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Title: EXPLAINING PARTISAN CHANGE AMONG CATHOLICS IN THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE.
Creator: Muro, Christopher Vincent, 7., Knuckey, Jonathan O., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines data from the National Election Studies in order to assess the significant determinants of the political behavior of Catholics in the American electorate. A complex array of variables including religious commitment, generational differences, social status, and policy attitudes account for limited change in partisan alignment among American Catholics. The analyses expose the long-term, durable nature of partisan attachment, as older generation Catholics who register as...
Show moreThis thesis examines data from the National Election Studies in order to assess the significant determinants of the political behavior of Catholics in the American electorate. A complex array of variables including religious commitment, generational differences, social status, and policy attitudes account for limited change in partisan alignment among American Catholics. The analyses expose the long-term, durable nature of partisan attachment, as older generation Catholics who register as actively committed to their religion also remain committed Democrats. Therefore, older Catholics have not been part of the broader ideological realignment which has taken place among other religious adherents, namely evangelical and mainline Protestants. Younger Catholics are significantly more apt to become Republican in their partisan identification than were their parents. Comparing the effects of an array of policy attitudes and socio-demographic variables between Catholic and Protestants illuminates the differences and similarities among these religious groups. What emerges is a consistent pattern demonstrating an ideological realignment within the American electorate. This research adds to the ideological realignment thesis by showing how religious commitment is the driving force behind this realignment. In addition, this thesis presents evidence illustrating that younger Catholics and committed Catholics will continue to move toward Republican partisan identification and that the traditional allegiance of Catholic voters to the Democratic party will continue to decline.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000105, ucf:46197
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000105

Title: SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION AND FAULT DETECTION OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS.
Creator: Luo, Dapeng, Leonessa, Alexander, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The proposed research is devoted to devising system identification and fault detection approaches and algorithms for a system characterized by nonlinear dynamics. Mathematical models of dynamical systems and fault models are built based on observed data from systems. In particular, we will focus on statistical subspace instrumental variable methods which allow the consideration of an appealing mathematical model in many control applications consisting of a nonlinear feedback system with...
Show moreThe proposed research is devoted to devising system identification and fault detection approaches and algorithms for a system characterized by nonlinear dynamics. Mathematical models of dynamical systems and fault models are built based on observed data from systems. In particular, we will focus on statistical subspace instrumental variable methods which allow the consideration of an appealing mathematical model in many control applications consisting of a nonlinear feedback system with nonlinearities at both inputs and outputs. Different solutions within the proposed framework are presented to solve the system identification and fault detection problems. Specifically, Augmented Subspace Instrumental Variable Identification (ASIVID) approaches are proposed to identify the closed-loop nonlinear Hammerstein systems. Then fast approaches are presented to determine the system order. Hard-over failures are detected by order determination approaches when failures manifest themselves as rank deficiencies of the dynamical systems. Geometric interpretations of subspace tracking theorems are presented in this dissertation in order to propose a fault tolerance strategy. Possible fields of application considered in this research include manufacturing systems, autonomous vehicle systems, space systems and burgeoning bio-mechanical systems.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0000915, ucf:46756
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000915

Title: STABILITY AND RECOVERY OF RNA IN BIOLOGICAL STAINS.
Creator: Setzer, Mindy Eileen, Jack Ballantyne, Dr, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In theory, RNA expression patterns, including the presence and relative abundance of particular RNA species, provide cell and tissue specific information that could be of use to forensic scientists. An mRNA based approach could allow the facile identification of the tissue components present in a body fluid stain and conceivably could supplant the battery of serological and biochemical tests currently employed in the forensic serology laboratory. Some of the potential advantages include...
Show moreIn theory, RNA expression patterns, including the presence and relative abundance of particular RNA species, provide cell and tissue specific information that could be of use to forensic scientists. An mRNA based approach could allow the facile identification of the tissue components present in a body fluid stain and conceivably could supplant the battery of serological and biochemical tests currently employed in the forensic serology laboratory. Some of the potential advantages include greater test specificity, and the ability to perform simultaneous analysis using a common assay format for the presence of all body fluids of forensic interest. In this report, the recovery and stability of RNA in forensic samples was evaluated by conducting an in-depth study on the persistence of RNA in biological stains. Stains were prepared from blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions, and were exposed to a range of environmental conditions so that the affects of different light sources, temperatures, and environments could be assessed. Using the results from quantitation and sensitivity studies performed with pristine forensic stains, the RNA stability of samples which were collected over a period of 1 day to 1 year for blood, saliva, and vaginal secretion stains and for up to 6 months for semen stains were analyzed. The extent of RNA degradation within each type of body fluid stain was determined using quantitation of total RNA and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with selected housekeeping and tissue-specific genes. The results show that RNA can be recovered from biological stains in sufficient quantity and quality for mRNA analysis. The results also show that mRNA is detectable in samples stored at room temperature for at least one year, but that heat and humidity appear to be very detrimental to the stability of RNA.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000077, ucf:46141
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000077

