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Pages
- Title
- Blogging Love After Loss: How Widows Use Facework When Revealing Their New Relationships Online.
- Creator
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Baker, Sunshine, Hastings, Sally, Weger, Harry, Sandoval, Jennifer, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Expressions of identity are increasingly occurring in online communication as a variety of social media have emerged. People establish and manage identities online, and experience challenges when changing their online image. Widows experience this challenge in a dramatic fashion, especially when they begin to date and reveal new relationships online. The purpose of this study was to examine the expressions of facework in the online writings of widows regarding their new romantic relationships...
Show moreExpressions of identity are increasingly occurring in online communication as a variety of social media have emerged. People establish and manage identities online, and experience challenges when changing their online image. Widows experience this challenge in a dramatic fashion, especially when they begin to date and reveal new relationships online. The purpose of this study was to examine the expressions of facework in the online writings of widows regarding their new romantic relationships. This illuminated the ways in which one population, young widow bloggers, deals with the challenge of online identity management. A systematic thematic analysis was conducted to describe how posts on widow blogs address the positive face needs of remarrying widows. This study discovered evidence of preventive facework, face threats and face attacks, and corrective facework used in online blogs written by widows.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005127, ucf:50683
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005127
- Title
- A Holistic Framework for Transitional Management.
- Creator
-
Elattar, Ahmed, Rabelo, Luis, Pazour, Jennifer, Mollaghasemi, Mansooreh, Ajayi, Richard, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
For all business organizations, there comes a time when a change must take place within their eco-system. It consumes a great deal of thought and planning to ensure that the right decision is made as it could alter the entire course of their business for a number of years to come. This change may appear in the form of a brilliant CEO reaching the age of retirement, or an unsuccessful Managing Director being asked to leave before fulfilling the term of her contract. Regardless of the cause, a...
Show moreFor all business organizations, there comes a time when a change must take place within their eco-system. It consumes a great deal of thought and planning to ensure that the right decision is made as it could alter the entire course of their business for a number of years to come. This change may appear in the form of a brilliant CEO reaching the age of retirement, or an unsuccessful Managing Director being asked to leave before fulfilling the term of her contract. Regardless of the cause, a transition must occur in which a suitable successor is chosen and put into place while minimizing costs, satisfying stakeholders, ensuring that the successor has been adequately prepared for their new position, and minimizing work place gossip, among other things. It is also important to understand how the nature of the business, as well as its financial standing, effects such a transition.Engineering and management principles come together in this study to ensure that organizations going through such a change are on the right course. As the problem of transitional management is not one of concrete values and contains many ambiguous concepts, one way to tackle the problem is by utilizing various industrial engineering methodologies that allow these companies to systematically begin preparing for such a change. By default, organizational strategy has to change, technology is continually being renewed and it becomes very hard for the same leader to constantly implement new and innovative developments.Organizations today have a very poor understanding of where they currently stand and as a result the cause for a company's lack of profitability is often overlooked with time and money being wasted in an attempt to fix something that is not broken. To be able to look at the bigger picture of an organization and from there begin to close in on the main problems causing a negative impact, the Matrix of Change is used and takes in many factors to layout an accurate representation of the direction in which an organization should be headed and how it can continue to grow and remain successful. The Theory of Constraints on the other hand is used here as a step-by-step guide allowing companies to be better organized during times of change. And System Dynamics modeling is where these companies can begin to simulate and solve the dilemma of transitional management using causal loop diagrams and stock and flow diagrams.Through such tools a framework can begin to be developed, one that is valued by corporations and continually reviewed. Several case studies, simulation modeling, and a panel of experts were used in order to demonstrate and validate this framework.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005160, ucf:50708
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005160
- Title
- PAIN MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA.
- Creator
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Fischer, Linsey, Allred, Kelly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain disorder that can also cause fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances, and cognitive symptoms. Because the etiology of fibromyalgia is unknown, it is difficult to treat. Research shows that medication alone is insufficient to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia and that complementary therapies are required to fully manage this disorder. The purpose of this research was to determine what complementary therapies patients with fibromyalgia were currently...
Show moreFibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain disorder that can also cause fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances, and cognitive symptoms. Because the etiology of fibromyalgia is unknown, it is difficult to treat. Research shows that medication alone is insufficient to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia and that complementary therapies are required to fully manage this disorder. The purpose of this research was to determine what complementary therapies patients with fibromyalgia were currently using. The sample for the survey was taken from fibromyalgia support groups throughout the state of Florida. A total of 15 people diagnosed with fibromyalgia participated in the survey. The most commonly used complementary therapies included diet and relaxation techniques. The therapies that were rarely or never used were hypnotherapy, Tai Chi, and Chi (Qi) Gong. These findings provide evidence to support client education concerning the use of complementary therapies for individuals with fibromyalgia. Research with larger samples is recommended to provide further evidence of the effectiveness of complementary therapies for this patient population.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH2000158, ucf:46002
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000158
- Title
- SENSOR-BASED COMPUTING TECHNIQUES FOR REAL-TIME TRAFFIC EVACUATION MANAGEMENT.
