This dissertation is concerned with studying liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), and investigating applications. The mechanisms that govern the photo-induced strain in the liquid crystal are studied using a series of experiments ...

Substance abuse has severe implications for individuals, families, and communities. Contingency management (CM) is an empirically validated treatment for drug abuse and is an effective component of treatments for many types ...

Low frequency sound propagates in the ocean within awave guide, formed by the confining effects oftemperature, salinity and pressure on the sound speed.This wave guide enables long range acoustic propagation upwards of ...

A recent bio-analytical application for ambient pressure ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IMMS) is the separation, detection, and identification of metabolites in complex biological matrices for the field of metabolomics. ...

Water has been described as the “universal solvent� because of its ability to dissolve many substances and its ubiquitous nature. The nature and properties of water as a solvent have been well studied. The main impetus for ...

This dissertation research tests macroevolutionary hypotheses in a large vertebrate group (Reptilia: Serpentes), and detects methodological problems of using molecular data to test macroevolutionary hypotheses. The first ...

Rise of the Earth's average air temperatures observed since the mid 20th century has been attributed to increase concentrations of green house gases (GHG) -- carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) -- ...

Drug courts seek to provide a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing the complex intersection of defendant addiction and crime that plagues the court system. Under the layers of activity and services that ...

The Latina/o population makes up the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Unfortunately, the Latina/o population also experiences higher rates of poverty in comparison to other ethnic groups (U.S. Census ...

The purpose of this study was to determine if the National Board Teacher Certification (NBTC) process was an effective form of professional development for teachers that would result in changing teachers' instructional ...