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- Title
- Can One Hear...? An Exploration Into Inverse Eigenvalue Problems Related to Musical Instruments.
- Creator
-
Adams, Christine, Nashed, M, Mohapatra, Ram, Kaup, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The central theme of this thesis deals with problems related to the question, (")Can one hear the shape of a drum?(") first posed formally by Mark Kac in 1966. More precisely, can one determine the shape of a membrane with fixed boundary from the spectrum of the associated differential operator? For this paper, Kac received both the Lester Ford Award and the Chauvant Prize of the Mathematical Association of America. This problem has received a great deal of attention in the past forty years...
Show moreThe central theme of this thesis deals with problems related to the question, (")Can one hear the shape of a drum?(") first posed formally by Mark Kac in 1966. More precisely, can one determine the shape of a membrane with fixed boundary from the spectrum of the associated differential operator? For this paper, Kac received both the Lester Ford Award and the Chauvant Prize of the Mathematical Association of America. This problem has received a great deal of attention in the past forty years and has led to similar questions in completely different contexts such as (")Can one hear the shape of a graph associated with the Schr(&)#246;dinger operator?("), (")Can you hear the shape of your throat?("), (")Can you feel the shape of a manifold with Brownian motion?("), (")Can one hear the crack in a beam?("), (")Can one hear into the sun?("), etc. Each of these topics deals with inverse eigenvalue problems or related inverse problems. For inverse problems in general, the problem may or may not have a solution, the solution may not be unique, and the solution does not necessarily depend continuously on perturbation of the data. For example, in the case of the drum, it has been shown that the answer to Kac's question in general is (")no.(") However, if we restrict the class of drums, then the answer can be yes. This is typical of inverse problems when a priori information and restriction of the class of admissible solutions and/or data are used to make the problem well-posed. This thesis provides an analysis of shapes for which the answer to Kac's question is positive and a variety of interesting questions on this problem and its variants, including cases that remain open. This thesis also provides a synopsis and perspectives of other types of (")can one hear(") problems mentioned above. Another part of this thesis deals with aspects of direct problems related to musical instruments.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004643, ucf:49886
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004643
- Title
- GULF.
- Creator
-
Adams, Daniel, Hubbard, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea, the narrator speaks of the healing power of the Gulf in a literal manner: the waters of the Gulf of Mexico heal the wounded hands of the fisherman. The seventeen stories in the following collection examine Hemingway's concept on other levels, focusing on the human ability--or lack thereof--to bridge psychological gulfs, and to find emotional healing. Three major currents run through the lives of the characters in Gulf: difficulties...
Show moreIn Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea, the narrator speaks of the healing power of the Gulf in a literal manner: the waters of the Gulf of Mexico heal the wounded hands of the fisherman. The seventeen stories in the following collection examine Hemingway's concept on other levels, focusing on the human ability--or lack thereof--to bridge psychological gulfs, and to find emotional healing. Three major currents run through the lives of the characters in Gulf: difficulties in relationships, struggles with identity, and a sense of being haunted by the unexplained. As the stories progress, the healing waters of the Gulf move the characters away from chaos and toward contentment. In early stories, characters are often appalled by the discovery of their true identities; the later stories feature heroes who've found happiness and peace. Scattered throughout the book are the haunted stories, those that question the boundaries between what is real and what is imagined, what is known and what can never be understood. Gulf is informed by the landscape of the south, yet some stories venture around the world, from the Gulf of Mexico to the heather-dotted hills of Scotland, exploring themes as dark and mysterious as the Gulf itself.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002023, ucf:47619
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002023
- Title
- BRINGING JOHN GREEN TO SCHOOLS: INCORPORATING YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE IN A SECONDARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM.
- Creator
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Adams, Emily, Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As educators and administrators continue to struggle with the low literacy proficiency rates in this country, a new genre of literature is making its way into the classroom. Young Adult Literature, such as the works of John Green, are becoming a more familiar sight inside the classroom. However, some parents, educators, and members of the school districts are not happy with this new trend. In the last year, alone, young adult books have been challenged hundreds of times in hopes of getting...
