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Title: A Dynamic Enrollment Simulation Model for Planning and Decision-Making in a University.
Creator: Robledo, Luis, Sepulveda, Jose, Kincaid, John, Armacost, Robert, Archer, Sandra, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Decision support systems for university management have had limited improvement in the incorporation of new cutting-edge techniques. Most decision-makers use traditional forecasting methods to base their decisions in order to maintain financially affordable programs and keep universities competitive for the last few decades. Strategic planning for universities has always been related to enrollment revenues, and operational expenses. Enrollment models in use today are able to represent...
Show moreDecision support systems for university management have had limited improvement in the incorporation of new cutting-edge techniques. Most decision-makers use traditional forecasting methods to base their decisions in order to maintain financially affordable programs and keep universities competitive for the last few decades. Strategic planning for universities has always been related to enrollment revenues, and operational expenses. Enrollment models in use today are able to represent forecasting based on historical data, considering usual variables like student headcount, student credit, among others. No consideration is given to students' preferences. Retention models, associated to enrollment, deal with average retention times leaving off preferences as well.Preferences play a major role at institutions where students are not required to declare their intentions (major) immediately. Even if they do, they may change it if they find another, more attractive major, or they may even decide to leave college for external reasons.Enrollment models have been identified to deal with three main purposes: prediction of income from tuition (in-state, out-of-state), planning of future courses and curriculum, and allocation of resources to academic departments, This general perspective does not provide useful information to faculty and Departments for detailed planning and allocation of resources for the next term or year. There is a need of new metrics to help faculty and Departments to reach a detailed and useful level in order to effectively plan this allocation of resources. The dynamics in the rate-of-growth, the preferences students have for certain majors at a specific point of time, or economic hardship make a difference when decisions have to be made for budgets requests, hiring of faculty, classroom assignment, parking, transportation, or even building new facilities. Existing models do not make difference between these variables.This simulation model is a hybrid model that considers the use of System Dynamics, Discrete-event and Agent-based simulation, which allows the representation of the general enrollment process at the University level (strategic decisions), and enrollment, retention and major selection at the College (tactical decisions) and Department level (operational decisions). This approach allows lower level to more accurately predict the number of students retained for next term or year, while allowing upper levels to decide on new students to admit (first time in college and transfers) and results in recommendations on faculty hiring, class or labs assignment, and resource allocation.This model merges both high and low levels of student's enrollment models into one application, allowing not only representation of the current overall enrollment, but also prediction at the College and Department level. This provides information on optimal classroom assignments, faculty and student resource allocation.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005055, ucf:49970
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005055

Title: The Prologue Past.
Creator: McKee, Raymond, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, Rushin, Pat, Roney, Lisa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Prologue Past is a collection of four essays and one novella which explore the past in different fashions. Memory, and the ability to reflect and find meaning in our experiences, is an important cornerstone of engaging the past. Memories are a true anomaly of how our inner-consciousness operates. With each day, the past facilitates a special part of our memory bank which we seldom have any control of. While the abilities of people to recall times, events, places, and experiences differ...
Show moreThe Prologue Past is a collection of four essays and one novella which explore the past in different fashions. Memory, and the ability to reflect and find meaning in our experiences, is an important cornerstone of engaging the past. Memories are a true anomaly of how our inner-consciousness operates. With each day, the past facilitates a special part of our memory bank which we seldom have any control of. While the abilities of people to recall times, events, places, and experiences differ largely in capacity, we all undoubtedly share universal traits in the manner in which we hold onto our memories. I'm personally fascinated by the notion of unreliable memory or the inability to recall a past event in a concrete moment in time. I'm equally intrigued by what's tied to our most vivid recollections of the past, involving adrenaline and emotion. My exploration of memory(-)and how it's ascertained and utilized(-)is based on certain moments in my life presented in these personal stories, which range from childhood endeavors to adult conquests, seemingly linked together through particular themes of fear, loss, and hope.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005530, ucf:50306
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005530

