Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Validity based on internal structure'

El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar las propiedades psicométricas de la Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS) en varones que trabajan en el sector de comunicación en Lima Metropolitana. La muestra estuvo conformada por 337 varones, cuyo rango de edad oscila entre 23 a 58 años (M =34.00, DE = 9.39). Los instrumentos aplicados fueron la GRCS y la Escala de Pensamientos Patriarcales (EPP). En la validez basada en la estructura interna se comprobó el modelo de cuatro factores relacionados, mostrando un buen ajuste (χ²/gl = 2.06, CFI = .86 y, RMSEA = .06).  En la validez basada en relaciones con otras variables, entre los factores de la GRCS se obtuvo correlaciones altas y moderadas (valores de Pearson entre .24 y .78) y con las dimensiones de la EPP arrojó correlaciones bajas y moderadas (valores de Spearman entre .10. y .39). Los resultados del análisis de confiabilidad por consistencia interna indicaron coeficientes Omega (>.70) adecuados por cada dimensión. En general, la GRS posee adecuadas propiedades psicométricas.
The objective of the research was to determine the psychometric properties of the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS) in men who work in the communication sector in Metropolitan Lima. The sample was made up of 337 men, whose age range ranged from 23 to 58 years (M = 34.00, SD = 9.39). The instruments applied were the GRCS and the Scale of Patriarchal Thoughts (EPP). In the validity based on the internal structure, the four-factor model was tested, showing a good fit (χ² / gl = 2.06, CFI = .86 and, RMSEA = .06). In the validity based on relationships with other variables, between the GRCS factors it obtained high and moderate correlations (Pearson values ​​between .24 and .78) and with the dimensions of the EPP it produced low and moderate correlations (Spearman values ​​between. 10. and .39). The results of the internal consistency reliability analysis indicated by dimension an adequate Omega coefficient (> .70) in the scale and its dimensions. In general, the GRCS has adequate psychometric properties.
Tesis

[Truncated abstract] Areal bone mineral density (BMD) is measured routinely in the clinic by a quantitative radiological technique, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). BMD is used widely to assess non-invasively but indirectly the mechanical fragility of bone and consequently is able to predict fracture risk. While BMD correlates well with in vitro measurements of bone strength it does not directly measure a mechanical property; half of incident minimally traumatic fractures in women occur with BMD values above the World Health Organisation defined threshold for osteoporosis. This arises partly because the mechanical strength of bone is dependent on its structural geometry and material strength as well as bone mineral mass. Essentially, bones fracture when load stresses exceed the mechanical capacity of the material to withstand them. The structural geometry (i.e., the amount of bone tissue and its complex three-dimensional arrangement within the macroscopic bone envelope) defines the stresses produced by a given load, while the intrinsic load capacity of the material is defined by the composition and microstructure of the bone tissue itself. Hip structural analysis (HSA) is a technique that elucidates the structural geometric component of bone strength; essentially combining information available from conventional DXA images of the proximal femur with a biomechanical beam model based on the stresses arising in a combination of pure bending and axial compression. A version of HSA has recently been released commercially, and has obtained US Food and Drug Administration approval for its clinical application. ... Given the acknowledged limitations of the HSA method when applied to 2-D projection images, a 3-D approach to structural geometry, using imaging modalities such as pQCT and QCT or a recently introduced version of DXA that mimics QCT, is indicated for the future. With that in mind and the possibility of the anthropometric phantom being adopted for future accuracy and precision assessments, improvements in the design of this phantom are recommended. Studies to better understand and verify Contents v the relevance of the 'local buckling' phenomenon as a structural geometric factor in the genesis of macro-fractures are also recommended. In summary, it is essential that superior (compared to BMD) non-invasively determined clinical predictors of bone fragility leading to fracture be investigated. Structural geometric variables are potential candidates. This has led to consideration of; (i) the need to progress beyond BMD for a more sensitive and specific bone strength measurement; (ii) theoretical advantages of structural geometry over BMD; (iii) limitations of the current HSA technique based on DXA, including those introduced by its restrictive assumptions; (iv) the value of HSA in longitudinal studies, exemplified by the 'normal' but rapid skeletal changes seen in human lactation, with possible implications for an analogous study of the menopause; and (v) an investigation, using a custom-designed anthropometric phantom, of the adaptation of HSA to certain emerging imaging modalities and methods able to resolve bone structural geometry in three dimensions.