Show moreAs educators and administrators continue to struggle with the low literacy proficiency rates in this country, a new genre of literature is making its way into the classroom. Young Adult Literature, such as the works of John Green, are becoming a more familiar sight inside the classroom. However, some parents, educators, and members of the school districts are not happy with this new trend. In the last year, alone, young adult books have been challenged hundreds of times in hopes of getting them removed from the classroom and library. I believe that these books need to stay in the schools, though. Through this thesis, I explore the possibility of Young Adult Literature having more of a presence in the secondary English Language Arts classroom in order to increase motivation, engagement, social awareness, and literacy rates. In this research project, only 13% of 11th and 12th grade English Language Arts students reported enjoying the reading they were currently assigned, despite their statement that they enjoy reading, in general. These books do not lead to motivated and engaged readers. By incorporating Young Adult Literature into the standard curriculum of an English Language Arts classroom, teachers can enhance motivation, engagement, and productivity. Students can continue to learn the same literary concepts and techniques, in addition to being exposed to current social problems. When Young Adult Literature is brought into a classroom, an environment is created in which students can learn what they think, why they think it, and how to respect the differing opinions of others.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004583, ucf:45169
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004583
- Title
- SIMULATION AND STUDY OF THE STOKES VECTOR IN A PRECIPITATING ATMOSPHERE.
- Creator
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Adams, Ian, Jones, Linwood, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Precipitation is a dominating quantity in microwave radiometry. The large emission and scattering signals of rain and ice, respectively, introduce large contributions to the measured brightness temperature. While this allows for accurate sensing of precipitation, it also results in degraded performance when retrieving other geophysical parameters, such as near-surface ocean winds. In particular, the retrieval of wind direction requires precise knowledge of polarization, and nonspherical...
Show morePrecipitation is a dominating quantity in microwave radiometry. The large emission and scattering signals of rain and ice, respectively, introduce large contributions to the measured brightness temperature. While this allows for accurate sensing of precipitation, it also results in degraded performance when retrieving other geophysical parameters, such as near-surface ocean winds. In particular, the retrieval of wind direction requires precise knowledge of polarization, and nonspherical particles can result in a change in the polarization of incident radiation. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the polarizing effects of precipitation in the atmosphere, including the existence of a precipitation signal in the third Stokes parameter, and compare these effects with the current sensitivities of passive wind vector retrieval algorithms. Realistic simulated precipitation profiles give hydrometeor water contents which are input into a vector radiative transfer model. Brightness temperatures are produced within the model using a reverse Monte Carlo method. Results are produced at three frequencies of interest to microwave polarimetry, 10.7 GHz, 18.7 GHz, and 37.0 GHz, for the first 3 components of the Stokes vector.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001644, ucf:47246
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001644
- Title
- Predicting Gun Ownership in America: Birth Cohort, Political Views, and Attitudes Towards Gun Control Legislation.
- Creator
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Adams, Jared, Gay, David, Donley, Amy, Corzine, Harold, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
With mass shootings occurring with frightening regularity, research into gun ownership behavior is becoming increasingly important for public policy creation and public safety. While extant research tells us that firearm ownership is woven deep into the historical fabric of American culture, scholarship has yet to fully explore predictors for gun ownership. Employing 2015 Pew Research Center political survey data, this study examines the predictive effects of birth cohort, political ideology,...
Show moreWith mass shootings occurring with frightening regularity, research into gun ownership behavior is becoming increasingly important for public policy creation and public safety. While extant research tells us that firearm ownership is woven deep into the historical fabric of American culture, scholarship has yet to fully explore predictors for gun ownership. Employing 2015 Pew Research Center political survey data, this study examines the predictive effects of birth cohort, political ideology, and attitudes towards gun control legislation on gun ownership, with and without controls, using hierarchical binary logistic regression models. The presented models examine three separate cohorts: The Millennials, Generation X, and the Baby Boomers. Findings reveal that Millennials, liberal political ideology, attitudes which stress the importance of controlling, as opposed to protecting, gun ownership are significantly less likely to own a firearm. Furthermore, gender, household income, population density, southern residency, and race were also found to significantly influence gun ownership. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are also discussed. While this research cannot perfectly predict individual gun ownership, it does effectively highlight several important facts to consider. From the fog of media speculation, political grandstanding, and overly simplistic and unwarranted assumptions, the results of this study bring into full view the inherent complexity of American gun ownership.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006706, ucf:51913
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006706
- Title
- WRITES OF SPRING: A STUDY OF COMMUNICATION WITHIN COLLECTIVE DEVISING.