- Creator
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Hamza-Lup, Georgiana, Hua, Kien, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The threat of terrorist incidents is higher than ever before and devastating acts, such as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, have left many concerns about the possibility of future incidents and their potential impact. Unlike some natural disasters that can be anticipated, terrorist attacks are sudden and unexpected. Even if sometimes we do have partial information about a possible attack, it is generally not known exactly where, when, or how an attack will...
Show moreThe threat of terrorist incidents is higher than ever before and devastating acts, such as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, have left many concerns about the possibility of future incidents and their potential impact. Unlike some natural disasters that can be anticipated, terrorist attacks are sudden and unexpected. Even if sometimes we do have partial information about a possible attack, it is generally not known exactly where, when, or how an attack will occur. This lack of information posses great challenges on those responsible for security, specifically, on their ability to respond fast, whenever necessary with flexibility and coordination. The surface transportation system plays a critical role in responding to terrorist attacks or other unpredictable human-caused disasters. In particular, existing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) can be enhanced to improve the ability of the surface transportation system to efficiently respond to emergencies and recover from disasters. This research proposes the development of new information technologies to enhance today's ITS with capabilities to improve the crisis response capabilities of the surface transportation system. The objective of this research is to develop a Smart Traffic Evacuation Management System (STEMS) that responds rapidly and effectively to terrorist threats or other unpredictable disasters, by creating dynamic evacuation plans adaptable to continuously changing traffic conditions based on real-time information. The intellectual merit of this research is that the proposed STEMS will possess capabilities to support both the unexpected and unpredictable aspects of a terrorist attack and the dynamic aspect of the traffic network environment. Studies of related work indicate that STEMS is the first system that automatically generates evacuation plans, given the location and scope of an incident and the current traffic network conditions, and dynamically adjusts the plans based on real-time information received from sensors and other surveillance technologies. Refining the plans to keep them consistent with the current conditions significantly improves evacuation effectiveness. The changes that STEMS can handle range from slow, steady variations in traffic conditions, to more sudden variations caused by secondary accidents or other stochastic factors (e.g., high visibility events that determine a sudden increase in the density of the traffic). Being especially designed to handle evacuation in case of terrorist-caused disasters, STEMS can also handle multiple coordinated attacks targeting some strategic area over a short time frame. These are frequently encountered in terrorist acts as they are intended to create panic and terror. Due to the nature of the proposed work, an important component of this project is the development of a simulation environment to support the design and test of STEMS. Developing analytical patterns for modeling traffic dynamics has been explored in the literature at different levels of resolution and realism. Most of the proposed approaches are either too limited in representing reality, or too complex for handling large networks. The contribution of this work consists of investigating and developing traffic models and evacuation algorithms that overcome both of the above limitations. Two of the greatest impacts of this research in terms of science are as follows. First, the new simulation environment developed for this project provides a test bed to facilitate future work on traffic evacuation systems. Secondly, although the models and algorithms developed for STEMS are targeted towards traffic environments and evacuation, their applicability can be extended to other environments (e.g., building evacuation) and other traffic related problems (e.g., real-time route diversion in case of accidents). One of the broader impacts of this research would be the deployment of STEMS in a real environment. This research provides a fundamental tool for handling emergency evacuation for a full range of unpredictable incidents, regardless of cause, origin and scope. Wider and swifter deployment of STEMS will support Homeland Security in general, and will also enhance the surface transportation system on which so many Homeland Security stakeholders depend.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001248, ucf:46919
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001248
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION INTO PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO USERS OF DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR FAULT MANAGEMENT.
- Creator
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Pharmer, James, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Research in several domains has shown that the implementation of computerized decision support aids is often associated with issues of human-automation interaction, which can have disastrous consequences. One often-cited reason for these issues is the poor quality of the feedback that is provided to the operators through these tools. The objective of the proposed investigation is to examine how providing feedback through a decision support tool affects operator knowledge and performance in...
Show moreResearch in several domains has shown that the implementation of computerized decision support aids is often associated with issues of human-automation interaction, which can have disastrous consequences. One often-cited reason for these issues is the poor quality of the feedback that is provided to the operators through these tools. The objective of the proposed investigation is to examine how providing feedback through a decision support tool affects operator knowledge and performance in the context of a fault management task for naval gunfire support. A one-way between-groups comparison was made to investigate differences between providing decision support feedback (logic trace, mission impact, both, no feedback) in a fault management task. Logic trace feedback was posited to provide users with a representation of the logic that the decision support tool used in reaching a conclusion about the best course of action to perform and is posited to support better diagnostic performance. Mission impact feedback was posited to provide the operator with a description of the potential effects that a taking a course of action will have on the pre-planned mission and is expected to support better prognoses of the outcome of a particular fault. Finally, providing both feedback types was posited to support better compensatory actions for fault situations. Results indicated that decision support feedback has potential improve diagnosis and decrease errors of commission in these tasks.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000234, ucf:46249
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000234
- Title
- IMPACT OF ETHICAL PRACTICES ON PERFORMANCE OUTCOME MEASURES IN A SELECT GROUP OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN FLORIDA.
