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2020

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Underlying Values In Coral Restoration: Responses To The Coral Crisis, Cassandra Wilson Jan 2020

Underlying Values In Coral Restoration: Responses To The Coral Crisis, Cassandra Wilson

Open Access Master's Theses

Controversy has long existed among global coral experts over how to solve the coral crisis. This problem extends to the U.S. and its coral reef areas, but research on how this controversy influences restoration efforts in Florida is lacking. This study focused on Florida as an important and accessible case study to gain a closer look at the motivations behind coral conservation efforts taking place in real time. Due to a history of national and local coral legislation and consistent threats to Florida’s coral reef tract, coral restoration has emerged as a legitimate form of coral-care that some reef proponents …

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Fundamental Understanding And Applications Of Nanoemulsions For Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Analysis, Shashika Gunathilaka Sabaragamuwe Jayasundarakorale Jan 2020

Fundamental Understanding And Applications Of Nanoemulsions For Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Analysis, Shashika Gunathilaka Sabaragamuwe Jayasundarakorale

Open Access Master's Theses

We demonstrate a new electroanalytical approach for the ultrasensitive electrochemical analysis using nanoemulsions (NEs) uniquely combined with single entity electrochemistry (SEE). First, we investigate the relationship between the structure and relevant electrochemical activity of NEs. We employ SEE to elucidate the interfacial structure of NEs and their corresponding electrochemical activities, which cannot be unequivocally defined by general microscopic techniques. Throughout this work on nanostructural effect of NEs, we could optimize the most suitable composition of NEs, showing facile electron transfer kinetics across the NE interface as well as a high monodispersity. Particularly, the application of SEE for optimized NEs allowed …

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Lifting The Veil: Hijbabi Fashion On Social Media, Erika Holshoe Jan 2020

Lifting The Veil: Hijbabi Fashion On Social Media, Erika Holshoe

Open Access Master's Theses

As visual representatives of Islam, diasporic Muslim women in the U.S. and U.K. are at the forefront of changing the perception of Islam and the rise of modest fashion. The aim of this study is to analyze how female Muslim social media influencers living in non-Muslim majority areas use fashionable apparel on social media to negotiate cultural and religious demands in conjunction with exploration of personal identities. Social media posts from Instagram were coded using grounded theory. The findings were analyzed using Netnographic methods and Social Representation Theory (SRT) as the main theoretical framework. This study found that Muslim social …

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Analysis Of Missing Data In Marine Dissolved Oxygen Time Series Using Dynamic Linear Models, Shajratul Alam Jan 2020

Analysis Of Missing Data In Marine Dissolved Oxygen Time Series Using Dynamic Linear Models, Shajratul Alam

Open Access Master's Theses

The marine ecosystems cannot survive without dissolved oxygen (DO). Low oxygen events (hypoxia) in the ocean cause stress on the benthic community and, hampers their growth rate initiating mortality. To monitor the concentration of oxygen, different water quality monitoring sites have been established across the globe. The Narragansett Bay fixed-site water quality monitoring network (NBFWQMN) is a facility that regularly measures oxygen level as well as other important water parameters (temperature, salinity, pH level, and Chlorophyll) at different locations of Narragansett Bay (NB). Missing observation is a common phenomenon for this times-series dataset and, can occur for various reasons. In …

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“The ‘Real Cost’ Of Campaigns: Ends Campaign Effectiveness In Terms Of Awareness And Content”, Brandon Donohue Jan 2020

“The ‘Real Cost’ Of Campaigns: Ends Campaign Effectiveness In Terms Of Awareness And Content”, Brandon Donohue

Open Access Master's Theses

Over the past few years, the use of electronic cigarettes and other vaping related products has spiked. This has quickly become an epidemic amongst the younger generations. These people did not smoke cigarettes before but are now addicted to nicotine. In an attempt to fight off the companies that are marketing these devices to teens and young adults, various anti-vaping campaigns have been launched. Two of the most notable and prevalent campaigns are the FDA’s “The Real Cost” and the Truth Initiative’s “Truth”. Using previously tested methods, this study compares and attempts to account for the short-term effectiveness, or lack …

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An Examination Of Golf Magazines For Health Belief Model Applications And Skin Cancer Protection Advice, Beth A. Bailey Jan 2020

An Examination Of Golf Magazines For Health Belief Model Applications And Skin Cancer Protection Advice, Beth A. Bailey

