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- Title
- Leadership Development Programs in College Athletics: An Exploration of the Student-Athlete Experience.
- Creator
-
Obrien, Jeffrey, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Owens, J. Thomas, Preston, Michael, Harrison, Carlton, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of twelve college student-athletes, from two NCAA Division I institutions, who participated in leadership development programs provided by their athletic department. There is a demonstrated need for this level of exploration as evidenced by the growing trend of college athletic departments providing leadership development programming for their respective student-athlete populations. However, there is not a...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of twelve college student-athletes, from two NCAA Division I institutions, who participated in leadership development programs provided by their athletic department. There is a demonstrated need for this level of exploration as evidenced by the growing trend of college athletic departments providing leadership development programming for their respective student-athlete populations. However, there is not a commensurate level of scholarship related to the effectiveness of these programs, nor is there an understanding of the lived experiences of the student-athlete participants that is grounded in research. Therefore, this qualitative study utilized Moustakas' (1994) Transcendental Phenomenology to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of college student-athletes who participated in leadership development programs provided by their athletic department. This study applied Dweck's (2008) theory of Mindset to distill the role effort, failure, and adversity played in the participants lives, and their leadership development. Textural and structural analysis of the data revealed six themes and the essence of the phenomenon. The themes were: (1) Personal Growth and Development; (2) Skill Development; (3) Engaging Pedagogies; (4) Meaning of Effort; (5) Meaning of Failure; and (6) Problem Solving Mindset. Recommendations for college athletic departments implementing leadership development programs include: Intentionality of design; focus on personal growth and development; provide tangible skill development; and include training on growth mindset.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007067, ucf:51996
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007067
- Title
- EXAMINING FACULTY SOCIALIZATION THROUGH THE LENS OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING.
- Creator
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Plant, Jennifer, King, Kathy (Kathleen), Cox, Thomas, Campbell, Laurie, Marshall, Nancy, Mazerolle, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Socialization may be described as a process in which an individual learns and takes on the knowledge, values, attitudes, and expectations of a group within an organization (Corcoran (&) Clark 1984; Staton (&) Darling, 1989), ultimately leading to the development of a professional identity that includes attributes of the group (Merton, Reader, (&) Kendall, 1957). Much of the literature regarding professional and organizational socialization experiences of new faculty focus solely on either...
Show moreSocialization may be described as a process in which an individual learns and takes on the knowledge, values, attitudes, and expectations of a group within an organization (Corcoran (&) Clark 1984; Staton (&) Darling, 1989), ultimately leading to the development of a professional identity that includes attributes of the group (Merton, Reader, (&) Kendall, 1957). Much of the literature regarding professional and organizational socialization experiences of new faculty focus solely on either clinically trained faculty or academically trained faculty, with minimal research comparing the professional and organizational socialization experiences of both degree types. Therefore, this research study explored the professional and organizational socialization experiences of new clinically trained and academically trained faculty. A qualitative phenomenological research design was implemented to explore these experiences and emergent themes revealed from the research study. During the data analysis process, there were ten clinically trained and academically trained faculty themes that emerged from the interviews and represented similarities and differences in professional and organizational socialization experiences of the faculty groups. Those themes included: self-awareness, clinician to academic, how to be an academic, mentoring, orientation, research preparation, lack of andragogy, graduate student experience, role balancing, and learn as you go. The participants' professional and organizational socialization experiences within each degree type reflected different, yet similar findings, as both groups encountered difficulties socializing into their respective faculty roles. The information gained through this research may lead to practices and program development that may improve the efficacy of professional and organizational tactics used to prepare future faculty members and for those already active in faculty member roles.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007075, ucf:51995
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007075
- Title
- Theoretical Paschen's Law Model for Aerospace Vehicles: Validation Experiment.
- Creator
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Mulligan Aroche, Jaysen, Ahmed, Kareem, Kapat, Jayanta, Bhattacharya, Samik, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Aerospace vehicles often experience triboelectric charging while traversing the atmosphere. Triboelectric charging occurs when a material come into frictional contact with a different material. Aerospace vehicles triboelectrically charge due to frictional contact with dust and ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Launch vehicles traversing ice clouds in low-pressure atmosphere are especially prone to electrostatic discharge events (i.e. sparks). These conditions are hazardous and affect...
Show moreAerospace vehicles often experience triboelectric charging while traversing the atmosphere. Triboelectric charging occurs when a material come into frictional contact with a different material. Aerospace vehicles triboelectrically charge due to frictional contact with dust and ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Launch vehicles traversing ice clouds in low-pressure atmosphere are especially prone to electrostatic discharge events (i.e. sparks). These conditions are hazardous and affect the vehicle's launch commit criteria. In 2010, engineers from an ARES-I rocket launch reported concerns with triboelectric charging over their self-destruct system antenna. This concern was addressed by putting the antenna through harsh conditions in a laboratory environment. The need for laboratory testing could have been avoided if there was a mathematical model to predict these events. These discharge events can typically be predicted by the Classical Paschen's Law, which relates discharge voltage to pressure, material and distance between the charged and ground surfaces (i.e. electrodes). However, the Classical Paschen's Law does not capture any aerodynamic considerations such as large bulk flow and compressibility effects. It became apparent that a new model would be needed to predict a discharge voltage with aerodynamic considerations. This research focused on defining a theoretical model and providing experimental data to validate the model. The hypothesis of this work is that charged ions are removed too quickly for enough charge to build up and result in an electrostatic discharge at the voltage that is predicted by the Classical Paschen's Law. The wind tunnel testing for this experiment was conducted at the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery (&) Energy Research (CATER) facility. A charged electrode was exposed to flows at Mach numbers 1.5 to 3.5. It was found that the supersonic flow suppressed the electrostatic discharge events. The voltage required for an electrostatic discharge at supersonic conditions increased by a factor of three. The modified Paschen's Law can help in defining the launch commit criteria of aerospace vehicles.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007059, ucf:51994
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007059
- Title
- Oculomotor Mechanisms Underlying Attentional Costs In Distracted Visual Search.