- Creator
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Krick, Stephanie, Feldheim, Mary Ann, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Nonprofit programs deliver key social services to millions of people across the country everyday, however, little is known about the ethical practices of these programs. This research examines the relationship between a nonprofit program's ethical practices and the programs' measurable outcomes, such as changes in knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, behavior, condition, or status of the participant as a result of their involvement with nonprofit programs. An assumption of the study...
Show moreNonprofit programs deliver key social services to millions of people across the country everyday, however, little is known about the ethical practices of these programs. This research examines the relationship between a nonprofit program's ethical practices and the programs' measurable outcomes, such as changes in knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, behavior, condition, or status of the participant as a result of their involvement with nonprofit programs. An assumption of the study is that the achievement of the measurable outcomes found in a nonprofit program is directly related to the extent that ethical practices are utilized within that program. Ethical practices include role modeling, ethics development, ethics enforcement and review, stewardship, transparency, and empowerment. This study demonstrates that the ethical strategy Transparency influences the achievement of program performance outcomes. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, this study attempts to illustrate the impact of transparency as well as determine how it is incorporated in nonprofit programs based on interviews with nonprofit program managers/directors. Additionally, this study demonstrates that the capacity of a program's processes is negatively associated with the achievement of program performance outcomes. This finding suggests the need for a greater level of transparency in program planning and performance outcome measure development in order to ensure the program is mission driven and its performance outcomes are meeting the needs of the community it serves.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001816, ucf:47349
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001816
- Title
- EVALUATION OF COMPUTER-BASED SIMULATION FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION.
- Creator
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Gerardi, Nicole, Allred, Kelly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Effective pain management is an elusive concept in the acute care setting. Improving nurses' knowledge about optimal pain management is one way to improve the patient's pain experience. A computer-simulation game was developed as an alternative method of teaching the subject of pain management to nursing students. In the game, two patient scenarios are presented, one male and one female. Both patients present with acute pain and request help from the nurse. The player progresses through a...
Show moreEffective pain management is an elusive concept in the acute care setting. Improving nurses' knowledge about optimal pain management is one way to improve the patient's pain experience. A computer-simulation game was developed as an alternative method of teaching the subject of pain management to nursing students. In the game, two patient scenarios are presented, one male and one female. Both patients present with acute pain and request help from the nurse. The player progresses through a series of nine questions as the scenarios unfold, each with one best or correct answer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the game's potential as a teaching method compared to traditional methods of teaching, such as a lecture. A total of 30 nursing students participated in the study. After playing through the game, each student was asked to complete a post-game survey consisting of 10 standard 5-point Likert scale items and five open-ended questions. The survey was used to evaluate the students' enjoyment of the game, educational benefits, preference compared to traditional teaching methods, and perceived potential to change nursing practice. Results of the survey show that the majority of nursing students enjoyed playing the game and found it captured their attention more than traditional teaching methods. Nine out of the ten Likert scale items received universal high scores. Nursing students were receptive to the computer-simulation game as a teaching method and found it preferable to traditional methods.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004347, ucf:44981
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004347
- Title
- DEFINING RISK ASSESSMENT CONFIDENCE LEVELS FOR USE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS.
- Creator
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Johnson, Gary, Pet-Armacost, Julia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A review of the literature regarding risk management and effective risk communications identified that very few researchers have addressed risk assessment confidence levels when using risk scoring methods. The focus of this research is to develop a definition of risk assessment confidence levels for use in internal project management communications and to evaluate its usefulness. This research defines risk assessment confidence level as "The degree of certainty that the likelihood or...
