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2006

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Begging For Justice? Or, Adaptive Jurisprudence? Initial Reflections On Mandatory Adr To Enforce Women's Rights In Rwanda, Phyllis E. Bernard Jan 2006

Begging For Justice? Or, Adaptive Jurisprudence? Initial Reflections On Mandatory Adr To Enforce Women's Rights In Rwanda, Phyllis E. Bernard

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Article presents the author's personal reflections on the promise and perils involved in blending rules of modern law with traditional values of African culture. The project began from a basic premise that both Americans and Rwandans should proceed with caution when expanding the privatization of public justice. Nevertheless, an outside observer's caution must be balanced with respect for a nation's right to self-determination, even when those choices may clash with generally accepted ADR theory as developed in the United States. This Article suggests that we can all learn much from Rwanda's bold, pragmatic experiment in redefining the essential nature …


Collaboration In The Exploration Of Outer Space: Using Adr To Resolve Conflicts In Space, Ka Fei Wong Jan 2006

Collaboration In The Exploration Of Outer Space: Using Adr To Resolve Conflicts In Space, Ka Fei Wong

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will explore in detail the use of ADR procedures for claims brought under the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects of 1972 ("Liability Convention"), pointing out the benefits and effectiveness of the procedures. This Note will also explore the problems with the Liability Convention, and will suggest modifications to improve the ADR procedures set forth therein. By drawing on the ADR procedures from the Liability Convention as an example, this Note will suggest that the use of ADR procedures to resolve most outer space conflicts would be most desirable. Although ADR procedures currently exist …


Movements Of House Sparrows Captured At An Experimental Grain Station In Fargo, North Dakota, Lisa M. Montplaisir, George M. Linz, Debra Tomanek, Linda B. Penry, David L. Bergman, H. Jeffrey Homan Jan 2006

Movements Of House Sparrows Captured At An Experimental Grain Station In Fargo, North Dakota, Lisa M. Montplaisir, George M. Linz, Debra Tomanek, Linda B. Penry, David L. Bergman, H. Jeffrey Homan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

From 2 August through 1 October 1993 we banded and leg flagged 362 house sparrows (126 adults, 236 juveniles) captured in a decoy trap at an experimental grain station on the campus of North Dakota State University, Fargo (NDSU). We documented sightings of leg-flagged birds between 3 August 1993 and 14 December 1994. Over this period, 56 (66%) of the total 76 observations of leg-flagged birds were on the NDSU campus; 21 (28%) of the 76 observations occurred between March and December 1994, a minimum of 5 months after the leg flags were attached and following the 1993-1994 winter. Of …


Partitioning Of Evapotranspiration And Its Relation To Carbon Dioxide Exchange In A Chihuahuan Desert Shrubland, Russell L. Scott, Travis E. Huxman, William L. Cable, William E. Emmerich Jan 2006

Partitioning Of Evapotranspiration And Its Relation To Carbon Dioxide Exchange In A Chihuahuan Desert Shrubland, Russell L. Scott, Travis E. Huxman, William L. Cable, William E. Emmerich

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Key to evaluating the consequences of woody plant encroachment on water and carbon cycling in semiarid ecosystems is a mechanistic understanding of how biological and non-biological processes influence water loss to the atmosphere. To better understand how precipitation is partitioned into the components of evapotranspiration (bare-soil evaporation and plant transpiration) and their relationship to plant uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as ecosystem respiratory efflux, we measured whole plant transpiration, evapotranspiration, and CO2 fluxes over the course of a growing season at a semiarid Chihuahuan Desert shrubland site in south-eastern Arizona. Whole plant transpiration was measured …


Differences In Academic Performance And Self-Regulated Learning Based On Level Of Student Participation In Supplemental Instruction, Ana Mack Jan 2006

Differences In Academic Performance And Self-Regulated Learning Based On Level Of Student Participation In Supplemental Instruction, Ana Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined differences in academic performance and self-regulated learning based on levels of student participation in Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions in two introductory undergraduate biology and chemistry courses offered at University of Central Florida in the Spring 2006 semester. The sample consisted of 282 students enrolled in the biology class and 451 students enrolled in chemistry. Academic performance was measured using students' final course grades and rates of withdrawal from the courses. The self-regulated learning constructs of motivation, cognition, metacognition, and resource management were measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Relationships between students' gender and ethnic …


Additive Lithography Fabrication And Integration Of Micro Optics, Mahesh Pitchumani Jan 2006

