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Solid Phase Extraction Room Temperature Fluorescence Spectroscopy For The Direct Quantification Of Monohydroxy Metabolites Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Urine Samples, Korina Jesusa Calimag Jan 2013

Solid Phase Extraction Room Temperature Fluorescence Spectroscopy For The Direct Quantification Of Monohydroxy Metabolites Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Urine Samples, Korina Jesusa Calimag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are important environmental pollutants generally formed during incomplete combustion of organic matter containing carbon and hydrogen. Introduced into the human body by adsorption through the skin, ingestion or inhalation, the biotransformation processes of PAH lead to the formation of multiple metabolites. Due to the short elimination lifetime from the body, the quantitative determination of monohydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) in urine samples provides accurate information on recent exposure to environmental PAH. Urine analysis of OH-PAH with established methodology relies on sample clean-up and pre-concentration followed by chromatographic separation and quantification. Although chromatographic techniques provide reliable results in the analysis …


High Flux Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation, Yi Wu Jan 2013

High Flux Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation, Yi Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis outlines the high intensity tabletop attosecond extreme ultraviolet laser source at the Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology Laboratory. First, a unique Ti:Sapphire chirped pulse amplifier laser system that delivers 14 fs pulses with 300 mJ energy at a 10 Hz repetition rate was designed and built. The broadband spectrum extending from 700 nm to 900 nm was obtained by seeding a two stage Ti:Sapphire chirped pulse power amplifier with mJ-level white light pulses from a gas filled hollow core fiber. It is the highest energy level ever achieved by a broadband pulse in a …


Nutrition Literacy And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Adolescent Weight Status In A Florida County, Leslee D'Amato-Kubiet Jan 2013

Nutrition Literacy And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Adolescent Weight Status In A Florida County, Leslee D'Amato-Kubiet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, childhood obesity has increased to epidemic proportions across the United States (U.S.) in parallel with adult obesity, which often reflects poor dietary choices and bad nutritional habits. Nutrition literacy, which encompasses the constructs of nutrition knowledge and skills, is considered a basic tool for good dietary habits and health promotion undertakings; however, its more definitive relationship to adolescent children’s weight status is unknown. Most childrens’ weight status studies have focused solely on behavioral aspects of adolescent food intake, taking into consideration parental influence, peer pressure, and societal expectations. Studies evaluating the measurement of nutrition literacy with regard …


Understanding The Capabilities And Limitations Of Advanced Interactive M&S: A Cricothyroidotomy Simulation Case Study, Lillian Campbell-Wynn Jan 2013

Understanding The Capabilities And Limitations Of Advanced Interactive M&S: A Cricothyroidotomy Simulation Case Study, Lillian Campbell-Wynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation for surgical education and training is increasingly perceived as a valuable contribution to traditional teaching methods providing a structured learning experience. Surgical simulations allow surgeons to practice tactics, techniques and procedures numerous times without the cost, limitations and ethical problems of using cadaver-based models. The goal of this research is to advance the use of modeling and simulation in support of emergency medical training. This research explores questions identified through a case study of two different modeling and simulation techniques – virtual reality and mannequins - in the support of combat emergency medical education and training. To reduce the …


Design Optimization Of Llc Topology And Phase Skipping Control Of Three Phase Inverter For Pv Applications, Utsav Somani Jan 2013

Design Optimization Of Llc Topology And Phase Skipping Control Of Three Phase Inverter For Pv Applications, Utsav Somani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The world is heading towards an energy crisis and desperate efforts are being made to find an alternative, reliable and clean source of energy. Solar Energy is one of the most clean and reliable source of renewable energy on earth. Conventionally, extraction of solar power for electricity generation was limited to PV farms, however lately Distributed Generation form of Solar Power has emerged in the form of residential and commercial Grid Tied Micro-Inverters. Grid Tied Micro-Inverters are costly when compared to their string type counterparts because one inverter module is required for every single or every two PV panels whereas …


First Principle Studies Of Cu-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Structures With Emphasis On The Electronic Structures And The Transport Properties, Chengyu Yang Jan 2013

First Principle Studies Of Cu-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Structures With Emphasis On The Electronic Structures And The Transport Properties, Chengyu Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes have been regarded as ideal building blocks for nanoelectronics and multifunctional nanocomposites due to their exceptional strength, stiffness, flexibility, as well as their excellent electrical properties. However, carbon nanotube itself has limitations to fulfill the practical application needs: 1) an individual carbon nanotube has a low density of states at the Fermi level, and thus its conductivity is only comparable to moderate metals but lower than that of copper. 2) Metallic and semiconducting nanotubes are inherently mixed together from the synthesis, and the selection/separation is very difficult with very low efficiency. 3) Carbon nanotubes alone cannot be used …


