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From American Service to Disservice: An Exploration of the Impact of Military Experience among an Incarcerated Population
Title
From American Service to Disservice: An Exploration of the Impact of Military Experience among an Incarcerated Population.
Creator
Brooke, Erika, Gau, Jacinta, Paoline, Eugene, Jordan, Kareem, Vasquez, Joseph, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This dissertation research examines the impact of military service among an incarcerated population. It addresses the gaps identified within the prior literature by taking a closer look at the association between service experience and criminal justice outcomes. Specifically, the present study explores whether branch type, combat exposure, age of entrance, service length, and discharge status impact the number of lifetime arrests, current offense type, and institutional misconduct. This...
Show moreThis dissertation research examines the impact of military service among an incarcerated population. It addresses the gaps identified within the prior literature by taking a closer look at the association between service experience and criminal justice outcomes. Specifically, the present study explores whether branch type, combat exposure, age of entrance, service length, and discharge status impact the number of lifetime arrests, current offense type, and institutional misconduct. This research uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities. Multivariate analyses indicate that different elements of military participation influence criminal and deviant behaviors. Length of service significantly impacted the quantity of lifetime arrests, whereas age of entry, combat experience, and service length were important conditions in offense types. Inmates with military experience were found to be more likely to participate in institutional misconduct. The following service elements were predictors of prison misconduct as well: age of entry, length of service, branch affiliation, and discharge status. The findings in this study have theoretical implications for the use of criminological theory in military service research, and they provide suggestions for future military and criminal justice policy development.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005766, ucf:50079
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005766
CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG: INVESTIGATING THE PREFERENCES IN ERROR CORRECTION AMONG ADULT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Title
CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG: INVESTIGATING THE PREFERENCES IN ERROR CORRECTION AMONG ADULT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
Creator
Smith, Hillary, Mihai, Florin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence the educational backgrounds of adult English Language Learners and their preferences in error correction. Fifty participants completed surveys of their educational and demographic backgrounds and beliefs about error correction, and then ranked video clips of different types of error correction in terms of perceived usefulness. The survey examined the affective impact of oral error correction and studentsÂÂ'...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the existence the educational backgrounds of adult English Language Learners and their preferences in error correction. Fifty participants completed surveys of their educational and demographic backgrounds and beliefs about error correction, and then ranked video clips of different types of error correction in terms of perceived usefulness. The survey examined the affective impact of oral error correction and studentsÂÂ' preferences regarding which errors merited correction and when and how these errors should be corrected. Participants with differing educational backgrounds expressed similar beliefs concerning the error correction and similar perceptions of the affective impact of CF. The findings of this study indicated that teachers may run more risk of disappointing students by not meeting their expectations than they do of causing them a negative emotional experience through correction.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003062, ucf:48326
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003062
A Microwave Radiometer Roughness Correction Algorithm For Sea Surface Salinity Retrieval
Title
A Microwave Radiometer Roughness Correction Algorithm For Sea Surface Salinity Retrieval.
Creator
Hejazin, Yazan, Jones, W, Mikhael, Wasfy, Wei, Lei, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The Aquarius/SAC-D is an Earth Science remote sensing satellite mission to measure global Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) that is sponsored by the NASA and the Argentine Space Agency (CONAE). The prime remote sensor is the Aquarius (AQ) L-band radiometer/scatterometer, which measures the L-band emitted blackbody radiation (brightness temperature) from the ocean. The brightness temperature at L-band is proportional to the ocean salinity as well as a number of physical parameters including ocean...
Show moreThe Aquarius/SAC-D is an Earth Science remote sensing satellite mission to measure global Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) that is sponsored by the NASA and the Argentine Space Agency (CONAE). The prime remote sensor is the Aquarius (AQ) L-band radiometer/scatterometer, which measures the L-band emitted blackbody radiation (brightness temperature) from the ocean. The brightness temperature at L-band is proportional to the ocean salinity as well as a number of physical parameters including ocean surface wind speed. The salinity retrieval algorithm make corrections for all other parameters before retrieving salinity, and the greatest of these is the increased brightness temperature due to roughness caused by surface wind speed. This thesis presents an independent approach for the AQ roughness correction, which is derived using simultaneous measurements from the CONAE Microwave Radiometer (MWR). When the wind blows over the ocean's surface, the brightness temperature is increased because of the ocean wave surface roughness. The MWR provides a semi-empirical approach by measuring the excess ocean emissivity at 36.5 GHz and then applying radiative transfer theory (improved ocean surface emissivity model) to translate this to the AQ 1.4 GHz frequency (L-band). The theoretical basis of the MWR algorithm is described and empirical results are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness in reducing the salinity measurement error due to surface roughness.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004212, ucf:49007
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004212
PERCEPTIONS OF RISK AND NEED IN THE CLASSIFICATION AND SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS SETTING: THE ROLE OF GENDER
Title
PERCEPTIONS OF RISK AND NEED IN THE CLASSIFICATION AND SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS SETTING: THE ROLE OF GENDER.