Additive Lithography Fabrication And Integration Of Micro Optics, Mahesh Pitchumani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Optical elements are the fundamental components in photonic systems and are used to transform an input optical beam into a desired beam profile or to couple the input beam into waveguides, fibers, or other optical systems or devices. Macroscopic optical elements are easily fabricated using grinding and polishing techniques, but few methods exist for inexpensive fabrication of micro optical elements. In this work we present an innovative technique termed Additive Lithography that makes use of binary masks and controlled partial exposures to sculpt photoresist into the desired optical surface relief profile. We explore various masking schemes for fabricating a variety …


Up-Conversion In Rare-Earth Doped Micro-Particles Applied To New Emissive 2d Dislays, Anne Milliez Jan 2006

Up-Conversion In Rare-Earth Doped Micro-Particles Applied To New Emissive 2d Dislays, Anne Milliez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Up-conversion (UC) in rare-earth co-doped fluorides to convert diode laser light in the near infrared to red, green and blue visible light is applied to make possible high performance emissive displays. The infrared-to-visible UC in the materials we study is a sequential form of non-linear two photon absorption in which a strong absorbing constituent absorbs two low energy photons and transfers this energy to another constituent which emits visible light. Some of the UC emitters' most appealing characteristics for displays are: a wide color gamut with very saturated colors, very high brightness operation without damage to the emitters, long lifetimes …


Investigating The Effectiveness Of Redundant Text And Animation In Multimedia Learning Environments, Shiau-Lung Chu Jan 2006

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Redundant Text And Animation In Multimedia Learning Environments, Shiau-Lung Chu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In multimedia learning environments, research suggests that simultaneous presentation of redundant text (i.e. identical narration and on-screen text) may inhibit learning when presented with animation at the same time. However, related studies are limited to testing with cause-and-effects content information (e.g., Moreno & Mayer, 1999, 2002). This study examined the effects of redundant text on learners' memory achievement and problem solving ability. The study replicated and extended prior research by using descriptive, rather than cause-and-effect content information. The primary research questions were (a) does redundant text improve learning performance if learners are presented with instructional material that addresses subject matter …


Trianon And The Predestination Of Hungarian Politics: A Historiography Of Hungarian Revisionism, 1918-1944, Dezso Bartha Jan 2006

Trianon And The Predestination Of Hungarian Politics: A Historiography Of Hungarian Revisionism, 1918-1944, Dezso Bartha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes to link certain consistent themes in the historiography of interwar and wartime Hungary. Hungary's inability to successfully resolve its minority problems led to the nation's dismemberment at Trianon in 1920 after World War I. This fostered a national Hungarian reaction against the Trianon settlement called the revisionist movement. This revisionist "Trianon syndrome" totally dominated Hungarian politics in the interwar period. As Hungary sought allies against the hated peace settlements of the Great War, Hungarian politics irrevocably tied the nation to the policies of Nazi Germany, and Hungary became nefariously assessed as "Hitler's last ally," which initially stained …


A Relational Diffusion Network Study Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Internet-Based Faculty's Personal Network Exposure Models Related To Discussions About Teaching Online, Dorothy Pick Jan 2006

A Relational Diffusion Network Study Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Internet-Based Faculty's Personal Network Exposure Models Related To Discussions About Teaching Online, Dorothy Pick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many faculty, teaching online represents a new instructional delivery method, requiring the development of new teaching skills. This exploratory investigation builds upon Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory and communication channels to describe the influence of faculty discussions on their perceptions and decisions about teaching and learning. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design, using both sociometric and phenomenological methodologies, guided the exploration of faculty personal network exposure models and social learning opportunities. The study utilized online survey and open-ended interview instruments for the investigation. Faculty from several colleges at the University of Central Florida voluntarily completed the survey instrument …


A Study Of Florida Public Elementary School Principals' Job Satisfaction Following The Implementation Of Florida's A+ System For Grading Schools, Robert Paswaters Jan 2006

A Study Of Florida Public Elementary School Principals' Job Satisfaction Following The Implementation Of Florida's A+ System For Grading Schools, Robert Paswaters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to examine the impact of Florida's A+ program of accountability on elementary principal job satisfaction. Specifically, the study was conducted to determine the relationship between a school's grade and principal job satisfaction. Of primary interest was the extent to which school accountability impacted principal satisfaction with the facets of Work on Present Job, Pay, Opportunities for Promotion, Supervision, People on the Present Job, and the job as a whole. The instruments used, the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) were provided through the JDI Research Office housed at Bowling Green State …


Cures To Stalled Development: Causes And Solutions To Economic Crisis In Sub-Saharan Africa, Monika Thiboutot Jan 2006