High internal phase emulsion polymers (PolyHIPEs) are new generation materials with their high porosity and interconnected open-cell structures and finds applications in areas such as supports for catalytic systems, separation media and tissue engineering scaffolds. Styrene based PolyHIPEs are currently the most popular choice, but solvent compatibility and poor mechanical properties of these materials prevent their applications. Therefore development of new polyHIPEs with desired mechanical and cellular properties is needed to extend the range of applications. The objective of this thesis was to synthesize new polyHIPEs with different mechanical characteristics changing from ductile to elastomeric. For this purpose, acrylic based polyHIPEs with various cellular structure and mechanical characteristics were developed by using stearyl acrylate (SA), isodecyl acrylate (IDA), isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA) and divinylbenzene (DVB). All materials were highly porous (90%) and had open cellular structure with uniform voids in the range of 5.2-12.9 &
#956
m. The PolyHIPEs produced from the monomers of SA and IDA demonstrated elastomeric property and had high ability of recovery when the applied stress is removed. IBMA based polyHIPEs were ductile and demonstrated higher Young&rsquo
s modulus and compression strength than that of conventional styrene based polyHIPEs. Therefore, by varying the composition, it became possible to alter the mechanical properties of polyHIPEs from ductile to elastomeric, without changing the interconnected cellular structures. One of the prepared IDA based polyHIPE was evaluated as stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography for the first time in literature. The column was very efficient in the separation of alkylbenzenes namely thiourea, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, propylbenzene and butylbenzene with high column efficiency (up to 200.000 plates/m).

How plants from a common species pool form community has been considered from a variety of approaches. A promising approach involves the search for assembly rules based on plant functional traits. This approach has potential to provide insight into community and ecosystem processes In this research. a general and simple conceptual model based on life forms and independent of species is used as a framework for assessing the internal structure of plant communities. Plant functional traits are used to identify patterns within and between plant communities in the contrasting environments of Camp Williams, Utah, and Camp Grayling, Michigan. The conceptual model has three different functional types formed by one to three functional groups. A functional group, made up of species with similar life form, is analogous to a vegetation stratum. A functional type, consisting of one or more functional groups. is analogous to a community or vegetation type. Correspondence analysis (CA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate that richness, species diversity, and trait diversity are essentially independent of functional type and are, for example, fairly consistent regardless of climatic regime or structural complexity. Cover. on the other hand. increases with the number of functional groups in a functional type. Consistent patterns and trends for sets of functional traits support the view that assembly rules may account for internal structure in plant communities. The consistent association of sets of traits with functional groups even in taxonomically dissimilar communities suggests that the functional traits are related to fundamental ecological processes that shape these communities. Ambiguity in some of the results might be explained by extending the analysis to additional installations that replicate the climatic conditions found at Camp Williams and Camp Grayling.

