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Title: Precise Measurements of the Atomic Masses of ²⁸Si, ³¹P, ³²S, ⁸⁴,⁸⁶Kr, ¹²⁹,¹³²,¹³⁶Xe, and the Dipole Moment of Ph⁺ Using Single-Ion and Two-Ion Penning Trap Techniques.
Creator: Redshaw, Matthew, Myers, Edmund G., Marshall, Alan G., Kemper, Kirby W., Cottle, Paul D., Baer, Howard A., Department of Physics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This dissertation describes high precision measurements of atomic masses by measuring the cyclotron frequency of ions trapped singly, or in pairs, in a precision, cryogenic Penning trap. By building on techniques developed at MIT for measuring the cyclotron frequency of single trapped ions, the atomic masses of 84,86Kr, and 129,132,136Xe have been measured to less than a part in 1010 fractional precision. By developing a new technique for measuring the cyclotron frequency ratio of a pair of...
Show moreThis dissertation describes high precision measurements of atomic masses by measuring the cyclotron frequency of ions trapped singly, or in pairs, in a precision, cryogenic Penning trap. By building on techniques developed at MIT for measuring the cyclotron frequency of single trapped ions, the atomic masses of 84,86Kr, and 129,132,136Xe have been measured to less than a part in 1010 fractional precision. By developing a new technique for measuring the cyclotron frequency ratio of a pair of simultaneously trapped ions, the atomic masses of 28Si, 31P and 32S have been measured to 2 or 3 parts in 1011. This new technique has also been used to measure the dipole moment of PH+. During the course of these measurements, two significant, but previously unsuspected sources of systematic error were discovered, characterized and eliminated. Extensive tests for other sources of systematic error were performed and are described in detail. The mass measurements presented here provide a significant increase in precision over previous values for these masses, by factors of 3 to 700. The results have a broad range of physics applications: The mass of 136Xe is important for searches for neutrinoless double-beta-decay; the mass of 28Si is relevant to the re-definition of the artifact kilogram in terms of an atomic mass standard; the masses of 84,86Kr, and 129,132,136Xe provide convenient reference masses for less precise mass spectrometers in diverse fields such as nuclear physics and chemistry; and the dipole moment of PH+ provides a test of molecular structure calculations.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1915
Format: Thesis

Title: "A Primitive and Frightening South": Gender and Sexual Violence in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Southern Fiction.
Creator: Williams, Cameron E., Parrish, Timothy, Leushuis, Reinier, Daileader, Celia, Roberts, Diane, Department of English, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This dissertation interrogates the intersection of gender representation and sexual violence in twentieth and twenty-first-century Southern fiction. It looks specifically at incest, rape, and necrophilia, three forms of sexual violence that appear time and time again in the fiction of the region. These are forms of sexual violence that in fact have a long and storied place in the South's narrative and cultural history. By exploring the South's historical preoccupation with sexual violence,...
Show moreThis dissertation interrogates the intersection of gender representation and sexual violence in twentieth and twenty-first-century Southern fiction. It looks specifically at incest, rape, and necrophilia, three forms of sexual violence that appear time and time again in the fiction of the region. These are forms of sexual violence that in fact have a long and storied place in the South's narrative and cultural history. By exploring the South's historical preoccupation with sexual violence, this dissertation reveals the extent to which these narratives of incest, rape, and necrophilia are tangled up with--and in some cases responsible for producing--the South's ideas and myths about gender, as well as sexuality, race, and class. This dissertation argues, then, that Southern writers--William Faulkner, Harper Lee, James Dickey, Harry Crews, Cormac McCarthy, and William Gay--in their treatments of sexual violence, engage images of Southern manhood and womanhood as a means of resisting, challenging, or complicating the South's complex system of gender, sexual, class, and racial politics. Ultimately, this dissertation hopes to prove how these writers demonstrate an engagement with the South's mythologies, and how even though these writers seem to want to push against them, they very often reaffirm their value.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8913
Format: Thesis

Title: Progressive Arab Nationalism: 1952-1958 the War of Position, Land Reform, Anti-Colonialism and the Arab "Effendiyya".
Creator: Zylberkan, Daniel, Garretson, Peter, Creswell, Michael, Souva, Mark, Program in International Affairs, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Progressive Arab nationalism was built upon a concept of emancipation. Emancipating states from imperialism, peasants from feudalism and creating truly independent and sovereign states. From 1952 to 1958, Arab nationalists aimed to free themselves from Western imperialism created by the presence of Western institutions, regimes and organizations in their lands that were used to project power and protect economic interests. The geographies and politics of Arab states were created as a method...
Show moreProgressive Arab nationalism was built upon a concept of emancipation. Emancipating states from imperialism, peasants from feudalism and creating truly independent and sovereign states. From 1952 to 1958, Arab nationalists aimed to free themselves from Western imperialism created by the presence of Western institutions, regimes and organizations in their lands that were used to project power and protect economic interests. The geographies and politics of Arab states were created as a method for Western powers to maintain their interests in the region. One such case was the concentration of ownership of land within a feudal class that served the world market. Progressive Arab nationalist institutions such as governments, political parties, newspa-pers, radio programs, schools and social movements were the motor of social change in the tradi-tional Arab monarchies. These institutions represented civil society the domain of the new Arab "effendiyya." Starting during the 1930s, Arab civil society fought a war of position against the hegemonic power of the traditional Arab monarchies and ultimately succeeded in establishing progressive Arab nationalist hegemony in Egypt, Jordan and Iraq
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5306
Format: Thesis

Title: Professional Development and Poststructural Analysis: Stories of African American Science Teachers.
Creator: Moore, Felicia Michelle, Davis, Nancy T., Monkman, Karen, Gallard, Alejandro, Sample, John, Department of Middle and Secondary Education, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This dissertation is an interpretivist study that focused on the professional development of three African American science teachers from a small rural school district, Carver School District (a pseudonym), in the southeastern United States. Stories teachers shared of their experiences in teaching and learning science and in their professional development were analyzed using a feminist poststructural analysis of power, knowledge/meaning, language, and difference. For science teaching, power...
Show moreThis dissertation is an interpretivist study that focused on the professional development of three African American science teachers from a small rural school district, Carver School District (a pseudonym), in the southeastern United States. Stories teachers shared of their experiences in teaching and learning science and in their professional development were analyzed using a feminist poststructural analysis of power, knowledge/meaning, language, and difference. For science teaching, power was viewed as a form of ownership or possession and also as effect and processes that impact teaching, learning, and professional development. Teachers through instructional practices exerted a certain amount of power in their classrooms. Teaching practices heavily influenced student learning in science classrooms. For teacher professional development, power was viewed as effecting relationships between administration, peers, and students as a shifting force within different social contexts. Science teachers were perceived as objects of the system and as active social agents who in particular relations of power acted in their best interests as they developed as science teachers. Teachers negotiated for themselves certain power relations to do as they wished for teaching science and for participating in professional development activities. Power was an inherent and critically important aspect in understanding what science teachers do in their classrooms, in teaching and learning science, and in developing as science teachers. Knowledge was closely tied to relations of power in that teachers acquired knowledge about themselves, their teaching of science, and their students from their past experiences and professional development activities. Through language, interactions between teachers and students enabled or disabled access to the culture of power via instructional practices. Language was implicated in teacher professional development as a powerful force for advancing or hindering teachers professionally. The three teachers had different and similar experiences based upon race, gender, class, and age. Taking differences and similarities into consideration, recommendations were offered to balance relations of power in science teaching, learning, and teacher professional development through multicultural education, culturally relevant pedagogy, and feminist pedagogy. Feminist poststructuralism offers an alternative and critical perspective for science education research.
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Date Issued: 2003
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2325
Format: Thesis

Title: Preparing Future Teachers: Documenting Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge and Application of Effective Instruction.
Creator: Scarborough, Kathryn M. (Kathryn McGaughy), Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Edwards, Leigh, Jones, Ithel, Lake, Vickie, Witte, Shelbie, School of Teacher Education, Florida State...
Show moreScarborough, Kathryn M. (Kathryn McGaughy), Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Edwards, Leigh, Jones, Ithel, Lake, Vickie, Witte, Shelbie, School of Teacher Education, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: Teachers play a crucial role in the academic success of their students. As such, there is great interest in how teachers are prepared for their important position. The purpose of this study was to document pre-service teachers' knowledge and application of effective instruction as it related to early literacy. The theoretical framework, How People Learn, was used to define effective instruction, design the university course, and analyze the data. Literature pertaining to teacher education,...
Show moreTeachers play a crucial role in the academic success of their students. As such, there is great interest in how teachers are prepared for their important position. The purpose of this study was to document pre-service teachers' knowledge and application of effective instruction as it related to early literacy. The theoretical framework, How People Learn, was used to define effective instruction, design the university course, and analyze the data. Literature pertaining to teacher education, reading instruction, and early childhood education was reviewed in order to inform this study. Thirty-one, early childhood education majors, enrolled in an early literacy course participated in this study. Using a qualitative, case study research design multiple forms of data were collected and analyzed. The researcher was also the instructor of the course offering a unique perspective. The findings reveal pre-service teachers know and apply essential components of effective instruction and attribute their increase in knowledge to the group presentations, field experience, and student tutoring. The findings suggest that the pre-service teachers in this study know more than has been previously documented, well planned cooperative learning can be viewed as beneficial by pre-service teachers, and the pre-service teachers in this study understand and can use explicit instruction. This case study does not attempt to generalize the findings to other samples, rather offers a reader a rich description of a course that may be transferred to other settings.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5167
Format: Thesis

Title: Principal Elements of Mixed-Sign Coxeter Systems.
Creator: Armstrong, Johnathon Kyle, Hironaka, Eriko, Petersen, Kathleen, Chicken, Eric, Aldrovandi, Ettore, Bellenot, Steven, Van Hoeij, Mark, Department of Mathematics, Florida State...
Show moreArmstrong, Johnathon Kyle, Hironaka, Eriko, Petersen, Kathleen, Chicken, Eric, Aldrovandi, Ettore, Bellenot, Steven, Van Hoeij, Mark, Department of Mathematics, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: In this thesis we generalize results from classical Coxeter systems to mixed-sign Coxeter systems which are denoted by a triple (W,S,B)consisting of a reflection group W, a distinguished set of generators Sfor the group for W, and a bilinear form Bon R n. A generator s i in the set S is defined to negate the ith basis vector of R n and fix the set of vectors v which are orthogonal relative to B. Classical Coxeter theory works in this fashion, here we generalize this notion to encompass both...
Show moreIn this thesis we generalize results from classical Coxeter systems to mixed-sign Coxeter systems which are denoted by a triple (W,S,B)consisting of a reflection group W, a distinguished set of generators Sfor the group for W, and a bilinear form Bon R n. A generator s i in the set S is defined to negate the ith basis vector of R n and fix the set of vectors v which are orthogonal relative to B. Classical Coxeter theory works in this fashion, here we generalize this notion to encompass both Coxeter systems in addition to mixed-sign Coxeter systems. As in classical Coxeter theory, we show that the bilinear form may be used to compute an element of the reflection group called a principal element. In classical Coxeter groups, the principal elements have been shown to have special properties. The so-called deletion condition is a property of classical Coxeter systems which allows Coxeter groups to have a presentation which only depends on pairwise relationships between generators. Here, we show that mixed-sign Coxeter systems do not generally have the deletion condition. We give a correspondence between a graph $\Gamma$ and the reflection system (W,S,B). We refer to the reflection group associated to &Gamma by W (&Gamma). We show an isomorphism of mixed-sign Coxeter groups; explicitly if &Gamma is a bipartite mixed-sign Coxeter graph and &Gamma is the mixed-sign Coxeter graph with all the nodes of &Gamma- negated then (W,S,B(&Gamma)) and (W,S,B(&Gamma-)) are conjugate reflection systems. Furthermore, we indicate the the bipartite condition is necessary. We show a class of examples; odd cycles with all negative nodes where negating all the nodes gives a reflection system which is not conjugate. Additionally, we show that the spectral radius of mixed-sign Coxeter elements are not bounded below by the bipartite eigenvalue of the mixed-sign Coxeter system, this is another distinguishing feature of mixed-sign Coxeter systems from their classical counterparts and provides an interesting avenue of research to pursue in the future.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4697
Format: Thesis

