IIn recent years, much research effort was devoted to delineate the effects of attentional strategies on exercise-related perceptions and adherence (Basevitch et al., 2011; Connolly & Tenenbaum, 2010; Razon et al., 2010; Razon et al., 2011). Results from these studies paralleled the previous ones suggesting that both associative and dissociative strategies are beneficial, albeit in distinct ways depending on task-characteristics (Lind, Welch, & Ekkekakis, 2009). Less clear, however, remained the extent to which the use of attentional strategies may contribute to design innovative solutions for the primary public health concern of the 21st century; physical inactivity (Blair, 2009). From a dose-response perspective, exercise intensity is a major mediator of physical activity adherence (Ekkekakis, Backhouse, Gray, & Lind, 2008). Specifically, as the workload intensity (and/or time spent on task) increases, the distractive properties of the dissociative strategies are compromised (Lind et. al., 2009; Tenenbaum, 2001), which partly explains the decrease in the perceived exercise-pleasantness (Ekkekakis et al., 2008), and the subsequent ending of the applied effort (Pandolf, 1978). Most recently, the use of cognitive approaches, including imagery use were shown beneficial in allowing distraction from task (Razon et al., 2010; Razon et al., 2011). The current study attempted to investigate the effectiveness of differential imagery use on (1) the perception of exertion and allocation of attention focus, (2) task adherence, and (3) the physiological parameters inherent in physical effort. It was hhypothesized that (1) dissociative imagery would enable reduced perception of exertion and extended distraction from task, (2) associative imagery would prolong time on task, and (3) imagery in general would aid motivation and task-perseverance. 45 students participated in the study. Using a stratified random assignment protocol, 15 participants were assigned to each of the following conditions: 1) dissociative imagery, 2) associative imagery, and 3) no imagery. At session one, participants were first tested for maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) to later perform a handgrip squeezing task at 30% maximal contraction value to volitional fatigue. At session two, participants performed a cycling task at 10% above anaerobic threshold (AT) to volitional fatigue. During task performance, participants assigned to dissociative imagery condition used dissociative imagery while their counterparts assigned to associative imagery condition used associative imagery. For both task, participants' rates of perceives exertion (RPE), attention focus, and time on task was recorded. Additionally, on the cycling task, participants' lactate accumulation (LA) ,and heart rate (HR) were measured. The current findings indicated some support for the benefits of (1) dissociative imagery for reducing perception of exertion and facilitating distraction from task, (2) associative imagery for extending task-adherence, and (3) imagery at large for increasing motivation and perseverance on task. This is important given that imagery's effects on exercise behavior is less known then its effects on elite sport performance, and researchers have long called for additional inquiry of these effects (see Duncan, Rodgers, Hall, & Wilson, 2011; Hall, 1995; Munroe-Chandler & Gammage, 2005). Imagery, through its motivational qualities (Paivio, 1985) potentiates the effects of attentional strategies, thus provides the exerciser with an additional tool to facilitate the physical activity experience. To help individuals adopt and maintain physical activity behavior, imagery and/or imagery-based interventions (e.g. simulated technologies) need to be made available. Suggestions for designing and integrating imagery into the physical activity regimens are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 27, 2012. / Adherence, Attention, Exertion, Imagery / Includes bibliographical references. / Gershon Tenenbaum, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lynn Panton, University Representative; Robert Eklund, Committee Member; David Eccles, Committee Member.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in the domains of communication, social interaction, and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). ASD is diagnosed more frequently in males than females, with children receiving diagnoses of ASD at increasingly earlier ages. In spite of the tremendous amount of research documenting various aspects of ASD, only a modest body of research examining sex differences exists. The present study examined sex differences in adaptive behavior and autism symptomatology in children with ASD and also examined sex differences in developmental functioning and early social communication profiles in children with ASD and typical development (TD). There were 288 participants (54 female) in the ASD group and 222 (59 female) in the TD group. Participants were recruited from the Florida State University (FSU) FIRST WORDS® Project and University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center (UMACC). Analyses did not reveal significant effects of sex or a significant diagnostic group by sex interaction. The results from this study contributes to the conflicting research findings which have inconsistently documented sex differences in individuals with ASD with respect to cognitive functioning and autism symptomatology. Future research that systematically examines the ASD phenotype in males and females across age and developmental level is necessary. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2012. / May 31, 2012. / Adaptive behavior, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cognitive functioning, Early communication, Sex differences / Includes bibliographical references. / Amy M. Wetherby, Professor Directing Thesis; Janet Kistner, Committee Member; Carol Connor, Committee Member.

