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2013

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Examining The Effects Of Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Combination With Video Self-Modeling On Writing By Third Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Katie Miller Jan 2013

Examining The Effects Of Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Combination With Video Self-Modeling On Writing By Third Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Katie Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the effects of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD), a cognitive strategy instructional method, on opinion writing by third grade students with learning disabilities. A video self-modeling (VSM) component was added to the SRSD method. A multiple probe across participants, single-subject design was used to determine the effectiveness of the SRSD instructional strategy, (POW + TREE), in combination with video self-modeling. Data from various components of writing, including essay elements, length of responses, time spent writing, and overall writing quality, were collected and assessed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. All students who received the intervention improved their …


Dynamic Feedback Pulse Shaping For High Power Chirped Pulse Amplification System, Dat Nguyen Jan 2013

Dynamic Feedback Pulse Shaping For High Power Chirped Pulse Amplification System, Dat Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this proposal is the development of high peak power laser sources with a focus on linearly chirped pulse laser sources. In the past decade chirped optical pulses have found a plethora of applications such as photonic analog-to-digital conversion, optical coherence tomography, laser ranging, etc. This dissertation analyzes the aforementioned applications of linearly chirped pulses and their technical requirements, as well as the performance of previously demonstrated parabolic pulse shaping approaches. The experimental research addresses the topic of parabolic pulse generation in two distinct ways. First, pulse shaping technique involving a time domain approach is presented, that results …


The Priming Effects Of Media Frames In Regard To News Images And Stereotypes Held By Hispanic Audiences, Meredith Morris Jan 2013

The Priming Effects Of Media Frames In Regard To News Images And Stereotypes Held By Hispanic Audiences, Meredith Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study applies priming, framing, and exemplification theories to examine the ways in which photos published with a news story influenced readers’ judgments about the ethnicities of the people receiving emergency hunger services. Of particular interest were the perceptions of Caucasian respondents about minorities, and Hispanic perceptions about African Americans and other Hispanics. A sample of 506 college students was randomly assigned to read one of three versions of an online news article about emergency hunger services in Central Florida. One version included two photographs of African American adults receiving food at a food bank. The second version included two …


The Contribution Of Visceral Fat To Positive Insulin Signaling In Ames Dwarf Mice, Vinal Menon Jan 2013

The Contribution Of Visceral Fat To Positive Insulin Signaling In Ames Dwarf Mice, Vinal Menon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ames dwarf (df/df) mice are homozygous for a spontaneous mutation in the prop1 gene due to which there is no development of anterior pituitary cells – somatotrophs, lactotrophs and thyrotrophs, leading to a deficiency of growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH). They tend to become obese as they age, but still live longer and healthier lives compared to their wild-type littermates, being very insulin sensitive, showing no signs of diabetes and cancer. These mutant mice also have high circulating levels of anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic adiponectin. Plasma levels of this adipokine usually decrease with an increase in accumulation of …


Accelerated Life Model With Various Types Of Censored Data, Kathryn Pridemore Jan 2013

Accelerated Life Model With Various Types Of Censored Data, Kathryn Pridemore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Accelerated Life Model is one of the most commonly used tools in the analysis of survival data which are frequently encountered in medical research and reliability studies. In these types of studies we often deal with complicated data sets for which we cannot observe the complete data set in practical situations due to censoring. Such difficulties are particularly apparent by the fact that there is little work in statistical literature on the Accelerated Life Model for complicated types of censored data sets, such as doubly censored data, interval censored data, and partly interval censored data. In this work, we …


Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Science Using Critical Incident Technique: A Case Study Approach., Meera Ravikumar Jan 2013

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Science Using Critical Incident Technique: A Case Study Approach., Meera Ravikumar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this case study using qualitative and quantitative methods was to investigate pre-service elementary teachers’ initial self-efficacy beliefs about science and science teaching by exploring the K-12 science experiences of these prospective elementary teachers. Of the 108 participants who completed the science teaching efficacy belief survey (STEBI-B) (Enochs & Riggs, 1990), 12 participants were selected to be interviewed using Flanagan’s (1954) critical incident technique. Participants were asked to share their past positive and negative incidents during their K- 12 years with science and science teachers. They were also asked to report how past incidents affected them at …


