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Pages
- Title
- Shape Recovery Behavior of Carbon Nanopaper Shape Memory Polymer Composite.
- Creator
-
Ozdemir, Veli Bugra, Kwok, Kawai, Gou, Jihua, Ghosh, Ranajay, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis presents analytical, experimental and modeling studies of the shape recovery behavior of electrically activated Carbon Nanopaper (CNP) Shape Memory Polymer (SMP)composite. The composite structure studied consists of a CNP layer sandwiched by two SMP layers where the CNP layer acts as a ?exible electrical heater when a voltage difference is applied. The behavior of CNP/SMP composite presents a coupled electrical - thermal - structural problem. The governing equations for the...
Show moreThis thesis presents analytical, experimental and modeling studies of the shape recovery behavior of electrically activated Carbon Nanopaper (CNP) Shape Memory Polymer (SMP)composite. The composite structure studied consists of a CNP layer sandwiched by two SMP layers where the CNP layer acts as a ?exible electrical heater when a voltage difference is applied. The behavior of CNP/SMP composite presents a coupled electrical - thermal - structural problem. The governing equations for the multiphysics behavior are derived. Derived parameters as a result of multiphysics analysis and effects of these parameters on the shape recovery behavior are investigated. The mechanical properties of the carbon nanopaper and viscoelastic properties of the shape memory polymer are characterized. A nonlinear, fully coupled electrical -thermal-structural ?nite element model is developed, and shape recovery experiments are carried out to validate multiphysics analysis and ?nite element model of the shape recovery of the CNP/SMP composite. Finite element model captures the general behavior of shape recovery, but overpredicts shape ?xity and shape recovery rate.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007700, ucf:52417
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007700
- Title
- The efficacy and feasibility of neuropsychological services in a primary care setting.
- Creator
-
Herring, Danielle, Paulson, Daniel, Sherod, Megan, Blaney, Cerissa, Cannarozzi, Maria, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Integrated primary care assimilates psychologists into the primary care setting, thus improving health outcomes and physician satisfaction. Neuropsychology has also begun to assimilate into primary care, as neurocognitive impairment is a correlate of many medical disorders. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a common complaint among older adults, is an increasingly recognized warning sign of non-normative cognitive aging. These patients typically present first to their primary care providers...
Show moreIntegrated primary care assimilates psychologists into the primary care setting, thus improving health outcomes and physician satisfaction. Neuropsychology has also begun to assimilate into primary care, as neurocognitive impairment is a correlate of many medical disorders. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a common complaint among older adults, is an increasingly recognized warning sign of non-normative cognitive aging. These patients typically present first to their primary care providers who may play a critical role in the early detection of cognitive impairment. Given the growing awareness about cognitive health and disability, the importance of neuropsychological assessment as a standard component of integrated care has been recognized by providers. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy and feasibility of neuropsychological services, for memory concerns, in a community primary care setting. The study also explored the relationship between SCD and performance on neurocognitive measures and satisfaction levels for both patient participants and medical providers. A total of 16 patient participants completed the study. On average, patients were in their late-60's and mostly female and Caucasian. Participants completed a brief interview, neurocognitive evaluation, self-report measures of SCD and mood, and satisfaction survey. Results did not reveal significant correlations between SCD and neurocognitive performance. Significantly more referrals were made to the onsite neurocognitive clinic, than were made for outside services in a nine-month period preceding the described program. Patients referred to the onsite clinic were also significantly more likely to have an accessible report located in their EMR than those referred offsite. Both participants and medical providers were reportedly satisfied with clinic services. Results suggest that a clinic of this nature has promising benefits and is well-liked by both patients and providers, though barriers related to full utilization of services remain a challenge. Further research with a larger, more diverse sample is recommended. ?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007653, ucf:52508
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007653
- Title
- Vision-Based Testbeds for Control System Applicaitons.
- Creator
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Sivilli, Robert, Xu, Yunjun, Gou, Jihua, Cho, Hyoung, Pham, Khanh, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In the field of control systems, testbeds are a pivotal step in the validation and improvement of new algorithms for different applications. They provide a safe, controlled environment typically having a significantly lower cost of failure than the final application. Vision systems provide nonintrusive methods of measurement that can be easily implemented for various setups and applications. This work presents methods for modeling, removing distortion, calibrating, and rectifying single and...
