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BackgroundPrior research reported that motivational beliefs that individuals attach to specific tasks predict continuing interest and persistence in the task. A motivational approach may be particularly useful for understanding undergraduate students’ engagement with research in their first and second years in college. The current study utilizes the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation to qualitatively explore how much and in what ways early year undergraduate researchers value their research experience and what kinds of costs they associate with it.ResultsThe results revealed that intrinsic value had the highest expression in participants’ motivation to engage in research. The second most expressed value type was the utility value of undergraduate research with regards to obtaining the desired outcomes, and attainment value played the least important role in participants’ motivation to engage in research. Findings also indicated that some of the participants associated a cost(s) to their research experience. The highest mentioned perceived cost was opportunity cost, where participants commented on losing other valued alternatives when engaging in research. Participants commented on the time, effort, or amount of work needed to engage in research, and a few participants commented on the emotional cost associated with their research experience in terms of the fear of failure.ConclusionAs perceived cost is the least studied in the expectancy-value framework, this study contributes to cost values within college students, particularly about early year undergraduate researchers. The findings of this study can form the basis for future work on exploring ways to increase the values and decrease the costs students experience in their undergraduate research experiences.

First published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Principles of Generative Phonology is a basic, thorough introduction to phonological theory and practice. It aims to provide a firm foundation in the theory of distinctive features, phonological rules and rule ordering, which is essential to be able to appreciate recent developments and discussions in phonological theory.Chapter 1 is a review of phonetics; chapter 2 discusses contrast and distribution, with emphasis on rules as the mechanism for describing distributions; chapter 3 introduces distinctive features, natural classes, and redundancy; chapter 4 builds on the concept of rules and shows how these can account for alternations; chapter 5 demonstrates the use of rule ordering; chapter 6 discusses abstractness and underlying representations; chapter 7 discusses post-SPE developments, serving as a prelude to more advanced texts.Each chapter includes exercises to guide the student in the application of the principles introduced in that chapter and to encourage thinking about theoretical issues. The text has been classroom tested.

A self-contained and lively text prepared in response to a perceived need for an up-to-date introduction to the field of morphology within the framework of generative grammar. The material is presented in the framework of the lexicalist hypothesis of Chomsky (1970), but also taking in the more recent development of lexicalist phonology and morphology in the works of Paul Kiparsky and others. Other approaches are recognized, but the use of one unified, consistent theory pushed to its limit makes for a better student text. Each chapter includes a list of terms, of further reading, and a number of exercises. The volume is completed by an index.

This is a general discussion of the phonology of English within the frameworks of lexical, metrical, and prosodic phonology. It not only presents a synthesis of current approaches but also reconciles their discrepancies and presents critical commentary. There is a discussion of current theories, segment and syllable structure, stress, and prosodic categories and their role in determining the application of segmental rules. Two chapters discuss lexical phonology as divided into a cyclic and a postcyclic stratum, while the final chapter discusses postlexical phonology and some other approaches.The book includes exercises and can be used as an undergraduate or graduate textbook; at the same time, it is a valuable research tool for phonologists.

This dissertation investigates the use of nonlinear optical chromophores, typically with strong second-order nonlinearities, for sensing applications in biological systems. The two main areas of focus, in terms of biological sensing, are the two-photon excited fluorescent sensing of metal ions in biological environments and the sensing of transmembrane potentials, such as an action potential in a neuron. The metal ion sensing work can be broken down into two major approaches. First, a calcium ion sensitive dye with a donor-π-donor-binding domain architecture was synthesized in excellent yield by sequential Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions. This chromophore, BAPTA-bisstyrylbenzene (BAPTA-BSB), shows a strong two-photon absorbance (2PA) cross-section of about 400 GM. The second major phase of the metal ion sensing work is the investigation of the effects of surface charge on the sensing efficacy of chromophore with a donor-π-acceptor-binding domain architecture, which is sensitive to zinc ions. This chromophore, called SL-35, was synthesized by Dr. Sumalekshmy in Professor Christoph Fahrni’s research group. The architecture of SL-35 was purposefully designed, such that the binding of the zinc ion increases the acceptor strength of the acceptor, resulting in an increase in the charge transfer and the 2PA cross-section. This increase in acceptor strength also results in redshifted absorbance and fluorescence spectra, allowing for ratiometric sensing. The sensitivity of SL-35 was assessed in micelles of varying surface charge: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) – positive, Triton-X – neutral, and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) – negative. Zn(II) titrations of SL-35 encapsulated in micelles of the three surfactants listed above, demonstrate the surface charge affects the sensing efficacy of the chromophore. In SDS micelles, the negative charge of the micelle acts to increase the sensitivity of SL-35 toward Zn(II) ions, while CTAB micelles diminish its sensitivity. The observed results can be explained by the electrostatic interactions between the micelles and the zinc cations. The CTAB micelles repel the similarly charged metal ions, while the SDS micelles attract the oppositely charged ions. The investigation of neural circuitry has become a very important to the medical field over the last few decades. The action potential was first described as a rapid reorganization of ions across a neuronal membrane in 1945. Though the phenomenon has been measured and described, the understanding of the communications between neurons in a network is lacking. Our approach to this problem is based on second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. SHG is well suited to sensing transmembrane potentials because it offers the distinct advantage of being sensitive to an external electric field. The maximization of SHG sensitivity is investigated by two main approaches. First, the use of cyanine dyes seems counterintuitive for SHG applications as they have minimal second order nonlinearities. That said, the maximal change in SHG signal in response to an electric field occurs where the signal is at its smallest. Second, the scaling behavior of the ratio of the third-order () to the second-order (β) nonlinearities increases with the length of a strongly dipolar chromophore. The SHG sensitivity is directly proportional to the ratio of γ/β. A series of strong merocyanines of varying length and acceptor strength were used to investigate this scaling behavior. The SHG sensitivity of both sets of chromophores was estimated by three methods. First the static nonlinearities were used to investigate the completely electrooptic components of SHG based on the ratio of γ/β. Second, the field-dependent second-order nonlinearities were used to estimate the SHG sensitivity. The field was changed by varying the solvent, evoking the Onsager reaction field. These fields changes are significantly larger that of an action potential. Finally, the SHG sensitivity was estimated by measuring the change in response of target chromophores encapsulated in phosphatidyl choline vesicles. The potential was created by varying the potassium ion concentration inside and outside of the vesicles. The introduction of a potassium ions – specific ionophore allowed for the generation of a transmembrane potential. Through these methods, we see significant SHG sensitivities of more than a 25% change per 100 mV of field change in several of the merocyanines studied as well as an azaazulene-based cyanine. These results suggest that the optimization of SHG sensitivity can occur using both approaches taken.

Notes that outdated teaching practices and assessment strategies thrive in spite of research findings suggesting more effective alternatives. Argues that action research is a promising solution to this problem, seeking answers to classroom-based problems and issues. Uses a sports-coaching metaphor to examine a five-step model of action research. Provides an example. Notes benefits of action research and requirements for success. (SR)

The perpetrators of the bank note fraud in Portugal in the mid-1920s in effect attempted to gain control of the country's financial system. They did so by arranging a \"private\" supply of \"genuine\" notes from the London printers for the Portuguese Central Bank. One result of the collapse of the scheme was a massive contractual claim by the Bank of Portugal against the English company, unwitting accomplices in the cabal. The question before the English courts was the measure of the Bank's loss, and it is argued that, as a consequence of the courts' failure to appreciate the real issues involved, the final decision brought the plaintiff unwarranted success.