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The Development Of Hyaluronic Acid Biomaterials For Vascular Tissue Engineering, Samir Ibrahim

All Dissertations

Current vascular implant materials poorly interact with medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) allowing the permanent loss of vascular elastin, eliminated by trauma or disease, a crucial element in maintaining the natural biomechanics of the blood vessel and overall vascular homeostasis. In addition, these materials insufficiently recruit vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to form a normally functional, confluent endothelium that acts as the interface between the blood and vascular tissue and regulates numerous vital vascular processes. As a result, the restenosis, or re-occlusion, rate within these devices has remained fairly high stimulating the investigation of numerous new materials capable of providing the …

Client Change In Multi-Model Treatment: A Comparison Of Change Trajectories In Group, Individual, And Conjoint Formats In A Counseling Center, Bryan K. Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations

Providing clinicians with a clearer understanding of how clients' recover over the entire course of therapy has important implications for referral and treatment strategies. The present study compares rates of change in 160 clients in group therapy with 6632 clients in individual therapy and 864 clients receiving both individual therapy and group therapy. Therapeutic outcomes were measured using the Outcome Questionnaire-45. Data was analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), also called Multi-Level Modeling (MLM), to produce recovery curves for clients in each group. Recovery curves showed that most change occurred in the early part of group therapy and slowed near …

Incorporating Recreational And Artisanal Fishing Fleets In Atlantic Billfish Management, Ayeisha A. Brinson

Open Access Dissertations

Atlantic billfish include sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Kajikia albida, formerly Tetrapturus albidus) and the spearfishes (Tetrapturus); these fishes are found in tropical and subtropical waters. The spearfishes include the longbill spearfish (T. pfluegeri), the Mediterranean spearfish (T. belone) and the roundscale spearfish (T. georgii). The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is the regional fishery management organization that conducts research to determine the condition of tuna and billfish resources and supports international cooperative management. ICCAT has determined that blue marlin and white marlin are overfished; the status of sailfish and spearfish are …

A Groundwork For The Theory Of Notation, Len O. Olsen

Open Access Dissertations

This work is a philosophical investigation of signs. It offers a definition of the term ?sign? and develops three different systems for talking precisely about signs and their properties. The system of object display lines is developed in the first chapter; the ostension notation and the box notation are developed in the second chapter; and the contemporary associationist definition of a sign is developed in the third chapter. These systems, in conjunction with the definition, are proffered as a philosophical foundation for the theory of notation. The first chapter of this work develops the distinction between i) mere objects (non-signs), …

The Earthquake Cycle Of Strike-Slip Faults, Gina M. Schmalzle

Open Access Dissertations

An earthquake is a mechanism of stress release along plate boundaries due to relative motion between the Earth's lithospheric blocks. The period in which stresses are accruing across the plate boundary is known as the interseismic portion of the earthquake cycle. This dissertation focuses on interseismic portion of the earthquake cycle to extract characteristics of fault, shear zone and rock properties. Global Positioning System (GPS) data are used to observe the pattern of deformation across two primarily strike-slip fault systems: the Carrizo Segment of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) and the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ). Two sets of GPS …

A Groundwork For The Theory Of Notation, Len O. Olsen

Open Access Dissertations

This work is a philosophical investigation of signs. It offers a definition of the term “sign” and develops three different systems for talking precisely about signs and their properties. The system of object display lines is developed in the first chapter; the ostension notation and the box notation are developed in the second chapter; and the contemporary associationist definition of a sign is developed in the third chapter. These systems, in conjunction with the definition, are proffered as a philosophical foundation for the theory of notation. The first chapter of this work develops the distinction between i) mere objects (non-signs), …

Commencement Convocation Program, Sarasota - Manatee Campus, December 14, 2008, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Outstanding Professor Award - Michael Sheldon, James Curran, and Thomas Pencek; USF Sarasota-Manatee Distinguished Citizen Award

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, December 14, 2008, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

USF St. Petersburg Graduations and Commencements

King O'Neal Award: Clarisse Barbier, Jennifer Dion Fox; Outstanding Graduate: Jessica Morgan; Regional Chancellor's Award for Civic Leadership: Andrew H. Hines, Jr.

Fall 2008 Commencement - The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin, The University Of Texas Permian Basin

UTPB Commencement Programs

Fall 2008 Commencement - December 13, 2008

Fall Commencement Program, December 13, 2008, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

South Dakota State University Graduation Exercises, December 13, 2008, Brookings, South Dakota, South Dakota State University

Commencement Programs

Please be advised that the names listed in the program do not constitute official confirmation of meeting the graduation requirements. The Graduation Exercises ceremony will commence with introductions by University President David L. Chicoine. Honorary marshals for the event will be Mildred Flynn, Professor of English, and Dick Shane, Professor Emeritus of Economics. Delivering the graduation address titled "Change: It's All the Small Stuff" will be Howard Smith, Interim Dean for the College of Education and Counseling. Dr. Carol J. Peterson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, will acknowledge faculty and student honors. Recognizing Army and Air Force commissions …

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, December 13, 2008, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

No abstract provided.

