Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2007

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 23521 - 23550 of 25681

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Effects Of Isolation On Metapopulation Dynamics In Small-World Networks, Alaina Brooke Bernard Jan 2007

Effects Of Isolation On Metapopulation Dynamics In Small-World Networks, Alaina Brooke Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation models are valuable for making predictions that may be tested in natural systems and for understanding observed patterns. The simulation model developed for this thesis evaluates the effects of spatial network architecture, including organism dispersal patterns and isolation of habitats, on metapopulations. Two fields were merged throughout this project: metapopulation biology and small-world network theory. Small-world networks are characterized in their extremes as scale-free or single-scale. These models potentially simulate the networks of habitats and corridors in which metapopulations operate. Small-world network theory has been used to describe systems as diverse as rivers, the world-wide-web, and protein interactions, but …

Go to article

We're Becoming Bilingual And Biliterate! An Ethnographic Study On How A Dual-Language Program In Florida Contributes To The Literacy Development Of English-Language Learners, Diane Black Jan 2007

We're Becoming Bilingual And Biliterate! An Ethnographic Study On How A Dual-Language Program In Florida Contributes To The Literacy Development Of English-Language Learners, Diane Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine whether participation in a dual-language program by English-language learners (ELLs) contributed to the literacy development of this student population. This qualitative research spanned 5 months and was conducted within an elementary school located in central Florida. It is important to note that the researcher was also a teacher within the dual-language program under study, hence possessed an inside perspective of the program and the progression of several participating students. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1. What factors contribute to the improved literacy development for ELLs through participation in …

Go to article

Underprivileged Black Americans: The Aftermath Of King Cotton, Patience Bryant Jan 2007

Underprivileged Black Americans: The Aftermath Of King Cotton, Patience Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been criticized that the present economic state of Black Americans is a reflection of their history stemming from slavery. Diana Pearce's Feminization of Poverty Theory discusses the idea that the ever-rising number of underprivileged Black Americans is due to the fact that there exists a rise in female headed households. The researcher constructed and analyzed several concepts that fall under the Feminization of Poverty Theory: education, employment, family, and social class. For the analysis the study used the documentary Lalee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton. Results show that each of the categories are approximately equal in proportion under …

Go to article

Effects Of Advance Organizers On Learning And Retention From A Fully Web-Based Class, Baiyun Chen Jan 2007

Effects Of Advance Organizers On Learning And Retention From A Fully Web-Based Class, Baiyun Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the short-term and long-term effects of two kinds of advance organizers (AOs), a visual concept map and a text outline. The AOs were administered in a fully Web-based course in health care ethics. The outcome measures are students' knowledge acquisition and application in two posttests. This study was conducted through a post-test only control group design with a random assignment. The population of the study involved 166 college students who participated in this online class in their junior or senior year. The voluntary research participants were randomly assigned into the two treatment …

Go to article

An Examination Of The Relationships Among Perceived Gender Discrimination, Work Motivation, And Performance, Jessica M. Cornejo Jan 2007

An Examination Of The Relationships Among Perceived Gender Discrimination, Work Motivation, And Performance, Jessica M. Cornejo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender discrimination and work motivation are two important constructs for employers to consider. Changing workforce trends towards a more diverse workforce make understanding discrimination in the workplace more important than ever. And, established direct relationships between motivation and performance make understanding motivation key to organizational success. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived gender discrimination at work, work motivation, and performance. Although much theory and research exists regarding motivation and performance, this study uses a new measure of motivation based on the Pritchard and Ashwood (2007) theory of work motivation. It was hypothesized that perceived …

Go to article

Faculty Perceptions Of Alignment Ofadministrative Practices With A University Missionutilizing A Hospitality Model, Duncan Dickson Jan 2007

Faculty Perceptions Of Alignment Ofadministrative Practices With A University Missionutilizing A Hospitality Model, Duncan Dickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of a university's faculty as to how the strategies, staffing policies, and systems procedures were aligned with the mission statement. Differences in perceptions were examined by college affiliation, rank, primary teaching assignment and gender. Data were analyzed to determine if there were correlations between faculty members' perceptions of alignment of the university's mission statement with administration's actions, policies, and procedures and their level of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and overall satisfaction with their job and the organization The population for this study was comprised initially of 1363 teaching faculty members …

Go to article

Central Florida High School Principals' Perceptions Of The Florida School Indicators Report, William Gaught Jan 2007