Cures To Stalled Development: Causes And Solutions To Economic Crisis In Sub-Saharan Africa, Monika Thiboutot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate some of the contending issues associated with economic underdevelopment in sub-Saharan African states. Specifically, this thesis focuses on the combined effects of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic austerity programs, the increased spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the continuous democratic deficit on the sluggish economic performance within four sub-Saharan African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The research questions are: are there any unique political, cultural, and economic issues that underscore and determine the path of sub-Saharan African development? What are the potentials for …


A Comparison Of Marriage Education And Brief Couples Counseling, Tina Livingston Jan 2006

A Comparison Of Marriage Education And Brief Couples Counseling, Tina Livingston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated marital adjustment for couples participating in one of two treatment groups; the Brief Integrative Couples Counseling model(Young & Long, 1998, 2007); and the PREPARE/ENRICH Empowering Couples marriage education weekend workshop (Olson & Olson,2000). This study examined the following research questions: Do couples show a different level of marital adjustment following Brief Integrative Couples Counseling compared to those who receive a marriage education treatment?; Do couples show greater marital adjustment following Brief Integrative Couples Counseling compared to those who participated in a Marriage Education weekend workshop treatment over time? This article presents an exploration of mean marital adjustment …


Investigation Of The Impact Of Video-Based Anchored Instruction On The Implementation Of Inclusive Practices By Students With Learning Disabilities, Christopher O'Brien Jan 2006

Investigation Of The Impact Of Video-Based Anchored Instruction On The Implementation Of Inclusive Practices By Students With Learning Disabilities, Christopher O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For several years emerging trends in special education services have favored inclusion for students with disabilities. Concurrent to this evolution of philosophy in special education has been the advent of what could be considered inclusive instructional practices--those methods that aid in the successful inclusion of students with disabilities. These inclusive practices include co-teaching, cooperative learning, peer-mediated instruction, positive behavioral support, embedded learning strategies, and content-enhancements (Ehren, Lenz, & Deshler, 2005; King-Sears, 1997). As inclusive placements become an increasingly common standard of practice, particularly for students with learning disabilities, the need to assist general educators in establishing inclusive classrooms becomes a …


Organizational Change At The Service Delivery Level: An Investigation Into The Perceived Reaction To Change Initiatives In Moral, Larry Cochran Jan 2006

Organizational Change At The Service Delivery Level: An Investigation Into The Perceived Reaction To Change Initiatives In Moral, Larry Cochran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the speed of change increases, federal agencies are challenged more often to develop and implement improvements to existing programs, new programs to meet new needs, or adjustments to programs based on changed circumstances of delivery. Built on the foundation of systems theory, expectancy theory, and field theory, this research seeks to explain why some managers do not propose changes in their organizations---even when the very survival of the organization is at risk. By measuring the fields of influence encountered by managers, we find that the chain of command is supportive of change initiatives. Other organizational elements--human resources and legal …


The Effects Of The 5e Learning Cycle Model On Students' Understanding Of Force And Motion Concepts, Meghann Campbell Jan 2006

The Effects Of The 5e Learning Cycle Model On Students' Understanding Of Force And Motion Concepts, Meghann Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As advocated by the National Research Council [NRC] (1996) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS] (1989), a change in the manner in which science is taught must be recognized at a national level and also embraced at a level that is reflected in every science teacher's classroom. With these ideas set forth as a guide for change,this study investigated the fifth grade students' understanding of force and motion concepts as they engaged in inquiry-based science investigations through the use of the 5E Learning Cycle. The researcher's journey through this process was also a focus of the …


National Merit Finalists At The University Of Central Florida-Trends, Attrition, And Retention 1997-2005, Jill Norburn Jan 2006

National Merit Finalists At The University Of Central Florida-Trends, Attrition, And Retention 1997-2005, Jill Norburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends, attrition and retention rates of National Merit Finalists at the University of Central Florida between the years of 1997 to 2005. This study was intended to provide information for higher education practitioners, faculty, and administrators to help them better understand the expectations and current trends of National Merit Finalists. The problem was to determine how to increase recruitment and retention while decreasing the attrition rates of these highly desirable students. The importance of this study includes identifying trends that may aid in future recruitment efforts for National Merit Finalists; finding …


The Effects Of Hands-On Instructional Strategies On Fourth Grade Students' Attitudes And Performance In Mathematics, Lindsey Hosack Jan 2006