Title: Problem Solving: Case Studies Investigating the Strategies Used by Secondary American and Singaporean Students.
Creator: Rudder, Carla Amoi, Aspinwall, Leslie, Kercheval, Alec, Fernandez, Maria, Rutledge, Stacey, Department of Middle and Secondary Education, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: After the publication of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) results, where Singapore has consistently placed number one, educators began asking why American students were not performing as well as their counterparts. This qualitative case study consisted of four secondary students, two American and two Singaporean, living in Singapore. The usage of qualitative study allowed an in depth investigation as to what the students are actually doing while completing...
Show moreAfter the publication of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) results, where Singapore has consistently placed number one, educators began asking why American students were not performing as well as their counterparts. This qualitative case study consisted of four secondary students, two American and two Singaporean, living in Singapore. The usage of qualitative study allowed an in depth investigation as to what the students are actually doing while completing mathematical tasks. The research investigated the strategies and thought processes of students while performing mathematics problem solving tasks, as one way to measure the differences in the student's performance. During the task-based interviews students completed twelve problem solving tasks while thinking aloud. After completion of the problem solving tasks the students completed a metacognition survey and participated in a short interview conducted by the researcher. The study was completed in order to answer the following research questions: What strategies do 12th grade American and Singaporean students use when working on mathematics problem solving tasks? and What mediates success on mathematics problem solving tasks? Using the frameworks of Polya (1957) and Schoenfeld (1985) the researcher was able to conclude that strategies alone will not mediate success when completing problem solving tasks, there are other mediating factors. The American and Singaporean students both demonstrated two similar factors when completing the problems solving tasks. The American students had three separate factors which also contributed to them not gaining completely correct results. This study demonstrated that students are most successful when they use Polya's (1957) four stages of problem solving and Schoenfeld's (1985) six characteristics of being a good problem solver.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1927
Format: Thesis

Title: Procedural Justice and Legitimacy of the Police and Courts and Perceptions of Obedience Among Female Inmates.
Creator: Baker, Thomas, Gertz, Marc G., Kavka, Martin, Stewart, Eric, Hay, Carter, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Researchers have explored two competing ideas as to why people obey the law. Some research has taken the instrumental approach--the belief that the prospect of rewards and punishments drive behavior. Others have taken the normative approach--the belief that internalized judgments about institutions and procedures drive behavior. The latter is the focus of this dissertation. Using a sample of female inmates, this dissertation examines what effects procedural justice of police and courts, the...
Show moreResearchers have explored two competing ideas as to why people obey the law. Some research has taken the instrumental approach--the belief that the prospect of rewards and punishments drive behavior. Others have taken the normative approach--the belief that internalized judgments about institutions and procedures drive behavior. The latter is the focus of this dissertation. Using a sample of female inmates, this dissertation examines what effects procedural justice of police and courts, the institutional legitimacy of police and courts, and obligations to obey the law. Most prior literature on normative attitudes has tested the political psychology of the mass public. By examining female inmates this study moves beyond the perceptions of the general public and focuses on individuals that have had the most serious interactions with the criminal justice system. Additionally, females are an especially important demographic of interest given their growing presence in the criminal justice system.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4709
Format: Thesis

Title: Prison Adjustment in Female Inmates with Personality Disorders.
Creator: Kurth, Deborah Diane, Beaver, Kevin, Carbonell, Joyce, Mears, Daniel, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Criminological research has often overlooked an important segment of offenders' lives - incarceration. Furthermore, the existing research on inmate behavior has focused primarily on male inmates. This dissertation adds to corrections literature by using a sample of female inmates to examine relationships between personality disorders and prison adjustment. The results of the analyses indicate that personality disorders are widespread among female inmates and are somewhat associated with...
Show moreCriminological research has often overlooked an important segment of offenders' lives - incarceration. Furthermore, the existing research on inmate behavior has focused primarily on male inmates. This dissertation adds to corrections literature by using a sample of female inmates to examine relationships between personality disorders and prison adjustment. The results of the analyses indicate that personality disorders are widespread among female inmates and are somewhat associated with adjustment. Certain Cluster B personality disorders - antisocial, histrionic, and narcissistic - were associated with decreased adjustment. Dependent personality disorder, on the other hand, was associated with increased adjustment, since these inmates self-reported less misconduct than other inmates did. The remaining personality disorders did not have any significant relationships with the measures of adjustment. Other factors, such as age, sentence length, time served, and security classification, had a more consistent association with adjustment than personality disorders. When female inmates with personality disorders were examined separately, unique patterns of adjustment were found. Age was associated with an increased number of infractions that the inmate was reported by prison staff to have committed and increased self-reported misconduct. Age, however, was not significantly related to violent infractions. For female inmates with personality disorders, race was not significantly related to adjustment. On the other hand, being a parent was associated with an increased number of violent infractions reported. Limitations to this dissertation and policy implications for corrections and criminology are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4964
Format: Thesis

Title: Private Interests and Public Schools: Charter School Formation in Florida.
Creator: Feiock, Ruth S., Herrington, Carolyn D., Ueno, Koji, Rutledge, Stacey A., Lang, Laura B., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership...
Show moreFeiock, Ruth S., Herrington, Carolyn D., Ueno, Koji, Rutledge, Stacey A., Lang, Laura B., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
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Abstract/Description: Over the last two decades, the charter school movement has arguably become the most widespread school reform in the United States. Charter schools differ tremendously in terms of where and when they form and the entities and organizations responsible for operating them. This dissertation investigates charter school formation using data from Florida and advances a charter school formation theory. This theory is tested to systematically assess what factors correlate with new charter school...
Show moreOver the last two decades, the charter school movement has arguably become the most widespread school reform in the United States. Charter schools differ tremendously in terms of where and when they form and the entities and organizations responsible for operating them. This dissertation investigates charter school formation using data from Florida and advances a charter school formation theory. This theory is tested to systematically assess what factors correlate with new charter school adoption and whether charter schools are market-based or nonmarket-based. The analysis addresses changes in state charter school legislation; educational performance of the traditional public schools; community political, demographic, and economic characteristics; the structure of local school boards and their relationship with charter school formations in Florida; and the extent to which charter schools take market or nonmarket form. The study finds that there has been a shift from primarily nonmarket-based charter schools to market-based charter schools in the 18 years since the authorization of the first charter school in the state. Further, expansion in support for fixed capital outlay provided by the state influences market-based charter school formations. I find little evidence that charter schools formed as a result of the poor performance of the existing traditional public schools in a district. Market-based charter schools were also found to be more likely than nonmarket schools to form in counties with higher percentages of students enrolled in private schools. The analysis also produces evidence that school districts with appointed school superintendents have a higher frequency of charter school formations. Further, school districts with smaller school boards are less likely to have market-based charter school formations perhaps suggesting that neighborhood groups have less access and less influence in communities with smaller boards. This study contributes to our knowledge of charters schools and education policy and also has practical implications for the state policymakers, school governing bodies, and the various charter school actors.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9329
Format: Thesis

Title: Probabilistic Context-Free Grammar Based Password Cracking: Attack, Defense and Applications.
Creator: Yazdi, Shiva Houshmand, Aggarwal, Sudhir, Mio, Washington, Kumar, Piyush, Yuan, Xin, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Passwords are critical for security in many different domains such as social networks, emails, encryption of sensitive data and online banking. Human memorable passwords are thus a key element in the security of such systems. It is important for system administrators to have access to the most powerful and efficient attacks to assess the security of their systems more accurately. The probabilistic context-free grammar technique has been shown to be very effective in password cracking. In this...
Show morePasswords are critical for security in many different domains such as social networks, emails, encryption of sensitive data and online banking. Human memorable passwords are thus a key element in the security of such systems. It is important for system administrators to have access to the most powerful and efficient attacks to assess the security of their systems more accurately. The probabilistic context-free grammar technique has been shown to be very effective in password cracking. In this approach, the system is trained on a set of revealed passwords and a probabilistic context-free grammar is constructed. The grammar is then used to generate guesses in highest probability order, which is the optimal off-line attack. The initial approach, although performing much better than other rule-based password crackers, only considered the simple structures of the passwords. This dissertation explores how classes of new patterns (such as keyboard and multi-word) can be learned in the training phase and can be used to substantially improve the effectiveness of the probabilistic password cracking system. Smoothing functions are used to generate new patterns that were not found in the training set, and new measures are developed to compare and improve both training and attack dictionaries. The results on cracking multiple datasets show that we can achieve up to 55% improvement over the previous system. A new technique is also introduced which creates a grammar that can incorporate any available information about a specific target by giving higher probability values to components that carry this information. This grammar can then help in guessing the user's new password in a timelier manner. Examples of such information can be any old passwords, names of family members or important dates. A new algorithm is described that given two old passwords determines the transformations between them and uses the information in predicting user's new password. A password checker is also introduced that analyzes the strength of user chosen passwords by estimating the probability of the passwords being cracked, and helps users in selecting stronger passwords. The system modifies the weak password slightly and suggests a new stronger password to the user. By dynamically updating the grammar we make sure that the guessing entropy increases and the suggested passwords thus remain resistant to various attacks. New results are presented that show how accurate the system is in determining weak and strong passwords. Another application of the probabilistic context-free grammar technique is also introduced that identifies stored passwords on disks and media. The disk is examined for potential password strings and a set of filtering algorithms are developed that winnow down the space of tokens to a more manageable set. The probabilistic context-free grammar is then used to assign probabilities to the remaining tokens to distinguish strings that are more likely to be passwords. In one of the tests, a set of 2,000 potential passwords winnowed down from 49 million tokens is returned which identifies 60% of the actual passwords.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9615
Format: Thesis

Title: Probabilistic Diagnosis of Link Loss Using End-to-End Path Measurements and Maximum Likelihood Estimation.
Creator: Sun, Bo, Zhang, Zhenghao, Li, Feifei, Duan, Zhenhai, Department of Computer Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Internet fault diagnosis has attracted much attention in recent years. In this paper, we focus on the problem of finding the Link Pass Ratios (LPRs) when the Path Pass Ratios (PPRs) of a set of paths are given. Usually, given the PPRs of the paths, the LPRs of a significant percentage of the links cannot be uniquely determined because the system is under-constrained. We consider the Maximum Likelihood Estimation of the LPRs of such links. We prove that the problem of finding the Maximum...
Show moreInternet fault diagnosis has attracted much attention in recent years. In this paper, we focus on the problem of finding the Link Pass Ratios (LPRs) when the Path Pass Ratios (PPRs) of a set of paths are given. Usually, given the PPRs of the paths, the LPRs of a significant percentage of the links cannot be uniquely determined because the system is under-constrained. We consider the Maximum Likelihood Estimation of the LPRs of such links. We prove that the problem of finding the Maximum Likelihood Estimation is NP-hard, then propose a simple algorithm based on divide-and-conquer. We first estimate the number of faulty links on a path, then use the global information to assign LPRs to the links. We conduct simulations on networks of various sizes and the results show that our algorithm performs very well in terms of identifying faulty links.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1501
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing Instruction and Redundant Morphology in Spanish as a Second Language.
Creator: Atchley, Patricia, Leeser, Michael J., Kaschak, Michael P., Sunderman, Gretchen L., Reglero, Lara, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Modern...
Show moreAtchley, Patricia, Leeser, Michael J., Kaschak, Michael P., Sunderman, Gretchen L., Reglero, Lara, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics
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Abstract/Description: For almost 20 years, research on Processing Instruction (PI) has shown that PI is an effective tool for altering the processing strategies of learners, and has been generalized over a variety of linguistic structures and for a variety of target languages. This presentation seeks to extend the PI research agenda by investigating a processing problem that has not been widely researched: the Preference for Nonredundancy Principle. Specifically, if learners receive PI targeting gender agreement ...
Show moreFor almost 20 years, research on Processing Instruction (PI) has shown that PI is an effective tool for altering the processing strategies of learners, and has been generalized over a variety of linguistic structures and for a variety of target languages. This presentation seeks to extend the PI research agenda by investigating a processing problem that has not been widely researched: the Preference for Nonredundancy Principle. Specifically, if learners receive PI targeting gender agreement (that falls under this principle), will they make gains on interpretation and production tasks with gender agreement? This dissertation examines whether PI targeting noun-adjective gender agreement leads to L2 Spanish learners improved performance on interpretation and production tasks. In addition, it asks if PI will improve noticing of gender agreement mismatches in an online self-paced reading task. Another goal of this dissertation is to investigate whether the effects of PI on gender agreement (primary effects) will extend to subject-verb agreement, which is a similar form with a similar processing problem (secondary transfer-of training effects). L2 Spanish learners (N = 112) received either Processing Instruction (PI group) or no instruction (Control group). A pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest design was used to examine the impact of PI on learners' performance on interpretation, production and self-paced reading tasks. The participants in this study made significant improvements on production tasks at the delayed posttest, which suggests a positive effect for the PI treatment. On the other hand, the self-paced reading task shows that the learners' did not recognize mismatches in the primary structure (gender agreement), which suggests that it is not yet part of their internal grammar (i.e., their developing system). We propose that PI is effective in altering how learners approach a production task, but that more input is needed to see results on a sensitive measure like self-paced reading. We discuss our findings in light of the Input Processing theory and its implications for future PI research.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9543
Format: Thesis

