There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

The author drew on sociometer theory to propose that self-esteem is attuned to traits that garner others??? acceptance, and the traits that garner acceptance depend on one???s social role. Attunement of self-esteem refers to the linkage, or connection, between self-esteem and specific traits, which may be observed most clearly in the association between self-esteem and specific self-evaluations. In most roles, appearance and popularity determine acceptance, so self-esteem is most attuned to those traits. At the same time, interdependent social roles emphasize the value of communal qualities, so occupants of those roles have self-esteem that is more attuned to communal qualities than is the general norm. To avoid the biases of people's personal theories, attunement of self-esteem to particular traits was assessed indirectly via the correlation between self-esteem and self-ratings (Study 2), with cognitive accessibility measures (Study 3), by observing the responsiveness of people???s self-concepts to social cues about the self (Study 4), and with an experiment involving social decision-making (Study 5). As hypothesized, self-esteem was generally more attuned to appearances than communal qualities, but interdependent social roles predicted heightened attunement of self-esteem to qualities like kindness and understanding.

No description available.

Building computer agents that can utilize the meanings in the text of Web documents is a promising extension of current search technology. Concept-based information retrieval applies "intelligent" agents to identify Web documents that match user queries. A new concept-based information retrieval framework, Hybrid Ontology-based Textual Information Retrieval (HOTIR), is introduced in this thesis. HOTIR accepts conventional keyword-based queries, translates them into concept-based queries, enriches definitions of concepts with supplementary knowledge from a knowledge base, and ranks documents by aggregating "equivalent" concepts identified in them. The concept-based queries in HOTIR are organized in a hierarchy of concepts (HofC) and definitions of concepts are added from a knowledge base to enhance their meanings. The knowledge base is a modified ontology (ModOnt) that can enrich the HofC with concept definitions in the form of related-concepts, terms, their importance values, and their relations. The ModOnt relies on an adaptive assignment of term importance (AATI) scheme that continuously updates the importance of terms/concepts using Web documents. The identified concepts in a Web document that match those in the HofC are evaluated using ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operators, and documents are ranked according to the degree to which they satisfy the HofC. The case studies and experiments presented in the thesis are designed to validate the performance of HOTIR. / Computer Engineering

This thesis focuses on the synthesis, structures, and physical properties of ternary rare-earth antimonides and germanides. These ternary compounds exhibit diverse polyanionic substructures with classical and non-classical Sb–Sb bonding, Ge–Ge bonding, or both. The Zintl-Klemm concept and band structure calculations were applied to understand their structures and bonding. Electrical resistivities and magnetic properties were measured for these compounds. The compounds RE2Ti7Sb12 (RE = La–Nd) and RE2Ti11–xSb14+x (RE = Sm, Gd, Tb, Yb), which were synthesized by arc-melting, adopt different structures depending on the size of the RE atoms. Both consist of a complex arrangement of TiSbn polyhedra, linked to form a 3D framework with large cavities in which the RE atoms reside. Hypervalent Sb–Sb bonds are manifested in disordered Sb fragments in RE2Ti7Sb12, and 1D linear chains, zig-zag chains, and pairs in RE2Ti11–xSb14+x. A series of compounds, RECrGe3 (RE = La–Nd, Sm), was synthesized by the Sn-flux method. They adopt a hexagonal perovskite structure type, in which chains of face-sharing Cr-centred octahedra are linked by triangular Ge3 clusters. These unusual single-bonded Ge3 substructures can be rationalized simply by the Zintl-Klemm concept. Electrical resistivity measurements show metallic behaviour with prominent transitions coincident with ferromagnetic transitions (Tc ranging from 62 to 155 K) found in magnetic measurements. Band structure calculations show the presence of a narrow, partially filled band with high DOS at Ef, in agreement with the observation that LaCrSb3 is an itinerant ferromagnet. With a different number of d-electrons in the M site, the isostructural REVGe3 compounds exhibit antiferromagnetic behaviour. The doped quaternary compounds LaCr1-xVxGe3 and LaCr1-xMnxGe3 exhibit depressed Curie temperatures. The structures of RECrxGe2 compounds (RE = Sm, Gd–Er) are built up by inserting transition-metal atoms into the square pyramidal sites of a hypothetical “REGe2” host structure (ZrSi2-type). The presence of extensive anionic Ge substructures in the form of 1D zigzag chains and 2D square sheets can be explained by the Zintl-Klemm concept. Magnetic measurements indicated antiferromagnetic ordering with low TN ranging from 3 to 17 K. Compounds involving a p-block element as the second component were prepared. In RE12Ge7–xSb21 (RE = La–Pr), a complex 3D polyanionic framework with Ge pairs, five-atom-wide Sb ribbons, and 2D Ge/Sb layers is present. The bonding exemplifies the competition of valence electron transfer from the RE atoms to metalloids with similar electronegativities. Full electron transfer from the RE atoms to the anionic substructure cannot be assumed. Magnetic measurements on Ce12Ge6.5Sb21 indicate antiferromagnetic coupling. The metal-rich compounds RE5TtxSb3–x (Tt = Si, Ge) adopt the orthorhombic beta-Yb5Sb3-type structure with a range of solid solubility between 0.9 and 1.6. They are not electron-precise and do not obey the Zintl-Klemm concept.

