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Laboratory Studies To Field Evaluation : Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contaminated Painted Surfaces Through The Use Of Activated Metal Treatment Systems, Erin Kristen Saitta Jan 2010

Laboratory Studies To Field Evaluation : Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contaminated Painted Surfaces Through The Use Of Activated Metal Treatment Systems, Erin Kristen Saitta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of 209 congeners that are regulated under the Toxic Substance Control Act. They enter the environment as a result of industrial processes and can travel long distances. PCBs are environmentally persistent and bioaccumulate in animal populations. Painted surfaces are a common point source for PCBs and there are few options for remediating structures painted with PCB-contaminated paint. Removal of the paint can often spread contamination and disposing or burning of large structures is expensive. Experiments employing reductive dehalogenation through the use of a bimetal have shown that PCBs can be degraded in mild laboratory …

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Easing The Teasing The Effects Of Appearance-Related Feedback On Body Image Disturbance, Eating Pathology, Body Change Behaviors, And Self-Objectification, Elizabeth B. Schuster Jan 2010

Easing The Teasing The Effects Of Appearance-Related Feedback On Body Image Disturbance, Eating Pathology, Body Change Behaviors, And Self-Objectification, Elizabeth B. Schuster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Appearance-related commentary can be positive or negative. Such commentary has been shown to negatively affect the mental health and well-being of women in a well-documented body of research. There is limited research on this topic pertaining to males. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of appearance-related commentary in men. Results indicate that men who receive more negative commentary are more likely to experience eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, distress from commentary, and participate in compulsive exercising and appearancechange behaviors. However, men that receive positive commentary are likely to experience more positive outcomes, reporting less dissatisfaction and pathology …

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A Comparative Analysis Of Student Achievement In Florida Charter And Non-Charter Public High Schools 2007-2009, Shannon R. Sommella Jan 2010

A Comparative Analysis Of Student Achievement In Florida Charter And Non-Charter Public High Schools 2007-2009, Shannon R. Sommella

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if any relationship existed between the change in developmental scale scores (DSS) on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) for reading and mathematics, in selected Florida school districts among charter and non-charter public high schools, for grades 9 and 10. This study also investigated if any relationship existed in student achievement based on student demographics (gender, economically disadvantaged, primary home language (ELL) and ethnicity), and examined if there was a difference in professional demographics of faculty (advanced degrees, teachers’ average years of teaching experience, and percent of courses taught by out of …

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Effects Of A Bonus On Quality Improvement For Pre-School Classroom Educators, Ilene E. Wilkins Jan 2010

Effects Of A Bonus On Quality Improvement For Pre-School Classroom Educators, Ilene E. Wilkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interest in teacher effectiveness and merit pay has continued to be a high priority for major stakeholders in the field of education as well as the public. The focus of this research was to test the hypothesis that the implementation of a classroom bonus plan would improve the observable attributes and behaviors of teaching that have been determined to be effective in improving student learning. Specifically, the study was conducted to measure intentional teacher-student interactions, classroom quality, environment and organization as well as emotional and instructional support in Pre-K classrooms as measured by Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). During a …

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Examining The Beliefs And Practices Of Effective School Leaders As They Relate To Serving Students With Disabilities, Kimberly Steinke Jan 2010

Examining The Beliefs And Practices Of Effective School Leaders As They Relate To Serving Students With Disabilities, Kimberly Steinke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As academic reform movements push schools to provide more rigorous learning environments for students, it is essential that the "person in charge" at the school level be prepared and capable of meeting the demands of high stakes measures that affect critical dimensions of school life. Educational leaders today face a significant amount of pressure to improve the quality of education at all levels and across all disciplines. While school leaders face the pressures of No Child Left Behind in terms of increased student performance, they must also be concerned about serving students with disabilities appropriately. The purpose of this study …

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An Investigation Of Counselor Educators' Attitudes Towards Evidence-Based Practices And Perceived Barriers To The Incorporat, Samir Patel Jan 2010

