SOL-GEL SYNTHESIS OF HIGHLY ORIENTED LEAD BARIUM TITANATE AND LANTHANUM NICKELATE THIN FILMS FOR HIGH STRAIN SENSOR AND ACTUATOR APPLICATIONS Thesis by Stacey Walker Boland In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 2005 (Defended March 14, 2005)