Central Florida High School Principals' Perceptions Of The Florida School Indicators Report, William Gaught

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions that central Florida public high school principals had regarding the Florida School Indicators Report (FSIR) and its usefulness. The FSIR, published by the Florida Education, was designed to be a comprehensive, single source document for parents, lawmakers, and school administrators to compare key performance indicators to similar schools or districts state wide. It provided information on 74 different indicators of school or district performance. A total of 70 public high school principals from 13 central Florida school districts responded to a postal survey and provided their perceptions regarding the importance …

Go to article

The Emergence Of The Maya Tlaloc: A Late Classic Religious Icon, Amanda Toyie Groff Jan 2007

The Emergence Of The Maya Tlaloc: A Late Classic Religious Icon, Amanda Toyie Groff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iconography has the capability to memorialize and guarantee one's place in history; iconography can also provide powerful insight into human culture, and explore social and cultural values in a visual manner. Iconography can incorporate information about group identities, allegiances, religious affiliations, propaganda, and acceptance within both modern and ancient societies. By studying a specific iconographic figure, the Central Mexican god Tlaloc, as a visual representation of a belief or identity, we can glean a greater understanding of the cultural transmission of iconographic symbols. The substantial use of this icon, in both Central Mexico and the Maya region, reveals iconography as …

Go to article

The Mediating Role Of Motivation And Job Satisfaction In Work Environment-Outcome Relationships, Melissa Guzman Jan 2007

The Mediating Role Of Motivation And Job Satisfaction In Work Environment-Outcome Relationships, Melissa Guzman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research that links various aspects of the work environment to important work outcomes can be traced back almost seventy years. Despite the history and proliferation of these studies, firm conclusions have not been reached regarding the ways through which the work environment impacts these outcomes. For example, mediating variables such as motivation and job satisfaction have been proposed as affective and cognitive states that could impact the environment-outcome relationships but have received little attention. Additionally, organizational and contextual moderators such as group size and demographics that could impact the relationships have been called for but have yet to be studied. …

Go to article

The Importance Of Addressing Acculturative Stress In Marital Therapy With Hispanic American Women, Mary Hammons Jan 2007

The Importance Of Addressing Acculturative Stress In Marital Therapy With Hispanic American Women, Mary Hammons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between acculturative stress and marital distress among Hispanic American women and to explore the potential mediating roles of variables believed to be important to marital functioning among ethnic minorities and immigrants (e.g., acculturation, ethnic identity, social support, etc.). Based on data from 103 Hispanic American married women, pressure to acculturate toward the dominant culture of the U.S. was found to significantly correlate with the amount of distress the women reported in their marital relationships. Two variables were found to partially mediate the correlation. Perceived social support and recent stressful life …

Go to article

Academic Advising In Higher Education: Distance Learners And Levels Of Satisfaction Using Web Camera Technology, Terri Hernandez Jan 2007

Academic Advising In Higher Education: Distance Learners And Levels Of Satisfaction Using Web Camera Technology, Terri Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of in-seat face-to-face advising in contrast to web camera advising of College of Arts and Sciences psychology majors in the 2005-2006 academic year. Satisfaction levels were determined and analyzed based on random assignment to either the control group (in-seat face-to face) or the experimental group (web camera) advising. The data collected for this study consisted of participants' responses to the Academic Advising Inventory (AAI) administered to undergraduate psychology majors (N = 102). Overall, students were satisfied with advising services regardless of the advising group to which they were randomly assigned. …

Go to article

Historical Comparison Of Florida And National Title Ix Compliance Trends In High School Sports From 1985-2005, Coury Matthew Knowles Jan 2007

Historical Comparison Of Florida And National Title Ix Compliance Trends In High School Sports From 1985-2005, Coury Matthew Knowles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the Title IX compliance trends of high school sports in Florida over the past two decades (1985-2005) against national trends. The literature review discusses: the historical events leading to Title IX, the administrative implementation of Title IX, the legal perspective of Title IX, and the impact of Title IX on gender equity in sports. The study was conducted between January and June, 2007. The data focused on: male and female participants in high school sports in Florida, the numbers of male and female participants in high school sports across the nation, and …

Go to article

Impact Of Ethical Practices On Performance Outcome Measures In A Select Group Of Nonprofit Organizations In Florida, Stephanie Krick Jan 2007

