Digital Commons Network^™

Engineering And Application Of Ultrafast Laser Pulses And Filamentation In Air, Nicholas Barbieri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Continuing advances in laser and photonic technology has seen the development of lasers with increasing power and increasingly short pulsewidths, which have become available over an increasing range of wavelengths. As the availability of laser sources grow, so do their applications. To make better use of this improving technology, understanding and controlling laser propagation in free space is critical, as is understanding the interaction between laser light and matter. The need to better control the light obtained from increasingly advanced laser sources leads to the emergence of beam engineering, the systematic understanding and control of light through refractive media and …

Visuo-Spatial Abilities In Remote Perception: A Meta-Analysis Of Empirical Work, Thomas Fincannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Meta-analysis was used to investigate the relationship between visuo-spatial ability and performance in remote environments. In order to be included, each study needed to examine the relationship between the use of an ego-centric perspective and various dimensions of performance (i.e., identification, localization, navigation, and mission completion time). The moderator analysis investigated relationships involving: (a) visuo-spatial construct with an emphasis on Carroll’s (1993) visualization (VZ) factor; (b) performance outcome (i.e., identification, localization, navigation, and mission completion time); (c) autonomy to support mission performance; (d) task type (i.e., navigation vs. reconnaissance); and (e) experimental testbed (i.e., physical vs. virtual environments). The process …

Terrorism: The Effect Of Positive Social Sanctions, Curtis Hibbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that relative deprivation, mental illness, culture, ideology, and various forms of social learning are often identified as factors that can lead an individual to terrorism. However, understanding the value of influences in the form of positive social sanctions through social contact has not been fully explored throughout terrorist studies. In regards to influencing behavior, positive social sanctions elicit a desired behavior which is reinforced through praise or rewards. By utilizing a case study approach, this thesis looks to determine the significance of positive social sanctions through social contact on select individuals who have committed an act of terror …

Dangerous Instincts, Kirsten Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dangerous Instincts is a collection of poems unified thematically by recurring and interstitial questions of the wilderness, the natural sciences - particularly astrophysics - the occult, and the mythic universe. These poems explore the mystical implications of the natural world and its meaning in the aesthetic consciousness, particularly in a highly secular century. Implied is the poet’s selfdiscovery and search for the divine. The collection emerges, not simply as interpretation, but a means of coming to terms with the fear of and compulsion to question the universe, and through those questions find illumination in the ordinariness of lived life and …

Zora, Genevieve Tyrrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-media memoir uses a variety of forms from short epigrammatic essays to straightforward stories and graphic narratives to explore the author’s coming-of-age experiences augmented by chronic illness. Trying to succeed in the film industry, romance, and family situations, the young female narrator navigates the often unexpected or disappointing consequences of having an autonomic nervous system disorder. Relationships between conflicting identities emerge—between healthy versus sick self, projected/envisioned versus actual self, and tough versus vulnerable self—as the narrator journeys toward a more complete and accepting self-understanding.

Psychopathology And Functional Impairment In Adolescents With Social Anxiety Disorder, Franklin Mesa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although social anxiety disorder is most often diagnosed during adolescence, few investigations have examined the clinical presentation of this disorder exclusively in adolescents. Prior studies have demonstrated that some clinical features of SAD in adolescents are unique relative to younger children with the condition. Furthermore, the extant literature on daily functional impairment in this population is limited. In this investigation, multiple areas of functioning were examined in adolescents with SAD (n = 16) and normal control adolescents (n = 14): specific social skills, subjective distress and physiological reactivity during one speech performance task and one social interaction task; alcohol use …

Is Experiential Avoidance A Factor In Maternal Overprotection?, Melissa Nieves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined experiential avoidance (EA) as an explanation for parental overprotectiveness, a behavior often found among parents of anxious children. EA parenting theory posits that parents engage in overprotective behaviors in order to reduce their own anxiety. In order to test the theory, mothers’ electrodermal activity (EDA) and blindly-coded overprotective behaviors were examined when a child with SAD was engaged in a reading performance task. In line with EA theory, it was hypothesized that EDA levels would increase before an overprotective behavior (OB) occurred and decrease afterwards as a result of decrease in anxiety. The sample consisted of …

Multicultural Personality And Psychological Functioning, Lauren Trottier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the U.S. becomes increasingly diverse, individuals will need to interact effectively with a wide range of people. The theory of multicultural personality refined by Ponterotto (2010) proposes that some individuals may be better suited than others to adapt to the changing demographic landscape. Individuals with a multicultural personality are theorized to have the ability to interact effectively within a wide range of contexts and draw on diverse experiences and resources to solve everyday problems in multiple ways as well as seek out diversity in their lives. Because of their skills and disposition, Ponterotto (2010) suggests that those with a …

