This collection of nine fiction stories explores the journeys of men and women who find themselves unable to continue on the path they've set for themselves. So often, the roads we follow are dictated by social conditioning. This collection considers how are paths are predetermined by social norms and follows the characters as they react to unexpected obstacles encountered in common scenarios. Will they forge new paths? Turn back? Or will they take a detour and return to their original road?

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Between Us and All is a collection of fictional stories addressing themes of gender, religion, family, class, and sexuality. A portion of this manuscript is a linked collection of short stories, following the fictional Kelly/Sullivan family through their daily lives in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

"Discount Ceremony" explores characters who find themselves in adrift states, searching for meaning and connection. Elements of magical realism present themselves in reflection of emotion and theme. Many of the characters within this collection are grappling with feelings of stagnancy, seeking solace and transcendence within small moments of intimacy. In "Dirt", a lonely office worker seeks comfort in the form of a new pet, which happens to be a pile of dirt. In "Static," a woman in stasis discovers a mysterious tree growing in her closet. In "Jane Untitled," the character of Jane grapples with a fear of aging while dealing with perpetually wet parents and a disappearing boyfriend. In "Discount Ceremony," Jacey tries to cope with relentlessly greasy hair while seeking happiness and intimacy in the small scope of her daily life. "The Sister" finds Jason encountering a pseudo-family member who brings comfort despite the lack of biological relation. In "The Melamorphosis," Mason's body transforms into that of his girlfriend Mel, prompting a re-examination of selfhood and their relationship. "At a Bar in Texas" explores the empty spaces Carson's life has come to involve as she ponders the importance of her new braces. In "HAZMAT," Maggie is haunted by her use of humor as a shield, and experiences increasing alienation when her world starts fading out. In "Mute," a radio DJ discovers a skull in her laundry basket, leading to a downward spiral of identity erosion. "The Cactuses are Turning Gray" involves Penny trying to cope with life in a decaying world, seeking connection through Dane, her only neighbor. Finally, in "Travis in Hollywood," Travis finds his world slowly unraveling as his best friend ascends to stardom, leaving him feeling disconnected from the elements of life he finds meaning in.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Polymer solar cells have been attracted attention because they combine flexibility with low-cost fabrication, have been previously developed based on bulk-heterojunction. Many research groups have developed solar cells based on Poly (P3HT) and (PCBM) composites. The nanostructure morphology of P3HT: PCBM composites play an important role for affecting the device performance. Many researches propose a lot of method to improve the morphology, such as the selection of solvent in photoactive layer and the thermal annealing effect. In this research we have studied the nanostructure morphology of P3HT: PCBM composites film by blending with Cetrimoniumbromide (CTAB). We have prepared Polymer solar cells incorporating an active layer of P3HT: PCBM blended with CTAB. The short-circuit current density of the polymer solar cells improved after blend if 0.01wt% of the CTAB into P3HT: PCBM active later. The device structure of ITO/PEDOT: PSS/P3HT: PCBM: CTAB/Al was measured under AM 1.5G 100 Mw/cm2 illumination, exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 2.5%, which is a 17% improvement than the standard device. The power conversion efficiency increased from 2.13% to 2.5%. The short current density increased from 5.47mA/cm2 to 6.43mA/cm2.

Short cavity lasers have several advantages such as improved output linearity in comparison with long lasers, longitudinal oscillation mode stabilized against the injection level and the operating temperature, and large mode spacing for allowing single-mode operation. In this paper, a short cavity laser has been successfully fabricated. The waveguides of laser diodes were formed by wet-etching with width of 4£gm. A SiO2 thin film was then sputtered onto the sample as surface passivation layer, after that, a PMGI polymer was spun on the sample and used for opening ridge window of metalization. After the SiO2 layers on the top of the ridge were removed, the metalizations were deposited for contact. The final finished laser was 200£gm long. The turn on voltage of the laser diode is 0.8 V with total resistance of 9.8£[. In the CW operation, the threshold current of laser is 20mA with threshold voltage of 1.3V, reaching total output optical power of 8mW at 50mA and 12mW at 70mA. The small signal frequency response is 8GHz (current 70mA). By adopting fiber grating and circulator to filter the main mode, the side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of single longitudinal mode is about 40dB, showing single mode operation.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Boise State University, 2009.

Thesis (M.A.)--Marshall University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains 136 p.