Show moreIn the field of control systems, testbeds are a pivotal step in the validation and improvement of new algorithms for different applications. They provide a safe, controlled environment typically having a significantly lower cost of failure than the final application. Vision systems provide nonintrusive methods of measurement that can be easily implemented for various setups and applications. This work presents methods for modeling, removing distortion, calibrating, and rectifying single and two camera systems, as well as, two very different applications of vision-based control system testbeds: deflection control of shape memory polymers and trajectory planning for mobile robots. First, a testbed for the modeling and control of shape memory polymers (SMP) is designed. Red-green-blue (RGB) thresholding is used to assist in the webcam-based, 3D reconstruction of points of interest. A PID based controller is designed and shown to work with SMP samples, while state space models were identified from step input responses. Models were used to develop a linear quadratic regulator that is shown to work in simulation. Also, a simple to use graphical interface is designed for fast and simple testing of a series of samples. Second, a robot testbed is designed to test new trajectory planning algorithms. A template-based predictive search algorithm is investigated to process the images obtained through a low-cost webcam vision system, which is used to monitor the testbed environment. Also a user-friendly graphical interface is developed such that the functionalities of the webcam, robots, and optimizations are automated. The testbeds are used to demonstrate a wavefront-enhanced, B-spline augmented virtual motion camouflage algorithm for single or multiple robots to navigate through an obstacle dense and changing environment, while considering inter-vehicle conflicts, obstacle avoidance, nonlinear dynamics, and different constraints. In addition, it is expected that this testbed can be used to test different vehicle motion planning and control algorithms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004601, ucf:49187
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004601
- Title
- Entering Nam: A Comparative Study of the Entrance Experiences of Volunteer and Drafted Service Members into the Military During the Vietnam War.
- Creator
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Wilt, Ashley, Lester, Connie, Gannon, Barbara, Sacher, John, Walker, Ezekiel, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Many historians have conducted oral history interviews with Vietnam War veterans in an attempt to offer a more personal perspective to the study of the Vietnam War; however, most historians do not consciously differentiate between drafted and volunteer veterans. Identifying whether a veteran was drafted into service or volunteered is critical because the extent to which this service was voluntary or coerced may affect the way a veteran remembers his military service. By conducting oral...
Show moreMany historians have conducted oral history interviews with Vietnam War veterans in an attempt to offer a more personal perspective to the study of the Vietnam War; however, most historians do not consciously differentiate between drafted and volunteer veterans. Identifying whether a veteran was drafted into service or volunteered is critical because the extent to which this service was voluntary or coerced may affect the way a veteran remembers his military service. By conducting oral histories, one can consciously delineate service members who volunteered as opposed to those who were drafted to determine if the veterans' experiences change based on the nature of their entry into the military. Additionally, examining the implementation of a national draft and its effects on service members' experiences will offer a better understanding of American military history. While much of the attention of scholars has been on drafted soldiers in Vietnam, little research has been conducted on the experience of the volunteer soldier.This study relies on oral history interviews conducted with volunteer and drafted service members of the Vietnam War to determine if there were differences between draftees and volunteers based on their entrance into the military. The research and oral history interviews with the two veteran groups establishes that the dissent detailed by draft protesters was not always the case and service members, volunteers and draftees alike, more often than not accepted their military service. The interviewed veterans' responses suggest that resistance to military service during the Vietnam War may not have been as great as one might think given the attention that has been placed on the anti-draft movement.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004211, ucf:49025
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004211
- Title
- THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA HOME MOVIE ARCHIVE AND THE HARRIS ROSEN COLLECTION.
- Creator
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Niedermeyer, Michael, Gordon, Fon, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Since the invention of the cinema, people have been taking home movies. The ever increasing popularity of this activity has produced a hundred years worth of amateur film culture which is in desperate need of preservation. As film archival and public history have coalesced in the past thirty years around the idea that every personÂÂ's history is important, home movies represent a way for those histories to be preserved and studied by communities and researchers alike....
Show moreSince the invention of the cinema, people have been taking home movies. The ever increasing popularity of this activity has produced a hundred years worth of amateur film culture which is in desperate need of preservation. As film archival and public history have coalesced in the past thirty years around the idea that every personÂÂ's history is important, home movies represent a way for those histories to be preserved and studied by communities and researchers alike. The University of Central Florida is in a perfect position to establish an archive of this nature, one that is specifically dedicated to acquiring, preserving, and presenting the home movies of Central Florida residents. This project has resulted in the establishment of The Central Florida Home Movie Archive, and the resulting analysis will show that the archive will be a benefit for researchers from all areas of academic study as well as the residents of Central Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003432, ucf:48410
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003432
- Title
- NEW COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES FOR MULTIPLE RNA ALIGNMENT AND RNA SEARCH.
- Creator
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DeBlasio, Daniel, Zhang, Shaojie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In this thesis we explore the the theory and history behind RNA alignment. Normal sequence alignments as studied by computer scientists can be completed in $O(n^2)$ time in the naive case. The process involves taking two input sequences and finding the list of edits that can transform one sequence into the other. This process is applied to biology in many forms, such as the creation of multiple alignments and the search of genomic sequences. When you take into account the RNA sequence...
