Digital Commons Network^™

Utilization-Focused Evaluation Of A School District Leadership Pipeline, Whitnee Shaffer

Dissertations

The Future Leaders Academy is a program for aspiring leaders that is directed by the Hillsborough County Public Schools Leadership Development Department. The research in this paper demonstrates the views of the cadre members that have completed the program. The research provides data and information as to their responses to the effectiveness of the program and whether it was beneficial to be a part of this leadership program. The following details the rationale for the research and the results of the surveys from the cadre members.

Increasing Student Achievement In English Language Learners Through Dual Language: A Policy Advocacy Document, Melissa Durrance

Dissertations

English language learners (ELL) represent the fastest growing population of learners in our schools. A substantial and continuing education achievement gap exists between ELLs and English speaking students and an alarmingly disproportionate number of ELL students contribute to the dropout rate. As educators, it is imperative that we provide educational programs to help reduce the achievement gap. All students deserve an education that will enable them to be productive citizens and that will provide them with the skills needed to enter either a career or an institution of continuing education upon graduation. As a solution to the increasing dropout rate …

The Game Of Chess: A Conduit To Increase Student Academic Achievement In Pinellas County: A Policy Advocacy Document, Douglas Williams

Dissertations

The research about chess and education is very compelling. The usefulness of chess as an educational activity is particularly valid among children whose minds are entering the cognitive phase of abstract thinking. However, chess is useful among all age groups. Chess has been shown to improve cognitive abilities among educationally low-functioning students, and it has been shown to help students academically when traditional methods have failed to produce the desired outcome. Most people think of chess as a game, and I think the time has come for educators to think about chess in a different light. It is a game, …

Applying Social Return On Investment Analysis To A Large Central Florida County Public School District, David F. Lewis

Dissertations

All social organizations are faced with basic questions pertaining to the value they add to their community and how effectively and efficiently they do so. These questions are increasingly being directed to public schools and school districts as well relative to the various programming they offer and the results they achieve. By completing all aspects of a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis with fidelity, I have established a statistically reliable baseline SROI ratio based on a comparison of inputs (revenues) to outputs (outcomes). This baseline ratio serves as the foundation for subsequent change initiatives that will lead to district-wide …

A Policy Advocacy Dissertation To Increase Transparency And Accountability Through Social Return On Investment Analysis, David F. Lewis

Dissertations

The connection between the funding of public schools and student achievement is complex. Facing dwindling revenue streams, schools and the communities they serve must begin to assess how effectively and efficiently school systems are utilizing federal, state, and local taxpayer resources. As seen in the previous program evaluation and change leadership projects, the Social Return On Investment (SROI) methodology provides a framework that yields a statistically reliable vehicle for doing so that garners trust through transparency. Toward this end, this document advocates for school districts and their boards of education to incorporate the SROI analysis as an essential element of …

A Behavioral Database For Masked Form Priming, Js Adelman, Rl Johnson, Sf Mccormick, M Mckague, Et Al

School of Psychology

Reading involves a process of matching an orthographic input with stored representations in lexical memory. The masked priming paradigm has become a standard tool for investigating this process. Use of existing results from this paradigm can be limited by the precision of the data and the need for cross-experiment comparisons that lack normal experimental controls. Here, we present a single, large, high-precision, multicondition experiment to address these problems. Over 1,000 participants from 14 sites responded to 840 trials involving 28 different types of orthographically related primes (e.g., castfe–CASTLE) in a lexical decision task, as well as completing measures of spelling …

Hydrogeology Of Pumice-Hosted Fens In The Winema-Fremont National Forest, Oregon, Usa, Michael L. Cummings, Jonathan Michael Weatherford, Leslie A. Mowbray

