Current Search: Florida (x)
Pages
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Title
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Comparison and differentiation in fossil and recent specimens of the melongenid subgenus Rexmela in Florida.
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Creator
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Pletka, Crystal., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
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Abstract/Description
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The subgenus Rexmela, located primarily in Florida, is newly evolved, dating back 1.6 million years, first occurring in the Ayer's Landing Member of the Caloosahatchee Formation. This subgenus has highly variably shell morphology and has led to the erection of several species and subspecies. In order to provide a quantitative methodology with which to differentiate between populations, samples of Recent and fossil populations were collected and measured for a variety of parameters. The...
Show moreThe subgenus Rexmela, located primarily in Florida, is newly evolved, dating back 1.6 million years, first occurring in the Ayer's Landing Member of the Caloosahatchee Formation. This subgenus has highly variably shell morphology and has led to the erection of several species and subspecies. In order to provide a quantitative methodology with which to differentiate between populations, samples of Recent and fossil populations were collected and measured for a variety of parameters. The parameters measured included length, width, spire height, and several angles, and allowed for a discriminate analysis to be completed. The analysis supported the distinction of several of the populations as ecophenotypes. Paleoenvironments of the fossil populations were then recreated using analogues of Recent populations.
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Date Issued
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2009
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/187215
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Subject Headings
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Mollusks, Habitat, Gastropoda, Fossil, Aquatic invertebrates, Identification, Evolutionary paleobiology
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Comparison of chemotaxonomic methods for the determination of periphyton community composition.
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Creator
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Browne, Jamie L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Abstract/Description
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Pigment-based chemotaxonomy uses relative amounts of photosynthetic pigments (biomarkers) within algae samples to determine the algal class composition of each sample. Chemotaxonomy has been applied successfully to phytoplankton communities, but its efficacy for periphyton has not yet been established. This study examined the ability of simultaneous linear equations (SLE), CHEMTAX, and the Bayesian Compositional Estimator (BCE) to determine algal class composition in Florida Everglades...
Show morePigment-based chemotaxonomy uses relative amounts of photosynthetic pigments (biomarkers) within algae samples to determine the algal class composition of each sample. Chemotaxonomy has been applied successfully to phytoplankton communities, but its efficacy for periphyton has not yet been established. This study examined the ability of simultaneous linear equations (SLE), CHEMTAX, and the Bayesian Compositional Estimator (BCE) to determine algal class composition in Florida Everglades periphyton. The methods were applied to artificial datasets, mixed lab cultures of known composition, and Everglades periphyton samples for which microscopic biovolume data was available. All methods were able to return accurate sample compositions for artificial data and mixed lab cultures. Correlation between pigment methods and microscopic results for natural periphyton samples was poor. SLE and CHEMTAX returned similar results for all samples while BCE performed less well.
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Date Issued
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2010
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2100582
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Subject Headings
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Water quality biological assessment, Periphyton, Water, Phosphorus content, Freshwater algae
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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A comparison of pixel based and object based vegetation community classification in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
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Creator
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Barone, Dorianne M., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
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Abstract/Description
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Pixel based and object based vegetation community classification methods were performed using 30 meter spatial resolution Landsat satellite imagery of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), a remnant of the northern Everglades. Supervised classification procedures using maximum likelihood and parallelepiped algorithms were used to produce thematic maps with the following vegetation communities : wet prairie, sawgrass, cattail, tree island, brush, aquatic/open...
Show morePixel based and object based vegetation community classification methods were performed using 30 meter spatial resolution Landsat satellite imagery of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), a remnant of the northern Everglades. Supervised classification procedures using maximum likelihood and parallelepiped algorithms were used to produce thematic maps with the following vegetation communities : wet prairie, sawgrass, cattail, tree island, brush, aquatic/open water. Spectral data, as well as NDVI, texture and principal component data were used to produce vegetation community classification maps. The accuracy levels of the thematic maps produced were calculated and compared to one another. The pixel based approach using the parallelepiped classification algorithm on the spectral and NDVI dataset had the highest accuracy level. A generalized form of this classification using only three vegetation communities (all wet prairie, tree island/brush and aquatic/open water) was compared to a previously published classification which used 1987 SPOT imagery in order to extract information on possible vegetation community transitions that are occurring within the Refuge. Results of the study indicate that 30 meter spatial resolution may be useful for understanding broad vegetation community trends but not species level trends. Pixel based procedures provide a more accurate classification than object based procedures for this landscape when using 30 meter imagery. Lastly, since 1987 there may be a trend of tree island/brush communities replacing wet prairie communities in the northern part of the Refuge and a transition to wet prairie communities in place of tree island/brush communities in the southern portion of the Refuge.
