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Synthesis, Structure, And Catalytic Properties Of Size-Selected Platinum Nanoparticles, Simon Armando Covone Jan 2010

Synthesis, Structure, And Catalytic Properties Of Size-Selected Platinum Nanoparticles, Simon Armando Covone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of heterogeneous catalysis is well established in chemical synthesis, energy, and environmental engineering applications. Supported Pt nanoparticles have been widely reported to act as catalysts in a vast number of chemical reactions. In this report, the performance of Pt/ZrO2 nanocatalyst for the decomposition of methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 2-butanol is investigated. The potential of each alcohol for the production of H2 and other relevant products in the presence of a catalyst is studied. All the alcohols studied show some decomposition activity below 200°C which increased with increasing temperature. In all cases, high selectivity towards H2 formation is observed. …


A New Measure Of Parental Self-Efficacy For Enacting Healthy Lifestyles In Their Children, Jonathan W. Decker Jan 2010

A New Measure Of Parental Self-Efficacy For Enacting Healthy Lifestyles In Their Children, Jonathan W. Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The issue of childhood obesity has become a pandemic of increasing prevalence and concern. Many behaviors contributing to overweight and obesity, such as dietary intake and physical activity, are learned in childhood. It is known that parents are key agents for change in their children. Therefore, interventions aimed at decreasing childhood overweight and obesity should be targeted at parents. Many parents state that they know the healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors they should adopt for their children, but lack the confidence, or self-efficacy, to enact these behaviors. A review of the literature for self-efficacy for behaviors in these domains …


The Moderating Effect Of Gender On The Use Of Humor During An Employment Interview That's What She Said, Laura C. Gallaher Jan 2010

The Moderating Effect Of Gender On The Use Of Humor During An Employment Interview That's What She Said, Laura C. Gallaher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the moderating impact of gender on the use of humor during employment interviews. Consistent with expectancy violation theory, I hypothesized that the use of humor by female candidates would cause more extreme evaluations than the use of humor by male candidates. In other words, when positive (affiliative) humor is used, females will be rated more positively than males, but when negative (aggressive) humor is used, females will be rated more negatively than males. I also hypothesized that the relationship between humor condition and evaluations would be partially mediated by state positive affect. I also posed a research …


Non-Erotic Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity In Heterosexual And Gay College Students, Katharine Lacefield Jan 2010

Non-Erotic Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity In Heterosexual And Gay College Students, Katharine Lacefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined 100 gay and lesbian (LG) college students and 100 heterosexual students to determine whether group differences existed in frequency of and anxiety related to non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity. Non-erotic cognitive distractions is a descriptive term to include both self-evaluative behaviors related to physical performance and body image concerns, as well as additional cognitive distractions (e.g., contracting an STI or emotional concerns) during sexual activity. Participants, matched on gender (96 males and 104 females), age, and ethnicity, completed questionnaires assessing frequency and associated anxiety related to non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity, as well as …


Social Capital Influences In Women At Risk For Poor Pregnancy Outcomes, Jennifer James-Mesloh Jan 2010

Social Capital Influences In Women At Risk For Poor Pregnancy Outcomes, Jennifer James-Mesloh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poor pregnancy outcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight and infant mortality are societal indicators of a nation’s health status. These indicators have remained at exceptionally high rates in the United States despite the levels of resources and technology. In the quest to understand that discrepancy, among the ranges of theories and models for explaining poor pregnancy outcomes an emerging concept is coming to attention: social capital. In order to test whether maternal social capital has an impact on pregnancy outcome, women in a Healthy Start program were surveyed over a 13-month period to assess their social capital levels and …


A Costume Design For Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, Harmony Mcchesney Jan 2010

A Costume Design For Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, Harmony Mcchesney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents my process as the Costume Designer for the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre’s production of Richard O’Brien’s musical, The Rocky Horror Show. The production opened on March 29, 2007 and ran for fifteen performances in the University of Central Florida’s Mainstage Theatre before closing on April 15, 2007. This document presents the analysis, research, and design process that I used to create the costume design for the performance. In this thesis, I document how I combined my own analysis and research with that of the director and design team to take the design from concept, through …


Sexual Dimorphism Of The Posterior Pelvis Of The Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection And The William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection, Lauren M. Novak Jan 2010

