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Beyond Local Food Consumption: The Impact Of Local Food Consumption Experience On Cultural Competence, Eudaimonia And Behavioral Intention, Bingna Lin, Saerom Wang, Xiaoxiao Fu, Xiaoli Yi

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationships among local food consumption experience, cultural competence, eudaimonia, and behavioral intention. Building upon acculturation theory, need hierarchy theory and self-determination theory, the current study develops a conceptual model of local food consumption as international tourists' acculturation process.

Design/methodology/approach: This study collects data from 305 Chinese outbound tourists and uses partial least squares-structural equation modeling to examine the developed model.

Findings: The findings reveal a significant effect of the local food consumption experience, consisting of novel, authentic, sensory and social dimensions, on cultural competence, which subsequently evokes eudaimonia and behavioral response toward local …

War On The Bay: Determining The Existence Of Watershed Moments Within The Shipyards In Tampa, Florida During World War Ii, Connor E. Farley

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

With the Great Depression on one side and prosperity on the other, historians of World War II have debated its effects on American society and have asked if it represented a watershed moment. While the war clearly disrupted American life and opened new opportunities for many, its role as a transformative event remains contested. This examination of the Tampa shipyards utilizes the theoretical and methodological lenses of social history to facilitate an analysis based on a chronological approach. This analysis centers on the situation in Tampa before, during, and after World War II, and in doing so it assesses the …

Propaganda Of Car Ecotourism In Glacier National Park, Hanna Y. Mohammed

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper discusses the promotion of car ecotourism and its impact on Glacier National Park. Coinciding with the creation of the park's flagship Going-to-the-Sun Road from 1921 to 1932, both the state and the private sector presented the image of the newly commodified automobile as a vehicle to explore nature with. Historically, national parks have served the interests of the middle and upper classes, by suppressing marginalized communities, primarily through forced relocation in order to clear the lands for creation of the parks. The public's conception of the “wilderness” drastically changed during the time the car was commodified, as nature …

Local-Level Maternal And Infant Health: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Relationship Between Social Determinants Of Health, Maternal And Infant Health Outcomes, And Public Health Programs In Florida, Jacquelyn Reiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Current data highlight significant disparities in infant and maternal health (IMH) outcomes both when comparing outcomes to other countries and between groups within the U.S. Previous studies indicate that disparities in health outcomes are caused by health inequities. Health inequities are a result of marginalized groups historically being denied resources and exposed to increased risk directly impacting health. These resources and risks are considered social determinants of health (SDoH), such as income, housing, transportation, and access to care. Although SDoH influence individuals across multiple levels of society, communities are sites where individuals directly access protective resources and are potentially exposed …

Exploring Population Structure And Diversity Across Time In Population Of American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus Ruber), Jessica Folsom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Dispersal and connectivity within a population often promotes overall diversity and adaptive potential, therefore a disruption of existing patterns of connectivity by local extinction can have significant consequences for the affected species. However, the extent of these impacts on recovery is not always known. American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) present an ideal opportunity to investigate how changes in gene flow influence within population diversity and genetic structure over the span of a century for a recovering population. Flamingos were highly sought-after by hunters for their meat and feathers, and as a result, the Florida population was extirpated by the beginning of …

Radioprotectant Ceria Nanoparticles Drug Delivery System To Reduce Reactive Oxygen Species Levels And Mitigate Spaceflight Osteopenia, Balaashwin Babu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In the extreme environment of space, radiation induced health issues is a major concern. The ability to induce higher levels of free radicals and reactive oxidative species (ROS) are factors to be addressed. Ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) can provide a means to scavenge ROS through regenerative redox coupling that occurs on the surface and acts as a radioprotectant. Additionally, the defect levels in CNP can be categorized by the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio with a high ratio indicating superoxide scavenging, a radical species with high oxidative potential. However, engineering a specialized Ce3+ NP often requires a harsh reducing agent. We hypothesized a wet-chemical …

Two Essays On Esg, Natalya Bikmetova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

