Digital Commons Network^™

The Impacts Of Founding Teams' Characteristics, Types Of Opportunities, And Types Of Strategies On Firm Performance In New Business Ventures, Kyung-Moon Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I examine the impact of the characteristics of founding team on firm performance in new business ventures. In addition, this study investigates the moderating effects of the types of opportunities and the types of strategies on the relationships between founding teams' knowledge and firm performance. Although considerable research has examined the effects of founding teams' education and experience on firm performance, findings are inconclusive and disintegrated. Few studies have attempted to investigate the combined effects of these important factors on new ventures' performance and survival. As a result, this study investigates the impact of founding team knowledge …

Predicting Threat Potential Using Cyber Sensors, Mark Anthony Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

The proliferation of the Internet has created a culture of a connected society dependent upon technology for communication and information sharing needs. In this dissertation, we hypothesize that attackers are increasingly using electronic resources that are capable of leaving a digital footprint, such as social media services, e-mail, text messages, blogs, and websites for the communication, planning, and coordination of attacks. In its current form, however, traffic analysis is primarily concerned with using communications volume to extract intelligence information, but largely ignores the content of communications transmissions that is needed to meet the security challenges and demands of continually emerging …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Among The Family Of Origin, Need For Achievement, And Career Development, David G. Arcement

Doctoral Dissertations

The study was designed to examine, from a family system theory and a contextual approach, the impact of family environment on career thoughts, career indecision, and vocational identity. It further expanded career development research to include the need for achievement by examining the relationship between need for achievement and career-related variables. A sample of 211 undergraduate college students was administered the Family Environment Scale, Career Decision Scale, Career Thoughts Inventory, My Vocational Situation, and Personal Values Questionnaire. The results revealed a limited relationship between the family of origin and career development outcome measures. Specifically, independence and expressiveness in the family …

Generalized Finite-Difference Time-Domain Schemes For Solving Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations, Frederick Ira Moxley Iii

Doctoral Dissertations

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) is one of the most widely applicable equations in physical science, and characterizes nonlinear dispersive waves, optics, water waves, and the dynamics of molecules. The NLSE satisfies many mathematical conservation laws. Moreover, due to the nonlinearity, the NLSE often requires a numerical solution, which also satisfies the conservation laws. Some of the more popular numerical methods for solving the NLSE include the finite difference, finite element, and spectral methods such as the pseudospectral, split-step with Fourier transform, and integrating factor coupled with a Fourier transform. With regard to the finite difference and finite element methods, …

Analysis Of Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses To Listeria Monocytogenes Infection, Daqi Xu

Doctoral Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes (L.m.) is a food-borne bacterium that can cause severe disease. Nevertheless, recombinant L.m. have been developed as potential vaccine vectors. Due to the importance of the mucosal immune system and the requirement for developing vaccine therapies for cancer and detrimental infections, this thesis focuses on the analysis of innate and adaptive immune responses to intravenous or oral L.m. infection. Costimulation molecules are essential for optimal CD8 T cell responses against L.m. infection. PD-L1 is an important negative regulator of T cell immune responses via interactions with PD-1 and CD80. However, PD-L1 can also act as a positive costimulator, …

Communications And Networking In Underwater Acoustic Networked Systems, Zhaohui Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

The Earth is mostly a water planet, with two thirds of its surface covered by water. Exploration of the mysterious water world has never ceased in human history, yet at the time being, less than one percent of this environment has been explored, since it cannot be probed through satellites nor visited by humans for a long time. Driven by the unprecedented development of wireless communications and networking in terrestrial radio applications, underwater wireless networked systems, especially underwater acoustic (UWA) networked systems, are envisioned to revolutionize underwater exploration through providing long-term, continuous and real-time unmanned data acquisition. Nevertheless, a plethora …