Title: NEW ORGANIC/INORGANIC HYBRID SOL-GEL NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR RAMAN GAIN IN FIBER OPTICS.
Creator: Andrasik, Stephen James, Belfield, Kevin D., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACTThe recent increased availability of additional wavelengths in the telecommunications window of about 1300-1600 nm has generated an interest in new optical materials and devices that can operate outside the normally used regions of 840 nm, 1310 nm, and 1550 nm. Specifically, methods to amplify fiber optical data transmission in the regions where there is limited or no existing methods to achieve amplification is of interest in the chemistry and photonic communities. Raman gain is one...
Show moreABSTRACTThe recent increased availability of additional wavelengths in the telecommunications window of about 1300-1600 nm has generated an interest in new optical materials and devices that can operate outside the normally used regions of 840 nm, 1310 nm, and 1550 nm. Specifically, methods to amplify fiber optical data transmission in the regions where there is limited or no existing methods to achieve amplification is of interest in the chemistry and photonic communities. Raman gain is one method that has been proposed to passively amplify optical data transmission through a distributed process. Amplification is obtained through a nonlinear light scattering process where an optical wave is amplified at the expense of a higher frequency pump wave. Multiple wavelengths can be evenly amplified simultaneously in a desired region by specific selection of one or more pump wavelengths. Herein, the synthesis and characterization of new hybrid inorganic/organic sol-gels and monomers capable of producing broad wavelength Raman scattering over a spectral range of 1200-1670 nm are presented. The synthetic methodology developed facilitates the systematic approach to produce sol-gel derivatives with functional groups known to be strongly Raman scattering. Additionally, a method to synthesize and characterize a large number of different compounds using a combinatorial approach was demonstrated. Thio based derivatives of sulfonyldiphenol, isopropylidenediphenol, and triallyloxy triazine were synthesized in addition to thio derivatives of poly(hydroxystyrene). Micro-Raman spectra of the hybrid sol-gels, thio-based derivatives, and IR spectra of select sol-gel monomers were obtained.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000028, ucf:46094
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000028

Title: A NEW HYBRID DIFFRACTIVE PHOTO-MASK TECHNOLOGY.
Creator: Sung, Jin Won, Johnson, Eric, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In the field of photolithography for micro-chip manufacturing, the photo-mask is used to print desired patterns on a proper photo-resist on wafer. The most common type of photo-mask is binary amplitude mask made an opaque layer of chrome. The principle and potential application of hybrid photo-mask with diffractive phase element and binary amplitude is presented in this dissertation paper from both numerical modeling and experimental research. The first important application is the...
Show moreIn the field of photolithography for micro-chip manufacturing, the photo-mask is used to print desired patterns on a proper photo-resist on wafer. The most common type of photo-mask is binary amplitude mask made an opaque layer of chrome. The principle and potential application of hybrid photo-mask with diffractive phase element and binary amplitude is presented in this dissertation paper from both numerical modeling and experimental research. The first important application is the characterization of aberration in the stepper system using hybrid diffractive photo-mask. By utilizing multiple diffractive illumination conditions, it is possible to characterize Zernike wave front aberration coefficients up to any desired order. And, the second application is the use of binary phase grating mask for analog micro-optics fabrication. This approach of using binary phase grating mask for fabricating analog micro-optics turned out to be a very effective alternative for gray-scale mask technology. Since this is a pure phase only mask, it doesn't cause any scattered noise light like half-tone mask and it results in smooth desired resist profile. The benefits and limitations of hybrid diffractive photo-mask approach for both applications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000350, ucf:46296
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000350

Title: HIGH TEMPERATURE PACKAGING FOR WIDE BANDGAP SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES.
Creator: Grummel, Brian, Shen, Z. John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Currently, wide bandgap semiconductor devices feature increased efficiency, higher current handling capabilities, and higher reverse blocking voltages than silicon devices while recent fabrication advances have them drawing near to the marketplace. However these new semiconductors are in need of new packaging that will allow for their application in several important uses including hybrid electrical vehicles, new and existing energy sources, and increased efficiency in multiple new and...
Show moreCurrently, wide bandgap semiconductor devices feature increased efficiency, higher current handling capabilities, and higher reverse blocking voltages than silicon devices while recent fabrication advances have them drawing near to the marketplace. However these new semiconductors are in need of new packaging that will allow for their application in several important uses including hybrid electrical vehicles, new and existing energy sources, and increased efficiency in multiple new and existing technologies. Also, current power module designs for silicon devices are rife with problems that must be enhanced to improve reliability. This thesis introduces new packaging that is thermally resilient and has reduced mechanical stress from temperature rise that also provides increased circuit lifetime and greater reliability for continued use to 300°C which is within operation ratings of these new semiconductors. The new module is also without problematic wirebonds that lead to a majority of traditional module failures which also introduce parasitic inductance and increase thermal resistance. Resultantly, the module also features a severely reduced form factor in mass and volume.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002482, ucf:47690
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002482