Routing, Localization And Positioning Protocols For Wireless Sensor And Actor Networks, Mustafa Akbas Jan 2013

Routing, Localization And Positioning Protocols For Wireless Sensor And Actor Networks, Mustafa Akbas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wireless sensor and actor networks (WSANs) are distributed systems of sensor nodes and actors that are interconnected over the wireless medium. Sensor nodes collect information about the physical world and transmit the data to actors by using one-hop or multi-hop communications. Actors collect information from the sensor nodes, process the information, take decisions and react to the events. This dissertation presents contributions to the methods of routing, localization and positioning in WSANs for practical applications. We first propose a routing protocol with service differentiation for WSANs with stationary nodes. In this setting, we also adapt a sports ranking algorithm to …


The Study Of Photo-Reduction Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Presence Of Dextran: An Attempt In Understanding The Functionality Of The System, Swetha Barkam Jan 2013

The Study Of Photo-Reduction Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Presence Of Dextran: An Attempt In Understanding The Functionality Of The System, Swetha Barkam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malignant melanoma cancer is the sixth common cancer diagnosed in the United States. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are some of the successful techniques in killing tumor cells. However, in these techniques, it is not easy to distinguish tumor cells from the healthy once which inadvertently get exposed to chemical agent/radiation. Therefore it is required to develop an anticancer agent which selectively kills the cancer cells, while still protecting the normal tissues. In our preliminary work, we have shown that Dextran (1000Da) coated Cerium oxide nanoparticles (Dex-CNPs) selectively kills the cancer cells (50% killing at a concentration of 150μM) without inducing …


Enhanced Two-Photon Absorption In A Squaraine-Fluorene-Squaraine Dye: Design, Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, And Solvatochromic Behavior, William Moreshead Jan 2013

Enhanced Two-Photon Absorption In A Squaraine-Fluorene-Squaraine Dye: Design, Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, And Solvatochromic Behavior, William Moreshead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The discovery of any new technology is usually accompanied by a need for new or improved materials which make that technology useful in practical applications. In the case of two-photon absorption (2PA) this has truly been the case. Since its first demonstration in 1961, there has been an ever increasing quest to understand the relationships between two-photon absorption and the structure of two-photon absorbing materials. This quest has been motivated by the many applications for 2PA which have been reported, including fluorescence bioimaging, 3D microfabrication, 3D optical data storage, upconverted lasing, and photodynamic therapy. The work presented in this dissertation …


Development Of Micro Volume Dna And Rna Profiling Assays To Identify The Donor And Tissue Source Of Origin Of Trace Forensic Biological Evidence, Brittany Morgan Jan 2013

Development Of Micro Volume Dna And Rna Profiling Assays To Identify The Donor And Tissue Source Of Origin Of Trace Forensic Biological Evidence, Brittany Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In forensic casework analysis it is necessary to obtain genetic profiles from increasingly smaller amounts of biological material left behind by perpetrators of crime. The ability to obtain profiles from trace biological evidence is demonstrated with so-called ‘touch DNA evidence’ which is perceived to be the result of DNA obtained from shed skin cells transferred from donor to an object or person during physical contact. However, the current method of recovery of trace DNA involves cotton swabs or adhesive tape to sample an area of interest. This "blindswabbing" approach may result in the recovery of biological material from different individuals …


Influence Of Task-Role Mental Models On Human Interpretation Of Robot Motion Behavior, Scott Ososky Jan 2013

Influence Of Task-Role Mental Models On Human Interpretation Of Robot Motion Behavior, Scott Ososky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transition in robotics from tools to teammates has begun. However, the benefit autonomous robots provide will be diminished if human teammates misinterpret robot behaviors. Applying mental model theory as the organizing framework for human understanding of robots, the current empirical study examined the influence of task-role mental models of robots on the interpretation of robot motion behaviors, and the resulting impact on subjective ratings of robots. Observers (N = 120) were exposed to robot behaviors that were either congruent or incongruent with their task-role mental model, by experimental manipulation of preparatory robot task-role information to influence mental models (i.e., …


Examining Multi-Level And Inter-Organizational Collaborative Response To Disasters: The Case Of Pakistan Floods In 2010, Sana Khosa Jan 2013

