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Evaluation Of Crash Modification Factors And Functions Including Time Trends At Intersections, Jung-Han Wang Jan 2016

Evaluation Of Crash Modification Factors And Functions Including Time Trends At Intersections, Jung-Han Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traffic demand has increased as population increased. The US population reached 313,914,040 in 2012 (US Census Bureau, 2015). Increased travel demand may have potential impact on roadway safety and the operational characteristics of roadways. Total crashes and injury crashes at intersections accounted for 40% and 44% of traffic crashes, respectively, on US roadways in 2007 according to the Intersection Safety Issue Brief (FHWA, 2009). Traffic researchers and engineers have developed a quantitative measure of the safety effectiveness of treatments in the form of crash modification factors (CMF). Based on CMFs from multiple studies, the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) Part D …


A Multi-Scale Approach To Study Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: From Mechanical Properties And Crystal Structure Of The Cell's Materials To The Development Of An Interactive And Interconnected Educational Tool, Amjad Aman Jan 2016

A Multi-Scale Approach To Study Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: From Mechanical Properties And Crystal Structure Of The Cell's Materials To The Development Of An Interactive And Interconnected Educational Tool, Amjad Aman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are energy conversion devices that convert chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy. They are known for being fuel-flexible, have minimal harmful emissions, ideal for combined heat and power applications, highly energy-efficient when combined with gas or steam turbines. The current challenges facing the widespread adoption these fuel cells include cost reduction, long-term testing of fully integrated systems, improving the fuel cell stack and system performance, and studies related to reliability, robustness and durability. The goal of this dissertation is to further the understanding of the mechanical properties and crystal structure of materials used …


The Frequency Of The Passive Voice In Freshman Academic Books, Basma Moreb Jan 2016

The Frequency Of The Passive Voice In Freshman Academic Books, Basma Moreb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of passive voice has long been an area of difficulty for English learners. Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman (2015) noted that it is learning when to use the English passive that presents the greatest long-term challenge to ESL/EFL students (p. 352). Because textbooks are a source of language input for English learners, this study investigated the frequency of passive voice verbs in samples from four academic textbooks in courses commonly taken by freshmen. The study also examined whether there are significant differences between the frequencies by textbook. The data was collected from four General Education Plan (GEP) subject textbooks used …


"Heaps O' Folkses Be Varmints": Animal And Human Identity In Rawlings's Cross Creek, Savannah Bateman Jan 2016

"Heaps O' Folkses Be Varmints": Animal And Human Identity In Rawlings's Cross Creek, Savannah Bateman

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.


Rethinking Drinking: A Paradigm Shift For Estimating Social And Behavioral Harm, Thomas Hall Jan 2016

Rethinking Drinking: A Paradigm Shift For Estimating Social And Behavioral Harm, Thomas Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study challenges old saws about negative consequences attributed to alcohol use. Previous research findings associate negative social and behavioral consequences with alcohol consumption, as if college students only do regrettable things when they are drunk. Typical research related to negative consequences and alcohol use relies on retrospective self-reporting. Investigators often frame negative consequences as outcomes of problematic drinking or, as more commonly labeled, "binge drinking." In the nomenclature of prevention, binge drinking is not a direct measure of alcohol use resulting in intoxication; it is a hypothetical tipping point, predicting an increased likelihood of the incidence of negative consequences …


Preparing For The Inevitable: Sensemaking In Parent-Child Discussions Of Death, Carrie Ann Wartmann Jan 2016

Preparing For The Inevitable: Sensemaking In Parent-Child Discussions Of Death, Carrie Ann Wartmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Death is something everyone will eventually encounter, yet American society has a tendency to avoid or deny death in everyday life and language. Death makes people uncomfortable, and many view it as a topic too complex for children to understand. Children, however, witness big and little deaths in their lives: of pets, relatives, plants, and favorite fairy tale characters. When a child experiences a death, he or she may have questions for parents or other trusted adults which our current avoidance-geared society does not prepare adults for. Children exist in a specific cultural context, and learn rules and expectations of …


An Examination Of The Lived Curiosity Experiences Of Traditionally-Aged Freshmen Pursuing And Education Degree, Susan Kelly Jan 2016

An Examination Of The Lived Curiosity Experiences Of Traditionally-Aged Freshmen Pursuing And Education Degree, Susan Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The benefits of being curious continue beyond infancy and early childhood. Curiosity has been linked to academic achievement, memory, and lifelong learning. Yet curiosity type behaviors in academic settings are infrequently observed. This is a concern because some of the students graduating from the educational system will be the teachers responsible for fostering conditions that spark curiosity and exploration for future students. These prospective teachers' lived curiosity experiences will influence their future teaching beliefs and practices. Yet few studies have been conducted that illuminate the lived curiosity experiences of prospective teachers. The research question that guided this study was, what …