- Creator
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Adams, Jennifer, Weaver, Earl, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Communication is a pivotal element in creating theatre with other artists, with audiences, and with the outside world. Theatre artists are required to collaborate at nearly every step of the process. Despite the necessity of highly developed collaboration skills, communication in the creation of theatre is an often-underdeveloped curriculum area. As a Director and Teaching Artist I am particularly interested in how to find new ways of collaborating so I may model and pass these skills to my...
Show moreCommunication is a pivotal element in creating theatre with other artists, with audiences, and with the outside world. Theatre artists are required to collaborate at nearly every step of the process. Despite the necessity of highly developed collaboration skills, communication in the creation of theatre is an often-underdeveloped curriculum area. As a Director and Teaching Artist I am particularly interested in how to find new ways of collaborating so I may model and pass these skills to my students. Through a qualitative research survey of communication used in collaborative devising, this research analyzes environments that improve communication and allow for maximum creativity in an effort to develop critical communication pedagogy. This study examines my approach in working through a devising process as the Coordinator of a collaborative group of adults creating an original play. I examine our process and make connections as to how devising influenced my future work as a Director and Teaching Artist. By examining the theatres that make extensive use of ensemble devising as a tool for creating theatre, I gained insight into more collaborative ways of working. This research found support through examination of group communication theories and methods in which they promote collaborative spirit. Finally, critical pedagogy offered a lens through which I can impart these discoveries to young artists. I discovered ways to use the model of devising to open the possibilities for my students to take ownership over their processes and the art they create. I also gained insight into the role of facilitator in order to develop ways of modeling and teaching these communications. Communication pedagogy in the theatre allows me the tools to identify, question, and transform my experiences in creating theatre as a director and teaching artist.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003610, ucf:48878
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003610
- Title
- Nuclear power plant simulator.
- Creator
-
Adams, John Jacob, Dennis, John D., Engineering
- Abstract / Description
-
Florida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; The United States' energy crisis, which has received so much publicity lately , has focused national attention on how we are to meet our energy demands. Proposed energy sources include conventional nuclear power plants, breeder reactor and fusion reactor plants, coal gasification, liquid hydrogen, solar energy, and geothermal energy. All of these except conventional fission plants are still on the drawing board or in the...
Show moreFlorida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; The United States' energy crisis, which has received so much publicity lately , has focused national attention on how we are to meet our energy demands. Proposed energy sources include conventional nuclear power plants, breeder reactor and fusion reactor plants, coal gasification, liquid hydrogen, solar energy, and geothermal energy. All of these except conventional fission plants are still on the drawing board or in the experimental laboratory, and are described briefly. Government and industry are betting heavily on conventional nuclear power plants. ($40 billion already spent by private utilities for 30 operating plants, 60 under construction, and 75 on order.) A. few unpublicized accidents and more and more complex instrumentation in nuclear power plant control rooms has pointed to a desperate need for more effective ways of training individuals to safely operate these plants. Recognizing this need, General Electric Company designed and built a very realistic computer-driven simulator of a plant control room. The physical enclosures and instrumentation duplicates the Dresden II control room in every way, and response to operator manipulation of controls duplicates that of a real plant. The bulk of this paper describes the simulator and its development. The last section raises questions concerning hazards of continued growth of nuclear power and presents some alternatives.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1973
- Identifier
- CFR0003510, ucf:53015
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0003510
- Title
- The Sustainability of Overconsumption? A Discursive Analysis of Walmart's Sustainability Campaign.
- Creator
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Adams, Kathleen, Jacques, Peter, Kiel, Dwight, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study inquires as to whether Walmart's sustainability campaign represents a sincere and holistic change throughout the company's global supply chain or if it is simply a public relations campaign which caters to the growing target market of (")next-generation(") consumers and justifies further expansion into (")emerging markets("). A critical analysis of Walmart's sustainability discourse is presented, using transcribed texts of various corporate and publicity-geared publications....
