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2004

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Maternal Neuroendocrine Function And Fetal Development, Miguel Angel Diego Jan 2004

Maternal Neuroendocrine Function And Fetal Development, Miguel Angel Diego

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Maternal neuroendocrine function during pregnancy has been related to a number of pregnancy outcomes including less optimal fetal growth patterns. Animal models have consistently demonstrated that glucocorticoid infusions to the mother result in fetal growth restriction and norepinephrine infusions in reduced blood flow to the fetus. Similarly, human studies reveal that elevated maternal HPA axis and adrenal function (associated with stress anxiety and depression) during pregnancy is related to prematurity and low birthweight. The present study examined the relationship between maternal cortisol and norepinephrine and fetal growth measures during mid-gestation. Correlation analyses revealed that both maternal psychological (daily hassles, depression …

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Mobility Management In Voice Over Ip Networks, Shiby. Sugunan Jan 2004

Mobility Management In Voice Over Ip Networks, Shiby. Sugunan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Wireless Internet access has recently gained significant attention as wireless/mobile communications and networking become widespread. Voice over IP service is likely to play a key role in the convergence of IP based Internet and mobile cellular networks. The mobility management performance for Mobile IP and Session Initiation Protocol is the focus of this thesis. After illustrating the operation of the protocols, the discrete event simulator, Network Simulator 2 (ns2), is used to compare the performance of the two protocols. The comparison of the protocols is done by comparing average end-to-end delay and the ratio of the number of packets received …

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Model Reduction Of Large-Scale Systems Using Perturbed Frequency-Domain Balanced Structure, Abbas Hassan Zadegan Jan 2004

Model Reduction Of Large-Scale Systems Using Perturbed Frequency-Domain Balanced Structure, Abbas Hassan Zadegan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Model reduction of large-scale systems over a specified frequency range of operation is studied in this research and reported in this dissertation. Frequency-domain balanced structures with integration of singular perturbation are proposed for model reduction of large-scale continuous-time as well as discrete-time systems. This method is applied to both open-loop as well as closed-loop systems. It is shown that the response of reduced systems closely resemble that of full order systems within a specified frequency range of operation. Simulation experiments for the model reduction of several large-scale, continuous and discrete-time systems demonstrate the superiority of the proposed technique over the …

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Methods Of Filicide: Stepparents And Genetic Parents Kill Differently, Viviana A. Weekes Jan 2004

Methods Of Filicide: Stepparents And Genetic Parents Kill Differently, Viviana A. Weekes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Stepparents commit filicide at higher rates than do genetic parents. According to M. Daly and M. I. Wilson (1994), motivational differences generate differences in the methods by which stepparents and genetic parents kill a child. Using Canadian and British databases, Daly and Wilson (1994) found that stepfathers were more likely than genetic fathers to commit filicide by methods revealing feelings of bitterness and resentment not present to the same degree in genetic fathers. Genetic fathers, in contrast, were more likely than stepfathers to commit filicide by methods that often produce a quick and less painful death. Results replicate and extend …

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Nest Placement By Three Species Of Sea Turtles In Southeast Florida, Usa, Lawrence D. Wood Jan 2004

Nest Placement By Three Species Of Sea Turtles In Southeast Florida, Usa, Lawrence D. Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Studies of loggerhead, leatherback and green turtle nest distribution across beaches (between water and dune) have revealed conflicting random versus non-random patterns of nest placement. I examined nest placement on a southeast Florida beach (Juno and Jupiter) with average beach widths of 30 (natural) and 90 m (nourished beach) and tested slope as a proximal cue for nesting using long-term data sets and GPS technology. All three species had similar species-specific crawl lengths and nest sites relative to distance from water, regardless of beach width. Loggerheads and leatherbacks crawled and nested significantly shorter median distances (8--14 m) relative to the …

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Multiplayer Mobile Gaming Support In Java 2 Micro Edition, Predrag. Maksimovic Jan 2004

Multiplayer Mobile Gaming Support In Java 2 Micro Edition, Predrag. Maksimovic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The thesis proposes a new Java Application Programming Interface (API) for developing multiplayer mobile games. The proposed API is organized in such a way that it can easily be integrated with the existing suite of APIs defined in the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)---the Java edition that specifically targets mobile devices. The proposed API provides J2ME programmers with components that simplify multiplayer mobile game development process. The main idea of the API is to encapsulate low-level technical details associated with establishing and maintaining communication links between mobile devices. A programmer who uses the API is only concerned with the high-level …