- Creator
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Lewis, Joanna, Neider, Mark, Szalma, James, Schmidt, Joseph, Joseph, Dana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Performance consequences have been long established when humans multitask. This research concerns the impact of distraction on the attentional shifts during a task that underlies many cognitive processes and everyday tasks, searching for a target item among non-target items (e.g., scanning the road for potential collisions). There is evidence that increasing the mental workload by introducing additional tasks influences our ability to search our environment or interferes with processing...
Show morePerformance consequences have been long established when humans multitask. This research concerns the impact of distraction on the attentional shifts during a task that underlies many cognitive processes and everyday tasks, searching for a target item among non-target items (e.g., scanning the road for potential collisions). There is evidence that increasing the mental workload by introducing additional tasks influences our ability to search our environment or interferes with processing fixated information. In the current studies, I aimed to evaluate the changes in gaze behaviors during visual search to evaluate how multitasking impairs our attentional processes. Participants completed a visual search task (search for a target T among distractor L's) while wearing a heads-up display (Google Glass) which displays an unrelated word during the dual task condition, while the control condition required participants to complete the search task without distraction. The changes in oculomotor behavior were observed in four experiments: (1) evaluating general oculomotor behavior during distraction, (2) masking the display onset of the secondary information during an eye movement to reduce the possibility of distraction from the word appearing, (3) removing any occlusion of stimuli from the heads-up display by having no visual overlap of the two tasks, and (4) evaluating whether oculomotor behaviors were similar to previous results when the nature of the distracting task changes in sensory modality. Participants typically took longer to respond when distracted, except for when the word onset was masked and the word was present auditorily. Oculomotor results indicated an increase in fixation durations (occasionally for the initial saccade latency as well) and a reduction of target fixations when participants were distracted by secondary information. These results suggest that secondary visual information can impact how humans search their environment in a fashion which increases their time to respond and impacts selective visual processing.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007039, ucf:51993
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007039
- Title
- Sinkhole detection and quantification using LiDAR data.
- Creator
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Rajabi, Amirarsalan, Nam, Boo Hyun, Wang, Dingbao, Singh, Arvind, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The state of Florida is highly prone to sinkhole incident and formation, mainly because of the soluble carbonate bedrock which is susceptible to dissolution and groundwater recharge that causes internal soil erosions. Numerous sinkholes, particularly in Central Florida, have occurred. Florida Subsidence Incident Report (FSIR) database contains verified sinkholes with Global Positioning System (GPS) information. In addition to existing detection methods such as subsurface exploration and...
Show moreThe state of Florida is highly prone to sinkhole incident and formation, mainly because of the soluble carbonate bedrock which is susceptible to dissolution and groundwater recharge that causes internal soil erosions. Numerous sinkholes, particularly in Central Florida, have occurred. Florida Subsidence Incident Report (FSIR) database contains verified sinkholes with Global Positioning System (GPS) information. In addition to existing detection methods such as subsurface exploration and geophysical methods, a remote sensing method can be an alternative and efficient means to detect and characterize sinkholes with a wide coverage. the first part of this study is aimed at developing a method to detect sinkholes in Missouri by using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. Morphometrical parameters such as TPI (Topographic Position Index), CI (Convergence Index), SI (Slope Index), and DEM (Digital Elevation Model) have a high potential to help detect sinkholes, based on local ground conditions and study area. The GLM (General Linear Model) built in R software is used to obtain morphometrical indices of the study terrain to be trained and build a logistic regression model to detect sinkholes. In the second part of the study, a semi-automated model in ArcMap is then developed to detect sinkholes and also to estimate geometric characteristics of sinkholes (e.g. depth, length, circularity, area, and volume). This remote sensing technique has a potential to detect unreported sinkholes in rural and/or inaccessible areas.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007084, ucf:51992
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007084
- Title
- Fourth Grade Teachers' Implementation of an Explicit Vocabulary Teaching Technique with Students Who Are Socioeconomically Disadvantaged.
- Creator
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Spielvogel, Joanna, Ehren, Barbara, Schwartz, Jamie, Mckeown, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The study investigated the impact of fourth grade general education teacher implementation of the Vocabulary Scenario Technique (-) General Education 16 (VST-GE16) protocol on the vocabulary knowledge gains of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) circumstances. For children living in poverty, vocabulary knowledge deficits begin in toddlerhood and persist throughout their lives. Early deficits in vocabulary knowledge translate to performance gaps in vocabulary knowledge, literacy, and...