Show moreA review of the literature regarding risk management and effective risk communications identified that very few researchers have addressed risk assessment confidence levels when using risk scoring methods. The focus of this research is to develop a definition of risk assessment confidence levels for use in internal project management communications and to evaluate its usefulness. This research defines risk assessment confidence level as "The degree of certainty that the likelihood or consequence score (assigned by the risk assessor) reflects reality." A specific level of confidence is defined based on the types of analyses that were conducted to determine the risk score. A survey method was used to obtain data from a representative sample of risk assessment professionals from industry and academia to measure their opinion on the usefulness of the defined risk assessment confidence levels. The survey consisted of seven questions related to usefulness--four questions addressed the importance of stating confidence levels in risk assessments and three addressed the usableness of the proposed confidence level. Data were collected on the role and experience level of each of the respondents and the survey also included a comment section to obtain additional feedback. The survey generated 364 respondents representing a broad variety of roles associated with decision making and risk management with experience levels from fairly new to experienced risk assessors. The survey data were analyzed by calculating the proportion of respondents who gave negative, neutral and positive responses to the survey questions. An examination of the roles of the survey respondents indicated that no single group was dominant. A non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test generally failed to reject the hypothesis that the means of the survey response distributions were identical. There was one exception which indicated that there are differences based on role and by inspection of the responses, it appears that decision makers, academics, and others more strongly support the need for confidence level information to reduce the difficulty in making risk based decisions in projects. The survey responses at a confidence level of 95% have a range of errors from 3.84 to 4.97%. Based on the results of the survey, 77 – 83% of those surveyed indicated agreement that knowing the confidence the assessors have in their assessment is important and would improve a management decision. The survey showed that 60 – 86% of the respondents agreed that the confidence levels and their definitions as presented in the survey were usable. The question with the lowest agreement (60%) was related to the way in which the individual levels were defined. The ad-hoc comments provided in the survey were divided into eleven groups based on similarity of the subject of the comment and then examined for common themes. These added additional insight into the results and useful information for future research efforts. This research validates that the use of risk assessment confidence levels is considered to be useful in project risk management. The research also identified several potential areas for future work, including determining the appropriate number of confidence levels that should be defined, refining the definition of the individual confidence level definitions, examining historical perspectives of whether the risk assessments were accurate, examining the concept of shiftability of risk assessments, further research on communication of variability of risk assessments, and research into the usefulness of risk matrices.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002352, ucf:47791
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002352
- Title
- System justification theory: Synthesizing and applying its theoretical motivations in behavioral accounting research.
- Creator
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Olczak, Wioleta, Roberts, Robin, Libby, Theresa, Tian, Yu, Patten, Dennis, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation consists of two studies on System Justification Theory, hereafter SJT. SJT (Jost and Banaji 1994) is a psychology theory stating that individuals justify the status quo even if doing so is against their own or their group's interest (Jost et al. 2004). Comprised of twenty propositions, SJT attempts to explain social and psychological factors driving individuals to perceive the social system as legitimate. These factors also drive individuals to support and maintain the...
Show moreThis dissertation consists of two studies on System Justification Theory, hereafter SJT. SJT (Jost and Banaji 1994) is a psychology theory stating that individuals justify the status quo even if doing so is against their own or their group's interest (Jost et al. 2004). Comprised of twenty propositions, SJT attempts to explain social and psychological factors driving individuals to perceive the social system as legitimate. These factors also drive individuals to support and maintain the social system. The synthesis and application of this psychological theory in behavioral accounting research is limited, but could provide explanatory evidence on individual decision-making in accounting. The first study of this dissertation synthesizes SJT's four foundational theories (-) cognitive dissonance, social identity, social dominance, and belief in a just world (-) in behavioral accounting research, specifically focusing on two predominantly used theoretical motivations, cognitive dissonance and social identity theory. Behavioral accounting and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have increasingly become more complex as interest in these two areas continues to grow. The first study reviews prior behavioral accounting research that applied cognitive dissonance or social identity theory, and then demonstrates how the application of SJT in behavioral accounting research addresses more complex research questions that cannot be addressed solely from one or a combination of SJT's four foundational theories. The second study then applies SJT's theoretical motivations in a complex managerial accounting setting by investigating whether maintaining the status quo is a factor explaining managers' decisions to overstate environmental capital expenditure (ECE) projections. This study uses an experimental design to understand whether the presence of an overstatement status quo and a system threat affects managers' decisions to overstate environmental projections. The results indicate that managers are more likely to overstate ECE projections when the industry exhibits an overstatement status quo. Additionally, this propensity to overstate ECE projections is further exacerbated when managers face a stakeholder threat, suggesting they (")dig in their heels(") and maintain the status quo. This study extends environmental accounting research by demonstrating that the societal status quo affects managers cognitively and psychologically as they make environmental disclosure decisions. Results also contribute to practice by shedding insight as to why managers make certain environmental disclosure decisions. Specifically, the results show that the social system impacts managers' willingness to use environmental disclosures as a legitimating tool. Overall these two studies contribute to behavioral accounting research by exploring and applying a psychological theory in a managerial environmental accounting setting. It demonstrates how a commonly used psychology theory that has never been utilized in accounting research could address broad and complex accounting topics
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007697, ucf:52447
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007697
- Title
- Factors Influencing Nurse Practitioners' Weight Management Practices in Primary Care.
- Creator
-
Hyer, Suzanne, Edwards, Joellen, Quelly, Susan, Upvall, Michele, Pasarica, Magdalena, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
More American adults are overweight or obese than ever before. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical and expanding role in primary care, which is an ideal setting for the assessment and management of weight loss. NPs can make a significant contribution to tackling the obesity crisis. The study presented here seeks to close the gap in data related to how NPs approach weight management with their primary care patients. This study focused on a comprehensive examination of the current...
