Digital Commons Network^™

High Gain / Broadband Oxide Glasses For Next Generation Raman Amplifiers, Clara Rivero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interest in Raman amplification has undergone a revival due to the rapidly increasing bandwidth requirements for communications transmission, both for long haul and local area networks, and recent developments in the telecom fiber industry and diode laser technology. In contrast to rare earth doped fiber amplifiers, for which the range of wavelengths is fixed and limited, Raman gain bandwidths are larger and the operating wavelength is fixed only by the pump wavelength and the bandwidth of the Raman active medium. In this context, glasses are the material of choice for this application due to their relatively broad spectral response, and …

The Use And Development Of Laser Microdissection To Separate Spermatozoa From Epithelial Cells For Str Analysis, Christine Sanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis has become a valuable tool in identifying the source of biological stains, particularly from the investigation of sexual assault crimes. Difficulties in analysis arise primarily in the interpretation of mixed genotypes when cell separation of the sexual assailant's sperm from the victim's cells is incomplete. The forensic community continues to seek improvements in cell separation methods from mixtures for DNA typing. This report describes the use of laser microdissection (LMD) for the separation of pure populations of spermatozoa from two-donor cell mixtures. In this study, cell separation was demonstrated by microscopic identification of histologically stained …

Insurance Law, J. Price Collins, Ashley E. Frizzell

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Action Research Study Involving Fifth-Grade Students Learning Fractions Through A Situative Perspective With Story Problems, Colleen Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the affects of teaching through a situative perspective with story problems on students' understanding of fraction concepts and operations in my fifth-grade mathematics classroom. Students participated in twelve weeks of instruction. Data was collected in the form of pre and post tests, audiotaped and videotaped recordings of instructional sessions, and student work samples. Data analysis revealed that my students constructed their own knowledge about various fraction concepts and operations because students engaged in discussions, after solving story problems, that developed, extended and restructured their knowledge. One example of this occurred …

Coherence Properties Of Optical Near-Fields, Adela Apostol

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Next generation photonics-based technologies will ultimately rely on novel materials and devices. For this purpose, phenomena at subwavelength scales are being studied to advance both fundamental knowledge and experimental capabilities. In this dissertation, concepts specific to near-field optics and experimental capabilities specific to near-field microscopy are used to investigate various aspects of the statistical properties of random electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of optically inhomogeneous media which emit or scatter radiation. The properties of such fields are being characterized within the frame of the coherence theory. While successful in describing the far-field properties of optical fields, the fundamental results of …

Latinate Word Parts And Vocabulary:Contrasts Among Three Groups Comprisingthe Community College Preparatory Reading Class, Tom Bellomo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students enrolled in a college preparatory reading class at one particular community college were categorized based on language origin. Native English speaking students comprised one group and foreign students formed two additional groups--students whose language origin was Latin-based (i.e. Romance languages) and students whose language origin was not Latin-based (i.e. Japanese). A pretest assessment measure was used to quantify the extent that pre-existing knowledge of Latinate word parts and morphologically complex vocabulary differed among groups based on language origin. The identical instrument served as a posttest to measure the extent that direct instruction in morphological analysis resulted in change among …

A Comparison Of Character Education Programs And Their Effects On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Attendance, Beth Berger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant relationships existed between character education and the number of incidents of crimes and violence, attendance rates, and academic achievement in Florida public schools. Proponents of character education such as Lickona (1991) and Murphy (1998) posited that there was a positive correlation between teaching and practicing the six pillars of character education, and student achievement, and increased attendance. They also posited that there was a negative correlation between character education and incidents of crime and violence. The researcher acquired data in an attempt to determine whether or not the views of …

The Relationship Between Teacher Attitudes Toward Florida History And The Methods And Materials The Teachers Use To Teach Florida History, Elizabeth Dewey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reacting to an impression that history is not viewed as significant as other curricular subjects such as reading, math, or science, there were multiple purposes for this research: first, to document the attitudes of the fourth grade teachers in one county in Florida towards the subject of Florida history. The teachers' perceptions of the importance of the topic to and for the students, to the administration, and to them personally was surveyed in addition to the perceived preparation of the teachers to teach Florida History. The second purpose was to ascertain the perception of fourth grade teachers regarding preference and …

