Novice special education teachers often enter their professions with unique perspectives that contribute to the overall educational experience of their students. This research was designed to inform the existing literature revolving around novice special education teachers' experiences, and how they subsequently effect the perceptions and interactions engaged in with students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Five novice special education teachers who currently serve students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds offered their unique perspectives for this research. This research study consisted of individual interviews, two direct classroom observations, and responses to three reflections of recent experiences. The data yielded three main categories: (a) student attributes, (b) establishing rapport, and (c) teacher responsibilities, which included properties and sub-properties. To verify findings rival explanations were sought and triangulation procedures were utilized. Findings of this research are discussed in detail, with implications relating to novice special education teachers, K-12 school administrators, and special education teacher educators being addressed. Methods to address potential limitations to this research are presented, followed by suggestions for future research.

Substance dependency can affect a mother‘s health and her ability to parent. A cross sectional study was implemented to better understand resources of African American mothers in recovery from substance dependence. A convenience sample of 38 African American mothers at two drug treatment centers in Atlanta, Georgia completed the Michigan Screening Profile of Parents (Helfer, Hoffmeister, & Schneider, 1978). Results indicated that women who perceived that their emotional needs were being met were less likely to use maladaptive coping skills. Mothers who used less maladaptive coping skills were less likely to report negative interactions with their children. Results have implications for the needs of African Americans mothers in substance abuse treatment. Follow up studies may benefit from the use of longitudinal and qualitative research methods in order to comprehensively explain the impact of lifetime social supports on maladaptive coping and negative parenting behaviors for African American mothers in recovery.

This research work is driven by a desire to improve status quo in the area of New Zealand’s political, business and person-to-person relations with the post-Soviet Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (the Baltics or the Baltic States), which by now represent an integral part of the European Union (EU). The example of Estonia will be tested as a possible ‘gateway’ for New Zealand trying to undertake its most recent endeavours towards discovering the Baltic region. The dissertation’s response variable can be outlined as ‘New Zealand multi-dimensional interactions with the post-Soviet Baltic Republics, particularly with the Republic of Estonia’. At the same time, the descriptive nature of the dependent variable is planned to be expanded with the help of the manipulated variable that will lead this research work. The latter variable will be formulated as ‘Estonia, a democratic, transparent, free-market state, can be chosen as a ‘gateway’ for New Zealand politics, business circles and the public in their endeavours to succeed in the post-Soviet Baltic region of the EU’. Such an approach will give a chance to scrutinise the studied issues comprehensively, from several angles (such as ‘theoretical’, ‘operational’ and ‘structural’), and by answering the following three research questions: is it necessary for New Zealand to promote its interests and values in the region of the Baltic States; does an idea to choose one of the three Baltic States as a ‘hub’ for promoting New Zealand interests and values in the Baltic region of the EU have a perspective; and can Estonia be considered/recommended to become such a ‘hub’? This dissertation is among the first attempts to address a deficit of scholarship studying New Zealand relations with the post-Soviet Baltic region. Its findings could be used by both New Zealand and the Baltics’ decision-makers in the field of international relations.

In this thesis we have utilized few-cycle pulses in the range 10-15s, to initiate CE to allow us to image the structure, dynamics, and kinetics of ionization and dissociation of triatomic molecules. We have made a series of measurements of this process for CO2 and N2O, by varying the laser pulse duration from 7 to 500 fs with intensity ranging from 2.5×1014 to 4×1015 (W/cm2), in order to identify the charge states and time scales involved. This is a new approach in CEI introducing a multi-dimensional aspect to the science of non-perturbative laser-molecule interaction. We refer to this approach as FEmtosecond Multi-PUlse Length Spectroscopy (FEMPULS). The use of a time and position sensitive detector allow us to observe all fragment ions in coincidence. By representing the final fragmentation with Dalitz and Newton plots, we have identified the underlying break up dynamics. Momentum conservation has been used to extract the correlated fragment ions which come from a single parent ion. This is achieved by considering that the total momentum of all correlated fragments must add up to zero. One of the main outcomes of our study is observation of charge resonance enhanced ionization (CREI) for triatomic molecules. In the case of CO2, we found that for the 4+ and higher charge states, 100 fs is the time scale required to reach the critical geometry RCO= 2.1Å and ӨOCO =163º (equilibrium CO2 geometry is RCO= 1:16Å and ӨOCO =172º. The CO23+ molecule, however, appears always to begin dissociation from closer than 1.7 Å indicating that dynamics on charge states lower than 3+ is not sufficient to initiate CREI. Finally, we make quantum ab initio calculations of ionization rates for CO2 and identify the electronic states responsible for CREI. Total kinetic energy (KER) has been measured for channels (1, 1, 1) to (2, 2, 2) and it was found that the (1, 1, 1) channel is not Coulombic, while (2, 2, 2) channel is very close to Coulombic (KER close to 90% of the coulombic potential). As another outcome of our study, for the case of N2O, we observed for the first time that there are two stepwise dissociation pathways for N2O3+: (1) N2O3+ → N++ NO2+ → N+ + N++ O+ and (2) N2O3+ → N22++O+ → N+ + N++ O+ as well as one for N2O4+ → N2++ NO2+ → N2+ + N++ O+. The N22+ stepwise channel is suppressed for longer pulse length, a phenomenon which we attribute to the influence which the structure of the 3+ potential has on the dissociating wave packet propagation. Finally, by observing the KER for each channel as a function of pulse duration, we show the increasing importance of CREI for channels higher than 3+.