Show moreIn this thesis we explore the the theory and history behind RNA alignment. Normal sequence alignments as studied by computer scientists can be completed in $O(n^2)$ time in the naive case. The process involves taking two input sequences and finding the list of edits that can transform one sequence into the other. This process is applied to biology in many forms, such as the creation of multiple alignments and the search of genomic sequences. When you take into account the RNA sequence structure the problem becomes even harder. Multiple RNA structure alignment is particularly challenging because covarying mutations make sequence information alone insufficient. Existing tools for multiple RNA alignments first generate pair-wise RNA structure alignments and then build the multiple alignment using only the sequence information. Here we present PMFastR, an algorithm which iteratively uses a sequence-structure alignment procedure to build a multiple RNA structure alignment. PMFastR also has low memory consumption allowing for the alignment of large sequences such as 16S and 23S rRNA. Specifically, we reduce the memory consumption to $\sim O(band^2*m)$ where $band$ is the banding size. Other solutions are $\sim O(n^2*m)$ where $n$ and $m$ are the lengths of the target and query respectively. The algorithm also provides a method to utilize a multi-core environment. We present results on benchmark data sets from BRAliBase, which shows PMFastR outperforms other state-of-the-art programs. Furthermore, we regenerate 607 Rfam seed alignments and show that our automated process creates similar multiple alignments to the manually-curated Rfam seed alignments. While these methods can also be applied directly to genome sequence search, the abundance of new multiple species genome alignments presents a new area for exploration. Many multiple alignments of whole genomes are available and these alignments keep growing in size. These alignments can provide more information to the searcher than just a single sequence. Using the methodology from sequence-structure alignment we developed AlnAlign, which searches an entire genome alignment using RNA sequence structure. While programs have been readily available to align alignments, this is the first to our knowledge that is specifically designed for RNA sequences. This algorithm is presented only in theory and is yet to be tested.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002736, ucf:48166
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002736
- Title
- EFFECTS OF 3D STEREOSCOPY, VISUO-SPATIAL WORKING MEMORY, AND PERCEPTIONS OF SIMULATION EXPERIENCE ON THE MEMORIZATION OF CONFUSABLE OBJECTS.
- Creator
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Keebler, Joseph, Jentsch, Florian, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation investigated the impact of active stereoscopic 3-dimensional (3D) imagery equipment and individual differences in visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) capacity on retention of a set of similar, novel objects (i.e., armored military vehicles). Seventy-one participants were assessed on their visuo-spatial working memory using the Visual Patterns Test (Della Sala, Gray, Baddeley, & Wilson, 1997). They were then assigned to one of four different conditions (3D high VSWM, 3D low...
Show moreThis dissertation investigated the impact of active stereoscopic 3-dimensional (3D) imagery equipment and individual differences in visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) capacity on retention of a set of similar, novel objects (i.e., armored military vehicles). Seventy-one participants were assessed on their visuo-spatial working memory using the Visual Patterns Test (Della Sala, Gray, Baddeley, & Wilson, 1997). They were then assigned to one of four different conditions (3D high VSWM, 3D low VSWM, 2D high VSWM, 2D low VSWM) based upon their visuo-spatial working memory. Participants were then trained to identify military vehicles using a simulation that presented the training stimuli in one of two dimensionalities, i.e. two dimensional (2D) or active stereoscopic three-dimensional (3D). Testing consisted of a vehicle memory training assessment, which challenged participants to choose the correct components of each vehicle immediately after studying; a measure of retention for military vehicles which asked participants to categorize the alliance and identify previously studied vehicles; and a transfer measure using video footage of actual military vehicles. The latter measures depicted military vehicles in an array of combat situations, and participants were asked to decide on whether or not to shoot each vehicle, as well as identify the vehicles. Testing occurred immediately after training. The moderating, as well as main effects, of VSWM were assessed. The mediating/moderating effects of several experiential factors were measured as well, including: immersion, presence, engagement, flow state, and technology acceptance. Findings indicate that perceptions of the simulation experience and VSWM are strong positive predictors of performance, while 3D was not predictive, and in some instances, significantly worse than the 2D condition. These findings indicate that individual differences in visual memory and user experiences during the SBT both are predictive factors in memory tasks for confusable objects. The SBT designed in this study also led to robust prediction of training outcomes on the final transfer task.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003939, ucf:48702
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003939
- Title
- Applied problem solving in children with ADHD: The mediating roles of working memory and mathematical calculation.