Creator
Gould, Laurie, Paoline, Eugene, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Risk has emerged as a defining feature of punishment in the United States. Feeley and Simon (1992) note that contemporary punishment is increasingly moving away from rehabilitation (the old penology) and moving toward the management and control of offenders (the new penology), often though actuarial techniques. While the profusion of risk assessment instruments, now entering their fourth generation, provides some support for the assertion that risk is indeed an important element in...
Show moreRisk has emerged as a defining feature of punishment in the United States. Feeley and Simon (1992) note that contemporary punishment is increasingly moving away from rehabilitation (the old penology) and moving toward the management and control of offenders (the new penology), often though actuarial techniques. While the profusion of risk assessment instruments, now entering their fourth generation, provides some support for the assertion that risk is indeed an important element in corrections, it was previously unknown if the risk model applied to all offenders, particularly female offenders. This dissertation addressed that gap by examining whether the risk model applied to female offenders in the community corrections setting. This dissertation surveyed 93 community corrections officers employed by the Orange County Community Corrections Department. The findings suggest that the department has incorporated many elements of the new penology into the classification and supervision of offenders in each of its units, though several gender differences were noted. Classification overrides, the perceived level of risk to the community, supervision decisions, and the perceived importance of risk and need factors were all examined in this study. The results indicate that some elements of classification and supervision function uniformly for offenders and operate irrespective of gender, but some areas, such as the perceived level of risk to the community and the perceived importance of risk factors, are influenced by gender.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002008, ucf:47623
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002008
Correctness and Progress Verification of Non-Blocking Programs
Title
Correctness and Progress Verification of Non-Blocking Programs.
Creator
Peterson, Christina, Dechev, Damian, Leavens, Gary, Bassiouni, Mostafa, Cash, Mason, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The progression of multi-core processors has inspired the development of concurrency libraries that guarantee safety and liveness properties of multiprocessor applications. The difficulty of reasoning about safety and liveness properties in a concurrent environment has led to the development of tools to verify that a concurrent data structure meets a correctness condition or progress guarantee. However, these tools possess shortcomings regarding the ability to verify a composition of data...
Show moreThe progression of multi-core processors has inspired the development of concurrency libraries that guarantee safety and liveness properties of multiprocessor applications. The difficulty of reasoning about safety and liveness properties in a concurrent environment has led to the development of tools to verify that a concurrent data structure meets a correctness condition or progress guarantee. However, these tools possess shortcomings regarding the ability to verify a composition of data structure operations. Additionally, verification techniques for transactional memory evaluate correctness based on low-level read/write histories, which is not applicable to transactional data structures that use a high-level semantic conflict detection.In my dissertation, I present tools for checking the correctness of multiprocessor programs that overcome the limitations of previous correctness verification techniques. Correctness Condition Specification (CCSpec) is the first tool that automatically checks the correctness of a composition of concurrent multi-container operations performed in a non-atomic manner. Transactional Correctness tool for Abstract Data Types (TxC-ADT) is the first tool that can check the correctness of transactional data structures. TxC-ADT elevates the standard definitions of transactional correctness to be in terms of an abstract data type, an essential aspect for checking correctness of transactions that synchronize only for high-level semantic conflicts. Many practical concurrent data structures, transactional data structures, and algorithms to facilitate non-blocking programming all incorporate helping schemes to ensure that an operation comprising multiple atomic steps is completed according to the progress guarantee. The helping scheme introduces additional interference by the active threads in the system to achieve the designed progress guarantee. Previous progress verification techniques do not accommodate loops whose termination is dependent on complex behaviors of the interfering threads, making these approaches unsuitable. My dissertation presents the first progress verification technique for non-blocking algorithms that are dependent on descriptor-based helping mechanisms.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007705, ucf:52433
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007705
Correlates to Police and Correctional Burnout: An Exploratory Study
Title
Correlates to Police and Correctional Burnout: An Exploratory Study.
Creator
McDonald, James, Holmes, Stephen, Adams, Kenneth, Wolf, Ross, Addelston, Judi, Goltz, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study builds on the small but growing body of research examining the antecedents and effects of burnout on police and corrections officers. A review of the extant literature on burnout in general and on the literature exploring police and correctional officer burnout in particular identified several variables that contribute to the social-psychological condition of burnout. The variables identified in the literature review were grouped according to biographical factors (gender, race...
