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Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF DISPERSION AND RESIDUAL STRESS IN NANOPARTICLE REINFORCED HYBRID CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES.
Creator: Selimov, Alex, Raghavan,Seetha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Hybrid carbon fiber reinforced composites are a new breed of materials that are currently being explored and characterized for next generation aerospace applications. Through the introduction of secondary reinforcements, such as alumina nanoparticles, hybrid properties including improved mechanical properties and stress sensing capabilities can be achieved. In order to maximize these properties, it is necessary to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of particulate filler. Utilizing the...
Show moreHybrid carbon fiber reinforced composites are a new breed of materials that are currently being explored and characterized for next generation aerospace applications. Through the introduction of secondary reinforcements, such as alumina nanoparticles, hybrid properties including improved mechanical properties and stress sensing capabilities can be achieved. In order to maximize these properties, it is necessary to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of particulate filler. Utilizing the photoluminescent properties of alumina, it is possible to compare local levels of particle concentration through emission intensities as a way to determine the effectiveness of the tested manufacturing parameters in increasing material homogeneity. Parameters of these photoluminescence emissions have been established to be stress dependent, which allows for in situ residual stress measurements. It is shown here that the application of silane coupling agents as particle surface treatments improves particle dispersion when compared to untreated samples. Reactive silane coupling agent (RSCA) treatments were found to provide for greater dispersion improvements when compared to non-reactive silane coupling agents (NRSCA). Higher resolution investigations into these samples found that treatment with a reactive coupling agent altered the stress state of particles concentrated around the fiber from a tensile stress state to a compressive stress state. This is proposed to result from bonding of the reactive groups on the coupling agent to the organic groups on the carbon fibers which adjusts the stress state of the particle. Future mechanical tests will verify the effects of the particle surface functionalization treatments on mechanical properties of the composites.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH0000233, ucf:44669
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0000233

Title: A GENRE OF COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE: BLOGS AS INTERTEXTUAL, RECIPROCAL, AND PEDAGOGICAL.
Creator: Gramer, Rachel, Bell, Kathleen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis investigates the rhetorical features of blogs that lend them dialogic strength as an online genre through the lens of Mikhail Bakhtin's theories of speech genres, utterances, and dialogism. As a relatively new online genre, blogs stem from previous genres (in print and online as well as verbal), but their emergence as a popular form of expression in our current culture demands attention to how blogs also offer us different rhetorical opportunities to meet our changing social...
Show moreThis thesis investigates the rhetorical features of blogs that lend them dialogic strength as an online genre through the lens of Mikhail Bakhtin's theories of speech genres, utterances, and dialogism. As a relatively new online genre, blogs stem from previous genres (in print and online as well as verbal), but their emergence as a popular form of expression in our current culture demands attention to how blogs also offer us different rhetorical opportunities to meet our changing social exigencies as online subjects in the 21st century. This thesis was inspired by questions about how blogs redefine the rhetorical situation to alter our textual roles as readers, writers, and respondents in the new generic circumstances we encounter--and reproduce--online. Applying the framework of Henry Jenkins' Convergence Culture and Pierre Levy's Collective Intelligence, this thesis analyzes how blogs enable us as online subjects to add our utterances to our textual collective intelligence, which benefits from our personal experience and the epistemic conversations of blogs as online texts. In addition, it is also an inquiry into how the rhetorical circumstances of blogs as textual sites of collective intelligence can create a reciprocal learning environment in the writing classroom. I ultimately examine blogs through the lenses of alternative pedagogy--informed by David Wallace and Helen Rothschild Ewald's Mutuality in the Rhetoric and Composition Classroom and Xin Liu Gale's Teachers, Discourses, and Authority in the Postmodern Composition Classroom--to suggest the potential consequences of a writing education that includes how we are currently writing--and being written by--our culture's online generic practice of blogs.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002402, ucf:47770
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002402

Title: The physical properties and composition of main-belt asteroids from infrared spectroscopy.
Creator: Landsman, Zoe, Campins, Humberto, Britt, Daniel, Fernandez, Yan, Emery, Joshua, Hernandez, Florencio, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Asteroids are the remnants of planet formation, and as such, they represent a record of the physical and chemical conditions in the early solar system and its evolution over the past 4.6 billion years. Asteroids are relatively accessible by spacecraft, and thus may be a source of the raw materials necessary for future human exploration and settlement of space. Those on Earth-crossing orbits pose impact hazards for which mitigation strategies must be developed. For these reasons, several...
Show moreAsteroids are the remnants of planet formation, and as such, they represent a record of the physical and chemical conditions in the early solar system and its evolution over the past 4.6 billion years. Asteroids are relatively accessible by spacecraft, and thus may be a source of the raw materials necessary for future human exploration and settlement of space. Those on Earth-crossing orbits pose impact hazards for which mitigation strategies must be developed. For these reasons, several missions to asteroids are in progress or planned with the support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other national space agencies. The study of asteroid composition and physical surface properties is vital to both our scientific understanding of the solar system's formation and evolution and to the development of asteroid missions and resource utilization schemes. This dissertation uses infrared spectroscopy to investigate the composition and physical properties of main-belt asteroid surfaces. Our efforts are focused on two populations that are especially relevant to constraining thermal and collisional processes in the asteroid belt: the "M-type" asteroids and primitive asteroid families.To investigate volatiles in the M-type asteroids, we obtained 2-4 micron spectra of six M-type asteroids using NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility. We find spectral signatures of hydrated minerals on all six asteroids, with evidence for rotational variability of hydration in one target. Diversity in the shape of the 3-micron feature in our sampled asteroids suggests there are different modes of hydration in the M-type population. Next, we carried out a thermal and compositional study of M-type asteroid (16) Psyche using 5-14 micron spectra from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Psyche is suspected to be a remnant iron core, and it is the target of an upcoming NASA mission. Using thermophysical modeling, we find that Psyche's surface is smooth and most likely has a thermal inertia of 5-25 J/m^2/K/s^(1/2), and a bolometric emissivity of 0.9, although a scenario with an emissivity of 0.7 and thermal inertia up to 95 J/m^2/K/s^(1/2) is possible if Psyche is somewhat larger than previously determined. From comparisons with laboratory spectra of silicate and meteorite powders, Psyche's emissivity spectrum is consistent with the presence of fine-grained ((<)75 micron) silicates. These silicates may include a magnesian pyroxene component. We conclude that Psyche is likely covered in a fine silicate regolith, which may also contain iron grains, overlying an iron-rich bedrock.Finally, we compared the mid-infrared properties of two primitive asteroids families, ancient Themis (~2.5 Gyr) and young Veritas (~8 Myr). Visible and near-infrared studies show spectral differences between the two families attributed to different degrees of space weathering. To test whether these differences are apparent in the mid-infrared, we analyzed the 5-14 micron Spitzer Space Telescope spectra of 11 Themis-family asteroids and 9 Veritas-family asteroids. We detect a broad 10-micron emission feature, attributed to fine-grained and/or porous silicate regolith, in all 11 Themis-family spectra and six of nine Veritas-family asteroids, with 10-micron spectral contrast ranging from 1% +/- 0.1% to 8.5% +/- 0.9%. Comparison with laboratory spectra of primitive meteorites suggests these asteroids are similar to meteorites with relatively low abundances of phyllosilicates. We used thermal modeling to derive diameters, beaming parameters and albedos for our sample. Asteroids in both families have beaming parameters near unity and geometric albedos in the range 0.031-0.14. Spectral contrast of the 10-micron silicate emission feature is not correlated with asteroid diameter; however, higher 10-micron contrast may be associated with flatter spectral slopes in the near-infrared. There is a slight trend of increasing 10-micron contrast with decreasing albedo in the Veritas asteroids, but not the Themis asteroids. Overall, our results indicate the Themis and Veritas family members show variation in regolith texture and/or structure within both families that is not directly related to family age.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0007124, ucf:51966
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007124