Show moreMore American adults are overweight or obese than ever before. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical and expanding role in primary care, which is an ideal setting for the assessment and management of weight loss. NPs can make a significant contribution to tackling the obesity crisis. The study presented here seeks to close the gap in data related to how NPs approach weight management with their primary care patients. This study focused on a comprehensive examination of the current practice patterns of NPs related to weight management, a theoretical concept analysis of weight bias among healthcare providers, along with the results of a cross-sectional survey that investigated primary care NPs' weight management practice patterns and the relationship among attitudes, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, perceived skill, and demographic characteristics. The results from this study may be applied to provider training and education for obesity and weight management that ultimately improves patients' health outcomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007658, ucf:52498
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007658
- Title
- ADDRESSING ANGER MANAGEMENT IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL SETTING: INITIATING A LEADERSHIP DRIVE ANGER MANAGEMENT GROUP.
- Creator
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Burt, Isaac, Butler, Kent, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examined the effect of a leadership driven anger management group on angry middle school students. Twenty-five participants from a local middle school were nominated by school faculty to be participants in the study. Twenty individuals participated and eighteen completed the study. The eighteen participants were assessed at pre and post test on measures of anger, anger control and personal relationships. Three research questions were tested: (1) Does a short term leadership focused...
Show moreThis study examined the effect of a leadership driven anger management group on angry middle school students. Twenty-five participants from a local middle school were nominated by school faculty to be participants in the study. Twenty individuals participated and eighteen completed the study. The eighteen participants were assessed at pre and post test on measures of anger, anger control and personal relationships. Three research questions were tested: (1) Does a short term leadership focused anger management group reduce youthsÂÂÂÂ' overall anger? (2) Does such a group increase angry youthsÂÂÂÂ' ability to control anger urges? (3) Does this group reduce youthsÂÂÂÂ' expressed anger towards others? Study results indicated that the leadership driven anger management participants showed a significant reduction in overall anger. Although participants in the study had a significant increase in anger control expressed outwardly (AC-O), they did not show a significant internal perception of an increase in anger control (AC-I). Furthermore, results indicated that participants showed significant reduction in their expressed outward anger in their relationships (AX-O), but did not show significant differences in their perception of expressed internal anger in relationships (AX-I). A discussion follows explaining the possible reasons for this discrepancy, as well as limitations, modified procedures, and implications for this study. Lastly, the study completes with recommendations for future research in the field of counseling and anger management.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003375, ucf:48463
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003375
- Title
- ENCAPSULATED NANOSTRUCTURED PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT.
- Creator
-
Hong, Yan, Su, Ming, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A major challenge of developing faster and smaller microelectronic devices is that high flux of heat needs to be removed efficiently to prevent overheating of devices. The conventional way of heat removal using liquid reaches a limit due to low thermal conductivity and limited heat capacity of fluids. Adding solid nanoparticles into fluids has been proposed as a way to enhance thermal conductivity of fluids, but recent results show inconclusive anomalous enhancements in thermal conductivity....
Show moreA major challenge of developing faster and smaller microelectronic devices is that high flux of heat needs to be removed efficiently to prevent overheating of devices. The conventional way of heat removal using liquid reaches a limit due to low thermal conductivity and limited heat capacity of fluids. Adding solid nanoparticles into fluids has been proposed as a way to enhance thermal conductivity of fluids, but recent results show inconclusive anomalous enhancements in thermal conductivity. A possible way to improve heat transfer is to increase the heat capacity of liquid by adding phase change nanoparticles with large latent heat of fusion into the liquid. Such nanoparticles absorb heat during solid to liquid phase change. However, the colloidal suspension of bare phase change nanoparticles has limited use due to aggregation of molten nanoparticles, irreversible sticking on fluid channels, and dielectric property loss. This dissertation describes a new method to enhance the heat transfer property of a liquid by adding encapsulated phase change nanoparticles (nano-PCMs), which will absorb thermal energy during solid-liquid phase change and release heat during freeze. Specifically, silica encapsulated indium nanoparticles, and polymer encapsulated paraffin (wax) nanoparticles have been prepared using colloidal method, and dispersed into poly-±-olefin (PAO) and water for high temperature and low temperature applications, respectively. The shell, with a higher melting point than the core, can prevent leakage or agglomeration of molten cores, and preserve the dielectric properties of the base fluids. Compared to single phase fluids, heat transfer of nanoparticle-containing fluids have been significantly enhanced due to enhanced heat capacities. The structural integrity of encapsulation allows repeated uses of nanoparticles for many cycles. By forming porous semi crystalline silica shells obtained from water glass, supercooling has been greatly reduced due to low energy barrier of heterogeneous nucleation. Encapsulated phase change nanoparticles have also been added into exothermic reaction systems such as catalytic and polymerization reactions to effectively quench local hot spots, prevent thermal runaway, and change product distribution. Specifically, silica-encapsulated indium nanoparticles, and silica encapsulated paraffin (wax) nanoparticles have been used to absorb heat released in catalytic reaction, and to mitigate the gel effect during polymerization, respectively. The reaction rates do not raise significantly owing to thermal buffering using phase change nanoparticles at initial stage of thermal runaway. The effect of thermal buffering depends on latent heats of fusion of nanoparticles, and heat releasing kinetics of catalytic reactions and polymerizations. Micro/nanoparticles of phase change materials will open a new dimension for thermal management of exothermic reactions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003698, ucf:48816
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003698
- Title
- HOTEL MANAGER ATTITUDES TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES: EMPIRICAL FINDINGS FROM HOTELS IN PHUKET, THAILAND.