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Modeling Access Control Of Medical Information, Tami W. Sorgente Jan 2004

Modeling Access Control Of Medical Information, Tami W. Sorgente

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Medical information is very private and sensitive. With the digitization of medical data, it is becoming accessible through distributed systems, including the Internet. Access to all this information and appropriate exchange of data makes the job of health providers more effective, however, the number of people that can potentially access this information increases by orders of magnitude. Private health information is not well protected. We present guidelines for security models for medical information systems. First, we model the structure of the medical information in the form of object-oriented patterns. Second, we study models and patterns in use today and compare …

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New Radiation Hydrodynamics Code And The Simulation Of Core Collapse Through The Formation Of The Neutrino-Driven Wind, Kenneth R. Denisco Jan 2004

New Radiation Hydrodynamics Code And The Simulation Of Core Collapse Through The Formation Of The Neutrino-Driven Wind, Kenneth R. Denisco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This work is a simulation of a 15 solar mass star from initial core collapse through the formation of the neutrino-driven wind with an eye towards a possible site for the r-process. We use a new radiation hydrodynamics code known as RadHyd, which is a merger of EVH-1 and MGFLD. The EVH-1 code is a piecewise parabolic method, or PPM, Godunov solver with Newtonian gravitation and MGFLD is a sophisticated multi-group, flux-limited diffusion radiation transport code. Core collapse is initiated from a progenitor model S15s7b of Weaver and Woosley. A maximum radius of 2.0 x 10^11 cm is chosen to …

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Neural Substrates Of Movement And Music: An Fmri Approach, Dinesh G. Nair Jan 2004

Neural Substrates Of Movement And Music: An Fmri Approach, Dinesh G. Nair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

In this dissertation, we examined the neural correlates of motor coordination and music perception using a set of four fMRI experiments. The neural correlates of goal-directed action were examined in a group of healthy adults in experiment I using execution and imagery of a unimanual and a bimanual finger-sequencing task. Similar neural networks were engaged for execution and imagination of movement sequences. Interestingly, we also found that the sensorimotor cortical and cerebellar areas are functionally decoupled from the task network when people imagine but do not actually execute sequential actions. In experiment 2, we used the same finger-sequencing paradigm to …

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Oxygenated Water And Exercise Performance, Michelle. Mielke Jan 2004

Oxygenated Water And Exercise Performance, Michelle. Mielke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oxygenated water on endurance exercise performance. Subjects (N=15, VO2max 54.8 +/- 5.8 ml/kg/min) were tested using non-oxygenated water (PL) and oxygenated water (OW). Two maximal exercise tests and 2 submaximal tests were conducted. VO2max (3.28 +/- 0.81 L/min (OW) vs. 3.30 +/- 0.80 L/min (PL)) VE, VO2, or R were not different. Submaximal blood lactate values at 60%, 80% of VO 2max (4.2 +/- 2.1 mMol/L, 6.6 +/- 2.9 mMol/L (OW) vs. 3.8 +/- 1.8 mMol/L, 6.1 +/- 2.4 mMol/L (PL)) and HR (140 +/- 15 bpm, 162 +/- …

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Offshoring And Wage Convergence, Matthew David Brigida Jan 2004

Offshoring And Wage Convergence, Matthew David Brigida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The recent advances in communication technology are changing the structure of the labor market in the United States. Jobs, which previously had to be done in the United States, can now be done offshore and thus American companies can take advantage of the wage differentials between countries. To see the potential effects that such a structural change may have on economic growth, we first examine the 19th century convergence between Europe and the New World countries. Thereafter we introduce a model of economic growth that will take into account a particular aspect of present day offshoring. Many of the workers …

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Normal Incidence Reflection Coefficient Of A Sandy Seabed As A Function Of Frequency, Ernest Allen Arizzi Jan 2004

Normal Incidence Reflection Coefficient Of A Sandy Seabed As A Function Of Frequency, Ernest Allen Arizzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

A thesis investigates the measured and theoretical pressure reflection coefficients of the seabed at normal incidence. The theoretical reflection coefficient is calculated using a physics-based model developed by Maurice Biot. The model describes sound propagation in saturated porous media and interrelationships between the acoustic properties of the media and the physical properties of the pore fluid and the porous solid. Stoll modified the Biot model for the case of ocean sediments and developed an expression for calculating the reflection coefficient as a function of frequency. This thesis tests the model by comparing the reflection coefficient measured with chirp sonar to …

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Peer Reputations As A Determinant Of Gender Differences In School Outcomes: Evidence For Domain-Specific Effects, Lisa Borga Gelman Jan 2004