Predictive Ability Of Ordinary Certificate Of Secondary Education Grades To Advanced Certificate Of Secondary Education: Evidence From Tanzania's Necta Results, Ulingeta O.L. Mbamba

Business Management Review

Normally, selection of students for higher education is based on previous performance. Whether or not previous performance is a good predictor varies for different examining bodies. This study evaluates the predictive ability of Tanzania ' s Ordinary Certificate of Secondary Education (OCSE) performance to Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education (ACSE) performance using linear regression and chi-square tests. By linking OCSE of 2003 and 2004 with ACSE of 2006 and 2007, respectively, research results indicate that the OCSE is a good predictor for ACSE. The predictive ability of OCSE improves as data are disaggregated based on whether or not students studied …

Uncertainty Analysis Of Net Heat Release Rate Predictions In A Single Cylinder Pilot Compression Ignited Natural Gas Engine, Brandon T. Marvel

Theses and Dissertations

A zero dimensional single zone model was developed to determine the crank resoled heat release rate at various injection timings (15°-60° BTDC) and the associated uncertainties from a pilot ignited natural gas engine. The uncertainty analysis examines the percentage contribution from various sources of error, including cylinder pressure measurements, intake manifold pressure measurements, and the impact of assumptions such as constant versus temperature dependent specific heat ratios. In particular, uncertainty percentage contributions and uncertainty magnification factors were used to quantify and compare the uncertainties in heat release rates using temperature dependent specific heat ratio correlations to constant specific heat ratio …

Model-Based Design Of A Protection Scheme For Shipboard Power Systems, Yujie Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

A shipboard power system (SPS) should be stable and reliable in order to ensure that the ship has better fight-through capability and increased fault invulnerability. The protection system is designed to minimize the effects of faults in the SPS, which presents challenges, such as increased fault vulnerability and lack of an electrical ground in the system. If protection devices are not updated after power system reconfiguration, they may not protect the power system appropriately. Therefore the development of elaborate digital protection devices for the SPS is required. This thesis focuses on the model-based methodology for designing a protection scheme for …

Commencement Convocation Exercises - December 2008, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Semantic Construction With Provenance For Model Configurations In Scientific Workflows, Amritanshu Thakur

Theses and Dissertations

In the computationally intensive and diverse scientific environment of geosciences, substantial volumes of data are generated by specialized complex processing systems called ‘models’. These datasets contain little knowledge of their processing. Therefore a high degree of domain expertise is required to interpret, regenerate and tweak their production. Provenance is described as a general ability to record and evolve information related to the creation of data. We extend this idea further by proposing a mechanism by which a model’s setup and its domain semantics are integrated with the data it produces. This creates a scope for controlling model executions using their …

A Case Study Examining Teachers' Beliefs Toward In-Grade Retention In A K-2 School, Charles Edward Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to examine teachers’ beliefs toward in-grade retention in a K-2 school. This study focused on how teachers acquire beliefs regarding grade retention, and their knowledge of research regarding the effectiveness of retention. Witmer, Hoffman and Nottis (2004) contend that teacher beliefs toward grade retention may not be based on research, but on peer influence, past practice, or administrative policy. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine teacher beliefs in a K- 2 school. Quantitative data were collected through the Teacher Opinion Survey (TOS) and Personal Experiences and Retention Practices (PERP). A …

December Graduation Ceremony

Law School Commencement / Hooding Programs, 1942-present

No abstract provided.

Multi-Agent Systems For Reconfiguration Of Shipboard Integrated Power System Including Ac-Dc Zonal Distribution System, Qiuli Yu

Theses and Dissertations

Future all-electric warships with an integrated power system (IPS) are capable of unlocking large amounts of power dedicated to propulsion and redirecting this power for service loads, weapon loads, and other loads. The IPS for all-electric ships combines the power generation system, electric propulsion system, power distribution system, and power control and management system all together. The move to IPS design will significantly improve efficiency, effectiveness, and survivability. To meet the needs of the US Navy, enhancing survivability by reducing susceptibility to damage, a IPS prefers decentralized reconfiguration system is preferred for IPS instead of traditional reconfiguration techniques used for …

Multi-Classifiers And Decision Fusion For Robust Statistical Pattern Recognition With Applications To Hyperspectral Classification, Saurabh Prasad

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, a multi-classifier, decision fusion framework is proposed for robust classification of high dimensional data in small-sample-size conditions. Such datasets present two key challenges. (1) The high dimensional feature spaces compromise the classifiers’ generalization ability in that the classifier tends to overit decision boundaries to the training data. This phenomenon is commonly known as the Hughes phenomenon in the pattern classification community. (2) The small-sample-size of the training data results in ill-conditioned estimates of its statistics. Most classifiers rely on accurate estimation of these statistics for modeling training data and labeling test data, and hence ill-conditioned statistical estimates …

Optimizing The Size And Location Of Distributed Generators To Maximize The Grid Stability, Abhilash Reddy Masanna Gari