Show moreThis study builds on the small but growing body of research examining the antecedents and effects of burnout on police and corrections officers. A review of the extant literature on burnout in general and on the literature exploring police and correctional officer burnout in particular identified several variables that contribute to the social-psychological condition of burnout. The variables identified in the literature review were grouped according to biographical factors (gender, race/ethnicity, and age), biographical stressors (marital status and level of education), organizational factors (occupational field, agency size, tenure, and rank), workplace stressors (recent promotions, transfers or discipline, and perceptions of fairness in promotions, discipline, and transfers), or life-event stressors. This study utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) to assess burnout. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) developed by Holmes and Rahe (1996) was used to identify life-event stressors. The sample for this study was drawn from police and correctional officers attending professional development training at a regional criminal justice training center in Central Florida. Of the 577 students surveyed, 417 remained in the sample after duplicates were eliminated. A multi-stage analysis, which included analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent sample t-tests, and ordinary least squared techniques (OLS), was conducted to explore the influences of different correlates of burnout on police and correctional officers. Multiple one-way ANOVA models and independent sample t-tests were run first, followed by several stages of multiple regression analysis. In the initial OLS regression models, only the variables for biographical factors, biographical stressors, and occupational factors were entered in the models. In following stage, workplace stressors were added to the regression models, followed by the addition of life-event stressors into the final regression models. The correlates of burnout found to be most significant included race/ethnicity, agency size, and perceptions of fairness in promotions and discipline. Of the correlates that were significant, race/ethnicity and perceptions of fairness were the most noteworthy, since the data indicated White/Caucasian officers experienced greater levels of burnout than minority officers, a finding that appeared related to an officer's perceptions of fairness in promotions and discipline. In addition, a statistically significant difference in professional efficacy scores was detected between officers from smaller agencies (99 officers or fewer) and officers from the largest agencies (1,000 officers or more). The findings from this study seem to suggest that burnout may be influenced by perceptions of fairness in promotional and disciplinary processes, which may be confounded by an officer's race/ethnicity. To address this matter, police and correctional agency administrators might want to consider designing promotional and disciplinary procedures that stress transparency and emphasize merit-based outcomes rather than equality-based outcomes. With regard to agency size, administrators from small agencies should consider steps that make the job more rewarding to their officers so they are less susceptible to burnout.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004215, ucf:49016
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004215
DISCOUNTING: AN EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR ITS VALUE IN THE LODGING INDUSTRY
Title
DISCOUNTING: AN EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR ITS VALUE IN THE LODGING INDUSTRY.
Creator
Semrad, Kelly, Croes, Robertico, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The central focus of this study is to provide an empirical explanation regarding the efficacy of the managerial expectation formation process as it contributes to the understanding of discounting room rates as a rational strategic phenomenon in the lodging industry. The study assesses the nature of the relationship between discounting hotel room rates and hotel financial performance when considering the non-stationary conditions of a time series data set. The study was rooted in an...
Show moreThe central focus of this study is to provide an empirical explanation regarding the efficacy of the managerial expectation formation process as it contributes to the understanding of discounting room rates as a rational strategic phenomenon in the lodging industry. The study assesses the nature of the relationship between discounting hotel room rates and hotel financial performance when considering the non-stationary conditions of a time series data set. The study was rooted in an operational based perspective with regard to the challenges presented by the perishable nature of room night sales - the loss of which may impact a managerÂÂ's fundamental responsibility: to generate maximum revenue from the existing hotel room capacity. Of critical importance to this study is whether the incremental use of discounting room rates could work to correct for temporal periods of decreased demand and thus increase short-term hotel financial performance. There is limited research regarding the empirical relationship between discounting room rates and hotel financial performance, as well as the internal process that a hotel manager uses to determine an accurate room rate that corresponds to seasonal lodging market demand conditions. An empirical foundation for this practice is lacking in the extant hospitality literature. Literature reveals that, although the lodging industry commonly incorporates discounting as a pricing strategy, recent research implies that high occupancy levels at discounted room rates do not necessarily lead to an increase in hotel financial performance. The contrast then between what is practiced and the recommendations from pricing strategy studies has led to lack of consistent agreement in current lodging literature regarding how discounting of hotel room rates relates to hotel financial performance. This study is at the forefront in its use of the methodological procedures that support a theoretical framework capable of providing explanations regarding managersÂÂ' internal process of discounting as an effective pricing strategy that could compensate for times of decreased room demand. An econometric case study research design was used in conjunction with a cointegration analysis and an error correction model (none of which are otherwise appropriated as assessment tools in the lodging industry). These applications provide a means to understand the expectation formation process of managersÂÂ' room price setting strategies. They also assess the empirical nature of the relationship between the variables by accounting for the erratic variations of room demand over time as induced by random error fluctuations. A non-deterministic system was assumed and supported through the analysis of the stationarity conditions of the time series data set under investigation. The distinguishing characteristics of a dynamic system that are recognized as traits of the lodging industry are further supported by the theoretical framework of the rational expectations theory and the cobweb model. The results of the study are based on secondary financial data sets that were provided by a midscale independently owned leisure hotel in the Orlando, FL market and that is located on Walt Disney World property. The results of this study delineate from the current normative economic recommendation based on descriptive research that claims discounting hotel room rates does not increase hotel financial performance. The current study does not draw an association between the variables from the presupposition of a deterministic marketplace, nor does it recommend to managers to hold a constant average daily rate over time. Based on the findings of the statistical procedures performed and the theoretical framework, the study contends that previous research may have incorrectly modeled room price expectations; elected to use inappropriate statistical tests; and, therefore, may have entertained misleading conclusions regarding the relationship between discounting of hotel room rates and hotel financial performance. Through use of an error correction model, the major findings of this study imply several concepts: that residuals may be treated as a variable within the studyÂÂ's model in order to better understand the short run dynamics that may lead to equilibrium correcting room price positions over the long run of time; that discounting room rates works in the short run; and, that managers use a rational price setting strategy to set future room rates. All of the aforementioned concepts fall within accordance of the rational expectations theory. The study concludes that while the constant room rate adjustments observed in the lodging industry may display what appears to be a random structure that deviates from the expected systematic, or stable, financial performance of a hotel over time, the deviations in performance are actually a rhythmic synthesized process of market information from past and current times. Hence, hotel managers appear to be using a backward looking model to forwardly project optimal room rates to match uncertain consumer demand. The empirical assessment employed in this study supports this determination.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003430, ucf:48411
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003430
A Comparison of Concurrent Correctness Criteria for Shared Memory Based Data Structure
Title
A Comparison of Concurrent Correctness Criteria for Shared Memory Based Data Structure.