- Creator
-
Saenyanupap, Sivika, Chen, Po-Ju, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ABSTRACT This study explored the attitudes of hotel managers in Phuket, Thailand, in an attempt to identify whether their attitudes influence their utilization of environmental sustainability practices. Due to the increasing number of visitors to Phuket, Thailand, the consumption of natural resources has increased in the region, causing serious environmental problems. A sustainable way forward is needed for the tourism industry in the region in order to maintain quality of service while...
Show moreABSTRACT This study explored the attitudes of hotel managers in Phuket, Thailand, in an attempt to identify whether their attitudes influence their utilization of environmental sustainability practices. Due to the increasing number of visitors to Phuket, Thailand, the consumption of natural resources has increased in the region, causing serious environmental problems. A sustainable way forward is needed for the tourism industry in the region in order to maintain quality of service while reducing environmental damage. The data analyzed in this study came from self-administered questionnaires that surveyed hotel managers in Phuket, Thailand, with a sample of 243 respondents. Research results revealed three dimensions of hotel manager attitude toward environmental sustainability practices, including operational management, social obligation, and sustainability strategy and policy. Furthermore, three constraints on the implementation of environmental management practices were identified: lack of support, perceived difficulty, and lack of demand. The attitudes of hotel managers regarding specific factors and barriers are also presented in this study. The results of this study show that hotel managers overall possess positive attitudes toward environmental sustainability practices. Finally, the findings reveal that hotel managers' attitudes toward sustainability practices depend on their social demographics, the type of hotel they operate, their degree of ownership of the hotel, whether or not their hotel was affected by the 2004 tsunami, and the year their hotel was built. The results of this study suggest that it is necessary for hotel managers to understand the importance of environmental sustainability practices because this understanding can help motivate them in implementing sustainability practices in their hotels. Furthermore, it can guide hotel managers when deciding which environmental policies are suitable for their hotels. Lastly, the study demonstrated that in order for hotels to become more sustainable, support is needed from government or hotel associations to provide education and training for the hotel managers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003710, ucf:48821
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003710
- Title
- Turbidity Removal Efficiency and Toxicity Issues Associated with the Chitosan-Based Dual Bio-Polymer Systems.
- Creator
-
Hernandez, Rylee, Chopra, Manoj, Wanielista, Martin, Randall, Andrew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Stormwater runoff can be a great concern in the State of Florida due to the impact the quality of the runoff water can have on the natural water bodies. Stormwater runoff can carry pollutants and sediments which can cause both physical and biological risks in an aquatic ecosystem such as a lake, river, or pond. Polymers, namely the chitosan-based dual polymer system, can be used remove the sediment from this runoff to ensure the safety of the state's water bodies. Three soils are used in this...
Show moreStormwater runoff can be a great concern in the State of Florida due to the impact the quality of the runoff water can have on the natural water bodies. Stormwater runoff can carry pollutants and sediments which can cause both physical and biological risks in an aquatic ecosystem such as a lake, river, or pond. Polymers, namely the chitosan-based dual polymer system, can be used remove the sediment from this runoff to ensure the safety of the state's water bodies. Three soils are used in this testing: AASTO soil classifications A-3(sandy soil) and A-2-4 (silty-sand), and a soil with a fine-grained limerock component. An optimum dose of the chitosan-based dual polymer system is first determined using jar testing. The optimum dose is the dose that reduces the final turbidity to 29 NTUS or below and creates significant flocs. The under dose and over dose are calculated based on the optimum dose. Using these dosages, field scale tests are conducted using two different treatment methods: a semi-passive treatment method and a passive treatment method. Whole effluent toxicity and residual chitosan tests are then conducted on the effluent from the field scale treatment methods. The passive treatment method is the best field scale treatment method when using the silty-sand and the soil with a fine-grained limerock component. The semi-passive treatment method is the best field scale treatment method when using the sandy soil. The passive treatment method with the silty-sand achieves a final turbidity of 123.9 NTUS (88.45% removal). The passive treatment method with the soil with a fine-grained limerock component achieves a final turbidity of 132 NTUS (83.86% removal). The semi-passive treatment method with the sandy soil achieves a final turbidity of 31.43 NTUS (82.04% removal). There is only significant toxicity associated with the tests using the effluent from the passive treatment method with the soil with a fine-grained limerock component which only uses the cationic polymer.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004301, ucf:49482
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004301
- Title
- TRANSITIONS: HOW INDIVIDUALS IN THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY USE IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT.