Title: Privacy Management Behavior in Virtual Communities.
Creator: Lin, Shuai-Fu, Armstrong, Deborah, Brady, Michael, Paradice, David, Bush, Ashley, Department of Management, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: A virtual community is a focused gathering of people who interact with others through the Internet. To virtual community platform organizations, encouraging user participation is essential for profitability. Recent empirical studies have found the privacy paradox in virtual communities in which individuals state they have privacy concerns but continue to participate. The purpose of this study is to investigate how a virtual community member copes with the threats to his or her privacy in a...
Show moreA virtual community is a focused gathering of people who interact with others through the Internet. To virtual community platform organizations, encouraging user participation is essential for profitability. Recent empirical studies have found the privacy paradox in virtual communities in which individuals state they have privacy concerns but continue to participate. The purpose of this study is to investigate how a virtual community member copes with the threats to his or her privacy in a virtual community. This study considers both information privacy and territory privacy, and explores the antecedents and behavioral outcomes of both types of privacy in virtual communities. Based on communication privacy management theory, the research model proposes several aspects of a virtual community that may influence an individual's evaluation of privacy risks, which will in turn influence individual privacy management behavior, including the revelation of private information and the regulation of access to a virtual territory. Evidence from a study of 358 virtual community members suggests that information privacy risk beliefs and territory privacy risk beliefs have different antecedents. Also, an individual with high information privacy risk beliefs and territory privacy risk beliefs will engage in territory coordination to manage the accessibility to his or her virtual territory; and an individual will share private information if engaging in territory coordination. Theoretically, this study demonstrates that a more complete conceptualization of privacy in virtual communities should consider both information and territory privacy, and that private disclosure and territory coordination are two complementary privacy management behaviors. From a practical standpoint, this study suggests virtual community platform organizations how to reduce individuals' privacy risk beliefs and encourage users to share private information.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-7470
Format: Thesis

Title: The Privacy and Social Needs of Women in Contemporary Kuwaiti Homes.
Creator: Alenazy, Turkiyah Hajeej, Waxman, Lisa, Wiedegreen, Eric, Pable, Jill, Department of Interior Design, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to explore the design of the contemporary Kuwaiti home to determine if it meets the needs of the contemporary Kuwaiti women in terms of privacy, social interaction, and aesthetic preferences, as well as connection to the past. To this end, a case study was conducted in a Kuwaiti house which included architectural and interior elements common in contemporary Kuwaiti homes. The research techniques of observation, visual documentation, and interview were used to...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to explore the design of the contemporary Kuwaiti home to determine if it meets the needs of the contemporary Kuwaiti women in terms of privacy, social interaction, and aesthetic preferences, as well as connection to the past. To this end, a case study was conducted in a Kuwaiti house which included architectural and interior elements common in contemporary Kuwaiti homes. The research techniques of observation, visual documentation, and interview were used to explore how the home was used, with specific focus on three historical architectural features including the guest salon, the screen, and the courtyard. This exploration revealed that modern design failed to respond to meet many of the Kuwaiti women's needs for privacy, contact with nature, free movement within the home, and social interaction with family members. The study offers design recommendations that better meet the needs of Kuwaiti women in their homes.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0161
Format: Thesis

Title: Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences in Planning, Implementing and Assessing the Tactical (TGFU) Model.
Creator: Kuehl-Kitchen, Julie M., Imwold, Charles, Milton, Sande, Lynn, Susan, Ratliffe, Thomas, Department of Sport Management, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The need for more extensive research examining the tactical TGFU instructional model was necessary to provide teachers with adequate information to make informed decision about their selection of games instruction models. The pre-service teachers were one male and three female undergraduate students, at California State University, Sacramento. The public school students were 102 fifth grade students (55 boys and 47 girls) from four coeducational, public school classes in an urban school...
Show moreThe need for more extensive research examining the tactical TGFU instructional model was necessary to provide teachers with adequate information to make informed decision about their selection of games instruction models. The pre-service teachers were one male and three female undergraduate students, at California State University, Sacramento. The public school students were 102 fifth grade students (55 boys and 47 girls) from four coeducational, public school classes in an urban school located in northern California. The pre-service teacher's implemented eight TGFU field hockey lessons within a two-week period to the same set of students; four developed by the primary researcher and four developed by each of the pre-service teachers. Verifying that the lesson plans represented the TGFU model required an evaluation of skill feedback, content related questions, and use of time for each lesson implemented. The pre-service teachers utilized the Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) twice during the study; one was developed by the primary researcher and one by each of the pre-service teachers. Daily questionnaires and a post-study, semi-structured interview were used to collect the qualitative data. The planning phase results indicated that the tactical content was the most challenging aspect, as well as difficulties developing the tactical questions and the heightened frequency of student arguing. The implementation experiences included challenges with tactical questioning and content, as well as an increase in instructional and management time. The pre-service teachers reacted positively to the GPAI, but reported being challenged with the instrument, as well as not knowing how to use results. Ennis and Chen's Value Orientation Inventory – 2 (1993) provided information needed to analyze the relationship between the orientations and the implementation of the TGFU model. This evidence supported the fact that pre-service teachers who value the discipline mastery and learning process orientations have beliefs that are aligned with the goals of TGFU and therefore, may be better equipped to implement the model. Implications of TGFU as it related to value orientation are complex and need further study.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2943
Format: Thesis

Title: Primitives and Schemes for Non-Atomic Information Authentication.
Creator: Jakimoski, Goce, Burmester, Mike, Desmedt, Yvo, Van Hoeij, Mark, Gallivan, Kyle, Mascagni, Michael, Department of Computer Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The digital revolution, fired by the development of the information and communication technologies, has fundamentally changed the way we think, behave, communicate, work and earn livelihood (the World Summit on the Information Society). These technologies have affected all aspects of our society and economy. However, the Information Society developments present us not only with new benefits and opportunities, but also with new challenges. Information security is one of these challenges, and...
Show moreThe digital revolution, fired by the development of the information and communication technologies, has fundamentally changed the way we think, behave, communicate, work and earn livelihood (the World Summit on the Information Society). These technologies have affected all aspects of our society and economy. However, the Information Society developments present us not only with new benefits and opportunities, but also with new challenges. Information security is one of these challenges, and nowadays, information security mechanisms are inevitable components of virtually every information system. Information authentication is one of the basic information security goals, and it addresses the issues of source corroboration and improper or unauthorized modification of data. More specific, data integrity is the property that the data has not been changed in an unauthorized manner since its creation, transmission or storage. Data origin authentication, or message authentication, is the property whereby a party can be corroborated as a source of the data. Usually, message authentication is achieved by appending an authentication tag or a digital signature to the message. The authentication tag (resp., digital signature) is computed in such a way so that only an entity that is in possession of the secret key can produce it, and it is used by the verifier to determine the authenticity of the message. During this procedure, the message is considered to be an atomic object in the following sense. The verifier needs the complete message in order to check its validity. Presented with the authentication tag (resp., digital signature) and an incomplete message, the verifier cannot determine whether the presented incomplete message is authentic or not. We consider a more general authentication model, where the verifier is able to check the validity of incomplete messages. In particular, we analyze the cases of erasure-tolerant information authentication and stream authentication. Our model of erasure-tolerant information authentication assumes that a limited number of the message ``letters' can be lost during the transmission. Nevertheless, the verifier should still be able to check the authenticity of the received incomplete message. We provide answers to several fundamental questions in this model (e.g., lower bounds on the deception probability, distance properties, optimal constructions, etc.), and we propose some constructions of erasure-tolerant authentication codes. Streams of data are bit sequences of a finite, but a priori unknown length that a sender sends to one or more recipients, and they occur naturally when on-line processing is required. In this case, the receiver should be able to verify the authenticity of a prefix of the stream, that is, the part of the stream that has been received so far. We provide efficient and proven secure schemes for both unicast and multicast stream authentication. The security proof of one of the proposed multicast stream authentication schemes assumes that the underlying block cipher is a related-key secure pseudorandom permutation. So, we also study the resistance of AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) to related-key differential attacks.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3667
Format: Thesis

Title: Preparation and Integration of Β-Amyloid Peptide Nanofibers onto Microfabricated Electrodes for Sensing Applications.
Creator: Kissoon, Nicola Nadia, Englander, Ongi, Paravastu, Anant, Oates, William, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This work develops protocols to obtain a well-dispersed β-amyloid(1-40) nanofiber network, as well as methods to integrate the nanofiber network with microfabricated metalized electrodes. To investigate conditions needed for the formation of well-dispersed β-amyloid(1-40) networks, nanofiber suspensions are made using a range of protocols where parameters such as concentration, percent seeding, and self-assembly time, are varied. Deposition onto the microfabricated electrodes is performed...
Show moreThis work develops protocols to obtain a well-dispersed β-amyloid(1-40) nanofiber network, as well as methods to integrate the nanofiber network with microfabricated metalized electrodes. To investigate conditions needed for the formation of well-dispersed β-amyloid(1-40) networks, nanofiber suspensions are made using a range of protocols where parameters such as concentration, percent seeding, and self-assembly time, are varied. Deposition onto the microfabricated electrodes is performed using both lyophilization and wicking techniques. Following the successful integration, samples are imaged using scanning electron microscopy and two-point transport testing under dry and wet conditions is preformed. Results indicate that the dispersion of the nanofiber networks strongly depends on the amount of β-amyloid(1-40) powder, self-assembly time, and number of self-seedings. Damage to some samples following integration is evaluated through systematic testing, leading to a resolution which considers both material selection and integration techniques. Two-point transport testing provides only preliminary insight to potential transport mechanisms in these biological nanomaterials.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2921
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing Issues of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 Round Wire Involving Leakage and Alumino Silicate Insulation.
Creator: Loschiavo, Michael, Hellstrom, Eric, Hollis, Patrick, Larbalestier, David, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: A major issue seen in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8¬ (Bi-2212) conductor was leakage from the liquid within the wire during the partial (peritectic) melt. The leakage in the wire was the main focus of this work initially. By examining leaked wire, cracks along the length of the wire were found in several leakage regions. Green wire, which has not been heat treated, was examined for the presence of the same longitudinal cracks found in leaked wire. These defects were covered in yttria, which is non-reactive...
Show moreA major issue seen in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8¬ (Bi-2212) conductor was leakage from the liquid within the wire during the partial (peritectic) melt. The leakage in the wire was the main focus of this work initially. By examining leaked wire, cracks along the length of the wire were found in several leakage regions. Green wire, which has not been heat treated, was examined for the presence of the same longitudinal cracks found in leaked wire. These defects were covered in yttria, which is non-reactive with Bi-2212, to wick out liquid through surface defects that might occur. After the samples were heat treated, some of the cracks exhibited leakage. The longitudinal cracks, caused during the manufacturing processes, were the source of the leaks. The processing parameters were changed by the wire manufacturer to ameliorate the cause of leakage, in parallel with this study, and the new wire does not have the same leakage problem as the preceding wire. Due to the issue of leakage being solved by the wire manufacture, the study ended. Insulation is used to separate the wire to prevent bonding at high temperatures. The insulation reacts with the surface of the wire leaving behind large sections stuck on the conductor and forming a glassy phase after the reaction. The alumino silicate fiber composition consists of crystalline alumina and amorphous silica. The fiber reacts with the wire by sticking to the surface. Different compositions of these compounds were tested against Ag using a line of 3M NEXTEL fibers and pure SiO2. Any amount of amorphous silica causes a reaction with Ag; however, pure amorphous silica does not have a reaction, but due to the ease with which it is contaminated with salts, which causes it to react with Ag, its use is currently not recommended. The insulation also has an effect on performance by decreasing Ic by 20%. Ag wire was wrapped around insulation to provide surface contact between the insulation and conductor to show this decreased performance in short side-by-side samples and along a length of wire. Although flux pinning is the same between insulated and bare samples, the connectivity is affected by insufficient grain growth. Cu was lost from the Bi-2212 core into the insulation. The loss of Cu to the interface of Ag and the braid causes a change in phases by creating an excess of secondary phases and pores and decreases the total density of the filaments. Cu loss is the mechanism behind the loss in Ic.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1036
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing Semantic and Grammatical Gender Agreement in L2 Spanish: A Self-Paced Reading Study.
Creator: Atchley, Patricia A., Leeser, Michael J., Reglero, Lara, Sunderman, Gretchen, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: It is well documented that L2 learners of Spanish have difficulty with inflectional morphology, specifically with gender agreement. Studies have shown that gender agreement is a feature of the second language that is acquired very late (Keating, 2009; Leeser et al., 2011; White et al., 2004). The majority of experimental studies that investigate gender agreement processing focus on grammatical gender agreement and fail to consider how learners process semantic or natural gender agreement....
Show moreIt is well documented that L2 learners of Spanish have difficulty with inflectional morphology, specifically with gender agreement. Studies have shown that gender agreement is a feature of the second language that is acquired very late (Keating, 2009; Leeser et al., 2011; White et al., 2004). The majority of experimental studies that investigate gender agreement processing focus on grammatical gender agreement and fail to consider how learners process semantic or natural gender agreement. This study, therefore, examines how beginning and intermediate L2 learners of Spanish process grammatical gender agreement as well as semantic gender agreement. This study also investigates the proposal that L2 learners of Spanish will resort to a masculine form when processing gender agreement (Harris, 1991). In this study, L2 Spanish learners (n = 71) and L1 Spanish speakers (n = 12) completed a self-paced reading task to investigate processing of noun-adjective agreement. The learners were presented with sentences word by word, and were asked comprehension questions after each sentence. Half of the target sentences contained grammatical gender and the other half contained semantic gender. Also, half of the sentences were grammatical and half were ungrammatical, and to investigate a default form, half of the sentences were masculine and half were feminine. Learners reading times were compared across noun class (semantic gender or grammatical gender), gender (masculine or feminine) and grammaticality conditions. It was predicted that beginning and intermediate learners would recognize violations of semantic gender, but would not recognize violations of grammatical gender, and that they would default to a masculine form. Our results support this prediction. The findings are discussed in light of VanPatten's (2007) input processing theory, which states that learners will process meaningful grammatical forms before nonmeaningful grammatical forms, especially when that form lacks communicative value, as is the case with grammatical gender.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0251
Format: Thesis