Vibrotactile Guidance Cues For Target Identification, Joshua Downs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to establish how vibrotactile guidance cues can be used to improve marksmanship. This work originated in an effort to provide covert communication, navigation, and weapon aiming cues for infantrymen. It is predominantly an application-driven investigation rather than driven a priori by specific theoretical predictions from models of human performance. Three experiments are presented. Experiment 1 established the affect on initial response to vibrotactile guidance cues of tactor placements on the palmer versus dorsal surface of the hand, and targets appearing left versus right of center. Results suggest that tactile cues provided on the left …

Liquid Crystal Materials And Tunable Devices For Optical Communications, Fang Du

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, liquid crystal materials and devices are investigated in meeting the challenges for photonics and communications applications. The first part deals with polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) materials and devices. Three polymer-stabilized liquid crystal systems are developed for optical communications. The second part reports the experimental investigation of a novel liquid-crystal-infiltrated photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and explores its applications in fiber-optic communications. The curing temperature is found to have significant effects on the PSLC performance. The electro-optic properties of nematic polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) at different curing temperatures are investigated experimentally. At high curing temperature, a high contrast, …

A Comparison Of The Perceived Leadership Characteristics Of Central Florida Middle And High School Principals And School Achievement Scores, Thomas Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the possible extent to which specific, identifiable leadership characteristics of Central Florida school principals differ between middle and high school administrators, and to examine if these leadership characteristics display a relationship, either positively or negatively, with the obtainment of student scores on state measures of education accountability (FCAT reading scores). Data from the research sample were collected through the administration of a modified version of the Audit of Principal Effectiveness (APE), a survey instrument developed by Dr. Jerry Valentine through the Middle Level Leadership Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Valentine & …

Investigating Economic Inequality And Voter Turnout In The Industrialized Democracies, Benjamin Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates economic inequality and voter turnout in a sample of 21 industrialized democracies using a pooled time series model of elections from 1970 to 1999. The findings demonstrate a connection between inequality and voter turnout wherein increases in inequality lead to reductions in voter turnout. The ramifications for democratic accountability and representative democracy are discussed.

Relationship Of Student Satisfaction Levels In Distance Learning And Traditional Classroom Environments At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Unviersity, James Gallogly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) what differences, if any, exist between Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) students enrolled in distance learning and traditional courses during 2004 with regard to their satisfaction with course quality and (b) the level of satisfaction of distance learning students with regard to online delivery technology and administrative services provided to them in distance learning. Data were gathered using information from 400 distance learning undergraduate students using the Distance Learning Student Response Questionnaire (DLSRQ) and 400 traditional undergraduate students using the Student Survey Form (SSF). These students were enrolled in at least one …

Attainment Of Doctoral Degree For American Indian And Alaska Native Women, Rosalin Hanna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population is challenged with diverse learning styles, high-risk behaviors, low economic status, low enrollment predictions, lower total education achievement, or lower graduate level higher education. However, AI/AN doctoral degree recipients may be successful due to diverse sources of support. Data from 1992 to 2002 SED was analyzed using Chi square tests to observe the trends of the total number of AI/AN women receiving doctoral degree compared to trends to African-American/Black, Hispanic, Asian, White, Other / Unknown women doctoral degree recipients. A two-way contingency table analysis was conducted to compare the difference in the total number …

A Healthy Pregnancy Curriculum For Adolescent Mothers: Participants' Perceptions And Effects On Infants' Birth Weight, Rae Konjoian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in birth weight of infants, tobacco use during pregnancy, and Apgar scores of infants between pregnant adolescents who successfully complete a healthy pregnancy curriculum and those who do not and to further examine the adolescent mothers' perceptions of the major concepts included in a healthy pregnancy curriculum. The study involved the collection and analysis of retrospective data to determine differences in birth weight of infants, tobacco use during pregnancy, and Apgar scores of infants. Additionally, a questionnaire, focus group discussions, and follow-up interviews were conducted with former students …

Consanguinity, Sibling Relationships, And The Default Rules Of Inheritance Law: Reshaping Half-Blood Statutes To Reflect The Evolving Family, Ralph C. Brashier

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Cost-Utility Of Outcomes Of Various Methods Of Increasing The Four-Year Graduation Rate In Osceola County Public Schools, Isaac Harold Berger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine which interventions were deemed to be effective at increasing the four-year graduation rate in Osceola District Schools. This had become a concern due to the fact that this rate had decreased in recent years, and may be utilized as a predictor of the dropout rate. The interventions were then prioritized according to Levin's cost-utility theory, so that the order of implementation could be prioritized. The study was conducted in January and February of 2005, and responses were elicited from 600 people. Students currently in Osceola District Schools high schools comprised 200 of …