The sporadic nature of lightning in tropical cyclones (TCs) is a topic of great interest to researchers and forecasters. This study explores relationships between lightning, cloud microphysics, and TC storm structure in rapidly intensifying Hurricane Karl (16 September 2010) using data collected by the NASA DC-8 and Global Hawk (GH) aircraft during NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment. The study capitalizes on the unique opportunity provided by GRIP to synthesize multiple datasets from the two aircraft and analyze the physical properties of an electrified TC. The Lightning Instrument Package (LIP, GH) measured electric fields and provided in situ information about both cloud-to-ground and intracloud lightning. The LIP-derived lightning data were supplemented by information from two ground-based lightning networks--the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and the Vaisala Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360). Microphysics probes on the DC-8 provided particle concentrations and 2-D images of hydrometeors ranging from 0.35 to 6200 μm. Ku-band reflectivities from the Airborne Precipitation Radar (APR-2, DC-8) and High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP, GH) were used with brightness temperatures from the High-Altitude Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR, GH) to assess Karl's convective structure. Flight level vertical velocities from the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS, DC-8) and Doppler velocities from APR-2 provided information about Karl's convective updrafts. We analyze five coordinated flight legs through Karl by the DC-8 and GH, focusing on the inner core region (within 50 km of storm center) where most of the lightning was concentrated and the aircraft were well coordinated. The non-inductive charging mechanism that is believed to produce storm electrification requires ice and graupel collisions in the presence of supercooled water. The GRIP data are used to compare properties of electrified and non-electrified inner core regions that are related to this charging mechanism. MMS and APR-2 reveal that although the majority of inner core updrafts were weak (96.6% < 5 m s-1), the electrified regions typically contained peak updrafts exceeding 10 m s-1. Conversely, the non-electrified regions generally were associated with weaker updrafts that peaked around 5-6 m s-1. Microphysical measurements indicate that enhanced concentrations of small ice particles often were associated with the stronger inner core updrafts. These large concentrations likely corresponded to regions of recently frozen, homogeneously nucleated ice particles. Thus, the presence of supercooled water below the aircraft was inferred from the microphysical data collected at flight level. Reflectivities from APR-2 and HIWRAP show that the electrified regions of flight legs contained enhanced reflectivities in the mixed phase region, thereby indicating that supercooled water and/or large ice particles were carried aloft by strong updrafts. A deep mixed phase region is known to be crucial for charge separation and storm electrification. Case studies of two electrified legs are presented to further analyze the convective environments that produced lightning in Karl's inner core. The GRIP aircraft sampled a deep convective burst and a broad convective region during these two legs. Despite the structural differences between the convection sampled on these legs, we identified three common characteristics of Karl's electrified regions: 1) strong updrafts of 10-20 m s-1, 2) deep mixed phase layers indicated by reflectivities > 30 dBZ extending several km above the freezing level, and 3) microphysical environments consisting of graupel, very small ice particles, and the inferred presence of supercooled water. These characteristics describe an environment where non-inductive charging and TC electrification are expected. We conclude that the electrified regions in Karl's inner core were attributable to a microphysical environment that was conducive to electrification due to occasional, unusually strong convective updrafts in the eyewall. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2012. / July 2, 2012. / GRIP, hurricane, Karl, lightning, microphysics / Includes bibliographical references. / Henry Fuelberg, Professor Directing Thesis; Robert Hart, Committee Member; Guosheng Liu, Committee Member.