Ubiquitous Computing In Public Education: The Effects Of One-To-One Computer Initiatives On Student Achievement On Florida Standardized Assessments, Fernando Lobeto Jan 2016

Ubiquitous Computing In Public Education: The Effects Of One-To-One Computer Initiatives On Student Achievement On Florida Standardized Assessments, Fernando Lobeto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of one-to-one computer initiatives on student achievement in reading and mathematics. This study compared the differences in FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics scores between schools implementing one-to-one computer initiatives and schools implementing traditional modes of instruction. A second purpose of this study was to determine what effects one-to-one computer initiatives had on student FCAT 2.0 scores overall and by grade level, gender, and socio-economic status. The study used an independent-samples t-test, a repeated measures ANOVA, and a factorial ANCOVA to answer four research questions in order to achieve the purpose …


The Lived Experiences Of Elementary Students With Disabilities Self-Advocating Through Speaking And Writing, Lindsey Massengale Jan 2016

The Lived Experiences Of Elementary Students With Disabilities Self-Advocating Through Speaking And Writing, Lindsey Massengale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Writing and self-advocacy skills are important for all students, including individuals with disabilities. Within the K-12 setting, those skills are taught, but emphasis changes as students progress through the grade levels. At the elementary level, writing is more prominent; whereas, in high school, self-advocacy becomes a focus. In this study, the researcher used a phenomenological research design to explore the lived experiences and preferences of elementary students with disabilities and their use of self-advocacy strategies in the inclusive setting, both in writing and speaking. The phenomenon was explored over an eleven-week period in a second grade, inclusive classroom. The conceptual …


Setting The Agenda For Stem Literacy In Higher Education: A Content Analysis Of The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Maya Abdallah Jan 2016

Setting The Agenda For Stem Literacy In Higher Education: A Content Analysis Of The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Maya Abdallah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a long-standing national concern. The current national agenda, to instill an "all hands on deck" approach to creating a STEM literate citizenry, calls for broadening the scope of inclusion in STEM efforts. A critical population, higher education administrators, faculty, and staff are a valuable resource to advancing this agenda. Under the proposed Agenda Setting Communication Theory (ASCT) model developed for this study, their level of exposure to needed information is an important indicator of their potential participation in this agenda. As the leading news medium for the higher education community, …


Bullying Victimization, Feared Second Language Self, And Second Language Identity: Reconceptualizing The Second Language Motivational Self System, Hilal Peker Jan 2016

Bullying Victimization, Feared Second Language Self, And Second Language Identity: Reconceptualizing The Second Language Motivational Self System, Hilal Peker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Factors affecting English learners' (ELs) motivation and identity have been explored in second language (L2) learning contexts; however, research examining L2 motivation and identity under the effect of bullying victimization is rare although ELs are one of the populations that are physically and psychologically affected from bullying. Using a unique perspective by merging L2 motivation, L2 identity, and bullying concepts under social ecological framework, this dissertation study is the first study investigating the relationship between bullying victimization, L2 Motivational Self System, and L2 identity. The data were derived from 1022 ELs through a self-report survey that was adapted and tested …


Evaluation Of The Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (Ecalc) For High School Students, Alyssa Dietz Jan 2016

Evaluation Of The Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (Ecalc) For High School Students, Alyssa Dietz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prevention efforts targeted at children and adolescents are important because alcohol consumption contributes to the three leading causes of death in this among 12-20 year-olds: unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. Research on the causes of alcohol misuse traditionally focused on pharmacological and genetic explanations, but models have expanded to include cognitive processes in the development of alcohol use patterns. Alcohol expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol, are an important influence on drinking behavior. Expectancies exist prior to the initial drinking experience, predict the onset of alcohol consumption, differentiate both children and adults in terms of light- and heavy-drinking …


Superwholock: An Analysis Of Subculture In A Microblogging Setting, Dean Short Jan 2016

Superwholock: An Analysis Of Subculture In A Microblogging Setting, Dean Short

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While subcultural research has always been a common focus of sociological research, most such studies focus on deviant subcultures. This has led to a glut of information on countercultures and criminal subcultures, but relatively little study of less visible subcultures. While there is a great deal of research on the sociology of sport, including sport fandom, there is very little on other fandom subcultures. While this makes sense, as they are niche subcultures, the popularity of formerly niche entertainment is expanding rapidly. Much of this fandom renaissance owes its existence to the Internet, and its ability to bring geographically separate …


