Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Analysis Comparing Student Outcomes For National Board Certified Teachers And Non-National Board Certified Teachers, Wendy Hacke

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

The Implementation Of Connection Prompts In Building Substantive Engagement In The 2nd-Grade Classroom Through Book Club Conversations, Amy Alamar

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

The Effects Of A Self-Regulation Learning-Strategies Instructional Program On Middle-School Students' Use Of Learning Strategies And Study Tools, Self-Efficacy, And History Test Performance, Elizabeth Lyons-Wagner

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

The Impact Of Achievement Goals On The Help-Seeking Attitudes, Perceptions, And Behaviors Of Middle-School Science Students Participating In Inquiry-Based Education, Kimi Schmidt

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

Instruction, Perception, And Reflection : Beginning Teachers' Habits Of Mind, Sandra Fenderson

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

Reading And The Boy Crisis : The Effect Of Teacher Book Talks, Interactive Read-Alouds, And Students' Unrestricted Choice Of Books For Independent Reading On Fifth-Grade Boys' Reading Attitude, Reading Self-Efficacy, And Amount Of Reading And Fifth-Grade Teachers' Reading Beliefs And Practices, Cheryl Wozniak

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

An Exploration Of What Attracts Leaders To City Manager Positions And How City Managers Have Adapted In Their Positions, Robert Bell

Doctoral Dissertations

NA

A Study Of Synchronization Of Nonlinear Oscillators: Application To Epileptic Seizures, Daisuke Takeshita

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation focuses on several problems in neuroscience from the perspective of nonlinear dynamics and stochastic processes. The first part concerns a method to visualize the idea of the power spectrum of spike trains, which has an educational value to introductory students in biophysics. The next part consists of experimental and computational work on drug-induced epileptic seizures in the rat neocortex. In the experimental part, spatiotemporal patterns of electrical activities in the rat neocortex are measured using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. Epileptic regions show well-synchronized, in-phase activity during epileptic seizures. In the computational part, a network of a Hodgkin-Huxley type neocortical …

Effects Of Optimized And Sub-Optimum Two Degree Of Freedom Lining Tolerances On Modeled Inlet Acoustic Attenuation And Normal Incidence Impedance Measurement At Elevated Temperatures, David R. Burd

Doctoral Dissertations

"This work first investigates the effect of manufacturing tolerances on realized attenuation for two degree-of-freedom linings with the use of lining models and finite element duct propagation codes. Acoustic linings were created for two turbofan engines that optimize attenuation at takeoff/sideline and approach conditions. Lining physical and geometric parameters were set, which best meet the optimum impedance requirements at two target frequencies. Similar linings were created to investigate sub-optimum designs. Variations of these parameters representing realistic manufacturing tolerances were used to systematically examine the effect on installed impedance and predicted attenuation. Attenuation at sideline and approach conditions was found to …

Environmental Implications Of Francisella Tularensis Biofilms, Jeffrey J. Margolis '00

Doctoral Dissertations

Francisella tularensis survives in one of the widest environmental ranges of any pathogen. Numerous mammals and arthropod vectors are infected by this highly virulent organism. How this zoonotic pathogen persists outside of its many hosts remains unexplored. We aimed to examine how F. tularensis interacts with environmental surfaces, and hypothesized that biofilm formation may enable survival of this organism in nature. By understanding the role these surface-attached bacterial communities play in F. tularensis ecology, we hope to gain insight into the mechanisms of environmental persistence and transmission of this pathogen.

We identify chitin as a potential non-host niche for F. …

Improvement Of Eeg Based Brain Computer Interface By Application Of Tripolar Electrodes And Independent Component Analysis, Hongbao Cao

Doctoral Dissertations

For persons with severe disabilities, a brain computer interface (BCI) may be a viable means of communication, with scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) being the most common signal employed in the operation of a BCI. Various electrode configurations can be used for EEG recording, one of which was a set of concentric rings that was referred to as a Laplacian electrode. It has been shown that Lapalacian EEG could improve classification in EEG recognition, but the complete advantages of this configuration have not been established.

