Digital Commons Network^™

Concentric Layout, A New Scientific Data Layout For Matrix Data Set In Hadoop File System, Lu Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The data generated by scientific simulation, sensor, monitor or optical telescope has increased with dramatic speed. In order to analyze the raw data speed and space efficiently, data preprocess operation is needed to achieve better performance in data analysis phase. Current research shows an increasing tread of adopting MapReduce framework for large scale data processing. However, the data access patterns which generally applied to scientific data set are not supported by current MapReduce framework directly. The gap between the requirement from analytics application and the property of MapReduce framework motivates us to provide support for these data access patterns in …

Behavioral Response To Endogenous Risk In The Laboratory, Shabori Sen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Risk is endogenous when an individual is able to undertake mitigation or self protection actions that reduce the risk that he faces. Most risky environments studied in economics involve endogenous risk. This dissertation studies the conceptual and behavioral implications of introducing endogeneity in the controlled environment of the laboratory. The dissertation consists of three different experiments designed to examine how endogeneity affects risk attitudes and risk perceptions in simple experimental set ups. All three experiments employ a virtual reality scenario where the subject is able to form his own beliefs, based on naturalistic cues provided by the virtual reality experience. …

Food And Social Life In Puglia: A Comparison Family Food Worlds In Northern And Southern Italy, Jennifer Lawer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the role of food in northern and southern Italian culture. My goal is to point out the cultural differences between northern and southern Italy through the lens of food. This thesis also explains the geographical, historical and economic factors that have shaped modern Italian family food worlds. Finally, the research examines the effect of European Union food policy in Italy. It specifically focuses on whether or not the traditions of food production and consumption habits in northern and southern Italy are altered by European Union policies.

Multivariate Outlier Mining Using Cluster Analysis: Case Study - National Health Interview Survey, Md Monir Hossain Sharker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Outlier mining is a fundamental issue in many statistical analyses, especially in multivariate cases. Outliers may exert undue influence on outcomes of the analysis. In most cases, it is a big challenge to reveal the pattern of the outliers and the "outlyingness". There are several approaches and methods to detect anomalous data points in data. But no single method is perfect for every data set especially when the data dimension and volume is high. In this thesis, I review distance-based clustering methods for multivariate outlier mining and demonstrate the usefulness of it in a medical setting. Specifically, I discuss Hierarchical …

An Inquiry Of The Lived Experiences And Contextual Understandings Of Early Childhood Special Educators Related To Children's Trauma, Alison Dubois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Secondary trauma stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma are terms rarely found in educational literature. Studies have shown the significant and lasting ramifications of these constructs within the realm of counseling and psychology. Professionals working in educational settings with high risk populations encounter multiple exposures to children experiencing traumatic events. Despite this phenomenon, teacher and counselor training programs do little to address the issue, thereby matriculating graduates who do not feel confident, well informed, and effective when dealing with trauma material on a daily basis.

This inquiry sought to examine the lived experiences and contextual understandings of early childhood special …

Particle Separation Through Taylor-Couette Flow And Dielectrophoretic Trapping, Christopher Paul Bock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the world population approaches seven billion, a greater strain is put on the resources necessary to sustain life. One of the most basic and essential resources is water and while two thirds of the earth is covered by water, the majority is either salt water (oceans and seas) or it is too contaminated to drink. The purpose of this project is to develop a portable device capable of testing whether a specific source of water (i.e. lake, river, well…) is potable. There are numerous filtration techniques that can remove contaminants and make even the dirtiest water clean enough for …

Correlation Between Preparation Parameters And Properties Of Molybdenum Back Contact Layer For Cigs Thin Film Solar Cells, Eigo Takahashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Molybdenum (Mo) thin film back contact layers for thin film CuIn(1-x)GaxSe2 (CIGS) solar cells were deposited onto soda lime glass substrates using a direct current (DC) planar magnetron sputtering deposition technique. Requirements for the Mo thin film as a back contact layer for CIGS solar cells are various. Sheet resistance, contact resistance to the CIGS absorber, optical reflectance, surface morphology, and adhesion to the glass substrate are the most important properties that the Mo thin film back contact layer must satisfy. Experiments were carried out under various combinations of sputtering power and working gas pressure, for it is well known …

