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Articles 1 - 30 of 446
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Beliefs, Practices, And Preservice Teachers: A Case Study, Janie Riddle Goodman
Beliefs, Practices, And Preservice Teachers: A Case Study, Janie Riddle Goodman
Theses and Dissertations
Existing in the chronology of content area literacy instruction is a convincing body of research that supports the role of strategic learning in students’ literacy development. However, much of what is known about teaching reading comprehension strategies is not part of the instruction found in many secondary classrooms. Even though studies have shown how students benefit from using comprehension strategies, the instructional necessities for teaching those strategies are not part of many secondary teachers’ practices. Additionally, the historical focus on literacy practices and strategies is shifting towards attention on the critical role of the disciplines in secondary literacy and the …
Surface Modification Of Nanoplatelets In Polymer Nanocomposites, Shailesh K. Shori
Surface Modification Of Nanoplatelets In Polymer Nanocomposites, Shailesh K. Shori
Theses and Dissertations
In polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), it is very important that the nanofiller (typically an inorganic) is well-dispersed in an organic polymer matrix. Optimal compatibility results in end-use products such as packaging materials with enhanced properties. In practice, however, this is challenging to achieve because “ideal” dispersions require the complete uniform separation, termed exfoliation, of the nanofiller within the matrix. As a result, different nanofillers including calcium niobate (CN) and montmorillonite (MMT) are first studied for their ability to exfoliate in aqueous suspensions by measuring the organic cation uptake. The cation exchange capacity, or CEC, determined that CN needs further work before …
The Role Of The Learning Community In The Professional Development Of Literacy Teachers, Abbey Spoonmore Duggins
The Role Of The Learning Community In The Professional Development Of Literacy Teachers, Abbey Spoonmore Duggins
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative case study explored a learning community in action. The purpose of this study was to investigate the professional conversations that teachers in a learning community had and the impact of those conversations on the practices and beliefs of the individual teachers in the community. Specifically, the study sought to discover how and why facets of professional learning transferred (or did not transfer) into classroom practice. The researcher spent five months with a learning community comprised of six middle school literacy teachers and attended their learning community meetings, visited their classrooms, and videotaped them teaching. Each classroom visit was …
Simulation Based Evaluation Of Multiscale Small Area Health Models, Purbasha Dasgupta
Simulation Based Evaluation Of Multiscale Small Area Health Models, Purbasha Dasgupta
Theses and Dissertations
The effects of scale on the analysis of spatial data, often referred to as the modifiable areal unit problem in spatial studies, is one of the issues often encountered in small area health models. These spatial effects of scale are also seen in the areas of disease mapping where data are usually available in counts. Often there is a need to consider the different scales of aggregation that exist within count data, since inferences based on analyses can vary if we change the definition of the unit of analysis. This thesis provides a framework that describes the distribution of relative …
School-Based Sexuality Education, Gender, And Relationship Self-Efficacy: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis Of Sexual Behavior In First-Year College Students, Sara C. Schmidt
Theses and Dissertations
While the effectiveness at abstinence-only versus comprehensive sexuality education in preventing adolescent risky sexual behavior is widely researched, little is known about whether material learned in secondary school sexuality education classes impacts emerging adult sexual behavior in the college environment. Furthermore, research suggests that self-efficacy – or beliefs in one’s abilities to organize and execute actions – may be more critical than knowledge or skills in terms of how individuals enact behavior. We hypothesized a moderated-mediation effect by which the causal impact of type of sexuality education on four different sexual behaviors during the first year in college is transmitted …
The Effects Of Multiple Gratitude Interventions Among Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease, Cristy Degregory
The Effects Of Multiple Gratitude Interventions Among Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease, Cristy Degregory
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this group randomized intervention trial was to examine the impact of participation in three telephone-based gratitude interventions on the physical, psychological and social functioning of participants in caregiver support groups who are unpaid family caregivers of persons with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Fredrickson’s (2001) Broaden-and-Build Theory informed the investigation of the effect of three gratitude interventions on participants’ levels of gratitude, positive aspects of caregiving, subjective well-being, physical health and mental health. This was a randomized, wait-list controlled study involving informal caregivers involved in support groups. The research questions were: 1.) How does gratitude contribute to subjective …
Which Student Characteristics Correlate With Discipline Referrals? A Case Study Of A Diverse, High-Poverty Rural School District In The South, Jeannie Baltimore Monson
Which Student Characteristics Correlate With Discipline Referrals? A Case Study Of A Diverse, High-Poverty Rural School District In The South, Jeannie Baltimore Monson
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of discipline referrals in a diverse, high-poverty rural school district. The framework is based upon the Diamond (2004) study which, like this research, was built on the notion that socioeconomic inequality is a major factor for disproportionality in student discipline. This study identified the assets and deficits of the sample population and analyzed them in relationship to the referrals accrued. This study was conducted in a small, rural, southern school district. Of the population, approximately 78% are on free and reduced lunch and is made up of Caucasian students, 53%, …
Alterations To Taste Preference In Mc4r Haploinsufficiency Manifest Prior To Dietary Induced Obesity And Are Accompanied By Dendritic Spine Alterations To Medium Spiny Neurons Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Adulthood, Robert Francis Roscoe Jr.