The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez Jan 2013

The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the United States, state governments are allocating millions of dollars to support Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs. Recent research has indicated that students that participate in VPK demonstrate higher academic achievement scores across a number of subject areas. Moreover, VPK participants are more likely to enter primary school on grade level, which in turn leads to a reduction in grade retention. Studies have indicated that although all students that participate in VPK programs benefit from such programs, minority students and students that come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds benefit at an even higher level. The intent of this study was to determine …


An Examination Of Inclusive Education In Schools Operated By The Jordan Field Of The United Nations Relief And Works Agency For Palestine Refugees In The Near East, Jacqueline Rodriguez Jan 2013

An Examination Of Inclusive Education In Schools Operated By The Jordan Field Of The United Nations Relief And Works Agency For Palestine Refugees In The Near East, Jacqueline Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For refugee children with disabilities, international agencies largely provide humanitarian assistance, including education. However, the obstacles associated with refugee existence can impede progress in the movement towards educating children with disabilities in inclusive settings. Perceptions of inclusive education in schools operated by the Jordan field of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East were explored through multiple embedded case studies. Each of the three schools examined included a student with a special educational need. The researcher also investigated strategies and supports provided by education stakeholders to students with special educational needs in inclusive …


The Perception And Measurement Of Human-Robot Trust, Kristin Schaefer Jan 2013

The Perception And Measurement Of Human-Robot Trust, Kristin Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As robots penetrate further into the everyday environments, trust in these robots becomes a crucial issue. The purpose of this work was to create and validate a reliable scale that could measure changes in an individual’s trust in a robot. Assessment of current trust theory identified measurable antecedents specific to the human, the robot, and the environment. Six experiments subsumed the development of the 40 item trust scale. Scale development included the creation of a 172 item pool. Two experiments identified the robot features and perceived functional characteristics that were related to the classification of a machine as a robot …


The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith Jan 2013

The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is both descriptive and philosophical, and at its core, it justifies the need for social foundations of education courses and programs in the university setting. It begins by analyzing the meaning of oppression and the part knowledge plays in confining the individual. The analysis then draws upon Patricia Hill Collins' theory of intersecting oppressions to get at the complexities and restrictions of working in the public schooling institution. It works through the ways in which sexist, classist, and racist practices afflict everyone in the institution through the bureaucratic mechanism and collateral oppression. The four components that make up …


Fetal-Pelvic Disproportion And Pelvic Asymmetry As A Potential Cause For High Maternal Mortality In Archaeological Populations, Sarah Stansfield Jan 2013

Fetal-Pelvic Disproportion And Pelvic Asymmetry As A Potential Cause For High Maternal Mortality In Archaeological Populations, Sarah Stansfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Females of childbearing age are overrepresented in the population of the Kellis 2 cemetery (100-450 AD) in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt (Wheeler 2009). The demographic overrepresentation found here may be the result of complications related to childbirth. Clinical literature demonstrates that fetal size is rarely an explanation for failed labor (Cunningham et al. 2001) and the fetuses buried in the Kellis 2 Cemetery at the Dakhleh Oasis were not larger than average (Tocheri et al. 2005), directing the focus to dimensions of the maternal pelvis for evidence of obstetrical issues, such as abnormally compressed pelvises. To formulate a test for …


Wavelength Scale Resonant Structures For Integrated Photonic Applications, Matthew Weed Jan 2013

Wavelength Scale Resonant Structures For Integrated Photonic Applications, Matthew Weed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An approach to integrated frequency-comb filtering is presented, building from a background in photonic crystal cavity design and fabrication. Previous work in the development of quantum information processing devices through integrated photonic crystals consists of photonic band gap engineering and methods of on-chip photon transfer. This work leads directly to research into coupled-resonator optical waveguides which stands as a basis for the primary line of investigation. These coupled cavity systems offer the designer slow light propagation which increases photon lifetime, reduces size limitations toward on-chip integration, and offers enhanced light-matter interaction. A unique resonant structure explained by various numerical models …


Intimate Partner Kidnapping: An Exploratory Analysis, Lindsey Blumenstein Jan 2013

Intimate Partner Kidnapping: An Exploratory Analysis, Lindsey Blumenstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following study is an exploratory analysis of intimate partner kidnapping. The current study will give a descriptive picture of the victim, offender, and incident characteristics of a form of intimate partner violence that has never been studied before, intimate partner kidnapping, as well as a form of physical violence often seen in the literature, intimate partner assaults. The study will use a combination of the National Incident Based Report System (FBI, 2009), and the American Community Survey (Census, 2012) to identify these characteristics and also to identify any potential relationships between structural-level correlates and rates of intimate partner violence. …


