Geckos are famous for the skill of switchable adhesion that they use to stick on various surface while keep their fingers super clean. In the dissertation, a unique mechanism was discovered to explain gecko self-cleaning phenomena. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we managed to compare the microparticle-substrate adhesion and the microparticle-seta adhesion with a single seta bonded to the AFM cantilever. A dynamic effect was approved that high pulling-off speed could increase the microparticle-substrate adhesion and thus the self-cleaning appears at high moving speed. Based on the self-cleaning theory, a gecko-inspired N-doped graphene surface with switchable adhesion was achieved, which was designed into a bio-inspired micromanipulator with a success rate over 90%. When electrical bias was applied on this biomimetic surface, the charge concentration induced an electrical double layer (ELD) on the convex surfaces, which attracts polar water molecules to form a water bridge on it, significantly enhancing the adhesion on the wrinkled graphene surface, mimicking the capillary force on beetle feet. Therefore, the bio-inspired adhesive surface can be controlled with speed, electrical bias, humidity and different material surfaces. The water attraction phenomenon on the polarized surface was further tested for the potential application of water collection and evaporation in …

In this dissertation, we present a number of studies that primarily focus on data movement challenges among different types of memories (viz., 3D-DRAM, DDRx DRAM and NVM) employed together as a flat-address heterogeneous memory system. We introduce two different hardware-based techniques for prefetching data from slow off-chip phase change memory (PCM) to fast on-chip memories. The prefetching techniques efficiently fetch data from PCM and place that data into processor-resident or 3D-DRAM-resident buffers without putting high demand on bandwidth and provide significant performance improvements. Next, we explore different page migration techniques for flat-address memory systems which differ in when to migrate pages (i.e., periodically or instantaneously) and how to manage the migrations (i.e., OS-based or hardware-based approach). In the first page migration study, we present several epoch-based page migration policies for different organizations of flat-address memories consisting of two (2-level) and three (3-level) types of memory modules. These policies have resulted in significant energy savings. In the next page migration study, we devise an efficient "on-the-fly'" page migration technique which migrates a page from slow PCM to fast 3D-DRAM whenever it receives a certain number of memory accesses without waiting for any specific time interval. Furthermore, we present a light-weight hardware-assisted …

Styrene production by a (FlDAB)PdII(TFA)(η2-C2H4) complex was modeled using density functional theory (DFT). Benzene C-H activation by this complex was studied via five mechanisms: oxidative addition/reductive elimination, sigma-bond metathesis, concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD), CMD activation of ethylene, and benzene substitution of ethylene followed by CMD of the ligated benzene. Calculations provided evidence that conversion of benzene and ethylene to styrene was initiated by the fifth pathway, arylation via CMD of coordinated benzene, followed by ethylene insertion into the Ru-Ph bond, and then β-hydrogen elimination. Also, monomer (active species)/dimer equilibrium concentrations were analyzed. The results obtained from present study were compared with that of a recently reported RhI complex to help identify more suitable catalysts for the direct production of styrene from ethylene and benzene. Second, theoretical studies of heterobimetallic {Ag–Fe(CO)5}+ fragments were performed in conjunction with experiments. The computational models suggested that for this first example of a heterodinuclear, metal-only FeAg Lewis pair (MOLP) that Fe(CO)5 acts as a Lewis base and AgI as a Lewis acid. The ῡCO bands of the studied molecules showed a blue shift relative to those measured for free Fe(CO)5, which indicated a reduction in Fe→CO backbonding upon coordination to silver(I). Electrostatic interaction is predicted …

The Dallas Morning News is a leader in using engagement journalism to increase and retain digital subscribers. This ethnography examined the efficacy of the engagement journalism work by the News in rebuilding trust and forming relationships with its audience. This research is exceptionally timely as more newsrooms are erecting paywalls to their content and asking their audiences to offer monetary support in exchange for greater access and engagement by journalists. This work is examined through two mass communications theories: functionalism, which says a society can be viewed like an ecosystem as a "system in balance" consisting of complex sets of interrelated activities, each of which supports the others in maintaining the system as a whole; and the dual responsibility model, which says that companies should operate in the best interests of all in the community who depend on them, not only those who benefit financially. Additionally, the work is considered from a human-interaction design standpoint to evaluate whether the News has created affordances that enable the journalists and the readers to communicate, and whether the journalists are effectively practicing service design when publishing news and information for the audience.

