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Effects Of Parenting Styles, Academic Self-Efficacy, And Achievement Motivation On The Academic Achievement Of University Students In Ethiopia, Abesha A. Gota

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The prime purpose of this study was to propose and test an integrated parental and social-cognitive model of academic achievement and examine the effects of parenting styles, academic self-efficacy, and achievement motivation on academic achievement by employing an ex-post facto prospective research design. The data on demographic characteristics, parenting styles, academic self-efficacy and achievement motivation were collected through self-report questionnaires from a sample of 2116 (763 females and 1353 males) undergraduate first year students selected via multi-stage cluster random sampling technique from Addis Ababa University, Kotebe College of Teacher Education, and Wolayta Soddo University in Ethiopia and accessing their second …

Profiling Instances In Noise Reduction, Sarah Jane Delany, Nicola Segata, Brian Macnamee

Articles

The dependency on the quality of the training data has led to significant work in noise reduction for instance-based learning algorithms. This paper presents an empirical evaluation of current noise reduction techniques, not just from the perspective of their comparative performance, but from the perspective of investigating the types of instances that they focus on for re- moval. A novel instance profiling technique known as RDCL profiling allows the structure of a training set to be analysed at the instance level cate- gorising each instance based on modelling their local competence properties. This profiling approach o↵ers the opportunity of investigating …

Sms Spam Filtering: Methods And Data, Sarah Jane Delany, Mark Buckley, Derek Greene

Articles

Mobile or SMS spam is a real and growing problem primarily due to the availability of very cheap bulk pre-pay SMS packages and the fact that SMS engenders higher response rates as it is a trusted and personal service. SMS spam filtering is a relatively new task which inherits many issues and solu- tions from email spam filtering. However it poses its own specific challenges. This paper motivates work on filtering SMS spam and reviews recent devel- opments in SMS spam filtering. The paper also discusses the issues with data collection and availability for furthering research in this area, analyses …

Critical Resiliency: A Case Study Of Latino Students’ Experiences In Advanced-Level High School Courses, Eric J. Chagala

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The achievement gap has been at the center of much educational discourse for the past 20 years, and it has become even more prevalent since the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. References in the literature regarding the achievement gap often center on raising ethnic minority and low-socioeconomic students to the same average academic performance as White, middle-class students (Gandara, 2005). This case study went beyond that and examined the achievement gap in terms of the experiences of 1stgeneration, college-bound, and low-income Latino students in advanced-level high school courses, such as advanced placement (AP) and international …

Don’T Touch That String! There Went The Databases, Dee Baldwin, Michael Kucsak, Alice Eng

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

Web discovery tools can change not only the way users search and retrieve information, but also, how libraries and librarians work with information. When the University of North Florida implemented web scale discovery tools, we discovered that the technical implementation was challenging, but the most difficult changes were related to the library culture. Our students were “early adopters” moving from over 26 different entry points to finding most library materials in one search. But our staff and faculty were more resistant to the change.

Technical challenges related to implementation included coordinating the various technology pieces to customize the search interface, …

Use Of Colour Duplex Ultrasound As A First Line Surveillance Tool Following Evar Is Associated With A Reduction In Cost Without Compromising Accuracy, C. Gray, Patrick J. Goodman, C. C. Herron, L. P. Lawler, M. K. O'Malley, M. K. O'Donohoe, C. O. Mc. Donnell

Articles

CT scanning remains the postoperative surveillance imaging modality of choice following EVAR. Concerns regarding cost, exposure to ionising radiation and intravenous contrast have led to a search for a less expensive, equally efficacious and safer method of monitoring EVAR patients after endograft deployment. This study evaluated the cost saving obtained if CDUS was employed as a first line surveillance tool following EVAR, as well as comparing the two entities in terms of efficacy. Patients & methods: Postoperative surveillance CTs and CDUS scans in the 145 patients who have undergone EVAR from 1st June 2003 to 1st July 2010 were compared …

Assessing Collaborative Conversations Between Mentor Coaches And School Administrators: A Qualitative Study, Bonnie L. Tryon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The proposed dissertation is designed to assess the contributions of collaborative conversations between school administrator mentor coaches and mentees. There is no statewide program available for school administrators to receive professional learning in a blended mentor-coaching model, and, as such, the qualitative research study aims to assess the nature of collaborative conversations that grow leadership practices.