Impact Of Ethical Practices On Performance Outcome Measures In A Select Group Of Nonprofit Organizations In Florida, Stephanie Krick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit programs deliver key social services to millions of people across the country everyday, however, little is known about the ethical practices of these programs. This research examines the relationship between a nonprofit program's ethical practices and the programs' measurable outcomes, such as changes in knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, behavior, condition, or status of the participant as a result of their involvement with nonprofit programs. An assumption of the study is that the achievement of the measurable outcomes found in a nonprofit program is directly related to the extent that ethical practices are utilized within that program. Ethical practices include …

Go to article

Life History And Reproductive Biology Of Clitoria Fragrans Relative To Fire History On The Avon Park Air Force Range, Michelle Nicole Lewis Jan 2007

Life History And Reproductive Biology Of Clitoria Fragrans Relative To Fire History On The Avon Park Air Force Range, Michelle Nicole Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The southeastern coastal plain of the United States is a center of endemism for plants in temperate North America and second only to California among the states. In the southeast, Florida has the largest number of these endemic plants. The largest number of these Florida endemics can be found in the fire maintained scrub and sandhill communities located on sandy ridges in Central Florida. One such endemic is Clitoria fragrans, a rare perennial herb. C. fragrans reproduces via a mixed mating system. It produces both open, chasmogamous flowers and closed, selfed, cleistogamous flowers. Little else is known about its biology. …

Go to article

Physically-Based Visualization Of Residential Building Damage Process In Hurricane, Dezhi Liao Jan 2007

Physically-Based Visualization Of Residential Building Damage Process In Hurricane, Dezhi Liao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research provides realistic techniques to visualize the process of damage to residential building caused by hurricane force winds. Three methods are implemented to make the visualization useful for educating the public about mitigation measures for their homes. First, the underline physics uses Quick Collision Response Calculation. This is an iterative method, which can tune the accuracy and the performance to calculate collision response between building components. Secondly, the damage process is designed as a Time-scalable Process. By attaching a damage time tag for each building component, the visualization process is treated as a geometry animation allowing users to navigate …

Go to article

Addressing Domestic Violence Among Small Baptist Church Clergy, Katherine Lieftink Jan 2007

Addressing Domestic Violence Among Small Baptist Church Clergy, Katherine Lieftink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to survey and discuss how small Baptist church clergy address domestic violence (DV) with the goal of studying how clergy in small Baptist churches view domestic violence and how they address the problem of domestic violence within their congregation. The Baptist faith was selected since they form the largest portion of the Protestant faith in the United States. The sample consisted of clergy from small Baptist churches located within the geographic limits of Brevard County, Florida. Interviews were conducted with ten small Baptist church clergy. The interview questions were constructed to ascertain specific areas …

Go to article

Real-Time Tree Simulation Using Verlet Integration, Bobak Manavi Jan 2007

Real-Time Tree Simulation Using Verlet Integration, Bobak Manavi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most important challenges in real-time simulation of large trees and vegetation is the vast number of calculations required to simulate the interactions between all the branches in the tree when external forces are applied to it. This paper will propose the use of algorithms employed by applications like cloth and soft body simulations, where objects can be represented by a finite system of particles connected via spring-like constraints, for the structural representation and manipulation of trees in real-time. We will then derive and show the use of Verlet integration and the constraint configuration used for simulating trees …

Go to article

A Study Of Gender Equality At Private And Public Two-Year And Four-Year Florida Institutions, Stacey Lazenby Malaret Jan 2007

A Study Of Gender Equality At Private And Public Two-Year And Four-Year Florida Institutions, Stacey Lazenby Malaret

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the perception of gender equality from the viewpoint of women administrators at Florida public and private two- and four-year institutions. Potential respondents were chosen from American College Personnel Association and/or National Association of Student Personnel Administrators databases. The data used for this study were obtained from 32 female administrators (50% response rate) who completed a self-administered online questionnaire, distributed to potential respondents in August and September, 2007. Collected data were entered into an SPSS database. Through data analysis, confidence intervals were reported for each survey item. Comparable means were studied for each of the six …

Go to article

Postmodern Feminism, Hypertext, And The Rhetoric Of Cooking Websites, Heather Eaton Mcgrane Jan 2007