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Subaerial fallout from the Holocene eruption of Mount Mazama in the Oregon Cascade Range was deposited upon relatively low permeability volcanic and volcaniclastic bedrock and regolith. In the Walker Rim study area, erosion by ephemeral streams shortly after the eruption disrupted the lateral continuity of the 270 to 300 cm-thick pumice deposit. Co-evolution of the surface- and ground-water systems in a low-relief, low-slope landscape allowed diffuse groundwater discharge from the banks of the evolving stream system. Accumulation of organic material from groundwater dependent ecosystems at these sites of discharge allowed peat deposits to form on gently sloping erosion surfaces cut …

Ecosystem Services In The Wet Tropics: A Literature Review And Economic Valuation, Alyson Cheney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study can be broken down into two sections. First, it created a literature review on the current body of knowledge regarding ecosystem services in the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The second portion of the study was an economic valuation determining how much residents that live in the Wet Tropics value the benefits provided to them through ecosystem services. The literature review found that there were large gaps in the present body of knowledge. Biophysical studies made up the vast majority of the literature and very few ecosystem service economic valuations have been carried out for the …

Value-Based Land Management Conflict: Alpine Cattle Grazing In Victoria , Matthew Luciani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Victoria, the practice of cattle grazing in alpine areas has shaped land, culture, and history since the early nineteenth century. Characterized by early gold mining, grazing, and skiing tourism, the Victorian Alps eventually seized the attention of conservationists who understood its ecological significance and need for protection, with beginnings of an Alpine National Park idea in 1969 (Johnson, 1974, p. 180). Not until 1989, however, did the park enter into existence, meeting much resistance from farmers and graziers along the way (Mosley, 1999, p. 80). Today, however, the region remains contested between two very distinct groups of people: environmentalists …

Financial Literacy And Financial Inclusion Of Women In Rural Rajasthan, Emily Levi-D'Ancona

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Financial inclusion is an important step in development, as access to finances can help the poor build money and lift themselves out of poverty. In many parts of the developing world, and especially in India, microfinance is seen as a new approach to fighting poverty by bringing financial services, including low-interest loans, to the poor so that they can afford to start a business or invest and eventually gain self-sufficiency – in other words, a method of financial inclusion for the poor. However, microfinance in India cannot sufficiently reach the poor populations, especially those in rural India, and many of …

Economic Equity In The Annapurna Conservation Area: Effects Of Government And Community-Based Organizations, Hanna Seltz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research addresses the impact of community-based and government organizations on rural livelihoods in protected areas (PAs) by investigating whether benefits of such organizations involved in conservation and community development reach more marginalized members of communities in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) of Nepal. I conduct a case study focusing on two villages within ACA, Kagbeni and Phalyek, examining how local groups interact with each other and with the government in trying to promote equity through the ACA Project primarily through indepth, unstructured interviews. Locally-created and locally-based groups in these communities appear to be successful in managing local resources and …

River Health In Puyo, Ecuador The Use Of Macroinvertebrates As Bioindicators Of Water Quality And Alternatives To Chlorine For Whitening Clothes In The Puyo River Watershed, Allison Rowe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fresh water is an important resource in Puyo, Ecuador, a city named after the Kichwa word for ‘cloudy’ in reference to its overcast weather. However, the Puyo River watershed is the most contaminated in all of Pastaza Province. The objective of this investigation was first to evaluate the health of the Puyo River using macroinvertebrate analyses and measurements of chlorine concentrations, temperature, pH, turbidity, velocity, and flow rate. The second objective was to learn about practices used to whiten clothes in Puyo and perceptions of water quality in order to understand the magnitude of bleach pollution and the population’s awareness …

The Complexity Of Common Core: Teaching Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince As A 7th Grade Complex Text, Allyson R. Jones

Honors Theses

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards occurring across the country, schools and students are seeing changes in the organization of education. These standards, grounded in English Language Arts and Mathematics, are designed to push students’ critical thinking skills, writing ability, and methods of communication to prepare them for their life beyond secondary education. For English Language Arts, there is an emphasis on teaching complex texts. In this study, I examined the qualities of complex texts to determine if Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince could be considered a teaching tool for seventh grade students. To do this, …