- Creator
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Campanaro, Candice, Grauerholz, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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There exists an extensive body of literature focusing on impression management, with numerous studies addressing the effects of gender performance on members of the GLBT community. Despite a growing body of literature that centers on the differences between the genders, there exists a lack of research regarding the transgender community's ability to use impression management. This exploratory study addresses subjective experiences regarding transgender identity, and concentrates on self...
Show moreThere exists an extensive body of literature focusing on impression management, with numerous studies addressing the effects of gender performance on members of the GLBT community. Despite a growing body of literature that centers on the differences between the genders, there exists a lack of research regarding the transgender community's ability to use impression management. This exploratory study addresses subjective experiences regarding transgender identity, and concentrates on self-definition and impression management in everyday life. It was found through interviews that "transition" is a temporary state that relies heavily on "passing" through impression management to create a new gender status. Once the new gender status is achieved, passing is no longer an issue and impression management is once again implemented in a more routine way similar to that of those who are not transgender.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003906, ucf:48746
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003906
- Title
- An analytical model for evaluating database update schemes.
- Creator
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Kinsley, Kathryn C., Hughes, Charles E., Arts and Sciences
- Abstract / Description
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University of Central Florida College of Arts and Sciences Thesis; A methodology is presented for evaluating the performance of database update schemes. The methodology uses the M/Hr/1 queueing model as a basis for this analysis and makes use of the history of how data is used in the database. Parameters have been introduced which can be set based on the characteristics of a specific system. These include update to retrieval ratio, average file size, overhead, block size and the expected...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Arts and Sciences Thesis; A methodology is presented for evaluating the performance of database update schemes. The methodology uses the M/Hr/1 queueing model as a basis for this analysis and makes use of the history of how data is used in the database. Parameters have been introduced which can be set based on the characteristics of a specific system. These include update to retrieval ratio, average file size, overhead, block size and the expected number of items in the database. The analysis is specifically directed toward the support of derived data within the relational model. Three support methods are analyzed. These are first examined in a central database system. The analysis is then extended in order to measure performance in a distributed system. Because concurrency is a major problem in a distributive system, the support of derived data is analyzed with respect to three distributive concurrency control techniques -- master/slave, distributed and synchronized. In addition to its use as a performance predictor, the development of the methodology serves to demonstrate how queueing theory may be used to investigate other related database problems. This is an important benefit due to this lack of fundamental results in the area of using queueing theory to analyze database performance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1983
- Identifier
- CFR0011600, ucf:53041
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0011600
- Title
- An Application of Operant Conditioning in an Organizational Setting.
- Creator
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Knight, Patricia J., Burroughs, Wayne A., Social Sciences
- Abstract / Description
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Florida Technological University College of Social Sciences Thesis
- Date Issued
- 1974
- Identifier
- CFR0012665, ucf:53134
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0012665
- Title
- Team cohesion in the restaurant industry: The influence of core evaluations.
- Creator
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Orlowski, Marissa, Pizam, Abraham, Torres Areizaga, Edwin, Mejia, Cynthia, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Team cohesion has been clearly established in the literature as an essential component of effective work teams, yet little research has been conducted in regard to what factors lead to cohesion within a restaurant management team. What is currently known about the antecedents of cohesion indicates that it emerges from individual team member attitudes and perceptions as a collective property of the team. This, in turn, suggests cohesion is influenced by the dispositional traits of team members...