Three Essays On The Property Rights Theory Of The Firm, Leshui He

Doctoral Dissertations

My dissertation research focuses on the efficiency of various governance structures using the basic framework of the Grossman-Hart-Moore (GHM) property rights model. The first two chapters expand the GHM framework to describe a richer spectrum of governance structures—including not only fully integrated firms and fully disintegrated market transactions but also asset-less firms and exclusive dealing between firms. The general framework combines the GHM model with a model of bargaining control rights, yielding an allocation of ownership rights that may differ from what the GHM model implies. The results are related to the general principles of employment law. The third chapter …

First Principles Study Of Band Offsets And Band Bending Of Inxga1-Xn/Gan And Zn1-Xbexo/Zno Heterostructures And Quantum Wells, Liang Dong

Doctoral Dissertations

In_xGa_1-xN (InGaN) and Zn_1-xBe_xO (ZnBeO) are compound semiconductor solid solutions that display a wide band gap tuning range and strong spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations due to the wurtzite crystal structure. They have gained significant importance in electronic and optoelectronic devices where the active layers are often fabricated as InGaN/GaN and ZnBeO/ZnO multiple quantum well (MQW) structures to take the advantage of an enhanced quantum confinement. The performances of devices based on such polarizable MQWs are significantly affected by band offsets and band bending, two critical interlayer interfacial parameters closely related …

Organizational Learning Support Preferences Of Millennials: An Interpretive Study, Kevin S. Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

Given that more than $170 Billion is invested annually on employee learning and development in the U.S (American Society for Training and Development, 2011) it is important that training leads to improved job performance. In any organization, workers require new knowledge and skills to become productive and maintain performance over time. Millennials, who comprise the latest employee generation, are age 18-34 (Tyler, 2007) and share the same performance requirements and expectations of the generations that precede them in the workforce. The organizational learning supports to help millennials improve their learning in the workplace remain largely undefined. For the purposes of …

Multi-State Memory And Logic Designs Using Multi-Quantum Channel Nano-Fets, Pawan Gogna

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, implementation of multi value logic using a novel algebra and Spatial Wavefunction Switched Field Effect Transistor (SWSFET) has been explored. The quantum mechanical simulations, characteristics of the fabricated SWS structures are discussed. The novel device and quaternary algebra has been used to implement multi-value logic. The designs of quaternary SRAM cells, basic logic gates and arithmetic cells are presented. In addition, mixed signal architectures using SWSFET are explored. Simulations for the memory, logic and mixed signal designs are presented. BSIM3 equivalent channel models were used for SWSFET. Cadence Spectre Simulator and Advanced Design Simulator were used as …

Ii–Vi Epitaxial Films In Nonvolatile Memory, 3-State Fets, And Solar Cells, Ernesto Suarez

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents design and fabrication of improved performance FETs, nonvolatile memories, and solar cells. The key feature is the use of wide band gap II-VI quantum well layers and/or quantum dots which are grown using UltraViolet (UV) low temperature Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) heteroepitaxy. These layers serve as an insulating substitute for gate insulators such as SiO₂ or HfO₂. The motivation behind using II-VI lattice-matched gate dielectrics is two-fold: (1) to reduce interface states and their adverse impact on threshold voltage, in particular its variation from device-to-device in sub-22nm structures, and (2) to utilize the …

How School Counselors From Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Programs (Ramp) Implement Equitable College And Career Readiness: A Delphi Study, Jennifer L. Parzych Dr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research is to understand the relationship between a fully implemented American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model school counseling program on student career readiness and college attainment. The Delphi technique was employed to gain consensus from a group of experts on indicators of students’ college and career readiness, as well as counseling components necessary for promoting equitable college and career readiness. Eleven school counselors from districts with Recognized ASCA Model Programs (RAMP) at every level (K – 12) agreed to fully participate as experts in this study. Expert participants identified 60 indicators of student college and …

Efficient Classification And Prediction Algorithms For Biomedical Information, Rania M. Kilany

Doctoral Dissertations

Voluminous data sets are being generated on a continual basis in various branches of science and engineering. As a result, the amount of scholarly publications has also increased tremendously. For instance, Pubmed carries millions of abstracts. Pubmed's size keeps growing at a rapid pace. Given such large repositories, one of the challenges for any biologist will be to retrieve the information of interest in a short amount of time. In this research we propose novel solutions for such problems of information retrieval.