This project included two parts. First, a modeling study was performed using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to …

Text Summarization Using Concept Hierarchy, Xiaomei Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation aims to create new sentences to summarize text documents. In addition to generating new sentences, this project also generates new concepts and extracts key sentences to summarize documents. This project is the first research work that can generate new key concepts and can create new sentences to summarize documents.

Automatic document summarization is the process of creating a condensed version of the document. The condensed version extracts the key contents from the original document. Most related research uses statistical methods that generate a summary based on word distribution in the document. In this dissertation, we create a summary …

Computational Simulation Of Strain Localization: From Theory To Implementation, Shouxin Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

Strain localization in the form of shear bands or slip surfaces has widely been observed in most engineering materials, such as metals, concrete, rocks, and soils. Concurrent with the appearance of localized deformation is the loss of overall load-carrying capacity of the material body. Because the deformation localization is an important precursor of material failure, computational modeling of the onset and growth of the localization is indispensable for the understanding of the complete mechanical response and post-peak behavior of materials and structures. Simulation results can also be used to judge the failure mechanisms of materials and structures so that the …

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Device Fabrication Using Spin Coating Of Dispersions, Paul Jeremy Hummel

Doctoral Dissertations

This research looks at ways to utilize already synthesized carbon nanotubes (CNT) to manufacture electrical connections using current tools and fabrication methods employed in the semiconductor industry. Purchased single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are separated and placed in suspension using poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) (PSS). The PSS non-covalently bonds to the SWNTs, causing them to repel each other due to the negative charge of the PSS. The suspension of SWNTs is spin coated over a processed silicon (Si) wafer with fabricated trenches. A Si wafer with a top silicon dioxide (SiO 2) layer is spin coated with Shipley 1827 photoresist. UV light …

Discrete Nondeterministic Modeling Of Biochemical Networks, John R. Jack

Doctoral Dissertations

The ideas expressed in this work pertain to biochemical modeling. We explore our technique, the Nondeterministic Waiting Time algorithm, for modeling molecular signaling cascades. The algorithm is presented with pseudocode along with an explanation of its implementation. The entire source code can be found in the Appendices. This algorithm builds on earlier work from the lab of Dr. Andrei Nun, the advisor for this dissertation. We discuss several important extensions including: (i) a heap with special maintenance functions for sorting reaction waiting times, (ii) a nondeterministic component for handling reaction competition, and (iii) a memory enhancement allowing slower reactions to …

A Theoretical Study Of Methanol Oxidation Mechanisms By Methanol Dehydrogenase Enzymes For Fuel Cell Applications, Nagesh B. Idupulapati

Doctoral Dissertations

Enzymes are considered for electrochemical generation of power in fuel cells. Methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) is one such enzyme, which has been used as an anodic catalyst for a methanol-fed biofuel cell producing enough power for small electronic device applications. In practice, however, there are power output limitations associated with this MDH fuel cell, which may potentially be eliminated or reduced if the reactivity of this enzyme during the oxidation of methanol at the molecular level is clearly understood.

Two mechanisms for the methanol oxidation process by MDH have been proposed in the literature, Addition-Elimination (A-E) and Hydride Transfer (H-T), but …

The Relationship Between Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Mathematics Teacher Questioning Strategies, Lynne Smith Nielsen

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an intense two-week professional development program for middle school mathematics teachers, along with follow-up classroom visits, video review of lessons (with feedback), and two six-hour follow-up sessions each semester would improve teacher questioning strategies and promote higher-level questioning based on Bloom's (1956) Taxonomy of cognitive categories. A second purpose of the study was to determine whether, through reflection and instructor feedback, teachers would gain the ability to involve students in high press questioning situations. The third purpose of the study was to investigate whether relevant professional development would result in an …

Chasing Μ, Joseph P. Cannon

Doctoral Dissertations

Conducting and semiconducting, π-conjugated polymers are promising materials for micro- and nano-optoelectronic applications because of their widely tunable physical, electrical, and optical properties. These polymers have been used to fabricate a number of electronic devices including field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, and photovoltaic cells. However, widespread commercial application of these devices has yet to be realized, due in part to poor electronic transport characteristics and device degradation.

