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2009

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Chronic Variable Stress Affects Hippocampal Neurotrophic Factor Gene Expression In The Novelty-Seeking Phenotype, Ozge. Oztan Jan 2009

Chronic Variable Stress Affects Hippocampal Neurotrophic Factor Gene Expression In The Novelty-Seeking Phenotype, Ozge. Oztan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Experimentally naive rats exhibit varying degrees of novelty exploration. Some rats display high rates of locomotor reactivity to novelty (high responders; HR), and others display low rates (low responders; LR). The novelty-seeking phenotype (LRHR) is introduced as a model of stress responsiveness. In this thesis I examined effects of chronic variable physical and social stress or control handling on the levels of various neurotrophins in the hippocampus, and changes in mossy fibre terminal fields in LRHR rats. A positive correlation is seen between histone deacetylase 2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels both of which are oppositely regulated in LRHR …

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Commodification Of Sexual Labor, Jeffrey R. Young Jan 2009

Commodification Of Sexual Labor, Jeffrey R. Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This is an ethnographic study of a self-regulated Internet site that facilitates illegal female prostitution in South Florida. The purpose is to identify the social and economic characteristics of the site that can contribute to acceptable prostitution reform. The members of the site appear to sustain an orderly and mutually respectful exchange of sexual services for money, suggesting that certain social and economic features of this form of transaction diminish barriers otherwise present in typical forms of contemporary prostitution exchange. The study evaluates the thesis that when commercial sex is conducted in an open atmosphere of respect, trust and mutual …

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Compass Of Human Will In Realism And Fantasy, Tracy. Stone Jan 2009

Compass Of Human Will In Realism And Fantasy, Tracy. Stone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

As realist and naturalist writers at the turn of the twentieth century adopted a scientific spirit of objectivity, they reflected the emphasis many contemporary scientific studies laid on the forces of the natural world in shaping the character, behavior, and ultimate destiny of man. In this literary mood of "pessimistic determinism," fantasy literature began to experience a resurgence, providing a marked contrast to naturalism's portrayal of the impotence of man to effect change in his circumstances. I examine fantasy's restoration of efficacy to the human will through a study of two representative works of the opposing genres: Theodore Dreiser's Sister …

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Complete Thermal Design And Modeling For The Pressure Vessel Of An Ocean Turbine -, Khaled. Kaiser Jan 2009

Complete Thermal Design And Modeling For The Pressure Vessel Of An Ocean Turbine -, Khaled. Kaiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This thesis is an approach of numerical optimization of thermal design of the ocean turbine developed by the Centre of Ocean Energy and Technology (COET). The technique used here is the integrated method of finite element analysis (FEA) of heat transfer, artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) for optimization purposes.

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Cryptography In The Presence Of Key-Dependent Messages, Madeline. Gonzalez Jan 2009

Cryptography In The Presence Of Key-Dependent Messages, Madeline. Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The aim of this work is to investigate a security model in which we allow an adversary to have access to functions of the secret key. In recent years, significant progress has been made in understanding the security of encryption schemes in the presence of key-dependent plaintexts or messages (known as KDM). Here, we motivate and explore the security of a setting, where an adversary against a message authentication code (MAC) or signature scheme can access signatures on key-dependent messages. We propose a way to formalize the security of message authentication schemes in the presence of key-dependent MACs (KD-EUF) and …

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Cross-Cultural Stories Of Race And Change, Eloise D (Kitty) Oliver Jan 2009

Cross-Cultural Stories Of Race And Change, Eloise D (Kitty) Oliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

A progressive discourse on race is impeded by several factors: debates on the reality or unreality of the term race itself; discussions of ethnicity that tend to marginalize a discussion of race; the view by majority members of society that race is a topic for discussion principally by minorities; and the lack of models for non-confrontational public conversations on the subject. In the process, a discussion of racial change rarely enters the discourse beyond brief responses in opinion polls. This study proposed the Race and Change Dialogue Model to facilitate the exploration of how race operates in society on an …

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Determination And Evaluation Of Electrical Properties Of Metal-Containing Condensation Polymers, Amitabh J. Battin Jan 2009

Determination And Evaluation Of Electrical Properties Of Metal-Containing Condensation Polymers, Amitabh J. Battin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Doped electrically conductive polymers are one of the critical materials that have allowed the current technological revolution. Essentially all of today's applications of doped conductive polymers involve vinyl-related polymers. While the application of conductive polymers is rapidly increasing, there is need for additional materials with different electrical behaviors. The current focus is on studying condensation polymers that contain a metal atom and the possibility of undergoing entire chain delocalization of electrons. The different series of organometallic condensation polymers were synthesized by employing interfacial polycondensation technique and characterization of these products were carried out using standard techniques like light scattering photometer, …