Show moreThe study investigated the impact of fourth grade general education teacher implementation of the Vocabulary Scenario Technique (-) General Education 16 (VST-GE16) protocol on the vocabulary knowledge gains of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) circumstances. For children living in poverty, vocabulary knowledge deficits begin in toddlerhood and persist throughout their lives. Early deficits in vocabulary knowledge translate to performance gaps in vocabulary knowledge, literacy, and academic success between students from higher and lower SES homes. The development of explicit instructional protocols to be used by general education teachers is critical to the amelioration of these intransigent gaps. The study employed a quasi-experimental design (QED) with a treatment and comparison group. The settings for the study were four Title 1 schools in an urban-suburban district. Sixteen teachers (treatment, n = 10; comparison, n = 6), representing 20 classrooms, were recruited into the study. Treatment group teachers, who attended a three-hour face-to-face seminar and one hour of job-embedded coaching, implemented the VST-GE16 protocol and taught 32 academic vocabulary words to their students across a four week period; the comparison group teachers taught the same 32 words to their students using methods typical to their pedagogical practices (Typical Practice instruction) across a four week period. Three hundred and eighty-five fourth grade students participated in the study (treatment, n = 185; comparison, n = 198). Student vocabulary gains were measured with pretest-posttest multiple-choice synonym and cloze words-in-context instruments; data were analyzed using a split-plot Repeated-Measure ANOVA. Results indicated that VST-GE16 instruction significantly outperformed Typical Practice instruction in promoting vocabulary knowledge gains for synonyms and text comprehension. The current study advanced the effort to scale-up evidence-based practices to relevant educational settings and practitioners for the purpose of improving student outcomes, particularly for those students at-risk for academic failure secondary to socioeconomic disadvantage.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007103, ucf:51991
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007103
- Title
- An Exploratory Analysis of a Five Minute Speech Sample of Mothers of Children with Selective Mutism.
- Creator
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Kovac, Lisa, Culp, Anne, Hundley, Gulnora, Szente, Judit, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Selective mutism (SM), an anxiety disorder wherein children have difficulty speaking or communicating when they are uncomfortable, is relevant for the early childhood population as symptoms often manifest upon school entry (Steinhausen (&) Juzi, 1996) and early treatment leads to better treatment prognosis (Oerbeck, Stein, Wentzel-Larsen, Langsrud (&) Kristensen, 2014). Bergman, Gonzalez, Piacentini and Keller, (2013) utilized an integrative behavioral treatment for children (ages 4-8) with...
Show moreSelective mutism (SM), an anxiety disorder wherein children have difficulty speaking or communicating when they are uncomfortable, is relevant for the early childhood population as symptoms often manifest upon school entry (Steinhausen (&) Juzi, 1996) and early treatment leads to better treatment prognosis (Oerbeck, Stein, Wentzel-Larsen, Langsrud (&) Kristensen, 2014). Bergman, Gonzalez, Piacentini and Keller, (2013) utilized an integrative behavioral treatment for children (ages 4-8) with SM and reported a 75% treatment responder status after 24 weeks of therapy. Their mothers are the focus of this study.This exploratory study examined the content of Five Minute Speech Samples at baseline and end of treatment condition for 9 mothers whose children had participated in the randomized controlled trial. Via a content analysis of language samples, this study examined emergent themes and a priori codes of Expressed Emotion (a construct associated with a variety of disorders) and parental overcontrol (a construct associated with the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders). Results revealed five categories of content expressed by mothers: (a) child characteristics (b) child's activities, (c) relationships with others, (d) difficulties other than SM, and (e) thoughts related to SM. Analysis revealed mothers who had children with SM had higher levels of expressed emotion and emotional overinvolvement than samples of mothers of children without SM. The implication of this finding is unknown and is a direction for future research. Overcontrol was overtly present in one mother and subtle in other mothers. Levels of expressed emotion largely remained unchanged over the course of treatment. Overall, information garnered from giving mothers the five minutes speech sample provides insight for therapists to design intervention. Giving the mothers a chance to discuss their views and experiences with their children is valuable in determining the behavioral and emotional support they need as they parent their child with SM.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007033, ucf:51990
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007033
- Title
- Holding off on the fun stuff: Academic media multitasking and binge watching among college students.
- Creator
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Merrill, Kelly, Rubenking, Bridget, Kinnally, William, Sellnow, Deanna, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
College students are often faced with the temptation of engaging in academic media multitasking and binge watching or completing their academic coursework in a timely and effective manner. A quantitative survey (N = 651) explored trait individual differences in self-control and academic delay of gratification and situational individual differences in enjoyment, reward, procrastination, regret, and guilt as predictors of academic media multitasking frequency, binge watching frequency, and...