An Investigation Of Counselor Educators' Attitudes Towards Evidence-Based Practices And Perceived Barriers To The Incorporat, Samir Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate counselor educators' attitudes towards evidence-based practices (EBPs) and perceived barriers to the inclusion of EBPs in counselor education curricula. Additionally, this study aimed to assess whether counselor educators' level of agreement towards the presence of motivational interviewing (MI) principles in the counseling relationship impacted attitudes towards EBPs. As such, this researcher analyzed four research questions using two instruments and a demographic questionnaire. Two hundred sixty nine counselor educators (39.8% response rate) from the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision responded to an electronic survey, which consisted of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude …

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Examining Intimate Partner Stalking And Use Of Technology In Stalking Victimization, Jennifer Truman Jan 2010

Examining Intimate Partner Stalking And Use Of Technology In Stalking Victimization, Jennifer Truman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to expand the empirical knowledge and understanding of stalking victimization by examining both intimate and nonintimate stalking and the use of technology to stalk. To accomplish this, the current research examined differences among intimate and nonintimate stalking, stalking types (cyberstalking, stalking with technology, and traditional stalking), and stalking types by the victim-offender relationship. Specifically, this research examined demographic differences, differences in severity, seriousness, victim reactions and responses to and effects of stalking. Findings revealed that overall intimate partner stalking victims experienced greater levels of seriousness and severity of stalking, and expressed more fear than nonintimate partner …

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Is There A Relationship Between Pre-Service Training, In-Service Training, Experience, And Counselor's Self-Efficacy And Whether They Work With Students With Special Needs?, Sally Lewis Jan 2010

Is There A Relationship Between Pre-Service Training, In-Service Training, Experience, And Counselor's Self-Efficacy And Whether They Work With Students With Special Needs?, Sally Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study elaborated on the development of school counselor's feelings of self-efficacy in working with students with special needs and how self-efficacy affects school counselor's roles with students with special needs. More specifically, this study addressed a number of topics in researching the impact of pre-service training, experience and in-service training for Professional School Counselors (PSCs) on their feelings of self-efficacy in working with students with special needs. This study will present a historical review of the development of Professional School Counselor roles. In addition, an analysis of the development of comprehensive developmental guidance programs in schools and suggested frameworks …

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Retrospective Analysis Of Screening Patterns In Cirrhotic Patients With Heptocellular Carcinoma, Shelly-Ann Scott-Castell Jan 2010

Retrospective Analysis Of Screening Patterns In Cirrhotic Patients With Heptocellular Carcinoma, Shelly-Ann Scott-Castell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients is increasing worldwide. Cirrhotic patients are recommended by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) to receive HCC screening and surveillance every 6 months to a year. The purpose of this study was to identify the current screening and surveillance patterns for cirrhotic patients with HCC in clinical practice. Hepatocellular carcinoma can be detected by radiological studies in addition to laboratory testing. It is important to implement the AASLD screening guidelines, as early identification might decrease the mortality rate of patients with cirrhosis and HCC. The research question …

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The Effect Of Video Modeling And Social Skill Instructionon On The Social Skills Of Adolescents With High Functioning Autism And, Bruce Blake Jan 2010

The Effect Of Video Modeling And Social Skill Instructionon On The Social Skills Of Adolescents With High Functioning Autism And, Bruce Blake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted on video modeling has shown that these strategies are most effective when they include specific strategies to address conversation skills. Social skills research has also shown that teaching social skills to adolescents in group settings may be more effective than presenting them on an individual basis. Adolescents with Aspergers Syndrome (AS) and High functioning Autism (HFA) participated in a12-week Social Skills Training (SST) program. In addition to pre-and post-study measures, conversation skills data were collected before and after the application of the independent variable (video modeling). Follow-up interviews were also conducted with participants, secondary participants, and parents of …

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Teaching And Assessing Critical Thinking In Radiologic Technology Students, Susan Gosnell Jan 2010

Teaching And Assessing Critical Thinking In Radiologic Technology Students, Susan Gosnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was primarily to explore the conceptualization of critical thinking development in radiologic science students by radiography program directors. Seven research questions framed three overriding themes including 1) perceived definition of and skills associated with critical thinking; 2) effectiveness and utilization of teaching strategies for the development of critical thinking; and 3) appropriateness and utilization of specific assessment measures for documenting critical thinking development. The population for this study included program directors for all JRCERT accredited radiography programs in the United States. Questionnaires were distributed via Survey Monkey©, a commercial on-line survey tool to 620 programs. …