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Date Issued
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2008
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/58002
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Subject Headings
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Ecosystem management, Vegetation dynamics, Vegetation classification, Spatial ecology, Mathematical models
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Constraints of landscape level prey availability on physiological condition and productivity of great egrets and white ibises in the Florida Everglades.
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Creator
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Herring, Garth, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
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Abstract/Description
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Life history strategy suggests long lived bird species will adjust their nesting effort according to current conditions, balancing the costs of reproduction with their long-term needs for survival and future reproduction. The habitat conditions that produce these responses may differ between species, even within the same ecosystem, producing different nesting and population trends. I traced the pathway by which food availability influences the physiological condition of pre-breeding great...
Show moreLife history strategy suggests long lived bird species will adjust their nesting effort according to current conditions, balancing the costs of reproduction with their long-term needs for survival and future reproduction. The habitat conditions that produce these responses may differ between species, even within the same ecosystem, producing different nesting and population trends. I traced the pathway by which food availability influences the physiological condition of pre-breeding great egrets and white ibises through to reproductive measures, and the physiological condition of chicks. I focused on these two species with contrasting foraging strategies, in relation to foraging and habitat conditions to maximize the likelihood of application of these results to other wading bird species. Experimental food supplementation and physiology research on white ibis chicks demonstrated that in years with low prey availability white ibis were food limited, with increased levels of stress protein 60 and fecal corticosterone. This is the first study to demonstrate experimentally the response of stress protein 60 to changing levels of food availability. During a year with low prey availability (2007) white ibis adults and chick physiological condition was lower than that of great egrets. During the same year, fledging success was lower for both species (20% for white ibis versus 27% for great egret) but the magnitude of the decrease was particularly severe for the white ibis (76% decline versus 66% decline for the great egret). Results suggest white ibises modify their clutch size during years with poor habitat in accordance with life history traits of a long-lived species, whereas great egrets maintained their clutch size during years with poor habitat., Increasing recession rates, hydrological reversals, and prey densities influenced white ibis, whereas great egrets were most influenced by prey densities and recession rates, with no effect of hydrological reversal. During the same year, fledging success was lower for both species (20% for white ibis versus 27% for great egret) but the magnitude of the decrease was particularly severe for the white ibis (76% decline versus 66% decline for the great egret). Results suggest white ibises modify their clutch size during years with poor habitat in accordance with life history traits of a long-lived species, whereas great egrets maintained their clutch size during years with poor habitat. Increasing recession rates, hydrological reversals, and prey densities influenced white ibis, whereas great egrets were most influenced by prey densities and recession rates, with no effect of hydrological reversals. This study is the first to make the link between landscape hydrology patterns, prey availability, and responses in wading bird nesting. These linkages provide critical insight into how species' nesting patterns could differ given the same time and spatial constraints and how that may be related to long-term nesting trends. This knowledge could ultimately lead to novel predictions about population and community patterns of wetland birds.
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Date Issued
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2008
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77643
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Subject Headings
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Bird populations, Water birds, Wetland ecology
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Correspondence and news article regarding Florida land, 1925-1926.
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Creator
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Ranson, Robert., Moffat, Victor R., Crabtree, Hobart., Johnson & Moffat
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Date Issued
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1925 - 1926, 1925, 1926
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/tc/fhp/FA00000248.pdf
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Subject Headings
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Real estate investment, History, History
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Format
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E-book
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Title
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A cost-effectiveness analysis of two community college baccalaureate programs in Florida: an exploratory study.