Open Access Master's Theses

Skin cancer rates are elevated among men, especially men who participate in outdoor sports, such as golf. Male golfers who play regularly are particularly susceptible to skin cancers because of the length of ultraviolet radiation exposure during game time, lack of adequate skin protection, plus their cumulative lifetime exposure is higher than non-golfers. Drawing on the health belief model, the purpose of the research was to analyze golf magazines from two decades for editorial content that communicates the increased risk of skin cancer for male golfers as well as protective measures they can undertake to prevent ultraviolent solar radiation exposure, …

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Rhetorical Leadership In Organizational Conflict And Change: Case Studies Of Antiracist Preaching, Steven Tramel Gaines Jan 2020

Rhetorical Leadership In Organizational Conflict And Change: Case Studies Of Antiracist Preaching, Steven Tramel Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study investigates how leaders call for change while also caring for their organizations. The theoretical framework comes from the interdisciplinary study of a type of religious communication called prophetic rhetoric, developed by scholars of communication, English, and homiletics. That framework is used here in the analyses of speeches and public letters by leaders who challenge ideologies and practices shaped by and contributing to racial injustice. More specifically, this dissertation studies how audiences white fragility leads to constrained prophetic rhetoric that is a communication strategy inviting change without destroying organizations or being expelled from them. From analyses of such rhetoric …

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A Spatial Inquiry Of The U.S. Opioid Epidemic And Geodemographic Segmentation Systems, Ryan Baxter Hanson Jan 2020

A Spatial Inquiry Of The U.S. Opioid Epidemic And Geodemographic Segmentation Systems, Ryan Baxter Hanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The objective of this dissertation research was to explore the use of geodemographic segmentation as a socioeconomic variable to spatially analyze opioid related mortalities and hospital discharges. Opioid data were investigated by three ICD-10 classifications: heroin, other opioids, and other synthetic narcotics. Demographic and spatial characteristics of opioid mortality were examined using data from the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) National Vital Statistics System mortality (NVSS-M) multiple causes of death dataset via the WONDER database for the year 2017. This was followed by a literature review of previous research that investigated the use of geodemographic segmentation systems in health research.Spatial …

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A Comparative Study Of Young Children's Risk-Taking Behavior In China And U.S.: A Multiple-Group Path Analysis, Jun Hao Jan 2020

A Comparative Study Of Young Children's Risk-Taking Behavior In China And U.S.: A Multiple-Group Path Analysis, Jun Hao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Risk-taking is inevitable, uncertain, and essential in early childhood. Researchers suggest four important factors that influence young childrens risk-taking behavior, namely, childrens temperament of sensation seeking, parents perception of risk, parental supervision, and society. However, there has been little effort to examine how the four factors collectively impact young childrens risk-taking behavior. The purpose of this study was to understand (1) what role the three factors (childrens sensation seeking, parents risk perception, and parental supervision) play in childrens risk-taking behavior; and (2) how their relations vary by society. The current study proposed a model (Figure 1) derived from Sandseters (2010) …

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Towards Zero Response Time Modified Sensors: Synthesis, Characterization, And Deposition Of Edot-Decorated Porous Nanocapsules And Simulations Of Mass Transport In Polymeric Films On Sensor Surfaces, Bradley Hambly Jan 2020

Towards Zero Response Time Modified Sensors: Synthesis, Characterization, And Deposition Of Edot-Decorated Porous Nanocapsules And Simulations Of Mass Transport In Polymeric Films On Sensor Surfaces, Bradley Hambly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The response time of chemical sensors is a critical performance characteristic that may determine their utility in a variety of applications. The rate-determining step, which controls the response time, can be either mass transport or the rate of a chemical/electrochemical reaction. To optimize the response of membrane-based sensors, we developed voltammetric methods for the determination of diffusion coefficients in polymeric membranes and demonstrated the influence of water and ion transport on the short- and long-term behavior of solid contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs). SC-ISEs are multi-layer systems with a conductive polymer (CP) film sandwiched between an ion-selective membrane and a base …

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Inorganic Materials For Local Drug Delivery, Michael Anthony Harris Jan 2020

Inorganic Materials For Local Drug Delivery, Michael Anthony Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Orthopedic infections, including periprosthetic joint infections and osteomyelitis, are debilitating complications that greatly increase mortality rates and expenditure of healthcare resources. Treatment protocols include surgical debridement of infected tissue, removal of any foreign implants, and several weeks of systemic antibiotic therapy, yet recurrence rates remain high. Local antibiotic delivery systems augment traditional therapy techniques by increasing antibiotic concentrations at the site of infection to levels that are unachievable by IV or oral delivery, thereby improving bacterial clearance rates. Current clinical products are commonly prepared at the surgeons direction, with only limited data and anecdotal reports guiding antibiotic choice and loading. …

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One Essay On Market Microstructure And Two Essays On Corporate Finance And Financial Institutions, Jianning Huang Jan 2020

