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Pages
- Title
- Investigating the Influence of the Built Environment on Energy-Saving Behaviors.
- Creator
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Sellers, Brittany, Jentsch, Florian, Smither, Janan, Sims, Valerie, Fiore, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation addresses a gap in the existing sustainability behavior research, by integrating research from the social sciences about environmental attitudes and knowledge with approaches from engineering regarding the characteristics of the built environment. Specifically, this dissertation explores the role of both environmental knowledge and design features within the built environment on building occupants' energy behaviors throughout the course of an environmental conservation...
Show moreThis dissertation addresses a gap in the existing sustainability behavior research, by integrating research from the social sciences about environmental attitudes and knowledge with approaches from engineering regarding the characteristics of the built environment. Specifically, this dissertation explores the role of both environmental knowledge and design features within the built environment on building occupants' energy behaviors throughout the course of an environmental conservation campaign. Data were collected from 240 dormitory residents using a multi-phase questionnaire approach to study these factors and their combined impact within the context of environmental sustainability practices on UCF's campus. The results from a series of correlational and multiple regression analyses indicate that both the design components of the built environment and the attitudes held by individuals within that environment have a significant positive influence on behaviors. Furthermore, these findings indicated that this effect increases significantly when the two factors work together. Finally, the results show that pro- environmental attitudes and behaviors can be successfully targeted through a cue-based energy conservation campaign. By addressing a gap in the extant Human Factors research about the relationship between attitudinal factors and the built environment, this dissertation provides a unique contribution to the field and points the way towards development of promising solutions for encouraging sustainable behaviors.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006500, ucf:51387
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006500
- Title
- Turtle Cam: Live Multimedia Interaction For Engaging Potential Visitor Population To Canaveral National Seashore.
- Creator
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Tortorelli, Brian, Cabrera, Cheryl, Lindgren, Robb, Reedy, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This project expands the outreach of the Canaveral National Seashore to its visitors, potential visitors, and virtual visitors through its goals in conservancy and preservation of its natural resources. This paper is involved with the current iteration of a series of digital media projects, the Sea Turtle Nest Camera, also known as, Turtle Cam. It details how and why this project was designed to be an ongoing initiative to assist in those goals.
- Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004330, ucf:49446
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004330
- Title
- ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN SINGLE MOLECULE MAGNET TRANSISTORS AND OPTICAL LAMBDA TRANSITIONS IN THE NITROGEN-VACANCY CENTER IN DIAMOND.
- Creator
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Gonzalez, Gabriel, Leuenberger, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis presents some theoretical studies dealing with quantum interference effects in electron transport through single molecule magnet transistors and a study on optical non-conserving spin transitions in the Nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. The thesis starts with a brief general introduction to the physics of quantum transport through single electron transistors. Afterwards, the main body of the thesis is divided into three studies: (i) In chapter (2) we describe the properties of...
Show moreThis thesis presents some theoretical studies dealing with quantum interference effects in electron transport through single molecule magnet transistors and a study on optical non-conserving spin transitions in the Nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. The thesis starts with a brief general introduction to the physics of quantum transport through single electron transistors. Afterwards, the main body of the thesis is divided into three studies: (i) In chapter (2) we describe the properties of single molecule magnets and the Berry phase interference present in this nanomagnets. We then propose a way to detect quantum interference experimentally in the current of a single molecule magnet transistor using polarized leads. We apply our theoretical results to the newly synthesized nanomagnet Ni4. (ii) In chapter (3) we review the Kondo effect and present a microscopic derivation of the Kondo Hamiltonian suitable for full and half integer spin nanomagnets. We then calculate the conductance of the single molecule magnet transistor in the presence of the Kondo effect for Ni4 and show how the Berry phase interference becomes temperature dependent. (iii) We conclude in chapter (4) with a theoretical study of the single Nitrogen vacancy defect center in diamond. We show that it is possible to have spin non-conserving transitions via the hyperfine interaction and propose a way to write and read quantum information using circularly polarized light by means of optical Lambda transitions in this solid state system.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002740, ucf:48179
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002740
- Title
- ANALYSIS OF THE FLORIDAÂÂ'S SHOWCASE GREEN ENVIROHOME WATER/WASTEWATER SYSTEMS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A COST-BENEFIT GREEN ROOF OPTIMIZATION MODEL.
- Creator
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Rivera, Brian, Chang, Ni-Bin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The Florida Showcase Green Envirohome (FSGE) incorporates many green technologies. FSGE is built to meet or exceed 12 green building guidelines and obtain 8 green building certificates. The two-story 3292 ft2 home is a ÂÂ"Near Zero-Loss Home™ÂÂ", ÂÂ"Near Zero-Energy Home™ÂÂ", "Near Zero-Runoff Home™", and ÂÂ"Near Zero...