Title: INTERCONNECTION, INTERFACE AND INSTRUMENTATION FOR MICROMACHINED CHEMICAL SENSORS.
Creator: Palsandram, Naveenkumar, Sundaram, Kalpathy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In realizing a portable chemical analysis system, adequate partitioning of a reusable component and a disposable is required. For successful implementation of micromachined sensors in an instrument, reliable methods for interconnection and interface are in great demand between these two major parts. This thesis work investigates interconnection methods of micromachined chip devices, a hybrid fluidic interface system, and measurement circuitry for completing instrumentation. The...
Show moreIn realizing a portable chemical analysis system, adequate partitioning of a reusable component and a disposable is required. For successful implementation of micromachined sensors in an instrument, reliable methods for interconnection and interface are in great demand between these two major parts. This thesis work investigates interconnection methods of micromachined chip devices, a hybrid fluidic interface system, and measurement circuitry for completing instrumentation. The interconnection method based on micromachining and injection molding techniques was developed and an interconnecting microfluidic package was designed, fabricated and tested. Alternatively, a plug-in type design for a large amount of sample flow was designed and demonstrated. For the hybrid interface, sequencing of the chemical analysis was examined and accordingly, syringe containers, a peristaltic pump and pinch valves were assembled to compose a reliable meso-scale fluidic control unit. A potentiostat circuit was modeled using a simulation tool. The simulated output showed its usability toward three-electrode electrochemical microsensors. Using separately fabricated microsensors, the final instrument with two different designs--flow-through and plug-in type was tested for chlorine detection in water samples. The chemical concentration of chlorine ions could be determined from linearly dependent current signals from the instrument.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000673, ucf:46516
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000673

Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL INTERACTOR/SUBSTRATE FOR THE PRO-APOPTOTIC SERINE PROTEASE OMI/HTRA2.
Creator: Stratico, Valerie Anne, Zervos, Antonis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Omi/HtrA2 is a highly conserved mammalian serine protease that belongs to the HtrA family of proteins. Omi shares homology with the bacterially expressed heat shock protease HtrA, which functions as a protease at higher temperatures and a chaperone at lower temperatures. Additionally, Omi shares sequence similarity with the mammalian homologs L56/HtrA1 and PRSP/HtrA3. Omi was first isolated as an interacting protein of Mxi2, an alternatively spliced form of the p38 stress-activated kinase,...
Show moreOmi/HtrA2 is a highly conserved mammalian serine protease that belongs to the HtrA family of proteins. Omi shares homology with the bacterially expressed heat shock protease HtrA, which functions as a protease at higher temperatures and a chaperone at lower temperatures. Additionally, Omi shares sequence similarity with the mammalian homologs L56/HtrA1 and PRSP/HtrA3. Omi was first isolated as an interacting protein of Mxi2, an alternatively spliced form of the p38 stress-activated kinase, using a modified yeast two-hybrid system. Omi localizes in the mitochondria and in response to apoptotic stimuli the mature form of this protein translocates to the cytoplasm. In the cytoplasm Omi participates in both the caspase-dependent as well as caspase-independent apoptosis. Additionally, recent studies suggest that Omi may have another unique function, maintaining homeostasis within the mitochondria. In an effort to further elucidate the function of Omi, a yeast two-hybrid screening was performed to isolate novel interacting proteins. This screening identified a novel protein (HOPS), as a specific interactor of Omi. The predicted amino acid sequence of this protein does not provide any information about its potential function in mammalian cells. However, experiments show that HOPS is cleaved in vitro by Omi. Furthermore, in response to apoptotic stimuli, HOPS is also degraded in vivo. This study suggests that HOPS could be a physiological substrate of Omi that is cleaved and removed during apoptosis.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000144, ucf:46161
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000144