My dissertation studies the potential for the increased importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) information for corporations and investors in the U.S. market. In my first essay, I examine the effect of coverage by ESG rating agencies on firm ESG performance and disclosure policy. To control for the selection in coverage, I construct a sample of firms with existing ESG ratings from some agencies and study the marginal effect of an additional coverage on a firm relative to firms that did not receive the additional coverage. I find that when firm ESG coverage intensifies, its ESG ratings improve, its …

Topographical Distribution And Morphology Of Sympathetic Postganglionic Innervation And Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (Cih) Induced Remodeling Of The Whole Heart At Single Cell/Axon/Varicosity Scale, Ariege Bizanti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The sympathetic nervous system is crucial for controlling multiple cardiac functions and its overactivity is associated with many cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a current model for sleep apnea, which constitutes a major risk factor for CVD through sympathetic overactivity. However, a comprehensive neuroanatomical map of the sympathetic innervation of the heart is unavailable which impedes our understanding of the remodeling of this map in pathological conditions. First, we used a combination of state-of-the-art techniques, including flat-mount tissue processing, immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, a sympathetic marker), confocal microscopy and Neurolucida 360 software to trace, digitize, and …

The Process Is A Journey, Victoria Micaletti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Actors are tasked with the opportunity to perform roles from multiple assorted styles of theatre performance throughout their career. How can performers best create an effective acting process that allows them to develop a pathway that is unique and dynamic across all styles to best embody the characters that they are cast as? I am seeking to refine and develop an approach that will be comprised of a series of steps which include exercises from the acting techniques of Jerzy Grotowski, Michael Chekhov, and Konstantin Stanislavski to create a character that is unique and dynamic. Through the investigation of the …

Keeping The Ball Alive: The Marriage Between Sports And Acting, Giuseppe Pipicella

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines the link between sports and theatre from the actor's perspective and concludes that these two practices should be used together to achieve optimal performance. Using context provided by great physical theatre practitioners such as Jacques LeCoq, Vsevolod Meyerhold, and Rudolf Von Laban, the candidate used his past experience as a gymnast and a soccer player, and the teachings of Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis, to craft a rehearsal and performance regimen for Theatre UCF's production of Paula Vogel's Indecent. This regimen included an experiment where he alternated days in which he swam to days in …

Obojobo Information Literacy Modules 2023 Archive, Chereeka Garner

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Obojobo is a learning platform that was created and maintained at the University of Central Florida. It was maintained by an individual employed by the university and maintenance of the platform did not continue after their departure from the university. As time progressed and federal accessibility standards were updated, the platform moved out of compliance. As a result, the content was removed from Obojobo, updated to meet existing accessibility guidelines, and rehomed in Webcourses. This is an archive of the original content.

What Makes Travelers Choose Japan Over Other Destinations: The Application Of Customer-Based Brand Equity Theory And Tourism Xenophilia, Midori Yamazaki

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Customer-based brand equity (CBBE) has been extensively applied to examine a variety of travelers' behavioral intentions and tourism destination choices. However, from the perspective of competition among destinations, the use of the overall destination brand equity (ODBE) dimension is still in its experimental stage. The objective of this research is to determine the impact of destination brand awareness (DBA), image (DBI), quality (DBQ), and value (DBV) on ODBE. Specifically, this study focuses on the case of Japan tourism from the view of American travelers. Moreover, this study aims to incorporate tourism xenophilia (TXI), which is an emerging concept in tourism …

International Coastal Cleanup: A Wave Of Change, Declan Ridgeway, Alexander Lavin, Julia Kruger, Luke Flajole

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2023

The Service-Learning Marine Conservation and Restoration class organized and planned an International Coastal Cleanup that was held at Canaveral National Seashore on September 23, 2023. We operated educational tables that allowed for community engagement and provided an understanding of the presence of microplastics in the ecosystem. The team created promotional posters to inform the public about the event and what would be taking place throughout the day. We shared these posters in our spheres and garnered interest from those in the UCF community and abroad. We had the opportunity to remove harmful debris throughout many crucial habitats of the Canaveral …