Show moreThis study inquires as to whether Walmart's sustainability campaign represents a sincere and holistic change throughout the company's global supply chain or if it is simply a public relations campaign which caters to the growing target market of (")next-generation(") consumers and justifies further expansion into (")emerging markets("). A critical analysis of Walmart's sustainability discourse is presented, using transcribed texts of various corporate and publicity-geared publications. Frequently utilized terms and themes are identified throughout the big-box retailer's sustainability campaign which convey a distinctly Neoliberal ethos(-)a political economy which lies at the heart of current practices of institutional unsustainability(-)and emphasize the role of the atomized individual(-)who may purchase protection from environmental risks via green products. Other themes, which are commonly associated with sustainability research, are glaringly absent: subsidiarity; human rights; steady-state economics; economic inequity; the precautionary principle. This research aims to shed light on the prospects for the sustainability of green overconsumption, which Walmart is leading the way in promoting, and for the continuation of the modern economistic zeitgeist into the twenty-first century.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004346, ucf:49416
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004346
- Title
- DAGS: AN INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN RESEARCH FRAMEWORK SUPPORTING THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF MORE EFFECTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
- Creator
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Adams, Lascelles, Cheney, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Many IT systems fail to realize their objectives because not enough attention has been paid to the business context in which the system functions. One reason expressed - an emphasized technical focus which tend to omit business and organizational issues germane to the organization's and the system's success. When an organization's information system is in line with, and provides support for its business strategy strategic alignment superior business performance is...
Show moreMany IT systems fail to realize their objectives because not enough attention has been paid to the business context in which the system functions. One reason expressed - an emphasized technical focus which tend to omit business and organizational issues germane to the organization's and the system's success. When an organization's information system is in line with, and provides support for its business strategy strategic alignment superior business performance is often the result. Within the Requirements Engineering (RE) community there has been several attempts to develop and utilize approaches which can illuminate business and organizational informational needs. In this dissertation, the DAGS framework is used to develop an integrated web-based requirements elicitation system which is based on Critical Success Factors (CSFs), Jackson's problem diagrams and organizational strategy analysis technique to represent and model an organization's IT requirements. This research employs the DAGS (multi-methodological approach consisting of Design Science, Action Research, Grounded Theory and System Development research methodologies) framework for Information System (IS) design to assist the Information Technology (IT) department in developing a collaborative user requirements system to assist in designing and constructing more effective information systems by incorporating the needs of various stakeholders in support of organizational goals while satisfying these varied needs. Top management's field of vision is represented in the CSFs which provide a compelling clarification of what is important to the organization. Failure to achieve a CSF directly affects the organization's ability to accomplish its mission; Research shows that alignment of IT systems with business strategy leads to superior organizational performance. Industry professionals have consistently considered alignment of IT with business strategy essential to their success thus requirements for an organization's information systems need to be aligned with the objectives of the business strategy that its stakeholders intend to support. This dissertation contributes to the literature on validating an organization's IT and Business Strategic alignment. It has also provided an example of research, grounded in theory but which is nevertheless relevant to business.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002966, ucf:47947
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002966
- Title
- MOLECULAR TYPING OF MYCOBACTERIAL ISOLATES CULTURED FROM THE TISSUE OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (CROHN'S DISEASE) PATIENTS.
- Creator
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Adams, Leanne M, Naser, Saleh, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The role of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) in the etiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's Disease (CD), has been investigated. The fastidious characteristics and cross reactivity of MAP with other members in Mycobacteria have produced significant challenges in their detection and identification. In this two year pilot study, an array of three PCR molecular assays based on the detection of sequences from the16S rRNA, IS1245, and IS900...
Show moreThe role of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) in the etiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's Disease (CD), has been investigated. The fastidious characteristics and cross reactivity of MAP with other members in Mycobacteria have produced significant challenges in their detection and identification. In this two year pilot study, an array of three PCR molecular assays based on the detection of sequences from the16S rRNA, IS1245, and IS900 genes, belonging to members of the MAC, have been developed and optimized into a common protocol to be used as a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool regarding M. avium complex (MAC) infection. The PCR protocol time was reduced by half, and the sensitivity and specificity of the molecular assays has been significantly improved barring the need for southern hybridization. This improved methodology was employed for the molecular typing of MAC in 100 resected, full-thickness tissue samples removed from IBD patients. The tissue samples were homogenized, decontaminated, and inoculated into two mycobacterial culture media systems. A total of 328 Bactec and Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MIGT) cultures were evaluated for positive MAC growth. Harvested cells were then subjected to genomic DNA extraction and subsequent PCR typing. The I6 S rRNA-based PCR resulted in detection of 26/28 (93%) MAC in Bactec cultures. Specifically, 25/28 (89%) of positive MAC indicated the presence of IS1245 specific to M. avium subsp avium (MAV), and 6/28 (21%) produced results consistent with the presence of IS900 following nested PCR. Moreover, 20/100 (20%) of MGIT cultures were positive for MAP. Sequence analysis was performed on amplified regions of the IS900 element from seven isolates. A nucleotide alignment revealed that 2/7 isolates demonstrated 100% homology to Bovine MAP and 5/7 isolates showed 96-99% homology to sequenced Bovine MAP published in GenBank. The detection of at least two Bovine derived MAP in IBD tissue will have great impact on the epidemiology and reclassification of IBD. The significant homology of the other five isolates to Bovine derived MAP suggests a diversity in the geographical distribution of MAP regarding Johne's disease and CD. Ultimately, the etiology, diagnosis, and the treatment of IBD as well as control and prevention measures may be enhanced with better tools for investigating emerging infectious diseases.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000031, ucf:46125
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000031
- Title
- THE FINANCIAL DETERMINANTS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL.