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Creator
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Bemmel, Edwin P., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
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Abstract/Description
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The purpose of this case study was to determine which, if any, alternative in delivering baccalaureate programs in the state of Florida was the most cost-effective one. This exploratory study focused on gaining an understanding of the cost effectiveness of two baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida community college to two like programs at a Florida university using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The researcher interviewed five community college and three State Department of...
Show moreThe purpose of this case study was to determine which, if any, alternative in delivering baccalaureate programs in the state of Florida was the most cost-effective one. This exploratory study focused on gaining an understanding of the cost effectiveness of two baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida community college to two like programs at a Florida university using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The researcher interviewed five community college and three State Department of Education administrators during the Fall of 2007 and analyzed expenditure and effectiveness data from 2003-04 through 2006-07 to determine the cost effectiveness for the programs at each institution. The study revealed that the university and community college programs were equally effective as measured by student graduation and test scores. The community college baccalaureate programs were more cost effective, however, using a formula of per-student state funding combined with student cost. Th e lower per-student funding and student tuition charged resulted in the community college baccalaureate being a less expensive alternative of offering baccalaureate degrees to the state and the students. Using Henry Levin's ingredients model of measuring cost effectiveness, the quantitative analysis of the study revealed that that the university programs were more cost effective in the early years, but the differences diminished over time. Using Levin's model for comparison, the researcher concluded that increased growth in the enrollment of the programs combined with the implementation of effectiveness measures comparable to those of the university would render baccalaureate programs at the community colleges more cost effective., Conclusions based on the formula of state and student cost were based on factual data, while conclusions based on Levin's ingredients model were based on assumptions and estimates using a weighting factor along with an indirect cost rate for Proxim University. The study identified factors other than the cost effectiveness that could make the community college baccalaureate a more attractive alternative and concluded with recommendations for practice, policy, and future research. Differences in state and local laws, or economic, geographical, and environmental differences combined with the nature of this exploratory case study limit the generalizability of the results of this study.
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Date Issued
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2008
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107803
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Subject Headings
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Education, Higher, Forecasting, Community colleges, Higher education and state
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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A critical theory analysis of the disproportionate representation of blacks and males participating in Florida's special education programs.
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Creator
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Allen, Anthony G., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
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Abstract/Description
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 has made a profound impact on millions of children with disabilities who now enjoy their right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). It is the goal of national policy, endorsed by Congress, to ensure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. With the enactment of IDEA, it ensures that all children, who participate in special education...
Show moreThe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 has made a profound impact on millions of children with disabilities who now enjoy their right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). It is the goal of national policy, endorsed by Congress, to ensure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. With the enactment of IDEA, it ensures that all children, who participate in special education programs, have equal access to education. However, since IDEA's inception, a disproportionate number of African Americans children have been placed, or rather, misplaced in special education programs. African American students are three times more likely than Whites to be placed into categories as needing services in special education programs, making them subject to less demanding schoolwork, to more restrictive classrooms, and to isolation from their peers. For the purpose of this study, the goals were (a) to determine if there is disproportional representation of Black students and male students in the three categories of Educable Mentally Handicapped, Emotionally Handicapped, and Specific Learning Disabled and (b) to address whether the factors school districts' socioeconomic status, minority rate, and racial composition of instructional and administrative staff predict the representation of Black students and male students who participate in special education programs. A quantitative method, including the three disproportionality calculation methods of Composition Index (CI), Risk Index (RI), and Odds Ratio (OR), was employed to respond to the six research questions and test six corresponding null hypotheses. Sixty-seven school districts in the State of Florida were identified for data collection and analysis., The enrollment data for the calculations covered AY 2005- 2009. Critical Race Theory (CRT) served as the lens through which to analyze the findings and discus the implications therein. It is clear that the problem of disproportionate representation is complex and the resolution to the problem is not an easy one. This study found that there was a relationship between the representation of Black students and male students in special education programs and the predictor variables. Statistical analyses revealed that socioeconomic status of the school district, minority rate, and racial composition of instructional and administrative staff predicted the disproportional representation. Critical Race Theory, which served as a methodological framework was employed to help in examining and challenging the manner in which race and racism clearly impacts practices and procedures in the special education referral process. CRT utilized the social construction of race and the role it plays in the education policies that affect minorities. As with any intellectual movement, CRT builds its scholarship upon certain theoretical pillars. The basic tenets of CR T include ordinariness, interest convergence, social construction, differential racialization, and legal story telling. For the purpose of this research, only the tenets of ordinariness, interest convergence, social construction, and differential racialization were examined in the context of disproportionate representation of black students and male students in special education.