Members of the mentoring committee of a statewide professional association spent over 2 years reviewing and visiting many mentor and coaching programs. Committee members discovered that current and aspiring school administrators had little access to the vital support literature indicating that a mentor-coaching relationship …

Modelling Interruptions Of Human-In-The Loop Tasks, Muhammet Servet Gulum

Doctoral Dissertations

"Interruptions are a part of our everyday experience and are increasingly becoming a part of our work. Systems are typically not designed with consideration of the effects of interrupting a user during a task sequence. Research is being done in the field of interruptions and its effects. There have been various claims about the effects of interruptions on human task performance. It has been shown that interruptions may not only increase the time to perform a task but also decrease the performance. It has also been analyzed that the effect of interruptions depends on many parameters including task complexity, point …

Evaluation Of An Early Intervention Program In A Rural County, Andrea Thomas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an early intervention program (EIP) in the southeastern United States. The program was adopted in 2000 by the state’s assembly and implemented in 2001. The goal of the program was to help students in kindergarten through fifth grade to perform on grade level in reading and mathematics. Students were identified and placed in the program based on standardized test scores and teachers’ checklists. Once placed in the program, students were given individualized programs targeted to help them perform better in reading and mathematics.

The research questions focused on the student achievement of …

Analysis Of Hpv-16 Late Gene Expression, Beatrice Orru

Doctoral

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are present in 99.7% of all cervical cancers and HPV type 16 (HPV-16) is the major cause of cervical cancer. Expression of the viral capsid gene L1 and L2 can be detected only in the terminally epithelial cells and we speculate that inhibition of HPV-16 late gene expression in the early stage of the life cycle is probably a prerequisite for persistence of infection. The products of the late genes, L1 and L2, are highly immunogenic and expression of these proteins in the lower layers of the cervical epithelium could lead to clearance of the virus. Therefore, …

Personality Modulates The Effects Of Emotional Arousal And Valence On Brain Activation, Elizabeth G. Kehoe, John M. Toomey, Joshua H. Balsters, Arun L.W. Bokde

Articles

The influence of personality on the neural correlates of emotional processing is still not well characterized. We investigated the relationship between extraversion and neuroticism and emotional perception using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a group of 23 young, healthy women. Using a parametric modulation approach, we examined how the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal varied with the participants’ ratings of arousal and valence, and whether levels of extraversion and neuroticism were related to these modulations. In particular, we wished to test Eysenck's biological theory of personality, which links high extraversion to lower levels of reticulothalamic–cortical arousal, and neuroticism …

Civic Education And Democratic Backsliding In The Wake Of Kenya’S Post-2007 Election Violence, Steven E. Finkel, Jeremy Horowitz, Reynaldo T. Rojo-Mendoza

Dartmouth Scholarship

This article examines two unexplored questions concerning the impact of civic education programs in emerging democracies: (1) whether such programs have longer-terms effects and (2) whether civic education can be effective under conditions of democratic “backsliding.” We investigate these questions in the context of a large-scale civic education program in Kenya just before the disputed 2007 election that sparked a wave of ethnic clashes and brought the country to the brink of civil war. Analysis of a survey of 1,800 “treatment” and 1,800 “control” individuals shows that the program had significant long-term effects on variables related to civic competence and …

"Man Up": A Longitudinal Evaluation Of Adherence To Traditional Masculinity Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Adolescent Inmates, Mary Elisabeth Gray

Dissertations and Theses

Research has consistently demonstrated strong relationships between high levels of adherence to traditional masculinity ideology and poor health and behavior outcomes (e.g., Levant & Richmond, 2007; O'Neil, 2008). Though recent studies have demonstrated support for theories of multiple masculinities or the idea that one's masculinity ideology is developed, maintained, and restructured according to one's social and environmental contexts (e.g., Smiler, 2004), understanding how male gender contributes to social problems within diverse communities, social groups, and contexts is not well established (Mankowski & Maton, 2010). The current study examined how individual and contextual variables predict change in level of adherence to …

Extending Relativistic Programming To Multiple Writers, Philip William Howard

Dissertations and Theses

For software to take advantage of modern multicore processors, it must be safely concurrent and it must scale. Many techniques that allow safe concurrency do so at the expense of scalability. Coarse grain locking allows multiple threads to access common data safely, but not at the same time. Non-Blocking Synchronization and Transactional Memory techniques optimistically allow concurrency, but only for disjoint accesses and only at a high performance cost. Relativistic programming is a technique that allows low overhead readers and joint access parallelism between readers and writers. Most of the work on relativistic programming has assumed a single writer at …

Building On The Strengths Of Indigenous Knowledge To Promote Sustainable Development In Crisis Conditions From The Community Level: The Case Of Palestine, Jehad Yousif Alayasa

Dissertations and Theses

This study began focused on the use of traditional knowledge in promoting sustainable development in crisis conditions. Presented the question: How have successful community-level sustainable development efforts undertaken under crisis conditions drawn upon indigenous knowledge to achieve positive outcomes? The study is a cross case analysis. The three cases addressed in this study have explained some of the ways that indigenous knowledge has played significant positive roles in promoting sustainable development for communities living under crisis conditions in Palestine. Indigenous knowledge community based patterns indicated significant focus on strengths of local culture, social cohesion, the integration process, and special advantages …