Alterations To Taste Preference In Mc4r Haploinsufficiency Manifest Prior To Dietary Induced Obesity And Are Accompanied By Dendritic Spine Alterations To Medium Spiny Neurons Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Adulthood, Robert Francis Roscoe Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and has become an increasing public health concern for developed nations. Haploinsufficiency of melanocortin receptor 4 has been identified as the single most common monogenetic cause of obesity in humans. Using the MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rat, we sought to determine potential alterations in body weight and morphology, locomotor activity, sucrose concentration preference, and progressive-ratio operant testing in a dietary-induced obesity environment. Rats were placed on four separate diets corresponding to 1.7% saturated fat with 12.2% total kcal/fat, 6% saturated fat with a 40% total kcal/fat, 12% saturated fat with a 40% …
Impact Of Multi-Hospital System Organizational Structure On Financial Performance And Quality Of Care In Rural Hospitals, George Raul Audi
Impact Of Multi-Hospital System Organizational Structure On Financial Performance And Quality Of Care In Rural Hospitals, George Raul Audi
Theses and Dissertations
Considering the increasing challenge to providing access to affordable healthcare in the United States and its effect on the economy, it is critical for patients, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and federal and state agencies to understand the impact of different organizational structures within affiliated hospitals. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of different organizational structures within rural multi-hospital systems (MHS) on the hospitals’ financial performance and the quality of patient care. The data for this study were drawn by linking two national datasets: the 2011 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey and the 2012 American Hospital …
Success With Social Responsibility Local Retailers' Perspectives, Danielle Marie Razalan
Success With Social Responsibility Local Retailers' Perspectives, Danielle Marie Razalan
Theses and Dissertations
This research examines a specific sect of small business—the local retailer—in order to gauge owners’ understanding and implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Guided by the Enlightened Self-Interest Model (ESIM), the purpose of this study is to gain further insight into how local retailers in Columbia determine what is socially responsible, and what CSR practices they are utilizing. Additionally, this research aims to understand why local retailers are motivated to act in a socially responsible way and the benefits they perceive from CSR. Results reveal that owners of local retailers are motivated to act in a socially responsible way by …
An Engineering Approach For The Design Of Archaeological Reburial Systems, Angel Ari Perez Mejia
An Engineering Approach For The Design Of Archaeological Reburial Systems, Angel Ari Perez Mejia
Theses and Dissertations
Archaeological sites are a non-renewable resource which is often our only link to the past. However, sites are under constant threat of destruction due to construction activities. Civil engineers and archaeologists must the work together to ensure both the continued survival of archaeological sites while allowing for development to continue. Reburial systems, when properly designed and constructed, allow for the protection of archaeological sites while allowing the continued use of the land. However, because reburial as an intentional conservation technique is relatively modern, practice is fragmented and there are no universally accepted guidelines. Current reburial system design relies on prescriptive …
'Precious Objects': Strange 'Things' In James And Wharton, John Kinard
'Precious Objects': Strange 'Things' In James And Wharton, John Kinard
Theses and Dissertations
In this work, I attempt to examine the importance of things, the strange agency of objects, which emerges in the literature of the late nineteenth century. To this end, I examine the economy of things in both Henry James and Edith Wharton. I attempt to connect this object agency with the emergent discourses and technologies of the time, and to link these both with media and queer theory.