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Date Issued
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2010
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2867333
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Subject Headings
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Discrimination in educations, Racism in education, Education, Social aspects, Multicultural education, Learning disabled children, Identification
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Cultural and spatial perceptions of Miami's Little Havana.
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Creator
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Cordoba, Hilton A., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
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Abstract/Description
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Miami's "Little Havana" is known by many for its famous Southwest 8th Street, the Calle Ocho festival, and for the many Latin people, particularly Cubans, that live in the area. However, the current name of the neighborhood hides all of the dynamics of neighborhood change and creates the notion that Little Havana is a static monoculture neighborhood. This study measured people's perception of Little Havana by surveying 153 residents to identify the cultural associations and to capture the...
Show moreMiami's "Little Havana" is known by many for its famous Southwest 8th Street, the Calle Ocho festival, and for the many Latin people, particularly Cubans, that live in the area. However, the current name of the neighborhood hides all of the dynamics of neighborhood change and creates the notion that Little Havana is a static monoculture neighborhood. This study measured people's perception of Little Havana by surveying 153 residents to identify the cultural associations and to capture the participant's spatial perceptions of Little Havana. This study found that survey participants from inside the study area associated Little Havana more with Cuban culture and had more positive things to say about the neighborhood. Finally, this study suggests that the core of Little Havana was encompassed by West Flagler Street on the north, Southwest 8th Street on the south, Southwest 27th Avenue on the west, and Southwest 4th Avenue on the east.
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Date Issued
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2011
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3174508
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Subject Headings
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Cuban Americans, Social life and customs, History, Description and travel, Social life and customs
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Cultural perspectives among children of Guatemalan Maya immigrants in Lake Worth, Florida.
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Creator
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Sprague, Tara., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
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Abstract/Description
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Every day children of Guatemalan Maya immigrants balance two cultures. They reside in The United States and attend American schools but are being raised by their Guatemalan Maya parents. They continually navigate between the two and are faced with challenges daily. Since these children are influenced by two cultures, my interest was primarily on the cultural perspectives of these children, more specifically: what effects does the new culture have on the old? Through volunteering at a...
Show moreEvery day children of Guatemalan Maya immigrants balance two cultures. They reside in The United States and attend American schools but are being raised by their Guatemalan Maya parents. They continually navigate between the two and are faced with challenges daily. Since these children are influenced by two cultures, my interest was primarily on the cultural perspectives of these children, more specifically: what effects does the new culture have on the old? Through volunteering at a Guatemalan Maya after-school program, interviewing and administering the Children's Apperception Test, results showed these children to be influenced by American culture. The biggest indicator, play, was reported to be an important aspect in their lives, which is not considered essential in Maya culture. At the same time, these children keep close ties to their cultural heritage through their strong family ties. Overall, these children are influenced by American culture, but at the same time, keep their heritage.
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Date Issued
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2012
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3352884
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Subject Headings
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Children of immigrants, Social aspects, Guatemalans, Social conditions, Immigrants, Cultural assimilation, Guatemalan Americans, Ethnic identity
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Cumulative trauma among adult Mayas living in southeast Florida.
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Creator
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Millender, Eugenia I., Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
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Abstract/Description
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The toxic combination of social, psychological, environmental, cultural, and physiological trauma Mayas living in Southeast Florida face daily places them at higher risk for mental and physical disorders (Marmot & Wilkinson, 2006; WHO, 2010, September). The burden of disease is not limited to mental disorder comorbidities; psychological stress can also induce or exacerbate chronic medical diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension (Brunner & Marmot, 2006; Sridhar, 2007). ... The...