Creator
Bhattacharya, Dipanjan, Dechev, Damian, Leavens, Gary, Bassiouni, Mostafa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Developing concurrent algorithms requires safety and liveness to be defined in order to understand their proper behavior. Safety refers to the correctness criteria while liveness is the progress guarantee. Nowadays there are a variety of correctness conditions for concurrent objects. The way these correctness conditions differ and the various trade-offs they present with respect to performance, usability, and progress guarantees is poorly understood. This presents a daunting task for the...
Show moreDeveloping concurrent algorithms requires safety and liveness to be defined in order to understand their proper behavior. Safety refers to the correctness criteria while liveness is the progress guarantee. Nowadays there are a variety of correctness conditions for concurrent objects. The way these correctness conditions differ and the various trade-offs they present with respect to performance, usability, and progress guarantees is poorly understood. This presents a daunting task for the developers and users of such concurrent algorithms who are trying to better understand the correctness of their code and the various trade-offs associated with their design choices and use. The purpose of this study is to explore the set of known correctness conditions for concurrent objects, find their correlations and categorize them, and provide insights regarding their implications with respect to performance and usability. In this thesis, a comparative study of Linearizability, Sequential Consistency, Quiescent Consistency and Quasi Linearizability will be presented using data structures like FIFO Queues, Stacks, and Priority Queues, and with a case study for performance of these implementations using different correctness criteria.
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFE0006263, ucf:51046
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006263
The Effect of Feedback Medium on Accuracy with English Articles
Title
The Effect of Feedback Medium on Accuracy with English Articles.
Creator
Giltner, Elizabeth, Nutta, Joyce, Purmensky, Kerry, Clark, M. H., Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Developing and demonstrating English proficiency is a critical skill for non-native English speakers (NNESs) who wish to study in American universities. Unlike their native English speaker (NES) counterparts, NNES students who apply for university admission are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English via tests, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), that measure an NNES's ability to understand, speak, read, and write English. Although the number of students...
Show moreDeveloping and demonstrating English proficiency is a critical skill for non-native English speakers (NNESs) who wish to study in American universities. Unlike their native English speaker (NES) counterparts, NNES students who apply for university admission are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English via tests, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), that measure an NNES's ability to understand, speak, read, and write English. Although the number of students who have attained those minimum scores is large, there is a large population of adult NNESs enrolled in intensive English programs (IEPs) that are designed to help them improve their proficiency in English and again admission into mainstream university courses. Given that many university instructors require the submission of written work that demonstrates students' understanding of course content, perhaps the most important academic skill developed in IEPs is writing. Furthermore, the lack of attention given to addressing grammatical errors at the tertiary level highlights IEP instructors' need for effective and efficient methods of addressing grammatical errors in NNES writing.The present quantitative study used two experimental designs, a pretest-posttest design and a posttest-only design with proxy pretest (Campbell (&) Stanley, 1963), to investigate the efficacy of two types of indirect corrective feedback (CF) for improving adult, IEP-enrolled, intermediate level NNES writers' (participants) grammatical accuracy in academic papers. Grammatical accuracy for this study was measured by counting the number of errors participants committed when using English definite and indefinite articles in academic papers. The independent variable for this study was the type of CF participants were randomly selected to receive (-) either screencast corrective feedback (SCF) or written corrective feedback (WCF). The dependent variable, which measured the effect of the CF given, was the number of errors participants made with English definite and indefinite articles on three compositions completed to satisfy the requirements of their IEP writing class. The results of the current research demonstrated that participants made similar gains in grammatical accuracy when using CF to revise descriptive compositions. These results are in keeping with the results of previous studies that showed the usefulness of CF for improving grammatical accuracy on revised compositions (Bitchener, 2008, Bitchener (&) Knoch, 2008, 2009a, 2009b, 2010a). However, the improvement observed on the revised descriptive compositions did not transfer to new classification essays, regardless of the type of CF participants received. Participants' lack of grammatical accuracy on new compositions of a different genre effectively illustrated the difficulty English articles pose for NNESs when writing and the need for multiple exposures to CF and writing practice to develop NNESs' ability to consistently use English articles accurately.The main implication of the present study lies in the recommendation of the provision of CF to NNES students and systematic instruction about how to use CF received in order to allow NNESs to become more self-sufficient learners and writers of English.