Title: Why do Individuals Act Fairly or Unfairly? An Examination of Psychological and Situational Antecedents of Organizational Justice.
Creator: Ganegoda, Deshani, Folger, Robert, Ambrose, Maureen, Schminke, Marshall, Latham, Gary, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Most studies on organizational justice have focused on individuals' reactions to justice. As such, a key question has been left largely unanswered: Why do individuals act fairly or unfairly? The present research adopted a person-situation interactionist approach (Trevino, 1986) to examine psychological and situational antecedents of individuals' fair behavior. The social identity model of deindividuation (SIDE; Reicher, Spears, (&) Postmes, 1995) and side-bet theory of continuance commitment ...
Show moreMost studies on organizational justice have focused on individuals' reactions to justice. As such, a key question has been left largely unanswered: Why do individuals act fairly or unfairly? The present research adopted a person-situation interactionist approach (Trevino, 1986) to examine psychological and situational antecedents of individuals' fair behavior. The social identity model of deindividuation (SIDE; Reicher, Spears, (&) Postmes, 1995) and side-bet theory of continuance commitment (Becker, 1960) was used to examine how organizational identification and continuance commitment might influence employees' fair or unfair behavior depending on an organization's justice climate. Based on SIDE, it was hypothesized that organizational identification relates positively to employees' feelings of deindividuation. Based on side-bet theory, it was further hypothesized that employees' continuance commitment relates positively to their adoption of a subordinate role. Both deindividuation and adoption of a subordinate role were argued to make employees more susceptible to external influences and, therefore, make individuals more likely to behave in ways that are normative in a given context. Individuals who have higher levels of continuance commitment and organizational identification were, therefore, argued to engage in fair or unfair behavior depending on the level of the justice climate and the strength of the justice climate of their workgroup. The results of three studies provided support for the majority of hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004255, ucf:49498
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004255

Title: Dynamic Hotspot Identification for Limited Access Facilities using Temporal Traffic Data.
Creator: Al Amili, Samer, Abdel-Aty, Mohamed, Radwan, Essam, Eluru, Naveen, Lee, JaeYoung, Wang, Chung-Ching, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Crash frequency analysis is the most critical tool to investigate traffic safety problems. Therefore, an accurate crash analysis must be conducted. Since traffic continually fluctuates over time and this effects potential of crash occurrence, shorter time periods and less aggregated traffic factors (shorter intervals than AADT) need to be used. In this dissertation, several methodologies have been conducted to elevate the accuracy of crash prediction. The performance of using less aggregated...
Show moreCrash frequency analysis is the most critical tool to investigate traffic safety problems. Therefore, an accurate crash analysis must be conducted. Since traffic continually fluctuates over time and this effects potential of crash occurrence, shorter time periods and less aggregated traffic factors (shorter intervals than AADT) need to be used. In this dissertation, several methodologies have been conducted to elevate the accuracy of crash prediction. The performance of using less aggregated traffic data in modeling crash frequency was explored for weekdays and weekends. Four-time periods for weekdays and two time periods for weekends, with four intervals (5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes). The comparison between AADT based models and short-term period models showed that short-term period models perform better. As a shorter traffic interval than AADT considered, two difficulties began. Firstly, the number of zero observations increased. Secondly, the repetition of the same roadway characteristics arose. To reduce the number of zero observations, only segments with one or more crashes were used in the modeling process. To eliminate the effect of the repetition in the data, random effect was applied. The results recommend adopting segments with only one or more crashes, as they give a more valid prediction and less error.Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) and hurdle negative binomial (HNB) models were examined in addition to the negative binomial for both weekdays and weekends. Different implementations of random effects were applied. Using the random effect either on the count part, on the zero part, or a pair of uncorrelated (or correlated) random effects for both parts of the model. Additionally, the adaptive Gaussian Quadrature, with five quadrature points, was used to increase accuracy. The results reveal that the model which considered the random effect in both parts performed better than other models, and ZINB performed better than HNB.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0006966, ucf:51682
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006966