Anxiety-related psychopathology represents one of the most prevalent and debilitating forms of mental illness. A large number of effective cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders have been developed and validated. Consequently, research has resulted in an ever-growing number of treatments, each comprised of specific strategies targeting particular anxiety disorders. Therapy protocols are numerous and somewhat complex, which is likely to limit training and dissemination of these treatments. As a result, researchers have begun to explore transdiagnostic approaches to anxiety treatment based on models of anxiety emphasizing common elements across anxiety disorders. The aim of the current study was to test the efficacy of a brief transdiagnostic treatment for anxiety disorders. The current treatment focused chiefly on the elimination of behaviors that maintain anxiety (so-called safety behaviors) among individuals suffering from a range of anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD). Patients with a primary anxiety disorder (N = 28) were randomly assigned to F-SET or waitlist control. Data indicate that F-SET shows good efficacy and durability when delivered to individuals with a range of anxiety disorders (GAD, PD, SAD). The results from the current study are an important first step in indentifying a simpler, focused form of individual treatment that can be delivered with minimal therapist training, at a low cost and with minimal client contact time. / A Dissertation submitted to the Psychology Department in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / November 17, 2011. / Anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Transdiagnostic Treatment / Includes bibliographical references. / Norman B. Schmidt, Professor Directing Dissertation; Bruce Thyer, University Representative; Jesse Cougle, Committee Member; Thomas Joiner, Committee Member; Jon Maner, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence participating in a college marching band may play in the development of effective music teaching skills. A researcher-designed survey instrument was designed. The survey instrument consisted of a series of close-ended questions designed to collect demographic data, as well as a series of questions designed to determine the extent to which college marching band is perceived as a valuable part of the undergraduate music education curriculum, the extent to which participating in college marching band might aid in the development of effective teaching skills, and the extent to which certain social and musical skills identified in the review of literature may be developed as a result of participating in college marching band. The survey tool also included one open-ended question in which participants were encouraged to provide any additional information they felt may be pertinent to the study. Participants (N = 454) were public and private high school and middle school band directors selected at random from throughout the United States. Data were collected utilizing an online survey tool. Results of this study indicated a majority of respondents perceive their participation in college marching band to have been an effective way to develop effective music teaching skills. A majority of respondents also indicated their participation in college marching band was a valuable component of their undergraduate music education coursework. Respondents ranked the personal characteristics associated with effective music teaching higher than instructional behaviors and musical skills. The skill or characteristic respondents perceived as being most developed as a result of their participation in college marching band was the "ability to work towards a goal." The skill perceived as least developed was "proficiency on a secondary instrument." These results are consistent with those of previous research which found in-service music educators value their participation in college performing ensembles. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 7, 2012. / Effective Music Teaching, Effective Teaching, Marching Band, Music Education, Undergraduate Music Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Steven Kelly, Professor Directing Dissertation; Deborah Bish, University Representative; William Fredrickson, Committee Member; Patrick Dunnigan, Committee Member.

In recent years, a focus on individual student needs has set the stage for tailoring educational interventions to address issues of students who are not working up to educational proficiency standards outlined in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. Luckily, this change also opens the door to meeting the needs of students who are not working to their potential in the classroom. A report commissioned for the U.S. Department of Education (1993) reports that gifted students have already mastered 33-50% of material to be studied in a school year before the year even starts. Unfortunately, these same students spend the majority of their school days in regular education classrooms without modifications or accommodations to the curriculum. In addition, research indicates that gifted students allowed to work on additional material instead of maintaining the pace of the rest of the class actually performed better on end-of-the-year testing in math and science than gifted controls that did not pursue additional work (U.S. Department of Education, 1993). Further, the gifted students who engaged in independent study performed no differently in other subject areas. The implication is that one method of improving student math and science performance is to allow for accelerated and/or enriched curricula. RtI establishes differentiated curriculum as the standard, rather than the exception, and could be used as a method to address the issue of American student underperformance in a scientific and systematic manner by focusing on early engagement leading to increased student motivation. Recommendations for use of RtI with the gifted are beginning to emerge in the literature (Hughes and Rollins, 2009; TAG, 2009; Brown and Abernathy, 2009), though no specific procedural guidelines have been published that guide the adaptation of the RtI model to meet the needs of gifted students. This paper applies the problem-solving method central to RtI to the gap between American student performance and world economic demands. It goes on to offer a potential remedy to the problem: a specific procedural guide for implementation of the RtI model with gifted students that was presented to both practitioners in the schools and experts in both RtI and Gifted Curriculum and Instruction for initial validation and qualitative feedback. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / December 5, 2011. / Development, Gifted, Guide, Procedure, RtI / Includes bibliographical references. / Steven Pfeiffer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Angela Canto, Committee Member; Frances Prevatt, Committee Member.