Investigations into visual attention have led to the identification of locationand object-based mechanisms of attentional selection. This thesis is specifically concerned with object-based attention and aims to distinguish between two different hypotheses regarding the representations available to the inhibitory mechanisms of object-based selection. According to the global structure hypothesis, inhibitory mechanisms of selection operate over representations that do not have access to object-internal structural properties, such as surface boundaries. According to the local structure hypothesis, inhibitory selection mechanisms operate over representations that do make explicit object-internal structure. The second issue addressed in this thesis concerns the nature of object-shape representations that object-based inhibitory mechanisms operate over. Two candidate shape primitives, surfaces and volumetric components, are examined in order to ascertain whether they modulate object-based attention. These issues are addressed using the inhibition of return (IOR) paradigm (Posner & Cohen, 1984), which has previously been used to examine object-based attention (e. g. Tipper, Driver & Weaver, 199 1). The two aforementioned hypotheses make contrasting predictions about the modulation of object-based IOR by objectinternal structure. The global structure hypothesis predicts that object-based IOR should not be modulated by the object's internal structural properties, irrespective of changes in the object's internal structure. In contrast, the local structure hypothesis predicts that object internal structure will modulate the magnitude of object-based IOR. 2 The results raise a number of interesting issues. First, they show that objectbased IOR is modulated by internal discontinuities in object structure. Second, objectbased IOR operates over representations that make explicit surface properties of volumetric forms. Third, the effect is attenuated when cues and targets appear on the same surface of an object, relative to when the cue and target are separated by an internal structural discontinuity. These findings are consistent with the local structure hypothesis for objectbased attentional selection and provide new evidence (a) to suggest that inhibitory mechanisms of selection can operate over shape representations that make explicit infonnation about object internal structure, (b) about the surface-based nature of these mental representations, (c) to posit new constraints on hypotheses about the distribution of facilitation and inhibition in object-based attention.

Limestone is a raw material in the cement and quicklime industry and knowledge about limestone characteristics can help improve and optimize production processes. In the end this can lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions from the industry. In this project X-ray tomography (XRT) was used to examine limestone samples. The aim was to determine if XRT, including synchrotron-based XRT, is a reliablemethod to determine porosity, pore structure and internal distributions of pores and pyrite (FeS2) grains in limestone. The aim also included to determine if XRT could be used to resolve material variations, fine-grained and larger crystals in limestone. In total, there were ten limestone samples and the performed XRT was done by Advanced Light Source (ALS) in Berkeley, California and by Luleå University of Technology. A brief comparison between ALS and Luleå was also done by inspectingsamples that have been through XRT at both facilities. The main software used foranalysis was Avizo v.9.2.0. The results showed that XRT is a suitable method for determining porosity and pore distribution. Interactive thresholding was used in Avizo for measuring porosity. The porosity was determined as a single value and as a narrow range, where a narrow range was more reliable. XRT was also found to be a suitable method for visually determining a variety of textures within the samples. Areas with different materials(such as dolomite) and/or newly-formed crystals were visually distinguishable but individual newly-formed crystals were not as clear when compared to scanning electron microscopy. Individual older fine-grained and larger crystals were hard to resolve. Internal distributions in 3D of both pores and pyrite grains were possible to obtain with XRT. The analysis of internal distributions was found to be a clear advantage with the method of XRT. The equivalent diameter of pores and pyrite grains was also measured and plotted in histograms. The XRT performed at ALS had higher resolution than the XRT performed in Luleå (0.65 vs 2 μm). Lower resolution over-estimated the average equivalent diameter of pores, and boundaries of pores and cavities were harder to see. Therefore, the higher resolution from ALS was preferable. These results contribute to understanding limestone characteristics.