One of the goals of this research has been to develop a computational tool that can come up …

Multipass Beam Breakup Study At Jefferson Lab For The 12 Gev Cebaf Upgrade, Ilkyoung Shin

Doctoral Dissertations

Recirculating linear accelerators (linacs) provide a compact and efficient way of accelerating particle beams to medium and high energies by reusing the same linac for multiple passes. In recirculating linacs, maximum current can be limited by multipass beam breakup (BBU), which occurs when an electron beam interacts with the higher order modes (HOMs) of accelerating cavities during multipass recirculations.

The average current of the CEBAF 12 GeV Upgrade accelerator at Jefferson Lab, a 5-pass recirculating linac, may be limited by multipass BBU. This disserta- tion work was performed as part of the 12 GeV Upgrade project at Jefferson Lab to …

The Internet And Adolescent Readers: Exploring Relationships Between Online Reading Comprehension, Prior Knowledge, Critical Evaluation, And Dispositions., J. Gregory Mcverry Jr

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the role that background knowledge, critical evaluation of information, and a reader’s dispositions play in predicting online reading comprehension performance, during comprehension tasks that take place in either less restricted or more restricted information spaces.

Sequential regression models demonstrated that, after controlling for verbal intelligence, critical evaluation and prior knowledge were significant in both the less restricted information space and the more restricted information space. Scores on a disposition measure were only significant in the more restricted model.

Qualitative analysis, using verbal protocol methods, found that were key overall differences …

Multistatic Tracking With The Maximum Likelihood Probabilistic Multi-Hypothesis Tracker, Steven C. Schoenecker

Doctoral Dissertations

Multistatic sonar tracking is a difficult proposition. The ocean environment typically features very complex propagation conditions, causing low target probabilities of detection and high clutter levels. Additionally, most sonar targets are relatively low speed, which makes it difficult to use Doppler (if available) to separate target returns from clutter returns.

The Maximum Likelihood Probabilistic Data Association Tracker (ML-PDA) and the Maximum Likelihood Probabilistic Multi-Hypothesis Tracker (ML-PMHT) --- a similar algorithm to ML-PDA --- can be implemented as effective multistatic trackers. This dissertation will develop a tracking framework for these algorithms.

This framework will focus mainly on ML-PMHT, which has an …

Individual Factors And Newcomer Adjustment Among Recent College Graduates, Rachel E. K. Larson

Doctoral Dissertations

Every year recent college graduates enter the workforce and experience newcomer adjustment, the process of learning the tasks of a new job and becoming integrated into an organization during the first year of employment. Some new professionals effectively cope with the changes they experience, while others are less successful. Newcomers’ negative reactions to the school-to-work transition can cause lower job performance, job satisfaction, and/or organizational commitment, and ultimately possible turnover within the first year on the job. Despite research and programming by both human resource development professionals and undergraduate education scholars and practitioners, gaps exist in the literature as to …

Evaluation Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Interconnect Coatings: Reaction Layer Microstructure, Chemistry And Formation Mechanisms, Neal J. Magdefrau

Doctoral Dissertations

The implementation of improved electrolyte materials have led to modern solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) which operate at lower temperatures (600-800 °C) than previously possible. The lower operating temperatures enable the use of chromia forming metallic interconnects which are less expensive and more manufacturable than their ceramic counterparts. However, poor oxidation resistance and the evolution of volatile chromia species currently limit the lifetime of the SOFC stack. As such, protective conductive ceramic coatings such as Mn_1.5Co_1.5O₄ (MCO) are necessary to protect the underlying alloy and prevent chromia species from poisoning the SOFC cathode.