Title: Group Composition Characteristics as Predictors of Shared Leadership: An Exploration of Competing Models of Shared Leadership Emergence.
Creator: Currie, Richard, Ehrhart, Mark, Burke, Shawn, Jex, Steve, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The study of leadership in organizations has received much research attention over the past several decades. However, most of this research has examined hierarchical structures of leadership wherein one individual leads, or is perceived to lead, several other individuals. With a growing number of organizations structuring employees within teams or work groups, researchers have begun studying the ways in which leadership operates in groups. One alternative to the traditional hierarchical...
Show moreThe study of leadership in organizations has received much research attention over the past several decades. However, most of this research has examined hierarchical structures of leadership wherein one individual leads, or is perceived to lead, several other individuals. With a growing number of organizations structuring employees within teams or work groups, researchers have begun studying the ways in which leadership operates in groups. One alternative to the traditional hierarchical structure is for leadership to be distributed or shared in groups such that multiple group members contribute to the overall leadership function of the group. As a result, researchers have begun examining the construct of shared leadership, which is defined as the extent to which multiple group members share in the leadership function of the group. Because shared leadership is a relatively new concept in the research literature, our knowledge of the antecedents of shared leadership is limited. The primary aim of the present research was to explore group composition as a potential antecedent of shared leadership in teams. Group composition was examined in terms of the agreeableness, extraversion, collectivistic work orientation, and trait competitiveness within the group. Mean, minimum/maximum, and variance models of group composition were employed in the present research. A sample of 385 participants comprised a total of 97 groups of three to six individuals to complete a leaderless group discussion exercise and completed measures of shared leadership after completing the group exercise. Results from a series of hierarchical linear regression analyses found no significant relationships between any of predictors and shared leadership using either a social network analysis or a referent-shift approach. Given the short amount of time group members worked on the group task, a clear implication of these findings is that shared leadership requires adequate time to manifest in groups.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007446, ucf:52694
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007446

Title: INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF EDGE-OXIDIZED GRAPHENE OXIDE (EOGO) ON THE PROPERTIES OF CEMENT COMPOSITES.
Creator: Alharbi, Yousef, Nam, Boo Hyun, Chopra, Manoj, Zaurin, Ricardo, Kwok, Kawai, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The use of edge-oxidized graphene oxide (EOGO), produced by a mechanochemical ?process that allow to deliver a product suitable for large-scale production at affordable cost, as ?an additive in cement composites was investigated. Comprehensive experimental tests were ?conducted to investigate the effect of EOGO on the properties of cement composites. The ?experimental tests were designed for three subtasks: (1) investigation of the performance of ?EOGO and its mixing method on the strength,...
Show moreThe use of edge-oxidized graphene oxide (EOGO), produced by a mechanochemical ?process that allow to deliver a product suitable for large-scale production at affordable cost, as ?an additive in cement composites was investigated. Comprehensive experimental tests were ?conducted to investigate the effect of EOGO on the properties of cement composites. The ?experimental tests were designed for three subtasks: (1) investigation of the performance of ?EOGO and its mixing method on the strength, pore structure and microstructure of EOGO-?cement composites, (2) evaluation of the rheological and fluidity behavior of EOGO-cement ?paste and mortar, and (3) investigation of the mechanism of the enhanced workability of ?EOGO-concrete. EOGO content ranged from 0.01% to 1% and two mix design methods were ?employed for cement paste and mortar to explore an optimum and feasible mix design of ?EOGO. Compressive and flexural strength tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical ?performance of EOGO-cement composites. Total porosity and water sorptivity were performed ?to investigate the pore structure of EOGO-cement paste and mortar. Furthermore, petrographic ?analyses were conducted to characterize the microstructure of EOGO-cement composites. ?Imaged based-mini-slump and flow table tests were performed to measure the fluidity of ?EOGO-cement paste and mortar. The rheological properties of EOGO-cement paste were ?measured through viscometer test. The mechanism of the enhanced workability of EOGO-?concrete was investigated by performing slump and water absorption of aggregate in cement ?paste tests. The key findings are (1) the addition of EOGO into cement composites improves the ?compressive and flexural strength, (2) 0.05% of EOGO is the optimum content to improve the ?strength and pore structure of EOGO-cement composites, (3) the addition of EOGO reduces the ?fluidity and increases the viscosity of EOGO-cement composites, (4) the addition of EOGO ?improves the workability of concrete, and (5) dry-mix design is feasible and more practical for ?large-scale production.?
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007425, ucf:52721
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007425