In this dissertation, the intermolecular interactions between soil organic matter (SOM) and organofluorine compounds have been studied at the molecular-level using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR probes the local magnetic environment surrounding atomic nuclei, and is uniquely capable as an analytical tool to probe molecular environments in complex disordered materials, such as soils. Several NMR techniques were employed in this work, including Pulse Field Gradient (PFG)-NMR based diffusion measurements, solid-state cross-polarization (CP), saturation transfer difference (STD) spectroscopy, and reverse-heteronuclear saturation transfer difference (RHSTD) spectroscopy. Using organofluorine compounds as molecular probes, xenobiotic interactions with SOM were studied. Using 1H{19F} RHSTD, the interaction sites in humic acid for organofluorine compounds were identified by direct molecular-level methods. Protein and lignin were identified as major binding sites, with different preferences exhibited for these sites by dissimilar organofluorine compounds: aromatic organofluorine compounds display varied preference for aromatic humic acid sites while perfluorooctanoic acid exhibits near total selectivity for protein-derived binding sites. The mechanisms underlying these preferences were probed in the solution state. Using crucial knowledge from the humic acid studies, a detailed molecular-level investigation of xenobiotic interactions in an intact and unmodified whole soil was made possible. A direct and in situ elucidation of the components in soil organic matter that interact with small organofluorine xenobiotic molecules has been presented, allowing, for the first time, resolution of multiple interactions occurring for xenobiotics simultaneously at different sites within a whole soil.

In this dissertation, the intermolecular interactions between soil organic matter (SOM) and organofluorine compounds have been studied at the molecular-level using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR probes the local magnetic environment surrounding atomic nuclei, and is uniquely capable as an analytical tool to probe molecular environments in complex disordered materials, such as soils. Several NMR techniques were employed in this work, including Pulse Field Gradient (PFG)-NMR based diffusion measurements, solid-state cross-polarization (CP), saturation transfer difference (STD) spectroscopy, and reverse-heteronuclear saturation transfer difference (RHSTD) spectroscopy. Using organofluorine compounds as molecular probes, xenobiotic interactions with SOM were studied. Using 1H{19F} RHSTD, the interaction sites in humic acid for organofluorine compounds were identified by direct molecular-level methods. Protein and lignin were identified as major binding sites, with different preferences exhibited for these sites by dissimilar organofluorine compounds: aromatic organofluorine compounds display varied preference for aromatic humic acid sites while perfluorooctanoic acid exhibits near total selectivity for protein-derived binding sites. The mechanisms underlying these preferences were probed in the solution state. Using crucial knowledge from the humic acid studies, a detailed molecular-level investigation of xenobiotic interactions in an intact and unmodified whole soil was made possible. A direct and in situ elucidation of the components in soil organic matter that interact with small organofluorine xenobiotic molecules has been presented, allowing, for the first time, resolution of multiple interactions occurring for xenobiotics simultaneously at different sites within a whole soil.

Aural learning, sometimes called “learning by ear,” is a fundamental mechanism of music, connected to musical perception, acquisition, and understanding. Researchers have primarily studied aural learning strategies through self-reported data or qualitative observations. Because the interaction between a learner and a recording offers a unique window into self-guided learning approaches and strategies, the aim of this study was to use participants’ interactions with the recordings as a data source. The purpose of this study was to investigate how high schoolers aurally learn unfamiliar melodies and identify trends that contribute to efficient learning.Twenty-nine high-school participants in individual sessions learned three different melodies by ear. As participants learned each melody, I used a modified, digital playback interface to collect interaction data on three learning constructs from the literature: (a) learning chunk length; (b) learning chunk order; and (c) synchronous versus turn-taking. Descriptive results showed that participants preferred to learn melodies in one-, two-, four-, or eight-measure chunks, and that their use of time learning either in a synchronously or turn-taking approach had no relationship to their total learning time. A Spearman Rank Order correlation revealed a moderate, inverse relationship between average chunk length and total learning time (Rho = -.506, p < .001) suggesting that participants who focused on learning larger chunks learned the whole melody faster. An analysis of participants’ choice of learning chunk order revealed three general approaches to the task. Participants used a “From the Beginning” approach approximately 14% of the time, characterized by repeatedly starting from the beginning and increasing the length of the learning chunk each repetition. Participants used a “Half to Whole” approach approximately 29% of the time, characterized by focusing on half of the melody at a time. Finally, participants most frequently used a “Bit by Bit” approach 57% of the time, characterized by learning short one- to three-measures chunks progressing from the beginning of the melody to the end. Most participants began and ended their learning session by listening to the entire melody. An ANOVA comparing approaches showed that the “Half to Whole” approach was significantly more effective than the “Bit-by-Bit” (F[2,66] = 10.25, p < .001), but showed no differences between other approaches. Some participants made notable changes in their approach between melodies showing some isolated examples of improvement when they chose longer chunks and switched to a “Half to Whole” approach. The approaches that emerged from this study provide a foundation for future experimental research on the way students best learn from recordings. / Music Education