This research aimed at exploring the quality assurance and assessment models used for English First Additional language (EFAL) in the Further Education and Training (FET) band especially in Grade 10. It examined various quality assurance models used by grade 10 educators in designing the assessment tasks, with specific reference to EFAL. This study adopted the industry based SABS ISO 9004-2 conceptual framework. This conceptual framework ensures that the task to be performed and the objectives to be achieved are clearly spelt out, including how they affect quality. A qualitative research approach was used, specifically a case study. Convenient sampling was used to select the three participant of this study, namely; two EFAL educators and one Head of Department (HoD). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis and research journal, and triangulated to support the conclusion and to make the findings more reliable. The main research question of the study was: To what extent do English First Additional Language (EFAL) educators employ quality assurance measures in their assessment. In order to fully explore the quality assurance measures employed in EFAL assessment tasks, four sub- research questions were envisaged in this study. The following themes emerged from the data collected: assessment of EFAL, quality of the assessment tasks, assessment challenges as well as internal moderation. With regard to assessment of EFAL the results of the study indicated that educators have minimal level of skill to construct high quality assessment tasks due to poor understanding of OBA and the terminology associated with OBA. As a result, they resorted to prescribed portfolio assessment tasks as dominant form of assessment. The study also found that the quality of such assessment tasks is below the expected standard as Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards are the major quality assurance measures utilized. Furthermore the study revealed that challenges such as overcrowding and shortage of learner support material are the inhibiting factors towards development and implementation of quality assessment tasks. The study further revealed that moderation of those Grade 10 portfolio assessment tasks which occur at school level by the HoD, focused mainly on the accuracy of mark transfer from the learner’s script to the mark sheets rather than on the quality of the assessment task. The study further revealed a corroboration of concepts used in the conceptual framework based on the SABS ISO 9004-2, as educators do not have acceptable level of establishing quality structure or measures for effective control, evaluation and improvement of service quality throughout all stages of learning and assessment. The difficulty was attributed to educator’s lack of knowledge with regard quality assurance mechanisms, assessment and the terminology associated with Outcomes Based Assessment. Copyright
Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
unrestricted

My study is informed by a partnership initiated between Gun Free South Africa and the Department of Education (District Tshwane South) with the concern of addressing violence in schools. Schools are often seen as professionalised and distant from their local communities. Learners belong to the very communities that are distanced from the school. They bring to school the unresolved issues from their families and interpersonal relations within the community. The study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of violence by a school community and how they cope with it. The study was informed by a qualitative and instrumental case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. Furthermore, the study was guided by an integrated conceptual framework derived from an asset-based and ecosystemic model, coping theories and the management system adapted from Babbie (2001). To address this I incorporated a variety of strategies such as interviews, collages, timeline and concept mapping through which a crystallisation of data could be obtained. I also used informal observations and visual data as additional data generating methods. Through a thematic analysis approach the study reveal the existence of violence as a challenge to the school community, and impacts directly or indirectly to their well-being. The study has further indicated that the perpetrators are known to the victims. The findings of the study suggest that on the basis of the integrated conceptual framework support structures could be mobilized, building partnerships between local schools and the community to provide a firm foundation for educational renewal and community regeneration and to contribute directly to the strengthening and development of the school community. The information gathered might also assist policy developers in developing support and intervention programmes for the restoration of school safety. Copyright
Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Educational Psychology
MEd
unrestricted