Sexual Dimorphism Of The Posterior Pelvis Of The Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection And The William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection, Lauren M. Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies of sexual dimorphism of the sacrum have generally been conducted as part of broader population research or on living persons and cadavers, making the anthropological literature sparse. The greater sciatic notch and the preauricular sulcus of the ilium have both been found to show sexual dimorphism, although studies of these traits often have ambiguous definitions of characteristics and lack the standardization of measurements. This research was designed to reexamine and test the accuracy of standard scoring systems and measurements of the posterior pelvis used to determine sex and to establish new formulae combining traits and measurements to accurately determine …


Intention To Use A Personal Health Record (Phr) A Cross Sectional View Of The Characteristics And Opinions Of Patients Of One Internal Medicine Practice, Alice M. Noblin Jan 2010

Intention To Use A Personal Health Record (Phr) A Cross Sectional View Of The Characteristics And Opinions Of Patients Of One Internal Medicine Practice, Alice M. Noblin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A personal health record (PHR) allows a patient to exert control over his/her healthcare by enhancing communication with healthcare providers. According to research, patients find value in having access to information contained in their medical records. Often a glossary is required to aid in interpreting the information and understanding the content. However, giving patients the ability to speak with providers about their medical conditions empowers them to participate as informed healthcare consumers. The majority of patients (75%) at Medical Specialists expressed their intention to adopt the PHR if it is made available to them. Although the perceived usefulness of a …


Student Attitudes Towards Campus Law Enforcement Exploring Issues Of Confidence And Utilization, Vivian J. Ortiz Jan 2010

Student Attitudes Towards Campus Law Enforcement Exploring Issues Of Confidence And Utilization, Vivian J. Ortiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of citizen attitudes has, in recent decades, become standard practice within the criminal justice system. However, in assessing the criminal justice system, most research has gathered data on the attitudes and perceptions of specific populations within society (i.e. older citizens) and has not really focused on younger age groups, or more specifically, students enrolled in colleges and universities. The present study examined attitudes of college students in the areas of confidence and utilization of campus police. Utilizing a non-random convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate students (N=393) at a large four-year research institution, participants completed a 21-item survey …


Characterization Of Aluminum Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films For Photovoltaic Applications, Bojanna P. Shantheyanda Jan 2010

Characterization Of Aluminum Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films For Photovoltaic Applications, Bojanna P. Shantheyanda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growing demand for clean source of energy in the recent years has increased the manufacture of solar cells for converting sun energy directly into electricity. Research has been carried out around the world to make a cheaper and more efficient solar cell technology by employing new architectural designs and developing new materials to serve as light absorbers and charge carriers. Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide thin film, a Transparent conductive Oxides (TCO) is used as a window material in the solar cell these days. Its increased stability in the reduced ambient, less expensive and more abundance make it popular among the …


Analysis And Optimization Of A Solar Thermal Collector With Integrated Storage, Monica Bonadies Jan 2010

Analysis And Optimization Of A Solar Thermal Collector With Integrated Storage, Monica Bonadies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Solar energy, a topic popular in the United States during the oil embargo of the 1970’s, has become a relevant topic once more with the current focus on reducing greenhouse emissions. Solar thermal energy in particular has become popular as it uses existing steam turbine technology to produce electricity, with the benefit of using solar energy to produce steam rather than coal or nuclear heat sources. Solar thermal can also be used at lower temperatures to heat water for pools or for residential use. While this energy source has its benefits, it has the problem of being opportunistic – the …


Characterizing The Vertical Structure And Structural Diversity Of Florida Oak Scrub Vegetation Using Discrete-Return Lidar, James J. Angelo Jan 2010

Characterizing The Vertical Structure And Structural Diversity Of Florida Oak Scrub Vegetation Using Discrete-Return Lidar, James J. Angelo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vertical structure, the top-to-bottom arrangement of aboveground vegetation, is an important component of forest and shrubland ecosystems. For many decades, ecologists have used foliage height profiles and other measures of vertical structure to identify discrete stages in post-disturbance succession and to quantify the heterogeneity of vegetation. Such studies have, however, required resource-intensive field surveys and have been limited to relatively small spatial extents (e.g.,


Job Satisfaction And Values Of Counselors In Private Practice And Agency Settings, Laura Cunningham Jan 2010

Job Satisfaction And Values Of Counselors In Private Practice And Agency Settings, Laura Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counselors can work at a variety of locations (Vacc & Loesch, 2000). Yet very little is known about each setting (King, 2007) and what type of counselors would have an optimum fit. Burnout is a pervasive issue in counseling (Lawson, 2007) and providing good-fit information could lessen turnover and burnout from the counseling field. The primary purpose of this study included investigating the differences between job satisfaction and value priorities of counselors in private practice and agency settings. The overarching theoretical framework included Frank Parsons‘ counselors, with seventy-two agency counselors and sixty-three private practitioners. Counselors completed two assessments and a …