Cost Avoidance Analysis Of Military Aircraft Components Utilizing Condition-Based Maintenance Practices, Erin Ballentine
Cost Avoidance Analysis Of Military Aircraft Components Utilizing Condition-Based Maintenance Practices, Erin Ballentine
Theses and Dissertations
This research involves two major case studies. Both look at the current maintenance practices done by the United States Army and propose a solution for improvement utilizing condition-based maintenance (CBM) practices. Each study details a cost avoidance that can be earned by implementing the solutions and the resulting benefits that can be experienced. Case Study I is a return on investment (ROI) that analyzes the benefits of the implementation of elastomeric wedges as vibration control on the Apache (AH-64D) aircraft. Analysis of the material and operational costs shows that the use of self-adhering elastomeric trailing edge wedges on the Apache …
Differentiating Self-Reported Imagery Abilities With Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Brian D. Seiler
Differentiating Self-Reported Imagery Abilities With Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Brian D. Seiler
Theses and Dissertations
Motor imagery (MI), a top-down knowledge-driven process involving the deliberate cognitive simulation or rehearsal of an action without engaging in overt physical movements, shares the same neural networks as movement execution improving motor learning and enhancing performance of motor tasks. The capacity to form images is not universal, and is a variable, moderating factor of neural activity impacting intervention effectiveness and distinguishing between individual imagery abilities. Measuring imagery abilities through self-report measures (i.e., MIQ-3 and VMIQ-2) is common, but the importance of behavioral and neuroimaging techniques have also been highlighted. Despite the robustness of these questionnaires, few studies have investigated …
Remote Sensing Satellite Image Acquisition Planning: Framework, Methods And Application, Shufan Liu
Remote Sensing Satellite Image Acquisition Planning: Framework, Methods And Application, Shufan Liu
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explores the theories and methods of satellite remote sensing image acquisition planning within a spatial temporal context. For many time sensitive applications, such as disaster emergency response, timely acquisition of critical information is the key to intelligent and effective decision making. Remote sensing plays an important role in information collection for these time sensitive applications. Imagery collected from hundreds of remote sensing satellite sensors offer accurate, frequent and almost instantaneous data covering the Earth in a relatively short time. However, determining which satellite sensors can provide an appropriated kind of imageries during a restricted collection window for the …
Functionalized Graphitic Nanoreinforcement For Cement Composites, Nima Zohhadi
Functionalized Graphitic Nanoreinforcement For Cement Composites, Nima Zohhadi
Theses and Dissertations
Physical and mechanical properties of graphitic nanomaterials, in particular multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) make them promising candidates for nanoreinforcement of cement composites. The two key challenges associated with the incorporation of MWCNTs and GNPs are to attain uniform dispersion and interfacial bonding within the composite matrix. The effects of three main-stream dispersion techniques (namely, ultrasonication, acid-etching, and surfactant-coating) on the mechanical properties and microstructure of MWCNT- and GNP-cement composites were experimentally studied. Compressive strength tests and different characterization techniques including dynamic light scattering, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission …
Finite Element Analysis Simulations Of Micro And Nano-Electromechanical Sensors For Design Optimization, Nicholas Frank Deroller
Finite Element Analysis Simulations Of Micro And Nano-Electromechanical Sensors For Design Optimization, Nicholas Frank Deroller
Theses and Dissertations
Micro and Nano-electromechanical sensors (MEMS and NEMS) provide a means of actively sensing minute changes in the surrounding environment. Small changes in temperature, momentum, and strain may be sensed in passive modes while greater sensing possibilities exist in active modes. Theoretical femto-gram resolution mass detection and heated element sensing methods may be used while volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing may be achieved when combined with a functionalization layer or device heating. These devices offer a great reduction in cost and offer increased mobility by allowing a "lab-on-chip" solution for the prospective user while also greatly reducing the amount of energy …
Exploration Of Implicit Bias On Multidisciplinary Team Members When Referring African American Students For Special Education Services, Twana Romona Fletcher
Exploration Of Implicit Bias On Multidisciplinary Team Members When Referring African American Students For Special Education Services, Twana Romona Fletcher
Theses and Dissertations
The disproportionality or overrepresentation of African American students in special education is a longstanding problem that continues to be prevalent today. There are numerous reasons why this phenomenon continues to persist including but not limited to implicit bias among multidisciplinary team members (MDT). One function of the MDT is to decide if a student needs to be referred for special education services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the decision making processes of the MDT members to determine if implicit bias impacted their decision to refer an African American student for special education services. This qualitative study …