- Creator
-
Adams, Mitchell, Schnitzlein, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
There is a certain tradition, pageantry, rivalry, and glory in college football. It is well known that college football can be a big time money maker and sometimes covers the costs of other athletic teams within a school. However, it is also recognized that many college football programs lose money or struggle to break even. Thus, there is tremendous variability that exists in the amount of resources a school may have and the outcomes in athletic success, while there is not always a one to...
Show moreThere is a certain tradition, pageantry, rivalry, and glory in college football. It is well known that college football can be a big time money maker and sometimes covers the costs of other athletic teams within a school. However, it is also recognized that many college football programs lose money or struggle to break even. Thus, there is tremendous variability that exists in the amount of resources a school may have and the outcomes in athletic success, while there is not always a one to one correspondence between the two. The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the quantifiable determinants of success, considering both financial and non-financial variables. The pressure to win, and do so immediately; brand; and outdo other schools in the facility "arm's race" has reached unprecedented levels.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004524, ucf:45217
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004524
- Title
- Characterization of Novel Borrelia burgdorferi Transcripts Expressed during Tick and Mammalian Infection.
- Creator
-
Adams, Philip, Jewett, Mollie, Rohde, Kyle, Moore, Sean, Fernandez-Valle, Cristina, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this dissertation is to characterize the transcriptome of Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi to discover novel transcripts, important for pathogenesis. As a spirochete and the etiological agent of Lyme disease, the foremost vector-borne bacterial infection in the world, B. burgdorferi fulfills a distinctive niche among bacterial pathogens. Persisting in the disparate environments of a tick vector and mammalian reservoirs, it is absolutely dependent on its hosts for transmission...
Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation is to characterize the transcriptome of Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi to discover novel transcripts, important for pathogenesis. As a spirochete and the etiological agent of Lyme disease, the foremost vector-borne bacterial infection in the world, B. burgdorferi fulfills a distinctive niche among bacterial pathogens. Persisting in the disparate environments of a tick vector and mammalian reservoirs, it is absolutely dependent on its hosts for transmission and nutrient acquisition. B. burgdorferi harbors a complex fragmented genome which is largely linear, unlike that of most prokaryotes, lacks an array of classically described metabolic genes, and contains an unusually large percentage of unique genomic sequences specific to Borrelia (Borreliella) species. To date, few regulatory mechanisms have been identified which contribute to the ability of the spirochete to sense and respond to its environment. Efforts to use global transcript analysis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of B. burgdorferi host adaptation have proven challenging due to the low numbers of the pathogen present during infection. Previously, our laboratory successfully developed an in vivo expression technology based approach for B. burgdorferi (BbIVET) to identify spirochete promoter sequences that are active during a murine infection. This screen identified 233 unique putative promoters which mapped to locations across the entire genome. These putative infection-active B. burgdorferi promoters were not only located at the 5' end of annotated open reading frames (ORFs), but also mapped to unannotated locations antisense, intergenic, and intragenic to ORFs. Given the limited characterization of the B. burgdorferi transcriptome, this dissertation applies an RNA sequencing approach (5'RNA-seq) to globally annotate the transcriptional start sites (TSSs) and 5' processed ends of the spirochete's RNA during in vitro cultivation. This resulted in the discovery of numerous novel internal, intergenic, and antisense transcripts. Synergistic analysis combining Northern blotting techniques, alignments of these transcripts to BbIVET proposed promoters, and interrogation of promoter activity via in vivo live imaging of mice, confirmed the expression of a variety of RNAs during laboratory culture and mammalian infection. Further, as a means to improve quantitation of the expression of these transcripts, a new methodology was developed and applied to measure B. burgdorferi promoter activity during tick-pathogen interactions, in a strand specific manner. Finally, because the Lyme disease spirochete harbors many unclassified and unique genomic sequences, the mammalian infection-expressed gene bb0562, identified through BbIVET and 5'RNA-seq, was selected for targeted deletion and evaluation throughout B. burgdorferi's infectious cycle. This demonstrated that gene bb0562 encodes a membrane associated protein, whose presence is critical for establishing murine infection through the bite of an infected tick. In sum, this work contributes significant insight into the transcriptome of B. burgdorferi, provides an innovative approach for the analysis of RNA transcripts at the tick-pathogen interface, and identifies a novel gene critical for Lyme disease pathogenesis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006707, ucf:51915
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006707
- Title
- ARISTOTLE ON MIND.