Title: Program Anthologies, Classbooks, and Zines an Examination of Approaches to Publishing First-Year Students' Work.
Creator: Loomis, Ormond, Fenstermaker, John, Simmons, John, Bickley, Bruce, McGregory, Jerrilyn, Department of English, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study examines publications of students' writing in first-year composition programs. Based on a survey of such publications in 1999, I review how program anthologies and classbooks are produced and used and analyze selected examples of the writing they contain. In addition I trace the development of the publications as the field of composition studies evolved. Research for the study indicates that, although composition instructors have recognized these publications as valuable tools in...
Show moreThis study examines publications of students' writing in first-year composition programs. Based on a survey of such publications in 1999, I review how program anthologies and classbooks are produced and used and analyze selected examples of the writing they contain. In addition I trace the development of the publications as the field of composition studies evolved. Research for the study indicates that, although composition instructors have recognized these publications as valuable tools in teaching writing since the mid-twentieth century, relatively few schools have them. The research shows considerable variety in the approaches that writing programs take to publishing students' writing. Moreover, it reveals a strong connection between the publications and the pedagogical orientation of the writing programs that produce them. To illustrate the relationship, I use data from questionnaires and personal interviews to sketch the evolution of approaches to publishing at five schools: two of them aligned with subjective rhetoric, two of them with epistemic rhetoric, and one bridging these rhetorical views. In chapter six of the study, I analyze eight selected students' texts from the publications. The results show surprisingly little difference in the quality of the compositions they contain. Nevertheless, the subjects the students choose and the structure of their papers suggests that the students' folk culture has a significant influence on their writing. Perhaps more important, the analysis suggests that student experiment with form and style more in their writing when they take responsibility for editing their published texts than when teachers assume that responsibility. The conclusion of the study calls for writing programs to increase their awareness of the range of possibilities for publishing students' papers in first-year composition and incorporate the publications in their curricula. Texts in program anthologies and classbooks constitute a significant resource for understanding how students write. The compositionists have not yet realized the full potential these publications have for helping students learn to write.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1070
Format: Thesis

Title: The Professional Female Singer and Career Longevity: Reflections, Choices, and Challenges.
Creator: Richie, Anne Elise, Rachwal, Wanda Brister, Brewer, Charles E., Hoekman, Timothy, Okerlund, David, College of Music, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: ABSTRACT This study seeks to provide female singers and their teachers with insight on achieving career longevity through the collection of data and commentary from seasoned professional female singers. One hundred artists from the United States and Canada, each with a singing career spanning twenty years or longer, were invited to complete the online survey The Professional Female Singer and Career Longevity via SurveyMonkey.com. Participants, ages 45-75, responded to an array of questions...
Show moreABSTRACT This study seeks to provide female singers and their teachers with insight on achieving career longevity through the collection of data and commentary from seasoned professional female singers. One hundred artists from the United States and Canada, each with a singing career spanning twenty years or longer, were invited to complete the online survey The Professional Female Singer and Career Longevity via SurveyMonkey.com. Participants, ages 45-75, responded to an array of questions to create an overview of their vocal careers. Each singer provided answers on physical and vocal health challenges they experienced as well as, the impact of menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and the perceived benefits of teaching to maintain the voice. Respondents also shared information on the lifestyle, dietary, and other choices they believe contributed to career longevity. The sample population, composed of forty-nine mezzo-sopranos and fifty-one sopranos, is predominantly made up of baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964. It is significant to note that none of the one hundred singers reported being "retired" from the profession. All continue to engage in performing, teaching, or a combination thereof. According to the U.S. Census Bureau life expectancy over the past century for women has nearly doubled from an average of 48.3 years in 1900 to 81.3 years in 2010. Women can now expect to live a considerable portion of their life in a postmenopausal state. This document adds first hand reports by female professional singers to the present voice science research on the benefits of diet, exercise, lifestyle choices and hormone therapy. Singers should be educated to the benefits of maintaining hormonal balance and its direct impact on preserving the voice. Further study is warranted to explore which hormone replacement therapies are proving to have the greatest vocal benefit and to disseminate information on which natural/alternative medicines and modalities female singers and voice teachers feel help maintain their voices and contribute to career longevity.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-7575
Format: Thesis

Title: Professional Vision: Elementary School Principals' Perceptions of Mathematics Instruction.
Creator: Schoen, Robert C. (Robert Clarence), Shaw, Kenneth, Dennen, Vanessa, Clark, Kathleen M., Aspinwall, Leslie N., School of Teacher Education, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study explored 78 elementary school principals' perceptions of classroom mathematics instruction in an effort to build understanding of the professional vision (Goodwin, 1994) of elementary school principals as it relates to mathematics instruction. This study also tested the theory of Leadership Content Knowledge (Stein & Nelson, 2003) which proposes that principal instructional leadership in mathematics is, in part, dependent upon content knowledge in mathematics. The principals were...
Show moreThis study explored 78 elementary school principals' perceptions of classroom mathematics instruction in an effort to build understanding of the professional vision (Goodwin, 1994) of elementary school principals as it relates to mathematics instruction. This study also tested the theory of Leadership Content Knowledge (Stein & Nelson, 2003) which proposes that principal instructional leadership in mathematics is, in part, dependent upon content knowledge in mathematics. The principals were all current public school principals in the state of Florida and participated in a year-long, content-specific professional development series in mathematics and science for school leaders. The research questions in this exploratory study were (1) What is the relationship between elementary principals' knowledge in mathematics and their level of expertise in classroom observation of elementary mathematics instruction? (2) What elements of mathematics instruction are consistently interpreted similarly or dissimilarly between mathematics specialists and elementary school principals? (3) What do elementary school principals commonly notice or look for when observing mathematics instruction? The study employed a mixed-methods design to explore the correlation between mathematics knowledge and observation expertise as well as to begin to catalogue the appreciative system and terms used by principals to build a general picture of the professional vision of school principals. Data sources included the Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching survey (Hill & Ball, 2004), the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (Piburn et al., 2000; Sawada et al., 2000), and written responses to open-ended prompts designed to elicit principal perceptions of classroom instruction in mathematics. All 78 participants completed the surveys after observing three videos of classroom mathematics instruction. Written responses were analyzed and used to determine commonly noticed aspects of mathematics instruction as well as insights into principal recommendations for instructional improvement. A set of codes were generated from the written data, applied to the data, tested for reliability, and used to describe the relative frequency, consistency, and dependency of principal remarks. During the course of this study, a method for measuring the observation expertise of individual principals was developed. This study found no significant correlation between principals' mathematics knowledge and their observation expertise. When particular surface-level, observable features such as group work and high levels of apparent student engagement appeared in the video, principals had highly consistent interpretations of mathematics instruction. Mathematics specialists had highly consistent interpretations of traditional instruction, but there was less agreement between mathematics specialists regarding more reform-oriented instruction. This study also found that elementary school principals have a positive impression of reform-oriented instruction in mathematics and a negative impression of traditional instruction. Regarding what principals notice in mathematics instruction, some of the central topics that principals are looking for in classroom instruction include student engagement, group work (by students), the use of manipulatives, the use of vocabulary by both teachers and students, occasional checks for student understanding, physical and emotional safety, and teacher-student rapport. Principal recommendations for instructional improvement often included reference to group work and manipulatives without reference to specific ways that manipulatives may illuminate mathematical ideas or ways to structure group work for increased learning. Results of this study will guide professional development for school principals as instructional leaders in mathematics. Results also suggest further development of methods for rigorous study of the interaction of variables within the theory of Leadership Content Knowledge.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1999
Format: Thesis

Title: March 22, 2004 Attack on the Madrid Commuter Rail System.
Creator: Levings, Robert S., Kelsay, John, Garretson, Peter, Moore, Will, Program in International Affairs, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: On March 11, 2004 thirteen terrorists attacked the Madrid commuter rail system, killing 191 people and wounding 1,741 just three days before Spanish elections. The ruling Popular Party led by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar blamed the attack on ETA, the Basque separatist group responsible for more than 800 deaths since its founding in 1959. The police investigation quickly concluded that Islamic extremists had perpetrated the terror attack. This conclusion was cemented a day before...
Show moreOn March 11, 2004 thirteen terrorists attacked the Madrid commuter rail system, killing 191 people and wounding 1,741 just three days before Spanish elections. The ruling Popular Party led by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar blamed the attack on ETA, the Basque separatist group responsible for more than 800 deaths since its founding in 1959. The police investigation quickly concluded that Islamic extremists had perpetrated the terror attack. This conclusion was cemented a day before the election when a video containing a claim of responsibility from al Qaeda was released to the press. The speaker on the videotape stated that the attack was in response to Spanish participation in the Iraq war, a decision that was overwhelmingly unpopular among Spanish voters who turned out the next day at the polls and voted Aznar's Popular Party out of office. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party won and its candidate for Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero immediately announced his intention to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. Many analysts and observers concluded that al Qaeda was behind the attack and that it had been timed to coincide with the Spanish election with the intention of unseating the Popular Party and forcing Spanish troops out of Iraq. Although the terrorists clearly aimed to bring about a Spanish troops withdraw from Iraq, to date no evidence has surfaced to suggest that al Qaeda's leadership was in anyway involved in the attack or that it was purposely timed to influence Spain's election.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3102
Format: Thesis

Title: Market Efficiency and Market Anomalies: Three Essays Investigating the Opinions and Behavior of Finance Professors Both as Researchers and as Investors.
Creator: Wright, Colbrin (Colby) A., Peterson, David, Brady, Michael, Benesh, Gary, Doran, James, Department of Finance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: I study the topics of market efficiency and anomalies to market efficiency by focusing on finance professors in their joint roles as both researchers and market participants. I ask three main research questions: (1) how efficient do finance professors believe US stock markets are and does their opinion of market efficiency influence their investing behavior, (2) what really matters to finance professors when they buy and sell stocks, and (3) why do finance professors publish market anomalies?...
Show moreI study the topics of market efficiency and anomalies to market efficiency by focusing on finance professors in their joint roles as both researchers and market participants. I ask three main research questions: (1) how efficient do finance professors believe US stock markets are and does their opinion of market efficiency influence their investing behavior, (2) what really matters to finance professors when they buy and sell stocks, and (3) why do finance professors publish market anomalies? Related to the first question, I discover that finance professors agree that US stock markets are weak form efficient but not strong form efficient. However, there is much disagreement about the semi-strong form efficiency of US stock markets. Their investing behavior, though, suggests that finance professors accept markets as semi-strong form efficient; twice as many finance professors passively invest than actively invest. Surprisingly, their opinion about market efficiency has very little to do with their investing behavior. Instead, their investing behavior seems primarily driven by their confidence in their own abilities to beat the market, regardless of how efficient they perceive US stock markets to be. Related to the second question, I present three main findings. First, traditional valuation techniques and asset-pricing models commonly used in research and taught in the classroom are universally unimportant to finance professors when they buy and sell stocks. Second, the most important information to finance professors when considering stock purchases and sales are firm characteristics (PE ratio and market capitalization) and momentum related information (the stock's return over the past six to 12 months and 52-week high and low). Third, finance professors have less real-world investing experience than one might expect – the median professor has bought an individual stock between 10 and 19 times, and 14.5% have never done so. Related to the third question, I find that finance professors are, in fact, acting rationally when they publish market anomalies. The theory I develop suggests it is rational for researchers to publish market anomalies if they have relatively few previous publications or have lesser reputations. Accordingly, the theory implies that the likelihood of publishing an anomaly and the profitability of published anomalies should be inversely related to the authors' previous publications and reputation. These implications are empirically corroborated providing evidence for the theory and supporting the notion that researchers are behaving rationally when they publish. Sadly, this also suggests that it is very likely that profitable anomalies have been discovered but not published so that the discoverer can exploit the anomaly, which provides indirect evidence of market inefficiency.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0745
Format: Thesis