Title: THE SOCIOPOLITICAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE AND LITERARY REPRESENTATIONS OF THE BIRACIAL SUBJECT.
Creator: Fontenot, Kara, Casmier-Paz, Lynn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Twentieth-century American literature incorporates interracial and biracial themes that bring to light the often unnamed and unrecognized biracial identities of many Americans. Unfortunately, despite the potential value for a deeper understanding of the construction of race, these themes have seldom been seriously considered in the context of reevaluating the nature of the system that creates racial labels and categories until the recent emergence of postmodern critical theories. This thesis...
Show moreTwentieth-century American literature incorporates interracial and biracial themes that bring to light the often unnamed and unrecognized biracial identities of many Americans. Unfortunately, despite the potential value for a deeper understanding of the construction of race, these themes have seldom been seriously considered in the context of reevaluating the nature of the system that creates racial labels and categories until the recent emergence of postmodern critical theories. This thesis examines the black-white interracial themes and biracial protagonists in Nella Larsen's Quicksand (1928) and Danzy Senna's Caucasia (1998) in order to explore the texts' representations of systems of hegemonic power that create racial labels and categories. I discuss the binary sociopolitical construction of race in the United States (black-white) and the complexity of biracial identities as a foundation for my examination of literary representations of biracial subjectivity, racial passing, primitive exoticism, and the intersections between race, class and gender. I conclude that a study of the interracial theme in literature is a dive into the chasm between margin and center, the enunciative split between the binary racial signifiers black and white. Therefore, representations of biracial subjectivity provide a unique vantage point for surveillance of the complexities of the human struggle to gain and maintain power.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001361, ucf:46976
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001361

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: Golden Years.
Creator: Malik, Sienna, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, Stanfill, Mel, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Golden Years is the culmination of the author's studies in Creative Nonfiction writing, with attention to hybrid forms of the genre, combined with her professional background in screenwriting, and research interests in nostalgia and cultural preservation in the modern age. In the collection of essays, the author blends established forms of Creative Nonfiction, such as the braided essay, with literary conventions borrowed from other forms of written communication, such as the screenplay (("...
Show moreGolden Years is the culmination of the author's studies in Creative Nonfiction writing, with attention to hybrid forms of the genre, combined with her professional background in screenwriting, and research interests in nostalgia and cultural preservation in the modern age. In the collection of essays, the author blends established forms of Creative Nonfiction, such as the braided essay, with literary conventions borrowed from other forms of written communication, such as the screenplay ((")You Must Remember This,(") (")Driver's Seat(")), the cookbook ((")Tip of my Tongue(")), a travel guide ((")A Trolley Runs Through It(")) and fabulist fiction ((")Selkie on the Shore(")). Through these hybrid forms, Golden Years explores the narrator's fascinations with music, cinema, and fashions of the past, with crafting the perfect pot of vegetarian chili, and with marine mammals. Through the blending of personal essay with cultural criticism, the author explores how these loves have shaped her relationship with the world around her.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007344, ucf:52128
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007344

Title: Hibridaci(&)#243;n y subversi(&)#243;n de arquetipos femeninos latinoamericanos en Alfonsina Storni, Gabriela Mistral y Silvina Ocampo.
Creator: Ladino, Aned, Izquierdo Jimenez, Lucas, Lopez, Humberto, Nalbone, Lisa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Social, political, and economic transformations contributed to redefine gender roles at the beginning of the twentieth century. In Latin America, Alfonsina Storni (1889-1938), Gabriela Mistral (1892-1957) and Silvina Ocampo (1906-1993) produced a hybrid narrative that challenged heteronormative conventions. In dialogue with a global realignment, they advocated for the rights of mestiza, indigenous, and working class subjects. This thesis proposes that the authors participated in a worldwide...
Show moreSocial, political, and economic transformations contributed to redefine gender roles at the beginning of the twentieth century. In Latin America, Alfonsina Storni (1889-1938), Gabriela Mistral (1892-1957) and Silvina Ocampo (1906-1993) produced a hybrid narrative that challenged heteronormative conventions. In dialogue with a global realignment, they advocated for the rights of mestiza, indigenous, and working class subjects. This thesis proposes that the authors participated in a worldwide transformation that established women as historical agents. The research incorporates poems, essays, and short stories to map the emergence of independent, clever, and ambiguous models of femininity. They deployed traditional archetypes, such as the Virgin Mary, and modern subjectivities to contest the social norms that underpin patriarchy. Storni, Mistral, and Ocampo transgressed and redefined social hierarchies inherited from intellectual elites representing underprivileged populations. We observe a crosspollination of journalism and literature that includes corporeal and mystical elements. These authors actively fought for gender equality and became influential cultural producers. Mistral, for instance, was the first Latin American writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Their achievements inspire and encourage contemporary Latino women to challenge social norms and become cultural producers.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007758, ucf:52383
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007758