Perceived Service Quality's Impact On Behavioral Intentions In The Timeshare Industry, Leonard Pollar Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study created a model using factor analysis and structural equation modeling to investigate the relationship of service quality, word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity of individuals who experienced a timeshare mini vacation at a branded timeshare resort. The constructs of service quality were developed by creating a survey tool. A total of 4,797 surveys were electronically sent resulting in a total of 1,275 of the individuals surveyed who met the criteria of staying at a branded hotel or resort during their mini vacation. Six different variables were created from the ordinal level questions on the survey: Resort Accommodations, Sales Gallery, …

A Taxonomy Of Lean Six Sigma Success Factors For Service Organizations, Reza N. Hajikordestani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Six Sigma is a business improvement strategy that aims to improve process performance using a structured methodology that identifies and removes the causes of defects in manufacturing and business processes, while implementing the lean concepts attempts to remove wasteful activities from those processes. In practice, the Six Sigma strategy and the Lean philosophy are combined and often viewed as one integrated philosophy, where the philosophy of Lean Six Sigma simultaneously removes wasteful activities from a process and reduces the variability of that process. This thesis research reviews the concepts and implementation of Lean thinking, Six Sigma strategy, and the integrated …

Processing, Optimization And Characterization Of Fire Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites, Jinfeng Zhuge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fiber reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC) have superior physical and mechanical properties, such as high specific strength, light weight, and good fatigue and corrosion resistance. They have become competitive engineering materials to replace conventional metallic materials in many important sectors of industry such as aircraft, naval constructions, ships, buildings, transportation, electrical and electronics components, and offshore structures. However, since FRPC contain polymer matrix, the polymer composites and their structures are combustible. FRPC will degrade, decompose, and sometimes yield toxic gases at high temperature or subject to fire conditions. The objective of this study is to design and optimize fire retardant nanopaper …

Probing The Nanoscale Interaction Forces And Elastic Properties Of Organic And Inorganic Materials Using Force-Distance (F-D) Spectroscopy, Abhilash Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to their therapeutic applications such as radical scavenging, MRI contrast imaging, Photoluminescence imaging, drug delivery, etc., nanoparticles (NPs) have a significant importance in bio-nanotechnology. The reason that prevents the utilizing NPs for drug delivery in medical field is mostly due to their biocompatibility issues (incompatibility can lead to toxicity and cell death). Changes in the surface conditions of NPs often lead to NP cytotoxicity. Investigating the role of NP surface properties (surface charges and surface chemistry) on their interactions with biomolecules (Cells, protein and DNA) could enhance the current understanding of NP cytotoxicity. Hence, it is highly beneficial to …

Making Peace (Peacemaking) In Uganda: Theological Underpinning And Pastoral Ministries, Michael Komakec

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study about peacemaking in Uganda. The people of Uganda have suffered from frequent, long running violent political conflicts for many decades. In particular, I focus on the war in northern Uganda that started in 1986 and gradually developed into the Lord's Resistance Army/Movement (LRA) war that is currently being led by Joseph Kony. The dissertation studies the causes of violent political conflicts in Uganda and tries to understand why Uganda as a country has never been stable politically, socially and economically since its' independence in 1962.

The second and the most important aim of this work …

A Peptide-Based Platform For Displaying Antibodies To Engage T Cells, Ying Zheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a strategy by which antibodies were displayed on a gel-like substance to engage T cells. The substance, a peptidic composite, was characterized in vitro and explored as an injectable system in vivo. The composite consists of two amphiphilic peptides, AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAK (referred to as "EAK") and AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAKHHHHHH ("EAKH6"). Spectroscopic analysis showed the two peptides integrated into a single structure. Prior to combination, conformational analysis revealed that EAKH6 adopts a mixed alpha-helix/bata-strand conformation. In the presence of EAK, EAKH6 exists predominantly in a beta;-strand conformation. Using nickel-bound horseradish peroxidase as a probe, the composite of EAK-EAKH6 was found to …

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 …

The Development Of The University Of Central Florida Home Movie Archive And The Harris Rosen Collection, Michael Niedermeyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the invention of the cinema, people have been taking home movies. The everincreasing popularity of this activity has produced a hundred years worth of amateur film culture which is in desperate need of preservation. As film archival and public history have coalesced in the past thirty years around the idea that every person’s history is important, home movies represent a way for those histories to be preserved and studied by communities and researchers alike. The University of Central Florida is in a perfect position to establish an archive of this nature, one that is specifically dedicated to acquiring, preserving, …