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Freedom And Comfort In Academically-Related Political Discussions Among Economics And Political Science Faculty In A State Unive, John Hilston Jan 2010

Freedom And Comfort In Academically-Related Political Discussions Among Economics And Political Science Faculty In A State Unive, John Hilston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation explored whether there was a relationship between comfort in discussing political views and faculty members' political party preferences. The questions of whether political comfort differed based on gender, religious affiliation, academic discipline, and/or institutional affiliation were also explored. Both economics and political science faculty did not report comfort in discussing political views in the context of departmental committee service. Economics faculty either did not report on their colleagues' political views or they disagreed with their colleagues' political views. Political science faculty either did not report on their colleagues' political views or they agreed with their colleagues' political views. …

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Trust On The Web: The Impact Of Social Consensus On Information Credibility, Katherine Del Guidice Jan 2010

Trust On The Web: The Impact Of Social Consensus On Information Credibility, Katherine Del Guidice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Models of the need-driven information search and the information appraisal process were formed from a comprehensive literature review of factors affecting perceived credibility and trust in online information. The social component of online credibility has not, to date, been thoroughly researched. This component's impact on the development of the perceived credibility of online information was examined in two experiments. In the first experiment, the impact of positive, mixed, and negative social feedback on the development of the perceived credibility of a web page was evaluated. In the second experiment, the effect of social feedback on credibility was examined under two …

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Examining The Hypocrisy Paradigm As An Intervention For Modifying High-Risk Alcohol Use Behaviors Among College Students, Mary Hammons Jan 2010

Examining The Hypocrisy Paradigm As An Intervention For Modifying High-Risk Alcohol Use Behaviors Among College Students, Mary Hammons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypocrisy paradigm as an experimental alcohol intervention to determine if participants who complete the hypocrisy paradigm will experience a significant reduction in the number of negative consequences associated with their alcohol use, quantity and frequency of alcohol use, and average and peak eBAC compared to college students in the control condition. Participants were 53 college students randomly assigned to an experimental hypocrisy paradigm intervention or a control condition. Contrary to prediction, the hypocrisy paradigm was not found to be significantly different than the control condition. Exploratory analyses examining within-group differences were …

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Does Chronic Stress Accelerate Late-Aging Cognitive Decline In Memory And Executive Functioning?, Diane Robinson Jan 2010

Does Chronic Stress Accelerate Late-Aging Cognitive Decline In Memory And Executive Functioning?, Diane Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few studies exist examining the relationship between self-reported stress and cognitive function in healthy nonpsychiatric older adults, and even less studies have examined whether high levels of self-reported stress accelerate the cognitive decline found in normal late-aging populations. A group of older nonpsychiatric adults, ages 54 years and above, were asked to complete three measures assessing their self-perceived stress over the past month, past year, and their lifetime. Sixty-one adults between the ages of 54 and 88 (52% female) participated in a second phase in which neuropsychological tasks were administered to assess three cognitive domains; memory, learning, and executive functioning. …

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Organizational Social Capital And Perceived Performance Of Drug Law Enforcement Departments: A Case Study In Turkey, Ismail Sahin Jan 2010

Organizational Social Capital And Perceived Performance Of Drug Law Enforcement Departments: A Case Study In Turkey, Ismail Sahin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supply reduction efforts by drug law enforcement departments are a significant factor in improving the effectiveness of drug control policies. As with other public organizations, the performance of drug law enforcement departments is one of the most important concerns for policy makers. Therefore, improving the performance of these departments is crucial in order for governments to constrict illegal drug markets and prevent illegal drug distribution. The literature suggests that social capital may have significant implications for policy makers and practitioners in terms of enhancing organizational performance.Social capital has recently been examined at the organizational level. It may contribute to organizational …

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Using Modeling And Simulation To Evaluate Disease Control Measures, Tracy Atkins Jan 2010