While a growing body of literature in the field of criminal justice documents the relationship between victimization and offending, only recently has this knowledge been applied to the study of intimate partner violence (IPV). Accordingly, questions remain with regard to the theoretical origins of mutual violence between intimates. In an effort to fill this void in the literature, the current study examines the etiology of moderate forms of mutual IPV, specifically assessing self-control theory's applicability to the victim-offender overlap in IPV. Data were obtained from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to investigate whether low self-control at Wave I predicts IPV victimization, IPV offending, or both IPV victimization and offending at Wave IV. The present study extends prior literature examining the role of self-control in IPV by (1) investigating the influence of self-control on the victim-offender overlap in IPV, (2) using longitudinal data, and (3) utilizing a sample of U.S. adults ages 24 to 33. While low self-control was found to significantly predict IPV offending and the overlap in IPV victimization and offending, low self-control failed to significantly predict IPV victimization. Policy implications, study limitations, and directions for future research …

This paper examined how users navigated between other collections within the UNT IR, as well as within the UNT DL. Through this examination, we observed patterns between how users navigated between objects, understood which collections may have related to one another, examined why some unique items were used more than others, and viewed the average number of items used within a session

This presentation focuses on the faculty mentoring program for librarians at the University of North Texas. They used validated instruments to ensure the quality of the program. It was presented at the Texas Association for Higher Education Assessment Conference in 2019.

This is a section of The Sustainable Library's Cookbook, which is a collection of sustainable activities for academic libraries. This particular section explores sustainable practices in the Access Services Department at the University of North Texas.

This report documents the Making Digital Collections A/V Materials Accessible project which sought to learn about and initially address accessibility compliance issues, specifically related to A/V materials in the UNT digital collections. The final report briefly describes the project scope, activities, budget, outcomes, best practices, and project continuity.

Presentation on the topic of microcard digitization presented at the annual meeting for the Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL). This presentation discusses the opaque microcard format and a project conducted by the UNT Libraries to produce high-quality digital files from the format.

Presentation delivered at the Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL) annual meeting held in Denton, Texas. This presentation discusses the digitization of microfiche as part of the technical report digitization activities at the UNT Libraries.

Presentation delivered at the Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL) annual meeting held in Denton, Texas. This presentation discusses the metadata cleanup activities for the collection of technical reports from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which is hosted by the UNT Libraries for TRAIL.

Presentation given at the Preservation and Archiving Special Interest Group (PASIG) conference 2019 held in Mexico City, Mexico. This presentation discusses the Texas Digital Newspaper Program (TDNP) at the UNT Libraries and the process to enhance the sustainability of the program.

C-lignin (caffeyl-lignin) is a novel linear lignin polymer found in the seed coats of several non-crop plants, notably Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla), Jatropha Curcas (Jatropha), and Cleome hassleriana (Cleome). C-lignin has several advantages over normal G/S-lignin, found in the majority of lignocellulosic biomass, for valorization in the context of bioprocessing: less cross-linking to cell wall polysaccharides (less recalcitrant biomass), ordered linkages between monomers (homogeneous polymer), and no branching points (linear polymer). These properties make C-lignin an attractive replacement for native lignin in lignocellulosic biomass crops. The seed coats of Cleome hassleriana (Cleome) synthesize G-lignin during early seed maturation, then switch to synthesis of C-lignin during late maturation. This switch to C-lignin in Cleome seed coats is accompanied by loss of caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activities, along with changes in transcript abundance of several lignin related genes. The focus of this research thesis is to understand the biochemical changes leading to C-lignin deposition in Cleome hassleriana seed coats, and to explore the ability of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings to polymerize caffeyl alcohol to C-lignin. In this thesis, candidate transcripts were implicated in C-lignin biosynthesis by differential gene expression analysis of transcripts in seed coat tissues at 8-18 days after …