Title: Rethinking Routing and Peering in the era of Vertical Integration of Network Functions.
Creator: Dey, Prasun, Yuksel, Murat, Wang, Jun, Ewetz, Rickard, Zhang, Wei, Hasan, Samiul, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Content providers typically control the digital content consumption services and are getting the most revenue by implementing an (")all-you-can-eat(") model via subscription or hyper-targeted advertisements. Revamping the existing Internet architecture and design, a vertical integration where a content provider and access ISP will act as unibody in a sugarcane form seems to be the recent trend. As this vertical integration trend is emerging in the ISP market, it is questionable if existing...
Show moreContent providers typically control the digital content consumption services and are getting the most revenue by implementing an (")all-you-can-eat(") model via subscription or hyper-targeted advertisements. Revamping the existing Internet architecture and design, a vertical integration where a content provider and access ISP will act as unibody in a sugarcane form seems to be the recent trend. As this vertical integration trend is emerging in the ISP market, it is questionable if existing routing architecture will suffice in terms of sustainable economics, peering, and scalability. It is expected that the current routing will need careful modifications and smart innovations to ensure effective and reliable end-to-end packet delivery. This involves new feature developments for handling traffic with reduced latency to tackle routing scalability issues in a more secure way and to offer new services at cheaper costs. Considering the fact that prices of DRAM or TCAM in legacy routers are not necessarily decreasing at the desired pace, cloud computing can be a great solution to manage the increasing computation and memory complexity of routing functions in a centralized manner with optimized expenses. Focusing on the attributes associated with existing routing cost models and by exploring a hybrid approach to SDN, we also compare recent trends in cloud pricing (for both storage and service) to evaluate whether it would be economically beneficial to integrate cloud services with legacy routing for improved cost-efficiency. In terms of peering, using the US as a case study, we show the overlaps between access ISPs and content providers to explore the viability of a future in terms of peering between the new emerging content-dominated sugarcane ISPs and the healthiness of Internet economics. To this end, we introduce meta-peering, a term that encompasses automation efforts related to peering (-) from identifying a list of ISPs likely to peer, to injecting control-plane rules, to continuous monitoring and notifying any violation (-) one of the many outcroppings of vertical integration procedure which could be offered to the ISPs as a standalone service.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007797, ucf:52351
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007797

Title: Split Aptameric Turn-On Fluorescence Sensor for Detection of Sequence Specific Nucleic Acid.
Creator: Kikuchi, Nanami, Kolpashchikov, Dmitry, Zhai, Lei, Chumbimuni Torres, Karin, Chen, Gang, Teter, Kenneth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) enable sensitive detection of low density infections that microscopy and rapid diagnostic test are not capable of detecting. They enable quantitative and qualitative nucleic acid detection, genotype analysis, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection. Current state of the art molecular probes used with NAATs includes molecular beacon (MB), Taqman and its variations. This work presents novel molecular probe designed from Spinach and Dapoxyl...
Show moreNucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) enable sensitive detection of low density infections that microscopy and rapid diagnostic test are not capable of detecting. They enable quantitative and qualitative nucleic acid detection, genotype analysis, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection. Current state of the art molecular probes used with NAATs includes molecular beacon (MB), Taqman and its variations. This work presents novel molecular probe designed from Spinach and Dapoxyl aptamers. The aptamers are split into two parts (split aptamer), allowing greater sensitivity and selectivity towards fully complementary nucleic acid analyte. The major advantage of split aptamer probe over state-of-the-art fluorescent probes is its high selectivity: in the presence of a single base mismatched analyte, it produces only background fluorescence, even at room temperature. SSA is a promising tool for label-free analysis of nucleic acids at ambient temperatures.Split spinach aptamer (SSA) probes and split dapoxyl aptamer (SDA) for fluorescent analysis of nucleic acids were designed and tested. In both split aptamer design, two RNA or RNA/DNA or DNA strands hybridized to a specific nucleic acid analyte and formed a binding site for fluorescent dye, which was accompanied by up to 270-fold and 69-fold increase in fluorescence. SSAr consisted entirely of ribonucleotides which potentially be expressed in live cells and used for imaging of specific mRNAs. For in vitro RNA/DNA analysis, SDA consisting of entirely DNA are preferable due to greater chemical stability, lower synthetic cost and reduced ability to form intramolecular structures. Additionally, we designed two DNA strands that function as an adapter for SSA and demonstrated how a single universal spinach aptamer (USSA) probe can be used to detect multiple (potentially any) nucleic acid sequences. USSA can be used for cost-efficient and highly selective analysis of even folded DNA and RNA analytes, as well as for the readout of outputs of DNA logic circuits.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007031, ucf:51976
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007031