Theoretical And Experimental (E, 2e) Study Of Electron-Impact Ionization Of Laser-Aligned Mg Atoms, Sadek Amami, Andrew J. Murray, Al Stauffer, Kate Nixon, Gregory Armstrong, James Colgan, Don H. Madison

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We have performed calculations of the fully differential cross sections for electron-impact ionization of magnesium atoms. Three theoretical approximations, the time-dependent close coupling, the three-body distorted wave, and the distorted wave Born approximation, are compared with experiment in this article. Results will be shown for ionization of the 3s ground state of Mg for both asymmetric and symmetric coplanar geometries. Results will also be shown for ionization of the 3p state which has been excited by a linearly polarized laser which produces a charge cloud aligned perpendicular to the laser beam direction and parallel to the linear polarization. Theoretical and …

X-Ray Emission Produced In Charge-Exchange Collisions Between Highly Charged Ions And Argon: Role Of The Multiple Electron Capture, Sebastian Otranto, N. D. Cariatore, Ronald E. Olson

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this work we use the classical trajectory Monte Carlo method within an eight-electron scheme to theoretically study photonic spectra that follow charge-exchange processes between highly charged ions of charge states 10+, 17+, 18+, and 36+ with neutral argon. The energy range considered is 18 eV/amu to 4 keV/amu, covering typical electron beam ion traps and solar wind energies. The role played by multiple electron capture processes for the different collision systems under consideration is explicitly analyzed and its contribution separated as arising from radiative decay and autoionizing multiple capture. For the present collision systems we find that multiple electron …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The Teacher Incentive Fund (Tif) Grant In Mississippi Pilot Schools, Albert William Carter

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to assess administrators and teachers’ perceptions of the key components of the Mississippi Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant in Mississippi pilot schools. The study examines the difference in perceptions between administrators and teachers. The study also investigated if there was a relationship with the TIF grant and student achievement by comparing the percent of students who scored a minimum of proficient on the MCT2 in TIF schools before and after the grant. Achievement was also examined by comparing percent of proficiency of TIF schools with comparable, non-TIF Mississippi schools.

The participants in the …

Tuning Responsiveness Of Polypeptide Based Block Copolymers For Drug Delivery, Ashley J. Johnson

Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation was to tune the pH response and self-assembled morphologies of amphiphilic polypeptide block copolymers for use as drug delivery vehicles. Poly(L-lysine) and poly(L-glutamtic acid) are responsive, ionizable polypeptides that undergo secondary structure transitions, from α-helix to random coil, whereby the change in conformation of the peptide chain results in changes to the global morphology of a self-assembled system. The main focus of this work was to understand how changes in the polymer composition and the local environment can lead to control over the behavior of the overall system. First, the responsive behavior of poly(L-lysine) block …

Continuous Polymer Reactor Design, David Sujay Kingsley

Dissertations

Twin screw extruders can be used as continuous polymer reactors to process polymers, which are conventionally made through batch reactors. Batch processes have certain undesirable qualities such as improper mixing and the inability to precisely control the reaction, which leads to variation between batches and potential exotherms. The work presented in this dissertation investigates the use of continuous polymer reactor designs to efficiently process renewable sourced thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), and prepreg epoxy matrix prepolymers.

The overall goal of this research is to highlight the modularity of twin screw extruders as continuous polymer reactors to synthesize the relevant polymers. Chapter I …

The Self-Directedness, Metacognitive Awareness, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, And Grammatical Competence Of College Students Studying Spanish, Juan Guillermo Loaiza

Dissertations

Differential performance is a frequent issue in formal education in general and in second language education in particular. Three variables that may have an effect on college language learners’ performance were identified in the literature on adult education and second language acquisition, namely, self-directed learning, metacognitive awareness, and self-efficacy beliefs. The relationship among those three predictors as well as their relationship with academic performance (in the form of college learners’ grammatical competence in Spanish) was explored using a multiple regression analysis. The statistical analysis showed that none of those three variables predicted learners’ grammatical competence in Spanish. However, participants’ answers …