Second Language Learners' Recognition Of Unknown Words, Chai-Wei Lin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has underscored the important role of second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition in the reading process. The present study examined how accurately eighteen learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) were able to identify unknown words within a reading passage. It is assumed that "noticing" unfamiliar words in a text plays an important role in being able to extract meaning from context, which may ultimately result in word learning; thus, whether or not learners are able to recognize unknown words as unknown is a key step in vocabulary learning. The design of this study was based on previous …

Bistro Girls, Vanessa Blakeslee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bistro Girls is an interconnected collection of short stories focusing on characters whose lives intertwine in the affluent Floridian town of Bellamy Park. In "Bistro Girls of Bellamy Park," a senior at a privileged college struggles to confront an old friend who has slipped into addiction. In "Bobby Blues," two women's stifling situations with live-in boyfriends give way to a small hope as Valerie casts aside her illusions and leaves to find a new apartment, temporarily freeing herself from the pattern of relying on a man. In these stories people wrestle with flawed concepts of personal identity that create outward …

What Do Physicians Want? Information Technology Acceptance And Usage By Healthcare Professionals, Virginia Ilie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study builds on the theory of planned behavior, institutional and innovation diffusion theories to investigate physicians' responses to introduction of electronic medical records (EMR) in large healthcare organizations. Using a case study methodology, we show that physicians' attitudes towards using EMR are influenced by their perceptions of EMR complexity, relative advantage, compatibility with professional beliefs and individual predisposition to change. Specifically, we found that EMR usability characteristics such as system interface, "navigation," "search" and "speed" are major dimensions underlying physicians' perceptions of EMR complexity. To the extent that navigating and searching for clinical results are seen as difficult, physicians' …

On The Right To Private Property And Entitlement To One's Income, Andrei Marmor

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments: Towson University V. Conte: A Jury's Role In A Wrongful Discharge Case Does Not Include That Of Ultimate Fact-Finder, Kimmeria Bayton

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

The New Maryland Rules Of Professional Conduct And Mediation: Perplexing Questions Answered And Perplexing Questions That Remain, Robert Rubinson

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments: Rausch V. Allstate Ins. Co.: A Tenant's Liability In A Subrogation Action Is Determined By The Reasonable Expectations Of The Parties To The Lease, Nancy Chung

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments: Smith V. State: Defense Counsel Is Entitled To Comment On The Challenges Of Cross-Racial Identification At Closing Argument When The Sole Basis For Conviction Is Eyewitness Testimony, Bryan Davis

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

On The Nature Of Corporations, Lynn A. Stout

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Legal experts traditionally distinguish corporations from unincorporated business forms by focusing on corporate characteristics like limited shareholder liability, centralized management, perpetual life, and free transferability of shares. While such approaches have value, this essay argues that the nature of the corporation can be better understood by focusing on a fifth, often-overlooked, characteristic of corporations: their capacity to "lock in" equity investors' initial capital contributions by making it far more difficult for those investors to subsequently withdraw assets from the firm. Like a tar pit, a corporation is much easier for equity investors to get into, than to get out of. …

Reflections On Lee, Mitchel De S.-O.-L'E. Lasser

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The Lawlessness Of Aggregative Torts, James A. Henderson Jr.

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rulemaking Versus Adjudication: A Psychological Perspective, Jeffrey J. Rachlinski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Legal systems make law in one of two ways: by abstracting general principles from the decisions made in individual cases (through the adjudicative process) or by declaring general principles through a centralized authority that are to be applied in individual cases (through the rulemaking process). Administrative agencies have long had the unfettered authority to choose between the two methods. Although each method could identify the same solution to the legal issues that come before them, in practice, the two systems commonly settle upon different resolutions. Each system presents the underlying legal issue from a different cognitive perspective, highlighting and hiding …

Occupational Therapy Educator's Involvement With College Students With Disabilities, Tina A. Mankey

Theses and Dissertations

Occupational therapy educators can play an important role in serving students with disabilities in higher education by collaborating with other campus resources and the student to assist the student in achieving their educational goals. This study examined the extent of occupational therapy educators' involvement and their beliefs in regard to participating in activities with college students; the existence of institutional and professional rewards/incentives and barriers for participating in activities with college students with disabilities; and the difference in involvement and beliefs of occupational therapy educators with students with disabilities in relation to specific institutional and individual factors. A Web-based questionnaire …