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFE0006106, ucf:51187
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006106
STEADY STATE AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF SINGLE-STAGE POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CONVERTERS
Title
STEADY STATE AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF SINGLE-STAGE POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CONVERTERS.
Creator
Rustom, Khalid, Batarseh, Issa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
With the increased interest in applying Power Factor Correction (PFC) to off-line AC-DC converters, the field of integrated, single-stage PFC converter development has attracted wide attention. Considering the tens of millions of low-to-medium power supplies manufactured each year for today's rechargeable equipment, the expected reduction in cost by utilizing advanced technologies is significant. To date, only a few single-stage topologies have made it to the market due to the inherit...
Show moreWith the increased interest in applying Power Factor Correction (PFC) to off-line AC-DC converters, the field of integrated, single-stage PFC converter development has attracted wide attention. Considering the tens of millions of low-to-medium power supplies manufactured each year for today's rechargeable equipment, the expected reduction in cost by utilizing advanced technologies is significant. To date, only a few single-stage topologies have made it to the market due to the inherit limitations in this structure. The high voltage and current stresses on the components led to reduced efficiency and an increased failure rate. In addition, the component prices tend to increase with increased electrical and thermal requirements, jeopardizing the overarching goal of price reduction. The absence of dedicated control circuitry for each stage complicates the power balance in these converters, often resulting in an oversized bus capacitance. These factors have impeded widespread acceptance of these new techniques by manufacturers, and as such single stage PFC has remained largely a drawing board concept. This dissertation will present an in-depth study of innovative solutions that address these problems directly, rather than proposing more topologies with the same type of issues. The direct energy transfer concept is analyzed and presented as a promising solution for the majority of the single-stage PFC converter limitations. Three topologies are presented and analyzed based on this innovative structure. To complete the picture, the dynamics of a variety of single-stage converters can be analyzed using a proposed switched transformer model.
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Date Issued
2007
Identifier
CFE0001940, ucf:47449
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001940
LET'S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: EXPLORING RACISM AND RACIAL TENSIONS AS POTENTIAL FACE THREATS IN BLACK AND WHITE INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
Title
LET'S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: EXPLORING RACISM AND RACIAL TENSIONS AS POTENTIAL FACE THREATS IN BLACK AND WHITE INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
Creator
Castle, Gina, Hastings, Sally O., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study examined how racism and racial tensions potentially threatened the face needs of Black and White interracial couples. Specifically, this study investigated the benefit of family approval of one's interracial relationship. Couples use of corrective face work in response to prejudice was also examined. This research used a qualitative, interpretive method to gather and analyze data from 14 personal interviews. The interview schedule enabled interviewees to use storytelling to...
Show moreThis study examined how racism and racial tensions potentially threatened the face needs of Black and White interracial couples. Specifically, this study investigated the benefit of family approval of one's interracial relationship. Couples use of corrective face work in response to prejudice was also examined. This research used a qualitative, interpretive method to gather and analyze data from 14 personal interviews. The interview schedule enabled interviewees to use storytelling to share their experience of being in a Black and White interracial relationship. Interviewees were asked questions surrounding their experience as the partner in an interracial relationship. Couples shared how they told their family that their romantic partner was a different race and shared how they encountered prejudice when they are out in public. Further, they spoke about how people stare at them and make comments about their interracial relationship. The data underwent a thematic analysis (Owen, 1984) where I reviewed the data and searched for themes that were recurrent and repeated by interviewees. There were several themes that emerged. First, the very presence of racial tensions and racism affects interracial couples. Second, family support seemed to mitigate threats to couples' positive and negative faces and enabled couples to engage in open and honest dialogue with their family and their significant other. Finally, even couples with family support, engaged in corrective face work to respond to the face threats posed by racism and racial tensions.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002441, ucf:52884
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002441
A Mixed-Methods Approach to Examining the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model: An exploratory study of program effectiveness and institutionalization processes
Title
A Mixed-Methods Approach to Examining the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model: An exploratory study of program effectiveness and institutionalization processes.
Creator
Magers, Megan, Potter, Roberto, Rosky, Jeffrey, Adams, Kenneth, Lin, Hefang, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month...
