Digital Commons Network^™

The Intellectual History Of Inter-War British Fascists, John Tucci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between World Wars I and II, allied forces girded themselves to quash yet another enemy bent on world conquest: fascism. In England, however, the British fascists set about to save what they saw as a dying empire. In an effort to restore Britain's greatness, British fascism held to fascist principles and doctrine to stem the flow of immigration, which fascists saw as darkening the pure British culture. While many of the British fascists strongly admired Nazi Germany's version of fascism, they were unique in that they forged their solutions from social ills that were distinctly British. British fascists were unabashedly …

Assessing Male Body Image: Development And Validation Of The Appearance Inventory For Men (Aim), Daniel Agliata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite evidence suggesting that appearance dissatisfaction among men is on the rise, a void in appropriate forms of body image assessment for males remains. The current study reviews the literature on male body image, identifying the shortcomings and limitations of prior research, and introduces a psychometrically sound, male-specific body image assessment. An initial item-generation study was used to poll 253 males to inquire about their concerns, emotions, behaviors, and related body image topics to be sorted and synthesized into items for scale inclusion. The newly developed Appearance Inventory for Men (AIM) was then administered to 330 males and submitted to …

The Body Unbound, Kelley Pratt Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Parents' And Children's Eating Behaviors And Activity Levels, Christine Lynn Jayne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Colloidal Stability On The Heat Transfer Characteristics Of Nanosilica Dispersed Fluids, Manoj Venkataraman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Addition of nano particles to cooling fluids has shown marked improvement in the heat transfer capabilities. Nanofluids, liquids that contain dispersed nanoparticles, are an emerging class of fluids that have great potential in many applications. There is a need to understand the fundamental behavior of nano dispersed particles with respect to their agglomeration characteristics and how it relates to the heat transfer capability. Such an understanding is important for the development and commercialization of nanofluids. In this work, the stability of nano particles was studied by measuring the zeta potential of colloidal particles, particle concentration and size. Two different sizes …

Solution Of Electromagnetic Scattering Parameters And Radiation Patterns Of Arbitrary Body Of Revolution Radiators, Wendell Brokaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A novel full wave analysis method to determine the scattering parameters and the radiation field intensities of arbitrary Body of Revolution (BOR) radiators consisting of impenetrable media is explored through derived components of modal analysis and the method of moments (MoM). Modal excitation is utilized to excite the structural feed; allowing for a more accurate measure of the scattering parameters of the total structure as opposed to the use of external excitation sources. The derivation of the mode matching method introduces a novel approach to achieving a frequency independent coupling matrix that will reduce the computational requirements for iterations utilized …

Uv-Liga Compatible Electroformed Nano-Structured Materials For Micro Mechanical Systems, Bo Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

UV-LIGA is a microfabrication process realzed by material deposition through microfabricated molds. UV photolithography is conducted to pattern precise thick micro molds using UV light sensitive materials, mostly SU-8, and electroforming is performed to fabricate micro metallic structures defined by the micro molds. Therefore, UV-LIGA is a bottom-up in situ material-addition process. UV-LIGA has received broad attention recently than LIGA – a micro molding fabrication process using X-ray to pattern the micro molds. LIGA is an expansive and is limited in access. In comparing to LIGA, the UV-LIGA is a cost effective process, and is widely accessible and safe. Therefore, …

Enhancing Message Privacy In Wired Equivalent Privacy., Darshan Purandare

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 802.11 standard defines the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and encapsulation of data frames. It is intended to provide data privacy to the level of a wired network. WEP suffered threat of attacks from hackers owing to certain security shortcomings in the WEP protocol. Lately, many new protocols like WiFi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2, Robust Secure Network (RSN) and 802.11i have come into being, yet their implementation is fairly limited. Despite its shortcomings one cannot undermine the importance of WEP as it still remains the most widely used system and we chose to address certain security issues and propose some …