Show moreCollege students are often faced with the temptation of engaging in academic media multitasking and binge watching or completing their academic coursework in a timely and effective manner. A quantitative survey (N = 651) explored trait individual differences in self-control and academic delay of gratification and situational individual differences in enjoyment, reward, procrastination, regret, and guilt as predictors of academic media multitasking frequency, binge watching frequency, and binge watching duration. Stepwise regressions reveal that self-control is not a predictor of these media behaviors, while age and greater enjoyment were the only predictors of academic media multitasking and gender and greater enjoyment were the only predictors of binge watching duration. On the other hand, the other five variables provided insight on what predicted binge watching frequency: academic delay of gratification, reward, procrastination, regret, and guilt. Greater self-control also led to greater academic delay of gratification. Lastly, there were small positive correlations between all of the media behaviors except for academic media multitasking and binge watching frequency. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007053, ucf:51989
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007053
- Title
- Comparing Self-Service Technologies and Human Interaction Services in the Hotel Industry.
- Creator
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Park, Soona, Kwun, David, Park, Jeong-Yeol, Bufquin, Diego, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Due to the development of technology, one of the major trends in the hospitality industry is service migration from human interaction services (HISs) to self-service technologies (SSTs). Therefore, it is important to examine customers service perceptions based on two different service provisions: SSTs and HISs. This study investigated similarities and differences between SST and HIS customer service perceptions based on several service quality dimensions, their effects on customer...
Show moreDue to the development of technology, one of the major trends in the hospitality industry is service migration from human interaction services (HISs) to self-service technologies (SSTs). Therefore, it is important to examine customers service perceptions based on two different service provisions: SSTs and HISs. This study investigated similarities and differences between SST and HIS customer service perceptions based on several service quality dimensions, their effects on customer satisfaction and service loyalty in the hotel industry. Initially, this study conceptualized the service quality dimensions with six major dimensions (i.e., reliability, responsiveness, tangibles, competence, efficiency, and enjoyment) and hypothesized to have a positive influence on customers satisfaction, and subsequently, on service loyalty. A total of 275 useable responses were collected through an online self-administrative survey on Qualtrics. The results indicated that the service quality for SST and HIS customers could be evaluated through three major factors: interactive quality, tangibles, and enjoyment. Overall, interactive quality and enjoyment had a significant effect on customer satisfaction and service loyalty, while tangibles showed a direct impact on service loyalty. In addition, hotel customers had a higher level of interactive quality and service loyalty when they received service from HISs. On the other hand, hotel customers tended to show a higher level of enjoyment when they receive service from SSTs. This study contributes theoretical implications as it suggests the service quality framework that can be applied to both SST and HIS service settings. Furthermore, this study provides hotel managers with a comprehensive understanding of customer service perceptions towards SSTs in contrast to HISs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007071, ucf:51988
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007071
- Title
- Treatment of Leachate Organic Matter through Sunlight Driven Processes.
- Creator
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Lozinski, Duncan, Reinhart, Debra, Lee, Woo Hyoung, Bolyard, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The ability to manage leachate during post-closure care (PCC) of a landfill may be increasingly difficult as leachate organic matter (LOM) becomes recalcitrant when a landfill ages, requiring advanced and costly treatment technologies. This research investigated the ability to treat LOM through sunlight driven processes, with a focus on photolysis, to provide insight to landfill owners and operators on the potential of wetlands treatment as a means for reducing long-term risks and costs...
Show moreThe ability to manage leachate during post-closure care (PCC) of a landfill may be increasingly difficult as leachate organic matter (LOM) becomes recalcitrant when a landfill ages, requiring advanced and costly treatment technologies. This research investigated the ability to treat LOM through sunlight driven processes, with a focus on photolysis, to provide insight to landfill owners and operators on the potential of wetlands treatment as a means for reducing long-term risks and costs associated with leachate treatment during PCC. The study was completed in eight batch tests, where leachate was exposed to natural sunlight in central Florida for a period of 90 days. It was hypothesized that through photolytic reactions, in particular photolysis, high molecular weight recalcitrant LOM would be degraded to labile, low molecular weight material. To identify the treatment mechanisms, transformation processes were measured using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the beginning to the end of the test period. Additionally, the ability for nitrogen species to become bioavailable when exposed to sunlight was evaluated for two of the leachate samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) to fractionate recalcitrant dissolved organic nitrogen (rDON) and bioavailable dissolved organic nitrogen (bDON). Results suggest that treatment of LOM through sunlight driven processes is possible. Treatment is dependent upon the dilution of leachate and characteristics of the LOM. Dilution must be high enough to allow sunlight to penetrate the depth of the liquid. UV-Vis, EEMs, and SEC show that high molecular weight recalcitrant material is undergoing transformation into lower molecular weight material as a result of photolytic and likely biological reactions promoted by sunlight. The ability for nitrogen to become bioavailable when exposed to sunlight was shown to be dependent upon nitrogen concentrations in the sample.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007044, ucf:51987
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007044
- Title
- Biomechanical Models of Human Upper and Tracheal Airway Functionality.
- Creator
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Kuruppumullage, Don Nadun, Ilegbusi, Olusegun, Kassab, Alain, Moslehy, Faissal, Santhanam, Anand, Mansy, Hansen, Hoffman Ruddy, Bari, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The respiratory tract, in other words, the airway, is the primary airflow path for several physiological activities such as coughing, breathing, and sneezing. Diseases can impact airway functionality through various means including cancer of the head and neck, Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and sleep disorders and all of which are considered in this study. In this dissertation, numerical modeling techniques were used to simulate three distinct airway diseases: a weak...
