deposited by …

Finite Element Analysis And Statistical Modeling Of Pipeline Rehabilitation Liners With Material Imperfections, Wei Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

Thin-walled plastic liners are routinely used to rehabilitate structurally sound host pipes that have lost their hydraulic integrity. The liner/host pipe structure is treated as a ring encased in a rigid wall. Significant research work dealing with liner stability has been completed in North America and Europe. These research works include laboratory experiments, numerical analysis, and statistical modeling. The objective of this dissertation is to achieve a better understanding of liner buckling phenomenon using the finite element method and statistical analysis.

Short-term liner buckling models have been applied by several researchers to study the influence of liner geometric imperfections on …

A Lateral Comb Drive On Pmma By Hot Embossing Technique, Yongjun Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this work is to fabricate a laterally driven comb drive on low-cost poly-methyl-meth-acrylate (PMMA) by hot embossing technology.

An electrostatic comb drive is one of the most important components in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). A comb drive can work as both a sensor and an actuator. Varieties of comb drives have been developed on silicon and poly-silicon materials.

Hot embossing of polymers is a promising alternative to traditional silicon processes due to cost-reduction. It fulfills the demand for low-cost methods for high volume production of micro-components and micro-systems. The raw materials of polymer are relatively inexpensive. For the …

Antecedents Of Salesperson Effectiveness And Efficiency Performance: A Data Envelopment Analysis, Xueming Luo

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to (1) measure salesperson efficiency; (2) investigate both personal and organizational factors that determine salesperson efficiency; and (3) investigate both personal and organizational factors that determine salesperson effectiveness. Salesperson efficiency was assessed by data envelopment analysis (DEA). Two different DEA models were employed in order to increase the reliability of the efficiency results. Antecedents of salesperson efficiency and effectiveness were tested using Tobit regression analysis and ordinary least square regression analysis, respectively. These antecedents include not only personal level variables such as working smart, working hard, learning goal orientation, and performance goal orientation, but …

Effects Of Block Scheduling And Specific Demographic Factors On Teacher Job Satisfaction Among Small Secondary Schools In Arkansas, Brenda Jared Holder

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of block scheduling, as well as the effects of specific demographic factors, on teacher job satisfaction. All 25 of the 82 size AA schools in Arkansas which use block scheduling were asked to participate, and a systematic sampling of every third traditional schedule AA school yielded 27 schools with which to compare results. Of these 52 schools, teachers in 22 block scheduled schools and teachers in 18 traditional scheduled schools participated, yielding a total field of 601 respondents. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was administered to teachers at each participating secondary …

The Effects Of Instruction Utilizing The Arts On The Academic Achievement Of Fourth-Grade Students, Elizabeth Fallin Manning

Doctoral Dissertations

In this day of accountability, members of state government agencies are looking for ways to increase student achievement, especially in the area of high stakes testing. Louisiana's accountability program has yielded state curriculum standards which identify the content that should be taught by specific grade levels. Teachers are now charged with the responsibility of finding methods to teach these standards. With all of the attention to these academic standards, what is the role of the arts? The Louisiana Institute for Education in the Arts (LAIEA) suggests that the arts are the tools with which to teach these academic standards. This …

Cultural Diversity's Impact On Firm Performance: The Moderating Influence Of Diversity Initiatives And Socialization Tactics, Amy Mcmillan-Capehart

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to test the hypothesized relationships between cultural diversity and firm performance. Specifically, this dissertation examines whether or not socialization tactics and diversity initiatives moderate the relationship between diversity and firm performance. This dissertation uses ROA, ROE, and employee productivity in order to capture an accurate picture of firm performance.

My second purpose is to test competing hypotheses that are based on different theories. Theories relating to diversity suggest that there may be both positive and negative effects of a heterogeneous workforce. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate those instances in which diversity can …

Museum -Based Learning: Informal Learning Settings And Their Role In Student Motivation And Achievement In Science, Julie Ann Holmes

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined changes in student motivation and achievement in science in relationship with a visit to the IDEA Place Experiment Gallery. The study was based on the pretest-posttest control comparison group design with four treatment groups: control, exhibit, lesson, and exhibit/lesson. The sample was 228 sixth grade students from a public north central Louisiana school who were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental groups. Pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest measures of intrinsic motivation and achievement in science were determined using the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and an achievement test written to measure areas of science incorporated …

A Study Of The Implementation Of Character Education, Learning Environment, And School Performance Scores In Selected Parishes In Louisiana, Cynthia Ford Pilcher

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate two sets of relationships: the relationship between character education and learning environment, and the relationship between character education and School Performance Scores in 17 elementary schools located in five public school districts in northeast Louisiana. Principal and teacher (K–6) respondents completed a 15-item questionnaire designed to measure their perceptions of the level of implementation of character education in the school setting and a 15-item questionnaire assessing perception of the learning environment. Data from surveys completed by school personnel were gathered to allow analyses by school, grade level taught, number of years experience, …

Understanding Wavelet Analysis And Filters For Engineering Applications, Chethan Bangalore Parameswariah