Show moreThe present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month following their completion of CIT training (follow-up). These surveys measured the extent to which CIT training achieved several officer-level objectives, including increased knowledge of mental illness and the mental health referral process, improved self-efficacy when responding to mental health crises, and enhanced perceptions of verbal de-escalation skills, mental health services in the community, and the mental health referral process. The results of these surveys revealed officers experienced a statistically significant increase on every measure of training effectiveness between the pretest and posttest data collection points. However, a significant decline was found among the 117 officers that responded to the follow-up survey on the measures associated with self-efficacy and perceptions of verbal de-escalation, which points to a measurable decay in the effectiveness of the training in the intermediate timeframe with regard to these two measures. To examine the extent to which the diffusion of the CIT model resembles a social movement in the field of criminal justice and to explore the impact of CIT institutionalization on the organizational structure of criminal justice agencies, an online survey was distributed to 33 representatives of law enforcement and correctional agencies known to participate in the CIT program in the nine Florida counties in which officers were surveyed. The results of this survey indicate interagency communication and external pressure from mental health providers and advocates largely contribute to the decision of criminal justice agencies to adopt the CIT model. In addition, the findings of this survey suggest criminal justice agencies modify their organizational structure in a number of different ways to internalize and institutionalize the CIT model. By coupling a training program evaluation with an assessment of diffusion and institutionalization, this study makes a unique contribution to organizational and evidence-based literature.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004884, ucf:49671
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004884
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF WIDE-ANGLE FOVEATED OPTICAL SYSTEMS
Title
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF WIDE-ANGLE FOVEATED OPTICAL SYSTEMS.
Creator
Curatu, George, Harvey, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The development of compact imaging systems capable of transmitting high-resolution images in real-time while covering a wide field-of-view (FOV) is critical in a variety of military and civilian applications: surveillance, threat detection, target acquisition, tracking, remote operation of unmanned vehicles, etc. Recently, optical foveated imaging using liquid crystal (LC) spatial light modulators (SLM) has received considerable attention as a potential approach to reducing size and...
Show moreThe development of compact imaging systems capable of transmitting high-resolution images in real-time while covering a wide field-of-view (FOV) is critical in a variety of military and civilian applications: surveillance, threat detection, target acquisition, tracking, remote operation of unmanned vehicles, etc. Recently, optical foveated imaging using liquid crystal (LC) spatial light modulators (SLM) has received considerable attention as a potential approach to reducing size and complexity in fast wide-angle lenses. The fundamental concept behind optical foveated imaging is reducing the number of elements in a fast wide-angle lens by placing a phase SLM at the pupil stop to dynamically compensate aberrations left uncorrected by the optical design. In the recent years, considerable research and development has been conducted in the field of optical foveated imaging based on the LC SLM technology, and several foveated optical systems (FOS) prototypes have been built. However, most research has been focused so far on the experimental demonstration of the basic concept using off the shelf components, without much concern for the practicality or the optical performance of the systems. Published results quantify only the aberration correction capabilities of the FOS, often claiming diffraction limited performance at the region of interest (ROI). However, these results have continually overlooked diffraction effects on the zero-order efficiency and the image quality. The research work presented in this dissertation covers the methods and results of a detailed theoretical research study on the diffraction analysis, image quality, design, and optimization of fast wide-angle FOSs based on the current transmissive LC SLM technology. The amplitude and phase diffraction effects caused by the pixelated aperture of the SLM are explained and quantified, revealing fundamental limitations imposed by the current transmissive LC SLM technology. As a part of this study, five different fast wide-angle lens designs that can be used to build practical FOSs were developed, revealing additional challenges specific to the optical design of fast wide-angle systems, such as controlling the relative illumination, distortion, and distribution of aberrations across a wide FOV. One of the lens design examples was chosen as a study case to demonstrate the design, analysis, and optimization of a practical wide-angle FOS based on the current state-of-the-art transmissive LC SLM technology. The effects of fabrication and assembly tolerances on the image quality of fast wide-angle FOSs were also investigated, revealing the sensitivity of these fast well-corrected optical systems to manufacturing errors. The theoretical study presented in this dissertation sets fundamental analysis, design, and optimization guidelines for future developments in fast wide-angle FOSs based on transmissive SLM devices.
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Date Issued
2009
Identifier
CFE0002584, ucf:48254
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002584
A Roughness Correction for Aquarius Ocean Brightness Temperature Using the CONAE MicroWave Radiometer
Title
A Roughness Correction for Aquarius Ocean Brightness Temperature Using the CONAE MicroWave Radiometer.
Creator
Hejazin, Yazan, Jones, W Linwood, Wahid, Parveen, Mikhael, Wasfy, Junek, William, Piepmeier, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Aquarius/SAC-D is a joint NASA/CONAE (Argentine Space Agency) Earth Sciences satellite mission to measure global sea surface salinity (SSS), using an L-band radiometer that measures ocean brightness temperature (Tb). The application of L-band radiometry to retrieve SSS is a difficult task, and therefore, precise Tb corrections are necessary to obtain accurate measurements. One of the major error sources is the effect of ocean roughness that (")warms(") the ocean Tb. The Aquarius (AQ)...