The Impact Of Growth Conditions On Cubic Znmgo Ultraviolet Sensors, Ryan Boutwell Jan 2013

The Impact Of Growth Conditions On Cubic Znmgo Ultraviolet Sensors, Ryan Boutwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cubic Zn1-xMgxO (c-Zn1-xMgxO) thin films have opened the deep ultraviolet (DUV) spectrum to exploration by oxide optoelectronic devices. These extraordinary films are readily wet-etch-able, have inversion symmetric lattices, and are made of common and safe constituents. They also host a number of new exciting experimental and theoretical challenges. Here, the relation between growth conditions of the c-Zn1-xMgxO film and performance of fabricated ultraviolet (UV) sensors is investigated. Plasma-Enhanced Molecular Beam Epitaxy was used to grow Zn1-xMgxO thin films and formation conditions were explored by varying the growth temperature, Mg source flux, oxygen flow rate, and radio-frequency (RF) power coupled into …


Trace Contaminant Control: An In-Depth Study Of A Silica-Titania Composite For Photocatalytic Remediation Of Closed-Environment Habitat Air, Janelle Coutts Jan 2013

Trace Contaminant Control: An In-Depth Study Of A Silica-Titania Composite For Photocatalytic Remediation Of Closed-Environment Habitat Air, Janelle Coutts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collection of studies focuses on a PCO system for the oxidation of a model compound, ethanol, using an adsorption-enhanced silica-Ti02 composite (STC) as the photocatalyst; studies are aimed at addressing the optimization of various parameters including light source, humidity, temperature, and possible poisoning events for use as part of a system for gaseous trace-contaminant control system in closed-environment habitats. The first goal focused on distinguishing the effect of photon flux (i.e., photons per unit time reaching a surface) from that ofphoton energy (i.e., wavelength) of a photon source on the PCO of ethanol. Experiments were conducted in a bench-scale …


Development Of Laser Spectroscopy For Elemental And Molecular Analysis, Yuan Liu Jan 2013

Development Of Laser Spectroscopy For Elemental And Molecular Analysis, Yuan Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy are still growing analytical and sensing spectroscopic techniques. They significantly reduce the time and labor cost in analysis with simplified instrumentation, and lead to minimal or no sample damage. In this dissertation, fundamental studies to improve LIBS analytical performance were performed and its fusion with Raman into one single sensor was explored. On the fundamental side, Thomson scattering was reported for the first time to simultaneously measure the electron density and temperature of laser plasmas from a solid aluminum target at atmospheric pressure. Comparison between electron and excitation temperatures brought insights into the …


Investigation Of A Novel Magnesium And Acidified Ethanol System For The Degradation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Phillip Maloney Jan 2013

Investigation Of A Novel Magnesium And Acidified Ethanol System For The Degradation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Phillip Maloney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For centuries chemists have sought to improve humankind’s quality of life and address many of society’s most pressing needs through the development of chemical processes and synthesis of new compounds, often with phenomenal results. Unfortunately, there also are many examples where these chemicals have had unintended, detrimental consequences that are not apparent until years or decades after their initial use. There are numerous halogenated molecules in this category that are globally dispersed, resistant to natural degradation processes, bioaccumulative, and toxic to living organisms. Chemicals such as these are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and due to their negative environmental …


Spectrally Uniform Frames And Spectrally Optimal Dual Frames, Saliha Pehlivan Jan 2013

Spectrally Uniform Frames And Spectrally Optimal Dual Frames, Saliha Pehlivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Frames have been useful in signal transmission due to the built in redundancy. In recent years, the erasure problem in data transmission has been the focus of considerable research in the case the error estimate is measured by operator (or matrix) norm. Sample results include the characterization of one-erasure optimal Parseval frames, the connection between two-erasure optimal Parseval frames and equiangular frames, and some characterization of optimal dual frames. If iterations are allowed in the reconstruction process of the signal vector, then spectral radius measurement for the error operators is more appropriate then the operator norm measurement. We obtain a …


Prediction Of Optical Properties Of Pi-Conjugated Organic Materials For Technological Innovations, Iffat Nayyar Jan 2013