The Effects Of Hands-On Instructional Strategies On Fourth Grade Students' Attitudes And Performance In Mathematics, Lindsey Hosack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study summarizes research conducted in a fourth grade classroom in a suburban elementary school in the fall of 2005. This study investigated the practice of using hands-on instructional strategies, enhanced with technology, to improve students' attitudes and performance in mathematics. The classroom teacher supplemented conventional mathematics instruction with hands-on activities. Attitudinal data were collected using a pre- and post anxiety survey as well as journal writing assignments and student interviews. Performance data was collected using evaluative assessments. Results of this study showed a positive change in students' attitude towards mathematics. Student performance gains were recorded and analyzed throughout the …


A Comparison Of Three Phonological Awareness Tools Used To Identify Phonemic Awareness Deficits In Kindergarten-Age Children., Edgard Robelo Jan 2006

A Comparison Of Three Phonological Awareness Tools Used To Identify Phonemic Awareness Deficits In Kindergarten-Age Children., Edgard Robelo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if three different tests of phonological awareness: the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processes (CTOPP) (Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1999), The Phonological Awareness Test (PAT) (Robertson & Salter, 1997), and the Pre-Literacy Skills Screening (PLSS) (Crumrine & Lonegan, 1999) measure the same phonological awareness skills (content) in the same manner (procedures) and, whether typically-developing kindergarten-age students perform similarly on each of the tests. Twenty-five kindergarten students consisting of 14 males and 11 females (mean CA of 72.24 months) participated in this study. All participants were attending the second half of kindergarten in a …


A Case Study Of Four Years Documenting The Changes In The Process Of Self-Reporting Academic Program Plans Alongside The Perceptions Of Program Coordinators, Kedar Kulkarni Jan 2006

A Case Study Of Four Years Documenting The Changes In The Process Of Self-Reporting Academic Program Plans Alongside The Perceptions Of Program Coordinators, Kedar Kulkarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major Advisors: Suzanne Martin, Ph.D., Laura Blasi, Ph.D. Universities in the United States of America are faced with numerous challenges concerning quality assurance such as the quest for Continuous Quality Improvement. Implementation of technology has been a priority of many developing institutions of higher education. A large metropolitan institution of higher education has put into practice a technology based, on-line program quality assessment system, for its academic and administrative programs. This dissertation was a study of the changes reported over four years, 2001-2005, within ten initial teacher preparation undergraduate programs at the College of Education at this institution. Using a …


A Comparison Of Mentored And Non-Mentored Novice Elementary Principals In Respect To Job Satisfaction, Colleen Skinner Jan 2006

A Comparison Of Mentored And Non-Mentored Novice Elementary Principals In Respect To Job Satisfaction, Colleen Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if mentoring programs had an impact on job satisfaction for beginning elementary principals in the state of Florida. It also examined if the following factors impacted job satisfaction: (a) length of the mentoring program, (b) frequency of meetings, (c) selection process for the mentor, (d) the position of the mentor, or (e) age and gender of the beginning principal. The population for the study consisted of 108 elementary principals with more than six months and less than fours years of experience in the state of Florida. Twenty-four districts participated in the study, …


Synchronization In Advanced Optical Communications, Inwoong Kim Jan 2006

Synchronization In Advanced Optical Communications, Inwoong Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to generate high power ultrashort optical pulses from an all-semiconductor mode-locked laser system. The limitations of semiconductor optical amplifier in high energy, ultrashort pulse amplification are reviewed. A method to overcome the fundamental limit of small stored energy inside semiconductor optical amplifier called "eXtreme Chirped Pulse Amplification (X-CPA)" is proposed and studied theoretically and experimentally. The key benefits of the concept of X-CPA are addressed. Based on theoretical and experimental study, an all-semiconductor mode-locked X-CPA system consisting of a mode-locked master oscillator, an optical pulse pre-stretcher, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) pulse picker, an …


The Effect Of Cognitive Styles Upon The Completion Of A Visually-Oriented Component Of Online Instruction, Jia-Ling Lee Jan 2006

The Effect Of Cognitive Styles Upon The Completion Of A Visually-Oriented Component Of Online Instruction, Jia-Ling Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine whether a person's prepositioned cognitive style influenced learning achievement in a visually-oriented task for an online learning environment in higher education. Field dependence-independence was used to identify individuals' cognitive styles. A true experimental study was conducted in the fall 2005 term at the University of Central Florida. This researcher followed Dwyer and Moore's research (1991, 2002) and divided learners into three groups (field dependent [FD], field neutral [FN], and the field independent [FI] students). Eighty-three preservice teachers participated in this study; the data from 52 of the FD and the FI participants were analyzed …


Application Of The Empirical Likelihood Method In Proportional Hazards Model, Bin He Jan 2006

Application Of The Empirical Likelihood Method In Proportional Hazards Model, Bin He

