Digital Commons Network^™

Flu Shot Benefits More Than You -- Don't Put Others At Risk, Heather Waymouth

UCF Forum

I have never been more baffled by my fellow students than I have in the past few weeks.

Family Dependency Drug Courts: An Empirical Test Of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Elizabeth Lindsey-Mowery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rise in cases of child abuse and neglect over the past two decades has overwhelmed the nation’s dependency court and child welfare agencies. While multiple factors are associated with child abuse and neglect, it is indisputable that substance abuse plays a significant role. The families that come into the dependency system with substance abuse issues are substantially more difficult and challenging to serve. Consequently, the families experience low levels of reunification and high levels of child welfare recidivism. In response to the increase in dependency cases involving substance abuse and the inability of the traditional dependency courts (TDC) to …

A Comparison Between Male Perpetrators Of Intimate Partner Violence And Child Sexual Abuse: A Feminist Perspective, Christelle Schafer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether attributes of sex role identity and gender role stress differed between perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) and perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The primary research question posed in the research sought to determine if participants’ attitudes on gender role stereotyping or gender role stress were significantly different between perpetrators of CSA and perpetrators of IPV. Participants in this study were a convenience sample of adult males with histories of CSA and IPV from two different outpatient counseling programs. Participants completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory-Short Form (BSRI-SF) and the …

The Innovator, Volume 1 Issue 2, Winter 2012-13, Christa Santos

The Innovator

No abstract provided.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 Attenuates Inflammation And Apoptosis And Improves Cardiac Function In Diabetes, Princess Urbina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (BMP-7) belongs to the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family of cytokines has is known to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used in patients to treat osteoporosis clinically and has been reported to treat diabetic nephropathy in murine models. Moreover, studies show that inflammation is up-regulated in patients with pre-diabetes (PD). We, therefore, hypothesize that the administration of BMP-7 will attenuate inflammation in the heart of Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced PD mice. In this study, we divided C57Bl/6 mice into three groups: CONTROL, PD, and PD+BMP-7. CONTROL mice received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of Sodium Citrate Buffer while PD …

The Force Field Of Tourism, Jorge Ridderstaat, Robertico R. Croes, Peter Nijkamp

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The literature on tourism development has focused on a one dimensional relationship between tourism development and quality of life. The impact of shock events on the relationship tourism development and quality of life seems ignored. Rather less attention has been paid to the multi-dimensional aspects of the relationship between tourism development and quality of life, and the potential impact of shock events on shaping this relationship. This study proposes a conceptual framework describing a triad of relations between tourism development (TD), quality of life (QoL) and shock events, and advocates that a bilateral relation exists between these three constructs. The …

Exploration Of The Impact Of Affective Variables On Human Performance In A Live Simulation, Ken Westerlund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Live simulations play an important role in allowing users to practice and develop skills they learn in training. Although live simulations are playing an increasingly important role in training, ways to improve them are not well understood or documented. In order to improve the efficacy of live simulation and maximize results from funds spent on training; this research examines the relationship between the affective variables of the participants and their performance in the live simulation. Prior to participating in the instructor development live simulation used in this study two training preference scales were administered to a group of trainees. These …

Cities Of Service: A Grounded Theory Exploration Of Volunteer Service, Brandy Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The two research questions presented in this study are: (1) What factors motivate cities to include volunteer service in strategies designed to address local challenges? and (2) How do cities describe the impact of initiatives that rely on volunteer service to address local challenges? This constructivist grounded theory study (Charmaz, 2006) uses the data coding technique proposed by Corbin and Strauss (2008). Themes in the data are uncovered through the coding process, which includes open coding, axial coding, and selective coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). The triangulated data for this study derives from two types of sources: extant texts and …

The Effect Of Public Information Sources On Satisfaction With Patient Search For A Physician, Michael Loyal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of public information sources on an individual's satisfaction with the search process undertaken to select a physician. A quasiexperimental research design was adopted to randomly divide the medical staff of a large central Florida medical group into control and intervention groups of approximately 77 physicians each. The intervention involved insertion of the website address to online physician report cards on to each intervention group physician’s profile in the physician directory on the medical group's website. After two months, data were collected consisting of all individuals who had scheduled first-time …