A New Paradigm Of Modeling Watershed Water Quality, Fan Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate models to reliably predict sediment and chemical transport in watershed water systems enhance the ability of environmental scientists, engineers and decision makers to analyze the impact of contamination problems and to evaluate the efficacy of alternative remediation techniques and management strategies prior to incurring expense in the field. This dissertation presents the conceptual and mathematical development of a general numerical model simulating (1) sediment and reactive chemical transport in river/stream networks of watershed systems; (2) sediment and reactive chemical transport in overland shallow water of watershed systems; and (3) reactive chemical transport in three-dimensional subsurface systems. Through the decomposition …

Optimization Of An Unstructured Finite Element Mesh For Tide And Storm Surge Modeling Applications In The Western North Atlantic Ocean, Satoshi Kojima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, a highly resolved, finite element mesh was developed for the purpose of performing hydrodynamic calculations in the Western North Atlantic Tidal (WNAT) model domain. The WNAT model domain consists of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the entire portion of the North Atlantic Ocean found west of the 60° W meridian. This high resolution mesh (333K) employs 332,582 computational nodes and 647,018 triangular elements to provide approximately 1.0 to 25 km node spacing. In the previous work, the 333K mesh was applied in a Localized Truncation Error Analysis (LTEA) to produce nodal density requirements for the WNAT …

Development Of A Knowledge Management Model In Large-Scale International Space Science Projects, Jose Luis Nunez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large-scale international science projects (LISPs) are those projects where two or more countries formally agree to cooperate toward the achievement of a scientific, research and development, or engineering goal. In general, only projects exceeding $1 billion U.S. are considered LISPs, so sheer size commands attention, and because they are so costly and visible, failure can lead to significant scientific, financial and political consequences. This researched focused on how 7 different critical success factors impacted the level of technical interface knowledge shared among international partners involved in a large-scale international space science project (LISSP) – the International Space Station (ISS), which …

Designing A Document Delivery System For Ucf S Interlibrary Loan Department, Abha Y. Trivedi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interlibrary Loan entails obtaining copies of library materials not found in the library's collection on behalf of the library's patrons (borrowing), as well as providing copies of library materials requested by other libraries (lending). The dynamic nature of today's library environment is well illustrated by the rapid changes occurring in the role of interlibrary loan. The vision statement of the University of Central Florida Library is: The library performs a central role of adding value to information for the academic community by creatively improving and providing information resources and services. The library strives to create an environment that encourages the …

Stormwater Irrigation Of Saint Augustine Grass: Nitrogen Balance And Evapotranspiration, Ewoud Hulstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A change in surface condition of a watershed, which is usually caused by development, can have measured effects on the naturally occurring hydrologic cycle and nitrogen cycle. This could result in environmental problems, such as reduced springflow and eutrophication. In an effort to address these issues, a combination of best management practices (BMPs) can be adhered to. The practice of using excess stormwater as a source for irrigation is proposed as a BMP for the minimization of impacts by development to the hydrologic and nitrogen cycles. To study the proposed BMP, a field experiment was installed in an outdoor location …

Access Games: A Game Theoretic Framework For Fair Bandwidth Sharing In Distributed Systems, Sudipta Rakshit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the central objective is to achieve fairness in bandwidth sharing amongst selfish users in a distributed system. Because of the inherent contention-based nature of the distributed medium access and the selfishness of the users, the distributed medium access is modeled as a non-cooperative game; designated as the Access Game. A p-CSMA type medium access scenario is proposed for all the users. Therefore, in the Access Game, each user has two actions to choose from: "transmit" and "wait". The outcome of the Access Game and payoffs to each user depends on the actions taken by all the users. …

Voice Track Computer Based Simulation For Medical Training, Alpesh Purshottam Makwana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Varying the delivery rate of audio-based text within web-based training increases the effectiveness of the learning process and improves retention when compared with a fixed audio-based text delivery rate. To answer this question, two groups of 20 participants and one group of 10 participants were tested using the Web-based Anatomy & Physiology course modules developed by Medsn, Inc. The control group received the static speed of 128 words per minute while the experimental group received the initial speed of 128 words per minute with the option to change the speed of the audio-based text. An additional experimental group received the …