Title: Characterization of Dynamic Structures Using Parametric and Non-parametric System Identification Methods.
Creator: Al Rumaithi, Ayad, Yun, Hae-Bum, Catbas, Necati, Mackie, Kevin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The effects of soil-foundation-structure (SFS) interaction and extreme loading on structural behaviors are important issues instructural dynamics. System identification is an important technique to characterize linear and nonlinear dynamic structures.The identification methods are usually classified into the parametric and non-parametric approaches based on how to modeldynamic systems. The objective of this study is to characterize the dynamic behaviors of two realistic civil...
Show moreThe effects of soil-foundation-structure (SFS) interaction and extreme loading on structural behaviors are important issues instructural dynamics. System identification is an important technique to characterize linear and nonlinear dynamic structures.The identification methods are usually classified into the parametric and non-parametric approaches based on how to modeldynamic systems. The objective of this study is to characterize the dynamic behaviors of two realistic civil engineeringstructures in SFS configuration and subjected to impact loading by comparing different parametric and non-parametricidentification results. First, SFS building models were studied to investigate the effects of the foundation types on the structural behaviors underseismic excitation. Three foundation types were tested including the fixed, pile and box foundations on a hydraulic shaketable, and the dynamic responses of the SFS systems were measured with the instrumented sensing devices.Parametric modal analysis methods, including NExT-ERA, DSSI, and SSI, were studied as linear identification methodswhose governing equations were modeled based on linear equations of motion. NExT-ERA, DSSI, and SSI were used toanalyze earthquake-induced damage effects on the global behavior of the superstructures for different foundation types.MRFM was also studied to characterize the nonlinear behavior of the superstructure during the seismic events. MRFM is anonlinear non-parametric identification method which has advantages to characterized local nonlinear behaviors using theinterstory stiffness and damping phase diagrams. The major findings from the SFS study are: *The investigated modal analysis methods identified the linearized version of the model behavior. The change of globalstructural behavior induced by the seismic damage could be quantified through the modal parameter identification. Thefoundation types also affected the identification results due to different SFS interactions. The identification accuracy wasreduced as the nonlinear effects due to damage increased. *MRFM could characterize the nonlinear behavior of the interstory restoring forces. The localized damage could bequantified by measuring dissipated energy of each floor. The most severe damage in the superstructure was observed withthe fixed foundation. Second, the responses of a full-scale suspension bridge in a ship-bridge collision accident were analyzed to characterizethe dynamic properties of the bridge. Three parametric and non-parametric identification methods, NExT-ERA, PCA andICA were used to process the bridge response data to evaluate the performance of mode decomposition of these methodsfor traffic, no-traffic, and collision loading conditions. The PCA and ICA identification results were compared with those ofNExT-ERA method for different excitation, response types, system damping and sensor spatial resolution. The major findings from the ship-bridge collision study include: *PCA was able to characterize the mode shapes and modal coordinates for velocity and displacement responses. Theresults using the acceleration were less accurate. The inter-channel correlation and sensor spatial resolution had significanteffects on the mode decomposition accuracy. *ICA showed the lowest performance in this mode decomposition study. It was observed that the excitation type andsystem characteristics significantly affected the ICA accuracy.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005567, ucf:50295
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005567

Title: The Effects of Assumption on Subspace Identification Methods Using Simulation and Experimental Data.
Creator: Kim, Yoonhwak, Yun, Hae-Bum, Catbas, Fikret, Mackie, Kevin, Nam, Boo Hyun, Behal, Aman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In the modern dynamic engineering field, experimental dynamics is an important area of study. This area includes structural dynamics, structural control, and structural health monitoring. In experimental dynamics, methods to obtain measured data have seen a great influx of research efforts to develop an accurate and reliable experimental analysis result. A technical challenge is the procurement of informative data that exhibits the desired system information. In many cases, the number of...
Show moreIn the modern dynamic engineering field, experimental dynamics is an important area of study. This area includes structural dynamics, structural control, and structural health monitoring. In experimental dynamics, methods to obtain measured data have seen a great influx of research efforts to develop an accurate and reliable experimental analysis result. A technical challenge is the procurement of informative data that exhibits the desired system information. In many cases, the number of sensors is limited by cost and difficulty of data archive. Furthermore, some informative data has technical difficulty when measuring input force and, even if obtaining the desired data were possible, it could include a lot of noise in the measuring data. As a result, researchers have developed many analytical tools with limited informative data. Subspace identification method is used one of tools in these achievements.Subspace identification method includes three different approaches: Deterministic Subspace Identification (DSI), Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI), and Deterministic-Stochastic Subspace Identification (DSSI). The subspace identification method is widely used for fast computational speed and its accuracy. Based on the given information, such as output only, input/output, and input/output with noises, DSI, SSI, and DSSI are differently applied under specific assumptions, which could affect the analytical results. The objective of this study is to observe the effect of assumptions on subspace identification with various data conditions. Firstly, an analytical simulation study is performed using a six-degree-of-freedom mass-damper-spring system which is created using MATLAB. Various conditions of excitation insert to the simulation test model, and its excitation and response are analyzed using the subspace identification method. For stochastic problems, artificial noise is contained to the excitation and followed the same steps. Through this simulation test, the effects of assumption on subspace identification are quantified.Once the effects of the assumptions are studied using the simulation model, the subspace identification method is applied to dynamic response data collected from large-scale 12-story buildings with different foundation types that are tested at Tongji University, Shanghai, China. Noise effects are verified using three different excitation types. Furthermore, using the DSSI, which has the most accurate result, the effect of different foundations on the superstructure are analyzed.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004703, ucf:49822
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004703

Title: PROTOCOL BASED SCREENING TOOLS TO IDENTIFY SEPSIS PATIENTS TRANSPORTED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
Creator: Moser, Isaiah, Talbert, Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Sepsis is a complicated disorder in which an infection has reached the bloodstream and caused a cascade of events that in time will lead to death. Interventions aimed at identifying sepsis early in its progression are imperative to stopping the process. The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of the literature regarding sepsis screening tools utilized by emergency medical services. A literature review exploring the various tools in place was conducted to see their value in...
Show moreSepsis is a complicated disorder in which an infection has reached the bloodstream and caused a cascade of events that in time will lead to death. Interventions aimed at identifying sepsis early in its progression are imperative to stopping the process. The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of the literature regarding sepsis screening tools utilized by emergency medical services. A literature review exploring the various tools in place was conducted to see their value in predicting sepsis and secondary what the initiation of a sepsis alert has on the patients' outcome. Results found included that sepsis screening tools when in place decrease time to identification, decrease time to antibiotics, increase amount of fluid administration, and overall reduce hospital stay and mortality rate. With these findings educational training for EMS providers and the introduction of generalized protocols are of the upmost importance. Further research is needed to be done to create a consistent tool to be used by all EMS agencies that has a validated predictive value of sepsis.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFH2000155, ucf:46061
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000155