Peer Reputations As A Determinant Of Gender Differences In School Outcomes: Evidence For Domain-Specific Effects, Lisa Borga Gelman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study explored the impact of peer reputations for academic ability and school-related affect upon fourth- through eighth-graders' academic outcomes. In light of the prevailing stereotypes regarding the differential academic abilities of girls and boys (favoring girls in English, and boys in math and science), it was hypothesized that peer reputations in English would be more predictive of outcomes for girls than for boys, while math and science reputations would be most predictive of boys' outcomes. Peer reputations were found to be predictive of school grades, but not of standardized test scores. Although ability reputations in most areas were predictive …

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Peer Reputations And Gender Differences In Academic Self-Concept, Madhavi Menon Jan 2004

Peer Reputations And Gender Differences In Academic Self-Concept, Madhavi Menon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study explored the extent and nature of academic peer reputation upon children's academic self-concept. Peer and self-perceptions of academic ability and affect were assessed for the subject domains of English, math, and science in order to investigate the generality of peer reputation influences across academic subject areas, and determine the extent to which gender differences might be evident. Gender differences were hypothesized, and peer reputation was expected to have the most influence on academic self-concept in school domains viewed as gender-normative and thus central to self-concept. MR analyses provided some support for this gender-congruency hypothesis, as it was primarily …

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Physical Properties Of Ferrimagnetic Bioceramics, Antonella C. Kis Jan 2004

Physical Properties Of Ferrimagnetic Bioceramics, Antonella C. Kis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The structural, magnetic and microstructural properties of ferrimagnetic bioglass ceramics (FBC) in the system {0.45(CaO,P2O5) x (0.52-x)SiO2 x xFe 2O3 x 0.03Na2O} with x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 were studied as a function of composition and heat-treatment temperature. Specimens from each samples series were heattreated at temperatures in the range 600--1000C. X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld refinement methods, magnetic measurements and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used in our studies. Calcium phosphate [Ca3PO4)2], which is the biocompatible component of the materials, and magnetite Fe3O 4 are the two major crystalline phases that were developed in …

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Principals' Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities, Louise A. Ball Jan 2004

Principals' Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities, Louise A. Ball

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This multi-site case study focused on principals who participated in a unique professional development model: a learning community. The study was twofold. First, research was conducted in order to describe the experiences and perceptions of principals involved in a professional learning community and second, to understand how participation in a professional learning community influences principals' thinking and leadership practice. This inquiry was conducted in two districts located in the northeast and southeast parts of the United States. The sample consisted of twenty-one participants: sixteen principals, four learning community coaches, and one administrative director. Data was collected from 21 interviews, 39 …

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Relationship Of Full-Time Laptop Computer Access To Student Achievement And Student Attitudes In Middle School, Sheila K. Lewis Jan 2004

Relationship Of Full-Time Laptop Computer Access To Student Achievement And Student Attitudes In Middle School, Sheila K. Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this quasi-experimental longitudinal study was to investigate the relationship of full-time laptop computer access to student achievement and student attitudes in middle school from the academic years of 1998--1999 through 2000--2001. Two sets of variables were identified in the study. The independent variable was the instructional method having full-time access to laptops or not. The dependent variables were student achievement, and student attitudes. ANOVAs were employed to test the difference between the experimental group and the comparison group. Measures of reading comprehension and math application were determined through scores on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) for sixth-grade …

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Recognizing Gender-Based Violence In Armed Conflict: Incorporating The Voices Of Women In International Humanitarian Law, Amber Cheri Paaso Jan 2004

Recognizing Gender-Based Violence In Armed Conflict: Incorporating The Voices Of Women In International Humanitarian Law, Amber Cheri Paaso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study seeks to examine the influence of patriarchal forces, at both the local and global level, that have historically resulted in the lack of recognition of gender-specific crimes committed during and after armed conflict. By incorporating the testimonies of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian women, this study attempts to understand sexual violence from the standpoint of women who experienced these crimes during the War in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (1991--1995). Theories of Third World feminisms, in addition to feminist critiques concerning rape and international law, will inform this analysis of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). I intend to show that despite greater …

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Sex Ratio And Crime: A Cross-Cultural Investigation, Amanda R. Hitchell Jan 2004

Sex Ratio And Crime: A Cross-Cultural Investigation, Amanda R. Hitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