- Creator
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Friedman, Lauren, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Vasquez, Eleazar, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The difficulties children with ADHD experience solving applied math problems (i.e., word problems) are well documented; however, the independent and/or interactive contribution of cognitive processes underlying these difficulties is not fully understood and warrant scrutiny. The current study examines two primary cognitive processes integral to children's ability to solve applied math problems: working memory (WM) and math calculation ability (i.e., the ability to utilize specific facts,...
Show moreThe difficulties children with ADHD experience solving applied math problems (i.e., word problems) are well documented; however, the independent and/or interactive contribution of cognitive processes underlying these difficulties is not fully understood and warrant scrutiny. The current study examines two primary cognitive processes integral to children's ability to solve applied math problems: working memory (WM) and math calculation ability (i.e., the ability to utilize specific facts, skills, or processes related to basic math operations stored in long-term memory). Thirty-six boys with ADHD-combined presentation and 33 typically developing (TD) boys aged 8-12 years old were administered multiple counterbalanced tasks to assess upper (central executive [CE]) and lower level (phonological [PH STM] and visuospatial [VS STM] short-term memory) WM processes, and standardized measures of mathematical abilities. Bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that CE ability fully mediated between-group differences in applied problem solving whereas math calculation ability partially mediated the relation. Neither PH STM nor VS STM was a significant mediator. When modeled together via serial mediation analysis, CE in tandem with math calculation ability fully mediated the relation, explained 79% of the variance, and provided a more parsimonious explication of ADHD-related deficits in applied math ability. Results suggest that interventions designed to address applied math difficulties in children with ADHD will likely benefit from targeting basic knowledge of math facts and skills while simultaneously promoting the active interplay among these skills and CE processes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006593, ucf:51300
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006593
- Title
- Inattentive behavior in boys with ADHD during classroom instruction: The mediating role of working memory processes.
- Creator
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Orban, Sarah, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Cassisi, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Children with ADHD exhibit clinically impairing inattentive behavior during classroom instruction and other cognitively demanding contexts. However, there have been surprisingly few attempts to validate anecdotal parent/teacher reports of intact sustained attention during 'preferred' activities such as watching movies. The current investigation addresses this omission, and provides an initial test of how ADHD-related working memory deficits contribute to inattentive behavior during classroom...
Show moreChildren with ADHD exhibit clinically impairing inattentive behavior during classroom instruction and other cognitively demanding contexts. However, there have been surprisingly few attempts to validate anecdotal parent/teacher reports of intact sustained attention during 'preferred' activities such as watching movies. The current investigation addresses this omission, and provides an initial test of how ADHD-related working memory deficits contribute to inattentive behavior during classroom instruction. Boys ages 8-12 (M=9.62, SD=1.22) with ADHD (n=32) and typically developing children (TD; n=30) completed a counterbalanced series of working memory tests and two videos on separate assessment days: an analogue math instructional video, and a non-instructional video selected to match the content and cognitive demands of parent/teacher-described 'preferred' activities. Objective, reliable observations of attentive behavior revealed no between-group differences during the non-instructional video (d=-0.02), and attentive behavior during the non-instructional video was unrelated to all working memory variables (r=-.11 to .19,ns). In contrast, the ADHD group showed disproportionate attentive behavior decrements during analogue classroom instruction (d=-0.71). Bias-corrected, bootstrapped, serial mediation revealed that 59% of this between-group difference was attributable to ADHD-related impairments in central executive working memory, both directly (ER=41%) and indirectly via its role in coordinating phonological short-term memory (ER=15%). Between-group attentive behavior differences were no longer detectable after accounting for ADHD-related working memory impairments (d=-0.29, ns). Results confirm anecdotal reports of intact sustained attention during activities that place minimal demands on working memory, and indicate that ADHD children's inattention during analogue classroom instruction is related, in large part, to their underdeveloped working memory abilities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006633, ucf:51290
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006633
- Title
- Pearl Necklaces.
- Creator
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Redmond, Jordan, Thaxton, Terry, Stap, Donald, Neal, Mary, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Pearl Necklaces aims to excavate raw moments of connection and find beauty in the depravity of self and situation. Set in the Deep South, this collection of poems thrives on lusty nights, hard love, and the twinge of memory. The voices within range from youthful to jaded as they speak across pages, flowing into one another to create a pain-body which ultimately seeks closure in relationships with objects, family, drugs, lovers, body parts, heroes, and setting. Tuned to the lyrical voices of...