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Degradation Of The Composite Fiber/Matrix Interface In Marine Environment, Muhammad Umar Farooq Jan 2009

Degradation Of The Composite Fiber/Matrix Interface In Marine Environment, Muhammad Umar Farooq

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Durability of the composite materials in marine environments has been investigated experimentally and with analytical and numerical methods. The main focus of this study is on the integrity of the fiber/matrix interface under seawater exposure. A single-fiber compression test specimen called the Outwater-Murphy (OM) test has been analyzed using mechanics of materials principles and linear elastic fracture mechanics. Sizing of the OM specimen was conducted so that debonding of the fiber from the interface should be achieved prior to yielding of the matrix and global instability failure. Stress analysis of the OM specimen has been conducted from theory of elasticity …

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Design And Implementation Of Efficient Routing Protocols In Delay Tolerant Networks, Cong. Liu Jan 2009

Design And Implementation Of Efficient Routing Protocols In Delay Tolerant Networks, Cong. Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Delay tolerant networks (DTNs) are occasionally-connected networks that may suffer from frequent partitions. DTNs provide service despite long end to end delays or infrequent connectivity. One fundamental problem in DTNs is routing messages from their source to their destination. DTNs differ from the Internet in that disconnections are the norm instead of the exception. Representative DTNs include sensor-based networks using scheduled intermittent connectivity, terrestrial wireless networks that cannot ordinarily maintain end-to-end connectivity, satellite networks with moderate delays and periodic connectivity, underwater acoustic networks with moderate delays and frequent interruptions due to environmental factors, and vehicular networks with cyclic but nondeterministic …

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Design And Finite Element Analysis Of An Ocean Current Turbine Blade, Nicholas S. Asseff Jan 2009

Design And Finite Element Analysis Of An Ocean Current Turbine Blade, Nicholas S. Asseff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

A composite 3 meter ocean current turbine blade has been designed and analyzed using Blade Element Theory (BET) and commercial Finite Element Modeling (FEM) code, ANSYS. It has been observed that using the numerical BET tool created, power production up to 141 kW is possible from a 3 bladed rotor in an ocean current of 2.5 m/s with the proposed blade design. The blade is of sandwich construction with carbon fiber skin and high density foam core. It also contains two webs made of S2-glass for added shear rigidity. Four design cases were analyzed, involving differences in hydrodynamic shape, material …

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Dimensions Of Sexist Beliefs And Psychosocial Adjustment In Childhood, Sarah Bidmead Jan 2009

Dimensions Of Sexist Beliefs And Psychosocial Adjustment In Childhood, Sarah Bidmead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The levels of 3 dimensions of sexism and 13 measures of psychosocial adjustment were assessed in 236 children in grades 4 through 8. The adjustment measures were factor analyzed to produce 5 adjustment factors. Analysis revealed that one of the factors, peer-reported prosocial tendencies, was moderately and negatively correlated with two of three measures of sexism. This effect was more pronounced for girls than for boys. Another factor, body self-esteem, was negatively correlated with one of the measures of sexism for girls. The findings are congruent with the view that traditionally sexist ideology may detrimentally impact children's psychosocial adjustment.

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Dynamic Positioning And Motion Mitigation Of A Scaled Sea Basing Platform, Sean P. Marikle Jan 2009

Dynamic Positioning And Motion Mitigation Of A Scaled Sea Basing Platform, Sean P. Marikle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

A 6-Degree Of Freedom (DOF) numeric model and computer simulation along with the 1/10th scale physical model of the Rapidly Deployable Stable Platform (RDSP) are being developed at Florida Atlantic University in response to military needs for ocean platforms with improved sea keeping characteristics. The RDSP is a self deployable spar platform with two distinct modes of operation enabling long distance transit and superior seakeeping. The focus of this research is the development of a Dynamic Position (DP) and motion mitigation system for the RDSP. This will be accomplished though the validation of the mathematical simulation, development of a novel …

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Effects Of Covert Audio Coaching On The Job Performance Of Supported Employees, Kyle D. Bennett Jan 2009