Show moreThe respiratory tract, in other words, the airway, is the primary airflow path for several physiological activities such as coughing, breathing, and sneezing. Diseases can impact airway functionality through various means including cancer of the head and neck, Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and sleep disorders and all of which are considered in this study. In this dissertation, numerical modeling techniques were used to simulate three distinct airway diseases: a weak cough leading to aspiration, upper airway patency in obstructive sleep apnea, and tongue cancer in swallow disorders. The work described in this dissertation, therefore, divided into three biomechanical models, of which fluid and particulate dynamics model of cough is the first. Cough is an airway protective mechanism, which results from a coordinated series of respiratory, laryngeal, and pharyngeal muscle activity. Patients with diminished upper airway protection often exhibit cough impairment resulting in aspiration pneumonia. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique was used to simulate airflow and penetrant behavior in the airway geometry reconstructed from Computed Tomography (CT) images acquired from participants. The second study describes Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and the effects of dilator muscular activation on the human retro-lingual airway in OSA. Computations were performed for the inspiration stage of the breathing cycle, utilizing a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method to couple structural deformation with airflow dynamics. The spatiotemporal deformation of the structures surrounding the airway wall was predicted and found to be in general agreement with observed changes in luminal opening and the distribution of airflow from upright to supine posture. The third study describes the effects of cancer of the tongue base on tongue motion during swallow. A three-dimensional biomechanical model was developed and used to calculate the spatiotemporal deformation of the tongue under a sequence of movements which simulate the oral stage of swallow.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007034, ucf:51986
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007034
- Title
- State Gun Control Laws.
- Creator
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Lafleur, Jacob, Huff-Corzine, Lin, Corzine, Harold, Reckdenwald, Amy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The gun control debate has been placed at the forefront of American politics, as some of the most deadly mass shootings have happened in the last year. Much of the research on the effectiveness of gun control laws have shown inconsistent results. The purpose of the study is to compare states with stricter gun laws to states with more lax laws. This in turn will allow policy makers to identify effective strategies to implement in states that are lacking effective laws. The study examined state...
Show moreThe gun control debate has been placed at the forefront of American politics, as some of the most deadly mass shootings have happened in the last year. Much of the research on the effectiveness of gun control laws have shown inconsistent results. The purpose of the study is to compare states with stricter gun laws to states with more lax laws. This in turn will allow policy makers to identify effective strategies to implement in states that are lacking effective laws. The study examined state gun laws for all 50 states using the Gifford's Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The laws that were examined in this study were background checks, license requirements, mental health reporting, wait periods, concealed carry requirements, open carry, disarming prohibited people, and disarming domestic abusers. The states were then given a letter grade based on the laws that they have implemented. The results show that many states have failed to implement any sort of laws that would take guns out of the hands or prevent prohibited people from accessing guns. This study helps identify what laws each state has implemented to control guns throughout their state. This is important because states that are lacking laws in any area can identify and implement effective strategies that other states have put in place.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007035, ucf:51985
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007035
- Title
- Recruiting Followers for the Caliphate: A Narrative Analysis of Four Jihadist Magazines.
- Creator
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Madrazo, Andrea, Matusitz, Jonathan, Malala, John, Sellnow, Timothy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study identifies and compares the methods of recruitment used by three prime jihadist organizations through their online magazines. The successful recruitment efforts and growth as a threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sh?m (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab are attributed, in part, to the widespread popularity and accessibility of Dabiq and Rumiyah (published by ISIS), Inspire (published by Al-Qaeda), and Gaidi Mtaani (published by Al-Shabaab). In order to best examine the techniques...
Show moreThis study identifies and compares the methods of recruitment used by three prime jihadist organizations through their online magazines. The successful recruitment efforts and growth as a threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sh?m (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab are attributed, in part, to the widespread popularity and accessibility of Dabiq and Rumiyah (published by ISIS), Inspire (published by Al-Qaeda), and Gaidi Mtaani (published by Al-Shabaab). In order to best examine the techniques of persuasion and propaganda to recruit new followers, the theoretical approach of compliance-gaining theory and methodological approach of a narrative analysis are applied. The author analyzed a total of twelve magazine issues to compare how the four magazines use (1) imagery, (2) attrition, (3) intimidation, (4) propaganda, (5) spoiling, (6) outbidding, (7) incitement, and (8) recruitment. To validate each of these themes, the study applies an open-coding instrument to select each label based on specific dimensions. These findings reveal how the same purpose to achieve the Caliphate can be chosen on a similar path by these three different jihadist organizations. This path may take different turns at certain spots, but ultimately the road is based on the same historical context to justify the recruitment process. Overall, this study provides fresh descriptive insights on jihadist organizations' recruitment methods to gain new followers toward the achievement of the Caliphate (i.e., the global Islamic state). The sample reveals that the online jihadist magazines integrate all analyzed themes to portray their messages. The findings show certain issues implement specific themes more than others. Across the sample, the use of persuasion justified and encouraged violence. Persuasion is found in prideful examples of successful terrorist attacks and aftermath scenes of destruction. The distinct difference between the four online jihadist magazines is the persuasion of recruitment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007048, ucf:51984
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007048
- Title
- A Decision Support Model for Autonomous Trucks Strategies.
