Digital Commons Network^™

Artificial Intelligence And Ethics, Carol M. Bast

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper focuses on the impact that artificial intelligence has had on the practice of law and ethics rules. In some respects, the ethics rules, comments, and continuing legal education requirements incorporate knowledge of technology into the duty of attorney competence. After offering a primer on artificial intelligence and attorney ethics, the paper discusses certain proposals for revising the ethics rules, comments, and continuing legal education requirements.

Population Differences In Human Mandibular Growth, Madison Hubbart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Mandibles are one of the most common bones encountered in the human archaeological record. Variation in mandibular morphology is often associated with differences in subsistence strategy as masticatory stresses influence bone growth and development. Bone growth is stimulated by bone modeling, the process by which formation and resorption occur through the uncoupled activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. There is a limited understanding of bone modeling patterns in humans due to a lack of quantitative data and small sample sizes. The aim of this research was to address the question: is there a shared bone modeling pattern in the mandible …

And They Saved My Sorry Ass: A Documentary Discovering Self In Contemporary Fan Culture, Chunxiao Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

"And They Saved My Sorry Ass" is a documentary/personal essay film about queer ani- me lovers (including the filmmaker) based both in the US and in China. This film focuses on how these fans express their identities by embodying and re-interpreting anime characters. Experimental methods, such as staged performance, first-person narration and abstract imaging are explored in addition to conventional interviews. This thesis follows the pre-production, production and post-production processes of making this film through 2020 to 2023, also mapping out marketing and distribution plans after finishing the project.

Diamond's Hidden Gems - Scholarly Communications, Diamond R. Williams

Libraries' Documents

True to its nature as a public research university (a university that drives discovery and advancement), UCF places heavy emphasis on research. This occurs particularly during a student's college career, in which we are encouraged to get involved with projects that draw our attention.

UCF does not leave us on our own in these ventures, however, offering resources and assistance throughout the entire research process. One such resource is the Office of Scholarly Communications.

Using An Interactional Ethnographic Perspective To Explore Insider Perspectives When Working With Previously Archived Records, Michelle Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Studies in social science fields have examined specific issues in (re)using archived records for qualitative research, though few have focused on the use of private archives in ethnographic research, especially when it comes to foregrounding participant perspectives. In this methodological dissertation I draw on two sets of archived records to demonstrate how an ethnographer can make visible insider knowledge and perspectives when conducting qualitative research with archived records. Utilizing an interactional ethnographic perspective, I construct a dataset for analysis, making my logic visible as I use mapping and transcription, domain and taxonomic analysis, and discourse analysis to foreground insider perspectives …

Silent Agony: Automated Detection Of Ethnic And Religious Cyberbullying Using Machine Learning, Emil Agbemade

Data Science and Data Mining

The use of electronic mobile devices, social media, and networking websites has increased tremendously in recent years. Despite the advantages of these systems, such as exchanging ideas and information, being sociable, and providing entertainment, users may encounter adverse behaviors like toxicity, bullying, extremism, and cruelty. The prevalence of such behaviors has grown significantly in cyberspace, posing a threat to individuals and communities. To address this issue, there is a high demand for automated cyberbullying detection systems. Machine learning algorithms have been widely used to build such systems by classifying and detecting cyberbullying. In this study, we employed popular machine learning …

Network Structure And Network Effectiveness In Thailand's Provincial Covid-19 Response Networks, Ruechagorn Trairatananusorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Health and well-being are key focuses for international organizations and governments around the world as one of the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic since late 2019 has led to not only substantial life losses, but also negative social and economic impacts that are relatively comparable to the "Spanish Flu" pandemic. The insights from public administration literature suggested that emergency and crisis management require collaborative efforts from various stakeholders across sectors and levels. However, the existing literature that studied the COVID-19 pandemic response under network perspective is still scarce in developing countries, especially in …

Who Cares About Virtual Campus Tours? Virtual Tours In The College Choice Model And Perceived Student-Institution Fit, Christopher Thompson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