Social Work Values And Hospital Culture: An Examination From A Competing Values Framework, Amanda Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions of social workers employed in Florida hospitals in relation to the core values of their profession and the alignment of those values within the culture of their current work setting. The conceptual framework for the study was from organizational behavior theory specific to culture, values, and trust. The Competing Values Framework (Cameron & Quinn, 1999) provided a method to distinguish co-existing competing values within an organization. The research findings indicated that 65% of the professional social workers who participated in the study perceived that the core values of their profession …

Isolation And Characterization Of Water-Soluble Fluorescent Species From Human Serum, Ashraf Hamid Elamin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lipid peroxidation (LP) proceeds by a free radical chain reaction mechanism in which molecular oxygen is incorporated into polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to yield lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH). The ultimate end-products of LP are the production of alpha, beta unsaturated aldehydes, such as acrolein, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA). These aldehydes are very reactive and exhibit facile reactivity with various biomolecules, particularly proteins, resulting in the formation of fluorescent adducts that could be useful biological marker in diseases. These fluorescent adducts typically emit light between 400 and 600 nm when excited at wavelengths ranging from 300-400 nm. Lysine residues are the …

The Us Government-Sponsored Graduate-Level Exchange Programs: The Goals Of The Major Stakeholders And The Students' Academic Interests, Ekaterina Kharlamova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A steady increase in student mobility levels has become a widely recognized component of general globalization trends in the modern world. Yet, internationalization of education is not merely a product of bigger globalization processes. Educational exchange, in many instances sponsored and administered by national governments, is an effective tool in governmental foreign policies. The shift of focus in governmental policies towards the political rather than educational purposes of educational international exchange could lead for lack of attention paid to the issues of foreign students' academic interests. At the same time, universities, although prompted by the globalization tendencies to internationalize their …

A Qualitative Study Of The Professional Development Impact Of National Board Certification, Donna Newcomer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study examined what perceived impact, if any, National Board Certification has had on the classroom practices of seven Nationally Board Certified Teachers. A qualitative design methodology was utilized through a naturalistic inquiry discovery approach. Two separate semi-structured interview instruments were verbally administered by the researcher in a one-on-one setting following an informal classroom observation made by the researcher and the principal present during and immediately following teacher completion of the National Board Certification process. In addition, researcher examination of portfolio artifacts provided evidence to determine congruency between defined board standards of what teachers should know and be able to …

Arr Genes From Arsenate-Reducing Low G+C Gram Positive Bacteria Bacillus Selenitireducens Strain Mls10 And Clostridium Sp. Strain Ohilas, Mrunalini Ranganathan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The gene encoding the small subunit of the respiratory arsenate reductase (arrB) from the haloalkaliphilic low G+C Gram positive bacterium Bacillus selenitireducens strain MLS-10 was amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. The amplicon was larger (~ 1.2 kb) than predicted indicating that the degenerate reverse primer hybridized to a region further down stream. The amplicon contained all of arrB and the 5'end of another open reading frame. The arrB (693 bp) predicts a 26.3 kDa protein of 230 amino acids with a pI of 5.5 and four iron-sulfur binding domains. The protein shares a 50% identity and 66% similarity with …

A Case Study Of The Impact Of Zero-Based Staffing And The Teacher Selection Process In The Improvement Of Academic Success Indicators In An Underachieving Elementary School In Maryland, David Reeder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study examined the process of zero-based staffing as a reform model for improving academic achievement at an underachieving elementary school in a county school system in Maryland. The process of zero-based staffing involved the involuntary transfer of all professional staff from the building. This study examined the zero-based process used to restructure the school, the teacher selection process, and the characteristics of the teachers selected for the school. A qualitative design methodology was employed to examine the processes through a naturalistic inquiry approach. Four semistructured interview instruments were utilized to gather data from the superintendent, principal, teachers, and …