Exploring English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Saudi Arabian Teachers' Perceptions Vis-A-Vis The English Education Context In Primary And Secondary Schools, Mona Abdullah A. Al Mogeerah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is given a great deal of attention by the government as it is keen to provide an educational system that caters to teacher and student needs. Because English has the potential to provide access to resources that may facilitate advancement in science and technology, it is difficult to deny or underestimate the importance of the English language in Saudi Arabia. Despite the history of EFL teaching and resources allocated to the teaching of English in Arabia, the quality of Saudi students' English language skills has raised many concerns. Saudi students currently …

Decolonized Femininity And Post-Colonial Trauma Autobiographies: Reading Adriana Páramo, Julia Alvarez, And Azar Nafisi Through 'Scriptotherapy', Nicole Suárez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis investigates testimonies of three female authors from Latin America and the Middle East through scriptotherapy narratives which "give voice to previously repressed memories," defined by Sidonie Smith and Julia Watson. Through the genre of autobiography, women have an opportunity to showcase acts of resistance towards the inner turmoil of colonial trauma that has been brought upon their existence. Decoloniality re-integrates the roots of colonial power into re-invigorated narratives that will become lineage. The only way that they can create their own identity is through "legending," Gilles Deleuze's conceptualized theoretical framework, which does not offer an escape from colonialism …

Deep Learning Approaches For Automatic Colorization, Super-Resolution, And Representation Of Volumetric Data, Sudarshan Devkota

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation includes a collection of studies that aim to improve the way we represent and visualize volume data. The advancement of medical imaging has revolutionized healthcare, providing crucial anatomical insights for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. Our first study introduces an innovative technique to enhance the utility of medical images, transitioning from monochromatic scans to vivid 3D representations. It presents a framework for reference-based automatic color transfer, establishing deep semantic correspondences between a colored reference image and grayscale medical scans. This methodology extends to volumetric rendering, eliminating the need for manual intervention in parameter tuning. Next, it delves into …

Reflections On White-Passing Black Identity, Edi Mucka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Now, there are more options than ever for racial identity. Identities such as Black, White, Native, Asian, and Latino have put into contention how past racial boundaries and definitions interact with newer racial color lines. Racial passing is one concept that captures both older and newer forms of identity maintenance. Racial passing refers to when a person classified as a member of a racial group is accepted or perceived as a member of another. In this thesis, I review the literature on racial passing to understand its history and theoretical explanations. Based on the review, I examine a convenience sample …

Becoming Racially Aware: A Social Process Of (Re)Constructing An Alternative White Identity, Ashley Sobke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Structural and systemic mechanisms reinforce institutionalized racism, whiteness, and white supremacy in the United States. These mechanisms prove adaptable and resilient, shifting and changing to continuously restructure and reinforce the material reality that people experience within a racialized social order. White people's incomprehension of complicity in racism and privilege, along with color-blind ideologies, perpetuate racialized disparities resulting from this social order and render white superiority as "normal" and "universal." This underlies an often internalized sense of normative, white American identity interconnected with racism and white supremacy. In a society where many white Americans remain sheltered from and/or resistant to acknowledging …

Christian Perspectives On Natural Disasters Using A Religious Systems Approach, Lakelyn Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study investigated how Christian beliefs and the perceived importance of practice at each level of the religious systems model may impact Protestant Christian beliefs about natural disasters and natural disaster responses. This study was conducted to address diverging trends in religious interpretations of and reactions to risk and crisis events. Participants answered a series of close- and open-ended questions via on online survey about religious beliefs and practices and their personal experiences with natural disasters and responses. Qualitative findings demonstrated an overarching Christian ethic underlying participants' experiences and responses. Most comments from participants mentioned individual and micro level actions …

Overtourism In Dichotomies: Uncovering Dynamic And Non-Dynamic Costs And Benefits In Three Tourism Destinations, Aarash Baktash

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The phenomenon of overtourism, characterized by its multifaceted impacts on destinations, has emerged as a major concern in the tourism industry. This dissertation aims to explore the dynamics of overtourism, emphasizing the dual impacts of main-source tourism markets on destinations in terms of their economic, social, and environmental consequences. Unlike existing literature, which focuses primarily on the negative aspects of overtourism, the present study illustrates the nuanced interaction between tourism markets by highlighting both their potential benefits and disadvantages. This study offers an in-depth analysis of cost and benefit factors based on a priori and a posteriori segmentation methodologies, combined …