College recruitment practices have remained stagnant for quite some time. However, due to decreases in state funding and hypercompetitive applicant pools colleges must adapt their recruitment practices to remain competitive. Due to precautions and social distancing guidelines which occurred in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, college information sessions, college fairs, campus tours and other recruitment events were suspended. As such, admissions administrators were forced to rely on virtual recruitment practices, including virtual campus tours, to recruit applicants. Virtual campus tours allow colleges to expand their applicant pool by engaging with prospective students, who may not possess the required finances …

An Equal Wage For All: Investigating The Gender Wage Gap In Opticianry, Christine E. Pinkney

Honors Undergraduate Theses

To better understand the gender wage gap and how it affects licensed working opticians in Florida, an attitudinal survey was constructed using a Likert scale and an online survey instrument through Qualtrics. A pilot study was used with student opticians to investigate the clarity of the questions. This research aimed to learn about Florida opticians' current attitudes toward the gender wage gap in their field and to investigate if this knowledge had somehow affected their decision to stay in the opticianry field. The data from the pilot study indicates that while opticians are aware of the gender wage gap, they …

The Relative Contribution Of Health-Care Points Of Service To Overall Patient Satisfaction At A University Health Center, Jay M. Parikh

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Throughout the process of receiving healthcare, a patient is affected by several factors and processes. To just name a few, how long a patient must wait at the clinic, how friendly the front desk is, how the nurse treats the patient, how effective the physician is with his or her communication, what the cost of a patient's healthcare is, and how clean the clinic is all affect the patient's experience. When clinics excel in these factors, it promotes a favorable relationship between the patient and the clinic. Patients trust the healthcare provider and desire to continue attending that clinic when …

Observing The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Overall Health, Anxiety, And Sleep, Brianna Chicas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

College students' mental health has been researched for some time. In particular, the correlation between physical activity and mental health symptoms has been researched. The study examines the relationship between physical activity and anxiety, sleep, and overall health. College undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida took an online survey that measured all of these variables. A Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess correlations. Positive correlations were found between anxiety and sleep, anxiety and social desirability, sleep and social desirability, and strength training and vigorous physical activity. Negative correlations were found between overall health and physical activity, overall …

Journal Of The Association For Communication Administration: Complete Volume 40

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete volume of JACA Volume 40.

Relationship Between Patient Race And Provider Communication, Kristin M. Marino

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Health disparities by race in the United States have been persistent over decades and one possible reason for that could be that physicians are communicating differently with different races. The purpose of this study was to systematically review literature regarding the relationship of patient race/ethnicity with physician-patient communication. The overall project of which this is a part is a mixed methods review, but my part of the study involved only studies using observational data such as audio and video recordings of physician-patient encounters. This study investigated research that compares physician communication with patients across a wide range of ethnic groups, …

Investigating Mental Illness Perception On Social Media And The Propensity To Self-Diagnose, Camille R. Omega

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The perception of mental illness has often been studied in traditional face-to-face settings, but the research on its perception in an online setting has been growing recently. Social media platforms have allowed for important conversations regarding mental health to gain popularity and led to the formation of communities where users can share their personal experiences. It has also given professionals the opportunity to educate others on various mental health topics and answer specific questions their audience may have. From these posts and forums, users who are concerned with their mental health can be given the guidance to achieve proper assistance …

Male Pornography Viewers' Perceptions Of Asian Women, Caitlyn M. Koerner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Objectification and sexual aggression are common themes in pornography. However, there are only a handful of quantitative studies that examine the role of race in pornography that included Asian women, a population that has been fetishized extensively and historically portrayed as hypersexual in mainstream media. There were also no studies on the self-reported attitudes of viewers around this topic. 96 male university students took a survey measuring the frequency and perception of their pornography use, their acceptance of sexual aggression myths, their objectification of Asian women, and their propensity to agree with microaggressions about Asian women. Results indicated that while …

Acute Myocardial Infarction Among People Living With Hiv: Comparing Immunological And Virological Control By Hispanic Ethnicity Of The All Of Us Research Program Participants, Eugenio Reina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States, individuals of Hispanic ethnicity receive disproportionately lower-quality healthcare. These healthcare disparities exacerbate unequal access to quality healthcare services, including disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care. Research on the role of ethnicity on the CVD outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH) has been limited. We hypothesize that immunological (CD4+ cell count) and virological (HIV viral load) control may play a role in the development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among PLWH, and that Hispanic ethnicity may worsen these outcomes.