Theses and Dissertations

Distributed Generators (DGs) are being increasingly utilized in power system distribution networks to provide electric power at or near load centers. These are generally based on technologies like solar, wind and biomass and range from 10 kW to 50 MW. Research work carried out in this thesis relates to the optimal siting and sizing of DGs in order to maximize the system voltage stability and improve voltage profile. This has been formulated as an optimization problem and solved using LINGO software. Power flow equations have been embedded in the LINGO formulation, along with other operating constraints. The solution provides optimal …

Physically Motivated Internal State Variable Form Of A Higher Order Damage Model For Engineering Materials With Uncertainty, Kiran N. Solanki

Theses and Dissertations

any experiments demonstrate that isotropic ductile materials used in engineering applications develop anisotropic damage and shows significant variation in elongation to failure. This anisotropic damage is manifest by material microstructural heterogeneities and morphological changes during deformation. The variation in elongation to the failure could be attributed to the uncertainties in the material microstructure and loading conditions. To study this deformation induced anisotropy arising from the initial material heterogeneities, we first performed uncertainty analysis using current form on an internal state variable plasticity and isotropic damage model (Bammann, 1984; Horstemeyer, 2001) to quantify the effect due to variations in material microstructure …

Low-Temperature Halo-Carbon Homoepitaxial Growth Of 4h-Sic, Huang-De Hennessy Lin

Theses and Dissertations

New halo-carbon precursor, CH3Cl, is used in this work to replace the traditional C3H8 gas as a carbon precursor for the homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC. The traditional SiH4-C3H8-H2 systems require high growth temperatures to enable the desirable steplow growth for high-quality epilayers. A well known problem of the regular-temperature growth is the homogeneous gas-phase nucleation caused by SiH4 decomposition. However, the degree of Si cluster formation in the gas phase and its influence on our low-temperature epitaxial growth was unknown prior to this work. Growth at temperatures below 1400°C was demonstrated previously only for a limited range of substrate surface …

A Study Of Community College Students Who Participated In A Dual-Enrollment Program Prior To High School Graduation., April Boling Sell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dual-enrollment participation on students' postsecondary achievement as measured by various factors. The researcher explored an approach to learning that allows students to navigate the invisible barriers between high school and college. The population consisted of 901 students in a community college in northeast Tennessee during the fall of 2007 following high school graduation the previous academic year. Data gathered from dual-enrollment participants were compared to data of peers of comparable ability level who chose not to participate in the program.

The major findings of the study included the following: …

The Relationship Between The Freshman Academy And Student Academic Success At Morristown-Hamblen High School East., Patricia Ann Sigler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a significant relationship exists between the implementation of the Morristown-Hamblen High School East (MHHSE) Freshman Academy, student academic achievement, and the high school graduation rate at MHHSE.

The testing variables included GPA, attendance, number of core course failures, number of discipline referrals, English I End-of-Course test scores, and graduation rate. Grouping variables included 8^th grade (pretreatment) and 9^th grade (posttreatment) groups, preacademy and postacademy groups, socioeconomic status, and gender. Ten faculty members of the MHHSE Freshman Academy were interviewed to ascertain their perceptions about the smaller learning …

Studies Of Surfactants Effect On Riboflavin Fluorescence And Its Determination In Commercial Food Products And Vitamin Tablets., William Emmanuel Ghann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simple and economical fluorometer using blue LEDs excitation sources and simple PMT detection had been built, assembled, optimized, and employed for measurement of fluorescence from riboflavin (vitamin B₂). Surfactants have been known to enhance the intensity of fluorescence of fluorescent compounds. Fluorescence analysis of riboflavin in the presence of various anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants was also conducted to determine if they could improve analysis. However, the surfactants employed did not seem to have any meaningful enhancement; in fact, some actually diminished the fluorescence intensity of riboflavin. The procedure was linear for riboflavin from 0.01 to 2.5 …

Restrained And Other Domination Parameters In Complementary Prisms., Wyatt Jules Desormeaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we will study several domination parameters of a family of graphs known as complementary prisms. We will first present the basic terminology and definitions necessary to understand the topic. Then, we will examine the known results addressing the domination number and the total domination number of complementary prisms. After this, we will present our main results, namely, results on the restrained domination number of complementary prisms. Subsequently results on the distance - k domination number, 2-step domination number and stratification of complementary prisms will be presented. Then, we will characterize when a complementary prism is Eulerian or …

Study On Methods Of Simultaneous Multi-Component Analysis., Jennifer Bernice Ashie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many new instrumentation and different instrumental techniques have been developed to deal with increasing complexity of samples encountered. Many researchers also have coupled these instrumental techniques with chemometric algorithms to assist in the quantitative analysis of multi-component samples in the hope of alleviating the need of tedious separation and cleanup procedures. These newer chemometric procedures tend to be complex and difficult to understand and implement and are successful under different circumstances and conditions. In this study, we start from the very simple beginning and examine the factors that can present difficulties with obtaining the correct results and observe how the …