Gasification of biomass for energy production has the potential to be a cost effective and environmentally sustainable technology. Small scale, 20-250 kWth, downdraft gasifiers have the ability to provide power from low cost regionally available fuel sources. This technology will be beneficial to many people in rural developing areas that lack access to traditional energy sources. A commercial 50 kWth downdraft gasifier providing fuel to an internal combustion engine/generator set was tested. The entire system was characterized to determine the operational parameters, electrical efficiency, and combined heat and power efficiency. The electrical efficiency was found to be 14.5%, and the combined efficiency was found to be 36.5%. The gasifier was tested with different feedstocks to determine operational parameters and synthesis gas composition resulting from different known fuel compositions. The data from these experiments was used to develop a model for predicting this systems performance for any fuel with known composition. The model and experimental data can be used to determine the cost-effectiveness of using a small scale downdraft gasifier for energy based on regional cost information. Research was conducted to determine the cost and composition of many different biomass sources. This researched information was used with the model and experimental data to determine this system's levelized cost of energy using various feedstocks . For all experimental and researched feedstocks, the average levelized costs were 101.60 $/MWh and 39.80 $/MWh for electricity and combined heat and power respectively. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2011. / November 7, 2011. / Biomass, Energy, Gasification, Syngas / Includes bibliographical references. / Anjaneyulu Krothapalli, Professor Directing Thesis; Juan Carlos Ordóñez, Committee Member; Jonathan Clark, Committee Member.

Previous research studies explain how the presidential selection process at community colleges works and identify competencies that community college trustees look for in community college presidential candidates. However, few scholars have empirically tested specific features of community colleges that may impact which individuals are chosen to fill presidential vacancies. The purpose of this study was to examine whether certain departing president and community college trustee board characteristics influence the type of president that is selected at a community college. The samples for this quantitative study were North Carolina's 58 community colleges, and 740 trustees who have served or who are serving at those colleges. Cross tabulations and one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and regression analyses revealed that departing presidents and board chairs significantly influence presidential selection at community colleges. These analyses also determined that female presidential candidates are not more likely to be selected at community colleges that have female board chairs and departing presidents, but individuals who are non-Whites and/or internal candidates are more likely to be hired at institutions with a non-White board chair, female departing president, and/or non-White departing president. The study also found that females, non-Whites, and internal candidates have a greater chance of being hired as presidents at smaller community colleges. The study's findings have implications for aspiring community college presidents, community college leadership degree program faculty, individuals who train trustees participating in presidential selection processes, and state-level officials who appoint community college trustees. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / May 10, 2012. / college presidency, community college administration, community college presidents, community college trustees, presidential selection / Includes bibliographical references. / Shouping Hu, Professor Directing Dissertation; Steven Pfeiffer, University Representative; Tamara Bertrand Jones, Committee Member; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member.

The time at which DNA replicates during S-phase (replication timing; RT) is a precisely orchestrated, yet large-scale epigenetic property that offers an unparalleled window into the structure and regulation of the genome. While the timing program has been studied in many contexts and its significance is now well-established, the mechanisms that establish it have proven elusive, and recent studies have shed light on temporal and spatial aspects to replication control that were previously unanticipated. In this work, I and other members of the Gilbert laboratory worked to characterize the replication program in mammalian development, and described its structure, developmental regulation, and potential applications to medicine. In genome-wide studies of replication timing in mice, we found that replication timing profiles are both remarkably stable and cell type-specific, and are composed of coordinately regulated units (replication domains) that span one to several megabases. Changes in replication time typically occurred in 400-800kb units, and encompassed roughly 20% of the genome upon differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to neural precursor cells (NPCs). These changes remarkably aligned domain timing values to genomic GC content and LINE-1 retrotransposon density. Consistent with previous results at individual loci, early replication was significantly (but not perfectly) associated with active transcription and active histone marks, and switches to later and earlier replication were accompanied by chromatin movement toward and away from the nuclear periphery respectively. Since H3K9 dimethylation was the only repressive histone mark with a moderate relationship to late replication, we next studied the regulation of the replication program with a cell line harboring an inducible conditional knockout of histone methyltransferase G9a. However, by comparison to the typical amount of timing differences