- Creator
-
Mohamed, Ahmad Saeid Ammar, Yun, Hae-Bum, Chopra, Manoj, Sallam, Amr, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
We examined the potential to improve the movement of freight using Truck PlatooningLane strategies on limited access highways in the State of Florida. In the First part of thisresearch, we investigated the potential benefits from dedicating one lane from existinglanes for autonomous trucks only. In this regard, a general framework tool was developedto evaluate and compare different measurements (e.g., travel tim and emissions) to betterassist decision makers to determine the most effective...
Show moreWe examined the potential to improve the movement of freight using Truck PlatooningLane strategies on limited access highways in the State of Florida. In the First part of thisresearch, we investigated the potential benefits from dedicating one lane from existinglanes for autonomous trucks only. In this regard, a general framework tool was developedto evaluate and compare different measurements (e.g., travel tim and emissions) to betterassist decision makers to determine the most effective freight transportation strategy.Additionally, the travel time, level of service and emissions on Florida Strategic IntermodalSystem (SIS) were systematically analyzed using a VISSIM and MOVES simulation todetermine if it can be improved. For the scenarios simulated in this investigation, the inputincluded different patterns with a variety of peak hour volumes, truck percentages, speeds,and number of lanes. Additionally, the various total values of the resultant travel time,emissions and level of service for each SIS corridor were determined and calculated usinga General Linear Model and then tabulated to reveal input patterns. The results showed thata truck platooning lane can significantly reduce the travel time and emissions of trucks. Inthe second part, we proposed using a The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method toevaluate the potential benefits of building a new lane for autonomous trucks. The AHPmethod was developed to include all possible measurements that can assist decision makersto select the best autonomous truck policy. The results of the AHP model showed that thesafety criterion was significantly the most influential perspective per experts' opinions. Theresults showed that experts were more concerned about safety and environmentalconsiderations than the initial cost associated with building a new lane.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007056, ucf:51983
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007056
- Title
- What #NoWomanEver Wants To Hear: The Social Construction of Corrective Facework After Street Harassment.
- Creator
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Knapp, Emily, Sandoval, Jennifer, Hastings, Sally, Hanlon, Christine, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the social construction of women's corrective facework after experiencing gender based street harassment. A thematic analysis using open coding was used to explore, examine, and identify themes within the data. Three major themes were revealed in the data and they are 1) a resistance against a cycle of facework, 2) public spaces without accountability, and 3) disproportionate responses from men. In addition to the three themes, I will...
Show moreThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the social construction of women's corrective facework after experiencing gender based street harassment. A thematic analysis using open coding was used to explore, examine, and identify themes within the data. Three major themes were revealed in the data and they are 1) a resistance against a cycle of facework, 2) public spaces without accountability, and 3) disproportionate responses from men. In addition to the three themes, I will present an interpretation of Twitter as a public journal used to resist normative realities of gender based street harassment. These results are important to add to the limited research on the effects of gender based street harassment on women's lived experiences.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007032, ucf:51982
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007032
- Title
- Working Memory Capacity and Executive Attention as Predictors of Distracted Driving.
- Creator
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Louie, Jennifer, Mouloua, Mustapha, Szalma, James, Smither, Janan, Matthews, Gerald, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The present study empirically examined the effects of working memory capacity (WMC) and executive attention on distracted driving. Study 1 examined whether a Grocery List Task (GLT) distractor would load onto WMC. Forty-three participants completed a series of WMC tasks followed by the GLT. They then completed two driving trials: driving without the GLT and driving while completing the GLT. It was hypothesized that WMC would positively correlate with GLT performance. A bivariate correlation...
Show moreThe present study empirically examined the effects of working memory capacity (WMC) and executive attention on distracted driving. Study 1 examined whether a Grocery List Task (GLT) distractor would load onto WMC. Forty-three participants completed a series of WMC tasks followed by the GLT. They then completed two driving trials: driving without the GLT and driving while completing the GLT. It was hypothesized that WMC would positively correlate with GLT performance. A bivariate correlation indicated that WMC was positively associated with performance on the GLT. Study 2 tested a series of distractor tasks (GLT, Tone Monitoring, and Stop Signal) to examine whether these three distractor tasks were also related to WMC, and if each of the distractor tasks would result in poor driving performance. Eighty-four participants were randomly assigned to the distractor conditions. Results indicated that GLT was related to WMC, but Tone Monitoring was not related to WMC. Also, engaging in each of the three distractor tasks led to significantly poorer driving performance. Study 3 evaluated whether rainy or clear weather conditions would affect the relationship between WMC and distracted driving using the same three distractor tasks (GLT, Tone Monitoring, and Stop Signal) as used in Study 2. Ninety-six participants were randomly assigned to the distractor conditions. Results showed that engaging in GLT while driving led to slower braking response times compared to not engaging in GLT driving while driving. Furthermore, WMC moderated the degree to which distraction impaired performance. The present findings clearly indicate that all three distractor tasks had a deleterious effect on driving performance. Furthermore, this effect of distraction on driving depends on many factors, including the type of distraction, the driving performance measure, and the individual's cognitive capabilities. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed and directions for future research are presented.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007042, ucf:51981
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007042
- Title
- Hole selective tunneling oxide applications with insight into sophisticated characterization techniques.