Investigation Of Glassy State Molecular Motions In Thermoset Polymers, Jianwei Tu

Dissertations

This dissertation presents the investigation of the glassy state molecular motions in isomeric thermoset epoxies by means of solid-state deuterium (²H) NMR spectroscopy technique. The network structure of crosslinked epoxies was altered through monomer isomerism; specifically, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) was cured with isomeric amine curatives, i.e., the meta-substituted diaminodiphenylsulfone (33DDS) and para-substituted diaminodiphenylsulfone (44DDS). The use of structural isomerism provided a path way for altering macroscopic material properties while maintaining identical chemical composition within the crosslinked networks.

The effects of structural isomerism on the glassy state molecular motions were studied using solid-state ²H …

Self-Regulated Strategy Development (Srsd) For Writing: A Tier 2 Intervention For Fifth Grade, Christina A. Flanders Psyd

All Student Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) for writing could be used as a Tier 2 intervention to improve the writing of fifth grade students identified as performing below the 50th percentile on AIMSweb curriculum-based measures of correct writing sequences (WE-CBM CWS). Results of RMANOVA indicated that students in the SRSD Group made significant improvements in their WE-CBM mean score compared to the Control Group from pre- to post-test. Additional analyses using a modified WE-CBM that added one minute for students to organize their writing thoughts (EWE-CBM) did not show significant improvements to mean …

Mixed Variational Formulation For The Wellposedness And Numerical Approximation Of A Pde Model Arising In A 3-D Fluid-Structure Interaction, George Avalos, Tom Clark

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

We present qualitative and numerical results on a partial differential equation (PDE) system which models a certain fluid-structure dynamics. Wellposedness is established by constructing for it a nonstandard semigroup generator representation; this representation is accomplished by an appropriate elimination of the pressure. This coupled PDE model involves the Stokes system which evolves on a three dimensional domain O coupled to a fourth order plate equation, possibly with rotational inertia parameter ρ>0. This plate PDE evolves on a flat portion Ω of the boundary of O. The coupling on Ω is implemented via the Dirichlet trace of the Stokes system …

Spring Thaw Ionic Pulses Boost Nutrient Availability And Microbial Growth In Entombed Antarctic Dry Valley Cryoconite Holes, Jon Telling, Alexandre M. Anesio, Martyn Tranter, Andrew G. Fountain, Thomas H. Nylen, Jon Hawkings, Virendra B. Singh, Preeti Kaur, Michaela Musilova, Jemma L. Wadham

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The seasonal melting of ice entombed cryoconite holes on McMurdo Dry Valley glaciers provides oases for life in the harsh environmental conditions of the polar desert where surface air temperatures only occasionally exceed 0°C during the Austral summer. Here we follow temporal changes in cryoconite hole biogeochemistry on Canada Glacier from fully frozen conditions through the initial stages of spring thaw toward fully melted holes. The cryoconite holes had a mean isolation age from the glacial drainage system of 3.4 years, with an increasing mass of aqueous nutrients (dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus) with longer isolation age. During …

Cash Is Suprisingly Valuable As A Strategic Asset, Changhyun Kim, Richard A. Bettis

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Academics, politicians, and journalists are often highly critical of U.S. firms for holding too much cash. Cash holdings are stockpiled free-cash flow and incur substantial opportunity costs from the perspectives of economics. However, behavioral theory highlights the benefits of cash holdings as fungible slack resources facilitating adaptive advantages. We use the countervailing forces embodied in these two theories to hypothesize and test a quadratic functional relationship of returns to cash measured by Tobin's q. We also build and test a related novel hypothesis of scale-dependent returns to cash based on the competitive strategy concept of strategic deterrence. Tests for both …

Differential Item Functioning: Item Level Analysis Of Timss Mathematics Test Items Using Australian And Indonesian Database, Fitriati Fitriati