To verify our hypotheses, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to investigate …

Evaluation Of Sleep Benefits Following A 16-Week Judo Program For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Neha R. Chittaluru

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by language and communication deficits, and difficulties with social interaction (Twisk, 2001). Research has shown that 80% of youth with ASD experience sleep challenges which can lead to sleep-related health issues, exacerbate problematic behaviors, and increase vulnerability to anxiety and depression (Wachob & Lorenzi, 2015; Williams et al., 2004; Richdale & Schreck, 2009). Sleep plays a central role in adaptive functioning, and insufficient sleep can hinder learning, memory, and neuroplasticity for children with ASD (Cohen et al., 2014). As these unhealthy behavior patterns can lead to more adverse long-term health consequences, it …

"It's Still Easy To Get": An Anthropological Analysis Of Nicotine Activist Efforts And User Perspectives In Central Florida, Saoulkie Bertin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The absence of federal government consensus on various nicotine policy matters, such as the legality of menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes, gives rise to distinct agendas, policy landscapes, and public attitudes at the state and local levels. As a result, nicotine activist groups and interested stakeholders are actively engaged in shaping the future of nicotine policy and use. This thesis explores the culture of local activist groups in Central Florida to understand how they influence nicotine-related policy change and set the tone for nicotine use in their communities. Drawing on data collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with activist …

The Impact Of Telemedicine On Patient-Provider Communication At A University Student Health Center, Venkata Naga Sreelalitapriya Duvuuri

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Effective patient-provider communication (PPC) involves conveying sufficient information to a patient such that the treatment is agreed upon and implemented accurately. Furthermore, a patient must feel adequately involved in the treatment process. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, many clinical visits were shifted online. Although telemedicine was successful in meeting pandemic-specific goals, such as lowering personal contact, it changes the communicative context. Both patients and providers get less input from body language (nonverbal communication) and rely more on verbal communication. Furthermore, the number of telemedicine visits conducted remains elevated over pre-pandemic levels. Much of what is known about effective …

The Effect Of L-Citrulline Supplementation On Blood Pressure: An Updated Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Vraj Amin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States and has remained as the leading cause of death. Large Mendelian randomization studies have found significant correlations between high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact, high blood pressure is the single most important independent risk factor for CVD. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of L-citrulline on blood pressure to determine whether it could be advised as an effective treatment for high blood pressure. L-citrulline is a naturally occurring amino acid that readily converts to L-arginine within the human body. L-arginine …

Examining Patient-Physician Communication As A Form Of Mutual Persuasion Using The Conversational Argument Coding Scheme, Pritam Kanthala

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Communication between the patient and the physician in clinical encounters has traditionally been considered a passive interaction on the side of the patient, whereby the healthcare provider examines the patient's condition and circumstances, evaluates the situation, and prescribes a certain treatment plan or procedural solution that will heal the patient's ailment. However, recent research and fundamental communications understanding strongly emphasizes that effective communication is a two-way endeavor that ideally should involve input and insight from both sides of the conversation. Treating all clinical interactions as a one-way didactic experience where a provider usually goes through a checklist of commonalities would …

The Effect Of Personality On Performance Under Change, Sydney Mazur

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the relationship between personality and performance under changing circumstances. Specifically, this paper analyzes how the personality trait of optimism, and a moderator of ambiguity tolerance, affects performance under changes in an Air-Traffic Control Simulation. Previous studies have not examined the effect that optimism has on performance under change. Results indicated that personality does not correlate significantly with performance. This study was completed due to interest in a positive attitude and how it may relate to performing in the workplace

Analyzing Help-Seeking Behaviors And Barriers Among Hispanic Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Emely Mejia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is experienced by millions of women in the U.S. every year. As the population of Hispanic women continues to grow, there is more attention to the unique experience of these women and the factors that disproportionately affect this population when they experience IPV. The objective of this study was to identify the help-seeking behaviors and barriers to help-seeking in Hispanic survivors of IPV. The last published systematic review on this topic was in 2011, showing a gap in our understanding of the prevalent barriers affecting these Hispanic women over the last decade. To assess the current …