Effects Of Covert Audio Coaching On The Job Performance Of Supported Employees, Kyle D. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The importance of employment in our society is unmistakable. The financial outcome of employment allows us to provide for ourselves and others. Furthermore, our employment status, and the work in which we engage, play a part in defining our self-concept. For many people, however, sustained employment remains elusive. The unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is staggering, and the consequences of being without a job affects those who are unemployed, their families, and our society. There are many issues that directly challenge the employment status of people with disabilities. Some of these include funding for supported employment programs, employer bias, …

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Eeg In Preschool Children And The Development Of Empathy, Amanda N. Almeida Jan 2009

Eeg In Preschool Children And The Development Of Empathy, Amanda N. Almeida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Empathy has been shown to have many positive outcomes in individuals at every stage throughout life. It promotes sociability, helping behaviors, and can protect against the development of psychopathology. Evolutionary theorists have hypothesized that humans have a biological predisposition for empathic response. Temperament, as well as parental interaction with children, account for individual differences in empathic response levels. Much research has also looked at maternal depression as a key factor in children's negative emotional responding. We used EEG to measure individual differences in children's empathic emotional responding, as well as parental interaction and its impact on empathy and prosocial development. …

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Effectiveness Of A Violence Prevention Program Used As A Nursing Intervention Tool On Agression Among Children In Pre-Kindergarten, Carol W. Stephenson Jan 2009

Effectiveness Of A Violence Prevention Program Used As A Nursing Intervention Tool On Agression Among Children In Pre-Kindergarten, Carol W. Stephenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Childhood aggression has captured media attention over recent years. Aggression and violence have permeated schools and affected many communities. There are policies and programs in place for young adults, teens and children in some high schools and elementary schools, but not in preschools or daycare centers. However, intervention programs need to be introduced at the preschool level. There is also a scarcity of nursing research on aggression among preschoolers and successful early intervention anti-aggression programs. This study evaluated the Second Stepª anti-aggression program, utilized as a nursing intervention tool, among 41 preschool children aged 3, 4, and 5 years of …

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Elucidation Of The Features Of The Zinc Finger Associated Domain (Zad) Family Of Transportation Factors In Drosophila Melanogaster, Joseph. Krystel Jan 2009

Elucidation Of The Features Of The Zinc Finger Associated Domain (Zad) Family Of Transportation Factors In Drosophila Melanogaster, Joseph. Krystel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The zinc finger associated domain (ZAD) containing family of transcription factors is not well described in the literature, in part because it is very difficult to study by mutagenesis. We used in vitro-binding techniques to identify characteristics of the ZAD family, by constructing glutathione Stransferase (GST)-ZAD domain chimeric proteins for use in protein binding assays, and GST-Zinc finger array domain chimera for binding site selections. Protein binding assays indicated a possible shared cofactor, as seen in the analogous KRAB system in mammals. DNA binding assays have provided a consensus binding sequence for five of the ZAD proteins, consistent with previously …

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Effects Of National Board Certification On Retention Of Teachers In The Classroom, Lewis. Jackson Jan 2009

Effects Of National Board Certification On Retention Of Teachers In The Classroom, Lewis. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study probes the impact that the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process has on teachers, schools, and school districts. In particular the study provides research to determine if National Board Certification significantly affects teachers staying in the classrooms as full time teachers. The NBPTS process is explored to better understand the background of the endeavor and how it may thereby assist in promoting teacher retention and whether this concept is being realized. The history of leadership is also explored and discussed as it pertains to education and the NBPTS process. Beyond researching the relationship between National …

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Effects Of Caffeine Supplementation On Strength And Muscular Endurance In Resistance-Trained Women, Erica R. Goldstein Jan 2009

Effects Of Caffeine Supplementation On Strength And Muscular Endurance In Resistance-Trained Women, Erica R. Goldstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the acute effects of caffeine supplementation on strength and muscular endurance in resistance-trained women. In a randomized manner, 15 women consumed caffeine (6 mg/kg) or placebo (PL) seven days apart. Sixty minutes following supplementation, participants performed a one repetition maximum (1RM) barbell bench press test and repetitions to failure at 60% of 1RM. Heart rate and blood pressure were assessed at rest, 60 minutes post-consumption, and immediately following completion of repetitions to failure. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significantly greater bench press maximum with caffeine (p<0.05) (52.9 « 11.1 kg vs. 52.1 « 11.7 kg) with no significant differences between conditions in 60% 1RM repetitions (p=0.81). Systolic blood pressure was significantly greater post-exercise, with caffeine (p<0.05) (116.8 « 5.3 mmHg vs. 112.9 « 4.9 mmHg). Our findings indicate a moderate dose of caffeine may be sufficient for enhancing strength performance in resistance-trained women.