- Creator
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Adams, Rachel, Jones, Don, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The mind as it is found in Aristotle's great work De Anima is a special capacity of the soul. It has both active and passive properties that work together to allow discursive thinking and moral ethical behavior to emerge. This work will look at Aristotle's philosophy of mind, and I will forward a new interpretation of the mind as he understood it: what I call the active and passive mind property dualism. Aristotle's four causes allow for a unique application of a form of dualism that accounts...
Show moreThe mind as it is found in Aristotle's great work De Anima is a special capacity of the soul. It has both active and passive properties that work together to allow discursive thinking and moral ethical behavior to emerge. This work will look at Aristotle's philosophy of mind, and I will forward a new interpretation of the mind as he understood it: what I call the active and passive mind property dualism. Aristotle's four causes allow for a unique application of a form of dualism that accounts for the ontological status of the mind and the emergence of rational thinking. The importance of potentiality and actuality in Aristotle's metaphysics gives a different sort of formulation of the mind-body problem than is traditionally understood in the philosophy of mind. The first section of this paper will look at the terms used, especially actuality and potentiality. A comparison to Plato's tripartite soul will be given. Next, Aristotle's different kinds of soul and their varied capacities will be explored. Finally, the active mind will be explained as it appears in Book III, chapter 5.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003846, ucf:44696
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003846
- Title
- Overcoming Beginning Teacher Attrition.
- Creator
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Adcock, Jill, Cox, Dr. Thomas, Hopp, Carolyn, Vitale, Thomas, Ellis, Amanda, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The goal of this research was to increase the retention of beginning teachers in a large urban public school district in Central Florida through the refinement of the current induction program. In order to understand the needs of beginning teachers, four key stakeholders were surveyed using an online pilot survey developed by the researchers. Beginning teachers, mentors, instructional coaches, and principals each provided their perspective and perceptions on the needs of beginning teachers....
Show moreThe goal of this research was to increase the retention of beginning teachers in a large urban public school district in Central Florida through the refinement of the current induction program. In order to understand the needs of beginning teachers, four key stakeholders were surveyed using an online pilot survey developed by the researchers. Beginning teachers, mentors, instructional coaches, and principals each provided their perspective and perceptions on the needs of beginning teachers. Through the analysis of the qualitative results, several commonalities emerged. These themes included discrepancies regarding knowledge and completion of district induction requirements, as well as between the implementation of school-based induction programs. Based upon the themes of the research and the literature on supporting beginning teachers, a framework was developed to meet the needs of the beginning teachers in order to reduce attrition within the large urban school district. The framework entailed the refinement of the district induction program and the development of a school-based induction program. The amendment of the district induction program included accountability for all stakeholders, three years of induction support for beginning teachers, structures for tracking the completion of induction requirements by beginning teachers, and training for mentors, instructional coaches, and administrators regarding the district induction requirements. The school based induction framework contains support for a beginning teacher's first three years including specific support by mentors, instructional coaches, and administrators. The framework has been developed based upon the needs of the large urban school district in Central Florida but also has the potential to be applied to any large urban school district. The nature of the framework is that it provides the basic structure and can be customized to meet the needs of any district or school.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006242, ucf:51072
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006242
- Title
- DETECTION OF DRUG-RESISTANCE CONFERRING SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS USING BINARY DNAZYMES.