Title: Process Improvement of Rac-Progesterone and Other Synthetic Studies.
Creator: Slegeris, Rimantas, Dudley, Gregory B., Telotte, John C., McQuade, D. Tyler (David Tyler), Saha, Sourav, Shatruk, Mykhailo, Florida State University, College of Arts and...
Show moreSlegeris, Rimantas, Dudley, Gregory B., Telotte, John C., McQuade, D. Tyler (David Tyler), Saha, Sourav, Shatruk, Mykhailo, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Abstract/Description: This thesis describes the work performed by the author during PhD studies at FSU. The first two chapters present the summary of the studies done trying to accomplish the first total synthesis of aldingenin B - a natural product first isolated in 2003. While our studies were ongoing, some additional information on the structure of the natural product emerged, therefore our studies and their relationship with the literature available up to 2015 are discussed in detail. Chapters 3 through 6...
Show moreThis thesis describes the work performed by the author during PhD studies at FSU. The first two chapters present the summary of the studies done trying to accomplish the first total synthesis of aldingenin B - a natural product first isolated in 2003. While our studies were ongoing, some additional information on the structure of the natural product emerged, therefore our studies and their relationship with the literature available up to 2015 are discussed in detail. Chapters 3 through 6 represent the main topic of the thesis. They focus on the studies directed towards the development of the efficient synthesis of ent-progesterone - a potential drug candidate for the treatment of traumatic brain injury. Chapter 3 introduces the problem and the necessity for such synthesis and reviews the literature relevant to the topic. Chapter 4 presents an improved synthesis of rac-progesterone - an important step in the synthesis of ent-progesterone. Chapter 5 compares the efficiency of the two approaches: an old one and the improved route.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Slegeris_fsu_0071E_12550
Format: Thesis

Title: A Probabilistic and Graphical Analysis of Evidence in O.J. Simpson's Murder Case Using Bayesian Networks.
Creator: Olumide, Kunle, Huﬀer, Fred, Shute, Valerie, Sinha, Debajyoti, Niu, Xufeng, Logan, Wayne, Department of Statistics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This research work is an attempt to illustrate the versatility and wide applications of the field of statistical science. Specifically, the research work involves the application of statistics in the field of law. The application will focus on the sub-fields of Evidence and Criminal law using one of the most celebrated cases in the history of American jurisprudence - the 1994 O.J. Simpson murder case in California. Our task here is to do a probabilistic and graphical analysis of the body of...
Show moreThis research work is an attempt to illustrate the versatility and wide applications of the field of statistical science. Specifically, the research work involves the application of statistics in the field of law. The application will focus on the sub-fields of Evidence and Criminal law using one of the most celebrated cases in the history of American jurisprudence - the 1994 O.J. Simpson murder case in California. Our task here is to do a probabilistic and graphical analysis of the body of evidence in this case using Bayesian Networks. We will begin the analysis by first constructing our main hypothesis regarding the guilt or non-guilt of the accused; this main hypothesis will be supplemented by a series of ancillary hypotheses. Using graphs and probability concepts, we will be evaluating the probative force or strength of the evidence and how well the body of evidence at hand will prove our main hypothesis. We will employ Bayes rule, likelihoods and likelihood ratios to carry out such an evaluation. Some sensitivity analyses will be carried out by varying the degree of our prior beliefs or probabilities, and evaluating the effect of such variations on the likelihood ratios regarding our main hypothesis.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2287
Format: Thesis

Title: Professional Development Effects on Elementary Principals' Attitudes Toward Implementing New Standards: A Randomized Control Trial.
Creator: Lavenia, Kristina N. (Kristina Nell), Lang, Laura B., Lonigan, Christopher J., Herrington, Carolyn D., Iatarola, Patrice, Florida State University, College of Education,...
Show moreLavenia, Kristina N. (Kristina Nell), Lang, Laura B., Lonigan, Christopher J., Herrington, Carolyn D., Iatarola, Patrice, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
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Abstract/Description: Principal support for implementing changes in policies and practices in the schools they lead is understood to be an important factor related to successful reform. Although professional development opportunities for educators are routinely used as a primary vehicle for knowledge dissemination around educational reform initiatives (e.g., new instructional standards and practices or changes in accountability policies), little is known about impacts of professional development for school...
Show morePrincipal support for implementing changes in policies and practices in the schools they lead is understood to be an important factor related to successful reform. Although professional development opportunities for educators are routinely used as a primary vehicle for knowledge dissemination around educational reform initiatives (e.g., new instructional standards and practices or changes in accountability policies), little is known about impacts of professional development for school principals. To add to the body of knowledge in this area, the current study reports on findings from a 2009 randomized field trial involving elementary school principals (N = 110) who completed both pre- and posttests of the Change Facilitator's Stages of Concern Questionnaire (CFSoCQ), a self-report measure of attitudes toward leading implementation of an innovation in their schools. In this study, the innovation was Florida's new content standards in mathematics and science, the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS). Key components of the intervention were designed to: improve principals' mathematics and science content knowledge; increase their knowledge of the NGSSS; strengthen their ability to observe teacher's instruction and provide feedback; and develop their ability to support communities of instructional practice in their schools. These professional development foci were aimed at building principals' will and capacity for successfully leading the transition to the NGSSS in their schools. At pretest, the majority of principals in both the intervention and comparison groups reported that their primary concerns related to implementation of the new standards centered on a need for more information about the standards. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) analyses suggest that assignment to the professional development condition was impactful for principals' self-reported attitudes toward facilitating the implementation of new content standards in their schools. At posttest, findings indicate that for principals assigned to professional development: the estimated odds of being focused on successful management of teachers' transition to the new standards were nearly four times higher than principals in the comparison condition; the estimated odds of being focused on the consequences of implementation of the new standards were more than six times higher than principals in the comparison condition; and the estimated odds of being focused on opportunities to collaborate with other administrators as they work to lead implementation of the new standards were nearly nine times higher than principals in the comparison condition. Given the use of the Information stage (CFSoCQ Stage 1) as the outcome reference category for the MLR, these results suggest the intervention was effective at moving principals from a stage of wanting more information about the new standards to stages focused on: successful management of teachers' transition to the new standards; consequences of implementation of the new standards; and opportunities to collaborate with other administrators as they work to lead implementation of the new standards. The results show that this intervention was successful for improving principals' readiness to lead their schools in the adoption of new mathematics and science content standards by moving them beyond a place of information-seeking to a focus on how best to manage, mitigate, and collaborate around the transition to the new standards. Study findings offer support for the use of professional development for school principals as a means of building principals' will to lead change efforts in their schools. In today's K-12 educational policy environment, principal support for the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is likely to be a top priority for policymakers and state and district leaders in those states making this transition. The results of this study are particularly relevant in today's policy context given that the majority of states are working to transition to the CCSS
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9377
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing Strategies by Beginning L2 Learners of English and Spanish: A Crosslinguistic Study.
Creator: Brandl, Anel, Leeser, Michael J., Milton, Sande, Gonzalez, Carolina, Reglero, Lara, Sunderman, Gretchen, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: A central issue in second language acquisition (SLA) research is the relationship between morphosyntactic and lexical-semantic knowledge among L2 learners. It has been proposed that, L2 language acquisition starts with transfer of L1 semantic and morphosyntactic processing strategies; however, it has been observed that, at lower proficiency levels, the language processor may not have sufficient resources to transfer and use L1 morphosyntactic cues such as agreement morphology, case markers,...
Show moreA central issue in second language acquisition (SLA) research is the relationship between morphosyntactic and lexical-semantic knowledge among L2 learners. It has been proposed that, L2 language acquisition starts with transfer of L1 semantic and morphosyntactic processing strategies; however, it has been observed that, at lower proficiency levels, the language processor may not have sufficient resources to transfer and use L1 morphosyntactic cues such as agreement morphology, case markers, etc. to process the L2. Therefore, this dissertation investigates whether L2 learners default to more local and lexical-semantic parsing (i.e. universal parsing) at the beginning stages of second language acquisition. This dissertation examines the processing strategies of two groups of L2 learners (L1 English - L2 Spanish and L1 Spanish - L2 English) on two experimental tasks: a self-paced listening task and a sentence interpretation task. The results suggest that L1 transfer does not occur at the beginning stages of acquisition; that is, the beginning L2 learners in this study were not able to process agreement cues; thus, they did not demonstrated the ability to integrate grammatical information encoded in verbal morphology in real time processing. Instead, the results indicated that L2 learners, regardless of L1, defaulted to local and lexical-semantic strategies (e.g., first-noun strategy) to process the L2 at the beginning stages of acquisition. These results lend support to the First Noun Principle (VanPatten 2007) and are discussed in term of the representational and processing problem of L2 acquisition. Implications for models of L2 sentence processing (Input Processing and the Competition Model) are also presented in this dissertation.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-7307
Format: Thesis

Title: Probabilistic Methods in Estimation and Prediction of Financial Models.
Creator: Nguyen, Nguyet Thi, Okten, Giray, Hawkes, Lois, Case, Bettye Anne, Kim, Kyounghee, Nichols, Warren, Zhang, Jinfeng, Department of Mathematics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Many computational finance problems can be classified into two categories: estimation and prediction. In estimation, one starts with a probability model and expresses the quantity of interest as an expected value or a probability of an event. These quantities are then computed either exactly, or numerically using methods such as numerical PDEs or Monte Carlo simulation. Many problems in derivative pricing and risk management are in this category. In prediction, the main objective is to use...
Show moreMany computational finance problems can be classified into two categories: estimation and prediction. In estimation, one starts with a probability model and expresses the quantity of interest as an expected value or a probability of an event. These quantities are then computed either exactly, or numerically using methods such as numerical PDEs or Monte Carlo simulation. Many problems in derivative pricing and risk management are in this category. In prediction, the main objective is to use methods such as machine learning, neural networks, or Markov chain models, to build a model, train it using historical data, and predict future behavior of some financial indicators. In this dissertation, we consider an estimation method known as the (randomized) quasi-Monte Carlo method. We introduce an acceptance-rejection algorithm for the quasi-Monte Carlo method, which substantially increases the scope of applications where the method can be used efficiently. We prove a convergence result, and discuss examples from applied statistics and derivative pricing. In the second part of the dissertation, we present a novel prediction algorithm based on hidden Markov models. We use the algorithm to predict economic regimes, and stock prices, based on historical data.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9059
Format: Thesis

Title: Probabilistic Uncertainty Analysis and Its Applications in Option Models.
Creator: Namihira, Motoi J., Kopriva, David A., Srivastava, Anuj, Ewald, Brian, Hussaini, M. Yousuﬀ, Nichols, Warren, Okten, Giray, Department of Mathematics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this work we quantify the effect of uncertainty in volatility in the prices and Deltas of an American and European put using probabilistic uncertainty analysis. We review the current methods of uncertainty analysis including worst case or scenario analysis, Monte Carlo, and provide an in depth review of Polynomial Chaos in both one and multiple dimensions. We develop a numerically stable method of generating orthogonal polynomials that is used in the practical construction of the...
Show moreIn this work we quantify the effect of uncertainty in volatility in the prices and Deltas of an American and European put using probabilistic uncertainty analysis. We review the current methods of uncertainty analysis including worst case or scenario analysis, Monte Carlo, and provide an in depth review of Polynomial Chaos in both one and multiple dimensions. We develop a numerically stable method of generating orthogonal polynomials that is used in the practical construction of the Polynomial Chaos basis functions. We also develop a semi analytic density transform method that is 200 times faster and 1000 times more accurate than the Monte Carlo based kernel density method. Finally, we analyze the European and American put option models assuming a distribution for the volatility that is historically observed. We find that the sensitivity to uncertainty in volatility is greatest for the price of ATM puts, and tapers as one moves away from the strike. The Delta, however, exhibits the least sensitivity when ATM and is most sensitive when moderately ITM. The price uncertainty for ITM American puts is less than the price uncertainty of equivalent European puts. For OTM options, the price uncertainty is similar between American and European puts. The uncertainty in the Delta of ITM American puts is greater than the uncertainty of equivalent European puts. For OTM puts, the uncertainty in Delta is similar between American and European puts. For the American put, uncertainty in volatility introduces uncertainty in the location of the optimal exercise boundary, thereby making optimal exercise decisions more difficult.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-7525
Format: Thesis