Don't Let The World Rot: Anarchism, Hardcore Music, And Counterculture, Pearson Bolt Jan 2016

Don't Let The World Rot: Anarchism, Hardcore Music, And Counterculture, Pearson Bolt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hardcore music is intrinsically anarchistic. The hardcore music scene represents a radical departure from contemporary society. Rejecting the materialism, militarism, and hedonism of the mainstream music scene—and, by extension, modern culture—hardcore music presents an alternative lifestyle rooted in solidarity, equality, and liberty. Indeed, the culture of the hardcore scene approaches a transitive, nomadic model of an anarchistic commune built on resistance as a way of life. In this study, I identified the ways music and lyrics craft attitudes and environments for revolt and rebellion, cultivating critical thinking and disobedience in equal measures. In order to understand the hardcore community, I …


Pasture Management, The Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis Invicta) And Dung Beetle Mediated Ecosystem Services, Christen Steele Jan 2016

Pasture Management, The Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis Invicta) And Dung Beetle Mediated Ecosystem Services, Christen Steele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grazing animals in Florida deposit over 20 million metric tons of dung per year, making dung a significant non-point source of pollution (extrapolated from Fincher, 1981). Degradation of this dung occurs naturally, primarily due to a diverse group of beetles (Order Coleoptera) primarily in the families Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae(hereafter dung beetles). Dung that is not degraded becomes a non-point source of pollutants and may be leached into water bodies. Additionally, dung provides an incubation site for the pests and parasites of both humans and livestock. Thus, as dung beetles consume and degrade dung, they provide a multitude of ecosystem services …


Vulture Scavenging Of Child-Sized Pig Carcasses In Central Florida: Utilizing Gis To Analyze Site Variables Affecting Skeletal Dispersal, Alexander Mitchell Jan 2016

Vulture Scavenging Of Child-Sized Pig Carcasses In Central Florida: Utilizing Gis To Analyze Site Variables Affecting Skeletal Dispersal, Alexander Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scavengers can significantly alter a forensic scene and consume, modify, disarticulate, and disperse bodies. However, little research exists regarding scavenging in Central Florida, specifically scavenging involving Black and Turkey Vultures (Coragyps atratus, Cathartes aura respectively). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of vulture scavenging on consumption, disarticulation, and dispersal of child-sized carcasses in the Central Florida region. The research sample consisted of four pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses weighing approximately 25kgs that were deposited in two distinct sites (shaded and unshaded) at the Deep Foundations Geotechnical Research Site located on the UCF campus. Two field cameras were …


Role Of Sleep In Exposure Therapy For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Oif/Oef Combat Veterans, Franklin Mesa Jan 2016

Role Of Sleep In Exposure Therapy For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Oif/Oef Combat Veterans, Franklin Mesa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exposure therapy is theorized to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology by promoting habituation/extinction of fear responses to trauma-related cues. Empirical evidence indicates that emotional memory, including habituation/extinction learning, is enhanced by sleep. However, service members with combat-related PTSD often report disturbed sleep. In this study, quality of sleep and indicators of extinction learning were examined in veterans of recent wars who had completed an exposure-based PTSD intervention. Fifty-five participants were categorized into two groups based on self-reported quality of sleep: low sleep disruption severity (LSDS; N = 29) and high sleep disruption severity (HSDS; N = 26). Participants in …


Bmp-7 Inhibits P38 And Jnk Pathways And Increases M2 Macrophage Differentiation To Reduce Atherosclerosis In Apolipoprotein E-/- Mice, Heidi Shoulders Jan 2016

Bmp-7 Inhibits P38 And Jnk Pathways And Increases M2 Macrophage Differentiation To Reduce Atherosclerosis In Apolipoprotein E-/- Mice, Heidi Shoulders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We have previously shown that treating atherosclerosis with bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) affects the presence of macrophage subtypes in vitro, however it remains unknown whether BMP-7 treatment affects development and progression of atherosclerosis in vivo at an early and mid-stage of the disease. We therefore performed a Day 5 (D5) and Day 28 (D28) study to examine BMP-7's potential to affect monocyte differentiation. Atherosclerotic plaque formation was developed using our standard method and ApoE-/- mice were sacrificed at D5 and D28 post-surgery. Treatment animals received intravenous injections of BMP-7 at 200µg/kg of bodyweight. Hematoxylin and Eosin morphological stain shows that …