Title: THE RHETORIC OF INMATES: IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES IN THE SAN QUENTIN NEWS.
Creator: Stepanov, Alexandra, Wheeler, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The intent of this thesis is to create a new heuristic for processes of identification. Currently, Burke's identification theory only accounts for his definition of successful identification. This thesis explores how Burke's initial identification theory interacts with other theories that contribute to identity formation. Specifically, Fernheimer's identification half-steps, Reynold's ethos as location theory, and Kerschbaum's commodification of difference will be used to build on Burke's...
Show moreThe intent of this thesis is to create a new heuristic for processes of identification. Currently, Burke's identification theory only accounts for his definition of successful identification. This thesis explores how Burke's initial identification theory interacts with other theories that contribute to identity formation. Specifically, Fernheimer's identification half-steps, Reynold's ethos as location theory, and Kerschbaum's commodification of difference will be used to build on Burke's theory and develop a new heuristic. The new heuristic will be applied to the San Quentin State Prison's inmate-run newspaper, the San Quentin News, to explore how inmates are utilizing rhetorical identification strategies to change the dominant conversations surrounding their identity.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFH2000220, ucf:46049
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000220

Title: The Rhetoric of Camp: Adam Lambert's Identification and Division Strategies in His American Idol Performances.
Creator: Lanthier, Isabelle, Rounsaville, Angela, Stanfill, Mel, Wheeler, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study analyzes camp style as a rhetorical strategy for Burkean rhetorical identification. Through a case study of Adam Lambert's use of this style on American Idol in 2009, this study produced a rhetorical theory of camp that challenges the typically dialectical relationship between identification and its opposite: division. This study responds both to Susan Sontag's seminal essay on camp style and to other conversations surrounding identification, which revolve around how rhetors avoid...
Show moreThis study analyzes camp style as a rhetorical strategy for Burkean rhetorical identification. Through a case study of Adam Lambert's use of this style on American Idol in 2009, this study produced a rhetorical theory of camp that challenges the typically dialectical relationship between identification and its opposite: division. This study responds both to Susan Sontag's seminal essay on camp style and to other conversations surrounding identification, which revolve around how rhetors avoid division (Borrowman and Kmetz; Jones and Rowland), how rhetors appeal to conflicting audiences (DeGenaro; Helmbrecht and Love), how rhetors create new narratives as a means of identification (Wilz; Stob; DeGenaro; Jones and Rowland), how rhetors might use identification for a greater good (Stob; Wilz), and how rhetors achieve partial consubstantiality (Fernheimer). It analyzes how camp can be used in this way via Adam Lambert's performances on American Idol in two different rhetorical situations(-)his performances for America's votes at the end of the competition, and his performance with KISS during the Season Eight finale after his fate had already been determined. These performances were cross-referenced with Lambert's similar performances on and off the show, as well as with numerical data about the show's viewership. Ultimately, this study found that camp style can be used to identify with conflicting audiences and be used to gain rhetorical agency, and that division can be a means of identification, or even an intentional rhetorical strategy. In Lambert's case, although division is what allowed him to stand out from his American Idol competitors, he had to do so carefully in order to also appeal to the show's producers and audience.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007482, ucf:52689
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007482

Title: Algorithms for Community Identification in Complex Networks.
Creator: Vasudevan, Mahadevan, Deo, Narsingh, Hughes, Charles, Guha, Ratan, Chatterjee, Mainak, Zhao, Yue, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Complex networks such as the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), and various social and biological networks, are viewed as large, dynamic, random graphs, with properties significantly different from those of the Erd(&)#246;s-R(&)#233;nyi random graphs. In particular, properties such as degree distribution, network distance, transitivity and clustering coefficient of these networks have been empirically shown to diverge from classical random networks. Existence of communities is one such...
Show moreComplex networks such as the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), and various social and biological networks, are viewed as large, dynamic, random graphs, with properties significantly different from those of the Erd(&)#246;s-R(&)#233;nyi random graphs. In particular, properties such as degree distribution, network distance, transitivity and clustering coefficient of these networks have been empirically shown to diverge from classical random networks. Existence of communities is one such property inherent to these networks. A community may informally be defined as a locally-dense induced subgraph, of significant size, in a large globally-sparse graph. Recent empirical results reveal communities in networks spanning across different disciplines (-) physics, statistics, sociology, biology, and linguistics. At least two different questions may be posed on the community structure in large networks: (i) Given a network, detect or extract all (i.e., sets of nodes that constitute) communities; and (ii) Given a node in the network, identify the best community that the given node belongs to, if there exists one. Several algorithms have been proposed to solve the former problem, known as Community Discovery. The latter problem, known as Community Identification, has also been studied, but to a much smaller extent. Both these problems have been shown to be NP-complete, and a number of approximate algorithms have been proposed in recent years. A comprehensive taxonomy of the existing community detection algorithms is presented in this work. Global exploration of these complex networks to pull out communities (community discovery) is time and memory consuming. A more confined approach to mine communities in a given network is investigated in this research. Identifying communities does not require the knowledge of the entire graph. Community identification algorithms exist in the literature, but to a smaller extent. The dissertation presents a thorough description and analysis of the existing techniques to identify communities in large networks. Also a novel heuristic for identifying the community to which a given seed node belongs using only its neighborhood information is presented. An improved definition of a community based on the average degree of the induced subgraph is discussed thoroughly and it is compared with the various definitions in the literature. Next, a faster and accurate algorithm to identify communities in complex networks based on maximizing the average degree is described. The divisive nature of the algorithm (as against the existing agglomerative methods) efficiently identifies communities in large complex networks. The performance of the algorithm on several synthetic and real-world complex networks has also been thoroughly investigated.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004294, ucf:49463
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004294