- Creator
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Ogutman, Nizamettin Kortan, Schoenfeld, Winston, Sundaram, Kalpathy, Batarseh, Issa, Davis, Kristopher, Dogariu, Aristide, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Tunneling metal oxide layers combined with industrially applicable novel cleaning methods can boost the current efficiency limit, which corresponds to approximately %22 in production, of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Within the scope of this dissertation, extremely thin tunneling layers (1-3nm) of aluminum oxide is studied in conjunction with the development of wet cleaning procedures that are feasible in production lines currently exist today. These tunneling stacks are deployed to...
Show moreTunneling metal oxide layers combined with industrially applicable novel cleaning methods can boost the current efficiency limit, which corresponds to approximately %22 in production, of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Within the scope of this dissertation, extremely thin tunneling layers (1-3nm) of aluminum oxide is studied in conjunction with the development of wet cleaning procedures that are feasible in production lines currently exist today. These tunneling stacks are deployed to serve as exceptional surface passivation layers due to the inherent built-in charge provided by aluminum oxide. This capability is further strengthened by the introduction of extremely well controlled wet chemical oxide which not only saturates the dangling bonds at the interface but also enables conformal growth of the aforementioned tunneling oxide layers. Therefore, the interplay between aluminum oxide thickness, which effects the passivation quality tremendously, and carrier extraction capability (contact resistance) is also taken into account by the choice of ultimate boron doping profile and the optimization of the cleaning procedure. The resulting hole collecting surface passivation stack applied on doped surfaces provided record values of recombination current densities, with highly applicable contact resistivity values, enabling one-dimensional carrier transport. This dissertation is also concerned with spatially resolved characterization methods of such industrial c-Si solar cells given the importance of defects that can exist in these large area devices. Analytical image processing algorithms pertaining to biased-photoluminescence (PL) measurements are conducted to portray 2D maps of physical significant devices parameters such as dark saturation current density and efficiency. Finally, Fourier analysis is added into the analysis of raw PL images to pick up only the defected regions of the cells.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007069, ucf:51980
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007069
- Title
- Masquerading Techniques in IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks.
- Creator
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Nakhila, Omar, Zou, Changchun, Turgut, Damla, Bassiouni, Mostafa, Chatterjee, Mainak, Wang, Chung-Ching, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The airborne nature of wireless transmission offers a potential target for attackers to compromise IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In this dissertation, we explore the current WLAN security threats and their corresponding defense solutions. In our study, we divide WLAN vulnerabilities into two aspects, client, and administrator. The client-side vulnerability investigation is based on examining the Evil Twin Attack (ETA) while our administrator side research targets Wi-Fi...
Show moreThe airborne nature of wireless transmission offers a potential target for attackers to compromise IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In this dissertation, we explore the current WLAN security threats and their corresponding defense solutions. In our study, we divide WLAN vulnerabilities into two aspects, client, and administrator. The client-side vulnerability investigation is based on examining the Evil Twin Attack (ETA) while our administrator side research targets Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2). Three novel techniques have been presented to detect ETA. The detection methods are based on (1) creating a secure connection to a remote server to detect the change of gateway's public IP address by switching from one Access Point (AP) to another. (2) Monitoring multiple Wi-Fi channels in a random order looking for specific data packets sent by the remote server. (3) Merging the previous solutions into one universal ETA detection method using Virtual Wireless Clients (VWCs). On the other hand, we present a new vulnerability that allows an attacker to force the victim's smartphone to consume data through the cellular network by starting the data download on the victim's cell phone without the victim's permission. A new scheme has been developed to speed up the active dictionary attack intensity on WPA2 based on two novel ideas. First, the scheme connects multiple VWCs to the AP at the same time-each VWC has its own spoofed MAC address. Second, each of the VWCs could try many passphrases using single wireless session. Furthermore, we present a new technique to avoid bandwidth limitation imposed by Wi-Fi hotspots. The proposed method creates multiple VWCs to access the WLAN. The combination of the individual bandwidth of each VWC results in an increase of the total bandwidth gained by the attacker. All proposal techniques have been implemented and evaluated in real-life scenarios.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007063, ucf:51979
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007063
- Title
- Examining Work-To-Rest Ratios To Optimize Upper Body Sprint Interval Training.
- Creator
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Lamonica, Michael, Fukuda, David, Hoffman, Jay, Stout, Jeffrey, Fragala, Maren, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The primary purpose of this study was to compare the metabolic influence of varying work-to-rest ratios during upper body sprint interval training (SIT). Forty-two recreationally trained men were randomized into one of three training groups [10s work bouts with two minutes of rest (10:2, n = 11) or four minutes of rest (10:4, n = 11), or 30s work bouts with four minutes of rest (30:4, n = 10)] or a control group (CON, n = 10). Participants underwent six training sessions over two weeks with...