Title: (UN)NATURAL BODIES, ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND EMBODIED OTHERS IN MARGARET ATWOOD'S ORYX AND CRAKE.
Creator: Galbreath, Marcy, Murphy, Patrick, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The developing knowledge of life sciences is at the crux of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake as she examines human promise gone awry in a near-future dystopia. This thesis examines aspects of posthumanism, ecocriticism, and feminism in the novel's scientific, cultural, and environmental projections. Through the trope of extinction, Atwood's text foregrounds the effects of human exceptionalism and instrumentalism in relation to the natural world, and engenders an analysis of human...
Show moreThe developing knowledge of life sciences is at the crux of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake as she examines human promise gone awry in a near-future dystopia. This thesis examines aspects of posthumanism, ecocriticism, and feminism in the novel's scientific, cultural, and environmental projections. Through the trope of extinction, Atwood's text foregrounds the effects of human exceptionalism and instrumentalism in relation to the natural world, and engenders an analysis of human identity through its biological and cultural aspects. Extinction thus serves as a metaphor for both human development and human excesses, redefining the idea of human within the context of vulnerable species. Oryx and Crake reveals humanity's organic connections with non-human others through interspecies gene-splicing and the ensuing hybridity. In this perspective, Atwood's text provides a dialogue on humankind's alienation from the natural world and synchronic connections to the animal other, and poses timely questions for twenty-first century consumerism, globalism, and humanist approaches to nature. The loss of balance provoked by the apocalyptic situation in Oryx and Crake challenges commonplace attitudes toward beneficial progress. This imbalance signals the need for a new narrative: A consilient reimagining of humanity's role on earth as an integrated organism rather than an intellectual singularity.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003227, ucf:48552
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003227

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: PROCESSING, OPTIMIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FIRE RETARDANT POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES.
Creator: Zhuge, Jinfeng, Gou, Jihua, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Fiber reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC) have superior physical and mechanical properties, such as high specific strength, light weight, and good fatigue and corrosion resistance. They have become competitive engineering materials to replace conventional metallic materials in many important sectors of industry such as aircraft, naval constructions, ships, buildings, transportation, electrical and electronics components, and offshore structures. However, since FRPC contain polymer matrix,...
Show moreFiber reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC) have superior physical and mechanical properties, such as high specific strength, light weight, and good fatigue and corrosion resistance. They have become competitive engineering materials to replace conventional metallic materials in many important sectors of industry such as aircraft, naval constructions, ships, buildings, transportation, electrical and electronics components, and offshore structures. However, since FRPC contain polymer matrix, the polymer composites and their structures are combustible. FRPC will degrade, decompose, and sometimes yield toxic gases at high temperature or subject to fire conditions. The objective of this study is to design and optimize fire retardant nanopaper by utilizing the synergistic effects of different nanoparticles. A paper-making technique that combined carbon nanofiber, nanoclay, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, graphite nanoplatelet, and ammonium polyphosphate into self-standing nanopaper was developed. The fire retardant nanopaper was further incorporated into the polymer matrix, in conjunction with continuous fiber mats, through resin transfer molding process to improve fire retardant performance of structural composites. The morphology, thermal stability, and flammability of polymer composites coated with hybrid nanopaper were studied. The cone calorimeter test results indicated that the peak heat release rate of the composites coated with a CNF-clay nanopaper was reduced by 60.5%. The compact char material formed on the surface of the residues of the CNF-clay nanopaper was analyzed to understand the fire retardant mechanism of the nanopaper. The financial support from Office of Naval Research is acklowdged.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003151, ucf:48618
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003151