Marine Population Connectivity: Range Boundaries And Climate Change, Rhiannon Leigh Rognstad
Marine Population Connectivity: Range Boundaries And Climate Change, Rhiannon Leigh Rognstad
Theses and Dissertations
Population connectivity, particularly in open systems, is an important metric for understanding population-level processes on both ecological and evolutionary timescales. In coastal marine systems, adults are typically sedentary and dispersal occurs primarily during a larval stage when individuals are transported in ocean currents. Because coastal marine populations exist as networks of interconnected subpopulations, variation in the magnitude and extent of population connectivity can have profound effects on population dynamics and species distribution limits. Connectivity is a complex process, affected by a multitude of factors, including adult inputs and physical dispersal, which operate at multiple scales and may interact. This dissertation …
Culturally Relevant Teaching: A Case Study On Teaching Statistics In The High School Setting, Lashaune Natae Smith
Culturally Relevant Teaching: A Case Study On Teaching Statistics In The High School Setting, Lashaune Natae Smith
Theses and Dissertations
Public school enrollment is increasing for African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students. However, minority and immigrant children tend to perform lower academically than White, middle-class students. Hence, there is a growing need to reform pedagogical practices for underachieving student populations to have improved chances for school success. Culturally relevant teaching is an effective approach to addressing the social and academic needs of minority students. The purpose of this study was to examine culturally relevant teaching in high school statistics classrooms of predominantly African American students. Using a qualitative case study research design, this study examined two …
Influence Of Defects In Epitaxial Graphene Towards Material Growth And Device Performances, Shamaita Shithi Shetu
Influence Of Defects In Epitaxial Graphene Towards Material Growth And Device Performances, Shamaita Shithi Shetu
Theses and Dissertations
Since its invention in 2004, Graphene, a two dimensional array of SP2 bonded carbon atoms has received significant interest by the scientific community due to its unique electrical, optical and mechanical properties. A promising route to the synthesis of large-area graphene, is epitaxial graphene formed by sublimation of silicon atoms from Silicon carbide at elevated temperatures (>1200oC). Although the electronic and mechanical properties of graphene with perfect atomic lattice are outstanding, the structural defects, which may appear during graphene growth, can influence the growth mechanism and material properties. However, deviations from perfection, i.e. introducing dopants in semiconductors often considered …
Building Sanity: The Rise And Fall Of Architectural Treatment At The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum, Kimberly Jean Campbell
Building Sanity: The Rise And Fall Of Architectural Treatment At The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum, Kimberly Jean Campbell
Theses and Dissertations
Although many historians have acknowledged the importance of architecture in the treatment of the mentally ill during the nineteenth century, no historian has ever examined the rise and fall of the importance of architecture to the treatment of patients at the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum. By the late eighteenth century, physicians and laymen alike accepted the ideology of environmental determinism – that one’s environment exercised a direct influence over his or her behavior. In other words, mental illness was both caused and cured by the environment; thus, architecture played a key role in the treatment of mental illness. The South …
Determining The Change Styles Preferences Of Principals In South Carolina's Secondary Schools With A Background In The Fine Arts, Sterling Bernard Harris
Determining The Change Styles Preferences Of Principals In South Carolina's Secondary Schools With A Background In The Fine Arts, Sterling Bernard Harris
Theses and Dissertations
Very little research has been published regarding the change style preferences and leadership styles of secondary principals in South Carolina who have a common background. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the preferred change style preference of principals in South Carolina that have an arts background and the change style preferences of principals without an arts background. This study would also determine if these styles were the same or different. Quantitative data were gathered from online administration of the Change Style Indicator (CSI), the South Carolina Department of Education, and the South Carolina Association of School …
High Level Control Implementation For A Residential Smart Grid Power System, Hang Xu
High Level Control Implementation For A Residential Smart Grid Power System, Hang Xu
Theses and Dissertations
With the environment protection and energy usage efficiency promotion issues concerned more and more by governments and industries these days, smart grid technologies have been in rapid development. On this new technology stage, residential site power management system has become a star. This paper introduces the concept, development of two high level control methods for “Smart Green Power Node” (SGPN), solutions of demand side energy management system. One control algorithm is optimal model method which uses the predictive data of a battery model with electrical parameters and pricing methods, to keep scheduling the optimal control input on the receding time …