Show morePearl Necklaces aims to excavate raw moments of connection and find beauty in the depravity of self and situation. Set in the Deep South, this collection of poems thrives on lusty nights, hard love, and the twinge of memory. The voices within range from youthful to jaded as they speak across pages, flowing into one another to create a pain-body which ultimately seeks closure in relationships with objects, family, drugs, lovers, body parts, heroes, and setting. Tuned to the lyrical voices of poets Kim Addonizio, Lynn Emanuel, and Dorianne Laux, poems such as (")Learning Shapes,(") (")Things that Make Me Feel Cool,(") (")Can't Say Daddy, and (")Don't Miss Mississippi(") seek out what makes up a person as the collection continues to practice manipulation with language, tradition, and context in works like (")Pearl Necklaces(") and (")Golden Boy.(") Faithfully and sarcastically, these collected poems drive to the fuzzy edges of attachment and never come back.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006489, ucf:51394
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006489
- Title
- Multi-axial Thermomechanical Characterization of Shape Memory Alloys for Improved Stability.
- Creator
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Nicholson, Douglas, Vaidyanathan, Raj, Kumar, Ranganathan, Chen, Ruey-Hung, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Shape recovery in shape memory alloys (SMAs) occurs against external stress by means of a reversible thermoelastic solid state phase transformation typically between so-called austenite, martensite and R-phases. The ability to do work enables their use as high-force actuators in automotive and aerospace applications while superelastic NiTi is of interest in biomedical devices such as stents. Both R-phase and martensite can detwin, reorient and undergo a thermal or stress induced...
Show moreShape recovery in shape memory alloys (SMAs) occurs against external stress by means of a reversible thermoelastic solid state phase transformation typically between so-called austenite, martensite and R-phases. The ability to do work enables their use as high-force actuators in automotive and aerospace applications while superelastic NiTi is of interest in biomedical devices such as stents. Both R-phase and martensite can detwin, reorient and undergo a thermal or stress induced transformation. For these reasons, it is difficult from ordinary macroscopic measurements to decouple elastic and inelastic contributions (from their respective phases) from the overall deformation. In situ neutron diffraction is ideally suited to probing these microstructural and micromechanical changes while they occur under external stress fields. Despite SMAs typically operating under multi-axial stress states in applications, most previous in situ neutron diffraction based investigations on SMAs have been limited to homogenous stress states as a result of uniaxial loading. The current investigation spatially maps thermoelastic deformation mechanisms during heating and uniaxial/torsional loading of shape memory and superelastic NiTi by recourse to in situ neutron diffraction, performed at Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories. SMA spring actuators were also used to experimentally validate the ability of a recently developed model to predict the evolutionary deformation response under multi-axial loading conditions.By recourse to in situ neutron diffraction, martensite variants were tracked during isothermal, isobaric, and isostrain loading in shape memory NiTi. Results show variants were equivalent for the corresponding strain and more importantly, the reversibility and equivalency was immediately evident in variants that were first selected isobarically but then reoriented to a near random self-accommodated structure by isothermal deformation. Variants selected isothermally were not significantly affected by a subsequent thermal cycle under constant strain. During uniaxial/torsional loading and heating, thermoelastic deformation mechanisms in non-uniform states of stress in superelastic NiTi were spatially mapped. The preferred selection of R-phase variants by reorientation and detwinning processes were equivalent for the corresponding strain (in tension and compression) and was reversed by isothermal loading. The variants selected were consistent between uniaxial and torsional loading when the principal stress directions of the stress state were considered (for the crystallographic directions considered here). The similarity in general behavior between uniaxial and torsional loading, in spite of the implicit heterogeneous stress state associated with torsional loading, pointed to the ability of the reversible thermoelastic transformation to accommodate both stress and strain mismatch associated with deformation.Overall, various thermomechanical combinations of heating and loading sequences yielded the same final texture (preferred selection of variants), which highlighted the ability to take different paths yet still obtain the desired response while minimizing irrecoverable deformation mechanisms. These paths have implications for minimizing the number of cycles required to train an SMA, which limits the amount of work required for stabilizing their evolutionary response thereby increasing the fatigue life and overall durability of the SMA. This finding is valuable to the aerospace and medical device industries where SMAs find current application.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006952, ucf:51676
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006952
- Title
- Declarative Memory, Theory of Mind, and Community Functioning in Schizophrenia.
- Creator
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Deptula, Andrew, Bedwell, Jeffrey, Paulson, Daniel, Sims, Valerie, Fiore, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Cognitive impairments are highly prevalent in individuals with schizophrenia and are now considered hallmark features of the disorder. Over the past decade, considerable evidence has demonstrated the functional significance of social and nonsocial cognitive impairments in individuals with schizophrenia. However, the nature of the relationship between specific domains of social and nonsocial cognition and how they relate to functional outcome in this population is less clear. In particular,...