Title: Advanced castes at the outset of eusociality in wasps (Vespidae).
Creator: Piekarski, Patrick, Sharanowski, Barbara, Carpenter, James, Hoffman, Eric, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A dominating and widespread view is that evolutionary change is gradual and waits upon mutation. Likewise, it is thought that workers and queens of eusocial insects diverged gradually and stepwise. That is, rudimentary castes preceded advanced castes. This paradigm hinges on eusociality having evolved once in Vespidae, and primitively eusocial paper wasps lacking ontogenetic caste biasing (differentiation of castes during larval development). Using a phylogenomic approach this study shows...
Show moreA dominating and widespread view is that evolutionary change is gradual and waits upon mutation. Likewise, it is thought that workers and queens of eusocial insects diverged gradually and stepwise. That is, rudimentary castes preceded advanced castes. This paradigm hinges on eusociality having evolved once in Vespidae, and primitively eusocial paper wasps lacking ontogenetic caste biasing (differentiation of castes during larval development). Using a phylogenomic approach this study shows strong evidence for two origins of eusociality in vespid wasps, wherein one origin is likely characterized by the sudden appearance of castes with physiological, and perhaps even morphological, differences established before adulthood (i.e. advanced castes). Ontogenetic caste biasing was likely present at the outset of eusociality in the most recent common ancestor of paper wasps, yellowjackets and hornets. This suggests that the definitive, non-temporal castes of eusocial wasps evolved from interactions between mothers and daughters, rather than same generation females. These results challenge the idea that castes began with only rudimentary differences. A model of stepwise caste divergence, which assumes an independent mutation event for each phenotypic caste difference, is unwarranted. It is hypothesized that phenotypic plasticity and cryptic genetic variation may explain how some eusocial societies emerged, and began with advanced castes. The results suggest that evolution can produce alternative phenotypes with many aspects of the phenotype being discrete at the outset. Thus, the emergence and divergence of castes in eusocial vespids was not necessarily a gradual process.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006640, ucf:51240
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006640

Title: Evaluation of Intestinal Microbial Diversity and a New Antibiotic Regimen in Crohn's Disease Patients.
Creator: Alcedo, Karel, Naser, Saleh, Cheng, Zixi, Siddiqi, Shadab, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory bowel disease involving Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Other microorganisms such as adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) have also been proposed in CD association. To date, only one study investigated both MAP and AIEC simultaneously using peripheral blood but not in affected intestinal tissues. A standardized and effective antibiotic therapy against MAP and/or AIEC is needed for better treatment. Three...
Show moreCrohn's disease (CD) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory bowel disease involving Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Other microorganisms such as adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) have also been proposed in CD association. To date, only one study investigated both MAP and AIEC simultaneously using peripheral blood but not in affected intestinal tissues. A standardized and effective antibiotic therapy against MAP and/or AIEC is needed for better treatment. Three antibiotic drugs (-) Clarithromycin (CLA), Rifabutin (RIF), and Clofazimine (CLO) have been used to treat CD patients suspected with MAP infection. However, the outcome has been controversial. The treatment dosage is high, the duration is long, and the reported drug side effects resulted in patient non-compliance; therefore, a lower and effective drug dosage is needed. In this study, we developed two aims 1) to evaluate RHB 104, a drug formula comprised of low dosages of CLA, RIF, and CLO, against clinical MAP strains in-vitro using fluorescence quenching method, and 2) to develop a fluorescence in-situ hybridization method to detect both MAP and AIEC simultaneously in intestinal tissues of CD patients. A total of 16 clinical MAP strains and 19 non-MAP strains were tested against varied concentrations of RHB 104, CLA, RIF, and CLO. Although the MIC for all drugs ranged between 0.5-20 ?g/ml, the MIC for RHB 104 was significantly lower against most MAP strains. The effect of RHB 104 against MAP was bactericidal. Unlike RHB-104 formula, CLA, CLO, and RIF dosage similar to those in RHB-104 did not inhibit MAP growth when trialed individually and in dual-drug combinations. The data illustrated the presence of synergistic anti-MAP activity of low dosage of the three antibiotics in RHB-104. We also developed a rapid and sensitive multicolor in-situ hybridization technique that can detect MAP and AIEC using tagged-oligonucleotide probes. Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli (npEC) was used as a control for the study. Specifically, cultured MAP and npEC were fixed and hybridized with MAP488 and EC647 probes, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) revealed specific signals at 488nm for MAP and 647nm for npEC, indicating probe binding to each bacteria. This was confirmed with hybridization of MAP with EC647 and npEC with MAP488 resulting in absence of signals. Intestinal tissue samples from 9 CD patients were then analyzed using our technique. Preliminary data indicated positive results in 6/6 samples for MAP, 6/6 for npEC, 3/3 for AIEC, and 2/2 for both MAP and AIEC with MAP being more dominant. This protocol shortened the FISH procedure from multiple days to short-hours. The protocol allows the investigation of more than one pathogen simultaneously in the same clinical sample. A quantitative measurement of the signals is needed.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005917, ucf:50831
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005917