One Essay On Market Microstructure And Two Essays On Corporate Finance And Financial Institutions, Jianning Huang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation research comprises one essay on market microstructure and two essays on corporate finance and financial institutions. In the first essay, I examine the effects of a speed bump on market quality and exchange competition. After a long period of facilitating faster trading, exchanges are now trying to slow down trading with speed bumps. I study how this market-design innovation affects traders reaction times, the market quality of stocks, and the operators of competing exchanges. Post speed bump, I find slower reaction times to order book events and reduced order detection and back-running. Reduction in quote-to-trade ratio and flickering …

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Emporium By Aldo Lpez-Gaviln: A Declaration Of Unity, Dawson Andrew Hull Jan 2020

Emporium By Aldo Lpez-Gaviln: A Declaration Of Unity, Dawson Andrew Hull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Cuban pianist and composer Aldo Lpez-Gaviln is known for excelling in both classical and jazz worlds. He stands not only between two musical worlds, but also between Cuba and the United States, in the midst of their turbulent relationship. In 2017, he wrote and premiered his first piano concerto, Emporium, stating that the purpose of the work is to unify the world. He fosters this unity through the combination of music from different cultures and styles, including classical, Cuban, and jazz, and through the emphasis on musical unity seen in the form of work. The tensions between the United States …

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Faculty Members Attitudes And Self-Reported Actions Towards Accessibility In Online Higher Education., Habibah Khan Jan 2020

Faculty Members Attitudes And Self-Reported Actions Towards Accessibility In Online Higher Education., Habibah Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Due to an increasing number of students gaining access to online courses, online education is quickly becoming more prevalent within the learning paradigm. In order to accommodate students with disabilities (SWD), a need arised to create an inclusive learningenvironment which allows all learners to feel comfortable in their learning without feeling any prejudice. Federal laws were passed to protect SWD and thus, educational models were developed to create an inclusive learning environment especially SWD. Amongst one of the models developed to create an inclusive learning environment is the universal design for learning (UDL). However, despite the existence of UDL research …

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Humans And Nonhumans Becoming Political: Memphis Women's March Assemblages, Margaret Ann King Jan 2020

Humans And Nonhumans Becoming Political: Memphis Women's March Assemblages, Margaret Ann King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In this post-qualitative feminist study, object-interviews with women who participated in the Memphis Womens March (MWM) and nonhuman objects were used to explore the interconnections of the MWM and the women and the nonhuman objects, and the relational knowledge generated by the interconnections between humans (e.g., the women who marched, other marchers) and nonhumans (e.g., posters, banners, t-shirts, pink pussyhats, and/or photographs). This study is significant in two ways. First, this post-qualitative feminist study attends to the interconnections of the MWM and the women and the signs. Second, this study will contribute to current post-qualitative work by utilizing object-interviews to …

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Examining Beliefs About The Use Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices When Planning Literacy Instruction, Latwayla L. Knowlton Jan 2020

Examining Beliefs About The Use Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices When Planning Literacy Instruction, Latwayla L. Knowlton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between beliefs about the use of culturally responsive teaching practices when planning literacy instruction, reading course enrollment, and demographic factors among undergraduate K-6 elementary teacher candidates. Specifically, the study participants are K-6 elementary undergraduate teacher candidates attending a small, rural university within the Mid-south. The researcher sought to understand factors that may affect teacher candidates beliefs about the use of culturally responsive teaching practices as they begin making specific pedagogical adjustments to the classroom when planning literacy instruction. Data for this study was collected using a structured survey in …

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First Destination Survey 2020: For Degrees Awarded December 2019-August 2020, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University Jan 2020

First Destination Survey 2020: For Degrees Awarded December 2019-August 2020, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

First Destination Survey

No abstract provided.

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Reducing Hazardous Drinking Among Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using A Brief Alcohol Intervention And Avoidance-Focused Feedback, Matthew Thomas Luciano Jan 2020

Reducing Hazardous Drinking Among Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using A Brief Alcohol Intervention And Avoidance-Focused Feedback, Matthew Thomas Luciano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study supplements a one-session personalized drinking feedback intervention with a one-session activity feedback intervention for veterans with symptoms of PTSD and hazardous drinking. Veterans were screened (N=129) and enrolled (N=15) in an open trial to test feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Veterans completed assessments at baseline and post-intervention (1-month and 3-months). Participants (13.3% women; 40% African American) were recruited through a community in the mid-South. Thirteen participants (86.6%) were retained between the baseline assessment and second intervention session. Descriptive findings from a self-report acceptability questionnaire indicate that elements of this intervention were viewed favorably by a majority of participants. …

