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Personality Of Pain : A Look Into The Experience Of Pain As Well As The Psychological And Sociological Factors That Impact It, Desiree Perez

Honors Capstones

Within my research paper, my goal was to take an in depth look into the development, experience, and treatment of chronic pain. Information found in the paper includes (but is not limited to): the physiological breakdown of pain, causes, symptoms, statistics, views of pain through different medical models, treatment types, and sociological and psychological factors influencing pain. In order to research the topic, a variety of sources were used including: online periodicals and government websites, web pages, printed books, information taught in classes, and personal experience while working in a physical therapy clinic. My research has led me to many …

Age-Related Changes In Handgrip Strength Among Healthy Indian Males And Females Aged 6-25 Years, Shyamal Koley, Sheri Melton

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Late Devonian Spermatophyte Diversity And Paleoecology At Red Hill, North-Central Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Walter L. Cressler Iii, Cyrille Prestianni, Ben A. Lepage

Earth & Space Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Terrestrialization In The Late Devonian: A Palaeoecological Overview Of The Red Hill Site, Pennsylvania, Usa, Walter L. Cressler Iii, Edward B. Daeschler, Rudy Slingerland, Daniel A. Peterson

Earth & Space Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Values Framework For Students To Develop Thoughtful Attitudes About Citizenship And Stewardship, Tim Lutz, Leeann Srogi

Earth & Space Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of The Swastika : From Symbol Of Peace To Tool Of Hate, Lindsey L. Turnbull

HIM 1990-2015

Few figures in the history of the Americas are surrounded with more colorful lore and acclamation than the Cuban politician, teacher, patriot, and poet Jose Marti. Among Marti's literary contributions, his Ismaelillo, a collection of fifteen poems published in 1882, claims prominence as both Marti's first book of poems and as a seminal Latin American text. Celebrated for its sincere communication of paternal love and lauded as the genesis of Hispanic literary modernism, Ismaelillo captures the longing of an exiled father separated from his son and homeland. Its language is at once evocative of classical Spanish literature and innovative, incorporating …

Contemporary Hijra Identity In Guyana: Colonial And Postcolonial Transformations In Hijra Gender Identity, Shainna Ali

HIM 1990-2015

Before European colonialism, inhabitants of Guyana were Amerindians scattered across the “land of many waters” (Glasgow 1970:6; Rabe 2005:5). During the era of imperialism (1499-Guyanese Independence May 1966), the Dutch and British utilized indigenous and African slave labor as well as indentured servants from Asia to harvest cash crops (Glasgow 1970:131; Whitehead 2010:53). The British brought indentured servants across the kala pani, or dark water, from India to Guyana under the pretense of a better life. Under the harsh restrictions of colonial life, the Indian indentured laborers, negatively referred to as coolies, were culturally suppressed. Virtually, all aspects of daily …

From A Bird's Eye View: Using Satellite Imagery To Map And Analyze The Forest Islands Of The Llanos De Mojos, Bolivia, Stephanie Boothby

HIM 1990-2015

Recent discoveries about pre-Columbian societies in the Amazon have revolutionized the way researchers think about the environment, and the degree of interaction that humans have with their surroundings. New evidence indicates that ancient Amazonian populations were not only much larger and more complex than previously thought, but they were also modifying their environment and creating artificial landscapes. Although information about pre-Columbian cultures can be gained from archaeological excavations and historical accounts, the advent of new technology allows archaeologists to conduct research remotely.

Earthworks were constructed by pre-Hispanic peoples to create higher ground for occupation and agriculture, as an adaptation to …

Acquisition And Transference Of Physics-Based Conceptual Knowledge: An Analysis Of Fourth-Grade Student's Ability, Ashton Dacus

HIM 1990-2015

Distressingly, at the end of the 2008-2009 school year, 53% of fifth-grade students scored the equivalence of a D or lower on Florida's standardized science assessment (NCLB School District and State Public Accountability Report, 2009). One possible way to adapt methods of science education that is becoming more popular is through the use of computer games, as numerous studies have shown positive correlations between the use of computer games and increased learning gains in science.