Title: INELASTIC DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR AND DESIGN OF HYBRID COUPLED WALL SYSTEMS.
Creator: Hassan, Mohamed Ali, El-Tawil, Sherif, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A key consideration in seismic design of buildings is to ensure that the lateral load resisting system has an appropriate combination of strength, stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. Hybrid coupled wall systems, in which steel beams are used to couple two or more reinforced concrete shear walls in series, can be designed to have these attributes and therefore have the potential to deliver good performance under severe seismic loading. This research presents an investigation of the...
Show moreA key consideration in seismic design of buildings is to ensure that the lateral load resisting system has an appropriate combination of strength, stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. Hybrid coupled wall systems, in which steel beams are used to couple two or more reinforced concrete shear walls in series, can be designed to have these attributes and therefore have the potential to deliver good performance under severe seismic loading. This research presents an investigation of the seismic behavior of this type of structural system. System response of 12- and 18-story high prototypes is studied using transient finite element analyses that accounts for the most important aspects of material nonlinear behavior including concrete cracking, tension stiffening, and compressive behavior for both confined and unconfined concrete as well as steel yielding. The developed finite element models are calibrated using more detailed models developed in previous research and are validated through numerous comparisons with test results of reinforced concrete walls and wall-beam subassemblages. Suites of transient inelastic analyses are conducted to investigate pertinent parameters including hazard level, earthquake record scaling, dynamic base shear magnification, interstory drift, shear distortion, coupling beam plastic rotation, and wall rotation. Different performance measures are proposed to judge and compare the behavior of the various systems. The analyses show that, in general, hybrid coupled walls are particularly well suited for use in regions of high seismic risk. The results of the dynamic analyses are used to judge the validity of and to refine a previously proposed design method based on the capacity design concept and the assumption of behavior dominated by the first vibration mode. The adequacy of design based on the pushover analysis procedure as promoted in FEMA-356 (2000) is also investigated using the dynamic analysis results. Substantial discrepancies between both methods are observed, especially in the case of the 18-story system. A critical assessment of dynamic base shear magnification is also conducted, and a new method for estimating its effects is suggested. The method is based on a modal combination procedure that accounts for presence of a plastic hinge at the wall base. Finally, the validity of limitations in FEMA-368 (2000) on building height, particularly for hybrid coupled wall systems, is discussed.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000047, ucf:46086
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000047

Title: USING THE YEAST TWO-HYBRID SYSTEM TO DETERMINE THE FUNCTION OF PARKIN E3 UBIQUITIN LIGASE.
Creator: Nguyen, Vanessa, Zervos, Antonis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Parkin is a cytosolic E3 ubiquitin ligase that is recruited to the mitochondria during cellular stress and has been suggested to be involved in a variety of biological processes such as mitophagy. The recruitment of Parkin (PARK2) to the mitochondria is dependent upon the kinase activity and the accumulation of PINK1 on damaged mitochondria. Mutations in either PINK1 or Parkin genes disrupt this protective pathway and lead to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria. From a clinical...
Show moreParkin is a cytosolic E3 ubiquitin ligase that is recruited to the mitochondria during cellular stress and has been suggested to be involved in a variety of biological processes such as mitophagy. The recruitment of Parkin (PARK2) to the mitochondria is dependent upon the kinase activity and the accumulation of PINK1 on damaged mitochondria. Mutations in either PINK1 or Parkin genes disrupt this protective pathway and lead to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria. From a clinical standpoint, mutations in the PARK2 gene have been associated with the progression and onset of autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism. Without the presence of a quality control system such as that of the PINK1/Parkin pathway, the accumulation of damaged mitochondria could lead to increased levels of oxidative stress, a decrease in ATP, and the progression towards cellular death. However, many of the details regarding the mechanism of Parkin-mediated ubiquitination and its involvement in mitophagy are not fully established. The intent of this thesis is to further explore the function of Parkin by utilizing the yeast-two hybrid system to identify novel Parkin interactors/substrates. A HeLa (cervical cell carcinoma) cDNA library was screened using Parkin124-465 as the "bait" protein. From this screening, six positive Parkin interactors were isolated and characterized. Using this approach it is possible to gain a better understanding of the function of Parkin in regulating cellular processes such as mitophagy.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004679, ucf:45269
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004679

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