Title: Probing Post-Explosion Evolution of Supernovae in the Type Ia Single Degenerate Channel.
Creator: Boehner, Philip, Plewa, Tomasz, Erlebacher, Gordon, Meyer-Baese, Anke, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Scientific Computing
Abstract/Description: Two leading theories exist to explain the progenitor models of Type Ia supernovae. In the single-degenerate scenario (SDS), a carbon-oxygen white dwarf slowly accretes matter from a non-degenerate binary companion that is exceeding its roche lobe until the mass of the white dwarf reaches the Chandrasekhar limit (M ∼ 1.4 solar masses). At this point a deflagration wave begins in the core, eventually turning into a detonation wave that reaches the surface and annihilates the white dwarf,...
Show moreTwo leading theories exist to explain the progenitor models of Type Ia supernovae. In the single-degenerate scenario (SDS), a carbon-oxygen white dwarf slowly accretes matter from a non-degenerate binary companion that is exceeding its roche lobe until the mass of the white dwarf reaches the Chandrasekhar limit (M ∼ 1.4 solar masses). At this point a deflagration wave begins in the core, eventually turning into a detonation wave that reaches the surface and annihilates the white dwarf, causing the supernova event. In the double-degenerate scenario (DDS), two white dwarfs lose angular momentum due to the emission of gravitational waves and merge together, exceeding the Chandrasekhar limit and causing a supernova. In this study, we explore the observational evidence indicative of only the single-degenerate scenario by looking at the long-term effects caused by the interaction between the supernova debris and the non-degenerate companion. We model the interaction in two dimensions using the PROTEUS code that utilizes adaptive mesh refinement. Our simulations involve one supernova type interacting with one of seven different companion types -- four main-sequence-like stars (MS), one subgiant (SG), and two red giants (SY). During the interaction, a region mostly devoid of material is formed behind the companion. We find that the structure of this 'hole' formed behind the companion is similar across each of these models, with an angular size extending 30°-45°. The structure of the supernova remnant is affected out to 90°-100° as a result of the interaction with the companion. Each companion type has a characteristic percentage of mass stripped from it by the end of the simulation with MS stars losing about ∼20% of their mass, the SG star losing about ∼10%, and the SY stars losing about ∼40%, where in the SY case only the denerate core and a small portion of the stellar envelope is left over. We find that the interaction contaminates the companion with trace amounts of Nickel-56. 10⁻¹⁶ to 10⁻⁸ solar masses of Nickel-56 are found in the MS stars, 10⁻⁷ solar masses are found in the SG star, and 10⁻¹⁹ to 10⁻²¹ solar masses are found in the SY stars' leftover envelope, though this contamination may be purely numerical. In the initial stages of the interaction, we find that the superheated material trapped between the companion and the expanding ejecta is capable of prompt X-ray emission through the evacuated hole once it travels around the companion and along the border of the hole. The temperature of this material is expected to decrease once it reaches the hole, but at each model's most energetic time, all three sample systems considered are capable of producing soft X-rays (for the MS38 system, the bulk of potential X-ray emission lies in the range 2.73 to 4.32 KeV, for the SG system, 1.08 to 2.43 KeV, and for the SY319 system, 0.09 to 0.27 KeV).
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9145
Format: Thesis

Title: Probing Interior Materials: An Examination of Sustainable Specification Procedures in Prototype Dwellings.
Creator: Andras, Pamela, Pable, Jill, Wiedegreen, Eric, Waxman, Lisa, Department of Interior Design, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study addresses sustainable design including its processes, priorities and involvement of interior design students. It is structured in two parts. The first part described, justified and documented the specification of sustainable interior finishes and furnishings for an off-grid, zero-emissions experimental dwelling submitted for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The second part is a descriptive study that gathered data from the designers of similar...
Show moreThis study addresses sustainable design including its processes, priorities and involvement of interior design students. It is structured in two parts. The first part described, justified and documented the specification of sustainable interior finishes and furnishings for an off-grid, zero-emissions experimental dwelling submitted for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The second part is a descriptive study that gathered data from the designers of similar experimental dwellings that were entered in the 2007 Solar Decathlon competition. Responses suggested that interior designers are at times marginalized in the design process of these sustainable prototype dwellings and that LEED certification was not consistently sought by designers of these dwellings for a variety of reasons. Also, there is no definitive consensus on criteria priorities for sustainable materials specifications. Therefore, at present, green designers must determine which set of criteria is most important to them and determine which existing assessment organization best addresses these criteria. The second part is a descriptive study that gathered data from the designers of similar experimental dwellings that were entered in the 2007 Solar Decathlon competition. Responses suggested that interior designers are at times marginalized in the design process of these sustainable prototype dwellings and that LEED certification was not consistently sought by designers of these dwellings for a variety of reasons.Also, there is no definitive consensus on criteria priorities for sustainable materials specifications. Therefore, at present, green designers must determine which set of criteria is most important to them and determine which existing assessment organization best addresses these criteria.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0207
Format: Thesis

Title: Problem Solving, Automaticity, & Intelligence: Evidence for Changes in Mental Representations with Practice.
Creator: Towne, Tyler J., Ericsson, K. Anders, Boot, Walter, Bernat, Edward, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In research on skilled performance, emphasis has traditionally been placed on the movement from actively controlled performance to automatic performance as experience increases. Expert performance theory proposes that superior performance is marked by the acquisition of cognitive structures that operate independently of generalized abilities but are not automatic. The current study instructed a group of undergraduate students under goal-recursive strategy and control conditions with the goal...
Show moreIn research on skilled performance, emphasis has traditionally been placed on the movement from actively controlled performance to automatic performance as experience increases. Expert performance theory proposes that superior performance is marked by the acquisition of cognitive structures that operate independently of generalized abilities but are not automatic. The current study instructed a group of undergraduate students under goal-recursive strategy and control conditions with the goal of modifying the mechanisms mediating performance. Training effects were observed among difficult problems on a transfer task. Differing correlation coefficient trends between performance and general fluid abilities were found; although these coefficient differences were not found to reach traditional significance levels. Verbal reports showed individual differences in strategy use predicting performance within groups, but no main effect of group assignment on strategy use indicating that individuals did not utilize their training in the strategy trained condition. Conclusions and future directions are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1274
Format: Thesis

Title: Principals' Professional Development: Perceptions of the Effect Professional Development Has on Improving Student Achievement.
Creator: Williams, Debbie, Crow, Gary, Roehrig, Alysia, Irvin, Judith, Wicker, Lynn, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study is to examine principals' perceptions of district professional development activities and how they assist principals to influence and promote student achievement. Professional development is important to the field of education because the principal is expected to be the instructional leader of a school. Florida Statues 1012.98 School Community Professional Development Act states, "The purpose of the professional development system is to increase student achievement.....
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine principals' perceptions of district professional development activities and how they assist principals to influence and promote student achievement. Professional development is important to the field of education because the principal is expected to be the instructional leader of a school. Florida Statues 1012.98 School Community Professional Development Act states, "The purpose of the professional development system is to increase student achievement...." The principal influences the curriculum and instruction, which affects school improvement efforts and student achievement (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). Although most principals do not teach students directly, their actions as principals affect what happens in the classroom. The principal's actions indirectly impact what happens in the classroom because the principal hires, evaluates, manages, and so forth. The principal influences teacher practices, attitudes, and teacher willingness to engage in reform (Van Voorhis & Sheldon, 2005). Little has been written about the influences of principal professional development on a principal's ability to serve as the instructional leader within a school and this professional development's influence on principal impact on student achievement. Gathering data on principals' perceptions of district professional development activities will provide information for school districts to evaluate their existing principal professional development programs. Two methods were employed in this study: a survey and a case study. A survey was used to identify the various professional development activities participated in by principals. The survey was mailed to K–12 principals in school districts in the Florida Panhandle from Walton County extending east to Madison and Taylor districts (12 Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) school districts). Case study methodology was used including a review of records, FCAT data analysis, observations, and interviews. A purposeful sample of two elementary principals was chosen from a rural school district to interview and observe after data analysis of the survey. When the principals from two elementary schools were identified from the survey data, a review of the school's records (www.greatschools.net , www.paec.org , and www.fldoe.org) was completed. Teachers from the two selected elementary schools were interviewed to get a general overview of programs or initiatives that have been implemented by the principal to promote and support student achievement. Each teacher gave his or her perspective on strategies, skills, or knowledge that their principals implemented at the schools to improve student achievement. Additionally, the district coordinator responsible for professional development in the selected district was interviewed to get a general overview of the principal professional development activities available in the district. The district professional development coordinator also gave his or her perspective on what needed to be improved, regarding the district professional development activities, in order for principals to effectively lead schools to increase student achievement. After the field research was completed, the field notes were coded for common themes of professional development activities to draw conclusions or implications for changes in professional development. The participants were selected from a rural district because there is a gap in the literature as it concerns research conducted in rural districts. Only principals from elementary schools were selected for the case study because of the specific differences in the way elementary and secondary principals lead schools. This difference is due to the age level of the students and the structure of the elementary and secondary schools. The researcher specifically examined the perceptions of elementary principals as it pertains to what professional development activities were influential in assisting them to impact and promote student achievement. Forty-two professional development activities were identified from the survey, which included various formats (formal, informal, and nonformal) and levels (group or cohort, and individual). From the survey results, strategies, types of knowledge, or skills that principals identified implementing most from participating in professional development activities were reading strategies, data analysis skills, strategies for the principals on visiting classrooms daily, and knowledge on exceptional student education (ESE). The two principals in this case study identified the Classroom Walk Through training, the FOCUS Florida Continuous Improvement Model (CIM), Snapshot, and the Leadership Academy as professional development activities that were influential in promoting and supporting their student achievement efforts. The goal of this study was to aid districts in redesigning curriculum for principal professional development. This study provided rural principals with the opportunity to reflect on principal professional development activities in which they have participated to examine their perceptions of which professional development activities have been or have not been beneficial in changing their thoughts, actions, and behaviors to influence and promote student achievement. Viewing the data provided from the survey and the case methodology may spark new ideas on innovative content, forms, and levels of principal professional development activities that districts could implement to influence and promote student achievement.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0955
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing Technique and Mechanical Properties of Functionalized SWNT-Reinforced Composites.
Creator: Liao, Yu-Hsuan, Liang, Zhiyong, Wang, Ben, Zhang, Chuck, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Carbon nanotubes have exceptional mechanical and functional properties and are considered by many as the most promising reinforcement for the next generation high performance nanostructured materials. Tubes dispersion and interfacial bonding are the most critical issues for developing carbon nanotube-reinforced composites. Considerable improvements in the dispersion and interfacial bonding of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/ epoxy nanocomposites were obtained through developing new...
Show moreCarbon nanotubes have exceptional mechanical and functional properties and are considered by many as the most promising reinforcement for the next generation high performance nanostructured materials. Tubes dispersion and interfacial bonding are the most critical issues for developing carbon nanotube-reinforced composites. Considerable improvements in the dispersion and interfacial bonding of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/ epoxy nanocomposites were obtained through developing new fabricating techniques and functionalized SWNTs in this thesis research. By systematically investigating dispersion formulations, processing parameters, mechanical property tests and SEM observations, better tubes dispersion were achieved while dispersing nanotubes in a special dispersion system to form a stable solution and then mixing it with epoxy resin. Further functionalized nanotubes also improve the dispersion. Functionalization methods such as chopping, chopping-oxidizing, molecular wraping and directly oxidizing were used to create more active sites in the nanotubes for enhancing tube-resin interaction during processing and composite interface. Interfacial bonding improvement was studied through mechanical tests and SEM observations. The results shows that the storage modulus of nanocomposites is improved over the neat epoxy resin through better tubes dispersion, functionalized nanotubes as well as higher tubes loading. However, the addition of nanotubes resulted in the glass transition degradation of the resulting nanocomposites. This thesis research developed new methods of dispersion and fabrication of nanotube composites, which considerably enhances tube dispersion and mechanical properties of the resultant nanocomposites. The results also reveal that modified tubes using the selected functionalization methods can be used to improve both tube dispersion and interface bonding in the nanocomposites.
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Date Issued: 2003
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1383
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing of Porous Electrodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Tape Casting and Unidirectional Freeze-Drying.
Creator: Bettge, Martin, Gielisse, Peter J., Kalu, Peter N., Ordonez, Juan C., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The objective in conducting this thesis was the improvement of porous Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) structures. It is known that changes in porosity and pore geometry affect the rate of mass transport of the reactant gases through porous ceramic electrodes. This in turn influences the overall energy conversion efficiency of the fuel cell. Two ceramic processing methods, tape casting and directional freeze-drying - both capable of forming dense and porous ceramic structures - were compared in...
Show moreThe objective in conducting this thesis was the improvement of porous Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) structures. It is known that changes in porosity and pore geometry affect the rate of mass transport of the reactant gases through porous ceramic electrodes. This in turn influences the overall energy conversion efficiency of the fuel cell. Two ceramic processing methods, tape casting and directional freeze-drying - both capable of forming dense and porous ceramic structures - were compared in this effort. Directional freeze-drying was found to be the most promising technique. It achieved extremely high porosities (up to 90 %), aligned pores and graded porosity at levels of lower sintering shrinkage than that for tape casting. By starting out with YSZ particles, and subsequently using fine copper particles, it was shown that this method is apparently readily applicable to various materials without major modifications. Graded functional cermet layers, which are particularly important in porous SOFC electrodes, could also be incorporated into the porous body with the freeze-drying approach. Pore forming mechanisms, porosities, pore sizes and geometry were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the mechanism which drives pore formation in directional freeze-drying is based on convective motion of the water-based polyvinyl alcohol solution.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1394
Format: Thesis