Experimental And Theoretical Approaches To Characterization Of Electronic Nonlinearities In Direct-Gap Semiconductors, Claudiu Cirloganu Jan 2010

Experimental And Theoretical Approaches To Characterization Of Electronic Nonlinearities In Direct-Gap Semiconductors, Claudiu Cirloganu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The general goal of this dissertation is to provide a comprehensive description of the limitations of established theories on bound electronic nonlinearities in direct-gap semiconductors by performing various experiments on wide and narrow bandgap semiconductors along with developing theoretical models. Nondegenerate two-photon absorption (2PA) is studied in several semiconductors showing orders of magnitude enhancement over the degenerate counterpart. In addition, three-photon absorption (3PA) is studied in ZnSe and other semiconductors and a new theory using a Kane 4-band model is developed which fits new data well. Finally, the narrow gap semiconductor InSb is studied with regard to multiphoton absorption, free-carrier …


Search For Gas Giants Around Late-M Dwarfs, Rohit Deshpande Jan 2010

Search For Gas Giants Around Late-M Dwarfs, Rohit Deshpande

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We carried out a near-infrared radial velocity search for Jupiter-mass planets around 36 late M dwarfs. This survey was the first of its kind undertaken to monitor radial velocity variability of these faint dwarfs. For this unique survey we employed the 10-m Keck II on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. With a resolution of 20,000 on the near-infrared spectrograph, NIRSPEC, we monitored these stars over four epochs in 2007. In addition to the measurement of relative radial velocity we established physical properties of these stars. The physical properties of M dwarfs we determined included the identification of neutral atomic lines, the …


A Decision Support System Methodology For The Selection Of Rapid Prototyping Technologies For Investment-Cast Gas Turbine Parts, Angela Gallagher Jan 2010

A Decision Support System Methodology For The Selection Of Rapid Prototyping Technologies For Investment-Cast Gas Turbine Parts, Angela Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the power generation sector, more specifically, the gas turbine industry, competition has forced the lead time-to-market for product advancements to be more important than ever. For design engineers, this means that product design iterations and final product development must be completed within both critical time windows and budgetary constraints. Therefore, two areas that have received significant attention in the research and in practice are: (1) rapid prototyping technology development, and (2) rapid prototyping technology selection. Rapid prototyping technology selection is the focus of this research. In practice, selecting the rapid prototyping method that is acceptable for a specific design …


Using Landscape Genetics To Assess Population Connectivity In A Habitat Generalist, Tyler Duncan Hether Jan 2010

Using Landscape Genetics To Assess Population Connectivity In A Habitat Generalist, Tyler Duncan Hether

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the nature of genetic variation in natural populations is an underlying theme of population genetics. In recent years population genetics has benefited from the incorporation of landscape and environmental data into pre-existing models of isolation by distance (IBD) to elucidate features influencing spatial genetic variation. Many of these landscape genetics studies have focused on populations separated by discrete barriers (e.g., mountain ridges) or species with specific habitat requirements (i.e., habitat specialists). One difficulty in using a landscape genetics approach for taxa with less stringent habitat requirements (i.e., generalists) is the lack of obvious barriers to gene flow and preference …


Toward A Real-Time Celestial Body Information System, Brian Mitchell Guise Jan 2010

Toward A Real-Time Celestial Body Information System, Brian Mitchell Guise

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration maintains a challenging schedule of planned and on-going space exploration missions that extend to the outer reaches of our galaxy. New missions represent a huge investment, in terms of actual costs for equipment and support infrastructure, and personnel training. The success of a mission is critical considering both the monetary investment, and for manned missions, the lives which are put at risk. Tragedies involving Challenger, Columbia, Apollo 7, and the near tragedy of Apollo 13 exemplify that space exploration is a dangerous endeavor, posing extreme environmental conditions on both equipment and personnel. NASA, the …


7 An Interactive Installation: Explorations In The Digital, The Spiritual, And The Uncanny, Bradley Paul Lewter Jan 2010

7 An Interactive Installation: Explorations In The Digital, The Spiritual, And The Uncanny, Bradley Paul Lewter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the application of digital technologies in the creation of visionary or transformative artwork. The installation emphasizes number, color, symmetry, and the human form to create symbolic compositions patterned after ancient archetypes. Background research was done to inform the work through studies of the principles of visionary and transformative artwork as practiced by Ernst Fuchs, De Es Schwertberger, and Alex Grey. Connections between art and spirituality as explained by Kandinsky were studied to augment these principles. The sequence of artwork within the installation is comprised of both digital paintings and interactive triptych panels. To convey a sense of …