Examining Multi-Level And Inter-Organizational Collaborative Response To Disasters: The Case Of Pakistan Floods In 2010, Sana Khosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catastrophic disasters are different than routine disasters and managing them requires the mobilization of inter-organizational, inter-governmental, cross-sectoral and international humanitarian support. The role of the international community through International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs), and multi-lateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) becomes imperative when the scale of the disaster is unprecedented and difficult for a country to manage on its own. The initial response and relief phase of managing disasters is one in which many agencies with different expertise, capacities, working mandates, resources, skills, working cultures and norms come together to coordinate and collaborate to provide timely response and relief …


Juvenile Ornamentation: Its Evolution, Genetic Basis, And Variation Across Habitats, Angela Tringali Jan 2013

Juvenile Ornamentation: Its Evolution, Genetic Basis, And Variation Across Habitats, Angela Tringali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ornamental traits are considered honest advertisements of fitness, and their evolution is usually explained in terms of sexual selection. This explanation remains unsatisfactory in some instances, for example, juvenile birds whose plumage is molted prior to adulthood and breeding. I first evaluate whether juvenile plumage reflectance signals dominance status in the Federally Threatened Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using a combination of observational and experimental methods. Then I estimate the heritability, non-genetic maternal and environmental effects, and strength of selection on juvenile plumage reflectance using archived feather samples and a pedigree constructed from historical nest records. Finally, I compare plumage reflectance …


Squaraine Dyes, Design And Synthesis For Various Functional Materials Applications, Yuanwei Zhang Jan 2013

Squaraine Dyes, Design And Synthesis For Various Functional Materials Applications, Yuanwei Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains the synthesis and characterization of squaraine based new functional materials. In the first part of this thesis work, a water soluble benzothiazolium squaraine dye was synthesized with pyridium pendents, and controlled aggregation properties were achieved. After formation of partially reversible J-aggregation on a polyelectrolyte (poly(acryl acid) sodium salt) template, the nonlinear, two-photon absorption cross section per repeat unit was found to be above 30-fold enhanced compared with nonaggregate and/or low aggregates. Using a similar strategy, sulfonate anions were introduced into the squaraine structure, and the resulting compounds exhibited good water solubilities. A ‘turn on’ fluorescence was discovered …


Autobiographical Memory And Theory Of Mind In Schizotypy, Andrew Deptula Jan 2013

Autobiographical Memory And Theory Of Mind In Schizotypy, Andrew Deptula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit marked impairments on tasks assessing theory of mind (ToM) and autobiographical memory (AM) qualities, and preliminary research has indicated a positive link between these abilities. This study is the first to systematically explore this relationship in the related personality trait of schizotypy. In a study of 47 undergraduate students (23 males) reporting a wide continuous range of schizotypy, we found that females, but not males, exhibited a negative correlation between ToM and schizotypy, and an unexpected positive correlation between AM qualities and schizotypy. Factor score analysis within females indicated that disorganized schizotypy was the strongest correlate …


The Effects Of Assumption On Subspace Identification Using Simulation And Experiment Data, Yoonhwak Kim Jan 2013

The Effects Of Assumption On Subspace Identification Using Simulation And Experiment Data, Yoonhwak Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the modern dynamic engineering field, experimental dynamics is an important area of study. This area includes structural dynamics, structural control, and structural health monitoring. In experimental dynamics, methods to obtain measured data have seen a great influx of research efforts to develop an accurate and reliable experimental analysis result. A technical challenge is the procurement of informative data that exhibits the desired system information. In many cases, the number of sensors is limited by cost and difficulty of data archive. Furthermore, some informative data has technical difficulty when measuring input force and, even if obtaining the desired data were …


Examining The Influences Of The Bottoming Out Experience And The Turning Point On The Early Recovery Process From Substance Dependence Using Structural Equation Modeling, Kristina M. Depue Jan 2013

Examining The Influences Of The Bottoming Out Experience And The Turning Point On The Early Recovery Process From Substance Dependence Using Structural Equation Modeling, Kristina M. Depue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering the prevalence of addiction issues within the U.S., this study focused on the topic of recovery from drug and alcohol dependence in order to add to current literature. Prevention and recovery services are two of the most common ways of combating the addiction issue, and counselors are at the forefront of both movements. The bottoming out experience (BOE) and the turning point (TTP) are two common lay terms of factors within changing addictive behaviors, yet the connection of these constructs to recovery remains unstudied and unknown. The current study tested a model that levels of the BOE and the …