Title: Deposition Thickness Modeling and Parameter Identification for Spray Assisted Vacuum Filtration Process in Additive Manufacturing.
Creator: Mark, August, Xu, Yunjun, Gou, Jihua, Lin, Kuo-Chi, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: To enhance mechanical and/or electrical properties of composite materials used in additive manufacturing, nanoparticles are often time deposited to form nanocomposite layers. To customize the mechanical and/or electrical properties, the thickness of such nanocomposite layers must be precisely controlled. A thickness model of filter cakes created through a spray assisted vacuum filtration is presented in this paper, to enable the development of advanced thickness controllers. The mass transfer...
Show moreTo enhance mechanical and/or electrical properties of composite materials used in additive manufacturing, nanoparticles are often time deposited to form nanocomposite layers. To customize the mechanical and/or electrical properties, the thickness of such nanocomposite layers must be precisely controlled. A thickness model of filter cakes created through a spray assisted vacuum filtration is presented in this paper, to enable the development of advanced thickness controllers. The mass transfer dynamics in the spray atomization and vacuum filtration are studied for the mass of solid particles and mass of water in differential areas, and then the thickness of a filter cake is derived. A two-loop nonlinear constrained optimization approach is used to identify the unknown parameters in the model. Experiments involving depositing carbon nanofibers in a sheet of paper are used to measure the ability of the model to mimic the filtration process.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005974, ucf:50788
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005974

Title: Improved Interpolation in SPH in Cases of Less Smooth Flow.
Creator: Brun, Oddny, Wiegand, Rudolf, Pensky, Marianna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACTWe introduced a method presented in Information Field Theory (IFT) [Abramovich et al.,2007] to improve interpolation in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) in cases of less smoothflow. The method makes use of wavelet theory combined with B-splines for interpolation. The ideais to identify any jumps a function may have and then reconstruct the smoother segments betweenthe jumps. The results of our work demonstrated superior capability when compared to a particularchallenging SPH...
Show moreABSTRACTWe introduced a method presented in Information Field Theory (IFT) [Abramovich et al.,2007] to improve interpolation in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) in cases of less smoothflow. The method makes use of wavelet theory combined with B-splines for interpolation. The ideais to identify any jumps a function may have and then reconstruct the smoother segments betweenthe jumps. The results of our work demonstrated superior capability when compared to a particularchallenging SPH application, to better conserve jumps and more accurately interpolate thesmoother segments of the function. The results of our work also demonstrated increased computationalefficiency with limited loss in accuracy as number of multiplications and execution timewere reduced. Similar benefits were observed for functions with spikes analyzed by the samemethod. Lesser, but similar effects were also demonstrated for real life data sets of less smoothnature.SPH is widely used in modeling and simulation of flow of matters. SPH presents advantagescompared to grid based methods both in terms of computational efficiency and accuracy, inparticular when dealing with less smooth flow. The results we achieved through our research is animprovement to the model in cases of less smooth flow, in particular flow with jumps and spikes.Up until now such improvements have been sought through modifications to the models' physicalequations and/or kernel functions and have only partially been able to address the issue.This research, as it introduced wavelet theory and IFT to a field of science that, to ourknowledge, not currently are utilizing these methods, did lay the groundwork for future researchiiiideas to benefit SPH. Among those ideas are further development of criteria for wavelet selection,use of smoothing splines for SPH interpolation and incorporation of Bayesian field theory.Improving the method's accuracy, stability and efficiency under more challenging conditionssuch as flow with jumps and spikes, will benefit applications in a wide area of science. Justin medicine alone, such improvements will further increase real time diagnostics, treatments andtraining opportunities because jumps and spikes are often the characteristics of significant physiologicaland anatomic conditions such as pulsatile blood flow, peristaltic intestine contractions andorgans' edges appearance in imaging.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006446, ucf:51451
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006446