Title: Learning Internal State Memory Representations from Observation.
Creator: Wong, Josiah, Gonzalez, Avelino, Liu, Fei, Wu, Annie, Ontanon, Santiago, Wiegand, Rudolf, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Learning from Observation (LfO) is a machine learning paradigm that mimics how people learn in daily life: learning how to do something simply by watching someone else do it. LfO has been used in various applications, from video game agent creation to driving a car, but it has always been limited by the inability of an observer to know what a performing entity chooses to remember as they act in an environment. Various methods have either ignored the effects of memory or otherwise made...
Show moreLearning from Observation (LfO) is a machine learning paradigm that mimics how people learn in daily life: learning how to do something simply by watching someone else do it. LfO has been used in various applications, from video game agent creation to driving a car, but it has always been limited by the inability of an observer to know what a performing entity chooses to remember as they act in an environment. Various methods have either ignored the effects of memory or otherwise made simplistic assumptions about its structure. In this dissertation, we propose a new method, Memory Composition Learning, that captures the influence of a performer's memory in an observed behavior through the creation of an auxiliary memory feature set that explicitly models the aspects of the environment with significance for future decisions, and which can be used with a machine learning technique to provide salient information from memory. It advances the state of the art by automatically learning the internal structure of memory instead of ignoring or predefining it. This research is difficult in that memory modeling is an unsupervised learning problem that we elect to solve solely from unobtrusive observation. This research is significant for LfO in that it will allow learning techniques that otherwise could not use information from memory to use a tailored set of learned memory features that capture salient influences from memory and enable decision-making based on these influences for more effective learning performance. To validate our hypothesis, we implemented a prototype for modeling observed memory influences with our approach and applied it to simulated vacuum cleaner and lawn mower domains. Our investigation revealed that MCL was able to automatically learn memory features that describe the influences on an observed actor's internal state, and which improved learning performance of observed behaviors.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007879, ucf:52755
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007879

Title: NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING METHODS AIDED VIA NUMERICAL COMPUTATION MODELS FOR VARIOUS CRITICAL AEROSPACE AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS.
Creator: Warren, Peter, Ghosh, Ranajay, Raghavan, Seetha, Gou, Jihua, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A current critical necessity for all industries which utilize various equipment that operates in hightemperature and extreme environments, is the ability to collect and analyze data via non destructivetesting (NDT) methods. Operational conditions and material health must be constantly monitoredif components are to be implemented precisely to increase the overall performance and efficiencyof the process. Currently in both aerospace and power generation systems there are many methodsthat are...
Show moreA current critical necessity for all industries which utilize various equipment that operates in hightemperature and extreme environments, is the ability to collect and analyze data via non destructivetesting (NDT) methods. Operational conditions and material health must be constantly monitoredif components are to be implemented precisely to increase the overall performance and efficiencyof the process. Currently in both aerospace and power generation systems there are many methodsthat are being employed to gather several necessary properties and parameters of a given system.This work will focus primarly on two of these NDT methods, with the ultimate goal of contributingto not only the method itself, but also the role of numerical computation to increase the resolutionof a given technique. Numerical computation can attribute knowledge onto the governing mechanicsof these NDT methods, many of which are currently being utilized in industry. An increase inthe accuracy of the data gathered from NDT methods will ultimately lead to an increase in operationalefficiency of a given system.The first method to be analyzed is a non destructive emmision technique widely referred to asaccoustic ultrasonic thermography. This work will investigate the mechanism of heat generationin acoustic thermography using a combination of numerical computational analysis and physicalexperimentation. Many of the challenges typical of this type of system are addressed in this work.The principal challenges among them are crack detection threshold, signature quality and the effectof defect interactions. Experiments and finite element based numerical simulations are employed,in order to evaluate the proposed method, as well as draw conclusions on the viability for futureextension and integration with other digital technologies for health monitoring. A method to determinethe magnitude of the different sources of heat generation during an acoustic excitation isalso achieved in this work. Defects formed through industrial operation as well as defects formedthrough artificial manufacturing methods were analyzed and compared.The second method is a photoluminescence piezospectroscopic (PLPS) for composite materials.The composite studied in this work has one host material which does not illuminate or have photoluminescenceproperties, the second material provides the luminescence properties, as well asadditional overall strength to the composite material. Understanding load transfer between the reinforcementsand matrix materials that constitute these composites hold the key to elucidating theirmechanical properties and consequent behavior in operation. Finite element simulations of loadingeffects on representative embedded alumina particles in a matrix were investigated and comparedwith experimental results. The alumina particles were doped with chromium in order to achieveluminscence capability, and therefore take advantage of the piezospectrscopic measurement technique.Mechanical loading effects on alumina nanoparticle composites can be captured with Photostimulated luminescent spectroscopy, where spectral shifts from the particles are monitored withload. The resulting piezospectroscopic (PS) coefficients are then used to calculate load transferbetween the matrix and particle. The results from the simulation and experiments are shown tobe in general agreement of increase in load transferred with increasing particle volume fractiondue to contact stresses that are dominant at these higher volume fractions. Results from this workpresent a combination of analytical and experimental insight into the effect of particle volume fractionon load transfer in ceramic composites that can serve to determine properties and eventuallyoptimize various parameters such as particle shape, size and dispersion that govern the design ofthese composites prior to manufacture and testing.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007262, ucf:52203
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007262