Pembroke Circle: A Portrayal Of Social Themes Using Micro-Budget Cinema, Max Rousseau Jan 2013

Pembroke Circle: A Portrayal Of Social Themes Using Micro-Budget Cinema, Max Rousseau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pembroke Circle is a feature-length, micro-budget, digital motion picture, written, produced and directed by Max Rousseau as a part of the University of Central Florida’s Masters in Fine Arts program in Digital Entrepreneurial Cinema. The filmmaker engaged some very difficult material in the micro-budget paradigm and grew personally and professionally in the process. This thesis documents the writing process, pre-production, fund-raising, production and post-production; all leading to the completion of a festival-ready feature film. It is the hope that this thesis will create an understanding of what it takes to make a micro-budget film and offer some help to future …


Optically Induced Forces In Scanning Probe Microscopy, Dana Kohlgraf-Owens Jan 2013

Optically Induced Forces In Scanning Probe Microscopy, Dana Kohlgraf-Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is the study of measuring light not by energy transfer as is done with a standard photodetector such as a photographic film or charged coupled device, but rather by the forces which the light exerts on matter. In this manner we are able to replace or complement standard photodetector-based light detection techniques. One key attribute of force detection is that it permits the measurement of light over a very large range of frequencies including those which are difficult to access with standard photodetectors, such as the far IR and THz. The dissertation addresses the specific …


Provider Perceptions Of Ableism And Social Support Networks In The Healthcare Setting, Darcey Mccampbell Jan 2013

Provider Perceptions Of Ableism And Social Support Networks In The Healthcare Setting, Darcey Mccampbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to investigate ableism and social support networks in the healthcare setting. Social support networks play an important role in combating emotional distress in healthcare. They provide disabled patients a method for defending against the negative effects of ableism among other stressors. By definition, ableism refers to perceptions that disability is abnormal and undesirable. Ten healthcare providers in central Florida (i.e., in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and primary care offices) were interviewed, using in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviewing. Participants were asked questions relating to the effects of ableist language on patients with disabilities as well as …


Knowledge Management: Style, Structure, And The Latent Potential Of Documented Knowledge, Sean Mcmahon Jan 2013

Knowledge Management: Style, Structure, And The Latent Potential Of Documented Knowledge, Sean Mcmahon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the volume, growth, and accessibility of documented knowledge – the insights and experiences stored on paper and in electronic form - management research has yet to demonstrate the same usefulness for documented knowledge as that found in knowledge residing in human sources. This dissertation explores two areas of potential for documented knowledge, suggesting the efficacy of a piece of documented knowledge is contingent not only on content, but upon the style and structure associated with that content. Style, how cognitively 'concrete' and affectively 'memorable' documented knowledge is perceived to be, is hypothesized to affect how much attention it draws …


Partially Integrable Pt-Symmetric Hierarchies Of Some Canonical Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Keri Pecora Jan 2013

Partially Integrable Pt-Symmetric Hierarchies Of Some Canonical Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Keri Pecora

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we generalize the work of Bender and co-workers to derive new partially-integrable hierarchies of various PT -symmetric, nonlinear partial differential equations. The possible integrable members are identified employing the Painlev´e Test, a necessary but not sufficient integrability condition, and are indexed by the integer n, corresponding to the negative of the order of the dominant pole in the singular part of the Painlev´e expansion for the solution. For the PT -symmetric Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation, as with some other hierarchies, the first or n = 1 equation fails the test, the n = 2 member corresponds to …


An Examination Of The Actor's Approach To Playwriting: Are Playwrights Able To Write About What Is Unfamiliar To Them?, Kayla Zaniboni Jan 2013

An Examination Of The Actor's Approach To Playwriting: Are Playwrights Able To Write About What Is Unfamiliar To Them?, Kayla Zaniboni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Playwrights write about what is familiar to them. Their inspiration comes from their childhood, past relationships, and their personal view of the world. But could a playwright write about something to which they have no personal connection? Using the book Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I will write a one act play about mental illness. I have no personal experience or personal connection to mental illness, but I will approach the process the same way as an actor does a character. I will go into the writing process as an actor, completing character analyses for the characters and using …


Mercury, Adrienne Gaines Jan 2013

Mercury, Adrienne Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mercury is a collection of short stories based in the fictional town of Mercury, Georgia. Set over the course of several decades, the stories trace the events that changed individuals, families, and a whole community for decades. Loosely based on the author’s real-life family history, the stories, both humorous and heartbreaking, show characters caught between the past and the present and searching for a way forward. A girl who makes friends with a ghost, a woman who can’t help but run from crying babies, a man forced to face the town’s darkest side—these and other characters respond in surprising ways …