This thesis not only discusses previous researc concerning computer games as tools for science education but it also provides a description and the results of …

University Of Central Florida Factbooks 2009-2010, University Of Central Florida

Historical Fact Book and Enrollment

Historical fact book and enrollment data for the University of Central Florida.

Species Composition And Spatiotemporal Pattern Of The Seed Bank And Vegetation In Native And Degraded Florida Rosemary Scrub, Jennifer J. Navarra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The soil seed bank plays a dynamic role in the regeneration of plant communities after natural and anthropogenic disturbance. In this thesis, I addressed how disturbances influence the vegetation and seed bank of Florida rosemary scrub. In Chapter One I evaluated changes in species composition and spatiotemporal pattern of the vegetation and seed bank along a gradient of disturbance. During the summers and winters of 2007-2009 percent ground cover and seed bank species composition were assessed among replicates of three vegetation types subjected to minimal, moderate, and extreme anthropogenic disturbance (native rosemary scrub, degraded scrub, and agriculturally improved pasture, respectively). …

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

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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

Novel Improvements On The Analytical Chemistry Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Their Metabolites, Wang Huiyong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are important environmental pollutants originating from a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic sources. Because many of them are highly suspect as etiological agents in human cancer, chemical analysis of PAH is of great environmental and toxicological importance. Current methodology for PAH follows the classical pattern of sample preparation and chromatographic analysis. Sample preparation preconcentrates PAH, simplifies matrix composition, and facilitates analytical resolution in the chromatographic column. Among the several approaches that exist to pre-concentrate PAH from water samples, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends the use of solid-phase extraction (SPE). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and …

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

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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

Application Of Antenna Synthesis And Digital Signal Processing Techniques For Active Millimeter-Wave Imaging Systems, Wilson Ariel Caba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millimeter-wave imaging has gathered attention in recent years for its ability to penetrate clothing, thin layers of soils, and certain construction materials. However, image quality remains a challenge that needs to be addressed. One way of improving image quality is by increasing the dimensions of the collecting aperture. A sparse array can be used to synthesize a larger aperture with a limited set of relatively small detectors. In this research we design, build, and test a test-bed having an active source at 94 GHz and an array of coherent detectors, mounted on arms that extend radially on a rotary table. …

Symmetry In The Dissociative Recombination Of Polyatomic Ions And In Ultra-Cold Few Body Collisions, Nicolas Douguet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We discuss the role of symmetries in the dissociative recombinations (DR) of three polyatomic ions, namely the linear HCO+ (formyl) ion and the two highly symmetric H+3 and H3O+ (hydronium) molecular ions. Regarding the HCO+ ion, we apply a quantum mechanical treatment using the Multi-channel Quantum Defect Theory (MQDT) formalism to describe the ion-electron scattering process. Our study takes into account the Renner-Teller effect in order to model the non Born-Oppenheimer vibronic coupling in linear polyatomic ions. The coupling has shown to represent the main mechanism responsible for electronic capturing in highly excited Rydberg states associated with excited vibrational levels …

Foreign Language Oral Assessment Practices In Florida Middle And High Schools, Grace Kerr Kellermeier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current foreign language pedagogy encourages a communicative approach to language learning. Instead of the reading and writing focus of the past, this communicative approach requires instruction in all skills, which include reading, writing, listening, speaking and having knowledge of associated cultures. A random sample of Florida foreign language teachers was surveyed to establish whether or not the goals and actual instructional practices were aligned. Respondents were asked to identify how much of a typical class period is dedicated to each of the five skills and how much of a typical unit test is dedicated to the same five skills. The …

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 …

Biogeography And Diversification In The Neotropics: Testing Macroevolutionary Hypotheses Using Molecular Phylogenetic Data, Juan Manuel Daza Rojas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lineage diversification in the Neotropics is an interesting topic in evolutionary biology and one of the least understood. The complexity of the region precludes generalizations regarding the historical and evolutionary processes responsible for the observed high diversity. Here, I use molecular data to infer evolutionary relationships and test hypotheses of current taxonomy, species boundaries, speciation and biogeographic history in several lineages of Neotropical snakes. I comprehensively sampled a widely distributed Neotropical colubrid snake and Middle American pitvipers and combined my data with published sequences. Within the colubrid genus Leptodeira, mitochondrial and nuclear markers revealed a phylogeograhic structure that disagrees with …