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Media And Music: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The African American Educational Experience As Portrayed In Black-Produced Films, Songs And Print Publications, Christopher Jamel Major Jan 2020

Media And Music: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The African American Educational Experience As Portrayed In Black-Produced Films, Songs And Print Publications, Christopher Jamel Major

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

African Americans have been treated unequally and unfairly by the media. This issue deserves national attention while stressing the need for more positive messages of African Americans. The intent of this study was to examine how Black produced films, Hip-Hop songs and magazines portray the African American high school educational experience. The theory that guides this paper is critical media literacy. Critical media literacy provides an opportunity to evaluate, understand and critically analyze all forms of media. A qualitative content analysis was used to determine how African Americans are depicted by Black producers, directors and writers. Central questions worth exploring …

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How Preschool Teachers Use Book Sharing Strategies To Build Academic Language Skills, Lorraine Ann Meiners-Lovel Jan 2020

How Preschool Teachers Use Book Sharing Strategies To Build Academic Language Skills, Lorraine Ann Meiners-Lovel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

AbstractMeiners-Lovel, Lorraine A. PhD. The University of Memphis. Preschool Teachers Use of Book Sharing Strategies to Build Academic Language Skills. May, 2020. Emily Thrush, PhD. ArrayIt is essential to understand the role of preschool teachers in the linguistic preparation of young children for kindergarten and elementary school. This understanding becomes even more important as more American preschoolers attend group care and public universal pre-kindergarten becomes more common. Children must master the variety of language known as the academic register, academic language, or school language in order to be academically successful. Preschool teachers need to understand the features of academic language …

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Transgender Health Care: Symptom Disclosure, Gender Minority Stress, And Health Status, Christina New Jan 2020

Transgender Health Care: Symptom Disclosure, Gender Minority Stress, And Health Status, Christina New

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) is one of the most commonly sought transition-related medical care services accessed by transgender individuals. Considering this, the experiences of transgender individuals engaged in GAHT is a relevant area of research among medical and mental health communities. Among 385 individuals currently engaged in GAHT, this study assessed the prevalence of symptom disclosure to medical providers related to GAHT, as well as explored the relationships between GAHT symptom disclosure to medical providers, distal and proximal gender minority stress, physical and mental health, and gender minority resiliency. The results of this study supported that transgender individuals engaged in …

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Transactional Distance In Middle And High School Online Learning Environments: An Empirical Study, Silas Njoroge Jan 2020

Transactional Distance In Middle And High School Online Learning Environments: An Empirical Study, Silas Njoroge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Understanding the communication gap due to the separation of teachers-students and students-students in online learning environments can have a profound impact on improving online learning. Moores Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) is an important pedagogical theory in distance learning that can be used to gain a better understanding of K-12 distance education practices. This study sought to empirically verify the theory by investigating the relationship of dialogue, structure, learner autonomy, and transactional distance (TD) perceived by students in K-12 Online Learning Environments (OLE). The study also investigated the effect of environmental and demographic factors on TD. Participants were selected from online …

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Printed Spiral Coil Design, Implementation, And Optimization For 13.56 Mhz Near-Field Wireless Resistive Analog Passive (Wrap) Sensors, Babak Noroozi Jan 2020

Printed Spiral Coil Design, Implementation, And Optimization For 13.56 Mhz Near-Field Wireless Resistive Analog Passive (Wrap) Sensors, Babak Noroozi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Noroozi, Babak. Ph.D. The University of Memphis. June 2020. Printed Spiral Coil Design, Implementation, and Optimization for 13.56 MHz Near-Field Wireless Resistive Analog Passive (WRAP) Sensors. Major Professor: Dr. Bashir I. Morshed.Monitoring the bio-signals in the regular daily activities for a long time can embrace many benefits for the patients, caregivers, and healthcare system. Early diagnosis of diseases prior to the onset of serious symptoms gives more time to take some preventive action and to begin effective treatment with lower cost. These health and economy benefits are achievable with a user-friendly, low-cost, and unobtrusive wearable sensor that can easily be …

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Yoknapatawpha Railroad: Trains And Mobility In The Novels Of William Faulkner, James Christopher O'Brien Jan 2020

Yoknapatawpha Railroad: Trains And Mobility In The Novels Of William Faulkner, James Christopher O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Though considered one of the foremost of 20th-Century American modernists, many critics accuse William Faulkner of being obsessed with some idyllic southern past. In contrast, my study, utilizing the burgeoning field of mobility studies, focuses on the trains featured within his novels to counter this accusation. As I discuss, Faulkner does indeed question notions of modern progress wrought from industrialization as well as technological advancements, though he never offers blanket condemnations of them. In contrast, his depictions of railroad mobility reveal an attitude of active participation in modernity rather than cantankerous retreat. In my opening chapter, I begin by explaining …