Using Modeling And Simulation To Evaluate Disease Control Measures, Tracy Atkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation introduced several issues concerning the analysis of diseases by showing how modeling and simulation could be used to assist in creating health policy by estimating the effects of such policies. The first question posed was how would education, vaccination and a combination of these two programs effect the possible outbreak of meningitis on a college campus. After creating a model representative of the transmission dynamics of meningitis and establishing parameter values characteristic of the University of Central Florida main campus, the results of a deterministic model were presented in several forms. The result of this model was the …

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Evaluating An Online Personalized Family-Based Intervention To Promote Healthy Lifestyle Changes, Sharon Hayes Jan 2010

Evaluating An Online Personalized Family-Based Intervention To Promote Healthy Lifestyle Changes, Sharon Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study evaluated the initial feasibility, efficacy, and acceptability of a motivationally-tailored family-based intervention designed to promote the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors associated with physical activity and nutrition. Parents (N=132) of children 6 to 11 years old were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition, and they completed a series of online questionnaires. Intervention participants (n=61) received a single motivationally-tailored feedback report via e-mail. Control participants (n=71) completed measures and immediately received information about a free online resource that provides information about healthy lifestyle behaviors (www.mypyramid.gov). Feasibility data indicate that an online feedback program has high dissemination …

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The Effect Of Combat Exercises On Cardiovascular Response: An Exploratory Study, Melisa Gantt Jan 2010

The Effect Of Combat Exercises On Cardiovascular Response: An Exploratory Study, Melisa Gantt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Hypertension (HTN) affects one in every three adults in the United States. Often associated with the older population, this silent killer has emerged in an unsuspecting group, young military soldiers. With the rapid succession of multiple deployments, long intervals between blood pressure (BP) assessments, and the absence of cardiovascular (CV) measures during the pre and post deployment health screenings; soldiers may be at higher risk for HTN than their civilian counterparts of the same age. The purpose of this study was to explore real-time continuous CV measures of soldiers before, during, and after exposure to a simulated combat stressor …

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Ageist Perceptions In Personnel Selection Decisions: A Prejudice-Reduction Intervention, Justin Marcus Jan 2010

Ageist Perceptions In Personnel Selection Decisions: A Prejudice-Reduction Intervention, Justin Marcus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether older job applicants are discriminated against relative to younger job applicants when changing careers, and to investigate whether an intervention designed to reduce stereotyping and prejudice could alleviate such unfair discrimination, if it was found. A between-subjects laboratory experiment with three factors was conducted, including age (young vs. old job applicant), career-transition type (within- vs. between-career transition), and a dual-identity based recategorization intervention (control vs. intervention), totaling 8 experimental conditions. Data were collected and analyzed from 157 undergraduate student participants. Participants were informed that they would be evaluating the viability …

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Implementing Usability Testing Of Technical Documents At Any Company And On Any Budget, Meghan Collins Jan 2010

Implementing Usability Testing Of Technical Documents At Any Company And On Any Budget, Meghan Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In my thesis I discuss the cost effectiveness of usability testing of technical documents and how any size company with any size budget can implement usability testing. Usability is achieved when the people who use products or technical documents can do so quickly and easily to accomplish their own tasks. Usability testing is best defined as the process of studying users to determine a documentation project's effectiveness for its intended audience. Users are tired of dealing with confusing and unintuitive technical documentation that forces them to either call customer service for help on simple issues or throw out the product …

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Coworker Informal Accommodations As A Solution To Work Interfering With Family And Family Interfering With Work In Team-Based Jo, Miliani Jimenez Jan 2010

Coworker Informal Accommodations As A Solution To Work Interfering With Family And Family Interfering With Work In Team-Based Jo, Miliani Jimenez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study builds on prior research that has identified informal work accommodations to family as a valuable means for balancing competing work and family responsibilities. As organizations increasingly capitalize on team-based work designs, it is important to consider the informal ways in which interdependent coworkers constructively assist one another in the management of work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW). The intent of this thesis is to develop a better understanding of the effects of the coping mechanisms employees in team-based jobs utilize to reduce work interfering with family. Thus, this thesis examined (a) the …