Postmodern Feminism, Hypertext, And The Rhetoric Of Cooking Websites, Heather Eaton Mcgrane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the ways cookbooks and their rhetorical dimensions have been re-imagined using hypertext and Web technology. Using the tenets of postmodern feminist rhetoric and Web design theory, the study considers how commercial cooking hypertexts construct users' identities. Although hypertext is a potentially empowering technology, democratizing rhetoric and knowledge making practices, commercial hypertext often circumscribes agency formation and prohibits participation. Participatory, constructive hypertexts are difficult to design and costly to maintain. Of the three sites studied, Epicurious.com, BettyCrocker.com, and FoodNetwork.com, only Epicurious.com encourages meaningful communication between users and between users and designers. In many ways, Epicurious.com conceives of its …

Go to article

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Selected Factors On School Grades In Public High Schools In The State Of Florida, Joseph Miller Jan 2007

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Selected Factors On School Grades In Public High Schools In The State Of Florida, Joseph Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of selected factors on school grades in public high schools in the state of Florida. A sample of 316 public high schools was created using data obtained from the Florida Education and the Florida High School Athletic Association. The selected factors that were chosen to be measured in the study were: minority percentage as measured by the proportion of minority students in relation to the total student body at a given school, socio economic status percentage (SES) as measured by the proportion of students participating in the …

Go to article

Modeled And Observed N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield Band Emissions Earth's Dayglow: A Comparison, Donald Murray Jan 2007

Modeled And Observed N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield Band Emissions Earth's Dayglow: A Comparison, Donald Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ultraviolet (UV) spectra obtained from Earth’s dayglow contain important information for understanding the thermosphere, and the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) bands are possibly the most useful emission. To be useful, a thorough understanding of how the LBH band emission varies with altitude and latitude is essential to present and future use of this emission by space-based remote sensors. Excited by photoelectron impact on N2 leading to transitions from the a 1Πg state to the ground state, the LBH emissions radiate between 1270 and 2400 Å. In addition to being populated by electron impact excitation, the a 1Πg state is populated by …

Go to article

Applying The Appraisal Theory Of Emotionto Human-Agent Interaction, Aaron Pepe Jan 2007

Applying The Appraisal Theory Of Emotionto Human-Agent Interaction, Aaron Pepe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous robots are increasingly being used in everyday life; cleaning our floors, entertaining us and supplementing soldiers in the battlefield. As emotion is a key ingredient in how we interact with others, it is important that our emotional interaction with these new entities be understood. This dissertation proposes using the appraisal theory of emotion (Roseman, Scherer, Schorr, & Johnstone, 2001) to investigate how we understand and evaluate situations involving this new breed of robot. This research involves two studies; in the first study an experimental method was used in which participants interacted with a live dog, a robotic dog or …

Go to article

High Birefringence Liquid Crystals For Optical Communications, Amanda Jane Parish Jan 2007

High Birefringence Liquid Crystals For Optical Communications, Amanda Jane Parish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High birefringence (Δn > 0.4) nematic liquid crystals are particularly attractive for infrared applications because they enable a thinner cell gap to be used for achieving fast response time and improved diffraction efficiency. In this thesis, the mesomorphic and electro‐optic properties of several new fluorinated isothiocyanate (NCS) terphenyl and phenyl tolane single compounds and mixtures are reported. The single compounds demonstrated Δn~0.35‐0.52 in the visible spectral region at room temperature and exhibit relatively low viscosity. It was found that lateral fluorine substitutions and short alkyl chains eliminate smectic phase and lower the melting temperature of the single compounds. However, the consequence …

Go to article

Phonetic And Acoustic Analyses Of Two New Cases Of Foreign Accent Syndrome, Rosalie Perkins Jan 2007

Phonetic And Acoustic Analyses Of Two New Cases Of Foreign Accent Syndrome, Rosalie Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study presents detailed phonetic and acoustic analyses of the speech characteristics of two new cases of Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). Participants include a 48-year-old female who began speaking with an "Eastern European" accent following a traumatic brain injury, and a 45-year-old male who presented with a "British" accent following a subcortical cerebral vascular accident (CVA). Identical samples of the participants' pre- and post-morbid speech were obtained, thus affording a new level of control in the study of Foreign Accent Syndrome. The speech tasks consisted of oral readings of the Grandfather Passage and 18 real words comprised of the stop …

Go to article

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Graduate Counseling Students' Perceptions Of Spirituality And Counselor Self-Ef, Sandra Pollock Jan 2007