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Ecolinguistically Informed Critical Discourse Analysis Of Political Speech On Climate Change Policies In The United States Of America, Othman Khalid Al Shboul Jan 2020

Ecolinguistically Informed Critical Discourse Analysis Of Political Speech On Climate Change Policies In The United States Of America, Othman Khalid Al Shboul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore how climate change is conceptualized in the politics of the United States from the perspective of Ecolinguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis. I analyzed all the statements and letters issued by the governors and mayors who opposed the American president, Donald Trump, when he announced that he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement that 195 countries around the world signed. The qualitative analysis employs Critical Metaphor Analysis to investigate politicians metaphorical choices made to influence public opinion and influence policies about climate change in the U.S. These types of metaphors …

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A Further Validation Of The Mindful Self-Care Scale In Emerging Adults, Cache Archer Jan 2020

A Further Validation Of The Mindful Self-Care Scale In Emerging Adults, Cache Archer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

With a growing interest in understanding ways to increase optimal functioning in humans, a relatively novel concept mindful self-care gained research attention in the past few years. Mindful self-care is a combination of the active evaluation of internal needs and external demands and intentional engagement in self-care practices. Although initial evidence was reported in the development and validation study of the Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS, Cook-Cottone & Guyker, 2018), there were some notable limitations, including the wide age range of the sample (i.e., ages 18-71 years) and a lack of evidence to confirm criterion validity and invariance across men and …

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Administrators' Benevolent And Corrective Humor And Suspensions Of African American School Age Females, Roslyn E. Bacon Jan 2020

Administrators' Benevolent And Corrective Humor And Suspensions Of African American School Age Females, Roslyn E. Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

African American female students suspension rates are rising and outpacing those of all categories of students, including African American males. This is due, in part, to an administrators over-reliance on zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, as well as a teachers negative perception of African American female students. Soaring rates of suspension contribute to school disengagement, high dropout rates, and a formidable risk of involvement in the school to prison pipeline. In addition to the toll these risks take on human lives, society loses the benefit of human productivity, taxable wages, and stable, thriving communities. As attention to the rising rate of suspension …

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Computational Investigation Of Plasmonic Properties Of Metal Nanoparticle Assemblies, James Wade Barr Jan 2020

Computational Investigation Of Plasmonic Properties Of Metal Nanoparticle Assemblies, James Wade Barr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Nobel metal nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit an optical-plasmonic response when perturbed by incident radiation. Gold (Au) is particularly useful as it has a strong surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response and is chemically stable and suitable for biological applications. Often, magnetic properties are also desired, and iron-oxide NPs are utilized for the sake of magnetic separation or delivery and these types of materials are often used with inert plasmonic shells to obtain the desired optical and magnetic features. This provides much more flexibility when designing a detection scheme. Functionalizing these NPs with Raman reporter molecules allows for use in imaging and …

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Identifying A Customer Centered Approach For Urban Planning: Defining A Framework And Evaluating Potential In A Livability Context, Golnaz Sarram Jan 2020

Identifying A Customer Centered Approach For Urban Planning: Defining A Framework And Evaluating Potential In A Livability Context, Golnaz Sarram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In transportation planning, public engagement is an essential requirement forinformed decision-making. This is especially true for assessing abstract concepts such aslivability, where it is challenging to define objective measures and to obtain input that canbe used to gauge performance of communities. This dissertation focuses on advancing adata-driven decision-making approach for the transportation planning domain in thecontext of livability. First, a conceptual model for a customer-centric framework fortransportation planning is designed integrating insight from multiple disciplines (chapter1), then a data-mining approach to extracting features important for defining customersatisfaction in a livability context is described (chapter 2), and finally an appraisal of …

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Writing Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities: Examining Teacher Practice, Preparedness, And Self-Efficacy, Alycia M. Taylor Jan 2020

Writing Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities: Examining Teacher Practice, Preparedness, And Self-Efficacy, Alycia M. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

ABSTRACT Writing is critical for high school students academic, social, and professional success. However, developing writing skills is a challenging process, particularly for students with learning disabilities (LDs). To produce high quality writing, substantial support from teachers is needed. Yet, many teachers are uninformed of how to assist students with LDs. Grounded in social cognitive and socio-cultural theories, the aim of this quantitative study was to expand the fields of writing instruction and LDs by comparing data from general and special education teachers. This study was designed to survey this population about their writing instruction, including the use of evidence-based …

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