An ethnographic analysis of adolescent sexual minority website usage: exploring notions of information seeking and sexual identity development

This dissertation explores the website usage of adolescent sexual minorities, examining notions of information seeking and sexual identity development. Sexual information seeking is an important element within human information behavior and is uniquely problematic for young sexual minorities. Utilizing a contemporary gay teen website, this five-year virtual ethnography of GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) youth demonstrates an understanding of the function of the Internet as an invaluable tool for exploring social and psychological needs while providing anonymity and keeping information-seeking behavior relatively unknown. The use of Chatman\u27s (1996) Information Impoverished Theory and Cass\u27s (1979) Model of Gay and Lesbian Identity Formation aids the analysis of this particular culture\u27s information- seeking behavior and sexual orientation identity formation. As a result, a number of salient themes are revealed, including exploration of and experimentation with sexuality; struggles with identity; ascertaining a social network; the coming out process; sexual identity confusion; and negative effects associated with homosexuality, such as low self-esteem, suicide, and conflict surrounding religious ideology. In addition, the findings suggest that sexual prejudice is a pervasive issue for this community and that the use of a gay teen chat forum is an effective means of ethnographic data collection. This dissertation concludes by identifying limitations and offering insights for further inquiry into the communication behavior of adolescent sexual minorities

The Mesoscopic Peristaltic Compressor

A new design for a meso-scale (miniature) compressor has been developed and analyzed. The tenn meso is used to describe a device which is smaller than a traditional (i.e. macro) device, and yet larger than the micro devices which have been developed in recent years. This scale of compressor is essential for the development of air conditioning systems small enough to be easily portable and efficient enough to require relatively low power to operate, while still being large enough to do appreciable work. The design under investigation is based on peristaltic action, in which controlled waves are used in rapid succession to propel a fluid down a continuously tapering channel. Electrostatic actuation is used to control the wave. A detailed analysis of this design is performed from an energy standpoint, and many of the major differences between this type of compressor and comparable traditional compressors are highlighted. In addition to the detailed energy analysis, some simple dynamic modeling has also been performed to address transient effects such as squeeze-film damping

Optical Actuation of MEMS Devices

82 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003.The experiments on radiation pressure revealed some unexpected behavior of the beam when toggled by short duration laser pulses. While long duration laser pulses at a power level slightly above the toggle threshold reliably toggled the beam every time, short duration pulses of the same power toggled the beam only about two thirds of the time. In addition, when excessively high power levels (far above the toggle threshold) were used, the device would not reliably toggle regardless of the pulse duration. In order to shed light on this unexpected behavior, a new, nonlinear dynamic analysis of the bistable beam device used in those experiments is presented. This model explains the anomalies, and extensive experimental evidence supporting the validity of the model is also presented.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

Optical Actuation of MEMS Devices

82 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003.The experiments on radiation pressure revealed some unexpected behavior of the beam when toggled by short duration laser pulses. While long duration laser pulses at a power level slightly above the toggle threshold reliably toggled the beam every time, short duration pulses of the same power toggled the beam only about two thirds of the time. In addition, when excessively high power levels (far above the toggle threshold) were used, the device would not reliably toggle regardless of the pulse duration. In order to shed light on this unexpected behavior, a new, nonlinear dynamic analysis of the bistable beam device used in those experiments is presented. This model explains the anomalies, and extensive experimental evidence supporting the validity of the model is also presented.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

Titan Lake lander team Oceanus.

College of Engineering; Systems Management and Production Center (SMAP Center); Advisor: Dr. Michael P.J. Benfield; Date: April 18, 2013; Pages: 124 p

Ohio Solar United Neighborhoods (OH SUN)

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