Show moreThe Florida Showcase Green Envirohome (FSGE) incorporates many green technologies. FSGE is built to meet or exceed 12 green building guidelines and obtain 8 green building certificates. The two-story 3292 ft2 home is a ÂÂ"Near Zero-Loss Home™ÂÂ", ÂÂ"Near Zero-Energy Home™ÂÂ", "Near Zero-Runoff Home™", and ÂÂ"Near Zero-Maintenance Home™ÂÂ". It is spawned from the consumer-driven necessity to build a home resistant to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fire, mold, termites, impacts, and even earthquakes given up to 500% increase in insurance premiums in natural disaster zones, the dwindling flexibility and coverage of insurance policies, and rising energy, water and maintenance costs (FSGE 2008). The FSGE captures its stormwater runoff from the green roof, metal roof and wood decking area and routes it to the sustainable water cistern. Graywater from the home (after being disinfected using ozone) is also routed to the sustainable water cistern. This water stored in the sustainable water cistern is used for irrigation of the green roof, ground level landscape, and for toilet flushing water. This study was done in two phases. During phase one, only stormwater runoff from the green roof, metal roof and wood decking area is routed to the sustainable water cistern. Then, during phase two, the water from the graywater system is added to the sustainable water cistern. The sustainable water cistern quality is analyzed during both phases to determine if the water is acceptable for irrigation and also if it is suitable for use as toilet flushing water. The water quality of the sustainable cistern is acceptable for irrigation. The intent of the home is to not pollute the environment, so as much nutrients as possible should be removed from the wastewater before it is discharged into the groundwater. Thus, the FSGE design is to evaluate a new on-site sewage treatment and disposal (OSTD) system which consists of a sorption media labeled as Bold and GoldTM filtration media. The Bold and GoldTM filtration media is a mixture of tire crumb and other materials. This new OSTD system has sampling ports through the system to monitor the wastewater quality as it passes through. Also, the effluent wastewater quality is compared to that of a conventional system on the campus of the University of Central Florida. The cost-benefit optimization model focused on designing a residential home which incorporated a green roof, cistern and graywater systems. This model had two forms, the base model and the grey linear model. The base model used current average cost of construction of materials and installation. The grey model used an interval for the cost of construction materials and green roof energy savings. Both models included a probabilistic term to describe the rainfall amount. The cost and energy operation of a typical Florida home was used as a case study for these models. Also, some of the parameters of the model were varied to determine their effect on the results. The modeling showed that the FSGE 4500 gallon cistern design was cost effective in providing irrigation water. Also, the green roof area could have been smaller to be cost effective, because the green roof cost is relatively much higher than the cost of a regular roof.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003297, ucf:48499
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003297
- Title
- Variation in Prospecting Behavior and Drivers of Post-Fire Habitat Preference Among Juvenile Florida Scrub-Jays.
- Creator
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Sherer, David, Bohlen, Patrick, Bowman, Reed, Jenkins, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens, FLSJ; federally Threatened) are cooperatively breeding birds endemic to Florida and dependent on fire-maintained xeric oak scrub. FLSJs are year-round residents, highly territorial, and rarely disperse far from their natal territory. Lifetime reproductive success is highest among individuals breeding in early-successional habitat, usually less than 9 to 10 years post-fire. However, because scrub burns infrequently such early-successional, high...
Show moreFlorida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens, FLSJ; federally Threatened) are cooperatively breeding birds endemic to Florida and dependent on fire-maintained xeric oak scrub. FLSJs are year-round residents, highly territorial, and rarely disperse far from their natal territory. Lifetime reproductive success is highest among individuals breeding in early-successional habitat, usually less than 9 to 10 years post-fire. However, because scrub burns infrequently such early-successional, high-quality habitat is extremely limited and competition for it as breeding space is likely intense. Because some birds live long enough to experience habitat succession, FLSJs also occupy later-successional overgrown scrub, even though both survival and fecundity decline. Although immigration rates into later-successional habitat decline, some birds settle there, perhaps to avoid competition. Prior to dispersal into new breeding territories, most non-breeders engage in pre-dispersal forays, which occur before and immediately after the breeding season. Because FLSJ territories occur across a gradient of post-fire succession, and young birds make frequent forays beyond their natal territories, and are highly visible while doing so, they are ideal models to test how individual and environmental factors drive habitat preference when exploring a post-fire mosaic. I investigated how individual behavioral phenotype, natal territory condition, and body condition relative to conspecifics influence extra-territorial foray behavior across a habitat mosaic that includes various time-since-fire (TSF) intervals. My study system was a population of individually marked FLSJs on 1,214-ha of managed scrub at Archbold Biological Station (Highlands County, Florida). I measured off-territory movements of 114 yearling birds in three annual cohorts and quantified habitat preference using fine-scale fire history records. These data, paired with behavioral assays and morphometric records for each individual FLSJ, allowed me to create and compare models of exploratory behavior underlying searching patterns during pre-breeding forays. My results indicate significant variation in habitat preference by individual FLSJs during forays, driven by an individual's behavioral phenotype and the TSF of its natal territory.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007864, ucf:52790
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007864