Title: Printable Carbon Nanotube Based Multifunctional Nanocomposites for Strain Sensing and Self-heating.
Creator: Wang, Xin, Gou, Jihua, Challapalli, Suryanarayana, Xu, Yunjun, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) represent a potential for developing a piezo-resistive strain sensor and a resistive heating sheet with a smart structure. Conventional fabrication techniques of CNT based nanocomposites such as molding, casting or spray coating lack the ability to control the geometry and properties of fabricated composites. In order to meet the various requirements of strain sensing or self-heating applications, nanocomposites with complex geometry and...
Show moreThe unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) represent a potential for developing a piezo-resistive strain sensor and a resistive heating sheet with a smart structure. Conventional fabrication techniques of CNT based nanocomposites such as molding, casting or spray coating lack the ability to control the geometry and properties of fabricated composites. In order to meet the various requirements of strain sensing or self-heating applications, nanocomposites with complex geometry and controllable properties are in high demand. Digital printing technique is able to fabricate CNT films with precisely controlled geometry with the help of computer aided design, and their properties could also be controlled by adjusting the printing parameters. The objective of this study is to investigate the printing-structure-property relationship of CNT based multifunctional nanocomposites fabricated by digitally controlled spray deposition process for strain sensing and self-heating. A spray deposition modeling (SDM) printer that uses a 12-array inkjet nozzle attached to an x-y plotter was developed for the fabrication of CNT layers. Most of previously-reported CNT based nanocomposite strain sensors only have limited stretchability and sensitivity for measuring diverse human motions. Additionally, strain sensors fabricated by traditional techniques are only capable of measuring strain in a single direction, but for monitoring human motion with complicated strain condition, strain sensors that can measure strain from multi-direction are favorable. In this dissertation, highly stretchable (in excess of 45% strain) and sensitive (gauge factor of 35.75) strain sensors with tunable strain gauge factors were fabricated by incorporating CNT layers into polymer substrate using SDM printing technique. The cyclic loading-unloading test results revealed that the composite strain sensors exhibited excellent long-term durability. Due to the flexibility of the printing technique, rosette-typed sensors were fabricated to monitor complicated human motions. These superior sensing capabilities of the fabricated nanocomposites offer potential applications in wearable strain sensors. Resistive heating properties of CNT based nanocomposites were also investigated. The electrically resistive heating of these composites can be a desirable stimulus to activate the shape memory effect of polymer matrix. CNT based nanocomposites fabricated by traditional techniques showed a slow heating rate and same shape recovery ratio at different locations in nanocomposites. However, from the practical applications like smart skin or smart tooling perspective, programmable shape recovery ratio at specified locations are desirable. In this dissertation, the CNT based nanocomposites with a fast heating rate and controllable maximum surface temperature were fabricated using SDM technique. The study on the shape memory effect of nanocomposites showed that their shape recoverability was approximately 100% taking 30s under a low voltage of 40V. It is worth noting that through programming the number of printed CNT layers at different locations, the shape recovery rate could be controlled and localized actuation with the desired recovery ratio was achieved. The high efficiency of heating coupling with wide adjustability of surface temperature and shape recovery ratio at specified locations make the fabricated nanocomposites a promising candidate for electrical actuation applications.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006819, ucf:52892
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006819

Title: Modeling of Thermal Properties of Fiber Glass Polyester Resin Composite Under Thermal Degradation Condition.
Creator: Tsoi, Marvin, Chen, Ruey-Hung, Gou, Jihua, Ilie, Marcel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Composites, though used in a variety of applications from chairs and office supplies to structures of U.S. Navy ships and aircrafts, are not all designed to hold up to extreme heat flux and high temperature. Fiber-reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC) have been proven to provide the much needed physical and mechanical properties under fire exposure. FRPC notable features are its combination of high specific tensile strength, low weight, along with good corrosion and fatigue resistance....
Show moreComposites, though used in a variety of applications from chairs and office supplies to structures of U.S. Navy ships and aircrafts, are not all designed to hold up to extreme heat flux and high temperature. Fiber-reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC) have been proven to provide the much needed physical and mechanical properties under fire exposure. FRPC notable features are its combination of high specific tensile strength, low weight, along with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. However FRPC are susceptible to thermal degradation and decomposition, which yields flammable gas, and are thus highly combustible. This property restricts polymeric material usage.This study developed a numerical model that simulated the degradation rate and temperature profiles of a fiber-reinforced polyester resin composite exposed to a constant heat flux and hydrocarbon fire in a cone calorimeter. A numerical model is an essential tool because it gives the composite designer the ability to predict results in a time and cost efficient manner. The goal of this thesis is to develop a numerical model to simulate a zonal-layer polyester resin and fiber-glass mat composite and then validate the model with experimental results from a cone calorimeter. By inputting the thermal properties of the layered composite of alternating polymer and polymer-infused glass fiber mat layers, the numerical model is one step closer to representing the experimental data from the cone calorimeter test. The final results are achieved through adding a simulated heat flux from the pilot ignition of the degraded gas of the polyester resin. The results can be coupled into a mechanical model, which may be separately constructed for future study on the mechanical strength of composites under fire conditions.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004171, ucf:49076
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004171

Title: Gender Composition of Online Technical Communication Collaborations.
Creator: Wardell, Erika, Jones, Daniel, Cavanagh, Thomas, Applen, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Online collaborations are more prevalent in society due to electronic communication allowing students and professionals to communicate with each other, without needing to spend time or money traveling. The lack of visual cues in electronic communication means writing styles primarily set the tone of a message. A group member's gender can affect his or her writing style and what he or she assumes about the message. The differing writing styles and potential gender bias can cause...
Show moreOnline collaborations are more prevalent in society due to electronic communication allowing students and professionals to communicate with each other, without needing to spend time or money traveling. The lack of visual cues in electronic communication means writing styles primarily set the tone of a message. A group member's gender can affect his or her writing style and what he or she assumes about the message. The differing writing styles and potential gender bias can cause misunderstandings, which delay projects and sometimes lead to ostracizing a group member. The gender composition of an online collaboration, therefore, can have a positive or negative effect on a project. This study helps technical communicators understand how to manage online collaborations effectively to produce a successful project. The study explains how the effects of gender composition on a project are influenced by electronic communication, gender roles, and online collaborations. Society-imposed gender roles include differing writing styles for each gender causing gender bias in both writing and reading electronic messages. Group members, monitors, and project managers must take care in managing online collaborations due to the differences in each gender's communication style, and differences in gender roles and expectations for multinational online collaborations. The study shows mixed-gender collaborations have increased chances of misunderstandings because of the differing communication styles of each gender compared to same-gender collaborations. However, the advantages of mixed-gender collaborations outweigh the disadvantages due to the variety of ideas, motivations, and expectations. Technical communicators understanding how all the major topics relate together to influence a collaboration are better able to manage an online collaboration and reduce the chances of misunderstandings to create a successful project.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004176, ucf:49041
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004176