Las exigentes tolerancias de alineación en los componentes de los futuros colisionadores lineales de partículas requieren el desarrollo de nuevas técnicas de alineación más precisas que las existentes. Este es el caso del Colisionador Lineal Compacto (Compact Linear Collider, CLIC), cuyos objetivos altamente restrictivos de alineamiento alcanzan los 10 um. Para poder lograr el máximo rendimiento del acelerador, es necesario que el posicionamiento de las estructuras que aceleran las partículas y de los campos que las guían cumplan las tolerancias de alineación para dirigir el haz a lo largo de la trayectoria diseñada. Dicho procedimiento consiste en relacionar la posición de los ejes de referencia de cada componente con respecto a objetos externos, o fiduciales, lo cual resulta muy tedioso y económicamente costoso. Los errores sistemáticos y aleatorios se van acumulando en cada paso del proceso y, en consecuencia, la precisión final de alineamiento es todo un desafío. En este contexto, nace el proyecto PACMAN (Particle Accelerator Components Metrology and Alignment to the Nanometre scale), subvencionado por la Unión Europea en el programa FP7 de financiación para la investigación e innovación. El objetivo principal de PACMAN es investigar, desarrollar e implementar una solución integrada alternativa que incorpore todos los pasos de alineación en una misma ubicación, con el objetivo de mejorar la precisión de alineación de los componentes de los aceleradores, en concreto: las estructuras aceleradoras, los cuadrupolos y los monitores de posición de haz. La viabilidad de las soluciones desarrolladas y la precisión de alineamiento alcanzada deben de demostrarse en un banco de pruebas utilizando componentes de CLIC. La estrategia de PACMAN para alcanzar el objetivo técnico se divide en tres pasos. El primero consiste en la fiducialización de los componentes y sus soportes. El segundo paso es el ensamblaje de los componentes en dos tipos de soporte, uno compuesto por un monitor de posición de haz y un cuadrupolo, y otro con cuatro estructuras aceleradoras, tomando como referencia su centro electromagnético. Finalmente, ambos soportes se transportan al túnel para su alineación final utilizando técnicas de hilos tensados. En esta tesis doctoral, se describe el desarrollo de una nueva técnica no destructiva para localizar los ejes electromagnéticos de estructuras aceleradoras y su validación experimental. Para ello, se ha utilizado una estructura aceleradora de CLIC conocida como TD24. Debido a la complejidad mecánica de la TD24, su difícil acceso y su diámetro medio de iris de 5.5 mm, se desarrolla una nueva técnica denominada en esta tesis como 'el método perturbativo' y se realiza una propuesta experimental de validación. El estudio de viabilidad de este método, cumpliendo con los requisitos impuestos de precisión en la medida de 10 um, ha sido realizado con una campaña extensa de simulaciones de campos electromagnéticos en tres dimensiones utilizando la herramienta de software conocida como HFSS. Los resultados de simulación han permitido el desarrollo de un algoritmo muy completo de medidas y han proporcionado las especificaciones técnicas para el diseño conceptual de un banco de pruebas para la medida de los ejes electromagnéticos de la TD24. El preciso ensamblaje del banco de pruebas y sus correspondientes calibraciones, la incorporación de nuevos tratamientos de las medidas en el algoritmo final y la caracterización de fuentes de error en la medida, favorecieron la localización del centro electromagnético en la TD24 con una precisión menor a 1 um con un error estimado menor que 8.5 um, cumplimiendo con los objetivos de precisión establecidos.
In the next generation of linear particle accelerators, challenging alignment tolerances are required in the positioning of the components focusing, accelerating and detecting the beam over the accelerator length in order to achieve the maximum machine performance. In the case of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC), accelerating structures, beam position monitors and quadrupole magnets need to be aligned in their support with respect to their reference axes with an accuracy of 10 um. To reach such objective, the PACMAN (Particle Accelerator Components Metrology and Alignment to the Nanometer Scale) project strives for the improvement of the current alignment accuracy by developing new methods and tools, whose feasibility should be validated using the major CLIC components. This Ph.D. thesis concerns the investigation, development and implementation of a new non-destructive intracavity technique, referenced here as 'the perturbative method', to determine the electromagnetic axes of accelerating structures by means of a stretched wire, acting as a reference of alignment. Of particular importance is the experimental validation of the method through the 5.5 mm iris-mean aperture CLIC prototype known as TD24, with complex mechanical features and difficult accessibility, in a dedicated test bench. In the first chapter of this thesis, the alignment techniques in particle accelerators and the novel proposals to be implemented in the future linear colliders are introduced, and a detailed description of the PACMAN project is provided. The feasibility study of the method, carried out with extensive electromagnetic fields simulations, is described in chapter 2, giving as a result, the knowledge of the theoretical accuracy expected in the measurement of the electromagnetic axes and facilitating the development of a measurement algorithm. The conceptual design, manufacturing and calibration of the automated experimental set-up, integrating the solution developed to measure the electromagnetic axes of the TD24, are covered in chapter 3. The future lines of research and developments of the perturbative method are also explored. In chapter 4, the most significant results obtained from an extensive experimental work are presented, analysed and compared with simulations. The proof-of-principle is completed, the measurement algorithm is optimised and the electromagnetic centre is measured in the TD24 with a precision less than 1 um and an estimated error less than 8.5 um. Finally, in chapter 5, the developments undertaken along this research work are summarised, the innovative achievements accomplished within the PACMAN project are listed and its impact is analysed.