Tuning The Properties Of Nanomaterials As Function Of Surface And Environment, Ajay Karakoti Jan 2010

Tuning The Properties Of Nanomaterials As Function Of Surface And Environment, Ajay Karakoti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology has shaped the research and development in various disciplines of science and technology by redefining the interdisciplinary research. It has put the materials science at the forefront of technology by allowing the researchers to engineer materials with properties ranging from electronics to biomedical by using materials as diverse as ceramics to just plain carbon. These exceptional properties are achieved by minimizing the dimension of particles in such smaller domains that the boundary between the individual atoms, ions or cluster of particles is very small. This results in a change in conventional properties of particles from continuum physics to quantum …


Influence Of The Csi Effect On Education And Mass Media, Sarah E. Mcmanus Jan 2010

Influence Of The Csi Effect On Education And Mass Media, Sarah E. Mcmanus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forensic science television shows, especially CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, have been said to influence the public’s perception of how forensic science is used and create interest in studying forensic science and pursuing jobs in the field. This study investigates this claim through a variety of methods. First, definitions of the CSI effect are discussed, including how it was first used and mentioned in the media. Second, survey data from students in a forensic anthropology course regarding interest in forensic science media and educational and career choices are analyzed. Third, the number and debut dates of forensic science non-fiction books, novels, …


Identification Of Novel Antimalarials From Marine Natural Products For Lead Discovery, Stephenie M. Alvarado Jan 2010

Identification Of Novel Antimalarials From Marine Natural Products For Lead Discovery, Stephenie M. Alvarado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 500 million cases of malaria occur each year. The increasing prevalence of drug resistant strains of Plasmodium in most malaria endemic areas has significantly reduced the efficacy of current antimalarial drugs for prophylaxis and treatment of this disease. Therefore, discovery of new, inexpensive, and effective drugs are urgently needed to combat this disease. Marine biodiversity is an enormous source of novel chemical entities and has been barely investigated for antimalarial drug discovery. In an effort to discover novel therapeutics for malaria, we studied the antimalarial activities of a unique marine-derived peak fraction library provided by Harbor Branch Oceanographic …


Acetazolamide-Induced Decrease Of Apical Fluid Flow In Choroid Plexus Is Independent Of The Concomitant Changes In Aquaporin-1 Expression, Pouya Alexander Ameli Jan 2010

Acetazolamide-Induced Decrease Of Apical Fluid Flow In Choroid Plexus Is Independent Of The Concomitant Changes In Aquaporin-1 Expression, Pouya Alexander Ameli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acetazolamide (AZA), the only drug approved for treatment of hydrocephalus, is effective in only 25-30% of patients while its effect on fluid flow in the choroid plexus (CP) is unknown. The drug reversibly inhibits Aquaporin 4 (AQP4), the most highly expressed „water pore‟ in the brain, and it is postulated that it reduces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production by modulating AQP1 (mostly found in the apical membrane of the CP). In this study, we sought to elucidate the effect of AZA on AQP1 and fluid flow in CP. Primary CP culture from p10 Sprague-Dawley rats and TRCSF-B cell line were grown …


Supporting A Standards-Based Teaching And Learning Environment A Case Study Of An Expert Middle School Mathematics Teacher, Didem Akyuz Jan 2010

Supporting A Standards-Based Teaching And Learning Environment A Case Study Of An Expert Middle School Mathematics Teacher, Didem Akyuz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although it has been more than 20 years since the publication of Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989) and 10 years since the second version of standards, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), the research underlines the lack of essential practices for standards-based teaching (Franke, Kazemi, & Battey, 2007). The literature also emphasizes the importance of planning in standards-based teaching, although few studies focus on the direct planning of the teacher (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). The aim of the current study was to conduct a case study to extract the planning and classroom practices …


Design, Synthesis And Characterization Of New Two-Photon Absorbing (2pa) Fluorescent Dyes And Bioconjugates, And Their Applications In Bioimaging, Carolina D. Andrade Jan 2010

