Library: Best sellers

How a nation or region develops is infallibly linked to how well it can deliver ideas, information and data throughout its population. The greater the freedom to send, receive and synthesize information, the more likely a given country is to have a higher standard of living as measured by per capita income and other economic indicators. This study demonstrates that the economic development of a nation or region is connected to its ability to transport said intelligence in a highly expeditious and economic manner. Without this ability, technological development and the exchange / flow of...

The purpose of this study was to identify what were Taiwanese University English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ perceptions about learning communication strategies. This study collected qualitative data about students’ beliefs and attitudes as they learned communication strategies. The research question guiding the study was: What are Taiwanese University EFL learners’ perceptions about learning communication strategies? Twenty-four university students were trained for 10 weeks to use strategies in Faerch and Kasper’s (1983a) taxonomy, and seven volunteers were interviewed. None of the...

This project is concerned with the factors that are responsible for the failure of Information Technology outsourcing in reducing the costs for companies. Even though there is a substantial amount of evidence in the literature that confirms the problem of IT outsourcing ineffectiveness, researchers and practitioners are still a long way from adopting a common view on the factors that can lead to inefficient outsourcing. This lack of understanding has serious managerial implications since it is hindering the ability of managers to make outsourcing decisions and manage their IT functions in a ...

The purpose of the study was to examine, through narrative, contributing factors which lead to burnout in three Hispanic middle school teachers in a school in South Texas that is predominantly Hispanic. Burnout, in this work, was understood to be the experience of excessive stress and anxiety which accompanies teachers’ inabilities to cope with environmental stressors present in their workplaces. While this term served to introduce the study, the participants defined their experiences of burnout in their own words (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Merriam, 1998). While the exact impact of teacher b...

Gamma ray detection techniques for radioisotope imaging purposes are quickly evolving. Monte Carlo simulations show the possibility of achieving an outstanding image spatial resolution in the images obtained with techniques using electronic collimation. The great advantage of using electronic collimation is the increased efficiency of the gamma camera with respect to the usage of the mechanical collimation technique. These new imaging techniques require radiation detectors with very specific features, such as low noise, desired stooping power and compactness. In this thesis project, an ...

We present the results of a large-area survey for millisecond pulsars (MSPs) at moderately high galactic latitudes with the 64 m Parkes radio telescope, along with follow-up timing and optical studies of the newly-discovered pulsars and several others. Major results include the first precise measurement of the mass of a fully recycled pulsar and measurement of orbital period decay in a double neutron star binary system allowing a test of general relativity along with improved measurements of the neutron star masses. In a survey of approx. 4,150 square degrees, we discovered 26 previously unkn...

For several decades, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has played a major role in the lives of people recovering from alcohol dependence. For many, AA is a first-line treatment, while others join AA during inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment programs. Many AA members are middle-aged and older adults. However, in an organization that does not keep formal records, it is difficult to discern what proportion of older members classify as early onset or late-onset alcohol dependents. The research question was: What is the experience of long-term sobriety for men ages 55 through 65 who are curr...

The Louisiana timber industry relies on the availability of harvestable trees. In areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the black turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus terebrans) contributed to the mortality of loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (Pinus elliottii) pine trees. This timber loss due to natural causes reduces the landowner’s earnings The BTB girdles the cambium layer of pines that are weakened by wind or drought. This study estimated post-Rita beetle damage on a 458-acre slash pine tract consisting of 157 trees per acre on the West Bay Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana. Timber ...

School psychologists have an ethical obligation to be advocates for students. However, the ethical principles of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) do not define what it means for school psychologists to be advocates for students, except through the inferences that may be drawn from what school psychologists must be, and do, in order to comply with the NASP ethical principles. This dissertation proposed a definition of advocacy, which was then presented to a focus group of school psychology experts, to an expert panel, and then researched through a census survey of the Col...

Physicians and patients have received inaccurate medical laboratory test results that have put patients at risk. The purpose of this study is to determine the moral reasoning level of medical laboratory professionals. The theoretical framework that guided this study is grounded by the theories of cognitive development. The study used a population survey and Defining Issues Test, version 2 (DIT-2) questionnaires to collect data. Forty-seven participants from a medical laboratory were surveyed, and hypotheses were tested between moral reasoning scores (dependent variable) and age, gender, level ...