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Graduate Counseling Students' Perceptions Of Spirituality And Counselor Self-Ef, Sandra Pollock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counseling and psychology have experienced a conflicted relationship with the issue of spirituality over the last century. Spirituality is a construct that has been receiving more attention in counseling over the last fifteen to twenty years. More counselors and educators are affirming its place and value in the counseling relationship. Yet, there is a disparity between this and what counselors-in-training are being taught regarding spirituality, its value to clients and counselors, and its role in the counseling relationship. Very little research has been done examining spirituality and its relationship to counseling students level of confidence and competence in their work--their …

Go to article

The Use Of Science Reform Instructional Methods And Their Effect On 3rd Grade Students' Participation And Attitude Towards S, Heather Robinson Jan 2007

The Use Of Science Reform Instructional Methods And Their Effect On 3rd Grade Students' Participation And Attitude Towards S, Heather Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether the use of science reform instructional methods had an effect on student participation in and attitudes towards science education. The participants in this 12 week study were third grade students. Data were collected using a pre and post attitudinal survey, student journals, a participation log, and a researcher reflection journal. Several conclusions were made. The use of science reform instructional methods did affect student participation and attitudes towards science. Student journals indicated that students enjoyed the use of technology, hands-on science equipment, working in pairs or small groups and the …

Go to article

The Fire Within: The Baldwin Meeting And The Evolution Of The Kennedy Administration's Approach To Civil Rights, Todd Saucedo Jan 2007

The Fire Within: The Baldwin Meeting And The Evolution Of The Kennedy Administration's Approach To Civil Rights, Todd Saucedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the Kennedy Administration's decision to propose comprehensive civil rights legislation in June, 1963. The work focuses on the relationship between the Kennedy brothers, particularly on Robert F. Kennedy's position as his brother's main adviser and his influence on the president's final decision to go forward with legislation. It begins by exploring the Kennedy's childhood, then traces the brothers' approach toward civil rights during the campaigns of 1952 and 1960, and concludes with an assessment of the Kennedy administration's civil rights policy during his presidency. The thesis puts special emphasis on a May, 1963 meeting between Robert Kennedy …

Go to article

Evaluating Neonatal Facial Pain Expression: Is There A Primal Face Of Pain?, Martin Schiavenato Jan 2007

Evaluating Neonatal Facial Pain Expression: Is There A Primal Face Of Pain?, Martin Schiavenato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pain assessment continues to be poorly managed in the clinical arena. A review of the communication process in pain assessment is carried out and the hierarchical approach often recommended in the literature -with self-report as its "gold-standard," is criticized as limited and simplistic. A comprehensive approach to pain assessment is recommended and a model that conceptualizes pain assessment as a complex transaction with various patient and clinician dependant factors is proposed. Attention is then focused on the pediatric patient whose pain assessment is often dependent on nonverbal communicative action. The clinical approaches to pain assessment in this population -mainly the …

Go to article

The Impact Of Computer Based Simulation Training On Leadership Development, Stanley Sidor Jan 2007

The Impact Of Computer Based Simulation Training On Leadership Development, Stanley Sidor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between measures of emotional intelligence after participation in a simulation based leadership development program as applied to a student cohort at a community college. Additionally, this study was conducted to investigate significant differences in emotional intelligence subscales when compared to the categorical variables of age, race, gender, position type, number of years employed, and time. All 300 students in the introductory management classes in the Bachelors of Applied Science business principles classes in the Business program were invited to participate. A total of 201 questionnaires representing 103 individuals were returned, …

Go to article

The Influence Of Goal Orientation On Trainee Learing Strategies And Outcomes Of A Work Readiness Program, Charyl Staci Singleton Jan 2007

The Influence Of Goal Orientation On Trainee Learing Strategies And Outcomes Of A Work Readiness Program, Charyl Staci Singleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Goal orientation is a construct that has been used to explain individuals' focus in achievement situations. Three subcomponents of this construct have been linked to a number of training-related processes and outcomes. Those higher on avoid performance goal orientation withdraw from situations in which they may appear incompetent to others. Those higher on prove performance goal orientation approach situations in which they can demonstrate their competence to others. Finally, those high on learning goal orientation approach situations in which they can continually grow and master new skills. Prior research has consistently found that effective learning strategies and outcomes are positively …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last