According to recent assessment data, there is an urgent need to improve students' knowledge of science. It has been suggested that the infusion of reading activities including concept mapping, questioning and interactive read-alouds can help students in learning science concepts. Little or no research has combined these methods to examine its effect on learning. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare concept mapping and questioning on students' organization and retention of science knowledge when used with interactive informational read-alouds of science trade books. This study included 58 third grade students from four homogenous classes who were assigned to either a concept mapping group (experimental group) or a questioning with writing group (comparison group). With the same teacher, the school science specialist, the students completed an eight day unit regarding "soil formation" comprised of read-alouds, discussions and reading comprehension activities. (There were no hands-on, laboratory experiments.) Students were assessed on different types of knowledge. Data were analyzed using a mixed model ANOVA design to determine both within-factors (repeated measure), to show growth, and between-factors, to determine the difference between the two groups. The concept mapping group (experimental group) performed significantly higher than the questioning with writing group (comparison) on (a) relational vocabulary assessment (measuring relational knowledge); (b) multiple-choice assessment (measuring students' ability to identify key ideas); and (c) writing assessment (measuring students' relational thinking, students' ability to retain and recall key information and students' ability to use domain knowledge). The concept mapping group maintained these gains in a delayed assessment. The groups did not differ on individual word knowledge as measured by a matching assessment. Recommendations are provided for teachers and researchers including using concept mapping in teaching science concepts to elementary students in conjunction with science text reading, as well as incorporating technology with computer-generated concept maps using Inspiration software.

Two event-related potential (ERP) experiments were conducted to investigate spatial-numeric associations of response codes (SNARC) and attentional cuing (SNAAC). In the SNARC effect, people respond faster when making a left-hand response to report that a number is small, and when making a right-hand response to report that a number is large. Experiment 1 examined effects of SNARC-compatibility and prior response-probability in a number comparison task. Lateralized readiness potentials (LRPs) showed that SNARC-compatibility influenced an intermediate stage of response-selection, and prior response-probability influenced both earlier and later stages. The P300 ERP component was also modulated by SNARC-compatibility and prior response-probability, suggesting parietal involvement in the SNARC effect. In the SNAAC effect, attention is directed to left-side regions of space upon viewing small-magnitude numbers, and to right-side regions of space upon viewing large-magnitude numbers. Experiment 2 investigated whether ERPs evoked by peripheral visual probes would be enhanced when probes appeared in the left hemifield after small-magnitude digits and when they appeared in the right hemifield after large-magnitude digits. ERPs to peripheral probes were not modulated by numerical magnitude of digit pre-cues.

This project explores the basic tenets of abstract expressionism and is considered in relation to the idea of the sublime, limitlessness and the formless. In this research I am interested in investigating the progression from two-dimensional non-representational painting, through experimentation with light mediating materials to projection of the painting via the medium of film. Light is used to intensify the image with a view to expand the viewer’s awareness and understanding of the sublime. The research seeks to find ways that allow the viewer to explore the feeling of uncertainty and the sensation of wonderment. Through an ephemeral spaciousness that has no boundaries, the spectator is encouraged through contemplation to transform their experiences of the finite in order to approach the infinite and the sublime.

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (ℓ. 91-94)