Ytterbium-Doped Fiber-Seeded Thin-Disk Master Oscillator Power Amplifier Laser System, Christina Willis-Ott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lasers which operate at both high average power and energy are in demand for a wide range of applications such as materials processing, directed energy and EUV generation. Presented in this dissertation is a high-power 1 μm ytterbium-based hybrid laser system with temporally tailored pulse shaping capability and up to 62 mJ pulses, with the expectation the system can scale to higher pulse energies. This hybrid system consists of a low power fiber seed and pre-amplifier, and a solid state thin-disk regenerative amplifier. This system has been designed to generate high power temporally tailored pulses on the nanosecond time scale. …

High Energy, High Average Power, Picosecond Laser Systems To Drive Few-Cycle Opcpa, Andreas Vaupel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The invention of chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) in 1985 led to a tremendous increase in obtainable laser pulse peak intensities. Since then, several table-top, Ti:sapphire-based CPA systems exceeding the 100 TW-level with more than 10 W average power have been developed and several systems are now commercially available. Over the last decade, the complementary technology of optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) has improved in its performance to a competitive level. OPCPA allows direct amplification of an almost-octave spanning bandwidth supporting few-cycle pulse durations at center wavelengths ranging from the visible to the mid-IR. The current record in peak power from a …

Pulsed Tm-Fiber Laser For Mid-Ir Generation, Pankaj Kadwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The thulium fiber laser has gained interest due to its long emission wavelength, large bandwidth (~1.8 – 2.1 µm), high efficiencies (~60 %), and high output power levels both in cw as well as pulsed regimes. Applications like remote sensing, machining, medical tissue ablation, and mid-infrared generation benefit from high peak power thulium laser sources. Pulsed thulium fiber laser systems are advancing rapidly towards higher peak power levels and are becoming the preferred sources for these applications. This dissertation work describes the development of novel nanosecond pulsed thulium fiber laser systems with record high peak power levels targeting mid-infrared generation. …

Delineating Key Genetic Components On Linear Plasmid 36 That Contribute To Its Essential Role In Borrelia Burgdorferi Mammalian Infectivity., Tisha Choudhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. This pathogen has a complex enzootic life cycle that involves passage between the tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) and various vertebrate hosts with humans being inadvertent hosts. There is a pressing need to study the genetic aspects of the B. burgdorferi infectious cycle and particularly spirochete genes involved in mammalian infectivity so as to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to combat Lyme disease. The B. burgdorferi genome is fragmented and comprised of a single 900 kb linear chromosome and multiple linear and circular plasmids. It has been observed that …

Less Lost: No Touchdown Dance, William Conner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Less Lost is a feature-length film by William Chase Conner, made as part of the requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Digital Media from the University of Central Florida.

Toward The Red Shore, Gary Bomhoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A fictional novel utilizing third person limited narration from the perspective of the primary character, Ilya Kollide, who narrates the story as though it were happening in his head as it occurred, with frequent embellishments. He has come to live near an old mansion on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, named Neimasaurus, to find an antiquated, dusty world of faded aristocracy. Temporarily orphaned at the age sixteen by the recent death of his parents, he has traveled four thousand miles to live with his last living relative, an uncle named Demetri, whom he has never met. The year is 1990, only this …

Mixed Valence Copper(Cu)/Silica Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization And Systematic Antimicrobial Studies, Mikaeel Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Copper (Cu) compounds are widely used as effective agricultural bactericides. Continuous use of these materials has led to Cu accumulation in soil over time. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is concerned about potential Cu contamination in the environment. Improving biocidal efficacy of Cu is an attractive alternative, allowing reduction of Cu amount per application. In this research, we focused on making watersoluble mixed-valence Copper/Silica composite nanogel (CuSiNG) material. The objective is to improve the efficacy of Cu by manipulating Cu valence states. It has been shown in the literature that Cu (0) and Cu (I) states are …

Immuno-Pcr Detection Of Lyme Borreliosis, Micah Halpern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lyme borreliosis, more commonly referred to as Lyme disease, is the fastest growing zoonotic disease in North America with approximately 30,000 confirmed cases and 300,000 estimated infections per year. In nature, the causative agent of Lyme disease, the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, cycles between Ixodes sp. ticks and small mammals. Humans become infected with Lyme disease after being bitten by an infected tick. The primary indicator of a Borrelia burgdorferi infection is a bull’s eye rash typically followed by flu-like symptoms with treatment consisting of a 2-4 week course of antibiotics. If not treated, later stages of the disease can result …