Title: Fire Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites: Materials Design and Thermal Degradation Modeling.
Creator: Zhuge, Jinfeng, Gou, Jihua, Chen, Ruey-Hung, Kapat, Jayanta, Zhai, Lei, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Compared to conventional materials, polymer matrix composites (PMCs) have a number of attractive properties, including light weight, easiness of installation, potential to lower system-level cost, high overall durability, and less susceptibility to environmental deterioration. However, PMCs are vulnerable to fire such that they degrade, decompose, and sometimes yield toxic gases at high temperature. The degradation and decomposition of composites lead to loss in mass, resulting in loss in...
Show moreCompared to conventional materials, polymer matrix composites (PMCs) have a number of attractive properties, including light weight, easiness of installation, potential to lower system-level cost, high overall durability, and less susceptibility to environmental deterioration. However, PMCs are vulnerable to fire such that they degrade, decompose, and sometimes yield toxic gases at high temperature. The degradation and decomposition of composites lead to loss in mass, resulting in loss in mechanical strength.This research aims to improve the structural integrity of the PMCs under fire conditions by designing and optimizing a fire retardant nanopaper coating, and to fundamentally understand the thermal response and post-fire mechanical behavior the PMCs through numerical modeling. Specifically, a novel paper-making process that combined carbon nanofiber, nanoclay, exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet, and ammonium polyphosphate into a self-standing nanopaper was developed. The nanopaper was then coated onto the surface of the PMCs to improve the fire retardant performance of the material. The morphology, thermal stability, flammability, and post-fire flexural modulus of the nanopaper coated-PMCs were characterized. The fire retardant mechanism of the nanopaper coating was studied.Upon successfully improving the structure integrity of the PMCs by the nanopaper coatings, a thermal degradation model that captured the decomposition reaction of the polymer matrix with a second kind boundary condition (constant heat flux) was solved using Finite Element (FE) method. The weak form of the model was constructed by the weighted residual method. The model quantified the thermal and post-fire flexural responses of the composites subject to continuously applied heat fluxes. A temperature dependent post-fire residual modulus was assigned to each element in the FE domain. The bulk residual modulus was computed by assembling the modulus of each element. Based on the FE model, a refined Finite Difference (FD) model was developed to predict the fire response of the PMCs coated with the nanopapers. The FD model adopted the same post-fire mechanical evaluation method. However, unlike the FE model, the flow of the decomposed gas, and permeability and porosity of the composites were taken into account in the refined FD model. The numerical analysis indicated that the thickness and porosity of the composites had a profound impact on the thermal response of the composites.The research funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (FAA COE AST) is acknowledged.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004263, ucf:49534
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004263

Title: Failure Analysis of Impact-Damaged Metallic Poles Repaired With Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites.
Creator: Slade, Robert, Mackie, Kevin, Yun, Hae-Bum, Gou, Jihua, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Metallic utility poles, light poles, and mast arms are intermittently damaged by vehicle collision. In many cases the vehicular impact does not cause immediate failure of the structure, but induces localized damage that may result in failure under extreme service loadings or can promote degradation and corrosion within the damaged region. Replacement of these poles is costly and often involves prolonged lane closures, service interruption, and temporary loss of functionality. Therefore, an in...
Show moreMetallic utility poles, light poles, and mast arms are intermittently damaged by vehicle collision. In many cases the vehicular impact does not cause immediate failure of the structure, but induces localized damage that may result in failure under extreme service loadings or can promote degradation and corrosion within the damaged region. Replacement of these poles is costly and often involves prolonged lane closures, service interruption, and temporary loss of functionality. Therefore, an in situ repair of these structures is required.This thesis examines the failure modes of damaged metallic poles reinforced with externally-bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Several FRP repair systems were selected for comparison, and a set of medium and full-scale tests were conducted to identify the critical failure modes. The material properties of each component of the repair were experimentally determined, and then combined into a numerical model capable of predicting global response.Four possible failure modes are discussed: yielding of the unreinforced substrate, tensile rupture of the FRP, compressive buckling of the FRP, and debonding of the FRP from the substrate. It was found that simple linear, bilinear, and trilinear stress-strain relationships accurately describe the response of the composite and substrate components, whereas a more complex bond-slip relationship is required to characterize debonding. These constitutive properties were then incorporated into MSC.Marc, a versatile nonlinear finite element program. The output of the FEM analysis showed good agreement with the results of the experimental bond-slip tests.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004262, ucf:49514
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004262

Title: The Many Pedagogies of Memoir: A Study of the Promise of Teaching Memoir in College Composition.
Creator: Lee, Melissa, Wallace, David, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, Marinara, Martha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines the promise and problems of memoir in the pedagogy and practices of teaching memoir in college composition. I interviewed three University of Central Florida instructors who value memoir in composition, and who at the time of this study, were mandated to teach memoir in their composition courses. The interviews focus on three main points of interest: (1) the instructors' motivations behind their teaching of memoir, (2) how these instructors see memoir functioning in their...
Show moreThis thesis examines the promise and problems of memoir in the pedagogy and practices of teaching memoir in college composition. I interviewed three University of Central Florida instructors who value memoir in composition, and who at the time of this study, were mandated to teach memoir in their composition courses. The interviews focus on three main points of interest: (1) the instructors' motivations behind their teaching of memoir, (2) how these instructors see memoir functioning in their classes, and (3) what these instructors hope their students will gain in the process of writing the memoir essay. By analyzing these interviews, I was better able to understand the three instructors' pedagogical choices and rationales for teaching memoir in their classes. I have also collected data and research from scholarly journal articles, books, and from my experiences teaching memoir in the composition classroom. This thesis challenges the widely accepted notion that memoir and the personal in composition scholarship, pedagogy, and teaching practices are (")'touchy-feely,' 'soft,' 'unrigorous,' 'mystical,' 'therapeutic,' and 'Mickey Mouse'(") ways of meaning-making and teaching writing (Tompkins 214). My findings show that memoir in the classroom is richer and far more complex than it might appear at first, and that the teaching of memoir in composition can, in fact, be greater than the memoir essay itself. Even though each instructor I interviewed values the personal and believes memoir belongs in composition curriculum, it turns out that none of these instructors' core reasons for teaching memoir was so his or her students could master writing the memoir essay, although this was important; rather the memoir essay ultimately served in the instructors' classrooms as a conduit through which they ultimately could teach more diverse writing skills and techniques as well as intellectual concepts that truly inspired them. Since the teaching of memoir seems to be even more dynamic and versatile in process and pedagogy than many of the other essay genres traditionally taught in college composition, this thesis makes recommendations for how memoir needs to be viewed, written about, and taught in order to harness the promise of this essay genre more consistently in the discussion of composition pedagogy and in the teaching of memoir to our students in the composition classroom.Thompkins, Jane. A Life in School: What the Teacher Learned. Reading: Addison-Wesley. 1996. Print.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004293, ucf:49469
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004293