The role of the principal has become increasingly complex and challenging. Recent emphasis has been placed on the role of principals as leaders who can build a culture of learning in schools to close the student achievement gap. Outside factors such as fast-growth in Texas have caused schools to change and grow quickly, which increases the learning demands placed on principals as they seek to develop the knowledge and skills needed for effective leadership. Developing and sustaining a professional learning community is a powerful strategy that has been found to improve teaching and learning, however developing professional learning communities requires skilled leadership. Limited research exists regarding how principals learn to implement and sustain professional learning communities within fast-growth districts, therefore, with this phenomenological qualitative research, I explored the lived experiences of seven principals within one fast-growth district in Texas to explore how they learned to develop and sustain a professional learning community.

In rural, low socioeconomic public schools, the diversity of the student population challenges teachers beyond their means to meet the wide-ranging needs of students, and therefore creating opportunity gaps. The purpose of this study was to explore one district's leadership support of teachers to create an equitable learning environment for all students. The present study built on existing literature by discovering leadership practices and perceived necessary supports for closing achievement gaps in K-12 classrooms. Through interviews with district and school administrators, classroom teachers, and observations of leadership meetings, the research for this case study included data collection and analysis. From the interview questions and observations, six themes emerged. The themes revealed from the data collected and analysis for this qualitative study aligned with the components of the conceptual framework, a sequence of initiative requirements for equitable learning environments. Developing a sequence of initiatives among all levels of educators could benefit sustainment of an equitable learning environment in Rural ISD. Recommended for further research is professional development to both leadership and teachers about professional learning communities (PLCs). In addition, study of parent education programs and how relationships achieve more parental involvement requires further research. A final recommendation for collegiate education preparation …

Words and Pictures is an exhibition and catalogue of paintings and sculptures by Texas artist Vernon Fisher, dated 1980 to 2019. Curator Tracee Robertson and critic Dave Hickey explore themes and methods in Fisher’s art. Fisher came of age in the twentieth century, characterized as the bloodiest and most brutal century in history. Like many artists of his era, including poets and writers who inspire him, Fisher explores what it means to be lost in the face of indifference. His art is a personal expression of what life feels like. His paintings, typified by compositions of floating imagery and overlaid texts, present an unresolved narrative, intended to leave viewers with an overarching sense of emotion. Embracing postmodern humor, irreverence, and anti-closure, Vernon Fisher paints images of hopeful uncertainty.

Transcript of handwritten notes written by Cornelia Garner describing what she remembers of moving to Texas as a child, living on a farm in Navarro County, managing a ranch and making cloth during the Civil War, and various other details that she remembered. There are notes and annotations added to the end for clarification.

Photograph of the 1974 art installation by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels in Amarillo, TX known as 'Cadillac Ranch'.

Photograph of the marker located near the sculpture "Ozymandias on the Plains." There is a metal plaque set at an angle in a stone, which is is covered in graffiti; the marker is in a similar style as other Texas State Historical Association Markers, but lacks identifying information.

Panoramic Photograph of the 1974 art installation by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels in Amarillo, TX known as 'Cadillac Ranch'.

Photograph of the 1974 art installation by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels in Amarillo, TX known as 'Cadillac Ranch'.

This presentation describes how measures of need, participation, satisfaction, and impact are used to assess many aspects of a professional development program in a large academic library. It was presented at the Mountain Plains Library Association Conference of 2019 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This poster shares how makerspace items are cataloged by UNT Libraries and how they benefit the library. It was presented at the Mountain Plains Library Association 2019 Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.