Prediction Of Optical Properties Of Pi-Conjugated Organic Materials For Technological Innovations, Iffat Nayyar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic π-conjugated solids are promising candidates for new optoelectronic materials. The large body of evidence points at their advantageous properties such as high charge-carrier mobility, large nonlinear polarizability, mechanical flexibility, simple and low cost fabrication and superior luminescence. They can be used as nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with large two-photon absorption (2PA) and as electronic components capable of generating nonlinear neutral (excitonic) and charged (polaronic) excitations. In this work, we investigate the appropriate theoretical methods used for the (a) prediction of 2PA properties for rational design of organic materials with improved NLO properties, and (b) understanding of the essential electronic …


Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Sensitize Pancreatic Cancer Cells To Radiation By Promoting Acidic Ph, Ros, And Jnk Dependent Apoptosis, Melissa Wason Jan 2013

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Sensitize Pancreatic Cancer Cells To Radiation By Promoting Acidic Ph, Ros, And Jnk Dependent Apoptosis, Melissa Wason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Side effects of radiation therapy (RT) remain the most challenging issue for pancreatic cancer treatment. In this report we determined whether and how cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to RT. CONP pretreatment enhanced radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production preferentially in acidic cell-free solutions as well as acidic human pancreatic cancer cells. In acidic environments, CONPs favor the scavenging of superoxide radical over the hydroxyl peroxide resulting in accumulation of the latter whereas in neutral pH CONPs scavenge both. CONP treatment prior to RT markedly potentiated the cancer cell apoptosis both in culture and in tumors and …


Hidden In Plain Sight: Development And Testing Of A Model To Evaluate Political Leadership Tactics, Albert Citron Jan 2013

Hidden In Plain Sight: Development And Testing Of A Model To Evaluate Political Leadership Tactics, Albert Citron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the kinds of verbal and nonverbal signals elites manifest to show leadership qualities. Launching from Max Weber’s conceptual framework of charisma as a power term and Harold Lasswell’s study of propaganda, this study takes a multidisciplinary approach to studying political leadership with elements of communication methodology and an ontological basis in evolutionary psychology. The study’s goal is to offer a framework for defining and evaluating the diverse signal patterns employed by political elites in three real-life situations. These are the Malta Summit, the 1992 Virginia Presidential Debate, and the 2012 South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary. The cases …


Stereotypes, Perceptions Of Similarity, And Cultural Identity: Factors That May Influence The Academic Achievement Of Immigrant Students., Tamara Fagan Jan 2013

Stereotypes, Perceptions Of Similarity, And Cultural Identity: Factors That May Influence The Academic Achievement Of Immigrant Students., Tamara Fagan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, the United States has been known as the nation of immigrants due to the increasing number of immigrant students in the public school system. Although the population of immigrant students steadily increases annually, American society still pressures immigrants into acculturation to fulfill the United States ideals of academic achievement despite the United States claim of multiculturalism (Malcolm & Lowery, 2011). This research focuses on 1st - and 2nd generation immigrant students’ strife of acceptance in U.S. culture, while sill preserving their own native culture, and the influence it has on academic achievement. The researcher interviewed eight (8) adult …


Currency In Transition: An Ethnographic Inquiry Of Bitcoin Adherents, Justin Fletcher Jan 2013

Currency In Transition: An Ethnographic Inquiry Of Bitcoin Adherents, Justin Fletcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Internet and other telecommunications systems have reshaped the means by which markets are accessed, generated, and transformed. Recent innovations in computer science have led to the development of a virtually bound, decentralized, encrypted currency system known as bitcoin. Unlike conventional currency systems, the Bitcoin protocol is cryptologically defined with a virtual structure that allows it to simultaneously operate as currency, commodity, and market shaping socio-political force. Its decentralized design permits it to function as a free-market response to fiat currencies vulnerable to inflation, regulation, and manipulation. Given the cultural significance anthropologists and other social scientists have assigned to various …


Interpreting Diet And Nutritional Stress In Napoleon's Grand Army Using Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis, Sammantha Holder Jan 2013

Interpreting Diet And Nutritional Stress In Napoleon's Grand Army Using Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis, Sammantha Holder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A mass grave containing the remains of at least 3269 Napoleonic soldiers from 1812 was discovered in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2001. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses were performed on collagen from 78 femoral samples to explore dietary variation within the sample. Starvation and nutritional distress were also evaluated through the examination of nitrogen enrichment in bone collagen. Clinical studies have demonstrated that enriched nitrogen isotope values can indicate periods of nutritional stress and starvation; however, this is the first study to examine its use as a diagnostic indicator of starvation in a historical population using bone tissue. According to …