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Effects Of Mid-Incubation Egg Movement On Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) Turtle Hatch Success And Embryo Development, Natasha M. Ahles Jan 2009

Effects Of Mid-Incubation Egg Movement On Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) Turtle Hatch Success And Embryo Development, Natasha M. Ahles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Due to an emergency status dune restoration project following Subtropical Storm Andrea in 2007 on Singer Island, Florida, nests needed to be moved during early to mid-incubation. Nesting success was compared between those moved mid-incubation, moved within 12h to either a native sand incubation area or a renourished sand incubation area, and those left in-situ. Nests moved within 12h to the native sand had a significantly larger proportion of pipped hatchlings. Nests moved mid-incubation had a significantly lower proportion of hatched eggs as well as emergent hatchlings. The stage in which embryonic development was arrested corresponded to the stage the …

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Enhancing Performance In Publish/Subscribe Systems, Akshay. Kamdar Jan 2009

Enhancing Performance In Publish/Subscribe Systems, Akshay. Kamdar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Publish/subscribe is a powerful paradigm for distributed applications based on decoupled clients of information. In pub/sub applications, there exist a large amount of publishers and subscribes ranging from hundreds to millions. Publish/subscribe systems need to disseminate numerous events through a network of brokers. Due to limited resources of brokers, there may be lots of events that cannot be handled in time which in turn causes overload problem. Here arises the need of admission control mechanism to provide guaranteed services in publish/subscribe systems. Our approach gives the solution to this overload problem in the network of brokers by limiting the incoming …

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Emergency Evacuation Planning Model For Special Needs Populations Utilizing Public Transit Systems, Linda S. Hess Jan 2009

Emergency Evacuation Planning Model For Special Needs Populations Utilizing Public Transit Systems, Linda S. Hess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The need to have evacuation plans in place for readily implementation for special need populations has become evident after catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina. For the purpose of this research special need populations will include, but are not limited to, people with physical disabilities, senior citizens, non-English speaking populations, residents and employees without vehicles, and tourists. The main objective of this research is to evaluate different evacuation procedures for special need populations from large urban areas utilizing current public transit systems. A microscopic simulation model was constructed to analyze real life scenarios for evacuation methodologies. A linear programming optimization …

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Effects Of Poss Fiber Sizing On The Mechanical And Thermal Properties Of Carbonninyl Ester Composites, Felicia M. Powell Jan 2009

Effects Of Poss Fiber Sizing On The Mechanical And Thermal Properties Of Carbonninyl Ester Composites, Felicia M. Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The degradation of polymer composites in moist environments is a limiting factor in the advancement of composite technology. The key to mitigate this degradation is to maintain the integrity of the fiber/matrix (F/M) interface. In this study, the F/M interface of carbon/vinyl ester composites has been modified by treating the carbon fiber with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). Two POSS systems, namely octaisobutyl and trisilanolphenyl, have been investigated. A set of chemical and mechanical procedures has been developed to coat carbon fibers with POSS, and fabricate layered composites using vinyl ester resin. lnterlaminar shear, transverse tension, and low velocity impact tests …

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Emerging Narratives Of Native American, Asian American, And African American Women In Middle Adulthood With An Education Doctorate Degree, Jo Ann Bamdas Jan 2009

Emerging Narratives Of Native American, Asian American, And African American Women In Middle Adulthood With An Education Doctorate Degree, Jo Ann Bamdas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this qualitative narrative research study was to interpret the meaning found throughout the formal educational experience stories of Native American, Asian American, and African American women born after 1944, who had earned an education doctorate degree after 1976, and were working with adults in an educational capacity within the community. Utilizing the snowball technique, 14 participants from across the United States volunteered to collaborate with the researcher. The study's conceptual framework included adult learning principles and practices, Nussbaum's 'narrative imagination,' which were used to examine the women's motivation to participate in an education doctorate program as well …

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Exploration Of Factors Affecting The Academic Success Of Students In A College Quantitative Business Course, Mary M. Davis Jan 2009

Exploration Of Factors Affecting The Academic Success Of Students In A College Quantitative Business Course, Mary M. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The American Association of Colleges and Universities reports that over 50% of the students entering colleges and universities are academically under prepared; that is, according to Miller and Murray (2005), students "lack basic skills in at least one of the three fundamental areas of reading, writing, and mathematics". Furthermore, approximately 30% of the students in a state university undergraduate quantitative business course fail or withdraw from the course. The purpose of this study was to explore non-cognitive and cognitive factors that may be related to the academic success of those students enrolled in the course. To this end, a survey …