Show moreThe primary purpose of this study was to compare the metabolic influence of varying work-to-rest ratios during upper body sprint interval training (SIT). Forty-two recreationally trained men were randomized into one of three training groups [10s work bouts with two minutes of rest (10:2, n = 11) or four minutes of rest (10:4, n = 11), or 30s work bouts with four minutes of rest (30:4, n = 10)] or a control group (CON, n = 10). Participants underwent six training sessions over two weeks with four to six 'all-out' sprints. During pre- and post-intervention visits, participants underwent a graded exercise test to determine maximal oxygen consumption (V?O2peak) and peak power output (PPO), four constant-work rate trials to determine critical power (CP), anaerobic working capacity (W'), and electromyographic fatigue threshold (EMGFT), and an upper body Wingate test to determine peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and total work (TW). Oxygen consumption and blood lactate during the Wingate test generated estimates of oxidative, glycolytic, and ATP-PCr energy system provisions. An analysis of covariance was performed on all testing measurements collected at post with the associated pre-values used as covariates. V?O2peak was greater in 30:4 (p = .007) and 10:2 (p = .036) compared to CON and PPO was greater in 30:4 than CON (p = .007). No differences were observed between groups in CP (p = .530), W' (p = .900), EMGFT (p = .692), PP (p = .692), MP (p = .290), or TW (p = .291). Relative energy contribution (p = .026) and energy expenditure (p = .019) of the ATP-PCr energy system was greater in 10:4 compared to CON. SIT protocols with larger work-to-rest ratios induce enhanced aerobic adaptions, whereas smaller work-to-rest ratios may enhance ATP-PCr utilization in the upper body over a short-term two-week intervention.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007036, ucf:51978
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007036
- Title
- A modeling framework of brittle and ductile fractures coexistence in composites.
- Creator
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Qiao, Yangyang, Bai, Yuanli, Gou, Jihua, Kassab, Alain, Gordon, Ali, An, Linan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In order to reduce the weight of automobiles and aircrafts, lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloy, advanced high strength steel, composite materials, are widely used to replace the traditional materials like mild steel. Composite materials are complicated in material mechanical properties and less investigated compared to metallic materials. Engineering composites can be categorized into polymer matrix composites (PMCs), metal matrix composites (MMCs) and ceramic matrix composites ...
Show moreIn order to reduce the weight of automobiles and aircrafts, lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloy, advanced high strength steel, composite materials, are widely used to replace the traditional materials like mild steel. Composite materials are complicated in material mechanical properties and less investigated compared to metallic materials. Engineering composites can be categorized into polymer matrix composites (PMCs), metal matrix composites (MMCs) and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) according to their matrix materials.A set of mechanical experiments ranging from micro scale (single fiber composite and thin film composite) to macro scale (PMCs and MMCs) were conducted to fully understand the material behavior of composite materials. Loading conditions investigated includes uniaxial tension, three-point bending, uniaxial compression, simple shear, tension combined with shear, and compression combined with shear.For single fiber composite and thin-film composite, details of each composition are modelled. For the PMCs and MMCs which have plenty of reinforcements like fibers and particles, the details of the composition of structures cannot be modelled due to the current limitations of computing power. A mechanics framework of composite materials including elasticity, plasticity, failure initiation and post failure softening is proposed and applied to two types of composite materials.Uniaxial tension loading is applied to several single fiber composites and thin film composites. A surprising phenomenon, controllable and sequential fragmentation of the brittle fiber to produce uniformly sized rods along meters of polymer cladding, rather than the expected random or chaotic fragmentation, is observed with a necking propagation process. A combination of necking propagation model, fiber cracking model and interfacial model are proposed and applied to the finite element simulations. Good predictions of necking propagation and uniform fragmentation phenomenon are achieved. This modeling method of the micro-scale phenomenon reveals the physics inside composites in micro scale and helps the understanding of the process of nano fragmentation.Unidirectional carbon fiber composites were tested under multi-axial loading conditions including tensile/compression/shear loadings along and perpendicular to the fiber direction. Compression dominated tests showed a brittle fracture mode like local kicking/buckling, while tension dominated tests showed a fracture mode like delamination and fiber breakage. Simple shear tests with displacement control showed matrix material hardening and softening before total failure. The proposed modeling framework is successfully applied to the PMCs. A new parameter ? was introduced to represent different loading conditions of PMCs. Numerical simulations using finite element method well duplicated the anisotropic elasticity and plasticity of this material. Failure features like delamination was simulated using cohesive surface feature. It is also applied to carbon fiber composite laminates to further validate the proposed model.A round of experimental study on high volume fraction of metallic matrix nano composites was conducted, including uniaxial tension, uniaxial compression, and three-point bending. The example materials were two magnesium matrix composites reinforced with 10 and 15% vol. SiC particles (50nm size). Brittle fracture mode was exhibited under uniaxial tension and three-point bending, while shear dominated ductile fracture mode (up to 12% fracture strain) was observed under uniaxial compression. Transferring the Modified Mohr Coulomb (MMC) ductile fracture model to the stress based MMC model (sMMC), the proposed modeling framework is applied to this material. This model has been demonstrated to be capable of predicting the coexistence of brittle and ductile fracture modes under different loading conditions for MMCs. Numerical simulations using finite element method well duplicated the material strength, fracture initiation sites and crack propagation modes of the Mg/SiC nano composites with a good accuracy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007078, ucf:51977
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007078