between replicates (roughly 2-4% of the genome), we found no regions exhibiting unusually large timing changes upon G9a knockout in ESCs, or after differentiation of G9aCKO cells into NPCs. Nevertheless, many late-replicating H3K9me2-marked genes were transcriptionally upregulated, providing evidence that partially uncouples expression and histone mark changes from replication timing and nuclear location. To determine the extent of conservation between mouse and human replication program, we profiled several human ESC lines, differentiated NPCs, and lymphoblasts. Nearly all of the major properties from mouse were consistent in human cells, including domains sizes, timing changes in 400-800kb units, and relationships to activating histone marks and transcription. We also demonstrated that the replication program is well-conserved in regions syntenic between human and mouse. Importantly, hESCs aligned most closely not to mESCs, but to mouse EpiSCs, a more advanced population of cells derived from the epiblast and with comparatively limited plasticity. In studying the relation to histone marks we observed a peak of active marks 100kb within the border of most early replicating domains, but most remarkably (and unexpectedly), we found a correlation between replication timing profiles and Hi-C chromatin interactions stronger than any other genomic property, despite the Hi-C data deriving from an abstract computational model. As the robust cell type specificity of replication profiles suggested their potential for use in cell typing and studies of disease, I created (in collaboration with Jinfeng Zhang) a computational method to define "replication fingerprints"--collections of genomic regions with unique patterns of replication in defined collections of samples. Using these regions, 67/67 (34 mouse and 31 human) datasets could be correctly classified among 11 mouse and 9 human tissue types using a simple nearest-neighbor approach, and these results were confirmed through cross-validation and independent PCR assays. As a biological application, we created a fingerprint to isolate regions with common timing changes between pluripotent and committed cells, which revealed a conserved switch to later replication in the major histone H1 cluster that may help to explain the chromatin compaction previously observed during differentiation. To apply what we have learned about the replication program to the study of human disease, we collaborated with Drs. Bill Chang and Brian Druker to profile cell lines and pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In contrast with normal B and T lymphocytes, leukemic samples displayed a high level of heterogeneity in replication profiles that offered intriguing potential for epigenetic fingerprints. Therefore, we applied the fingerprinting method to define regions with unique replication timing in high-risk patients and various genetic subtypes. To confirm the identity of leukemic samples and ability to detect known genetic lesions, we identified translocations and copy number variants in cell lines and patient samples known from CGH or karyotype information. These studies have opened paths to study less well-characterized subtypes of leukemia such as AML, which we plan to explore in future work. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Biological Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 28, 2012. / cancer, DNA, epigenetic, mammalian, replication / Includes bibliographical references. / David M. Gilbert, Professor Directing Dissertation; Richard Bertram, University Representative; Hank Bass, Committee Member; Jinfeng Zhang, Committee Member; Jonathan Dennis, Committee Member.

This study focuses on the public relations professionals and their motivations for becoming self-employed. Based on previous research on this group of practitioners and studies in the area of entrepreneurship, it was hypothesized that decision-making process is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that is likely to be affected by variety of motivations and demographic variables. Relying on prior research it was hypothesized that motivations associated with autonomy, financial benefits, potential for greater ability for family-time, as well as the internal locus of control would predict individual odds to become self-employed. The study relied on the expectancy-value theory as its framework. This study replicates and builds on initial studies on independent public relations professionals and goes far beyond what has been studied up to this point. This study replicated the studies and extended them by analyzing the complex nature of decision making in a multivariate context. Thus, the results offer support for development of future studies on public relations practitioners and their motivations for becoming self-employed. It is important to note that the results of this dissertation are relevant beyond the field of public relations. First, findings suggest further support for complexity of decision-making process associated with becoming self-employed. Findings are in line with research on entrepreneurial theory and motivations. Beyond demographic factors such as sex, marital status and age or tenure affecting individual's propensity for becoming self-employed, higher order motivations were found to affect the decision making process. These motivations include greater autonomy, financial benefits and ability to spend more time with a family after becoming independent. The most prominent effect, however, was found for tenure. Finally, this study offers some key insights for the operationalization of expectancy-value theory and suggests approaches to statistical analysis of studies relying on this theory. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 20, 2012. / Entrepreneurial Motivations, Public Relations, Self-Employment / Includes bibliographical references. / Jay Rayburn, Professor Directing Dissertation; Joseph Cronin, University Representative; Gary R. Heald, Committee Member; Stephen McDowell, Committee Member.