Show moreTeam cohesion has been clearly established in the literature as an essential component of effective work teams, yet little research has been conducted in regard to what factors lead to cohesion within a restaurant management team. What is currently known about the antecedents of cohesion indicates that it emerges from individual team member attitudes and perceptions as a collective property of the team. This, in turn, suggests cohesion is influenced by the dispositional traits of team members. The core evaluations construct, which represents a model of dispositional traits existing within each individual at the most basic level, offers implications for the emergence of cohesion in both of its forms, task cohesion and social cohesion. To help bridge the gap in prior research, this study was conducted to investigate the influence of core evaluations on team cohesion within restaurant management teams. This study first adopted and modified Judge et al.'s (1997) theoretical model of core evaluations, advancing a model in which two types of core evaluations, self and external, were both second-order latent constructs each reflected by four first-order evaluative traits. The proposed trait structure was then tested. Finally, drawing on approach/avoidance theory and social exchange theory, this study hypothesized a multilevel model in which the dispositional traits of core self-evaluation (CSE) and core external-evaluation (CEE) at the individual front-line manager level have positive effects on task and social cohesion within restaurant management teams. To accomplish the objectives of this study, a survey research design was employed. The survey instrument was comprised of four sections: core self-evaluation, core external-evaluation, team cohesion, and demographic profile. Data were collected from managers employed by four restaurant franchise groups, resulting in a useable sample of 317 individual responses composing 76 teams ranging in size from 2-6 members. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the factor structure of CSE and CEE, as well as the overall measurement model. The task and social cohesion items were then aggregated to the team level and multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was conducted to test the relationships between latent constructs. The results of this study supported the second-order factor structure of core evaluations. CSE was shown to be reflected by self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, emotional stability, and locus of control. CEE was shown to be reflected by belief in a benevolent world, belief in a just world, and belief in people. Due to sample size, a reduced-parameter model was developed in which CSE and CEE were treated as sub-dimensions and measured by mean scores. MSEM results from this model showed that CSE had significant positive effect on team task cohesion whereas CEE had a significant positive effect on team social cohesion. These results offer numerous theoretical and practical implications for the study of core evaluations, team cohesion, and micro-macro phenomena, which are discussed in the final chapter. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006156, ucf:51125
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006156
- Title
- Assessment of physical workload, ergonomic problems and prevalence of pain among low wage hotel housekeepers in Orlando.
- Creator
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Mammen, Rachel, Fyall, Alan, Severt, Denver, Sonmez, Sevil, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This research study examined the work conditions, ergonomic problems, and prevalence of pain among low wage hotel room cleaners in Orlando. In most hotels, the cleanliness of guestrooms is one of the most important service standards expected by customers. The role of the housekeeper is thus critical to service provision and hotel profitability. The hospitality industry is a major recruiter of low wage workers with the majority working in housekeeping departments. Due to the nature of the...
Show moreThis research study examined the work conditions, ergonomic problems, and prevalence of pain among low wage hotel room cleaners in Orlando. In most hotels, the cleanliness of guestrooms is one of the most important service standards expected by customers. The role of the housekeeper is thus critical to service provision and hotel profitability. The hospitality industry is a major recruiter of low wage workers with the majority working in housekeeping departments. Due to the nature of the research problem, a positivist quantitative approach was adopted although the survey instrument included space for qualitative comments to some of the latter open-ended questions. The survey instrument used in this study was adapted from validated survey instruments used in previous studies about the occupational health of hotel housekeepers.Data was collected from 177 hotel housekeepers. The local union of hotel housekeepers assisted with data collection from hotel housekeepers in local hotels in Orlando. The questions were specific and relevant to housekeeping department work conditions. An informed consent to participate was included in the survey to inform respondents about the voluntary nature of participation and the possibility of withdrawal from participation in the study was possible. Data was coded for entry in SPSS for subsequent analysis. Before starting analysis, the data was explored for incomplete surveys, errors and outliers. The scale of the data was compressed for better data analysis results. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to understand the sample collected. Furthermore, chi square and t-test was used to explore physical workload,ergonomic problems and prevalence of pain among housekeepers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006621, ucf:51302
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006621
- Title
- Transitions in Polyamorous Identity and Intercultural Communication: An Application of Identity Management Theory.
- Creator
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Table, Allison, Weger, Harry, Hastings, Sally, Sandoval, Jennifer, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis examines the intercultural communicative strategies and non-monogamous identity formation of polyamorous individuals. The purpose of this study is to investigate the identity management tactics that polyamorous individuals utilize to navigate a society in which monogamy is the norm. Interactions of polyamorous individuals within a monoganormative society are treated as a type of intercultural communication due to the contrasting cultural identities and communication rules. E...
Show moreThis thesis examines the intercultural communicative strategies and non-monogamous identity formation of polyamorous individuals. The purpose of this study is to investigate the identity management tactics that polyamorous individuals utilize to navigate a society in which monogamy is the norm. Interactions of polyamorous individuals within a monoganormative society are treated as a type of intercultural communication due to the contrasting cultural identities and communication rules. E-interviews with 38 polyamorous individuals provided basis for phone and Skype interviews. The Retrospective Interview Technique (Huston, Surra, Fitzgerald, (&) Cate, 1981) required interviewees to recall development of their polyamorous identity and interactions with monogamous others from the past to present day. Twenty-two interviews produced the phases of identity management, including Trial and Error, Enmeshment (Mixing Up), and Renegotiation. Analyzing interviewees' communication also produced the themes of managing stigma and impressions of the relationship identity. Implications of the study include a richer understanding of polyamorous identity management, polyamory as a relationship orientation, and a new perspective in applying identity management theory.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006187, ucf:51153
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006187