Title: TRANSFER WITHIN FYC: TRACING THE OPERALIZATION OF WRITING-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND CONCEPTS IN COMPOSITION.
Creator: Martinez, Laura, Wardle, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study traces the transfer of writing-related knowledge and concepts from the composition classroom into the writing assignments composed by students within the same course. Working in a first-year-composition classroom taught through a writing-about-writing curriculum, the researcher observed students as they navigated from the initial learning of concepts such as rhetorical situations, writing processes, and discourse communities, into an application of these concepts in various writing...
Show moreThis study traces the transfer of writing-related knowledge and concepts from the composition classroom into the writing assignments composed by students within the same course. Working in a first-year-composition classroom taught through a writing-about-writing curriculum, the researcher observed students as they navigated from the initial learning of concepts such as rhetorical situations, writing processes, and discourse communities, into an application of these concepts in various writing assignments, including rhetorical analyses and discourse community profiles. By analyzing a composition instructor's objectives for her assignments and observing the interaction between students and their instructor in a single composition course for the duration of one semester, the researcher traced how students operationalized knowledge from the classroom and applied it in their own writing. After tracing this operalization through interviews with the instructor, observation of class activities and analysis of assignment sheets and student papers, the researcher proposes that instructors may encourage transfer within their composition classrooms by adequately presenting assignment objectives to students, and by allowing sufficient scaffolding of writing tasks. In this way, the researcher explains that students may be able to understand the objectives of their writing assignments in a way that may encourage them to apply the knowledge they learned in the classroom to the writing tasks assigned by their instructor.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003696, ucf:48829
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003696

Title: Graphene Oxide Reinforcement in Plasma Sprayed Nickel-5%Aluminum Coatings.
Creator: Ward, David, Seal, Sudipta, Vaidyanathan, Raj, Heinrich, Helge, Zhai, Lei, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Metallic plasma sprayed coatings are widely used in the aerospace industry for repair on worn engine components. However, the inherent defects in these coatings limit the variety of repairs and reduce the service life of the repaired parts. A potential solution to overcome this problem is to mix small amounts of inexpensive graphene oxide in the powder feedstock. The incredible strength to weight ratio of graphene oxide makes it a viable additive to improve mechanical properties of metallic...
Show moreMetallic plasma sprayed coatings are widely used in the aerospace industry for repair on worn engine components. However, the inherent defects in these coatings limit the variety of repairs and reduce the service life of the repaired parts. A potential solution to overcome this problem is to mix small amounts of inexpensive graphene oxide in the powder feedstock. The incredible strength to weight ratio of graphene oxide makes it a viable additive to improve mechanical properties of metallic plasma sprayed coatings. The powder system chosen for this research is Nickel-5Aluminum since it is a common coating for such repairs. The greatest challenge was retaining graphene oxide, which combusts at 400(&)deg;C, while melting the Nickel above 1450(&)deg;C using a high temperature plasma plume. Graphene oxide was successfully retained in the coatings using either of two configurations: (1) Injecting the graphene oxide powder via solution suspension separately from the metal powder, or (2) Installing a shroud on the front of the plasma gun and backfilling with Argon to inhibit combustion. The uniquely designed solution suspension configuration resulted in a higher deposition efficiency of graphene oxide while the inert shroud configuration had a more homogeneous distribution and retention of graphene oxide in the coatings. The best overall coating was achieved using the inert shroud configuration using a powder mixture containing 2% weight Edge Functionalized Graphene Oxide. Vickers microhardness increased 46% and tensile adhesion strength increased 26% over control samples. This is possible due to the mechanisms of dislocation strengthening and stress transfer previously reported in graphene oxide reinforced Aluminum composites formed by flake powder metallurgy. It was also observed that the energy released by the combustion of graphene oxide helps to uniformly melt the Nickel particles and improve the coating microstructure, allowing for more forgiving spray parameters. The methods developed and results attained in this research open opportunities for graphene oxide to be added as inexpensive reinforcements to other metallic compositions for widespread use in metal matrix composite manufacturing.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005901, ucf:50857
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005901

Title: Mechanistic Behavior of UHPC and UHPC Composite Structural Components.
Creator: Al-Ramahee, Munaf, Mackie, Kevin, Makris, Nicos, Nam, Boo Hyun, Gou, Jihua, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The resistance of reinforced concrete is mobilized through the composite action of two materials with different mechanical behaviors and physical features. Enabling the composite action requires a transfer mechanism between the concrete and the reinforcement which is referred to as bond. The bond model can be defined as a traction-slip relation tangent to the interface. The bond strength between different types of concrete, internal reinforcement, and external reinforcement has been of...
Show moreThe resistance of reinforced concrete is mobilized through the composite action of two materials with different mechanical behaviors and physical features. Enabling the composite action requires a transfer mechanism between the concrete and the reinforcement which is referred to as bond. The bond model can be defined as a traction-slip relation tangent to the interface. The bond strength between different types of concrete, internal reinforcement, and external reinforcement has been of interest to structural engineers for decades. Experimental tests have been carried out to validate the existing bond models and introduce new bond models for special cases of concrete or reinforcement. The effect of various parameters on the bond stress, such as bar diameter, concrete compressive strength, presence of fibers, cyclic loading, etc. have been investigated. However, little attention has been directed to the contribution of normal (to the interface) stress and state of stress of the substrate layer on the mechanical response of the interface. Since the state of stress (tangential, normal, and substrate) within each type of experimental test is different, the resulting bond models are not consistent.Behavior of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) composite flexural members are studied using experimental, analytical, and numerical approaches in this research. A new bond-slip model is proposed that contains an explicit representation of the normal stress and constitutive model of the substrate. The parameters of the model were calibrated from beam and pullout tests using UHPC and HSS. The calibrated results showed consistency in the material point behavior between the pullout and beam test although the states of stress were different. The effect of the normal force was verified throughout a numerical model compared with experimental flexural tests. Single and double lap shear tests were carried out for UHPC and FRP, and parameters of the bilinear model were calibrated and used in the finite element model of the new composite deck.A new lightweight composite deck system is proposed that uses fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) bonded to UHPC using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding. The high-performance deck system has application in deck design and replacement for bridges with weight restrictions as well as for accelerated bridge construction. Results show the deck satisfies strength and serviceability criteria under monotonic load. The bond strength between the UHPC and the glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) plays a significant role in the performance of the proposed deck and controls the behavior of the system. However, live loads on bridges are inherently cyclic and therefore research on serviceability and fatigue behavior of UHPC and UHPC composite members were carried out. The UHPC beams were strengthened using glass GFRP plates on compression side to obtain data that could be utilized for the future design. The effect of fatigue loading on the interfacial shear stress between UHPC and GFRP was also investigated and it is found to be minor under low load level. However, a noticeable progression in the interfacial shear stress was found for the higher load ratio.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006431, ucf:51464
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006431