Fabrication And Characterization Of Novel Electrodes For Solid Oxide Fuel Cell For Efficient Energy Conversion, Yu Chen
Theses and Dissertations
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have been considered as one of the most promising technologies for future energy conversion since they can in principle be operated with fuels ranging from H2 to any hydrocarbon fuel. However, the system cost and coking (when using hydrocarbon as fuel) issues for the state-of-art electrode materials/designs often limit their further application. The objective of this Ph.D dissertation is aiming at overcoming these problems and accelerating SOFC commercialization. One approach to cost reduction is lowering the SOFC operating temperature to below 800 or even 600 oC, so that inexpensive materials can be used and quick …
Climatic Controls On Organic Matter Decomposition In Boreal Peatlands, Michael J. Philben
Climatic Controls On Organic Matter Decomposition In Boreal Peatlands, Michael J. Philben
Theses and Dissertations
Boreal peatlands currently contain 550 Pg C and are located at high latitudes where mean annual temperatures are expected to increase by as much as 7°C by the end of the century. There is growing concern that warming will stimulate decomposition, transforming peatlands from a sink to a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide and accelerating climate change. A primary goal of this dissertation was to evaluate the effect of climate change on organic matter decomposition in peatlands. This was achieved by developing and employing biochemical tracers to indicate the extent of peat decomposition across a range of naturally occurring climatic …
Life Satisfaction And Academic Performance In Early Adolescents: Evidence For Reciprocal Relationships, Zi Jia Ng
Theses and Dissertations
Student well-being remains a relatively neglected topic despite its intimate link to positive school outcomes. As academic achievement is the yardstick of student success and school accountability, school-based mental health research and practice have focused primarily on the assessment and treatment of learning and behavioral problems. This shortterm longitudinal study sought to establish the role of student subjective well-being in academic achievement. Based on the engine model of well-being (Jayawickreme, Forgeard, & Seligman, 2012), the study focused on life satisfaction as a process variable and academic performance as an outcome variable. Using two waves (five months apart) of data, the …
Piezotransistive Iii-V Nitride Microcantilever Based Mems/Nems Sensor For Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Of Chemicals, Abdul Hafiz Ibne Talukdar
Piezotransistive Iii-V Nitride Microcantilever Based Mems/Nems Sensor For Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Of Chemicals, Abdul Hafiz Ibne Talukdar
Theses and Dissertations
Microcantilevers are highly attractive as transducers for detecting chemicals, explosives, and biological molecules due to their high sensitivity, micro-scale dimensions, and low power consumption. Though optical transduction of the mechanical movement of the microcantilevers into an electrical signal is widely practiced, there is a continuous thrust to develop alternative transduction methods that are more conducive to the development of compact miniaturized sensors. Piezoelectric and piezoresistive transduction methods are two of the most popular ones that have been utilized to develop miniaturized sensor systems. Piezoelectric cantilevers, which are commonly made of PZT film, have demonstrated very high sensitivity; however, they suffer …
Comprehensive Joint Time-Frequency Analysis Toward Condition Based Maintenance Regimes For Electrical And Mechanical Components, David Lee Coats
Comprehensive Joint Time-Frequency Analysis Toward Condition Based Maintenance Regimes For Electrical And Mechanical Components, David Lee Coats
Theses and Dissertations
Based upon a framework of time-frequency analysis, we outline condition based maintenance (CBM), or maintenance only upon evidence of need, for both electrical and mechanical systems. We apply novel time-frequency cross-correlation metrics to helicopter drivetrain systems and electrical cables as remaining useful life assessments by non-destructive and non-invasive tests. In both cases, these metrics for health assessment provide a basis for diagnostic and prognostic analysis of underlying systems and components by performing accelerated condition tests on actual mechanical and electrical systems. We present novel time-frequency domain vibration analysis of a gearbox failure in an AH-64 Apache drivetrain testbed and quantify …
Relationships Between Prior Experiences, Current Teaching Contexts, And Novice Teachers' Use Of Concrete Representation For Mathematics Instruction, Elizabeth Lee Johnson
Relationships Between Prior Experiences, Current Teaching Contexts, And Novice Teachers' Use Of Concrete Representation For Mathematics Instruction, Elizabeth Lee Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
This case study documents the perceived influences on three novice elementary teachers’ use of concrete representations for teaching mathematics. In order to develop mathematical proficiency, students need access to a variety of representations (i.e. pictures, words, symbols, concrete materials, and real world contexts) to make sense of mathematical ideas. Three sources of data were collected: video-recorded lessons, interviews, and a focus group. Analyses indicated that although concrete representations were accessible to all three teachers, they were least used among the available representations. Verbal expression was most prominent, followed closely by abstract written symbols. Technology, which was not one of the …