Show moreCognitive impairments are highly prevalent in individuals with schizophrenia and are now considered hallmark features of the disorder. Over the past decade, considerable evidence has demonstrated the functional significance of social and nonsocial cognitive impairments in individuals with schizophrenia. However, the nature of the relationship between specific domains of social and nonsocial cognition and how they relate to functional outcome in this population is less clear. In particular, declarative memory impairment has been suggested to have critical consequences for the everyday life of individuals with schizophrenia and may play a role in their social integration difficulties. Preliminary evidence also indicates that theory of mind (ToM) may be an important intermediary between nonsocial cognition and functional outcome. The current study aimed to better understand the relationships between declarative memory, ToM, and functional outcome in individuals with schizophrenia.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006096, ucf:51207
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006096
- Title
- Reading comprehension deficits in children with ADHD: The mediating roles of working memory and orthographic conversion.
- Creator
-
Friedman, Lauren, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Vasquez, Eleazar, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Reading comprehension deficits in children with ADHD are well-established; however, limited information exists concerning the cognitive mechanisms that contribute to these deficits and the extent to which they interact with one another. The current study examines two broad cognitive processes known to be involved in children's reading comprehension abilities(-)(a) working memory (i.e., central executive processes [CE], phonological short-term memory [PH STM], and visuospatial short-term...
Show moreReading comprehension deficits in children with ADHD are well-established; however, limited information exists concerning the cognitive mechanisms that contribute to these deficits and the extent to which they interact with one another. The current study examines two broad cognitive processes known to be involved in children's reading comprehension abilities(-)(a) working memory (i.e., central executive processes [CE], phonological short-term memory [PH STM], and visuospatial short-term memory [VS STM]) and (b) orthographic conversion(-)to elucidate their unique and interactive contribution to ADHD-related reading comprehension deficits. Thirty-one children with ADHD and 30 typically developing (TD) children aged 8 to 12 years (M = 9.64, SD = 1.22) were administered multiple counterbalanced tasks assessing WM and orthographic conversion processes. Relative to TD children, children with ADHD exhibited significant deficits in PH STM (d = -0.66), VS STM (d = -0.84), CE (d = -1.24) and orthographic conversion (d = -0.85). Bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that CE and orthographic conversion processes modeled separately, partially mediated ADHD-related reading comprehension impairments, whereas PH STM and VS STM did not. CE and orthographic conversion modeled jointly fully mediated ADHD-related reading comprehension deficits wherein orthographic conversion's large magnitude influence on reading comprehension occurred indirectly through CE's impact on the orthographic system. The findings suggest that adaptive cognitive interventions designed to improve reading-related outcomes in children with ADHD may benefit by including modules that train CE and orthographic conversion processes independently and interactively.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006103, ucf:51210
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006103
- Title
- (Tele)presence in Mediated Worship: The Influence of Antecedent Traits and the Effect on Memory, Enjoyment and Behavior.
- Creator
-
Klebig, Brian, Rubenking, Bridget, Katt, James, Miller, Ann, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examines the phenomena of (tele)presence in the distinct mediated environment of an online Christian worship service. A quantitative field experiment involving 48 participants who had just viewed a religious Internet broadcast was undertaken. Individual differences in personality and religiosity are examined in tandem with (tele)presence as predictors of a number of outcome variables, including memory, enjoyment of the online worship service and behavioral intention to be more...
Show moreThis study examines the phenomena of (tele)presence in the distinct mediated environment of an online Christian worship service. A quantitative field experiment involving 48 participants who had just viewed a religious Internet broadcast was undertaken. Individual differences in personality and religiosity are examined in tandem with (tele)presence as predictors of a number of outcome variables, including memory, enjoyment of the online worship service and behavioral intention to be more active with the church. The results showed no significant relationship between religiosity and the experience of (tele)presence, but that users who experienced greater (tele)presence enjoyed the service more, had a greater ability to recognize information from the service, and had a greater intention to attend in the future. The implications for online worship services, along with the limitations of this study, are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005362, ucf:50487
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005362
- Title
- Home Sweet Home: An Infinite Grid of Memory and Repressed Abuse Trauma.
- Creator
-
Bush, Melissa, Santana, Maria, Reedy, Robert, Lotz, Theo, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Incorporating traditional craft mediums of crochet and embroidery, I use digital technology to experiment with wording to graphically represent my abuse trauma. Due to the severity of the subject matter and the work ethic I employ in my art practice, using my hands and being completely involved is a form of masochistic pleasure. My process takes on a Sisyphean approach of penance for the sins of others in my work. During my studio practice, my process reaches a meditative state where my mind...