Title: Consequences of Skipping First Year Composition: Mapping Student Writing from High School to the Academic Disciplines.
Creator: Bell, Craig, Roozen, Kevin, Bryan, Matthew, Rounsaville, Angela, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Research in writing studies has focused on students who make the traditional transition from high school to first year composition, to the entry level discipline specific courses in their chosen majors (Wardle, 2007, 2009; Sommers and Saltz, 2004; Beaufort, 2007; Carroll, 2002). Very little scholarship addresses those students who (")skip(") first year composition and find themselves in entry level discipline specific courses classrooms. With three former students, I conduct a case study over...
Show moreResearch in writing studies has focused on students who make the traditional transition from high school to first year composition, to the entry level discipline specific courses in their chosen majors (Wardle, 2007, 2009; Sommers and Saltz, 2004; Beaufort, 2007; Carroll, 2002). Very little scholarship addresses those students who (")skip(") first year composition and find themselves in entry level discipline specific courses classrooms. With three former students, I conduct a case study over the course of eight months via a series of face to face, facetime, skype and email interviews. Each of these students, through earning high test scores in high school, forego first year composition and move directly to entry level discipline specific courses. Using third generation activity theory as a lens (Engestr(&)#246;m, 1996, 1999, 2001; Roth and Lee, 2007; Russell, 1995, 1997; Kain and Wardle, 2002), I examine these students' understanding of what they have experienced in high school writing(-)specifically high school English class(-)what they think college writing will demand, and finally what, in fact, they find the college writing demands to be. Not only do I find that each of the students felt very prepared for the demands they will encounter, but they remained confident. The study does, however, illuminate unforeseen challenges for both students and those who teach them: student literate lives are incredibly complex, and there is a real potential for a writing gap between formal writing instruction and when students will engage in intensive discipline writing tasks.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006933, ucf:51636
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006933

Title: Trace Contaminant Control: An In-Depth Study of a Silica-Titania Composite for Photocatalytic Remediation of Closed-Environment Habitat Air.
Creator: Coutts, Janelle, Yestrebsky, Cherie, Clausen, Christian, Sigman, Michael, Elsheimer, Seth, Wheeler, Raymond, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This collection of studies focuses on a photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) system for the oxidation of a model compound, ethanol (EtOH), using an adsorption-enhanced silica-titania composite (STC) as the photocatalyst. Studies are aimed at addressing the optimization of various parameters including light source, humidity, temperature, and possible poisoning events for use as part of a system for gaseous trace contaminant control in closed-environment habitats.The first goal was to distinguish the...
Show moreThis collection of studies focuses on a photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) system for the oxidation of a model compound, ethanol (EtOH), using an adsorption-enhanced silica-titania composite (STC) as the photocatalyst. Studies are aimed at addressing the optimization of various parameters including light source, humidity, temperature, and possible poisoning events for use as part of a system for gaseous trace contaminant control in closed-environment habitats.The first goal was to distinguish the effect of photon flux (i.e., photons per unit time reaching a surface) from that of photon energy (i.e., wavelength) of a photon source on the PCO of ethanol. Experiments were conducted in a bench-scale annular reactor packed with STC pellets and irradiated with either a UV-A fluorescent black light blue lamp (?peak = 365 nm) at its maximum light intensity or a UV-C germicidal lamp (?peak = 254 nm) at three levels of light intensity. The STC-catalyzed oxidation of ethanol was found to follow zero-order kinetics with respect to CO2 production, regardless of the photon source. Increased photon flux led to increased EtOH removal, mineralization, and oxidation rate accompanied by lower intermediate concentration in the effluent. The oxidation rate was higher in the reactor irradiated by UV-C than by UV-A (38.4 vs. 31.9 nM s-1) at the same photon flux, with similar trends for mineralization (53.9 vs. 43.4%) and photonic efficiency (63.3 vs. 50.1 nmol CO2 (&)#181;mol photons-1). UV-C irradiation also led to decreased intermediate concentration in the effluent compared to UV-A irradiation. These results demonstrated that STC-catalyzed oxidation is enhanced by both increased photon flux and photon energy.The effect of temperature and relative humidity on the STC-catalyzed degradation of ethanol was also determined using the UV-A light source at its maximum intensity. Increasing temperature from 25(&)deg;C to 65(&)deg;C caused a significant decrease in ethanol adsorption (47.1% loss in adsorption capacity); minimal changes in EtOH removal; and a dramatic increase in mineralization (37.3 vs. 74.8%), PCO rate (25.8 vs. 53.2 nM s-1), and photonic efficiency (42.7 vs. 82.5 nmol CO2 (&)#181;mol photons-1); as well as a decrease in intermediate acetaldehyde (ACD) evolution in the effluent. By elevating the reactor temperature to 45(&)deg;C, an ~32% increase in photonic efficiency was obtained over the use of UV-C irradiation at room temperature. Increasing the reactor temperature also allowed for increased energy usage efficiency by utilizing both the light and heat energy of the UV-A light source. Higher relative humidity (RH) also caused a significant decrease (16.8 vs. 6.0 mg EtOH g STC-1) in ethanol adsorption and dark adsorption 95% breakthrough times (48.5 vs.16.8 hours). Trends developed for ethanol adsorption correlated well with studies using methanol as the target VOC on a molar basis. At higher RH, ethanol removal and ACD evolution were increased while mineralization, PCO rate, and photonic efficiency were decreased. These studies allowed for the development of empirical formulas to approximate EtOH removal, PCO rate, mineralization, and ACD evolution based on the parameters (light intensity, temperature, and RH) assessed.Poisoning events included long-term exposure to low-VOC laboratory air and episodic spikes of either Freon 218 or hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane. To date, all poisoning studies have shown minimal (0-6%) decreases in PCO rates, mineralization, and minimal increases in ACD evolution, with little change in EtOH removal. These results show great promise for this technology as part of a trace contaminant control system for niche applications such as air processing onboard the ISS or other new spacecrafts.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005092, ucf:50741
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005092