En la generació pròxima d'acceleradors de partícules lineals, desafiant toleràncies d'alineament és requerit en el posicionament dels components que enfoquen, accelerant i detectant la biga sobre la longitud d'accelerador per tal d'aconseguir l'actuació de màquina màxima. En el cas del Colisionador Compacte Lineal (CLIC), accelerant estructures, monitors de posició de fes i imants necessiten ser alineats en el seu suport amb respectar a les seves destrals de referència amb una precisió de 10 um. Per assolir tal objectiu, el PACMAN (Metrologia de Components de l'Accelerador de partícules i Alineament al Nanometer Escala) projecte s'esforça per la millora de l'actual precisió d'alineament per mètodes nous en desenvolupament i eines, la viabilitat dels quals hauria de ser validada utilitzant els components de CLIC importants. Aquesta tesi concerneix la investigació, desenvolupament i implementació d'un nou no-destructiu tècnica interna, va referenciar ací mentre 'el mètode de pertorbació' per determinar les destrals electromagnètiques d'accelerar estructures mitjançant un cable estès, actuant com a referència d'alineament. De la importància particular és la validació experimental del mètode a través del 5.5 mm iris-roí obertura prototipus de CLIC sabut com TD24, amb característiques mecàniques complexes i accessibilitat difícil, en un banc de prova dedicat. En el primer capítol d'aquesta tesi, les tècniques d'alineament en acceleradors de partícules i les propostes novelles per ser implementades en el futur colisionador lineal és introduït, i una descripció detallada del projecte PACMAN és proporcionat. L'estudi de viabilitat el mètode de pertorbació, va dur a terme amb simulacres de camps electromagnètics extensos, és descrit dins capitol 2, donant com a resultat, el coneixement de la precisió teòrica esperada en la mida de les destrals electromagnètiques i facilitant el desenvolupament d'un algoritme de mida. El disseny conceptual, fabricació i calibratge del conjunt experimental automatitzat-amunt, integrant la solució desenvolupada per mesurar les destrals electromagnètiques del TD24, és cobert dins capitol 3. Les línies futures de recerca i desenvolupaments del mètode és també va explorar. Dins capitol 4, la majoria de resultats significatius van obtenir d'una faena experimental extensa és presentada, analitzat i comparat amb simulacres. La prova-de-el principi és completat, l'algoritme de mida és optimitzat i el centre electromagnètic és mesurat en el TD24 amb una precisió menys d'1 um i un error calculat menys de 8.5 um. Finalment, dins capitol 5, els desenvolupaments empresos al llarg d'aquesta faena de recerca és resumit, les consecucions innovadores van acomplir dins del projecte PACMAN és llistat i el seu impacte és analitzat.