Show moreThe toxic combination of social, psychological, environmental, cultural, and physiological trauma Mayas living in Southeast Florida face daily places them at higher risk for mental and physical disorders (Marmot & Wilkinson, 2006; WHO, 2010, September). The burden of disease is not limited to mental disorder comorbidities; psychological stress can also induce or exacerbate chronic medical diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension (Brunner & Marmot, 2006; Sridhar, 2007). ... The continuation of this disregard will add to the health disparity of this nation by delaying assessment, treatment, and development of interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore cumulative trauma as it related to social determinants of health and pathophysiological, psychological, and health behaviors of 102 adult Mayas living in Southeast Florida. The trauma profile for the Mayan population sample obtained through this study reflected high exposure to different types of trauma; collective identity trauma was most frequently reported, followed by survival trauma, achievement trauma, secondary trauma, and personal identity trauma, with high rates of repetition of the same traumas ... Key words: Maya; alcohol; ASSIST; cumulative trauma; Beck Depression Inventory-II; genocide; Guatemala; Hispanic; social determinants of health.
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Date Issued
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2013
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362554
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Subject Headings
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Psychic trauma, Adjustment (Psychology), Resilience (Personality trait), Medicine and psychology, Immigrants, Cultural assimilation
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Determining anchoring systems for marine renewable energy devices moored in a western boundary current.
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Creator
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Seibert, Michael G., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
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Abstract/Description
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In this thesis anchoring systems for marine renewable energy devices are examined for an area of interest off the coast of Southeast Florida that contains both ocean current and thermal resources for future energy extraction. Bottom types observed during previous regional benthic surveys are compiled and anchor performance of each potential anchor type for the observed bottom types is compared. A baseline range of environmental conditions is created by combining local current measurements and...
Show moreIn this thesis anchoring systems for marine renewable energy devices are examined for an area of interest off the coast of Southeast Florida that contains both ocean current and thermal resources for future energy extraction. Bottom types observed during previous regional benthic surveys are compiled and anchor performance of each potential anchor type for the observed bottom types is compared. A baseline range of environmental conditions is created by combining local current measurements and offshore industry standards. Numerical simulations of single point moored marine hydrokinetic devices are created and used to extract anchor loading for two potential deployment locations, multiple mooring scopes, and turbine rotor diameters up to 50 m. This anchor loading data is used for preliminary anchor sizing of deadweight and driven plate anchors on both cohesionless and cohesive soils. Finally, the capabilities of drag embedment and pile anchors relevant to marine renewable energy devices are discussed.
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Date Issued
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2011
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3172697
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Subject Headings
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Ocean energy resources, Renewable energy sources, Deep-sea moorings, Ocean engineering, Geothermal energy
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Development of a remote sensing technique for woody vegetation in Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area.
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Creator
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Franklin, Sarah., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
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Abstract/Description
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lacks a viable method for monitoring woody vegetation in expansive wetland communities, such as the Florida Everglades. This study used aerial photographs of Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Palm Beach County, Florida to develop techniques for remotely monitoring changes in woody vegetation. Imagery from 2006, 2008, and 2010 were classified into woody and non-woody categories using Adobe Photoshop's Magic Wand Tool....
Show moreThe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lacks a viable method for monitoring woody vegetation in expansive wetland communities, such as the Florida Everglades. This study used aerial photographs of Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Palm Beach County, Florida to develop techniques for remotely monitoring changes in woody vegetation. Imagery from 2006, 2008, and 2010 were classified into woody and non-woody categories using Adobe Photoshop's Magic Wand Tool. Selection was performed with a bias toward over classification, as project objectives required identifying as many trees as possible. Classified pixels in Time 1 within 4 feet (2 pixels) of classified pixels from Time 2 were considered the same canopy. Overall accuracy for the study was 98%.
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Date Issued
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2011
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3175018
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Subject Headings
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Environmental monitoring, Remote sensing, Vegetation dynamics, Ecosystem management
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Diatoms as a food source for Sorites dominicensis.
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Creator
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Gaston, Tiffany., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
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Abstract/Description
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Sorites dominicensis is a common Foraminifera living on Thalassia testudinum seagrass blades in the Indian River Lagoon. This locality is unique because epiphytic diatoms, characteristic of Caribbean and temperate environments, are expected to make up the biofilm community. Diatoms compose a large part of the Foraminiferan diet. It is important to understand the cause and effect relationship of population variation between S. dominicensis and its preferred food source, since both are valuable...