Title: Matched Sample Based Approach for Cross-Platform Normalization on Gene Expression Data.
Creator: Shao, Jiang, Zhang, Jinfeng, Sang, Qing-Xiang Amy, Wu, Wei, Niu, Xufeng, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Statistics
Abstract/Description: Gene-expression data profile are widely used in all kinds of biomedical studies especially in cancer research. This dissertation work focus on solving the problem of how to combine datasets arising from different studies. Of particular interest is how to remove platform effect alone. The matched sample based cross-platform normalization method we developed are designed to tackle data merging problem in two scenarios: The first is affy-agilent cross-platform normalization which are belong to...
Show moreGene-expression data profile are widely used in all kinds of biomedical studies especially in cancer research. This dissertation work focus on solving the problem of how to combine datasets arising from different studies. Of particular interest is how to remove platform effect alone. The matched sample based cross-platform normalization method we developed are designed to tackle data merging problem in two scenarios: The first is affy-agilent cross-platform normalization which are belong to classic microarray gene expression profile. The second is the integration of microarray data with Next Generation Sequencing genome data. We use several general validation measures to assess and compare with the popular Distance-weighted discrimination method. With the public web-based tool NCI-60 CellMiner and The Cancer Genome Atlas data portal supported, our proposed method outperformed DWD in both cross-platform scenarios. It can be further assessed by the ability of exploring biological features in the studies of cancer type discrimination. We applied our method onto two classification problem: One is Breast cancer tumor/normal status classification on microarray and next generation sequencing datasets; The other is Breast cancer patients chemotherapy response classification on GPL96 and GPL570 microarray datasets. Both problems show the classification power are increased after our matched sample based cross-platform normalization method.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Shao_fsu_0071E_12833
Format: Thesis

Title: Maria Guinand: Conductor, Teacher, and Promoter of Latin American Choral Music.
Creator: Vásquez-Ramos, Angel M., Thomas, André J., Bowers, Judy K., Fenton, Kevin A., College of Music, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: María Guinand, awarded the 2009 Helmuth Rilling Prize by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart, is a Venezuelan choral music educator who has gained international renown through her work as a conductor, teacher, and advocate of the choral art. A leader in the development of choral music education in Venezuela, she has been instrumental in the development and success of the Fundación Schola Cantorum and the choral program at the Universidad Simón Bolívar. As part of her work at the...
Show moreMaría Guinand, awarded the 2009 Helmuth Rilling Prize by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart, is a Venezuelan choral music educator who has gained international renown through her work as a conductor, teacher, and advocate of the choral art. A leader in the development of choral music education in Venezuela, she has been instrumental in the development and success of the Fundación Schola Cantorum and the choral program at the Universidad Simón Bolívar. As part of her work at the Fundación Schola Cantorum, Guinand has taught hundreds of singers over the years and established an instructional system similar to that of the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela also known as FESNOJIV created by José Antonio Abreu. This system has allowed Guinand to impact the lives of many Venezuelan children through choral music, directly and indirectly. Furthermore, her work as a conductor of the Schola Cantorum and the Cantoría Alberto Grau has gained her numerous musical accolades, including a Grammy Award nomination in 2002 for Best Choral Performance for the recording of La Pasión Según San Marcos, composed by Osvaldo Golijov. In addition, María Guinand was a professor of music at the Universidad Simón Bolívar for over twenty-five years. There she taught an array of music courses and conducted the Orfeón Universitario Simón Bolívar; under her direction, this choir recorded and toured extensively. One of her most important contributions to this institution is the creation of the master's degree program in choral conducting, which has given her national and regional visibility. As a leader and promoter of choral music, Guinand has been at the forefront of several organizations, including the Academia Bach de Venezuela, the International Federation for Choral Music, and the development of the Andean Project of Social Action through Music. This study documents and preserves a history of Guinand's contributions within the field of choral music in Venezuela and abroad.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4567
Format: Thesis

Title: Prodigal Daughters: Postcolonial Women in Three Plays by Tess Onwueme.
Creator: Johnson, Kimi D., Dahl, Mary Karen, Sandahl, Carrie, Baldyga, Natalya, School of Theatre, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Nigeria's pre-colonial, British colonial and postcolonial history colors every aspect of its art and literature. The values and practices of the cultural groups that inhabit this country have been in flux since the beginning of the colonial wars in the mid-nineteenth century and continue to change in the light of the new theories and ideas that flood the country from both outside forces and its own people. In particular, colonization affected the customs and ideals of the Igbo people of...
Show moreNigeria's pre-colonial, British colonial and postcolonial history colors every aspect of its art and literature. The values and practices of the cultural groups that inhabit this country have been in flux since the beginning of the colonial wars in the mid-nineteenth century and continue to change in the light of the new theories and ideas that flood the country from both outside forces and its own people. In particular, colonization affected the customs and ideals of the Igbo people of Nigeria's profitable Delta region. Tess Onwueme, a dramatist of Igbo extraction now based in the United States at Wayne State University, writes explicitly of the changes forced upon the Igbo people and their subsequent reaction to new ideas in their communities. Onwueme's fictionalized accounts of the struggles of Igbo women in her dramatic work shed light on the changing perceptions of western feminisms, African womanisms, and female agency in "traditional" communities. Her stories problematize the idea of a united sisterhood for the promotion of world-wide feminism, and inspire us to reflect on our own agency in our communities. Through a close reading of Onwueme's trio of plays, The Broken Calabash, Parables for A Season, and The Reign of Wazobia, I explore the effects of western education on Igbo communities and their inhabitants. How does education change how these women view their communities and their communities' view of them? How has a shared colonial past become the catalyst for both sweeping change and stagnation? How is female agency employed and received in these communities? In my exploration of these questions, I hope to understand the impetus behind Onwueme's heroines' actions and explore female power in places of great cultural change.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3502
Format: Thesis

Title: Proenvironmental Behavior in Public Organizations: Empirical Evidence from Florida City Governments.
Creator: Azhar, Aisha, Yang, Kaifeng, Ferris, Gerald, Brower, Ralph, Bowman, James, Feiock, Richard, School of Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Pro-environmental behavior (PEB) has received considerable attention in business and other social sciences disciplines. However, no study has examined the link between workplace and non-workplace PEB; almost no research study has focused on public employees' workplace PEB; and little is known as to how salient public organizational characteristics influence public employees' PEB. Building upon the existing theories in other disciplines, this dissertation examines the extent to which PEB...
Show morePro-environmental behavior (PEB) has received considerable attention in business and other social sciences disciplines. However, no study has examined the link between workplace and non-workplace PEB; almost no research study has focused on public employees' workplace PEB; and little is known as to how salient public organizational characteristics influence public employees' PEB. Building upon the existing theories in other disciplines, this dissertation examines the extent to which PEB exists in public organizations, and investigates how PEB is influenced by several salient characteristics of public organizations, i.e. public service motivation (PSM) and civic participation categorized as civic engagement and cognitive engagement. Data were collected by means of self-report surveys from public employees of two city governments in Florida-- Tallahassee and Lakeland. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple and logistic regression analyses were employed to test the proposed model. The findings indicate that public service motivation positively influences non-workplace PEBs. Civic engagement negatively and cognitive engagement positively influences the workplace and non-workplace PEB. The barriers as moderator significantly influences the positive relationship of PSM and workplace and non-workplace PEB, the negative relationship of civic engagement and workplace PEB and positive relationship of cognitive engagement with workplace PEB. Among organizational factors, green culture and transformational leadership support workplace and non-workplace PEBs. The findings demonstrate that public organizational characteristics potentially influence employee environmental orientations not only at workplace but also in non-workplace settings.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4700
Format: Thesis

Title: A Marine-Influenced Siliciclastic Unit (Citronelle Formation) in Western Panhandle Florida.
Creator: Means, Guy H., Wise, Sherwood W., Arnold, Anthony J., Donoghue, Joseph F., Kish, Stephen J., Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The Citronelle Formation is the most widely occurring, surficial geologic unit along the northeast Gulf of Mexico. It is a siliciclastic unit consisting primarily of sands and gravels with varying amounts of clay and minor amounts of mica and heavy minerals. Historically, the unit has been thought to be a fluvial deposit of Pliocene age. Evidence presented here suggests, at least in part, a marine origin. In some pits and exposures in southern Walton and Okaloosa Counties in western Florida,...
Show moreThe Citronelle Formation is the most widely occurring, surficial geologic unit along the northeast Gulf of Mexico. It is a siliciclastic unit consisting primarily of sands and gravels with varying amounts of clay and minor amounts of mica and heavy minerals. Historically, the unit has been thought to be a fluvial deposit of Pliocene age. Evidence presented here suggests, at least in part, a marine origin. In some pits and exposures in southern Walton and Okaloosa Counties in western Florida, sediments that are referred to the Citronelle Formation contain well preserved Ophiomorpha, bivalve mollusk casts, shark teeth, terrestrial vertebrate fossils and other trace fossil remains. Various types of bedding, including cross bedding, occur. These apparent nearshore marine depositional facies are the focus of this investigation which will attempt to determine the paleo- environmental depositional regimes, age, and how this facies relates to the Cirtonelle Formation. Field work was conducted and data were gathered from exposures and outcrops within the study area. Stratigraphic sections were measured and described. Where feasible, sediment samples were collected for sieve analysis. Further sampling of trace fossils (Ophiomorpha) and body fossils was conducted for analysis. Cross-bedding orientation was recorded from one locality to determine predominant paleo-current direction. These data, when combined, support the hypothesis that these sediments that have been mapped as Citronelle Formation represent nearshore, marine facies. However, their placement in the Citronelle Formation still remains questionable due to the lithologic similarity of overlying and underlying units.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2508
Format: Thesis

Title: Massively Parallel Algorithms for CFD Simulation and Optimization on Heterogeneous Many-Core Architectures.
Creator: Duffy, Austen C., Sussman, Mark, Hussaini, M. Yousuﬀ, Van Engelen, Robert, Cogan, Nick, Gallivan, Kyle, Department of Mathematics, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this dissertation we provide new numerical algorithms for use in conjunction with simulation based design codes. These algorithms are designed and best suited to run on emerging heterogenous computing architectures which contain a combination of traditional multi-core processors and new programmable many-core graphics processing units (GPUs). We have developed the following numerical algorithms (i) a new Multidirectional Search (MDS) method for PDE constrained optimization that utilizes a...
Show moreIn this dissertation we provide new numerical algorithms for use in conjunction with simulation based design codes. These algorithms are designed and best suited to run on emerging heterogenous computing architectures which contain a combination of traditional multi-core processors and new programmable many-core graphics processing units (GPUs). We have developed the following numerical algorithms (i) a new Multidirectional Search (MDS) method for PDE constrained optimization that utilizes a Multigrid (MG) strategy to accelerate convergence, this algorithm is well suited for use on GPU clusters due to its parallel nature and is more scalable than adjoint methods (ii) a new GPU accelerated point implicit solver for the NASA FUN3D code (unstructured Navier-Stokes) that is written in the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) language, and which employs a novel GPU sharing model, (iii) novel GPU accelerated smoothers (developed using PGI Fortran with accelerator compiler directives) used to accelerate the multigrid preconditioned conjugate gradient method (MGPCG) on a single rectangular grid, and (iv) an improved pressure projection solver for adaptive meshes that is based on the MGPCG method which requires fewer grid point calculations and has potential for better scalability on hetergeneous clusters. It is shown that a multigrid - multidirectional search (MGMDS) method can run up to 5.5X faster than the MDS method when used on a one dimensional data assimilation problem. It is also shown that the new GPU accelerated point implicit solver of FUN3D is up to 5.5X times faster than the CPU version and that the solver can perform up to 40% faster on a single GPU being shared by four CPU cores. It is found that GPU accelerated smoothers for the MGPCG method on uniform grids can run over 2X faster than the non-accelerated versions for 2D problems, and that the new MGPCG pressure projection solver for adaptive grids is up to 4X faster than the previous MG algorithm.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0651
Format: Thesis