A Meta-Analytic Approach To Examining Psychosocial Correlates Of Risk In Hiv-Diagnosed And Hiv-Nondiagnosed Men Who Have Sex With Men, Katharine Lacefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to disproportionately affect men who have sex with men (MSM). Gay, bisexual, and other MSM are estimated to account for two percent of the population, yet they constitute more than half of all individuals living with HIV in the United States (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2010). Collectively, both HIV-diagnosed (HIV-D) and HIV-nondiagnosed (HIV-ND) MSM report a variety of reasons for intentional and unintentional nonuse of condoms. Depending on partner status, HIV-D MSM are in the unique position of having the potential both to increase risk of infecting others with HIV and to expose themselves …

Gourmet Food Trucks: An Ethnographic Examination Of Orlando's Food Truck Scene, Zachary Hawk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gourmet food trucks have emerged as increasingly popular dining alternatives for consumers in today’s urban landscape. Existing literature, as well as my own ethnographic research within Orlando, Florida’s mobile food vending scene, reveals that food truck owner/operators utilize various strategies to establish a viable niche for themselves in this diversified and burgeoning market. Among other things, these strategies include online social networking, creating and maintaining a recognizable brand identity, collaborating with local retailers and bar owners, and incorporating organic and locally produced ingredients in their dishes whenever possible. As in other parts of the country, there appears to be a …

Identification Of Potential Lead Antimalarial Compounds From Marine Microbial Extracts, Abigail Carbonell

HIM 1990-2015

Malaria, caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, has a long history as a global health threat. The vector-borne disease causes millions of deaths yearly, especially in developing countries with tropical climates that facilitate transmission. Compounding the problem is the emergence of drug-resistant strains due to overuse of outdated treatments. New compounds with antiplasmodial activity are needed to be developed as effective drugs against malaria. The hypothesis for this project is that marine microorganisms have a high likelihood of yielding novel antiplasmodial chemotypes because of their high diversity, which has not yet been explored for antimalarial development. In this project, microbes …

Bridging The Gap Between Fun And Fitness: Instructional Techniques And Real-World Applications For Full-Body Dance Games, Emiko Charbonneau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Full-body controlled games offer the opportunity for not only entertainment, but education and exercise as well. Refined gameplay mechanics and content can boost intrinsic motivation and keep people playing over a long period of time, which is desirable for individuals who struggle with maintaining a regular exercise program. Within this gameplay genre, dance rhythm games have proven to be popular with game console owners. Yet, while other types of games utilize story mechanics that keep players engaged for dozens of hours, motion-controlled dance games are just beginning to incorporate these elements. In addition, this control scheme is still young, only …

The Restorative Effects Of Color And Environment Type On Cognitive Functioning, Jessica Michaelis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although individuals have limited directed attention capabilities, it has been shown that exposure to natural environments elicit cognitive restoration (i.e. Berman, 2008). It has also been shown that individuals prefer blue and green colors because they are relaxing and prompt happy feelings (Guilford & Smith, 1959; Mahnke, 1996; Wexner, 1954). The question however, is what aspects of nature elicit these effects: is it the natural colors, the environmental setting, or both? The present experiment will examine the effects of color (Blue, Green, Black and White, & Natural) and environmental setting (Urban, Foliage, & Aquatic) on measures of attention, short term …

Provider Perceptions Of Ableism And Social Support Networks In The Healthcare Setting, Darcey Mccampbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to investigate ableism and social support networks in the healthcare setting. Social support networks play an important role in combating emotional distress in healthcare. They provide disabled patients a method for defending against the negative effects of ableism among other stressors. By definition, ableism refers to perceptions that disability is abnormal and undesirable. Ten healthcare providers in central Florida (i.e., in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and primary care offices) were interviewed, using in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviewing. Participants were asked questions relating to the effects of ableist language on patients with disabilities as well as …

Hospitality Management: A Guide To Key Reference Works, Tim Bottorff

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose
– This paper aims to provide an overview of the field of hospitality management and a guide to the major books, databases, web sites, and other resources that comprise a quality hospitality management reference collection.

Design/methodology/approach
– Following a short introduction and overview, key sources and annotations are presented in categories that will help reference and collection librarians to better understand and serve hospitality management students. The sources were identified through the author's experience, library research guides and web sites, bibliographies, and other standard sources.