Novel Optical Properties Of Metal Nanostructures Based On Surface Plasmons, Haining Wang Jan 2013

Novel Optical Properties Of Metal Nanostructures Based On Surface Plasmons, Haining Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface plasmons have been attracted extensive interests in recent decades due to the novel properties in nanometer sized dimensions. My work focused on the novel optical properties of metal nanostructures based on surface plasmons using theoretical simulation methods. In the first part, we investigated metal nanofilms and nanorods and demonstrated that extremely low scattering efficiency, high absorption efficiency and propagation with long distance could be obtained by different metal nanostructures. With a perforated silver film, we demonstrated that an extremely low scattering cross section with an efficiency of less than 1% can be achieved at tunable wavelengths with tunable widths. …


Nano-Particles In Multi-Scale Composites And Ballistic Applications, Jason Gibson Jan 2013

Nano-Particles In Multi-Scale Composites And Ballistic Applications, Jason Gibson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes, graphene and nano sized core shell rubber particles have all been extensively researched for their capability to improve mechanical properties of thermoset resins. However, there has been a lack of research on their evaluation for energy absorption in high velocity impact scenarios, and the fundamental mechanics of their failure mechanisms during highly dynamic stress transfer through the matrix. This fundamental research is essential for laying the foundation for improvement in ballistic performance in composite armor. In hard armor applications, energy absorption is largely accomplished through delamination between plies of the composite laminate. This energy absorption is accomplished through …


Expressing Future Time In Spoken Conversational English: A Corpus-Based Analysis Of The Sitcom Friends, Brandon Harris Jan 2013

Expressing Future Time In Spoken Conversational English: A Corpus-Based Analysis Of The Sitcom Friends, Brandon Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Far from being simply will, a survey of English grammar textbooks revealed that a multitude of expressions exists in the English language to express the future time. These expressions include, but are not limited to, will, be going to, the simple present tense, modals, the future perfect tense, and the present progressive tense. With so many choices and with a lack of direct relationship between tense and time, a language learner may certainly have difficulties in choosing which expression to use when attempting to produce a future utterance. A corpus-based approach to analyzing real language has been demonstrated to be …


Quasi-Experimental Study: The Effects Of Virtual Covert Audio Coaching On Teachers' Transfer Of Knowledge From Professional Development To Classroom Practice, Marilyn Jackson-Lee Jan 2013

Quasi-Experimental Study: The Effects Of Virtual Covert Audio Coaching On Teachers' Transfer Of Knowledge From Professional Development To Classroom Practice, Marilyn Jackson-Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quasi-experimental multiple time series design was used to analyze and compare the impact of two types of instructional coaching, face-to-face and virtual covert audio provided with Bluetooth technology, on teacher transfer of knowledge learned in professional development into classroom practice. Teacher transfer across baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases was analyzed. The study was conducted at a public elementary school in a Florida suburban school district with approximately 750 students. Twelve teachers were randomly selected from teachers who volunteered to attend professional development. Six teachers (one from each grade level K-5) in the treatment group received virtual covert audio coaching. …


An Urban School District's Preparing New Principals Program: Completers' Perceptions Of Program Effectiveness Related To Florida Principal Leadership Standards Adopted In 2011, Kelly Pelletier Jan 2013

An Urban School District's Preparing New Principals Program: Completers' Perceptions Of Program Effectiveness Related To Florida Principal Leadership Standards Adopted In 2011, Kelly Pelletier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which school leaders who completed the preparing new principals program in School District A perceived the program’s effectiveness in preparing them to demonstrate Florida’s principal leadership standards as adopted in November 2011. This study also identified the components of the preparing new principals program that influenced the professional practice of the program completers in their current leadership roles within School District A. This study was conducted at the request of the professional development services designee in School District A and is a companion study to research conducted by Eddie …


Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers Jan 2013

Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theory of capillarity is an organic metaphor invoked to explore the role of network communications as a vehicle for education in a healthy society. Capillarity is offered as a theory in two parts: a mechanism for distribution and a method for engagement. Capillarity seeks to build an architecture that reflects radical humanism's emphasis on access and inclusion as a vehicle for classical humanism's emphasis on the individual expansion of potential and consciousness. The technical instrument whereby this program of humanist education may be deployed is mLearning