Title: The Progressive Qualities of A.M.R. Barret's Complete Method for the Oboe.
Creator: Blecker, Sarah F., Ohlsson, Eric P., Clary, Richard, Keesecker, Jeffrey, College of Music, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Say the words 'oboe' and 'method book' in the same sentence, and invariably, the majority of musicians would think of one person: Apollon Marie-Rose Barret. His book is one of today's most widely-used methods for the education of young and experienced oboists alike. Written in 1850 and revised in 1862, it is the standard for oboe methods. And through it, Barret (1804-1879) established himself as a fixture in the oboe world. Often known simply as "the Barret" or "the Barret Book," the method...
Show moreSay the words 'oboe' and 'method book' in the same sentence, and invariably, the majority of musicians would think of one person: Apollon Marie-Rose Barret. His book is one of today's most widely-used methods for the education of young and experienced oboists alike. Written in 1850 and revised in 1862, it is the standard for oboe methods. And through it, Barret (1804-1879) established himself as a fixture in the oboe world. Often known simply as "the Barret" or "the Barret Book," the method contains teachings, exercises, etudes, and solos that guide students through the basic elements of not just the oboe, but also of music. As popular as Barret's book is, it is surprising how little literature thoroughly addresses it. Many books and papers mention Barret, but it is usually within the context of a broader subject. Beyond discussions of Barret, a number of authors have also edited and transcribed his Method. In order to further understand Barret's book more completely, this paper will focus on its contents and how they are organized. This treatise outlines the life and works of A.M.R. Barret, as well as the background and progressive qualities of his Complete Method for the Oboe. The purpose here is to bring to light the educational foundation by which Barrett organized his teachings in order to understand why his method is still one of the primary educational tools used by oboists today. This paper shows why the method book has that value and how it is accomplished: through the progressive nature of the book's content. This progressive nature will be demonstrated by isolating two musical techniques and showing how they are utilized: first in isolation, and then in increasingly larger musical contexts.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3654
Format: Thesis

Title: Processing-Structure-Property Relationships of Carbon Nanotube and Nanoplatelet Enabled Piezoresistive Sensors.
Creator: Luo, Sida, Liu, Tao, Brooks, James, Zhang, Chuck, Zhang, Mei, Shanbhag, Sachin, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess excellent piezoresistive performance, which is manifested by the significant electrical resistance change when subject to mechanical deformation. In comparison to individual CNTs, the CNT thin films, formed by a random assembly of individual tubes or bundles, show much lower piezoresistive sensitivity. Given the progress made to date in developing CNT ensemble based-piezoresistive sensors, the related piezoresistive mechanism(s) are still not well...
Show moreIndividual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess excellent piezoresistive performance, which is manifested by the significant electrical resistance change when subject to mechanical deformation. In comparison to individual CNTs, the CNT thin films, formed by a random assembly of individual tubes or bundles, show much lower piezoresistive sensitivity. Given the progress made to date in developing CNT ensemble based-piezoresistive sensors, the related piezoresistive mechanism(s) are still not well understood. The crucial step to obtain a better understanding of this issue is to study the effects of CNT structure in the dispersion on the piezoresistivity of CNT ensemble based-piezoresistive sensors. To reach this goal, my Ph.D. research first focuses on establishing the processing-structure-property relationship of SWCNT thin film piezoresistive sensors. The key accomplishment contains: 1) developing the combined preparative ultracentrifuge method (PUM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) method to quantitatively characterized SWCNT particle size in dispersions under various sonication conditions; 2) designing combined ultrasonication and microfluidization processing protocol for high throughput and large-scale production of high quality SWCNT dispersions; 3) fabricating varied SWCNT thin film piezoresistive sensors through spray coating technique and immersion-drying post-treatment; and 4) investigating the effect of microstructures of SWCNTs on piezoresistivity of SWCNT thin film sensors. This experimental methodology for quantitative and systematic investigation of the processing-structure-property relationships provides a means for the performance optimization of CNT ensemble based piezoresistive sensors. As a start to understand the piezoresistive mechanism, the second focus of my Ph.D. research is studying charge transport behaviors in SWCNT thin films. It was found that the temperature-dependent sheet resistance of SWCNT thin films could be explained by a 3D variable range hopping (3D-VRH) model. More importantly, a strong correlation between the length of SWCNTs and the VRH parameter T0, indicating the degree of disorder of the electronic system, has been identified. With the structure dependent transport mechanism study, a very interesting topic - how T0 changes when SWCNT thin film is under a mechanical deformation, would be helpful for better understanding the piezoresistive mechanism of SWCNT thin film sensors. As demonstrated in transport mechanism study, SWCNT thin film exhibits a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) of resistance. In contrast, another family of carbon nanomaterials, graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs), shows positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of resistance, attributed to their metallic nature. Therefore, upon a wise selection of mass ratio of SWCNTs to GNPs for fabrication of hybrid SWCNT/GNP thin film piezoresistive sensors, a near zero temperature coefficients of resistance in a broad temperature range has been achieved. This unique self-temperature compensation feature along with the high sensitivity of SWCNT/GNP hybrid sensors provides them a vantage for readily and accurately measuring the strain/stress levels in different conditions. With the unique features of SWCNT/GNP hybrid thin film sensors, my future work will focus on application exploration on SWCNT/GNP thin film sensor based devices. For example, we have demonstrated that it is potential for man-machine interaction and body monitoring when coating the hybrid sensor on highly stretchable nitrile glove. The structure health monitoring (SHM) of composite materials could also be realized by coating the thin film sensor on a glass fiber surface and then embedding the fiber sensor in composite structure.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-7478
Format: Thesis

Title: Power Generation and Nitrogen Removal of Landfill Leachate Using Microbial Fuel Cell Technology.
Creator: Lee, Yongwoo, Chen, Gang, Clark, Clayton J., Ahmad, Haﬁz, Huang, Wenrui, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has been practiced in the treatment of landfill leachate. However, it is a big challenge for the usage of MFCs to treat landfill leachate with high ammonium content. The purpose of this study was to design and test two MFC reactors, i.e., an ammonium oxidation/MFC re- actor and a MFC/Anammox reactor for the treatment of landfill leachate with high ammonium content in terms of power generation and nitrogen removal. Using the ammonium oxidation/MFC reactor,...
Show moreMicrobial fuel cell (MFC) technology has been practiced in the treatment of landfill leachate. However, it is a big challenge for the usage of MFCs to treat landfill leachate with high ammonium content. The purpose of this study was to design and test two MFC reactors, i.e., an ammonium oxidation/MFC re- actor and a MFC/Anammox reactor for the treatment of landfill leachate with high ammonium content in terms of power generation and nitrogen removal. Using the ammonium oxidation/MFC reactor, the landfill leachate collected from Leon County Landfill of Northwest Florida generated a power density of 8 mW/m2 together with 92% of nitrogen removal. For the MFC/Anammox reactor, a power density of 12 mW/m2 was achieved with 94% of nitrogen removal. Compared with the ammonium oxidation/MFC reactor, 50% more energy was generated because in the MFC/Anammox Reactor, nitrite served as the electron acceptor; while in the Ammonium Oxidation/MFC reactor, nitrate served as the electron acceptor. In this research, power generation was also found to be directly linked to the microbial species that were involved in organic decomposition, i.e., the greater the microbial concentration, the more power generated.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8588
Format: Thesis

Title: Precomputed Global Illumination of Isosurfaces.
Creator: Beason, Kevin M., Banks, David C., Sussman, Mark, Liu, Xiuwen, Department of Computer Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Three dimensional scalar heightfields, also known as volumetric datasets, abound in science and medicine. Viewing the isosurfaces, or level sets, is one of the two main ways to display these datasets, the other being volume visualization. Typically the isosurfaces are rendered on a personal computer (PC) allowing the scientist or doctor analyzing the dataset to interactively change the isovalue, and rotate or zoom the isosurface. Unfortunately, out of necessity due to the PC's video card,...
Show moreThree dimensional scalar heightfields, also known as volumetric datasets, abound in science and medicine. Viewing the isosurfaces, or level sets, is one of the two main ways to display these datasets, the other being volume visualization. Typically the isosurfaces are rendered on a personal computer (PC) allowing the scientist or doctor analyzing the dataset to interactively change the isovalue, and rotate or zoom the isosurface. Unfortunately, out of necessity due to the PC's video card, current techniques render the isosurfaces with a basic hardware-accelerated lighting model. This lighting model lacks important features such as shadows, and as a result the isosurfaces are more difficult to interpret than if they had been rendered with a physically based lighting model. My thesis is that isosurfaces can be displayed with realistic illumination at interactive rates on a typical PC. I present a method for applying global illumination to interactively created isosurfaces, using a physically based lighting model, with a negligible increase in the time required to render the isosurfaces. The result is convincing shading that is easy to interpret by the human visual system, including features such as soft shadows, inter-reflection, caustics, and color bleeding. This is achieved by solving the rendering equation for all isosurfaces within the volume, storing the solutions in a 3D texture, and then texture mapping the result onto a polygonal approximation of the isosurface. This process is called "heightfield rendering".
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1175
Format: Thesis

Title: Predator and Prey Alert System.
Creator: Kryder, Melissa R., Burmester, Mike, Hawkes, Lois, Yasinsac, Alec, Department of Computer Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The Internet is an excellent source of information and entertainment. Children reap numerous benefits using the Internet for educational purposes, playing games and communicating with people all over the world. But along with these benefits comes a downside. Children are extremely vulnerable to Predators while on the Internet. These Predators seek to harass, intimidate and abuse children. Children must be protected while on the Internet, and these Predators must be put to a stop. We seek to...
Show moreThe Internet is an excellent source of information and entertainment. Children reap numerous benefits using the Internet for educational purposes, playing games and communicating with people all over the world. But along with these benefits comes a downside. Children are extremely vulnerable to Predators while on the Internet. These Predators seek to harass, intimidate and abuse children. Children must be protected while on the Internet, and these Predators must be put to a stop. We seek to do this through the use of our proposed Predator and Prey Alert (PAPA) System. This system will monitor and log a child while he or she is logged onto the computer and will also enable police to link to the child's computer while the child is communicating with the Predator so that evidence can be gathered and the Predator can be stopped.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2899
Format: Thesis

Title: Practical Opportunistic Routing in Wireless Mesh Networks.
Creator: Hoang, Trang Thi Kieu, Zhang, Zhenghao, Yu, Ming, Aggarwal, Sudhir, Yuan, Xin, Department of Computer Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Wireless mesh network is usually used to provide Internet access to communities or citywide. Opportunistic Routing (OR) exploits overheard packets in a wireless network and has been proven to be effective for wireless mesh networks. However, the existing OR protocols cannot meet all the requirements for high-speed, multi-rate wireless mesh networks, including: running on commodity Wi-Fi interface, low complexity, supporting multiple link layer data rates, and exploiting partial packets. We...
Show moreWireless mesh network is usually used to provide Internet access to communities or citywide. Opportunistic Routing (OR) exploits overheard packets in a wireless network and has been proven to be effective for wireless mesh networks. However, the existing OR protocols cannot meet all the requirements for high-speed, multi-rate wireless mesh networks, including: running on commodity Wi-Fi interface, low complexity, supporting multiple link layer data rates, and exploiting partial packets. We propose POR, a new Opportunistic Routing protocol that is the first OR protocol to meet all the critical requirements in practical wireless mesh networks. POR forwards individual packets and does not forward a packet if it has been already received correctly by the downstream nodes according to the feedback sent by the downstream nodes. The individual packet forwarding of POR makes it more friendly with popular protocols such as TCP than existing opportunistic routing protocols that requires packet batching. POR incorporates a block-based partial packet recovery scheme by retransmitting corrupted parts of the packet. POR employs a multi-hop link rate adaptation scheme to adapt to the wireless channel conditions by selectively probing rates that are potentially better with small dummy packets. POR also employs a new path metric that considers the cost in sending feedbacks as well as the capability of the nodes to select appropriate rates to track the channel conditions. POR is a software-only solution. We implement POR within the Click modular routing and our experiments in a 16-node wireless testbed confirm that POR achieves significantly better performance than the compared protocols. We run TCP on top of POR and results show that POR can achieve higher TCP throughput than the compared protocol, which is the first demonstration of TCP on top of any OR protocols.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5365
Format: Thesis

Title: The Power to Help: The Effects of Gender and Social Power on Compliant Helping Behavior.
Creator: Doerr, Celeste E., Plant, E. Ashby, Carbonell, Joyce L., Baumeister, Roy F., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Gender differences were examined in compliant helping, which is responding to a request for aid. To assess the effect of social power, participants were assigned to a high-power, low-power, or power-neutral control condition. Two predictions were made, based on social role theory and results of a pilot study. First, in the control condition, women were expected to help more than men. Second, no gender differences were expected in the two conditions in which power was manipulated. Results...
Show moreGender differences were examined in compliant helping, which is responding to a request for aid. To assess the effect of social power, participants were assigned to a high-power, low-power, or power-neutral control condition. Two predictions were made, based on social role theory and results of a pilot study. First, in the control condition, women were expected to help more than men. Second, no gender differences were expected in the two conditions in which power was manipulated. Results supported the second hypothesis, but not the first. Men in the control condition helped more than women. There was no gender difference among participants in the high-power and low-power conditions. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to social role theory.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0721
Format: Thesis

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