When one sex outnumbers the other in a society, what are the social consequences? Sex ratio, or the number of men per 100 women in a society, may affect many aspects of society such as crime rates. It was predicted that in countries with higher sex ratios, crime rates would be higher than in countries with lower sex ratios. It was also predicted that in countries with higher sex ratios, homicide and rape rates would be higher than in countries with lower sex ratios. Additionally, it was predicted that in countries with lower sex ratios, the incidence of female offending …

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Revisiting Christopher Fry: Sacred Temporality On A Modern Stage, Lucas H. Harriman Jan 2004

Revisiting Christopher Fry: Sacred Temporality On A Modern Stage, Lucas H. Harriman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Christopher Fry was instrumental in the early twentieth-century resurgence of plays dealing with religious themes. This movement can at first be seen as anomalous within the era of modernism, when many writers and theorists considered religious sentiment to be a barrier to the more crucial aspects of living authentically within a modern society haunted by history. Nevertheless, Fry's particular appropriation of a sacred conceptualization of time on the modern stage reveals a degree of congruity between him and his contemporaries in their varied attempts to represent transcendent value on the stage without simultaneously removing the audience from their own historical …

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Pursuit Of Agency Profits: An Evaluation Of Community Redevelopment Agencies In Florida, Kimberly D. Delaney Jan 2004

Pursuit Of Agency Profits: An Evaluation Of Community Redevelopment Agencies In Florida, Kimberly D. Delaney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The influence of public choice and economic theory in public administration has increased the pressure upon government to "act like a business." Accordingly, cities have become increasingly entrepreneurial, creating redevelopment agencies and venturing into public/private partnerships with mixed results. A key financial tool for redevelopment agencies is tax increment financing (TIF), which yields increased agency revenues from increased property values. As agency activities increase property values, agencies are rewarded with increased revenues, much like profits for a business. The cyclical nature of TIF encourages a self-perpetuating tendency towards economic activities among self-interested, opportunistic agency actors, namely agency staff, elected officials, …

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School-Business Partnerships: Awareness, Attitudes, And Actions Of Secondary School Principals And Their Business Counterparts In Selected Florida School Districts, Dennis. Wechter Jan 2004

School-Business Partnerships: Awareness, Attitudes, And Actions Of Secondary School Principals And Their Business Counterparts In Selected Florida School Districts, Dennis. Wechter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The role of the business partner in education has come into more prominence in the public school system, especially at the high school level. Shrinking budgets have prompted high school principals to explore the idea of business partnerships as a way to close the gap in academic achievement and provide direction for high schools struggling to meet the workforce development demands in today's society. In addition, financial support has provided opportunities for curriculum enhancement, staff development, and student support. However, as more emphasis is placed on the development of school business partnerships, the need to determine how these partnerships function …

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Security In Voice Over Ip Networks, Juan C. Pelaez Jan 2004

Security In Voice Over Ip Networks, Juan C. Pelaez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Voice over IP (VoIP) is revolutionizing the global communications system by allowing human voice and fax information to travel over existing packet data networks along with traditional data packets. The convergence of voice and data in one simplified network brings both benefits and constraints to users. Among the several issues that need to be addressed when deploying this technology, security is one of the most critical. This thesis will present a combination of security patterns based on the systematic analysis of attacks against a VoIP network and the existing techniques to mitigate these attacks, providing good practices for all IP …

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Re-Visiting Briarwoods: Determining Reliability Of Assessing Population Health From Fragmentary Remains, Deborrah C. Pinto Jan 2004

Re-Visiting Briarwoods: Determining Reliability Of Assessing Population Health From Fragmentary Remains, Deborrah C. Pinto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The Briarwoods Site (8PA66) was first excavated by Jeffrey M. Mitchem and Dr. Stephen J. Gluckman, from the University of South Florida, in 1980. It was a burial mound with scattered human skeletal fragments on the surface. The salvage excavation had to be expedited due to the fact that a building development on the site was in progress. Iscan and Gomez (1982) suggested that there were skeletal elements recovered that provided evidence for the existence of Paget's disease (Osteitis deformans ) in the population. However, this study reanalyzes the elements and using new technology such as Computed Tomography scans shows …

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Spatial Analysis And Functional Gene Clustering Between Lens Epithelium And Fiber Cells, Tracy L. Cowell Jan 2004