No / We present a demonstrative application of the nonholonomic control method to a real physical system composed of two cold Cesium atoms. In particular, we show how to implement a CNOT quantum gate in this system by means of a controlled Stark field.

Submitted by LUCILENE MATTOS BERBEL null (lberbel@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-10-14T22:48:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertação pdf.pdf: 2300814 bytes, checksum: 8bac6b981fec267ad44e63453e3d2354 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Monique Sasaki (sayumi_sasaki@hotmail.com) on 2017-10-18T17:13:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 berbel_lm_me_rcla.pdf: 2300814 bytes, checksum: 8bac6b981fec267ad44e63453e3d2354 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-18T17:13:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 berbel_lm_me_rcla.pdf: 2300814 bytes, checksum: 8bac6b981fec267ad44e63453e3d2354 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-18 / A presente dissertação tem como objetivo geral descrever as práticas pedagógicas de professoras que atuam nos três anos iniciais da Educação Infantil. Os objetivos específicos referem-se a descrever, de modo mais apurado, as práticas voltadas à interação das crianças com o mundo letrado; detectar as concepções pedagógicas empregadas pelas professoras; averiguar a existência, ou não, de coerência entre discursos e práticas docentes; detectar os posicionamentos expressos pelas componentes das equipes gestoras das escolas e por representante da Secretaria Municipal da Educação e, em que medida os mesmos se aproximam ou não dos discursos e das práticas das professoras; e identificar as finalidades atribuídas à Educação Infantil nas Propostas Pedagógicas das escolas onde a pesquisa foi realizada. A pesquisa pautou-se no enfoque qualitativo, com dados coletados em entrevistas semiestruturadas, observação de aulas e análise de documentos; foi realizada nas quatro escolas municipais de Rio Claro – SP, nas quais a partir do ano letivo de 2015 todas as classes (Berçário I, Berçário II e Maternal I) foram atribuídas a professoras. As participantes foram oito docentes, quatro diretoras de escola, duas professoras coordenadoras e uma coordenadora pedagógica da Secretaria Municipal da Educação. O embasamento para a pesquisa contou com o levantamento de aspectos teóricos e históricos sobre a Educação Infantil, sobretudo em seus anos iniciais; abordou campos de experiências a serem trabalhados nesta etapa da Educação Básica, incluindo contatos com leitura e escrita; apontou as características de diferentes concepções pedagógicas referentes à aquisição do conhecimento; e apresentou pesquisas realizadas com crianças pertencentes à faixa etária relativa à Educação Infantil. Os dados obtidos revelaram que o período de trabalho das professoras que atuam na primeira etapa da Educação Infantil é reduzido e nem sempre bem aproveitado; constatou-se que as atividades realizadas são, em sua maioria, referentes a brincadeiras, estímulo à coordenação motora e a aspectos sensoriais, além daquelas voltadas aos cuidados com alimentação e higiene; poucas atividades relacionadas às interações com o mundo letrado foram observadas, e ficaram basicamente restritas a histórias infantis e à identificação dos nomes próprios, sem contemplar, portanto, textos diversificados. Diferentes concepções pedagógicas foram identificadas e o confronto entre discursos, práticas e conteúdo de documentos revelou a existência de coerências e incoerências. Os resultados indicaram que o caráter pedagógico ainda não se encontra plenamente consolidado nos três primeiros anos da Educação Infantil; que a formação inicial do pessoal docente carece de ajustes, tornando relevantes as ações relativas à formação continuada, e fazendo necessário, sobretudo, determinar qual o papel do professor nesta fase da escolaridade, de modo a definir este espaço de docência. Soma-se a isso, com vistas ao aprimoramento do trabalho realizado, a necessidade de estudos e reflexões acerca das características infantis e da importância das interações com o mundo letrado, considerando-se as capacidades dos bebês e das crianças bem pequenas e os interesses por eles demonstrados. / The present dissertation aims to describe the pedagogical practices of teachers who work in the initial three years of Early Childhood Education. The specific objectives are to describe, more accurately, the practices aimed at the interaction of children with the literate world; to detect the pedagogical conceptions employed by the teachers; to ascertain the existence or not of coherence between discourses and teaching practices; to detect the placements expressed by the components of the management teams of the schools and by the representative of the Municipal Department of Education, and to what extent they approach or not the discourses and practices of the teachers; and to identify the purposes attributed to Early Childhood Education in the Pedagogical Proposals of the schools where the research was carried out. The research was based on the qualitative approach, with data collected in semi-structured interviews, observation of classes and analysis of documents; was carried out in the four municipal schools of Rio Claro - SP, in which all classes (Nursery I, Nursery II and Maternal I) were assigned to teachers from the 2015 school year. The participants were eight teachers, four school