Show moreAquarius/SAC-D is a joint NASA/CONAE (Argentine Space Agency) Earth Sciences satellite mission to measure global sea surface salinity (SSS), using an L-band radiometer that measures ocean brightness temperature (Tb). The application of L-band radiometry to retrieve SSS is a difficult task, and therefore, precise Tb corrections are necessary to obtain accurate measurements. One of the major error sources is the effect of ocean roughness that (")warms(") the ocean Tb. The Aquarius (AQ) instrument (L-band radiometer/scatterometer) baseline approach uses the radar scatterometer to provide this ocean roughness correction, through the correlation of radar backscatter with the excess ocean emissivity.In contrast, this dissertation develops an ocean roughness correction for AQ measurements using the MicroWave Radiometer (MWR) instrument Tb measurements at Ka-band to remove the errors that are caused by ocean wind speed and direction. The new ocean emissivity radiative transfer model was tuned using one year (2012) of on-orbit combined data from the MWR and the AQ instruments that are collocated in space and time. The roughness correction in this paper is a theoretical Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) driven by numerical weather forecast model surface winds, combined with ancillary satellite data from WindSat and SSMIS, and environmental parameters from NCEP. This RTM provides an alternative approach for estimating the scatterometer-derived roughness correction, which is independent. The theoretical basis of the algorithm is described and results are compared with the AQ baseline scatterometer method. Also results are presented for a comparison of AQ SSS retrievals using both roughness corrections.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005625, ucf:50218
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005625
REALIZATION OF POWER FACTOR CORRECTION AND MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING FOR LOW POWER WIND TURBINES
Title
REALIZATION OF POWER FACTOR CORRECTION AND MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING FOR LOW POWER WIND TURBINES.
Creator
Gamboa, Gustavo, Batarseh, Issa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
In recent years, wind energy technology has become one of the top areas of interest for energy harvesting in the power electronics world. This interest has especially peaked recently due to the increasing demand for a reliable source of renewable energy. In a recent study, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) ranked the U.S as the leading competitor in wind energy harvesting followed by Germany and Spain. Although the United States is the leading competitor in this area, no one has...
Show moreIn recent years, wind energy technology has become one of the top areas of interest for energy harvesting in the power electronics world. This interest has especially peaked recently due to the increasing demand for a reliable source of renewable energy. In a recent study, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) ranked the U.S as the leading competitor in wind energy harvesting followed by Germany and Spain. Although the United States is the leading competitor in this area, no one has been able successfully develop an efficient, low-cost AC/DC convertor for low power turbines to be used by the average American consumer. There has been very little research in low power AC/DC converters for low to medium power wind energy turbines for battery charging applications. Due to the low power coefficient of wind turbines, power converters are required to transfer the maximum available power at the highest efficiency. Power factor correction (PFC) and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms have been proposed for high power wind turbines. These turbines are out of the price range of what a common household can afford. They also occupy a large amount of space, which is not practical for use in one's home. A low cost AC/DC converter with efficient power transfer is needed in order to promote the use of cheaper low power wind turbines. Only MPPT is implemented in most of these low power wind turbine power converters. The concept of power factor correction with MPPT has not been completely adapted just yet. The research conducted involved analyzing the effect of power factor correction and maximum power point tracking algorithm in AC/DC converters for wind turbine applications. Although maximum power to the load is always desired, most converters only take electrical efficiency into consideration. However, not only the electrical efficiency must be considered, but the mechanical energy as well. If the converter is designed to look like a purely resistive load and not a switched load, a wind turbine is able to supply the maximum power with lower conduction loss at the input side due to high current spikes. Two power converters, VIENNA with buck converter and a Buck-boost converter, were designed and experimentally analyzed. A unique approach of controlling the MPPT algorithm through a conductance G for PFC is proposed and applied in the VIENNA topology. On the other hand, the Buck-boost only operates MPPT. With the same wind profile applied for both converters, an increase in power drawn from the input increased when PFC was used even when the power level was low. Both topologies present their own unique advantages. The main advantage for the VIENNA converter is that PFC allowed more power extraction from the turbine, increasing both electrical and mechanical efficiency. The buck-boost converter, on the other hand, presents a very low component count which decreases the overall cost and volume. Therefore, a small, cost-effective converter that maximizes the power transfer from a small power wind turbine to a DC load, can motivate consumers to utilize the power available from the wind.
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Date Issued
2009
Identifier
CFE0002730, ucf:48158
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002730
DFT STUDY OF GEOMETRY AND ENERGETICS OF TRANSITION METAL SYSTEMS
Title
DFT STUDY OF GEOMETRY AND ENERGETICS OF TRANSITION METAL SYSTEMS.
Creator
Goel, Satyender, MASUNOV, ARTEM, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
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...