- Creator
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Addario, Marina, Rohde, Kyle, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the pathogen that causes Tuberculosis (TB) and is responsible for an average of 1.5 million deaths annually. Although a treatment regimen does exist, Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR-TB) and eXtremely Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) TB strains are becoming a more prevalent concern partly due to failure of patient compliance with the current six to nine month drug treatment regimen. The current diagnostic methods are not able to identify these MDR and XDR-TB strains...
Show moreMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the pathogen that causes Tuberculosis (TB) and is responsible for an average of 1.5 million deaths annually. Although a treatment regimen does exist, Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR-TB) and eXtremely Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) TB strains are becoming a more prevalent concern partly due to failure of patient compliance with the current six to nine month drug treatment regimen. The current diagnostic methods are not able to identify these MDR and XDR-TB strains efficiently therefore more effective point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and drug susceptibility testing (DST) are urgently needed to detect drug resistance and facilitate prompt, appropriate treatment plans. In order to detect TB and efficiently identify drug resistance, this project seeks to develop a novel diagnostic technology based on deoxyribozyme (DNAzyme) sensors. The overall goal of this project is to create an assay which combines Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and DNAzymes to identify drug resistance conferring Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). To safely test the ability of DNAzyme sensors to detect SNPs indicative of multi-drug resistant TB, we have constructed a panel of drug resistant (drugR) nonpathogenic M. bovis BCG. We have designed a multiplex PCR that amplifies 6 chromosomal regions of the genome necessary for the species specific detection of TB and determination of a drug susceptibility profile based on the presence of SNPs. To improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the detection and DST of Mtb, we have designed and optimized DNAzyme sensor assays combined with multiplex PCR analytes that will enable the rapid, POC detection of drug resistance. This work aims to develop novel tools for the prompt and specific diagnosis of TB allowing for the implementation of an iv effective treatment regimen that will ultimately lessen transmission and control the emerging global threat of MDR and XDR-TB.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004844, ucf:45435
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004844
- Title
- Translocation of a semiflexible polymer through a nanopore.
- Creator
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Adhikari, Ramesh, Bhattacharya, Aniket, Chen, Bo, Kokoouline, Viatcheslav, Hernandez, Florencio, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The transport of a biomolecule through a nanopore occurs in many biological functions such as, DNA or RNA transport across nuclear pores and the translocation of proteins across the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum. In addition to the biological processes, it has potential applications in technology such as, drug delivery, gene therapy, and single molecule sensing. The DNA translocation through a synthetic nanopore device is considered as the basis for cheap and fast sequencing technology....
Show moreThe transport of a biomolecule through a nanopore occurs in many biological functions such as, DNA or RNA transport across nuclear pores and the translocation of proteins across the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum. In addition to the biological processes, it has potential applications in technology such as, drug delivery, gene therapy, and single molecule sensing. The DNA translocation through a synthetic nanopore device is considered as the basis for cheap and fast sequencing technology. Motivated by the experimental advances, many theoretical models have been developed. In this thesis, we explore the dynamics of driven translocation of a semiflexible polymer through a nanopore in two dimensions (2D) using Langevin dynamics (LD) simulation. By carrying out extensive simulation as a function of different parameters such as, driving force, length and rigidity of the chain, viscosity of the solvent, and diameter of the nanopore, we provide a detailed description of the translocation process. Our studies are relevant for fundamental understanding of the translocation process which is essential for making accurate nano-pore based devices.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005915, ucf:50830
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005915
- Title
- A Time to keep: history of the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo, Florida, 1873-1973.
- Creator
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Adicks, Richard, Neely, Donna M., Evans, Clara Lee, Jones, Ben H., Lawton, Kathryn, PALMM (Project)
- Abstract / Description
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Brief history of the church from its beginnings to 1973, including photographs of early members, changes in the church structure, the new church, and the first wedding performed in the new church. Also includes a list of pastors and other officers of the church.
- Date Issued
- 1973
- Identifier
- AAB9017QF00007/26/200511/14/200620916Bfam D0QF, FIPS12117, FHP C UCF 2005-08-03, FCLA url 20060601xOCLC, 75968729, CF00001726, 2585000, ucf:19840
- Format
- E-book
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/tc/fhp/CF00001726.jpg
- Title
- TEACHER PERFORMANCE PAY: THE PERCEPTIONS OF CERTIFIED SCHOOL-BASED PERSONNEL.