The Weight Of Words: Collecting And Visualizing Data From Twitter, Daniel Mcswain Jan 2016

The Weight Of Words: Collecting And Visualizing Data From Twitter, Daniel Mcswain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Weight of Words is a web-based artwork designed to capture snapshots of Twitter discussions concerning the most popular topics of the day. The growth of social media in recent years has led to a sharp increase in thought and opinion sharing among the vocal population on the Internet. Twitter's use of trending topics allows users to be aware, and be a part of fun or silly stories as well as important news headlines and social movements. The Weight of Words is an exploration into using Twitter's always changing landscape of conversation to generate graphic visualizations based on the most …


Nightgaze: A Microbudget Visual Mixtape, Maillim Santiago Jan 2016

Nightgaze: A Microbudget Visual Mixtape, Maillim Santiago

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nightgaze is a feature length visual mixtape created by May Santiago to fulfill the Masters of Fine Arts program at UCF. The mixtape is a study of autobigraphical depression in metaphorical visual tracks. Originally conceived as an experimental narrative, it has evolved into a form of essayistic distance within a narrative framework with experimental deviations. This thesis tracks the project from its original conception, through the pre-production, production, and post-production processes. It also formulates a plan for marketing and distributing the project.


Improved Interpolation In Sph In Cases Of Less Smooth Flow, Oddny Brun Jan 2016

Improved Interpolation In Sph In Cases Of Less Smooth Flow, Oddny Brun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We introduced a method presented in Information Field Theory (IFT) [Abramovich et al., 2007] to improve interpolation in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) in cases of less smooth flow. The method makes use of wavelet theory combined with B-splines for interpolation. The idea is to identify any jumps a function may have and then reconstruct the smoother segments between the jumps. The results of our work demonstrated superior capability when compared to a particular challenging SPH application, to better conserve jumps and more accurately interpolate the smoother segments of the function. The results of our work also demonstrated increased computational efficiency …


Keeping Their Distance: A Comparison Of 2009 And 2013 Domestic Violence Cases In Seminole County That Utilized Gps Technology To Determine Effectiveness Of Program, Rachel Rados Jan 2016

Keeping Their Distance: A Comparison Of 2009 And 2013 Domestic Violence Cases In Seminole County That Utilized Gps Technology To Determine Effectiveness Of Program, Rachel Rados

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the implementation and effectiveness of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office Global Positioning System (GPS) when ordered by the court for "no contact" in Domestic Violence cases, specifically Intimate Partner Violence. The research evaluates violations, which occurred while arrestees were assigned to GPS in 2009 and 2013; the programs first year and the most recent with complete data available. The results found limited factors that could be identified as predicting violations for those who violated the GPS, but the qualitative interviews shed much more light on the value of the program. The qualitative interviews were conducted with various …


From Pet To Pest? The Potential Global Range And Food Web Effects Of A Generalist Carnivore, Hannah Bevan Jan 2016

From Pet To Pest? The Potential Global Range And Food Web Effects Of A Generalist Carnivore, Hannah Bevan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Nile monitor lizard [Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766)] is a generalist carnivore, native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile River but now established in North America as a result of the pet trade. Once introduced, they are a potential invasive threat to native wildlife. Here, I create ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) to predict the global distribution of this generalist carnivore given current and future climate conditions. I then quantify the monitor's potential effects on 85 food webs representing >900 different species within the projected regions based on stomach content data. Climate, vegetation, and elevation data are used for 507 …


Comrades In Arms?: Russian & Muslim Soldiers In The Red Army During World War Ii, Daniel Bradfield Jan 2016

Comrades In Arms?: Russian & Muslim Soldiers In The Red Army During World War Ii, Daniel Bradfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the perceptions of Muslims soldiers regarding their military service during World War II. To thoroughly analyze Muslim soldiers' attitudes, the thesis explores the total experience of Muslim military service through the Soviet Union's and Red Army's policies toward Muslims and how Russian soldiers viewed their Muslim counterparts. To achieve this, the thesis summarized current scholarship on Soviet and Red Army policies toward Muslims. The thesis analyzed the oral histories and written accounts of Muslim soldiers and Russian soldiers to understand the perceptions of Russians and Muslim soldiers. A hierarchy of cultural backwardness underlined Soviet policies in …


The Russian Connection: How Russia Became A Leader In The World's Human Trafficking Market, Anthony De Mauro Jan 2016