Inverse Intuition: Repurposing As A Method To Create New Artifacts, To Invent New Practices, And To Produce New Knowledge, Warren Jones Jan 2013

Inverse Intuition: Repurposing As A Method To Create New Artifacts, To Invent New Practices, And To Produce New Knowledge, Warren Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues that Digital Natives, rather than employing novel ways of thinking (such as those suggested by Walter Ong's concept of Second Orality), are in fact employing a way of thinking that has always existed: repurposing. Ruth Oldenziel discusses how, historically, women used "a kind of mental quality" enabling them to re-use objects in novel ways to accomplish more of life's tasks. My research led me to investigate how a wide variety of people, especially historically marginalized people, used this kind of mental quality. This dissertation explores repurposing's real world uses as well as its uses in narratives, specifically …


Wetland Diversity In A Disturbance-Maintained Landscape: Effects Of Fire And A Fire Surrogate On Aquatic Amphibian Survival And Species Depauperateness., Joyce Klaus Jan 2013

Wetland Diversity In A Disturbance-Maintained Landscape: Effects Of Fire And A Fire Surrogate On Aquatic Amphibian Survival And Species Depauperateness., Joyce Klaus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disturbance is one of the central concepts explaining how diversity arises and is perpetuated in ecological time. A good model system for testing hypotheses related to disturbance is the longleaf pine ecosystem in the southeastern U.S. because in this ecosystem frequent, low-severity fires acts as a disturbance that maintains a unique vegetation structure and high species richness. Vegetation structure influences animal distributions; in fire-dependent ecosystems many animals rely on open-structured, fire-maintained vegetation but shrubs and trees encroach into fire-dependent ecosystems where fire has been excluded. Prescribed burning and mechanical removal are commonly used as restoration tools to control encroachment. To …


Naep-Related Visual Arts Assessment In Classroom Applications, Debra Mcgann Jan 2013

Naep-Related Visual Arts Assessment In Classroom Applications, Debra Mcgann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study investigates classroom visual art assessments and their potential to improve teacher instruction and student learning. In order to examine this topic more thoroughly, a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)-related classroom assessment was designed and administered to the researcher’s Drawing and AP Art History classes. Students were also asked to fill out a questionnaire that asked about their past art experiences and motivation to participate in art activities such as creating artwork outside of the school setting or attending an art museum. Students observed, described, and analyzed contemporary artwork, and they created and wrote about their …


A Study Of Student Achievement And Educational Intervention Strategies In Traditional And Virtual Format Algebra 1 Courses Within Volusia County School District, Paul Nehrig Jan 2013

A Study Of Student Achievement And Educational Intervention Strategies In Traditional And Virtual Format Algebra 1 Courses Within Volusia County School District, Paul Nehrig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare achievement results of students enrolled in traditional and virtual Algebra 1 courses in the School District of Volusia County, Florida and to identify which educational interventions are utilized by traditional and online teachers to promote student success, especially for at-risk populations. Two research questions guided this study. This study is significant, as school districts expand virtual options for K-12 students to meet legislative mandates and student demand, while also exploring and developing methods to ensure student success. Student scores on the Florida Algebra 1 End of Course Exam (EOC) were compared to …


Utilizing Ipads To Enhance Student Engagement In Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study, Sarah Park Jan 2013

Utilizing Ipads To Enhance Student Engagement In Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study, Sarah Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to research evidence, the relationship between vocabulary and reading proficiency is so powerful that it is a valuable predictor of reading comprehension and academic achievement in the later school years (Scarborough, 2011). The major contributor to reading problem is the vocabulary demand of texts that students are assigned in school (Mckeown, Corsson, Arts, Sandora, & Beck, 2012). National Assessment of Education Progress (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012) stated the essential link between the words students know and students’ ability to use those words to understand what they read. Therefore, researchers and educators have both agreed the importance of …


Gender Differences And Fast Food Preferences Among U.S. College Students, Donald Persaud Jan 2013

Gender Differences And Fast Food Preferences Among U.S. College Students, Donald Persaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this research is to examine the relationship of corporate fast food and health within the context of gender. It tests the hypothesis that Western perceptions of masculinity and femininity inform a differentiated pattern of food preference, which will correlate with health as measured by Body Mass Index (BMI). The targeted sample population for the study is the undergraduate community of the University of Central Florida, and fast food is a chosen dietary medium because it is an increasingly ubiquitous source of caloric energy in the American foodscape, representative of the mass production model applied to cuisine in …