The Church And The Voice Of The Other: The Growth Of The Faith Community And Dialogue In The Church, John Amankwah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the Second Vatican Council ended over forty years ago, the Catholic Church has been struggling to find a firm ground in a world of ever-advancing technological change and increasing globalization. Prior to the convening of the Council, the church virtually isolated itself from the rest of the world because it considered itself as a societa prefecta. Dialogue as a communicative act of openness to the other with willingness to change did not exist in the Church because of its understanding of communication as uni-directional-- from the hierarchy to the rest of the people.

This study examined the church's communicative …

Media Literacy And Critical Thinking: Is There A Connection?, Edward Arke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between media literacy and critical thinking skills. To date media literacy advocates have not developed a quantitative means of measuring media literacy. While numerous claims that media literacy and critical thinking are related, a review of the existing literature has not revealed any academic support for the assertion. As a result, a demographic survey and test to measure each skill set respectfully was administered to a sample of undergraduate college students. For this study, a new media literacy measure was developed. Statistical analysis of the test results did show a statistically significant correlation between the …

Games People Play: Identity And Relationships In An Online Role-Playing Game, Jennifer Bortle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following is a study of online relationships and identity formation in Everquest, a multiplayer online role-playing game. Using a phenomenological and reflexive approach, the study seeks to explicate the attractions of this type of online forum, which draws hundreds of thousands of players who spend many hours each week playing the game. Three Everquest players' experiences are considered in light of literature from mainstream psychological, social constructionist, psychodynamic, and cyborg theory, with special focus on the players' reports of the dialogue between player and character, and of the nature of their relationships in Everquest. Subjects participated in a non-directive, …

Healing Violence In South Africa: A Textual Reading Of Kentridge's 'Drawings For Projection', Vanessa Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the literature appears to understand trauma and violence as experienced singularly, and as effecting intrapsychic changes or reactions, latterly there has been a recognition that this understanding of the term 'trauma' may not be adequate to describe violence suffered over a prolonged period of time. Further, psychology tends to avert our attention from healing by attending to symptomatology. In South Africa, during the apartheid years (1948-1994), violence was constituted by an extraordinary threat to ongoing being and was informed by a totalitarian prejudice. Creative texts, unlike traumatic texts, show how many artists have worked with South African traumas in …

The Scholarship And Praxis Of Communication Ethics: Rhetorical Interruptions In Historical Narratives, Melissa Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creating a praxis model for performing communication ethics scholarship is important in Postmodernity, as a multiplicity of narratives requires knowledgeable life-long learners who are willing to understand historicity and one's place within traditions. This study relies on Alasdair MacIntyre's seminal work, A Short History of Ethics, as it provides an historical lineage of Western philosophers who wrote about ethics within the time span from ancient Greece, to modern day. Major metaphors are extracted from the works of these philosophers as guiding hermeneutical entrances into historical and temporally bound narratives, used as the praxis portion of this work. Narratives, epics and …

Planning Release: An Evaluation Of The Allegheny County Jail Project, Rae Dorer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the Allegheny County Jail Project is to allow inmates to maintain social bonds by obtaining meaningful employment and reduce the rate of recidivism. The rates of recidivism were evaluated for the Allegheny County Jail Project and then compared to the rate of recidivism of the general population of the Allegheny County Jail to measure the success of the program. A population of 126 enrollees, the first and second year enrollees of the program combined, was selected for this evaluation from September 2001 to June 2003, and then a follow up of one year was conducted to find …

The Effect Of Visual Images In Printed Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Of Prescription Medications On External Information Search / By Ravi Sadasivan, Ravi Sadasivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Into The Apparent Loss Of Interest In Art During Adolescence / By Suzanna Turner Russell, Suzanna Turner Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Modal Analysis Of Hard Surface Rectangular Waveguides : Dyadic Green's Function Approach, Wei Huang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.