Fabrication Of Functional Nanostructures Using Polyelectrolyte Nanocomposites And Reduced Graphene Oxide Assemblies, Anindarupa Chunder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A wide variety of nanomaterials ranging from polymer assemblies to organic and inorganic nanostructures (particles, wires, rods etc) have been actively pursued in recent years for various applications. The synthesis route of these nanomaterials had been driven through two fundamental approaches - 'Top down' and 'Bottom up'. The key aspect of their application remained in the ability to make the nanomaterials suitable for targeted location by manipulating their structure and functionalizing with active target groups. Functional nanomaterials like polyelectrolyte based multilayered thin films, nanofibres and graphene based composite materials are highlighted in the current research. Multilayer thin films were fabricated …

Adaptive Feedback In Simulation-Based Training, Deborah Billings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Feedback is essential to guide performance in simulation-based training (SBT) and to refine learning. Generally outcomes improve when feedback is delivered with personalized tutoring that tailors specific guidance and adapts feedback to the learner in a one-to-on environment. Therefore, emulating by automation these adaptive aspects of human tutors in SBT systems should be an effective way to train individuals. This study investigates the efficacy of automating different types of feedback in a SBT system. These include adaptive bottom-up feedback (i.e., detailed feedback, changing to general as proficiency develops) and adaptive top-down feedback (i.e., general feedback, changing to detailed if performance …

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 …

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. …

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 …

Simulation Of Photochromic Compounds Using Density Functional Theory Methods, Pansy Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Thesis describes the systematic theoretical study aimed at prediction of the essential properties for the functional organic molecules that belong to diarylethene (DA) family of compounds. Diarylethenes present the distinct ability to change color under the influence of light, known as photochromism. This change is due to ultrafast chemical transition from open to closed ring isomers (photocyclization). It can be used for optical data storage, photoswitching, and other photonic applications. In this work we apply Density Functional Theory methods to predict 6 of the related properties: (i) molecular geometry; (ii) resonant wavelength; (iii) thermal stability; (iv) fatigue resistance; (v) …

Dft Study Of Geometry And Energetics Of Transition Metal Systems, Satyender Goel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on computational study of the geometry and energetics small molecules and nanoclusters involving transition metals (TM). These clusters may be used for various industrial applications including catalysis and photonics. Specifically, in this work we have studied hydrides and carbides of 3d-transition metal systems (Sc through Cu), small nickel and gold clusters. Qualitatively correct description of the bond dissociation is ensured by allowing the spatial and spin symmetry to break. We have tested applicability of new exchange-correlation functional and alternative theoretical descriptions (spin-contamination correction in broken symmetry DFT and ensemble Kohn-Sham (EKS)) as well. We studies TM hydrides …

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 …

Laser Plasma Radiation Studies For Droplet Sources In The Extreme Ultraviolet, Reuvani Kamtaprasad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of laboratory based Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) radiation has escalated with the desire to use EUV as a source for semiconductor device printing. Laser plasmas based on a mass-limited target concept, developed within the Laser Plasma Laboratory demonstrate a much needed versatility for satisfying rigorous source requirements. This concept produces minimal debris concerns and allows for the attainment of high repetition rates as well as the accommodation of various laser and target configurations. This work demonstrates the generation of EUV radiation by creating laser plasmas from mass-limited targets with indium, tin, and antimony doped droplets. Spectral emission from the …

Clonality And Genetic Diversity In Polygonella Myriophylla, A Lake Wales Ridge Endemic Plant, Genevieve Metzger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although capable of sexual reproduction, many plants also rely heavily on clonal reproduction. The formation of multiple, physiologically-independent units with the same genotype has important implications for spatial genetic structure and genetic diversity in these plants. The endangered scrub-dwelling perennial, Polygonella myriophylla is known to reproduce both sexually and clonally but no study to date has been able to investigate the spatial genetic patterns that occur in this species. I use microsatellite markers to investigate questions about clonal structure and genetic diversity in five populations of P. myriophylla and address some of the implications of my findings for conservation of …