Show moreThis 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 and carbides systems to understand the importance of underlying phenomenon of bond breaking in catalytic processes. We have tested several exchange-correlation functionals including explicit dependence on kinetic energy density for the description of hydrides (both neutral and cationic) and carbides formed by 3d-transition metals. We find M05-2x and BMK dissociation energies are in better agreement with experiment (where available) than those obtained with high level wavefunction theory methods, published previously. This agreement with experiment deteriorates quickly for other functionals when the fraction of the Hartree-Fock exchange in DFT functional is decreased. Higher fraction of HF exchange is also essential in EKS formalism, but it does not help when spin-adapted unrestricted approach is employed. We analyze the electron spin densities using Natural Bond Orbital population analysis and find that simple description of 3d electrons as non-bonding in character is rarely correct. Unrestricted formalism results in appreciable spin-contamination for some of the systems at equilibrium, which motivated us to investigate it further in details. In order to correct the spin contamination effect on the energies, we propose a new scheme to correct for spin contamination arising in broken-symmetry DFT approach. Unlike conventional schemes, our spin correction is introduced for each spin-polarized electron pair individually and therefore is expected to yield more accurate energy values. We derive an expression to extract the energy of the pure singlet state from the energy of the broken-symmetry DFT description of the low spin state and the energies of the high spin states (pentuplet and two spin-contaminated triplets in the case of two spin-polarized electron pairs). We validate our spin-contamination correction approach by a simple example of H2 and applied to more complex MnH system. Ensemble KS formalism is also applied to investigate the dissociation of C2 molecule. We find that high fraction of HF exchange is essential to reproduce the results of EKS treatment with exact exchange-correlation functional. We analyze the geometry and energetics of small nickel clusters (Ni2-Ni5) for several lowest energy isomers. We also study all possible spin states of small nickel cluster isomers and report observed trends in energetics. Finally we determine the geometry and energetics of ten lowest energy isomers of four small gold clusters (Au2, Au4, Au6, and Au8). We have also investigated the influence of cluster geometry, ligation, solvation and relativistic effects on electronic structure of these gold clusters. The effect of one-by-one ligand attachment in vacuum and solvent environment is also studied. Performance of five DFT functionals are tested as well; Local Spin Density Approximation (SVWN5), Generalized Gradient Approximation (PBE), kinetic energy density-dependent functional (TPSS), hybrid DFT (B3LYP), and CAM-B3LYP which accounts for long-range exchange effects believed to be important in the analysis of metal bonding in gold complexes and clusters. Our results exhibit the ligand induced stability enhancement of otherwise less stable isomers of Au4, Au6 and Au8. Ligands are found to play a crucial role in determining the 2D to 3D transition realized in small gold clusters. In order to select an appropriate theory level to use in this study, we investigate the effect of attachment of four different ligands (NH3, NMe3, PH3, PMe3) on cluster geometry and energetics of Au2 and Au4 in vacuum and in solution. Our results benchmark the applicability of DFT functional model and polarization functions in the basis set for calculations of ligated gold cluster systems. We employ five different basis sets with increasing amount of polarization and diffuse functions; LANL2DZ, LANL2DZ-P, def2-SVP, def2-TZVP, and def2-QZVP. We obtain NMe3 = NH3 < PH3 < PMe3 order of ligand binding energies and observe shallow potential energy surfaces in all molecules. Our results suggest appropriate quantum-chemical methodologies to model small noble metal clusters in realistic ligand environment to provide reliable theoretical analysis in order to complement experiments.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003293, ucf:48498
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003293
Jail Mental Health Innovations: Factors Influencing Mental Health Services Innovations for Jails
Title
Jail Mental Health Innovations: Factors Influencing Mental Health Services Innovations for Jails.
Creator
Clayton, Orville, Wan, Thomas, Anderson, Kim, Winton, Mark, Zhang, Ning, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
ABSTRACTThe U.S. is recognized for uniquely high incarceration rates. Over recent decades, there has been a concurrent dramatic increase of jail detainees with mental disorders. Provision of adequate mental health services for jail inmates is constitutionally mandated, and has legal, ethical, quality of care, and fiscal implications for jails, families, communities, and detainees. Significant variation exists in the provision of mental health services across jails, and increased understanding...
Show moreABSTRACTThe U.S. is recognized for uniquely high incarceration rates. Over recent decades, there has been a concurrent dramatic increase of jail detainees with mental disorders. Provision of adequate mental health services for jail inmates is constitutionally mandated, and has legal, ethical, quality of care, and fiscal implications for jails, families, communities, and detainees. Significant variation exists in the provision of mental health services across jails, and increased understanding of the factors that influence the adoption of such services may help guide jails to implement beneficial services, and ensure that such services reflect, reflect quality standards. This study used a mixed methods strategy to examine the influence of theoretically determined variables on the adoption of jail mental health services, and the quality assessment of such services. Data was gathered by survey instrumentation, secondary data review, and in-depth interviews with jail leaders. The study found that isomorphism has a significant effect on the structural adequacy of jail mental health services, innovation characteristics have a negligible relationship to structural adequacy and process integrity, structural adequacy mediates the effects of isomorphism on process integrity, and jail size has a significant effect on structural adequacy. This study advances the knowledge base in its specification of the roles of internal, external, and demographic factors in the adoption of jail mental health services, and in the testing and application of Donabedian's healthcare model to assess the quality of such services.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006866, ucf:51755
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006866