Ozone Photochemistry In An Oil And Natural Gas Extraction Region During Winter: Simulations Of A Snow-Free Season In The Uintah Basin, Utah, P. M. Edwards, C. J. Young, K. Aikin, J. Degouw, W. P. Dubé, F. Geiger, J. Gillman, D. Helmig, J. S. Holloway, J. Kercher, B. Lerner, Randy S. Martin, R. Mclaren, D. D. Parrish, J. Peischl, J. M. Roberts, T. B. Ryerson, J. Thornton, C. Warneke, E. J. Williams, S. S. Brown

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Uintah Basin in northeastern Utah, a region of intense oil and gas extraction, experienced ozone (O3) concentrations above levels harmful to human health for multiple days during the winters of 2009–2010 and 2010–2011. These wintertime O3 pollution episodes occur during cold, stable periods when the ground is snow-covered, and have been linked to emissions from the oil and gas extraction process. The Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study (UBWOS) was a field intensive in early 2012, whose goal was to address current uncertainties in the chemical and physical processes that drive wintertime O3 production in regions of oil and gas …

Assess The Accuracy Of The Variational Asymptotic Plate And Shell Analysis Using The Generalized Uni, Luciano Demasi, Wenbin Yu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The accuracy of the Variational Asymptotic Plate and Shell Analysis (VAPAS) is assessed against several higher order, zig zag and layerwise theories generated by using the invariant axiomatic framework denoted as Generalized Unified Formulation (GUF). These theories are also compared against the elasticity solution developed for the case of a sandwich structure with high Face to Core Stiffness Ratio. GUF allows to use an infinite number of axiomatic theories (Equivalent Single Layer theories with or without zig zag effects and Layerwise theories as well) with any combination of orders of the displacements and it is an ideal tool to precisely …

Dnad, A Simple Tool For Automatic Differentiation Of Fortran Codes Using Dual Numbers, Wenbin Yu, Maxwell Blair

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

DNAD (dual number automatic differentiation) is a simple, general-purpose tool to automatically differentiate Fortran codes written in modern Fortran (F90/95/2003) or legacy codes written in previous version of the Fortran language. It implements the forward mode of automatic differentiation using the arithmetic of dual numbers and the operator overloading feature of F90/95/2003. Very minimum changes of the source codes are needed to compute the first derivatives of Fortran programs. The advantages of DNAD in comparison to other existing similar computer codes are its programming simplicity, extensibility, and computational efficiency. Specifically, DNAD is more accurate and efficient than the popular complex-step …

Thermal Conductivity Profile Determination In Proton-Irradiated Zrc By Spatial And Frequency Scanning Thermal Wave Methods, C. Jensen, M. Chirtoc, N. Horny, J. S. Antoniow, H. Pron, Heng Ban

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Using complementary thermal wave methods, the irradiation damaged region of zirconium carbide (ZrC) is characterized by quantifiably profiling the thermophysical property degradation. The ZrC sample was irradiated by a 2.6 MeV proton beam at 600 °C to a dose of 1.75 displacements per atom. Spatial scanning techniques including scanning thermal microscopy (SThM), lock-in infrared thermography (lock-in IRT), and photothermal radiometry (PTR) were used to directly map the in-depth profile of thermal conductivity on a cross section of the ZrC sample. The advantages and limitations of each system are discussed and compared, finding consistent results from all techniques. SThM provides the …

The 50 Most Influential Law Professors Alive, Mje

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.

Stochastic Charge Transport In Multi-Island Single-Electron Tunneling Devices, Madhusudan A. Savaikar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The physics of the operation of singe-electron tunneling devices (SEDs) and singe-electron tunneling transistors (SETs), especially of those with multiple nanometer-sized islands, has remained poorly understood in spite of some intensive experimental and theoretical research. This computational study examines the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of multi-island single-electron devices using a newly developed multi-island transport simulator (MITS) that is based on semi-classical tunneling theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. The dependence of device characteristics on physical device parameters is explored, and the physical mechanisms that lead to the Coulomb blockade (CB) and Coulomb staircase (CS) characteristics are proposed.

Simulations using …

Terpene And Terpenoid Emissions And Secondary Organic Aerosol Production, Rosa M. Flores

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Approximately 90% of fine aerosol in the Midwestern United States has a regional component with a sizable fraction attributed to secondary production of organic aerosol (SOA). The Ozark Forest is an important source of biogenic SOA precursors like isoprene (> 150 mg m^-2 d^-1), monoterpenes (10-40 mg m^-2 d^-1), and sesquiterpenes (10-40 mg m^-2d^-1). Anthropogenic sources include secondary sulfate and nitrate and biomass burning (51-60%), vehicle emissions (17-26%), and industrial emissions (16-18%). Vehicle emissions are an important source of volatile and vapor-phase, semivolatile aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons that are important …

The Relationship Between Castor Bean Stem Diameter And Extrafloral Nectary Gland Size, Victor D. Carmona, Stephen Line, Kevin Hong