Galindo Muñoz, N. (2018). Development of direct measurement techniques for the in-situ internal alignment of accelerating structures [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/100488
TESIS

Stimuli-responsive microgels are a unique class of polymer structures which can undergo a fast response to an external trigger such as light, temperature or pH. It provides a wide potential application spectrum in optical devices, smart surface coatings, emulsion stabilisation etc. The most prominent example of these microgels are poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAM) microgels. During the last decades PNIPAM-based microgels were widely studied and serve nowadays as model systems for the investigation of the basic properties of microgels and the principles of supported transport of active substances, e.g. drug delivery. The responsive behaviour of the microgels is governed by the polymer network structure, i.e. the crosslinking of the polymer chains has a considerable influence on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the microgels. Especially the amount and the crosslinker distribution within a single microgel have a high relevance for the application as well as for the understanding of the microgel nature. This thesis focuses on a detailed analysis of microgels in solution and at interfaces with scattering experiments. Neutron and X-ray scattering provide a unique insight into the structure and dynamics of microgels, especially at the interface with grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering and neutron spin-echo spectroscopy (GISANS and GINSES). New insights into the inner structure and dynamics have been gained with improved experimental conditions and data analysis. This thesis is divided into the two main parts. In order to characterise the internal structure and dynamics of the PNIPAM microgels with respect to the crosslinker (N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide), BIS) distribution, sophisticated analysis of the internal microgel (domain-like) structure and studies of its influence on the polymer dynamics in nanometer and nanosecond scales are presented in the first part of the thesis. In the context of smart polymer coatings, the influence of the confinement to the solid surface on the internal architecture and the thermoresponsiveness of the adsorbed PNIPAM microgels is investigated. It is shown that in contrast to the atomic force microscopy, the inhomogeneities of the polymer network of the adsorbed soft microgels can be achieved with surface sensitive neutron reflectometry and GISANS. The second part of the thesis aims at the peculiarities of the scattering experiments of thin polymer layers under grazing incidence conditions. Simulation of the scattering signal within the Distorted Wave Born Approximation is presented in order to improve the analysis of the GINSES data and to simplify the initial planing and performance of the grazing incidence experiments. The main impacts of this thesis are (i) an extended description of the complex internal structure, dynamics and the thermoresponsiveness of the PNIPAM microgel before and after adsorption onto a solid surface and (ii) demonstration the advantages of the investigation of the polymer systems at grazing incidence conditions in combination with numerical simulations.

abstract: National assessment data indicate that the large majority of students in America perform below expected proficiency levels in the area of writing. Given the importance of writing skills, this is a significant problem. Curriculum-based measurement, when used for progress monitoring and intervention planning, has been shown to lead to improved academic achievement. However, researchers have not yet been able to establish the validity of curriculum-based measures of writing (CBM-W). This study examined the structural validity of CBM-W using exploratory factor analysis. The participants for this study were 253 third, 154 seventh, and 154 tenth grade students. Each participant completed a 3-minute writing sample in response to a narrative prompt. The writing samples were scored for fifteen different CBM-W indices. Separate analyses were conducted for each grade level to examine differences in the CBM-W construct across grade levels. Due to extreme multicollinearity, principal components analysis rather than common factor analysis was used to examine the structure of writing as measured by CBM-W indices. The overall structure of CBM-W indices was found to remain stable across grade levels. In all cases a three-component solution was supported, with the components being labeled production, accuracy, and sentence complexity. Limitations of the study and implications for progress monitoring with CBM-W are discussed, including the recommendation for a combination of variables that may provide more reliable and valid measurement of the writing construct.
Dissertation/Thesis
Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2012

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
化學工程系
87
Abstract The effect of nine acrylate-based low profile additives (LPA) with different chemical structure and molecular weight on the volume shrinkage characteristic and internal pigmentability and mechanical properties for the low-shrink unsaturated polyester resin (UP) after the cure were investigated .The experimental results have been explained by phase characteristics of the ternary styrene/UP/LPA system , cured sample morphology , and the volume fraction of microvoid formation during the cure . (Keywords : low-profile additives (LPA) ; unsaturated polyester resin (UP) ; volume shrinkage;pigmentability ; mechanical properties)

碩士
國立台灣工業技術學院
化學工程技術研究所
85
The effect of five thermoplastic polyurethane(PU)-based low profile additives(LPA) with different chemical structure and molecular weight on the volume shrinkage chacteristics, internal pigmentability and mechanical properties for three low-chrink unsaturated polyester resin(UP) based on maleic anhydride(MA)- propylene glycol(PG), MA-PG-PA(phthalic anhydride), and MA-PG- IPA(isophthalic acid) types of UP respectively after the cure were investigated. The experimental results have been explained by phase chactistics of the ternary styrene/UP/LPA, reaction conversion, cured sample morphology, volume fraction of microvoid, and the composition change in the continuous crosslinked polyester phase as a result of phase separation during the cure.