Making Popular Constitutionalism Work, Thomas G. Donnelly

Law Faculty Publications

Popular constitutionalism defies easy definition. Its leading theorists fail to offer a common reading of constitutional history, a common methodology, or even a common set of remedies. Given these diverse approaches, it is little wonder that one recurring complaint among popular constitutionalism's critics is that the theory itself is incoherent. This criticism is overstated. Even as there are various strands of popular constitutionalism, its leading theorists do share one key attribute, a populist sensibility-a common belief that the American people (and their elected representatives) should play an ongoing role in shaping contemporary constitutional meaning. The question remains how best to …

Minimalist Ensemble Algorithms For Genome-Wide Protein Localization Prediction, J.-R. Lin, A. M. Mondal, R. Liu, Jianjun Hu

Faculty Publications

Background

Computational prediction of protein subcellular localization can greatly help to elucidate its functions. Despite the existence of dozens of protein localization prediction algorithms, the prediction accuracy and coverage are still low. Several ensemble algorithms have been proposed to improve the prediction performance, which usually include as many as 10 or more individual localization algorithms. However, their performance is still limited by the running complexity and redundancy among individual prediction algorithms.

Results

This paper proposed a novel method for rational design of minimalist ensemble algorithms for practical genome-wide protein subcellular localization prediction. The algorithm is based on combining a feature …

The Effect Of Atmospheric Aging On A Hybrid Polymer Matrix Composites' Material Properties, Brian Michael Burks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical failure modes associated with elevated temperature exposure of the load bearing unidirectional hybrid composite (based upon glass and carbon fibers reinforcing a high temperature epoxy matrix) of a next generation transmission line design were investigated in this research. In particular, the flexural performance (in both static and fatigue loading) of the composite which had been exposed to elevated temperatures for prolonged periods of time was studied. To this end, a fatigue test was developed in an attempt to simulate the multi-axial loading conditions present on transmission lines. This test was used to evaluate the fatigue behavior of unaged specimens, …

Perception Of Leadership Issues Involved In The Implementation Of Total Quality Management By Leaders Of Business And Academe In Saudi Arabia, Ali Aljodea

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The importance of implementing quality management in education and industry is of growing importance in today's world. There is a growing concern in Saudi Arabia with quality and only a few institutions have begun to implement TQM. This study examined two of the major institutions in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), and King Saud University (KSU), where TQM principles had been implemented. The study sought to determine the perceptions of upper and middle managers of the two institutions concerning the implementation of TQM and the factors related to those perceptions.;Little has been done in Saudi Arabia to compare …

Glycan Characterization And Manipulation Using Phospholipid Additives For Capillary Electrophoresis, Stephanie A. Archer-Hartmann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Protein glycosylation is of interest in a number of emerging fields, and plays important functional roles in cellular biology. The analysis of these molecules is nontrivial because they exhibit great complexity in both monomer makeup and linkages of these monomers. As a result, a common challenge that analytical techniques face is the separation of linkage glycan isomers. This dissertation is based on the research leading to the development of a phospholipid-capillary electrophoresis method that allows for highly efficient separations and the non-covalent incorporation of enzymes and lectins for in-capillary interactions. Glycans were removed from glycoproteins through enzymatic means, then labeled …

A Guide To Selected Resources On Memorization Techniques For Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography, Silvia A. Atmadja

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research project provides reviews of resources for pianists, performers, teachers and students, striving to deepen their knowledge of memorization techniques and explore different methods of memorizing piano music, and for scholars pursuing further research on this important topic. Readers will find resources that discuss the topic from the musical and psychological standpoints, but not a scientific approach to brain and memorization. Resources include books, journal articles, and theses/dissertations that are written in English from the 1890s through the first decade of the 21st century.