Effects Of Flight Factors On Pilot Performance, Workload, And Stress At Final Approach To Landing Phase Of Flight, Kyongsun Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since human errors are one of the major causes of flight accidents, the design and operation of the modern aircraft system deals with them seriously. Particularly, the pilot workload on aviation causes human errors. Whenever new procedures are introduced and operated, the aircraft capabilities have been checked in every aspect. However, there has been little study on the impact of the new procedures such as LDLP, SCDA, SATS, and Steep Angle approach on the pilot performance, workload, and stress. In this study, different methods have been tried to understand the relationship between new procedures and the pilots in terms of …

Growing Local: Anthropological Reflections On Current Challenges Facing Central Florida Organic Farmers, Cheney Swedlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis considers Central Florida's emerging local food movement from an anthropological perspective. Area farmers and organizations spearheading this movement and the benefits of purchasing and consuming locally grown food are ethnographically explored. Interviews with natural and organic farmers highlight the challenges affected farmers face in creating a sustainable local food movement in the greater Orlando region. Their motivations for farming organically and the counter-hegemonic tendencies inherent in this mode of cultivating are critically analyzed. Taken as a whole, this work addresses the limitations and opportunities afforded to farmers amid the popularity of local food consumption as a social movement. …

The Contribution Of Professional School Counselors' Social-Cognitive Development To Their Levels Of Ethical And Legal Knowledge, And Locus-Of-Control Orientation, Kara P. Ieva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional School Counselors (PSCs) are to serve as advocates for all students and promote systemic change (American School Counselor Association, 2008) while navigating complex work environments. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of PSCs‟ social-cognitive development to their levels of ethical and legal knowledge and locus of control orientation. The three constructs and instruments investigated in this study were: (a) social-cognitive development (ego development; the Washington University Sentence Completion Test [WUSCT]; Hy & Loevinger 1996), (b) Ethical and Legal Knowledge (the Ethical and Legal Knowledge in Counseling Questionnaire-Revised [ELICQ-R]; Lambie, Ieva, Gill, & Hagedorn, 2010), …

The Relationship Between The Sterling Quality Framework And Student Achievement In One Florida School District, James D. Short

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to determine the relationship, if any, between student achievement and the implementation of the Sterling Quality Management System in a southwest Florida school district. A quantitative analysis focused on three sources of data. Two surveys provided by the Florida Sterling Council were used to collect data from school based personnel and student achievement gain scores obtained from the Florida DOE School Accountability Report 2005-2009. In this study, little positive correlation was found between perceived implementation of Sterling practices and student achievement gains. Of a possible score of 5, the total mean implementation score across …

Water And Nutrient Balances Of Vegetative Treatment Systems For Feedlots In South Dakota, Daniel T. Ostrem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vegetative treatment systems (VTS) are a possible alternative to storage basins for managing feedlot runoff but have not been researched in South Dakota. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of VTS within South Dakota. The performance was evaluated by determining water and mass balances on each vegetative treatment area (VTA). The balances were determined by measuring all inflow, outflow, evapotranspiration, precipitation, and both soil and water nutrient concentrations within the VTA. Twelve site years have been completed in researching VTS from four feed lots in South Dakota. Seven of the twelve site-years VTS were able to prevent water …

Evaluation Of Stream Assessment Protocols For The Evaluation Of Habitat In Intermittent Headwater Streams, Eric Rasmussen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

EPA and state water resource agencies are now placing greater emphasis on monitoring and managing headwater streams. Two EPA stream protocols are available for headwater stream assessment but little effort has been made to compare these two methods or their resulting habitat quality index scores. The objectives of this effort were to 1) compare data types of the two protocols; 2) compare how the two protocols assess intermittent streams using habitat quality index (HQI) scores; and 3) compare stream characteristic emphases (geomorphology, riparia, substrate, in-stream cover for biota and hydrology) between the two protocols and their effect on overall HQI …

Science Based Authentication Of Dietary Supplements: Studies On The Chemical Constituents, Analytical Method And Biological Activities Of Scutellaria Spp And Pfaffia Paniculata, Jing Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the last decade, the use of herbal medicine has expanded globally and gained popularity. With the tremendous expansion in the use of herbal medicine worldwide, safety and efficacy as well as quality control of herbal medicines have become more and more issues of concern for both health authorities and the public. Although herbal medicine has been in use for hundreds to thousands years, very limited science-based data exist to explicit its chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and toxicity. Therefore, lack of scientific evidence for herbal medicine usage elicits the need for systematic studies of herbal medicine, including phytochemical, analytical, and …