Spatial Analysis And Functional Gene Clustering Between Lens Epithelium And Fiber Cells, Tracy L. Cowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Purpose. To identify genes important for maintaining the specialized functions of lens epithelial and fiber cells. Methods. The expression profiles of 22,215 genes between human lens epithelial and fiber cells were analyzed using oligonucleotide microarray hybridization and RT-PCR. Selected genes were functionally clustered using the EASE bioinformatics software package. Results. Analysis of microarray hybridizations revealed 1430 transcripts that were significantly increased and 901 transcripts that were significantly decreased. Microarray data was confirmed using RT-PCR on 11 randomly selected genes. Functional clustering of the identified gene expression patterns revealed altered gene expression in cellular pathways including oxidative stress, cell proliferation, and …

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Specific And Non-Specific Cognitive Operations As Language Options For Memory Questions: Anfmri Study, Mcneel Gordon Jantzen Jan 2004

Specific And Non-Specific Cognitive Operations As Language Options For Memory Questions: Anfmri Study, Mcneel Gordon Jantzen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

In order for memory questions to accomplish the goals of questions, teachers need to determine specific content and cognitive goals for each question so that questions can direct learners' attention and reinforce an organizational structure for the encoding of information. The purpose of this study was to examine the language used in memory questions for assessment purposes and to examine whether different language options used when formulating memory questions engaged brain areas related to memory and cognition. The language of the questions can affect the cognitive process by which the answer is derived. The two language options that affect cognitive …

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Study Of Teacher Response To A Program Of Whole-School Change, Gail Fern Solomon Jan 2004

Study Of Teacher Response To A Program Of Whole-School Change, Gail Fern Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This single site qualitative case study of a large high school was conducted during the course of one school year. The study focused on how secondary level teachers of the four core content areas, language arts, science, social studies and mathematics, responded to a program of whole school change. In addition to teachers, the administration and support staff were interviewed. The primary sources of data were the results of one hour interviews, document analysis and researcher non-participant observations. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand teachers' various responses to a program of whole school change. The major …

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Study On The Electromagnetic Performance Of Body-Worn Radio Units In The Presence Of Scatterers In The Proximity, Vance Howard Peterson Jan 2004

Study On The Electromagnetic Performance Of Body-Worn Radio Units In The Presence Of Scatterers In The Proximity, Vance Howard Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The research addressed refers to a study on the electromagnetic performance aspects of body-worn radio units operating in the presence of scatterers in close proximity, using analytical, numerical, and experimental methods. The application potentials of such methods include evaluating the integrity of radio units such as cell phones. Consistent with the scope of the study above, considered in this research are specific details on analytical and numerical modeling of the effects of a nearby conducting cylindrical object on the electromagnetic field near a human-model phantom. Calculations are performed using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method. Considered are various separations …

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Studies On Transreceive Diversity Schemes (Including "Polarization-Sense" Antenna Diversity) For Wireless Communication Systems, Wichean. Preedalumpabut Jan 2004

Studies On Transreceive Diversity Schemes (Including "Polarization-Sense" Antenna Diversity) For Wireless Communication Systems, Wichean. Preedalumpabut

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The research addressed in this study and deliberated in the dissertation is broadly tied to finding hybrid methods of diversity compatible for modern wireless applications. The hybrid strategy advocated thereof involves a combined use of space- (antenna and polarization), frequency-, and time-diversity schemes in a judicious manner so as to realize a desirable BER versus Eb/No performance across RF links that face multipath and other unwanted EM artifacts. The underlying reason for the hybrid scheme as above is to replace multiple-antenna based transreceive diversity. Such multiple antennas would otherwise require large base station real estate and may not be compatible …

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Synthesis And Structural Characterization Of Intermediates Towards The Preparation Of A Polyphosphonate Ester Containing L-Dopa For The Potential Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease, Donna M. Chamely-Wiik Jan 2004

Synthesis And Structural Characterization Of Intermediates Towards The Preparation Of A Polyphosphonate Ester Containing L-Dopa For The Potential Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease, Donna M. Chamely-Wiik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

We have synthesized intermediates towards the preparation of a polyphosphonate ester containing L-dopa for the potential treatment of Parkinson's disease. A synthetic strategy was devised to be more reproducible than the original strategy. We discovered some very interesting chemistry of one of the intermediates produced from this new scheme. We synthesized L-N-(butyloxycarbonyl)-3-(3-hydroxy-ethyl-4-(benzyloxy)-phenyl)alanine benzylester, a compound containing a secondary alcohol moiety that had a unique set of characteristics. Upon reduction of the N-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)-3-(3-acetyl-4-benzyloxyphenyl)-L-alanine benzylester, which contained a ketone moiety, to produce the secondary alcohol, we discovered that the materials that were formed included a pair of diastereomers of the secondary alcohol, …

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