Sol-Gel Derived Wear-Resistant, Hydrophobic, Particle-Reinforced Silica Coatings, Derrick A. Banerjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hydrophobic coatings are useful for a wide range of applications including anti-fouling, anti-corrosive, and anti-icing. There are also a number of emerging applications in which transparency is critical such as optoelectronics, touchscreens, and smart windows. For many of these applications, resistance to abrasive wear is also important. Typical low-surface energy coatings such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) have poor mechanical strength which leaves them susceptible to abrasive wear. To combat this problem, functional moieties can be encapsulated using a sol-gel method to provide improved substrate adhesion and hardness while maintaining transparency and functionality. While this provides an improvement for many applications, the …

Rewriting Domesticity, War, And Confederate Defeat: Julia Legrand, Sensibility, And Literary Culture In The Nineteenth-Century South, Katherine Brackett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores Julia LeGrand's diary-keeping, readings of texts such as newspapers, novels and religious texts, and her postwar attempts at fiction writing to reveal the ways in which the sensibilities LeGrand acquired through reading and writing provided her with multiple cultural narratives to respond to the challenges posed by her tumultuous antebellum courtship, the military occupation of her adopted city during the Civil War, and her frustration with men and patriarchy during Reconstruction. This study examines the ways in which LeGrand's relationship with reading material and her own writing changed over time due to circumstances in her life, especially …

Nanostructure And Chemistry Evolution Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Upon Cell Operation, Song Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are clean and efficient alternatives to conventional power generation technology. In SOFC, electrochemical reactions take place on the triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) between the electrolyte, the electrode and the gaseous fuel. Small changes in TPB structure or chemistry, and the interface between electrode and electrolyte can drastically affect SOFC performance and lifetime. However, very limited experimental work has been reported on the nanostructure and chemistry evolution of interface and TPBs in the SOFC upon cell operation.;The main goal of this dissertation is to investigate the nanostructure and chemistry of the grain boundaries and interfaces including TPB …

Metabolic Syndrome Risk In Young Adults Attending West Virginia University, Amanda M. Dent

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is increasing throughout the United States across age groups. The purpose of this study was to collect descriptive baseline anthropometric and biochemical data to determine MetS prevalence in 18 to 24 year olds and to assess change in MetS risk after a 10 week web-based intervention. MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program's Third Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP III) definition. Blood pressure, anthropometric and biochemical measures were obtained at baseline, post-intervention and 15 months. The overall prevalence of MetS at baseline was 15.1% (n = 14). The prevalence of one or …

An Economic Examination Of State Legal Regimes Within The U.S. System Of Federalism, John A. Dove

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is a collection of essays, each of which studies certain aspects of and differences between state legal frameworks within the U.S. Specifically, I analyze how even marginal differences between laws across the states can lead to radically different outcomes and incentives for both public and private actors. The first chapter explores state antitrust enforcement, as carried out by each state's attorney general, to empirically test the potential policy business cycle that is created during elections for that office and for those sitting attorneys general that simultaneously pursue a gubernatorial position within their respective state. The second chapter applies …

Adolescent Autonomy Development And Problematic Eating Patterns, Kaitlyn A. Ferris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Adolescence is a developmental time period associated with increased autonomy from parents and more independent decision-making. Adolescents strive to control areas of their life once solely controlled by parents, and food and eating decisions are two areas over which adolescents may want to have sole control. In addition, there may be heterogeneity in adolescents' beliefs about food-related behavior as well as adolescents' actual eating patterns. The current study examined parents' and adolescents' domain beliefs about food and whether adolescents' domain beliefs about such behaviors were associated with problematic eating patterns. Participants included 102 female caregiver-adolescent dyads with children between the …

Between Frontier And Factory: Growth And Development In Washington, Pennsylvania, 1810--1870, Eric D. Duchess

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the small town of Washington, Pennsylvania from its post-frontier period to the eve of industrialization. Two primary areas are covered in the study: the Market Revolution's growing influence on the local economy and society, and the Civil War's local impact. This study contributed to the field of urban and town history by providing a case study from a relatively under-examined region, the Upper Ohio Valley and southwestern Pennsylvania, by studying the relationship between its economic development and its social and political characteristics.;Washington was in many ways a typical small western Pennsylvania town, surrounded by farmland and serving …

For The Hope Of Humanity: Gov. Andrew G. Curtin & The Union's Civil War, Jared Frederick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the ideology and politics of Andrew Gregg Curtin throughout his entire career, specifically during his time as the governor of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War. As a self-described liberal, Curtin's vision for his state and nation was emblematic of broader Whig and Republican mentalities before and during the Civil War. Central to his ideas were notions of contractual theory, a harmony of interests between workers and industrialists, free labor, the right to property, and the rights of the individual to seek autonomy and agency in a democratic society. The outbreak of war expanded his sense of …

Investigation Of Coal Syngas Impurity Tolerance Of Alternative Cermet Sofc Anodes, Phil Gansor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC's) have the potential for producing highly efficient energy through conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy at high temperatures (>600°C). Until recently, pure hydrogen fuel (H2) is the prime fuel used within these devices. However, the high processing costs associated with clean hydrogen production combined with the abundance of available fossil fuels within the United States has opened the door for research on alternative fuels to power these cells. Among the biggest obstacles associated with this concept are the contaminants that are present in raw fuels such as natural gas or coal. While gas-cleanup …