- Creator
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Adkins, Gregory, House, Jess, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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To meet the continued demand for educational reform, the state of Florida enacted legislation in 1998 that required school boards to base a portion of the salary for school administrators and instructional personnel on performance. Although ahead of the required statutory timeline, the School District of Lee County implemented a teacher performance pay plan during the 19981999 school year as a result of Florida's legislative direction. The problem of this study was to determine the...
Show moreTo meet the continued demand for educational reform, the state of Florida enacted legislation in 1998 that required school boards to base a portion of the salary for school administrators and instructional personnel on performance. Although ahead of the required statutory timeline, the School District of Lee County implemented a teacher performance pay plan during the 19981999 school year as a result of Florida's legislative direction. The problem of this study was to determine the perceptions of Southwest Florida school-based certified staff regarding the implementation of teacher performance pay in a school district where performance pay had been in operation for the five years prior to this study. The population of this study consisted of the certified school-based personnel employed by the School District of Lee County, Florida. A random sample of 1,000 members was selected from the instructional population. Additionally, this study included the entire population of 176 school-based administrators for an overall sample of 1,176 members. Participants were asked to complete the survey instrument, Teacher Performance Pay Attitudinal Survey designed by the researcher. This instrument was developed to fit the unique requirements and specific nature of this study. Although intended to motivate teachers, the teacher performance pay plan examined in this study was perceived by instructional staff and administrators as not motivating. Findings of this study also show that most teachers and other instructional respondents disagree that teacher performance pay provides an incentive to work harder toward improving student achievement. Additionally, a majority of the instructional respondents did not agree that performance pay encouraged them to participate in staff development or motivated them to change their instructional practice. Finally, most respondents, both instructional and administrative, did not agree that the current performance pay system was fair. These findings suggest that the performance pay program of the current study may have fallen short of its intended goal. This study also found many differences in perceptions of teacher performance pay among the demographic variables. These differences were particularly significant in several survey areas to include the respondent's years of experience, union status, and position. Findings in this study suggest that performance plan design should clearly connect the compensation reward to performance so that educators understand the performance level required. The findings of this study also suggest that improving the alignment between the performance pay plan and school goals should be a consideration in any future plan revision.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000200, ucf:46250
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000200
- Title
- CAN NOX1 ACTIVITY INITIATE PARKINSON'S-LIKE PATHOLOGY IN AN ENTEROENDOCRINE CELL LINE?.
- Creator
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Adler, Evan, Kim, Yoon-Seong, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Increased attention has been given to the gut lately in a number of conditions, from maintaining health via the use of probiotics to treating Autism Spectrum Disorder. Parkinson's Disease has a history with the gut starting with the Braak hypothesis, in which eminent researcher Heiko Braak observed that the spread of Parkinson's (PD) seemed to occur along either olfactory or enteric neurons prior to reaching the substantia nigra in the midbrain, where the classical disease symptoms become...
Show moreIncreased attention has been given to the gut lately in a number of conditions, from maintaining health via the use of probiotics to treating Autism Spectrum Disorder. Parkinson's Disease has a history with the gut starting with the Braak hypothesis, in which eminent researcher Heiko Braak observed that the spread of Parkinson's (PD) seemed to occur along either olfactory or enteric neurons prior to reaching the substantia nigra in the midbrain, where the classical disease symptoms become evident. Though this finding was largely ignored at the time, the possibility of a gut origin for PD has received interest lately as a growing body of epidemiological and mechanistic research supports a gut-based influence. One key study showed that the presence of a toxin that induces oxidative stress in the intestine is capable of generating protein aggregates that spread to the brain and cause a PD-like pathology. The spread of protein aggregates from gut neurons to the brain has been corroborated in a number of studies. The open question, then, is what type of toxic triggers are capable of causing protein aggregation in the real world, and how do they cause protein aggregation in enteric neurons, which do not directly contact the intestinal lumen? We propose here that the enzyme Nox1 contributes to oxidative stress in the gut and eventually to the protein aggregation that can lead to PD via the generation of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Nox1 functions to generate superoxide radicals and is highly expressed in the colon. Knockdown of NOX1 in the brain has been shown to have a protective effect in a PD mouse model. To bridge a trigger in the intestinal lumen to protein aggregation in enteric neurons, we investigate a class of cells that contact both the intestinal lumen and enteric neurons, known as enteroendocrine cells. Finally, we conduct a small study to explore a possible toxic trigger, high fat diet.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000406, ucf:45853
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000406