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In survival analysis, proportional hazards model is the most commonly used and the Cox model is the most popular. These models are developed to facilitate statistical analysis frequently encountered in medical research or reliability studies. In analyzing real data sets, checking the validity of the model assumptions is a key component. However, the presence of complicated types of censoring such as double censoring and partly interval-censoring in survival data makes model assessment difficult, and the existing tests for goodness-of-fit do not have direct extension to these complicated types of censored data. In this work, we use empirical likelihood (Owen, 1988) …


Training Wayfinding: Natural Movement In Mixed Reality, Ruthann Savage Jan 2006

Training Wayfinding: Natural Movement In Mixed Reality, Ruthann Savage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Army needs a distributed training environment that can be accessed whenever and wherever required for training and mission rehearsal. This paper describes an exploratory experiment designed to investigate the effectiveness of a prototype of such a system in training a navigation task. A wearable computer, acoustic tracking system, and see-through head mounted display (HMD) were used to wirelessly track users' head position and orientation while presenting a graphic representation of their virtual surroundings, through which the user walked using natural movement. As previous studies have shown that virtual environments can be used to train navigation, the ability to add …


Healthcare Information Systems:Design Theory, Principles And Application, Sandra Richardson Jan 2006

Healthcare Information Systems:Design Theory, Principles And Application, Sandra Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare information systems (HISs), as a class of systems, are not currently addressed in the MIS literature. This is in spite of a sharp increase in use over the past few years, and the uniquely qualified role that MIS has in the development of, impact and general understanding of HISs. In this project the design science paradigm frames the development of a set of design principles derived from the synthesis of the design literature, ethics literature, and professional guidelines, from both the medical and computing professions. The resulting principles are offered to address the design of healthcare information systems. Action …


A Study Of Southwest Florida High School Reading Teachers And The Implmentation Of Scientifically Based Reading Research Instruction, Virginia Harper Jan 2006

A Study Of Southwest Florida High School Reading Teachers And The Implmentation Of Scientifically Based Reading Research Instruction, Virginia Harper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literacy mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) swiftly and directly have an impact on reading teachers. The literacy directives of the act constitute a paradigm shift in reading reform, especially at the secondary level. Literacy directives require state and district level administrator's to focus on secondary reading teacher pre and in service training. Effecive secondary reading teachers must be well versed in the foundation sof Scientifically Based Reading Research. Florida is among the first states to implement six comptencies of professional development that leads to endorsement in the teaching of reading. Florida teachers of secondary reading …


Religious And Secular Responses To Nazism: Coordinated And Singular Acts Of Opposition, Kathryn Sullivan Jan 2006

Religious And Secular Responses To Nazism: Coordinated And Singular Acts Of Opposition, Kathryn Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My intention in conducting this research endeavor is to satisfy the requirements of earning a Master of Art degree in the Department of History at the University of Central Florida. My research aim has been to examine literature written from the 1930's through 2006 which chronicles the lives of Jewish and Gentile German men, women, and children living under Nazism during the years 1933-1945. I was particularly interested and hopeful in discovering the various ways in which young German females were affected by the introduction and spread of Nazi ideology. My main goal was to sort through the features of …


Factors Influencing User-Level Success In Police Informationsharing: An Examination Of Florida's Finder System, Jr Ernest Scott Jan 2006

Factors Influencing User-Level Success In Police Informationsharing: An Examination Of Florida's Finder System, Jr Ernest Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An important post-9/11 objective has been to connect law enforcement agencies so they can share information that is routinely collected by police. This low-level information, gathered from sources such as traffic tickets, calls for service, incident reports and field contacts, is not widely shared but might account for as much as 97% of the data held in police records systems. U.S. policy and law assume that access to this information advances crime control and counterterrorism efforts. The scarcity of functioning systems has limited research opportunities to test this assumption or offer guidance to police leaders considering investments in information sharing. …


Investigating The Mechanisms That Drive Implicit Coordination In Teams, Raegan Hoeft Jan 2006

Investigating The Mechanisms That Drive Implicit Coordination In Teams, Raegan Hoeft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to empirically test the oft-noted hypothesis that shared mental models lead to implicit coordination. Specifically, this dissertation investigated the underlying mechanisms of implicit coordination and how different aspects of shared mental models affect the process. The research questions tested in this study were (a)how perceptions of sharedness affect the initiation of implicit coordination, (b) how actual levels of sharedness affect the process of implicit coordination, and (c) how quality of task mental models affects successful implicit coordination. Sixty same-gender, two-person teams engaged in a complex military reconnaissance planning task in which the team members …