Title: The Ethos of Humor in Technical Communication.
Creator: Roberts, David, Applen, John, Dombrowski, Paul, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Within the realm of technical communication, humor has often been regarded as an unnecessary or risky rhetorical device that can negatively impact the credibility of a document. While many other professional fields, such as medicine, computer technology fields, or business have used humor, and humor continues to crop up in (")user as producer(") documentation, technical writing continues to approach humor cautiously and with little theoretical guidance. In order to fully understand how humor...
Show moreWithin the realm of technical communication, humor has often been regarded as an unnecessary or risky rhetorical device that can negatively impact the credibility of a document. While many other professional fields, such as medicine, computer technology fields, or business have used humor, and humor continues to crop up in (")user as producer(") documentation, technical writing continues to approach humor cautiously and with little theoretical guidance. In order to fully understand how humor functions, it is important to understand the main theories of humor: superiority, relief, and incongruity. It is also important to understand how humor functions, by looking at Meyer's four functions of humor: identification, clarification, enforcement, and differentiation. Some primary and secondary manuals have successfully used a rhetorical strategy incorporating humor. Google uses a persona and situated ethos that projects a sense of fun and humor, and incorporates some humor into their documentation. The (")(")For Dummies(")(") series is well known and recognized for the situated ethos of providing fun, entertaining direction, while individual authors choose a specific invented ethos for each book written. The three theories of humor and four functions of humor can be applied to humor used in Google and (")(")For Dummies(")("). This demonstration better highlights how humor operates and functions in communication, and can provide technical communicators with a tool to use when considering the application of humor in documentation. The application further highlights the need for greater understanding of how humor affects the credibility and success of documentation.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004920, ucf:49629
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004920

Title: Methodological Improvements in the mRNA Profiling Assays for Incorporation into DNA Casework Workflows.
Creator: Volk, Paris, Ballantyne, John, Gerasimova, Yulia, Baudelet, Matthieu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Currently, DNA profiling is the gold standard to identify an individual. However, determining body fluid origin is important in criminal investigations, offering additional information surrounding the circumstances of a crime. However, crime labs can only definitively identify blood and semen and presumptively saliva using techniques that consume time and sample and do not simultaneously identify all forensically relevant body fluids. This causes many crime labs to want to bypass body fluid...
Show moreCurrently, DNA profiling is the gold standard to identify an individual. However, determining body fluid origin is important in criminal investigations, offering additional information surrounding the circumstances of a crime. However, crime labs can only definitively identify blood and semen and presumptively saliva using techniques that consume time and sample and do not simultaneously identify all forensically relevant body fluids. This causes many crime labs to want to bypass body fluid identification altogether. Therefore, advances into more definitive molecular-based body fluid methods are necessary. One such technique is mRNA profiling because it provides a highly sensitive and specific approach to definitively identifying all relevant body fluids in parallel. Although advancements have been made, improvements to mRNA profiling methodologies still need to be researched such as 1) possible mRNA recovery from established DNA workflows and 2) possible integration of mRNA profiling into an upfront male DNA screening assay for triaging sexual-assault evidence likely to contain male DNA and reduce/eliminate a significant bottleneck in the standard DNA workflow of microscopic sperm identification. This study was designed to address these two issues by evaluating a novel way to recover RNA, for body fluid identification, from the waste fractions of a PrepFiler(TM) DNA extraction, and from the DNA extracts directly. Next, this study aimed to provide a relatively quick molecular-based approach for screening sexual-assault evidence. It involves extraction of RNA using the Dynabeads(TM) mRNA DIRECT(TM) Kit, while saving the extraction waste fractions for downstream male-DNA quantitation and STR profiling. The RNA is then used in a rapid and sensitive 1-step combined reverse transcription-HRM assay to positively detect the presence of sperm. Both non-conventional co-extraction methods successfully addressed current body fluid identification challenges and allowed for easy integration into existing workflows when single sourced, mixture and mock casework samples were analyzed.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007551, ucf:52627
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007551

Title: MESSENGER RNA PROFILING: A PROTOTYPE METHOD FOR BODY FLUIDAND TISSUE IDENTIFICATION.
Creator: Juusola, Jane, Ballantyne, Jack, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Conventional methods of body fluid identification use labor-intensive, technologically diverse techniques that are performed in a series, not parallel, manner and are costly in terms of time and sample. Furthermore, for some frequently encountered body fluids, such as saliva or vaginal secretions, no confirmatory technique exists. Terminally differentiated cells, such as blood lymphocytes or epithelial cells lining the oral cavity, have a unique pattern of gene expression, which is evinced by...
Show moreConventional methods of body fluid identification use labor-intensive, technologically diverse techniques that are performed in a series, not parallel, manner and are costly in terms of time and sample. Furthermore, for some frequently encountered body fluids, such as saliva or vaginal secretions, no confirmatory technique exists. Terminally differentiated cells, such as blood lymphocytes or epithelial cells lining the oral cavity, have a unique pattern of gene expression, which is evinced by the presence and relative abundance of specific mRNA species. If the type and abundance of mRNAs can be determined in a stain or tissue sample recovered at the crime scene, it would be possible to definitively identify the tissue or body fluid in question. Advantages of an mRNA-based approach, compared to conventional biochemical analysis, include greater specificity, simultaneous and semi-automated analysis though a common assay format, improved timeliness, decreased sample consumption and compatibility with DNA extraction methodologies. In this report, we demonstrate that RNA is stable in biological stains and can be recovered in sufficient quantity and quality for analysis using reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR). We have identified sets of candidate tissuespecific genes for body fluids and tissues of forensic interest, namely blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, urine, skin, muscle, adipose, and brain. We also report the identification of a new housekeeping gene for use in mRNA based assays. Select body fluid-specific genes have been incorporated into multiplex PCR and real-time PCR assays. These assays allow for the positive identification of blood, saliva, semen,vaginal secretions, and/or menstrual blood in a stain. The final task of this work was the molecular characterization of mRNA degradation patterns in biological stains, which not only has fundamental importance in possibly revealing mRNA degradation pathways in dried biological stains, but may ultimately lead to better assay design strategies for mRNA markers for forensic use. An mRNA-based approach described in this report could allow the facile identification of the tissue components present in a body fluid stain and could conceivably supplant the battery of serological and biochemical tests currently employed in the forensic serology laboratory.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000862, ucf:46668
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000862