A Single Case Study Of A Three Year Coordinated School Health Program At A Rural North Mississippi Elementary School, Sandra Lena Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The single case study presents the story of the implementation of a three year Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) at a rural North Mississippi school. The school was recognized by the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools, as one of ten selected model Mississippi healthy schools. An awarded grant of one hundred thousand dollars funded the implementation of the CSHP over a three year period. The study examined the impact of the CSHP on the students, staff, and personnel. Two types of data were collected and analyzed including archived documents and interviews conducted with five members of the …

Instructors' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Technology At The University Of Mississippi, Julia Emilia Bussade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the Spanish and Portuguese Instructors' attitudes toward technology at the University of Mississippi. In this mixed method study, with a very limited number of participants ( N = 20), attitudes were analyzed by combining the results of all three instruments that composed this research project: a survey, class observations and personal interviews. The results from the triangulation of these three instruments showed that the instructors have a positive attitude toward technology.

This particular investigation adapted and employed two dimensions to assess teachers' attitudes toward technology: (1) anxiety, fear and/or aversion; and …

The Educational Implications Of Dibels Oral Reading Fluency Assessments And Mississippi Curriculum Test 2 In Reading First Schools, Debra A. Dace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Willingness To Influence Indication-Based Off-Label Prescribing: An Investigation Of Hospital Pharmacists, Ram Sankar Basak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Off-label prescribing is a comand legal practice in the United States. However, off-label prescribing occurs oftentimes with inadequate evidence of effectiveness. Such practice, especially when prescribing for disease conditions different from approved clinical indications (indication-based off-label prescribing), brings about controversy and raises different issues with various stakeholders. Although indication-based off-label prescribing offers advantages in terms of providing innovative therapy, it raises concerns because the safety and efficacy of such use may not be evaluated adequately. Thus, the objective of the study was to examine whether pharmacists are willing to influence physicians while evaluating an indication-based off-label medication order. Based on …

The Economic Impact Of The Gulf Opportunity Zone Act Of 2005, Randall B. Bunker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The economic impact of the gulf opportunity zone act of 2005 politicians utilize tax policy investment incentives to foster economic growth and stimulate investment. On December 21, 2005, president bush signed the gulf opportunity zone act of 2005, otherwise known as the go zone act. The go zone act provided tax incentives to stimulate economic growth and assist in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. This research evaluates the economic impact of tax policy investment incentives provided by the go zone act of 2005. Congress continues to use tax incentives to stimulate economic growth even though empirical research on the impact …

The Fungal Connection: Characterizing The Ectomycorrhizal Community And Belowground Response To Restoration Treatments In Northern Mississippi., Ashley Jane Craig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are symbionts on the roots of woody plant species throughout the world. These fungi provide plants with nutrients and are important drivers of ecosystem processes. ECM fungi vary in their effect on host plants and host-specificity, making them important considerations in restoration projects seeking to restore target tree species. Restoration strategies such as burning and thinning may have strong impacts on ECM fungi, and given the that ECM are important in structuring aboveground communities and maintaining certain dominant plant taxa, knowledge of ECM fungal response is needed to ensure restoration efforts succeed. Using molecular methods, this research …

Differences In Bone Mineral Density Among Adolescent Female Tennis Players And Non-Tennis Players, Kevser Ermin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. Physical activity (PA) is an important step in preventing osteoporosis and is one of the major determinants of peak bone mass during adolescence. However, type of pa plays an important role when examining the effects of pa on bone mineral density (BMD). Purpose: 1) to determine the differences in BMD among adolescent female tennis players (TP) and non-tennis players (NTP); 2) to determine the differences in body composition (BC) between adolescent female TP and NTP; 3) to determine whether BC variables (weight, fat mass, and lean mass) were predictive of differences in BMD; and …

The Influence Of Individual Differences In Emotional Clarity On Sensitivity To Situational Cues, Elizabeth Lauren Foreman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The influence of individual differences in emotional clarity on the use of situational cues in decision making was investigated. Accuracy of situational cues was manipulated in the form of ostensible previous ratings given to participants while viewing pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant pictures. Of importance to this study was whether persons low in emotional clarity would rely more on situational cues, regardless of their accuracy, than would persons high in this trait. Personality was assessed using two scales which measure emotional clarity. Self-monitoring was also examined as a possible moderator of any findings. Contrary to predictions, our findings indicated that individuals …