Nanostructuring of conjugated polymers by various methods has demonstrated marked improvements in molecular ordering and electronic transport. In this research, nanoscale, tubular structures of semiconducting polymers fabricated by template wetting nanofabrication procedures are explored. …

The Impact Of Summer/Academic Year Learning Projects On The Academic Achievement Of Student Participants, Glenn Scott Beer

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined differences in the academic achievement between students who participated in the Louisiana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (LA GEAR UP) Summer/Academic Year Learning Projects and students who did not participate in the program. The sample consisted of 111 students who attended schools participating in the LA GEAR UP program and who attended at least 4 LA GEAR UP summer learning camps and a comparison group of 111 students attending the same schools but who did not attend a summer learning camp. Participating students were individually matched with non-participants on 7 variables, including 6th-grade Iowa …

Computational Study Of Pristine And Titanium-Doped Sodium Alanates For Hydrogen Storage Applications, Gopi Krishna Phani Dathar

Doctoral Dissertations

The emphasis of this research is to study and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of reversible hydrogen storage in pristine and Ti-doped sodium aluminum hydrides using molecular modeling techniques. An early breakthrough in using complex metal hydrides as hydrogen storage materials is from the research on sodium alanates by Bogdanovic et al., in 1997 reporting reversible hydrogen storage is possible at moderate temperatures and pressures in transition metal doped sodium alanates. Anton reported titanium salts as the best catalysts compared to all other transition metal salts from his further research on transition metal doped sodium alanates. However, a few questions remained …

Naïve Bayes And Similarity Based Methods For Identifying Computer Users Using Keystroke Patterns, Shrijit S. Joshi

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, we present two methods for identifying computer users using keystroke patterns. In the first method "Competition between naïve Bayes models for user identification," a naïve Bayes model is created for each user. In the training phase of this method, the model of a user is trained using maximum likelihood estimation on the key press latency values extracted from the texts typed by the user. In the user identification phase of this method, for each user we determine the probabilistic likelihood that the typed text belongs to a user. Finally, the typed text is assigned to the user …

A System Model For The Effect Of Polarization Mode Dispersion On Digital Modulated Optical Signals In Single Mode Fibers, Abhijit Shriram Chitambar

Doctoral Dissertations

A comprehensive systems model that retains the discrete nature of the output delay distribution in order to accurately characterize the pulse broadening due to Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD) is developed in this thesis. PMD in optical channels has been a critical factor limiting high-speed data transmission over long distances in optical networks. PMD is a source of Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) and its impact increases with the transmission data rate. Since economical adaptive compensation schemes are currently unavailable, it is essential to characterize this impairment to completely understand its impact and develop effective countermeasures. An incremental approach has been developed …

Excavating The Landscapes Of American Literature: Archaeology, Antiquarianism, And The Landscape In American Women's Writing, 1820--1890, Christina Healey

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the ways that women writers made use of the discourses of antiquarianism and archaeology between the years 1820 and 1890. Focusing especially upon the writings of Sarah Josepha Hale, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Susan Fenimore Cooper, Celia Thaxter, and Constance Fenimore Woolson, the project examines depictions of artifacts, ruins, relics, and other antiquities in literary landscapes. Each of these women presents a unique way of knowing the world that is manifested in the ways their texts join different ways of understanding the landscape, its occupants, the artifacts it contains, its strata and geological history, and its aesthetic value. …

Genetic Variation Within The Daphnia Pulex Genome, Abraham Eaton Tucker

Doctoral Dissertations

Genetic variation within the diploid Daphnia pulex genome was examined using a high quality de novo assembly and shotgun reads from two distinct D. pulex clones. Patterns of variation and divergence at single nucleotides were examined in physical and functional regions of the genome using comparative assembly output and available annotations. Additionally, mitochondrial genomes of the same D. pulex clones were assembled and compared for patterns of divergence, and substitutional biases. Intron presence/absence polymorphisms were identified computationally and verified experimentally. Finally, gene duplicate demographics were examined for patterns of divergence and estimates of gene birth rates.