Design, Synthesis And Characterization Of New Two-Photon Absorbing (2pa) Fluorescent Dyes And Bioconjugates, And Their Applications In Bioimaging, Carolina D. Andrade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of new multiphoton absorbing materials has attracted the attention of researchers for the last two decades. The advantages that multiphoton absorbing materials offer, versus their one-photon absorbing counterparts, rely on the nature of the nonlinearity of the absorption process, where two photons are absorbed simultaneously offering increased 3D resolution, deeper penetration, and less photobleaching and photodamage as a result of a more confined excitation. The applications of efficient two-photon absorbing materials have been extensively expanding into the fields of photodynamic therapy, microscopy, and optical data storage. One of the fields where an increased interest in multiphoton absorbing materials …


A Study Of Factors Contributing To Self-Reported Anomalies In Civil Aviation, Chris Andrzejczak Jan 2010

A Study Of Factors Contributing To Self-Reported Anomalies In Civil Aviation, Chris Andrzejczak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A study investigating what factors are present leading to pilots submitting voluntary anomaly reports regarding their flight performance was conducted. The study employed statistical methods, text mining, clustering, and dimensional reduction techniques in an effort to determine relationships between factors and anomalies. A review of the literature was conducted to determine what factors are contributing to these anomalous incidents, as well as what research exists on human error, its causes, and its management. Data from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) was analyzed using traditional statistical methods such as frequencies and multinomial logistic regression. Recently formalized approaches in text …


Clinical Practice Guidelines For Emerging Ultrasound Applications Drafting For Validity And Usability, Kathi Keaton Borok Jan 2010

Clinical Practice Guidelines For Emerging Ultrasound Applications Drafting For Validity And Usability, Kathi Keaton Borok

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are viewed by many people with interests in health care as valuable tools for reducing practice variations that undermine patient outcomes and increase medical costs. However, guidelines themselves vary in quality. Assessment tools generally base quality measures on strength of guidelines' evidence base, but particularly for newly emerging applications of ultrasound, standards for measuring guideline quality are controversial. The validity of a guideline is considered likely when strong research-based evidence supports its recommendations, but for newer medical procedures such as emerging ultrasound applications, available evidence is sparse. Existing assessment tools must be modified if they are …


More Than Meets The Eye: An Examination Of Whether Marital Conflict Transforms Newlywed Relationships, Deborah J. Barr Jan 2010

More Than Meets The Eye: An Examination Of Whether Marital Conflict Transforms Newlywed Relationships, Deborah J. Barr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory research responds to two primary questions: 1) what is marital conflict and, 2) does it transform newlywed relationships? Using three-wave panel data collected with the purpose of studying the participants of the Covenant Marriage Act in Louisiana, it examines the nature and effects of conflict on newlywed couples over the first five years of marriage. While the analysis contained in this dissertation answers the research questions, it also presents more questions than it answers. This research examines six major themes regarding 1)the nature of marital conflict among these couples, 2) what couples disagree about, 3) how do couples …


The Role Of The Feral Pig (Sus Scrofa) As A Disturbance Agent And Seed Disperser In Central Florida's Natural Lands, Camille Rose Brescacin Jan 2010

The Role Of The Feral Pig (Sus Scrofa) As A Disturbance Agent And Seed Disperser In Central Florida's Natural Lands, Camille Rose Brescacin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are considered to be among the world’s worst invasive species due to their successful invasion and ecological and economic impact to native and agricultural plants and animals around the world. Feral pigs are significant disturbance agents that destroy plant communities, change soil characteristics, alter nutrient cycling, and create open sites for colonization of both native and non-native plant species through their foraging behavior called rooting. In contrast to native animal disturbances, rooting is a striking feature in the landscape that varies in space, seasonal timing, frequency (number of times rooted), and intensity (depth of rooting). During …


Creating Healthy Communities An Examination Of The Relationship Between Land Use Mix, Neighborhood Public Realm Engagement And Neighborhood Social Capital, William B. Burns Jan 2010

Creating Healthy Communities An Examination Of The Relationship Between Land Use Mix, Neighborhood Public Realm Engagement And Neighborhood Social Capital, William B. Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research provides a confirmatory based analysis which begins with the planning concept of land use mix and explores its explanatory affect upon resident perceptions of their built environment in terms of proximity of recreation and retail destinations within their neighborhood public realm. This research further explores the resident’s potential inclination to access these destinations by non motorized active travel modes of walking or bicycling. This research examines the relationship between the propensity for active travel within the neighborhood public realm and levels of resident active engagement (walking and bicycling) and passive engagement (sitting on the front porch) in the …