Title: Nitrogen-Containing Materials for Mechanochemical Synthesis, Luminescence Analysis, and Heterogeneous Catalysis.
Creator: Nash, David, Zhai, Lei, Hampton, Michael, Harper, James, Rex, Matthew, Blair, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Various inorganic nitrogen-containing materials have been exploited for their different properties. Several nitride materials are commercially attractive due to their mechanical properties making them suitable for ceramic industries and wide bandgaps fitting for use as semiconductor and insulator materials, as well as optoelectronics. Nitride materials can exhibit versatility in applications such as the use of gallium nitride to make blue LEDs, nitrides of titanium and silicon being utilized...
Show moreVarious inorganic nitrogen-containing materials have been exploited for their different properties. Several nitride materials are commercially attractive due to their mechanical properties making them suitable for ceramic industries and wide bandgaps fitting for use as semiconductor and insulator materials, as well as optoelectronics. Nitride materials can exhibit versatility in applications such as the use of gallium nitride to make blue LEDs, nitrides of titanium and silicon being utilized as medical implants for their chemical inertness and hardness, and the heavy use of boron nitride as a solid lubricant in the cosmetic industry. Amines have been used as nitrogen-containing organic ligands in organometallic complexes that exhibit phenomenal photophysical properties. These complexes have been heavily studied for potential applications in optoelectronics and chemical sensing. This dissertation will focus on two nitrogen-containing materials that have yet to be explored for the potential applications to be discussed. The first is hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN), which was previously mentioned to have a substantial use in the cosmetic industry, giving products such as lipstick, foundation, and blush their slick feeling. Computational models have shown the possibility of altered electronic properties of defect sites in the h-BN sheets. These defect sites will be explored experimentally to determine any catalytic activity. Specifically, the hydrogenation reaction using defect-laden hexagonal-boron nitride will be investigated. Successful catalysis would add to the short list of non-metal catalyst, and provide an alternative catalyst that costs significantly less than the traditional metal catalysts commonly used in commercial industries. The second of the two nitrogen-containing materials is a class of metal complexes based on organometallic clusters of copper(I) iodide. Copper(I) iodide clusters formed with amine ligands have been studied for around four decades and the photophysics behind their photoluminescent properties are well understood. Much of the work has been done for use as a potential emissive material in the optoelectronics field. They have also been studied for applications in the sensing of environmental compounds. Here, research will display its use as a novel sensor for narcotic substances. This forensic application will be further explored to develop and eventually commercialize a complete field drug testing system for law enforcement and crime lab use, with the goal to equip law enforcement personnel with a presumptive drug testing method that is accurate, easy-to-use, safe, adaptable, and affordable. This system will consist of a narcotic drug-indicating test strip, a handheld fluorescence spectrometer manufactured in-house using relatively inexpensive parts, and a mobile app that will leverage photoemission data of the tested drug samples collected by multiple crime labs to provide the ability for sample-to-reference data matching. Law enforcement users would have the ability to rapidly identify an unknown substance by applying it to a test strip, testing it using the spectrometer, and capturing an image of the resulting photoemission and analyzing the spectral profile in search of a match with the support of a cloud database.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0007129, ucf:52297
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007129

Title: A QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE AT-RISK STUDENT.
Creator: Quintero, Andrea M, Gresham, Regina Harwood, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to identify preservice teachers' perceptions of the at-risk student and their perceptions toward their educational preparation to effectively teach the at-risk student. A ten-question survey was conducted to gain insight on 15 preservice teachers' perceptions of the at-risk student. The results showed that 100% of the preservice teachers believe at-risk students could learn, but then were dissatisfied with the training that the teacher preparation program at the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to identify preservice teachers' perceptions of the at-risk student and their perceptions toward their educational preparation to effectively teach the at-risk student. A ten-question survey was conducted to gain insight on 15 preservice teachers' perceptions of the at-risk student. The results showed that 100% of the preservice teachers believe at-risk students could learn, but then were dissatisfied with the training that the teacher preparation program at the university has provided them. These findings suggest the importance of conducting further research on preservice teachers' preparation programs. Preservice teachers' ability to effectively teach the at-risk student can have a lasting impact on these students and their success in the future.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000142, ucf:45981
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000142