Beauty In Sorority Life: An Anthropological Analysis Of Beauty Ideals And Body Modification, Delaney C. Mclinden

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sororities are social organizations on college campuses categorized by selective membership and exclusive social events for active members. This research focuses on how sorority members' ideas about beauty relate to their appearance management behaviors in order to gauge how sorority culture contributes to their understanding of physical beauty. Ethnographic

data collection took place at a university in the southeastern United States. I conducted 17 semi- structured interviews with members of different sororities and participant observation at sorority

recruitment events. There's a common thread that connects every interview: beauty and appearance carry importance. Sorority culture encourages women to put "effort" into …

An Optimization Study Of Small-Scale Propeller Blade, Fahad M. Nabid

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research paper aims to investigate the optimization of smaller propeller blades to achieve maximum efficiency by studying the effect of the twist angle on reducing drag, increasing thrust, and preventing rapid wear on the blade. Inefficient propellers consume a significant amount of energy, particularly during low-speed flights. The low Reynolds number regime challenges aviation engineers to design propellers with the highest possible efficiency to minimize energy losses. The primary objective of this thesis is to optimize smaller propeller blade shapes to enable them to produce maximum efficiency. The advanced ratio of a propeller blade heavily influences the blade's performance …

The Significance Of Art Education: Creating A Digital Classroom Advocating Art Education, Keri K. O'Connell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Art programs have always been essential to education; they have provided students with a safe place to express themselves and make risk-free choices. However, due to budget cuts to the public school systems, art education is in jeopardy. The impact of the budget cuts on art education is widespread and has reduced student access to the arts and lowered the quality of the art education programs within our public school system. Schools can only provide students with the necessary resources, such as art supplies, technology, and professional development for art educators, with adequate funding. When schools are not receiving adequate …

The Evaluation Of Legal Rights Granted To Non-Citizen Detainees, Julia Oldershaw

Honors Undergraduate Theses

For over two decades, the United States imprisoned and detained hundreds of suspected terrorists at the United States Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. While many of these prisoners were suspected of being terrorists, no formal charges were ever levied against the detainees. All of the prisoners detained were considered non-citizens of the United States. They were not citizens of either Cuba or the United States. Instead, they were citizens of another country. While the legal precedent in the United States' territorial jurisdiction is that non-citizens are granted specific Constitutional rights, Guantánamo Bay was a legal black hole to which …

Spinoza's Cosmopsychism: The Multifaceted Mind Of Nature, Audrey N. Perryman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In my thesis, I will argue that while at first glance Spinoza's system seems to conflict with itself and provide an explanation of the mind that can be more confusing than helpful, its aspect of panpsychism provides a sort of lifeline for understanding. Not only does Spinoza's cosmopsychism make his system cohesive, but it can also be independently motivated by ideas that are compatible with the more contemporary intuitions in philosophy of mind. I will explore the specific nature of this universal mentality, how Spinoza's particular genre of panpsychism relates to other theories of panpsychism, and how his conception of …

Measuring Brain Activity Using Fnirs During Discomfort Mitigation With Vr Meditation, Jordan Sammarco

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pain perception can be drastically affected by external factors in the surrounding environment. Previous studies relying on subjective ratings of pain have shown that guided meditations supplemented by virtual reality (VR) can reduce the perception of pain more successfully than the audio alone. The research question for this study was: How does the efficacy of meditation as a means of pain mitigation differ with and without the application of VR? To answer this question, we used fNIRS to visualize changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which has been shown to play a role in the larger pain matrix in …

How Mental Health Impacts The Relationship Between Aesthetics, Perceived Usefulness, And The Intention To Follow Self-Help Social Media Accounts, Quang Hong Phuoc Thai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mental health self-help accounts on social media often provide tips and strategies for individuals struggling with mental health difficulties to improve mental health outcomes. As mental health poses a public health concern that causes economic and physical problems worldwide, this self-help approach offers a potential solution to help millions of people at risk. In accordance with Technology Acceptance Models, how useful an individual finds a social media account should predict their intent to follow such accounts. Additionally, since social media accounts are highly visual content-driven, aesthetics may be a significant driver of intent to follow social media accounts. The present …