Findings
– Hospitality management is growing and maturing as an academic discipline, aided by …

Is Breakdown Of Fatty Acid Peroxides Involved In The Induction Of Apolipoprotein A1?, Rajat Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few years the number of deaths caused due to cardiovascular diseases has been increasing and is of major concern. In the United States, 75% of cardiovascular-related deaths have been attributed to atherosclerosis. Western diets containing large quantities of peroxidized lipids are considered atherogenic. Heated oil in the form of fried food brings high levels of peroxidized fat and its decomposition products in the diet. Peroxidized lipids are known to increase the susceptibility of serum lipoproteins to undergo oxidation, thereby contributing to the progression of atherosclerosis. The intestinal cells are responsible for the absorption of dietary fatty acid …

Identification Of Epithelial Stromal Interaction 1 And Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor As Novel Kruppel-Like Factor 8 Targets In Promoting Breast Cancer Progression, Tianshu Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the major cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms underlying breast cancer progression remains urgent for developing effective treatment strategies to eliminate breast cancer mortality. Our recent studies have demonstrated that Krüppel-like transcriptional factor 8 (KLF8) plays a critical role for breast cancer progression. Other studies have shown that Epithelial stromal interaction 1 (EPSTI1), a recently identified stromal fibroblast-induced gene in non-invasive breast cancer cells and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are highly overexpressed in aggressively invasive breast carcinomas including triple negative breast cancers. In this thesis project, we demonstrate high co-overexpression of KLF8 …

Improving Chronic Kidney Disease Care With Group Visits, Vicki Montoya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First year death rates remain unacceptable high for the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population. New effective methods are vital to improve first year morbidity and mortality outcomes for the population transitioning from Stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) to ESRD)/Stage 5 CKD. Based on current methods, evidence-based recommendations made by nephrology providers are frequently not heeded by patients in Stage 4 CKD. Low levels of patient knowledge, self-efficacy, and a poor ability to self-manage CKD negatively influence a patient’s ability to follow provider recommendations. The group visit (GV) intervention has demonstrated improvements in disease-related outcomes through increased levels of patient …

The Early Postpartum Experience Of Previously Infertile Mothers, Sigrid Ladores

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lived experiences of previously infertile mothers in the early postpartum period have not been previously studied. The purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of previously infertile mothers during their early postpartum period. Colaizzi’s (1978) approach to descriptive phenomenological inquiry was used to analyze the interview data obtained from twelve first-time, previously infertile mothers. These new mothers, aged 27 to 43 years, were interviewed twice. The first interview focused on eliciting descriptions of new motherhood in the early postpartum period after overcoming infertility. The second interview validated the interpretations from the first interview and provided additional information …

Nutrition Literacy And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Adolescent Weight Status In A Florida County, Leslee D'Amato-Kubiet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, childhood obesity has increased to epidemic proportions across the United States (U.S.) in parallel with adult obesity, which often reflects poor dietary choices and bad nutritional habits. Nutrition literacy, which encompasses the constructs of nutrition knowledge and skills, is considered a basic tool for good dietary habits and health promotion undertakings; however, its more definitive relationship to adolescent children’s weight status is unknown. Most childrens’ weight status studies have focused solely on behavioral aspects of adolescent food intake, taking into consideration parental influence, peer pressure, and societal expectations. Studies evaluating the measurement of nutrition literacy with regard …

Systems Geometry: A Methodology For Analyzing Emergent System Of Systems Behaviors, Christina Bouwens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent advancements in technology have led to the increased use of integrated ‘systems of systems’ (SoS) which link together independently developed and usable capabilities into an integrated system that exhibits new, emergent capabilities. However, the resulting SoS is often not well understood, where secondary and tertiary effects of tying systems together are often unpredictable and present severe consequences. The complexities of the composed system stem not only from system integration, but from a broad range of areas such as the competing objectives of different constituent system stakeholders, mismatched requirements from multiple process models, and architectures and interface approaches that are …

Suction Detection And Feedback Control For The Rotary Left Ventricular Assist Device, Yu Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) is a rotary mechanical pump that is implanted in patients with congestive heart failure to help the left ventricle in pumping blood in the circulatory system. The rotary type pumps are controlled by varying the pump motor current to adjust the amount of blood flowing through the LVAD. One important challenge in using such a device is the desire to provide the patient with as close to a normal lifestyle as possible until a donor heart becomes available. The development of an appropriate feedback controller that is capable of automatically adjusting the pump current …