Title: Effects of weaning age on body composition and growth of ex situ California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups.
Creator: Davis, Brandon, Worthy, Graham, Hinkle, Ross, Nolan, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Pinnipeds exhibit a wide range of lactation strategies that vary from just a few days to nearly three years in duration. Phocids have a relatively short, intense nursing period culminating with weaning after just a few days or weeks, while dependent otariids generally take several months of consuming a combined milk and solid food diet before being completely independent. The transition to nutritional independence can be particularly challenging for newly weaned pups, which must adjust to...
Show morePinnipeds exhibit a wide range of lactation strategies that vary from just a few days to nearly three years in duration. Phocids have a relatively short, intense nursing period culminating with weaning after just a few days or weeks, while dependent otariids generally take several months of consuming a combined milk and solid food diet before being completely independent. The transition to nutritional independence can be particularly challenging for newly weaned pups, which must adjust to behavioral, physiological and nutritional changes as a milk diet is replaced with solid food. An interruption in energy resources during this formative stage could result in a prioritization away from growth, maintenance, or activity resulting in suboptimal development.Three groups of ex situ California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups were examined during the initial period of independence after they were weaned at approximately five, seven, and nine months of age. Absolute growth rates of pups were calculated and changes in body composition were estimated using blubber depth measurements and deuterium oxide dilution to determine if weaning age had an effect on subsequent pup development and growth. Blood urea nitrogen and blood glucose levels were observed for their response to changes in body condition, while thyroid hormone levels in the blood were examined as a possible nutritional stress indicator during the pup's transition to solid food.When compared to in situ pups, the 5 month old pups in the present study had significantly greater body mass (39.6 (&)#177; 1.6 kg, p(<) 0.01), axillary girth (85.3 (&)#177; 2.9 cm, p(<) 0.01), and axillary blubber depth (2.3 (&)#177; 0.1 cm, p(<) 0.01) compared to 5 month old in situ pups (26.6 (&)#177; 5.2 kg / 70.6 (&)#177; 5.34 cm / 1.5 (&)#177; 0.2 cm). Nine month old ex situ pups had significantly greater axillary blubber depth (3.7 (&)#177; 0.9 cm, p(<) 0.01) and total body lipid percentage (24.9 (&)#177; 4.7%, p= 0.01) than in situ pups (1.5 (&)#177; 0.2 cm / 17.1 (&)#177; 4.9%). Although all pups in the present study survived the transition to solid food, there were apparent differences in how the different age groups responded physiologically. The five month old pups began the switch to solid food with the lowest overall blubber depth (2.6 (&)#177; 0.9 cm) and experienced the greatest change in body mass (-8.5 (&)#177; 1.6 kg) and composition while taking the longest to begin physiological recovery (31.7 (&)#177; 1.2 d). In contrast, the 9 month old pups entered the transition with more energy reserves (24.9 (&)#177; 4.7% TBL), began consuming solid food sooner (16.3 (&)#177; 0.6 d), and were able to utilize reserves more efficiently to minimize loss and promote faster growth.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005598, ucf:50259
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005598

Title: Let Me Tell You About Homestuck: The Online Production of Place.
Creator: Short, Jennifer, Hubbard, Susan, Kesler, Russ, Rushin, Pat, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis investigates the potential for the online production of place, specifically as it applies to the host site for the Homestuck web comic, MS Paint Adventures, and its attendant fandom. The proliferation of digital environments such as video games, web sites, and chat rooms has led to numerous opportunities for the study of online spaces and the numerous practices that take place within them. The lack of physical location in online spaces can, however, make it difficult to...
Show moreThis thesis investigates the potential for the online production of place, specifically as it applies to the host site for the Homestuck web comic, MS Paint Adventures, and its attendant fandom. The proliferation of digital environments such as video games, web sites, and chat rooms has led to numerous opportunities for the study of online spaces and the numerous practices that take place within them. The lack of physical location in online spaces can, however, make it difficult to conceptualize of a web site as real, a problem that has often led researchers to develop new theories of space that do not rely on material places. This thesis was inspired by questions about the potential for the production of online place, and how and to what extent this operation can be studied through the application of a theory of place. Applying Certeau's theory of place from The Practice of Everyday Life this thesis theorizes the operations through which Andrew Hussie created MS Paint Adventures as a habitable place. Hussie accomplishes this through the generation and maintenance of authority, the creation of stable and ordered elements, and the establishment of the "proper," the rules and reality that govern the site. In addition, I theorize about the space that MS Paint Adventures as a place attempts to create, a space where readers are encouraged and enabled to engage with the web comic Homestuck and with each other through meaningful online interaction, and about the ways in which the site can be, and is, inhabited. Ultimately, I explore the extent to which web sites, though lacking physical location, can be fairly and logically conceived of, and therefore examined as, habitable places.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005416, ucf:50424
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005416

composition (12)	+ -
composite (9)	+ -
pedagogy (5)	+ -
composites (4)	+ -
graphene (4)	+ -

first-year composition (3)	+ -
rhetoric (3)	+ -
writing (3)	+ -
ANSYS (2)	+ -
Basalt Fiber (2)	+ -
Ceramic Composites (2)	+ -
Composites (2)	+ -
Composition (2)	+ -
FRP (2)	+ -
Finite Element Analysis (2)	+ -
MMC (2)	+ -
agency (2)	+ -
alumina (2)	+ -
asteroids (2)	+ -
carbon fiber (2)	+ -
coating (2)	+ -
composition pedagogy (2)	+ -
discourse (2)	+ -
fatigue (2)	+ -
graphene oxide (2)	+ -
interaction (2)	+ -
memoir (2)	+ -
metal matrix composite (2)	+ -
metaphor (2)	+ -
piezospectroscopy (2)	+ -

ETD Collection (72)	+ -
Honors Collection (7)	+ -

University of Central Florida (79)	+ -
Gou, Jihua (14)	+ -
Raghavan, Seetha (8)	+ -
Zhai, Lei (7)	+ -
Mackie, Kevin (6)	+ -

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Roozen, Kevin (4)	+ -
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An, Linan (3)	+ -
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