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Psicologia apresentada à Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação
Over the past few decades, several investigations have shown interest in research and understanding of the executive system. The term executive functions is used as a general construct to characterize a set of cognitive functions that comprise several distinct subcomponents, and whose efficient performance is crucial for the control of thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Executive functions depend on the maturation of the frontal lobes of the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, although they also involve the parietals, knowing that the front parietal network is strongly associated with it.This exploratory study had as main purpose to contribute to the validation of an executive functions inventory for the Portuguese population, namely, The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Second Edition: Teacher Form (BRIEF-2; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2015).Precision analyzes were performed through the study of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), based on a sample of 114 children and adolescents.The results obtained revealed the good psychometric properties of this instrument in terms of internal consistency, presenting very good values. Regarding the structure of the instrument, the original study´s structure was not replicated, and it was found that the factorial model that is more adequate is constituted, not by three, but by two factors: Cognitive Regulation Index (Factor 1) and Behavior Regulation Index + Emotion Regulation Index (Factor 2), which explains 79.19% of the total variance.In conclusion, the results found in this exploratory study, especially in regards to internal consistency, reveal psychometric robustness and indicate that BRIEF-2, Teacher Form, may be a good option for the study of executive functions in Portuguese children and young people, between 6 and 18 years old.
Ao longo das últimas décadas, diversas investigações têm demonstrado interesse pela pesquisa e compreensão do sistema executivo. O termo funções executivas é utilizado como um construto geral para caraterizar um conjunto de funções cognitivas que comportam vários subcomponentes distintos, e cujo desempenho eficiente é crucial para o controlo de pensamentos, comportamentos e emoções. As funções executivas dependem da maturação dos lobos frontais do cérebro, sobretudo, do córtex pré-frontal, embora também envolvam os lobos parietais, sabendo-se que a rede frontoparietal lhe está fortemente associada.Este estudo exploratório teve como principal objetivo contribuir para a validação de um inventário de funções executivas para a população Portuguesa, designadamente, o Inventário de Avaliação Comportamental de Funções Executivas - 2ª Edição: versão para Professores (BRIEF-2, The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Second Edition; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2015).Foram realizadas análises no âmbito da precisão através do estudo da consistência interna (alfa de Cronbach) e da validade de construto (análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória), com base numa amostra composta por 114 crianças e adolescentes.Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram as boas propriedades psicométricas deste instrumento ao nível da consistência interna, observando-se valores muito bons. Relativamente à estrutura do instrumento, não foi replicada a do estudo original, tendo-se constatado que o modelo fatorial que melhor se adequa é constituído, não por três, mas sim por dois fatores: Índice de Regulação Cognitiva (Fator 1) e Índice de Regulação Comportamental + Índice de Regulação Emocional (Fator 2), que explicam 79.19% da variância total.Concluindo, os resultados observados neste estudo exploratório, principalmente no que se refere à consistência interna, revelam robustez psicométrica e indicam que o BRIEF-2, versão para Professores, poderá ser uma boa escolha para o estudo das funções executivas nas crianças e jovens portugueses, com idades compreendidas entre os 6 e os 18 anos.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
化學工程技術研究所
86
The effects of five vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymerbased low profile additives (LPA)with defferent chemical structrue and molecular weight, including poly(vinyl actetate)(PVAc),poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate)(VC-VAc) and poly (vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate-co -maleic anhydride)(VC-VAc-MA),on the volume shrinkage characteristics,internal pigmentability and mechanical properties for three low-shrink unsaturated polyester resin (UP)based on maleic anhydride(MA)-propyleneglycol(PG),MA-PG-PA(phthalic anhydride),and MA-PG-IPA(isophghalic acid)types of UP respectively after the cure were investigated. The experimental results have been explained by phase characteristics of the ternary styrene/UP/LPA, reaction conversion, cured sample morphology, volume fraction of microvoid, and the composition change in the continuous crosslinked polyester phase as a result of phase separation during the cure.