Wavelet Regression With Long Memory Infinite Moving Average Errors, Juan Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

For more than a decade there has been great interest in wavelets and wavelet-based methods. Among the most successful applications of wavelets is nonparametric statistical estimation, following the pioneering work of Donoho and Johnstone (1994, 1995) and Donoho et al. (1995). In this thesis, we consider the wavelet-based estimators of the mean regression function with long memory infinite moving average errors, and investigate the rates of convergence of estimators based on thresholding of empirical wavelet coefficients. We show that these estimators achieve nearly optimal minimax convergence rates within a logarithmic term over a large class of non-smooth functions that involve …

Invariant Frechet Algebras On Bounded Symmetric Domains, Oleg Eroshkin

Doctoral Dissertations

Let D be a bounded domain in the complex vector space Cn . We say that D is symmetric iff, given any two points p, q ∈ D, there is a biholomorphism &phis;, which interchanges p and q. These domains were classified abstractly by Elie Cartan in his general study of symmetric spaces, and were canonically realized in Cn by Harish-Chandra. They include polydisks and Siegel domains.

Let D be a bounded symmetric domain in Cn , and G be the largest connected group of biholomorphic automorphisms of D. The algebra C( D) of all continuous (not necessarily bounded) complex-valued …

Mathematics Of Double-Walled Carbon Nanotube Model: Asymptotic Spectral And Stability Analysis, Miriam Rojas-Arenaza

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is devoted to analytical study of a contemporary model of a double-walled carbon nano-tube. Carbon nano-tubes have been considered outstanding candidates to innovate and to promote emerging technologies, due to their remarkable chemical, mechanical, and physical properties. For these technologies, there is a need to develop mathematical models that capture the nature of the responses of these structures under a variety of physical conditions. Developing these models is challenging because the behavior lies on the borderline between classical and quantum systems. The main goal of the present dissertation is to prove mathematically rigorous results concerning the vibrational behavior …

Kadison -Singer Algebras With Applications To Von Neumann Algebras, Mohan Ravichandran

Doctoral Dissertations

I develop the theory of Kadison-Singer algebras, introduced recently by Ge and Yuan. I prove basic structure theorems, construct several new examples and explore connections to other areas of operator algebras. In chapter 1, I survey those aspects of the theory of non-selfadjoint algebras that are relevant to this work. In chapter 2, I define Kadison-Singer algebras and give different proofs of results of Ge-Yuan, which will be further extended in the last chapter. In chapter 3, I analyse in detail a class of elementary Kadison-Singer algebras that contain Hinfinity and describe their lattices of projections. In chapter 4, I …

Biologically Inspired Feature Extraction For Rotation And Scale Tolerant Pattern Analysis, Dragan Vidacic

Doctoral Dissertations

Biologically motivated information processing has been an important area of scientific research for decades. The central topic addressed in this dissertation is utilization of lateral inhibition and more generally, linear networks with recurrent connectivity along with complex-log conformal mapping in machine based implementations of information encoding, feature extraction and pattern recognition. The reasoning behind and method for spatially uniform implementation of inhibitory/excitatory network model in the framework of non-uniform log-polar transform is presented. For the space invariant connectivity model characterized by Topelitz-Block-Toeplitz matrix, the overall network response is obtained without matrix inverse operations providing the connection matrix generating function is …

Kadison -Singer Algebras, Wei Yuan

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, we defined a new class of non selfadjoint operator algebras---Kadison-Singer algebras or KS-algebras for simplicity. These algebras combine triangularity, reflexivity and von Neumann algebra property into one consideration. Generally speaking, KS-algebras are reflexive, maximal triangular with respect to its "diagonal subalgebra". Many selfadjoint features are preserved in them and concepts can be borrowed directly from the theory of von Neumann algebras. In fact, a more direct connection of KS-algebras and von Neumann algebras is through the lattice of invariant projections of a KS-algebra. The lattice is reflexive and "minimally generating" in the sense that it generates the …