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Farfield Modeling Of The Boynton Inlet Plume Using Sulfur Hexafluoride As Tracer, Joaquin. Pire-Schmidt Jan 2009

Farfield Modeling Of The Boynton Inlet Plume Using Sulfur Hexafluoride As Tracer, Joaquin. Pire-Schmidt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The analysis and modeling of the coastal farfield behavior of inlet discharge plumes is the key to understanding the fate of pollutants discharged into the ocean. These plumes disperse in chaotic and unpredictable patterns. Theoretical models are based on the average conditions and calibrated to the results of tracer studies. Data and models for freshwater discharges in coastal ocean systems are limited because of the lack of adequate tracers. On February, 2007, a tracer study was conducted on the Boynton Inlet, Florida, using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer. The objective of this study is to provide methods of analysis for the …

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Examination Of The Implementation Of The Intel Essentials Project-Based Learning Model On Middle And Secondary Reading And Language Arts Fcat Student Achievement And Engagement, Jeremy R. Wright Jan 2009

Examination Of The Implementation Of The Intel Essentials Project-Based Learning Model On Middle And Secondary Reading And Language Arts Fcat Student Achievement And Engagement, Jeremy R. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify (1) the effectiveness of the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning based on student Florida Comprehensive Assessment test (FCAT) reading scores; (2) the differences in student engagement between students in classes with teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning and teachers not trained in the model as measured by the Beliefs about Classroom Structures Survey; (3) the level of implementation (high, average, or low) of teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning; and (4) any correlation between the level of implementation and the level of student …

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Exploring The Influence Of Middle School Leaders On Middle School Girls' Interest In High School Science Enrollment, Lori. Kijanka Jan 2009

Exploring The Influence Of Middle School Leaders On Middle School Girls' Interest In High School Science Enrollment, Lori. Kijanka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this research was to explore middle school leaders' perceptions of the reasons girls' enrollment levels in science courses during high school declines and if the advice given to middle school girls may be perpetuating the diminished enrollment of girls in science courses as they move from middle school to high school. The study explored the contributions of expectancy and role theory using a qualitative method. Data analysis found that cultural influences on middle school girls' career goals emerged as a significant influence on school leaders' perceptions. Instructional methodology and cultural, gendered assumptions of women in science were …

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Face Processing In Persons With And Without Alzheimer's Disease, Jeanna. Winchester Jan 2009

Face Processing In Persons With And Without Alzheimer's Disease, Jeanna. Winchester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study aimed to understand the differences in strength or coordination of brain regions involved in processing faces in the presence of aging and/or progressing neuropathology (Alzheimer's disease). To this end, Experiment 1 evaluated age-related differences in basic face processing and the effects of familiarity in face processing. Overall, face processing in younger (22-35yrs) and older participants (63-83yrs) recruited a broadly distributed network of brain activity, but the distribution of activity varied depending on the age of the individual. The younger population utilized regions of the occipitotemporal, medial frontal and posterior parietal cortices while the older population recruited a concentrated …

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Fuzzy Logic Material Selection Methodology For Renewable Ocean Energy Applications, Donald Anthony Welling Jan 2009

Fuzzy Logic Material Selection Methodology For Renewable Ocean Energy Applications, Donald Anthony Welling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a renewable ocean energy material selection methodology for use in FAU's Ocean Energy Projects. A detailed and comprehensive literature review has been performed concerning all relevant material publications and forms the basis of the developed method. A database of candidate alloys has been organized and is used to perform case study material selections to validate the developed fuzzy logic approach. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to aid in the selection of materials that will ensure the successful performance of renewable ocean energy projects so that clean and renewable energy becomes …

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Hanging In The Balance, Jessica. Salamin Jan 2009

Hanging In The Balance, Jessica. Salamin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This thesis represents a study of Kate Chopin's groundbreaking novel, The Awakening. Further, it applies Nietzsche's principles of Dionysiac and Apollonian impulses to the literary analysis of the novel. I argue that the protagonist of the novel, Edna Pontellier, embarks on a quest to determine how she may live an authentic life - that is, a life whereby she is true to herself above all others. Ultimately, her search for self is overwhelmed by the imbalance of the Apollonian and Dionysiac impulses against which she struggles. Because Edna cannot successfully mediate this struggle, she reaches the conclusion that she may …

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