Show moreIncorporating traditional craft mediums of crochet and embroidery, I use digital technology to experiment with wording to graphically represent my abuse trauma. Due to the severity of the subject matter and the work ethic I employ in my art practice, using my hands and being completely involved is a form of masochistic pleasure. My process takes on a Sisyphean approach of penance for the sins of others in my work. During my studio practice, my process reaches a meditative state where my mind is clear and free of the burden. Once I've completed a panel of trauma, the burden is transported into the art and a state of enlightenment is achieved.I began this program taking an analysis from an external perspective, gradually shifting my focus of artistic practice to my internal struggles with memory and repressed abuse trauma. Since I have selfishly focused on my personal tragedies for inspiration for the past three years, my work can now address a more universal subject matter in the future.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004659, ucf:49910
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004659
- Title
- The Phenomenological Experience of Narrative Transportation.
- Creator
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Buchanan, William, Fiore, Stephen, Weger, Harry, Miller, Ann, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Previous research has attempted to identify consequences of mental transportation into narrative worlds. While scales have been developed and validated to measure readers' levels of transportation, the objective quantification has left researchers at a descriptive disadvantage for the full range of qualitative responses to this phenomenon. This study presents a qualitative method of inquiry designed to get at the experience of narrative transportation as it is lived: the phenomenological...
Show morePrevious research has attempted to identify consequences of mental transportation into narrative worlds. While scales have been developed and validated to measure readers' levels of transportation, the objective quantification has left researchers at a descriptive disadvantage for the full range of qualitative responses to this phenomenon. This study presents a qualitative method of inquiry designed to get at the experience of narrative transportation as it is lived: the phenomenological interview. Interview transcripts were inductively analyzed for common themes that indicate intersubjective features of narrative experience. Four main themes were identified, which were composed of 22 base-level experiences reported by participants. These findings corroborated the extant literature and provided a nuanced understanding of the phenomenon as it is lived.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004657, ucf:49883
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004657
- Title
- Recollections: An Internal Analysis of Memory and Perception.
- Creator
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Jimenez, Samuel, Kovach, Keith, Price, Mark, Raimundi-Ortiz, Wanda, Poindexter, Carla, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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I investigate the depths of memory, the entanglement of personal recollections withcommunal knowledge (learned semantic information from media and society such as facts and social norms) and the changing perceptions of environments over time. Memories define us. Throughout life we are exposed to vast quantities of imagery through a variety of media and personal experiences. Over time our firsthand experiences and what we witness in film, print, photography, and the internet become...
Show moreI investigate the depths of memory, the entanglement of personal recollections withcommunal knowledge (learned semantic information from media and society such as facts and social norms) and the changing perceptions of environments over time. Memories define us. Throughout life we are exposed to vast quantities of imagery through a variety of media and personal experiences. Over time our firsthand experiences and what we witness in film, print, photography, and the internet become indistinguishable in our memory.My work recreates consequential scenes from my past through technical drawings and blended imagery while exploring the possibilities provided by the interaction of common knowledge and the ambiguous nature of memory.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005188, ucf:50623
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005188
- Title
- COMMISSIONING OF AN ARC-MELTING / VACUUM QUENCH FURNACE FACILITY FOR FABRICATION OF NI-TI-FE SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS, AND THEIR CHARACTERIZATION.
- Creator
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Singh, Jagat, Vaidyanathan, Raj, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Shape memory alloys when deformed can produce strains as high as 8%. Heating results in a phase transformation and associated recovery of all the accumulated strain, a phenomenon known as shape memory. This strain recovery can occur against large forces, resulting in their use as actuators. The goal of this project is to lower the operating temperature range of shape memory alloys in order for them to be used in cryogenic switches, seals, valves, fluid-line repair and self-healing gaskets for...
Show moreShape memory alloys when deformed can produce strains as high as 8%. Heating results in a phase transformation and associated recovery of all the accumulated strain, a phenomenon known as shape memory. This strain recovery can occur against large forces, resulting in their use as actuators. The goal of this project is to lower the operating temperature range of shape memory alloys in order for them to be used in cryogenic switches, seals, valves, fluid-line repair and self-healing gaskets for space related technologies. The Ni-Ti-Fe alloy system, previously used in Grumman F-14 aircrafts and activated at 120 K, is further developed through arc-melting a range of compositions and subsequent thermo-mechanical processing. A controlled atmosphere arc-melting facility and vertical vacuum quench furnace facility was commissioned to fabricate these alloys. The facility can create a vacuum of 10-7 Torr and heat treat samples up to 977 °C. High purity powders of Ni, Ti and Fe in varying ratios were mixed and arc-melted into small buttons weighing 0.010 kg to 0.025 kg. The alloys were subjected to solutionizing and aging treatments. A combination of rolling, electro-discharge machining and low-speed cutting techniques were used to produce strips. Successful rolling experiments highlighted the workability of these alloys. The shape memory effect was successfully demonstrated at liquid nitrogen temperatures through a constrained recovery experiment that generated stresses of over 40 MPa. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a dilatometry setup was used to characterize the fabricated materials and determine relationships between composition, thermo-mechanical processing parameters and transformation temperatures.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000308, ucf:46320
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000308
- Title
- OPTIMIZING THE DESIGN OF MULTIMODAL USER INTERFACES.