Doctoral Dissertations

Wavelets are signal-processing tools that have been of interest due to their characteristics and properties. Clear understanding of wavelets and their properties are a key to successful applications. Many theoretical and application-oriented papers have been written. Yet the choice of a right wavelet for a given application is an ongoing quest that has not been satisfactorily answered. This research has successfully identified certain issues, and an effort has been made to provide an understanding of wavelets by studying the wavelet filters in terms of their pole-zero and magnitude-phase characteristics. The magnitude characteristics of these filters have flat responses in both …

Psychological Reactance As A Personality Characteristic: Relationships To Attachment And Autonomy, Maurine Traville Hargrove Ladner

Doctoral Dissertations

Psychological reactance is a construct that motivates people to restore lost or threatened freedoms (Brehm, 1966). Research is beginning to show that psychological reactance may be related to family of origin dynamics. Autonomy is developed through a secure attachment. Dowd (1993) stated that autonomy is fostered by an optimal level of reactance, and one's personal identity is dependent on the development of a flexible autonomy. This study explored the relationship between psychological reactance and attachment. Additionally, research has suggested that level of reactance may be related to level of autonomy. This relationship was empirically explored. Participants were assessed using the …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Among Life-Skills, Self-Esteem, And Well-Being In Adults, Scott David Meche

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the relationship among life-skills, self-esteem, and well-being in 278 adults. Adults were classified into three age groups. Of the 278 participants, 96 were young adults, 92 were middle-aged, and 90 were older adults. Life-skills, global organizations of general coping skills that are learned behaviors which enable effective functioning, were assessed with the Life-Skills Inventory - Adult Form (Gazda, Illovsky, & Taylor, 1991). Analyses were performed to understand the influence of four generic life-skills areas, interpersonal communication/human relations, problem-solving/decision making, identity development/purpose in life, and physical fitness/health maintenance, on self-esteem. Self-esteem was measured with the Self-Esteem Inventory-Adult Form …

Organizational Commitment, Attitudes Toward Information, And The Use Of Formal And Informal Information In Evaluating The Performance Of Subordinates, Peter Francis Oehlers

Doctoral Dissertations

Formal information is information developed by the organization which is recognized and sanctioned by senior management. All other information is, by definition, informal. In this regard, this study was performed to gain insights into the relationship between Relative Attitude toward Formal Information (as opposed to informal information) and Relative Use of Formal Information (as opposed to informal information) in the performance appraisal process. Additionally, this study was undertaken to gain insights into the relationship between Organizational Commitment and Relative Use of Formal Information in the performance appraisal process.

Data was collected from members of the Institute for Supply Management (formerly …

The Effect Of School Size, Socioeconomic Status, And Grade -Level Configuration On Academic Achievement In Louisiana Public Schools, Scarlet L. Chopin

Doctoral Dissertations

The national emphasis on continually improving education for all students coupled with accountability requires educators and policymakers to identify and implement effective schooling structures and strategies. In this study, the researcher examined the relationship among school size, socioeconomic status of students, the interaction of school size and socioeconomic status (SES), grade-level configuration, and academic achievement in Louisiana. An extensive data set representing 1362 public PK–12 schools was analyzed at the 4th, 8th, and 10th grade levels. The construct of schooling as a production process was used as a theoretical model wherein the education production function was used to describe the …

Machine Learning Approaches For Determining Effective Seeds For K -Means Algorithm, Kaveephong Lertwachara

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I investigate and conduct an experiment on two-stage clustering procedures, hybrid models in simulated environments where conditions such as collinearity problems and cluster structures are controlled, and in real-life problems where conditions are not controlled. The first hybrid model (NK) is an integration between a neural network (NN) and the k-means algorithm (KM) where NN screens seeds and passes them to KM. The second hybrid (GK) uses a genetic algorithm (GA) instead of the neural network. Both NN and GA used in this study are in their simplest-possible forms.

In the simulated data sets, I investigate two …

Vertical Polymer Tunneling Sensor Platform By Hot Embossing Technique, Jing Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent development in microfabrication technology has brought much attention to the development of miniaturized, inexpensive and high-accuracy MEMS devices and microsystems. The ultimate goal of our project is to develop a versatile, three-dimensional, high precision sensor platform, which can be used for displacement, velocity or acceleration measurement. The first step, on which this dissertation is based, is to fabricate a one-dimensional (parallel with the Z axis) tunneling sensor, which in turn can be developed into two- and three-dimensional sensor platforms through structural and functional integration.

Since the invention of mini-structured high-sensitivity silicon-based tunneling sensor in 1993, the synthesis and fabrication …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Deregulation In The Electric Utility Industry: A Market-Based Approach, Manfen Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

In this paper, I investigate one stated purpose of deregulation in the electric utility industry—to make utility operations more responsive to news releases, a proxy for market forces. My premise is that utilities providing electricity to highly deregulated states will be more responsive to market forces than those providing electricity to non-deregulated states. I employ intraday data from April to June 2001, the year after deregulation, and from 1994, the year before deregulation. I also employ the Brown-Forsythe-Modified Levene (BFL) test to determine the volatility differences between days with released news and days without released news. The results of BFL …