The Russian Connection: How Russia Became A Leader In The World's Human Trafficking Market, Anthony De Mauro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis assesses how the history of the USSR and its collapse affected the human trafficking market. By conducting a historical analysis of the Soviet Union, key aspects of Soviet society were determined that allowed for the human trafficking market to establish and operate extremely lucratively; a focus on some of the established factors of human trafficking including corruption, law enforcement, the economy, organized crime, and the dissolution of the Soviet government. While this thesis highlights the historical factors of Russian human trafficking, this thesis does not determine why human trafficking exists beyond the surface exploitation that human trafficking consists …


The Longitudinal Relationship Between Moderate Alcohol Use And Cognitive Aging Among Older Adults., Danielle Herring Jan 2016

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Moderate Alcohol Use And Cognitive Aging Among Older Adults., Danielle Herring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive aging appears inconsistent across cognitive domains, indicating that domains may not all decline at the same rate across individuals. Individual trajectories of cognitive aging can vary widely and are affected by numerous lifestyle and health factors. Alcohol use among older adults is known to confer both health risks, typically related to excessive use, and protective effects, often associated with moderate consumption. Moderate alcohol use has been linked with better cognitive functioning as well as a decrease in cardiovascular mortality and systemic inflammation, as compared to heavy or abstinent users. Given that extant research has identified C-reactive protein (CRP) as …


Neurological Profile Of Older Apoe-Pon1 Double Knockout Mice, Connie Mitra Jan 2016

Neurological Profile Of Older Apoe-Pon1 Double Knockout Mice, Connie Mitra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease where plaques made up of lipids in the form of cholesterol ester build up in the carotid and innominate arteries that supply blood to the brain. Accumulation of the plaques limit the flow of blood and nutrients to the brain, leading to diminished oxygen supply, increased oxidative stress and cell death. All these have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer's disease, a chronic, progressive, age related neurodegenerative disorder is the most common form of dementia in the elderly accounting for 60-80% of the cases. Clinically, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by loss of memory, damage …


Diet And Migration In Coastal Oaxaca: Identifying Effects Of Political And Social Collapse Through The Utilization Of Stable Isotope Analysis, Jacklyn Rumberger Jan 2016

Diet And Migration In Coastal Oaxaca: Identifying Effects Of Political And Social Collapse Through The Utilization Of Stable Isotope Analysis, Jacklyn Rumberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study involves the investigation of diet and mobility among people living in the lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Late Classic (AD 500-800) and Early Postclassic (AD 800-1200) periods. Specifically, this research focuses on how political and social collapse affected subsistence practices and diet, particularly maize agriculture and consumption, as well as human migration. Archaeological evidence suggests that Río Viejo, the region's largest urban center before AD 800, experienced multiple periods of political fragmentation and instability during its long history, specifically during the Early Classic (AD 250 - 500) and Early Postclassic periods, making it an ideal …


Role Of Kruppel-Like Factor 8 (Klf8) In Cancer And Cardiomyopathy, Satadru Lahiri Jan 2016

Role Of Kruppel-Like Factor 8 (Klf8) In Cancer And Cardiomyopathy, Satadru Lahiri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are two most fatal diseases causing innumerable death each year. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these diseases is critical for developing proper therapeutic approach. Kruppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) is a member of Kruppel-like family transcription factors that is overexpressed in many types of cancers. There is no report on role of KLF8 in cardiovascular diseases to date. KLF8 transcriptionally activates or represses a host of target genes to promote cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition during tumor progression. Studies proposed in this thesis identified a novel posttranslational modification of KLF8 essential for its …


Multidimensional Room-Temperature Fluorescence Microscopy For The Nondestructive Analysis Of Forensic Trace Textile Fibers, Nirvani Mujumdar Jan 2016

Multidimensional Room-Temperature Fluorescence Microscopy For The Nondestructive Analysis Of Forensic Trace Textile Fibers, Nirvani Mujumdar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to advance nondestructive methodology for forensic fiber examination. Non-destructive techniques that can either discriminate between similar fibers or match a known to a questioned fiber – and still preserve the physical integrity of the fibers for further court examination - are highly valuable in forensic science. A challenging aspect of forensic fiber examinations involves the comparison of fibers colored with visually indistinguishable dyestuffs. This is not an uncommon situation, as there are numerous indistinguishable fibers pre-dyed with commercial dyes of virtually identical colors. Minimal chemical structural variations are actually encouraged by the dye patent …