- Creator
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Reeves, Leah, Stanney, Kay, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Due to a current lack of principle-driven multimodal user interface design guidelines, designers may encounter difficulties when choosing the most appropriate display modality for given users or specific tasks (e.g., verbal versus spatial tasks). The development of multimodal display guidelines from both a user and task domain perspective is thus critical to the achievement of successful human-system interaction. Specifically, there is a need to determine how to design task information...
Show moreDue to a current lack of principle-driven multimodal user interface design guidelines, designers may encounter difficulties when choosing the most appropriate display modality for given users or specific tasks (e.g., verbal versus spatial tasks). The development of multimodal display guidelines from both a user and task domain perspective is thus critical to the achievement of successful human-system interaction. Specifically, there is a need to determine how to design task information presentation (e.g., via which modalities) to capitalize on an individual operator's information processing capabilities and the inherent efficiencies associated with redundant sensory information, thereby alleviating information overload. The present effort addresses this issue by proposing a theoretical framework (Architecture for Multi-Modal Optimization, AMMO) from which multimodal display design guidelines and adaptive automation strategies may be derived. The foundation of the proposed framework is based on extending, at a functional working memory (WM) level, existing information processing theories and models with the latest findings in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and other allied sciences. The utility of AMMO lies in its ability to provide designers with strategies for directing system design, as well as dynamic adaptation strategies (i.e., multimodal mitigation strategies) in support of real-time operations. In an effort to validate specific components of AMMO, a subset of AMMO-derived multimodal design guidelines was evaluated with a simulated weapons control system multitasking environment. The results of this study demonstrated significant performance improvements in user response time and accuracy when multimodal display cues were used (i.e., auditory and tactile, individually and in combination) to augment the visual display of information, thereby distributing human information processing resources across multiple sensory and WM resources. These results provide initial empirical support for validation of the overall AMMO model and a sub-set of the principle-driven multimodal design guidelines derived from it. The empirically-validated multimodal design guidelines may be applicable to a wide range of information-intensive computer-based multitasking environments.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001636, ucf:47237
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001636
- Title
- PATCHWORK CULTURE: QUILT TACTICS AND DIGITEXTUALITY.
- Creator
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Barrett Ferrier, Michelle, Saper, Craig, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Embedded in the quilt top, the fabric patches are relays, time pathways to stories and memories of their former owners. Through the quilts, the voices of the past survive. The stories trace a path of connection between oral traditions, storytelling, the invention of meaning, and the preservation of cultural memory. The theory and method described herein use the quilt patchwork metaphor as the basis for a web interface for designing and modeling knowledge-based graphical, narrative, and...
Show moreEmbedded in the quilt top, the fabric patches are relays, time pathways to stories and memories of their former owners. Through the quilts, the voices of the past survive. The stories trace a path of connection between oral traditions, storytelling, the invention of meaning, and the preservation of cultural memory. The theory and method described herein use the quilt patchwork metaphor as the basis for a web interface for designing and modeling knowledge-based graphical, narrative, and multimedia data. More specifically, the method comprises a digital storytelling and knowledge management tool that allows one or more users to create, save, store, and visually map or model digital stories. The method creates a digital network of a community's stories for digital ethnography work. Digital patches that represent the gateway to the stories of an individual are pieced together into a larger quilt design, creating a visual space that yields the voices of its creators at the click of a mouse. Through this narrative mapping, users are able to deal with complexity, ambiguity, density, and information overload. The method takes the traditional quilt use and appropriates it into a digital apparatus so that the user is connected to multiple points of view that can be dynamically tried out and compared. The hypertextual quilting method fulfills the definition of a deconstructive hypertext and emancipatory social science research methodologies by creating a collaborative, polyvocal interface where users have access to the code, content and conduits to rewrite culture's history with subaltern voices. In this digital place of intertextuality, stories are juxtaposed with images in a montage that denies the authority of a single voice and refuses fixed meaning. In dialogue, contestation, and play, the digitextuality of the Digital Story Quilt provides a praxis for critical theory. The Digital Story Quilt method concerns itself with questions of identity, the processes through which these identities are developed, the mechanics of processes of privilege and marginalization and the possibility of political action through narrative performance against these processes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001659, ucf:47239
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001659