directors, two coordinating teachers and one pedagogical coordinator of the Municipal Education Department. The basis for the research was the survey of theoretical and historical aspects of Early Childhood Education, especially in its initial years; addressed fields of experiences to be worked at this stage of Basic Educacion, including contacts with reading and writing; pointed out the characteristics of different pedagogical conceptions regarding the acquisition of knowledge; and presented researches with children belonging to the age group related to Early Childhood Education. The data obtained revealed that the period of work of the teachers who work in the first stage of Early Childhood Education is reduced and not always well used; it was observed that the activities performed are mostly related to play, stimulation of motor coordination and sensory aspects, besides those related to food and hygiene care; few activities related to interactions with the literate world were observed, and were basically restricted to children's stories and the identification of proper names, without considering, therefore, diverse texts. Different pedagogical conceptions were identified and the confrontation between discourses, practices and content of documents revealed the existence of coherences and inconsistencies. The results indicated that the pedagogical character has not yet been fully consolidated in the first three years of Early Childhood Education; that the initial training of the teaching staff needs to be adjusted, making actions related to continuing education relevant, and making it necessary, above all, to determine what role of the teacher in this phase of schooling, in order to define this teaching space. In order to improve the work done, the need for studies and reflections on children's characteristics and the importance of interactions with the literate world, considering the capacities of infants and very young children and the interests they demonstrate.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:06:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5411.pdf: 2022977 bytes, checksum: d18cf1f2f76e34c4bbfbf2c6284c18dc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-21 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The use of large displays for digital signage in collective spaces is increasing for numerous purposes. For most signalling scenarios, the dynamic adjustment of the display contents is desirable. Contextual information related to the site and to the signalling profile of observers may be taken into consideration for the selection of content and for user interaction. Interactions can occur implicitly and transparently, by just mutually identifying users and systems for the selection of the content displayed, or by allowing the explicit data exchange between users and the signalling system. Mobile computing devices and wireless technologies extend the possibilities of interaction with users, creating a complex scenario for the exhibition of public and private data. The dynamic analysis of contextual information, the retrieval and generation of presentation data, and the interaction with users all require significant processing which demonstrate the complexity of encoding a digital signage system. This thesis presents a distributed system and service-based software architecture developed for creating interactive digital signage systems. The architecture allows the centralized, but scalable, creation and management of digital signage systems containing different displays and users. An implementation of the proposed architectural model and software was carried out and the results show its ability to serve the creation of dynamic, flexible and interactive digital signage systems. / O uso de monitores de vídeo como forma de sinalização e apresentação de conteúdos digitais em ambientes de uso coletivo é crescente, com inúmeras finalidades. Além disso, para a maior parte dos cenários de sinalização, o ajuste dinâmico dos conteúdos a apresentar é algo desejável. Informações contextuais, relacionadas ao local de sinalização e ao perfil dos observadores, podem ser levadas em consideração para a seleção de conteúdos e para a interação com usuários. Interações podem ocorrer de forma implícita e transparente, apenas identificando usuários e sistemas mutuamente para a seleção do conteúdo exibido, ou permitindo a troca de dados explícita entre os usuários e o sistema de sinalização. Dispositivos computacionais móveis e tecnologias de comunicação sem fio ampliam as possibilidades de interação com usuários, criando um cenário complexo para exibição de dados públicos e privados. A análise dinâmica de parâmetros de contexto, a obtenção e a geração de conteúdos e a interação com usuários, contudo, requerem processamentos que evidenciam a complexidade da codificação de sistemas de sinalização digital. Este trabalho apresenta uma arquitetura de sistema distribuído e de software baseado em serviços, desenvolvida para a criação de sistemas de sinalização digital interativa. A arquitetura permite a criação e o gerenciamento centralizado, mas escalável, de sistemas de sinalização digital contendo diferentes pontos de apresentação e conjuntos de usuários. Uma implementação do modelo arquitetural e de software proposto foi realizada e os resultados mostram sua capacidade de atender à criação de sistemas de sinalização digital dinâmicos, flexíveis e interativos.