Title: STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING OF COMPOSITE OVERWRAPPED PRESSURE VESSELS.
Creator: Letizia, Luca, Catbas, F. Necati, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This work is focusing to study the structural behavior of Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs). These COPVs are found in many engineering applications. In the aerospace field, they are installed onto spaceships and aid the reorientation of the spacecraft in very far and airless, therefore frictionless, orbits to save energy and fuel. The intent of this research is to analyze the difference in performance of both perfectly intact and purposely damaged tanks. Understanding both the...
Show moreThis work is focusing to study the structural behavior of Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs). These COPVs are found in many engineering applications. In the aerospace field, they are installed onto spaceships and aid the reorientation of the spacecraft in very far and airless, therefore frictionless, orbits to save energy and fuel. The intent of this research is to analyze the difference in performance of both perfectly intact and purposely damaged tanks. Understanding both the source and location of a structural fault will help NASA engineers predict the performance of COPVs subject to similar conditions, which could prevent failures of important missions. The structural behavior of six tanks is investigated by means of experimental modal analysis. Knowledge of statistical signal processing methods allows to sort out and extract meaningful features from the data as to gain understanding of the performance of the structures. Structural identification is carried out using Narrow Band and Broad Band algorithms. A comparison through correlation tables and figures presents the differences in natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios of all structures. A careful analysis displays the deviation of these modal parameters in the damaged tanks, highlighting the evident structural defects.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000069, ucf:45514
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000069

Title: A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF INVOLVEMENT AND SEQUENCE IN NARRATIVE PERSUASION.
Creator: Lane, Rebekah, Miller, Ann, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research was to look more closely at the relationships between narrative and non-narrative persuasive messages, and to begin to determine how and why these message formats might work together. I situated this study within Rogers' roadmap for future theoretical work on entertainment education (E-E), and specifically addressed Slater and Rouner's call for more research on the impact of epilogues in E-E. Synthesizing components of the elaboration likelihood model with recent...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to look more closely at the relationships between narrative and non-narrative persuasive messages, and to begin to determine how and why these message formats might work together. I situated this study within Rogers' roadmap for future theoretical work on entertainment education (E-E), and specifically addressed Slater and Rouner's call for more research on the impact of epilogues in E-E. Synthesizing components of the elaboration likelihood model with recent theorizing regarding persuasion through narrative, I made predictions regarding the effect of transportation and character identification on perceived salience, attitudes, behavioral intention, and behavior in narrative, argument, and narrative + argument conditions. Undergraduate students were asked to watch one of seven videos. After watching the videos participants were asked to respond to questions reflecting their views of the subject matter in the videos, their experience while watching the videos, and their opinion of the video quality. The questionnaire included scales measuring transportation into the narrative and character development, measures of perceived issue relevance, and persuasion toward the topic of mandatory H1N1 vaccinations. Findings showed no relationship between the narrative format and transportation or perceived salience, however, transportation did predict perceived salience in messages combining both argument and narrative + argument formats. Recommendations were made for modification and future applications of the instruments used in the study and for continued research in the various stages of persuasion through narrative, argumentative, and combined format messaging.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004044, ucf:49149
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004044

identification (10)	+ -
Structural Health Monitoring (5)	+ -
Structural Identification (3)	+ -
System Identification (3)	+ -
rhetoric (3)	+ -

Body Fluid Identification (2)	+ -
Computer Vision (2)	+ -
Damage Detection (2)	+ -
Experimental Modal Analysis (2)	+ -
Forensic Science (2)	+ -
Identification (2)	+ -
narrative (2)	+ -
qualitative (2)	+ -
transportation (2)	+ -
"Big Sort" (1)	+ -
3D (1)	+ -
3D stereoscopy (1)	+ -
Academically Disengaged Students (1)	+ -
Activities of Daily Living (1)	+ -
Adam Lambert (1)	+ -
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (1)	+ -
Alcohol-Related Negative Consequences (1)	+ -
American Idol (1)	+ -
Analysis (1)	+ -
Anthropology (1)	+ -
Applications (1)	+ -
Art (1)	+ -
At-Risk Students (1)	+ -
Bayesian inference (1)	+ -
Bias (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (42)	+ -
Honors Collection (5)	+ -

University of Central Florida (47)	+ -
Mackie, Kevin (4)	+ -
Yun, Hae-Bum (4)	+ -
Catbas, Fikret (3)	+ -
Miller, Ann (3)	+ -

Shah, Mubarak (3)	+ -
Wheeler, Stephanie (3)	+ -
Abdel-Aty, Mohamed (2)	+ -
Ballantyne, Jack (2)	+ -
Catbas, Necati (2)	+ -
Chopra, Manoj (2)	+ -
Da Vitoria Lobo, Niels (2)	+ -
Jentsch, Florian (2)	+ -
Lee, JaeYoung (2)	+ -
Nam, Boo Hyun (2)	+ -
Schultz, John (2)	+ -
Sims, Valerie (2)	+ -
Wang, Jun (2)	+ -
Wiegand, Rudolf (2)	+ -
Abde-Aty, Mohamed (1)	+ -
Al Amili, Samer (1)	+ -
Al Rumaithi, Ayad (1)	+ -
Ambrose, Maureen (1)	+ -
Applen, John (1)	+ -
Arban, Garrett (1)	+ -
Bai, Yuanli (1)	+ -
Baldwin, Lee (1)	+ -
Ballantyne, John (1)	+ -
Barmak, Katayun (1)	+ -
Bassiouni, Mostafa (1)	+ -

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