In this …

Multilevel Impacts On Mathematical Learning Using Differentiated Curricula, Jennifer Foreman

Doctoral Dissertations

The research literatures on mathematics education and gifted and talented education share many common conclusions about effective practices for strengthening students’ cognitive engagement and deep conceptual understandings. Enrichment learning and differentiated instruction comprise two broad approaches long advocated by proponents of gifted education. Enrichment learning shares many conceptual parallels with process standards advocated in mathematics education. Yet the effectiveness of applying curricular and pedagogical principles initially developed for gifted education/talent development programs to heterogeneous elementary school mathematics classrooms has received little research attention. Therefore, it is difficult to determine if these principles should be disseminated and implemented more frequently in …

Ceramic Matrix Composites: An Investigation Into Methods To Improve Environmental, Thermal, And Mechanical Properties, Timothy P. Coons

Doctoral Dissertations

The overall goal of this dissertation was to develop and understand ceramic material systems in order to improve the environmental, thermal, and mechanical properties of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Ceramic Matrix Composites (CFR-CMC). Ceramic materials provide alternatives to metals for use in high temperature applications because of their melting points and thermo-mechanical behavior. Since mankind’s realization of the properties associated with ceramics, their efforts to exploit those attributes for structural applications have been limited by the inherent brittleness of ceramics. Incorporating reinforcing materials into ceramic materials has allowed significant progress in improving their toughness over monolithic counterparts. This allows for their …

Direct Training To Increase Inter-Rater Agreement Between An Observer’S And Teachers’ Self-Report Ratings Of Treatment Integrity, Lindsay M. Fallon Phd

Doctoral Dissertations

Measuring an implementer’s treatment integrity, specifically an implementer’s adherence to steps of an intervention, can be done via direct (e.g., observation) or indirect (e.g., self-report) methods of assessment. Direct observation is a widely used and accepted method of data collection in research due to its technical adequacy. However, direct observation is resource intensive, often making it impractical outside of research. Self-report measures of adherence can be less resource intensive and are commonly used in school settings, yet results from previous research indicate that implementers frequently overestimate their adherence when using self-report measures. To address this issue, results from research that …

Generation Of A Nursing Leadership Development Bundle, Lee A. Galuska

Doctoral Dissertations

Generation of a Nursing Leadership Development Bundle

Lee Ann Galuska, PhD

University of Connecticut, 2013

Abstract

Nurses are expected to have the skills and competencies to lead as well as partner in the process of healthcare transformation. This dissertation contributes to the understanding of strategies to enhance the development of leadership competency in nurses. Three metasyntheses were conducted using the Noblit and Hare (1988) method and provide holistic, synthesized translations of the experiences of nurses at all levels with leadership development. The first study explored nurses’ experiences with formal education for their leadership role and offers a description of how …

On-Chip Structures And Techniques To Improve The Security, Trustworthiness And Reliability Of Integrated Circuits, Xuehui Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Due to the globalization of the semiconductor design and fabrication process, inte- grated circuits (ICs) are becoming increasingly vulnerable to malicious activities. There are two major problems that impact the security, trustworthiness, and relia- bility of ICs used in military, financial, or other critical applications: (i) Malicious inclusions and alterations, known as hardware Trojans, could be easily inserted into intellectual properties (IPs) or ICs by an untrusted process. These hardware Trojans may leak confidential information to an adversary or potentially disable part or all of an IC at a specific target time in the field. Techniques need to be developed …

Vector-Based Peak Current Analysis During Wafer Test Of Flip-Chip Designs, Wei Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

Power consumption has not only become a critical concern in VLSI design phase, but also in test phase. This work focuses on power during test, covering two major research topics: test power analysis and test power reduction. For the analysis part, we firstly demonstrate our basic switching and weighted switching activity analysis in various test phases, pattern set, benchmarks. Then, we propose a layout-aware power analysis flow, with the capability of performing IR-drop analysis, peak current analysis. This flow is integrated in test pattern simulation and is able to monitor power and current behavior across the entire test session, without …

Multiscale Modeling Of Enzyme-Catalyzed Methanol Production By Particulate Methane Monooxygenase, Katherine K. Bearden

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, the conversion of methane to methanol by the particulate Methane Monooxygenase (pMMO) enzyme is investigated using a multi-scale modeling approach. This enzyme participates in carbon cycling and aids in the removal of harmful atmospheric methane, converting it to methanol. The interaction between pMMO and a neighboring enzyme that is present in the same organism is studied, and the unknown pMMO active site is elucidated and tested for methane oxidation towards the production of methanol.