In-Plant And Distribution System Corrosion Control For Reverse Osmosis, Nanofiltration, And Anion Exchange Process Blends, Samantha Jeffery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The integration of advanced technologies into existing water treatment facilities (WTFs) can improve and enhance water quality; however, these same modifications or improvements may adversely affect finished water provided to the consumer by public water systems (PWSs) that embrace these advanced technologies. Process modification or improvements may unintentionally impact compliance with the provisions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This is especially true with respect to corrosion control, since minor changes in water quality can affect metal release. Changes in metal release can have a direct impact on a water purveyor’s compliance with …

Monitoring For Underdetermined Underground Structures During Excavation Using Limited Sensor Data, Nader Mehdawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A realistic field monitoring application to evaluate close proximity tunneling effects of a new tunnel on an existing tunnel is presented. A blind source separation (BSS)-based monitoring framework was developed using sensor data collected from the existing tunnel while the new tunnel was excavated. The developed monitoring framework is particularly useful to analyze underdetermined systems due to insufficient sensor data for explicit input force-output deformation relations. The analysis results show that the eigen-parameters obtained from the correlation matrix of raw sensor data can be used as excellent indicators to assess the tunnel structural behaviors during the excavation with powerful visualization …

Development Of Polymer Derived Sialcn Ceramic And Its Applications For High-Temperature Sensors, Gang Shao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) is the name for a class of materials synthesized by thermal decomposition of polymeric precursors which excellent thermomechanical properties, such as high thermal stability, high oxidation/corrosion resistance and high temperature multifunctionalities. Direct polymer-to-ceramic processing routes of PDCs allow easier fabrication into various components/devices with complex shapes/structures. Due to these unique properties, PDCs are considered as promising candidates for making high-temperature sensors for harsh environment applications, including high temperatures, high stress, corrosive species and/or radiation. The SiAlCN ceramics were synthesized using the liquid precursor of polysilazane (HTT1800) and aluminum-sec-tri-butoxide (ASB) as starting materials and dicumyl peroxide (DP) as …

Generation And Printing Of Strictly Monodisperse Droplets, Hongxu Duan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Highly monodisperse droplets are attracting great attention both in many research areas, such as aerosol science, combustion, and Nano-manufacturing. This thesis invents a novel aerosol generator: “Periodic Electro Hydro-dynamic Chopper” termed as “PEHD chopper”, and develops a new method to directly print micro-patterns with monodisperse droplets. The principle of the PEHD chopper is to use the fringe electric field of a capacitor to introduce controlled perturbation on a liquid jet. We first derived the governing equations for a circular inviscid liquid jet under transverse electric fields. The electric fields were obtained through numerical simulation. Then we used a high speed …

Integrating Multiobjective Optimization With The Six Sigma Methodology For Online Process Control, Emad Abualsauod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) framework of the Six Sigma methodology and a host of statistical tools have been brought to bear on process improvement efforts in today’s businesses. However, a major challenge of implementing the Six Sigma methodology is maintaining the process improvements and providing real-time performance feedback and control after solutions are implemented, especially in the presence of multiple process performance objectives. The consideration of a multiplicity of objectives in business and process improvement is commonplace and, quite frankly, necessary. However, balancing the collection of objectives is challenging as the objectives are inextricably linked, and, …

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Framework For The U.S. Built Environment, Murat Kucukvar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall goals of this dissertation are to investigate the sustainability of the built environment, holistically, by assessing its Triple Bottom Line (TBL): environmental, economic, and social impacts, as well as propose cost-effective, socially acceptable, and environmentally benign policies using several decision support models. This research is anticipated to transform life cycle assessment (LCA) of the built environment by using a TBL framework, integrated with economic input-output analysis, simulation, and multicriteria optimization tools. The major objectives of the outlined research are to (1) build a system-based TBL sustainability assessment framework for the sustainable built environment, by (a) advancing a national …

Sustainability Assessment Of Wind Energy For Buildings, Mehdi Noori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to increasing concerns for global climate change, onshore and offshore wind energy technologies have stimulated a tremendous interest worldwide, and are considered as a viable solution to mitigate the environmental impacts related to electricity generation. Although wind energy technologies have been considered as one of the cleanest energy sources, they have a wide range of direct and indirect environmental impacts when the whole supply chain is considered. This study aims to quantify the direct and indirect environmental impacts of onshore and offshore wind power technologies by tracing all of the economy-wide supply chain requirements. To accomplish this goal, we …