Show moreSorites dominicensis is a common Foraminifera living on Thalassia testudinum seagrass blades in the Indian River Lagoon. This locality is unique because epiphytic diatoms, characteristic of Caribbean and temperate environments, are expected to make up the biofilm community. Diatoms compose a large part of the Foraminiferan diet. It is important to understand the cause and effect relationship of population variation between S. dominicensis and its preferred food source, since both are valuable bioindicators. We examined the selective feeding of S. dominicensis by first, identifying the diatom assemblage. Second, we utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to identifying the remains of diatoms entrapped in pseudopodial nets and in debris piles. We found that Mastogloia and Cocconeis were the most prominent genera in the overall diatom assemblage. The food preference of S. dominicensis included Amphora, Berkeleya rutilans,Cocconeis, Licmophora dalmatica, Mastogloia, Odontella rhombus, Plagiogramma pulchellum var. pygmaeum, and Skeletonema.
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Date Issued
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2008
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77667
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Subject Headings
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Diatoms, Identification, Wetland ecology, Stream ecology, Methodology
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Dietary niche relationships of white ibis, tricolored heron and snowy egret nestlings in the northern Everglades.
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Creator
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Boyle, Robin A., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
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Abstract/Description
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Food availability is the primary factor affecting the reproductive success in many species of birds. Diet composition can indicate diet quality, habitat use and niche requirements for breeding birds and may be variable across short and long-term time scales. Identifying primary prey types of nesting wading birds is important for the hydrologic restoration of wetlands. I collected nestling boluses during the 2008 and 2009 nesting seasons from three species of wading birds that nest in the...
Show moreFood availability is the primary factor affecting the reproductive success in many species of birds. Diet composition can indicate diet quality, habitat use and niche requirements for breeding birds and may be variable across short and long-term time scales. Identifying primary prey types of nesting wading birds is important for the hydrologic restoration of wetlands. I collected nestling boluses during the 2008 and 2009 nesting seasons from three species of wading birds that nest in the northern Everglades: White Ibis, Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets. White Ibis bolus composition was dominated by crayfish in both years, but exhibited some variation with landscape water depth in 2009; fish use was greatest when the wetland landscape was relatively dry. In contrast, the prey of Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets were primarily fish and their respective diets did not differ from one another in either fish species composition or size structure.
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Date Issued
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2010
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2953207
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Subject Headings
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Wetland ecology, Bird populations, Water birds
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Differentiating decomposition rates within the ridge-slough microtopography of the central Florida Everglades.
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Creator
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Van der Heiden, Sheryl R., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
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Abstract/Description
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The relative rates of detrital decomposition in four vegetation communities within the Everglades' ridge-slough microtopography were evaluated during two trials. Litterbags with community-specific detritus in proportion to each community's composition were put into the four communities; namely, submerged marsh, emergent marsh, short Cladium ridge, and tall Cladium ridge. These litterbags were paired with litterbags containing control leaf litter from Chrysobalanus icaco and Salix caroliniana...
Show moreThe relative rates of detrital decomposition in four vegetation communities within the Everglades' ridge-slough microtopography were evaluated during two trials. Litterbags with community-specific detritus in proportion to each community's composition were put into the four communities; namely, submerged marsh, emergent marsh, short Cladium ridge, and tall Cladium ridge. These litterbags were paired with litterbags containing control leaf litter from Chrysobalanus icaco and Salix caroliniana during the wet and dry season trials, respectively. No regional differences in decomposition were shown, but there were significant differences across communities, attributed to the initial C:N ratio of the detritus, with the fastest decomposition occurring in the deepest submerged marsh followed by emergent marsh, and the shallower ridge communities had equally slower decomposition. Additionally, both controls followed the same pattern. Thus, decomposition contributes to an active self-maintenance mechanism within the vegetation communities which ultimately helps to conserve the ridges and sloughs.