Fundamental knowledge of pMMO's mechanism is not fully understood. Understanding how this enzyme works in nature will provide information towards designing efficient synthetic …

Low Soluble Drug Encapsulation Based On Architecture Of Layer-By-Layer Assembly For Longer Circulation Time And Targeted Therapy, Pravin Pattekari

Doctoral Dissertations

A combined effect of sonication and layer-by-layer assembly (LbL) enhances the solubility of many poorly soluble inorganic and organic materials by forming stable particles with ca. 200 nm size and up to 90 wt% of loading. The entire method is reproducible, easy-to-handle, and flexible for varying surface properties according to the application of the materials. The method develops good colloidal stability of materials in buffers and maintains architecture for future improvement. A top-down approach, with a combined effect of sonication and LbL assembly, ruptures the material and allows adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes simultaneously. Thus, the approach is applicable for …

The Effect Of Network Transitions On Spontaneous Activity And Sycnhrony In Devloping Neural Networks, Jude P. J. Savarraj

Doctoral Dissertations

Connectivity patterns of developing neural circuits and the effects of its dynamics on network behavior, particularly the emergence of spontaneous activity and synchrony, are not clear. We attempt to quantify anatomical connectivity patterns of rat cortical cultures during different stages of development. By culturing the networks on dishes embedded with micro electrode arrays, we simultaneously record electrical activity from multiple regions of the developing network and monitor its electrical behavior, particularly its tendency to fire spontaneously and to synchronize under certain conditions. We investigate possible correlations between changes in the network connectivity patterns and spontaneous electrical activity and synchrony. Cocultures …

The Relationships Of Sleep Quality, Length, And Napping To Physical Performance, Rebecca M. Hoffmann

Doctoral Dissertations

College students suffer from more sleep disturbances than the general population. Sleep difficulties can lead to lower levels of performance, memory, and cognitive ability. Sleep quality is known to impact individuals' physical and psychological health. The relationship between sleep variables (i.e., sleep quality, sleep length, sleepiness, and a nap/relaxation) and physical performance (i.e., flexibility, grip strength, and peak performance) has not been fully examined. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep quality, sleep length, and sleepiness and physical performance (e.g., flexibility, grip strength, and peak power), as well as to determine if a short nap …

Intrinsic Mode Function Synchronization Measures For The Anticipation Of Seizures In Epilpsy, Daniel William Moller

Doctoral Dissertations

Epileptic seizures affect as many as 50 million people and often occur without warning or apparent provocation. We explore the applicability of noise-assisted Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) for patient-specific seizure anticipation synchronization measures as applied to the EEMD intrinsic mode function (IMF) output. Intracranial EEG data were obtained from pre-surgical monitoring at the Epilepsy Center of the University Hospital of Freiburg. Data from twenty patients were analyzed. For each recorded channel, non-overlapping time windows were submitted to the EEMD algorithm, producing twelve levels of IMFs. IMF synchronization measures (mean and maximum coherence, mean and maximum cross-correlation, correlation coefficient and …

Unmanned Ground Vehicle Navigation And Coverage Hole Patching In Wireless Sensor Networks, Guyu Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a study of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) navigation and coverage hole patching in coordinate-free and localization-free Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Navigation and coverage maintenance are related problems since coverage hole patching requires effective navigation in the sensor network environment. A coordinate-free and localization-free WSN that is deployed in an ad-hoc fashion and does not assume the availability of GPS information is considered. The system considered is decentralized and can be self-organized in an event-driven manner where no central controller or global map is required.

A single-UGV, single-destination navigation problem is addressed first. The UGV is equipped …