Biology Faculty Works

This project sought to characterize plant defense investment in the castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), an exotic myrmecophyte in southern California, with respect to life history strategies. Experimental evidence suggests that exotic myrmecophytes can form mutually beneficial associations with exotic ants regardless of the differences in shared evolutionary histories. Castor bean plant investment in defense was evaluated by measuring the area on extra-floral nectary (EFN) glands. Life history strategies may change with respect to plant size and was therefore evaluated in terms of basal stem diameter (

Relationship Between Elaiosome And Efn Gland Size In Castor Bean (Ricinus Communis L.), An Exotic Mymercophyte In Southern California, Victor D. Carmona, Andrew Henslin, Lisa Liceaga

Biology Faculty Works

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) relies on seed dispersal by attracting ants with elaiosomes; lipid rich seed appendages, which serve as a source of food for ant larvae. Additionally, castor bean petioles and inflorescences have extra floral nectary (EFN) glands that secrete sugars that also attract ants, which in return, defend against herbivores. We propose that in order to attract ants, castor bean would have to balance allocation of energy toward plant defense and seed dispersal per the Principle of Allocation. Specifically, we hypothesized that in castor bean, an increase in elaiosome size would correspond to result in …

Anthropogenic Impacts Of Irrigation On The Arthropod Community Structure Of A Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat In Los Angeles, Victor D. Carmona, Justin Aquino, Mindi Catala

Biology Faculty Works

We evaluated the effects of an irrigation system on the community structure of arthropods in a coastal sage scrub chaparral habitat. We placed 5 traps in the irrigated site and 5 traps in control site, for a total of 10 sticky traps (using Tree Tanglefoot) in an area adjacent to Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, California. The traps were set at the irrigated and non-irrigated site on Telegraph Weed for one week. Results showed that morphospecies richness, relative abundance, and taxonomic order representation were higher at the control site than at the irrigated site. Our study documents how anthropogenic impacts …

Behavior And Survival Of Mytilus Congeners Following Episodes Of Elevated Body Temperature In Air And Seawater, W. Wesley Dowd, George N. Somero

Biology Faculty Works

Coping with environmental stress may involve combinations of behavioral and physiological responses. We examined potential interactions between adult musselsʼ simple behavioral repertoire – opening/closing of the shell valves – and thermal stress physiology in common-gardened individuals of three Mytilus congeners found on the West Coast of North America: two native species (M. californianus and M. trossulus) and one invasive species from the Mediterranean (M. galloprovincialis). We first continuously monitored valve behavior over three consecutive days on which body temperatures were gradually increased, either in air or in seawater. A temperature threshold effect was evident between 25 and 33°C in several …

Tunable Fano Resonances Based On Two-Beam Interference In Microring Resonator, Ting Hu, Ping Yu, Chen Qui, Huiye Qui, Fan Wang, Mei Yang, Xiaoqing Jiang, Hui Yu, Jianyi Yang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

In this paper, a resonant system is demonstrated on silicon-on-insulator wafer to achieve tunable Fano resonances. In this system, the Fano resonance originates from the interference of two beams resonant in the microring resonator. The shapes of the Fano resonances are tunable through controlling the phase difference of the two beams. Both large slope and high extinctionratio (ER) are obtained when the phase difference is 0.5π or 1.5π. Experimental results show that Fano resonances with steep slope and ER over 20 dB are achieved in the whole free spectral range by controlling the microheaters to meet the phase condition.

Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, Alexander Paz, Pankaj Maheshwari

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

In the context of sustainable transportation systems, previous studies have either focused only on the transportation systemor have not used a methodology that enables the treatment of incomplete, vague, and qualitative information associated with the available data. This study proposes a system of systems (SOS) and a fuzzy logic modeling approach. The SOS includes the Transportation, Activity, and Environment systems. The fuzzy logic modeling approach enables the treatment of the vagueness associated with some of the relevant data. Performance Indices (PIs) are computed for each system using a number of performance measures. The PIs illustrate the aggregated performance of each …

Framework For Simulation Of Heterogeneous Mpsoc For Design Space Exploration, Bisrat Tafesse, Venkatesan Muthukumar

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Due to the ever-growing requirements in high performance data computation, multiprocessor systems have been proposed to solve the bottlenecks in uniprocessor systems. Developing efficient multiprocessor systems requires effective exploration of design choices like application scheduling, mapping, and architecture design. Also, fault tolerance in multiprocessors needs to be addressed. With the advent of nanometer-process technology for chip manufacturing, realization of multiprocessors on SoC (MpSoC) is an active field of research. Developing efficient low power, fault-tolerant task scheduling, and mapping techniques for MpSoCs require optimized algorithms that consider the various scenarios inherent in multiprocessor environments. Therefore there exists a need to develop …