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Sexually-Related Internet Activities: Cross-National Comparison Between United States And Peruvian Young Adults, Rodrigo Velezmoro Jan 2010

Sexually-Related Internet Activities: Cross-National Comparison Between United States And Peruvian Young Adults, Rodrigo Velezmoro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current generation of college students commonly use the Internet for sexual purposes (Boies, 2002; Boies, Cooper, & Osborne, 2004), including finding sexual partners, searching for sex-related information, and viewing sexually explicit materials (SEM) (Boies, 2002). Yet, some authors have suggested that the use of the Internet for sexual purposes might lead to psychological problems (Cooper et al., 2001). However, it is unclear if the problems that are commonly reported (i.e., Internet dependency, isolation, and psychological distress) are caused by using the Internet for sexual purposes. Hence, it is important to examine how college students use the Internet for sexual …

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Young Adults' Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage And Polygamy As A Function Of Demographic, Gender, And Personality Variables, Catherine Pearte Jan 2010

Young Adults' Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage And Polygamy As A Function Of Demographic, Gender, And Personality Variables, Catherine Pearte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on a sample of 814 university students, pro- and anti-same-sex marriage and polygamous marriage groups were established based on students scoring >1 SD above (n = 145; n = 132, respectively) and > 1 SD below the group mean (n = 127; n = 126) on the Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage Scale (ATSSM: Pearl & Paz-Galupo, 2007) and Attitudes Toward Polygamy Scale, which was generated by modifying the ATSSM (ATPM). Compared to pro-same-sex marriage students, anti-same-sex marriage students were significantly more prejudiced against gays and lesbians, authoritarian, religious, and politically conservative. Anti-same-sex marriage students also had less contact with and …

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Exploration Of The Relationship Of Trait And State Anxiety In The Chick Anxiety-Depression Model / Amy L. Salmeto, Amy L. Salmeto Jan 2010

Exploration Of The Relationship Of Trait And State Anxiety In The Chick Anxiety-Depression Model / Amy L. Salmeto, Amy L. Salmeto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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Branched And Spiral Organic Nanotubes Based On The Self-Assembly Of Bile Acids, Xuejun Zhang Jan 2010

Branched And Spiral Organic Nanotubes Based On The Self-Assembly Of Bile Acids, Xuejun Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The self-assembly of chiral amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solutions is of particular interest because the chirality of individual molecules is often expressed in their supermolecular structures. Self-assembled tubes made of chiral amphiphilic molecules represent useful supramolecular architectures which hold promise as controlled release vehicles for drug delivery, encapsulates for functional molecules, and nanoreactors for chemical reactions. Lithocholic acid (LCA) is a secondary bile acid with the concentration being identical to that of cholesterol in the hepatic bile and gallbladder. It has a rigid, nearly planar hydrophobic steroid nucleus, with four hydrogen atoms and one hydroxyl group directed toward the concave …

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Development And Validation Of The Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory, Carol Ann Thornson Jan 2010

Development And Validation Of The Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory, Carol Ann Thornson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the factors responsible for successful interactions between cultures has been an ongoing investigation among anthropologists, social workers, and organizational psychologists. The need for employees who are able to function effectively across cultures has resulted in a great deal of research examining which factors enable expatriate effectiveness. Despite the necessity of a workforce that is able to function across cultures in today’s global economy, an even greater case can be made for cross-cultural competence (3C) in the U.S. military. The potential for loss of life and international-level consequences is high if our military forces are not adequately prepared. This is …

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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 …

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Structural Health Monitoring Of A Stadium For Evaluating Human Comfort And Structural Performance, Hasan Sazak Jan 2010

Structural Health Monitoring Of A Stadium For Evaluating Human Comfort And Structural Performance, Hasan Sazak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Light and rapid constructions as well as considerations such as improved line of sight and increased capacity for modern stadium structures make them vulnerable for vibration serviceability problems. These problems are also observed at convention centers, large shopping malls, concert halls and ballrooms. Especially when the individuals in a crowd are involved in some sort of coordinated motion, this type of loading creates the most potential for high levels of vibration. In order to understand the causes of vibration, vibration levels, service and safety levels, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can be implemented to track and evaluate performance of a structure …

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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 …

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