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Date Issued
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2008
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/166456
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Subject Headings
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Biogeochemistry, Surfaces (Technology), Measurement, Vegatation dynamics, Mathematical models, Wetland ecology
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Dynamic characterization and forensic investigation of reinforced asphalt pavement cores from SR15/US98.
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Creator
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Ledezma-Campodonico, Rodrigo., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
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Abstract/Description
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Due to the presence of deep deposits of organic soils at shallow depths, roadways in western Palm Beach County, FL show premature distress and failure requiring frequent rehabilitation. In an effort to develop effective mitigation strategies, 24 test sections, containing various types of pavement reinforcing materials, were constructed during Fall of 2008. This study presents a forensic investigation and dynamic characterization of reinforced asphalt cores obtained from SR15/US98 for...
Show moreDue to the presence of deep deposits of organic soils at shallow depths, roadways in western Palm Beach County, FL show premature distress and failure requiring frequent rehabilitation. In an effort to develop effective mitigation strategies, 24 test sections, containing various types of pavement reinforcing materials, were constructed during Fall of 2008. This study presents a forensic investigation and dynamic characterization of reinforced asphalt cores obtained from SR15/US98 for evaluating the uniformity of test sections, qualitative comparisons, and developing empirical models for predicting permanent deformation and material damage with stress cycles simulating traffic loading.
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Date Issued
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2009
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/369188
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Subject Headings
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Pavements, Asphalt, Design and construction, Roads, Design and construction, Transportation engineering
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Edna Pearce Lockett: lady of the house.
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Creator
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Dooley, Terry L., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of History
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Abstract/Description
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This thesis demonstrates how some women used the power of their ancestry and family name to run for political office, to become a positive role model for other women, and also to help pass laws favorable to the improvement of gender equality. Edna Pearce Lockett was unique, but also a reflection of the values of her community. Women who ran for office tended to have strong male figures in their lives that treated them as equals. They often were savvy enough to use the novelty of their gender...
Show moreThis thesis demonstrates how some women used the power of their ancestry and family name to run for political office, to become a positive role model for other women, and also to help pass laws favorable to the improvement of gender equality. Edna Pearce Lockett was unique, but also a reflection of the values of her community. Women who ran for office tended to have strong male figures in their lives that treated them as equals. They often were savvy enough to use the novelty of their gender to encourage positive press. Far from trying to be men, they accentuated their femininity through press accounts detailing their fashion sense, their dedication to feminine pursuits, and their ability to be ladies as well as serve their constituency. Edna Pearce Lockett's life also illustrates what society was like in central Florida during the first half of the 20th century for men and women living on and around the cattle industry.
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Date Issued
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2009
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186679
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Subject Headings
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Political and social views, Frontier and pioneer life, History, Women in politics, History, Feminism, History and criticism, Women, History, History
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Effect of median grain size ratio on the compaction behavior of binary granular mixes.
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Creator
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Brenner, Tara Devine., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
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Abstract/Description
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Optimization of compaction in granular material without the use of traditional ground improvement methods may be possible by optimizing the percentage of finer material and the median grain size ratio in binary soil mixtures. In this study, the median grain size ratio D50/d50 was explored as a fundamental parpmeter affecting the compaction characteristics of binary mixes made from natural sands as opposed to singular measurements such as fines content and mean grain size traditionally used to...
Show moreOptimization of compaction in granular material without the use of traditional ground improvement methods may be possible by optimizing the percentage of finer material and the median grain size ratio in binary soil mixtures. In this study, the median grain size ratio D50/d50 was explored as a fundamental parpmeter affecting the compaction characteristics of binary mixes made from natural sands as opposed to singular measurements such as fines content and mean grain size traditionally used to represent granular soils. A total of 18 binary granular mixes were synthetically generated from natural sands obtained from Longboat Key, Florida and evaluated through grain size analysis, laboratory compaction and determination of relative density. Results indicate that the D50/d50 ratio shows promise as a fundamental parameter for compaction optimization in binary mixes with values exceeding six approaching the densest packing configuations.
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Date Issued
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2012
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358329
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Subject Headings
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Granular materials, Dynamic testing, Engineering geology, Soil mechanics, Testing, Micromechanics, Mathematical models
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Format
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Document (PDF)
Pages