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) aims to provide a broad perspective for evaluating and improving education. This assessment also ranks the participant countries based on their performance and makes inferences about factors affecting achievement and learning. However, the study may not function as it was expected because of differences in curricular, cultural, or language settings among countries. Consequently, this challenges assumptions about measurement equivalency. The present study aims to assess the equivalency of mathematics items on the TIMSS (2007) study across Australian and Indonesia. Students’ responses were subjected to Rasch analysis to determine DIF items. The …

The Proposed Capital Penalty Phase Rules Of Evidence, David Mccord, Mark W. Bennett

Cardozo Law Review

No person or organization has ever proposed model rules of evidence for the unique penalty phase of a death penalty trial. Now a law professor skilled in the scholarship of both death penalty jurisprudence and evidence, and a federal judge with extensive federal death penalty experience, do just that. This work transcends the hodge-podge of evidentiary approaches taken by the various state jurisdictions and federal law. The result is the Proposed CAPITAL PENALTY PHASE RULES OF EVIDENCE - clear and uniform rules to govern the wide-ranging evidentiary issues that arise in the penalty phase of capital trials. Death penalty trials, …

Imaging, Spectroscopic, Mechanical And Biocompatibility Studies Of Electrospun Tecoflex® Eg 80a Nanofibers And Composites Thereof Containing Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes, Javier Macossay-Torres, Faheem A. Sheikh, Travis Cantu, Thomas Eubanks, M. Esther Salinas, Chakavak S. Farhangi, Hassan Ahmad, M. Shamshi Hassan, Myung-Seob Khil, Shivani K. Maffi, Hern Kim, Gary L. Bowlin

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

The present study discusses the design, development and characterization of electrospun Tecoflex® EG 80A class of polyurethane nanofibers and the incorporation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to these materials. Scanning electron microscopy results confirmed the presence of polymer nanofibers, which showed a decrease in fiber diameter at 0.5% wt. and 1% wt. MWCNTs loadings, while transmission electron microscopy showed evidence of the MWCNTs embedded within the polymer matrix. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to elucidate the polymer-MWCNTs intermolecular interactions, indicating that the C-N and N-H bonds in polyurethanes are responsible for the interactions with MWCNTs. …

Variability Of Magnification On Digital Pelvic Radiographs From Patients With Fractures Of The Femoral Neck - A Retrospective Audit, Akbar Jaleel Zubairi, Tashfeen Ahmad

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the variability in magnification of radiographs in an emergency setting.

METHODS:

The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised records of patients who underwent Austin Moore hemiarthroplasty over a two-year periodfrom 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2007. Magnification factor was determined using measurements obtained from preoperative and postoperative radiographs and comparing them with the actual size of implant used. Intra-observer and inter-observer reliability of measurements were calculated. SPSS 19 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS:

Of the 63 patients studied, 25(39.7%) were males and 38(60.3%) were females with an overall …

Effect Of Thermal Treatments On Mechanical Properties And Bioactivity Of Third Generation Of Bioactive Glass. A Step For Commercialization Success Of Third Generation Bioactive Glasses, Rajan Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

Unavailability of donors for transplanting bone to help people with orthopedic imparities gave rise to the metal implants that could be made in factories. This seemed like a good solution as it was available to all the people who needed it. It came with limitations such as restricted movement, infection, wear and tear of the surrounding tissue, and rejection. Biologically active implants were introduced by Dr. Larry Hench in 1960s [12]. The field of regenerative medicine has been changing rapidly since then. Biologically active implants facilitate bone regeneration and do not harm the surrounding tissue in any way. The bioactive …

Measurement Based Statistical Model For Path Loss Prediction For Relaying Systems Operating In 1900 Mhz Band, Masoud Dao Hamid

Theses and Dissertations

Relays play important role in deployment of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced systems. They are used to enhance coverage, throughput and system capacity. The impact of the relay deployment on the network planning has to be modeled so that the above mentioned goals can be achieved. For successful modeling one needs to predict the path loss on the link between an eNodeB and a relay station. The review of literature shows that there is a general shortage of measured data to help empirical understanding of the propagation conditions in relay environment. This dissertation aims at developing empirical path loss …