Human-Machine Communication: Complete Volume 5. Gender And Human-Machine Communication

Human-Machine Communication

This is the complete volume of HMC Volume 5

Ivf So White, So Medical: Digital Normativity And Algorithm Bias In Infertility On Instagram, Caitlyn M. Jarvis, Margaret M. Quinlan

Human-Machine Communication

Increasingly, women experiencing infertility are turning online to social media platforms, like Instagram, to engage with a support network and foster empathy. However, Instagram is also noted for its augmentation of White, cis, and heteronormative femininity through a process of silencing and minoritizing alternative, non-White voices. Through an inductive analysis of the most frequently used infertility hashtags, we collected and analyzed 252 Instagram posts to investigate how these algorithmic practices may socially construct the idealized IVF experience through communicating normative expectations. We identify predominant patterns of use that reinforce stratification within infertility treatments as primarily accessible to White women and …

Designing A Loving Robot: A Social Construction Analysis Of A Sex Robot Creator’S Vision, Annette Masterson

Human-Machine Communication

In 2018, one of the world’s first sex robots was released by CEO Matt McMullen and his company, RealDoll. With artificial intelligence capabilities, the Harmony model is meant to support and converse with users. Using a social construction of technology theory lens, this study develops the theory’s fourth level of analysis, emphasizing mass media’s construction abilities. A critical discourse analysis of 38 publicity interviews found a tendency to emphasize the companionship of sex robots while envisioning a future where integration is normalized, and a sentient robot is possible. As the creator, McMullen’s vision could determine the future of robotic design, …

The Evolution Of Gendered Software: Products, Scientific Reasoning, Criticism, And Tools, Victoria A. E. Kratel

Human-Machine Communication

Over the past 7 decades, gendered software has become globally established. In this theoretical distribution, I outline the evolution of gendered software. The journey of gendered software started with the raw idea fueled by Alan Turing’s imitation game in the 1950s. And only shortly thereafter, in the 1960s and 1970s, the first gendered software products like Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA were developed. Thus, academia took its time to not only explore technological aspects, but to further investigate the matter of gender in the 1990s CASA-paradigm (Nass et al., 1994) and Media Equation (Reeves & Nass, 1996). As these theories reasoned the …

Do People Perceive Alexa As Gendered? A Cross-Cultural Study Of People’S Perceptions, Expectations, And Desires Of Alexa, Leopoldina Fortunati, Autumn P. Edwards, Anna Maria Manganelli, Chad Edwards, Federico De Luca

Human-Machine Communication

Mainly, the scholarly debate on Alexa has focused on sexist/anti-woman gender representations in the everyday life of many families, on a cluster of themes such as privacy, insecurity, and trust, and on the world of education and health. This paper takes another stance and explores via online survey methodology how university student respondents in two countries (the United States, n = 333; and Italy, n = 322) perceive Alexa’s image and gender, what they expect from this voice-based assistant, and how they would like Alexa to be. Results of a free association exercise showed that Alexa’s image was scarcely embodied …

Gender And Human-Machine Communication: Where Are We?, Leopoldina Fortunati, Autumn P. Edwards

Human-Machine Communication

In this introduction to the fifth volume of the journal Human-Machine Communication, we present and discuss the five articles focusing on gender and human-machine communication. In this essay, we will analyze the theme of gender, including how this notion has historically and politically been set up, and for what reasons. We will start by considering gender in in-person communication, then we will progress to consider what happens to gender when it is mediated by the most important ICTs that preceded HMC: the telephone, mobile phone, and computer-mediated communication (CMC). We outline the historical framework necessary to analyze the last section …

A Transdisciplinary Emergent Approach For Systems And Interventions (Easi), Chaithanya Renduchintala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In modeling human behavior and social structures several factors can emerge over time this can be attributed to the availability of new data, increased complexity, changes to the organizational structure, interventions, introduction of innovative technology or services and due to improved knowledge and treatments. We hypothesize a new class of emergent decision support systems that continually evolve to account for this "Causal Drift". In this work, we illustrate the application of the Emergent Approach to Systems and Intervention (EASI™) methodology with the example of Community Intervention Activity Model (CIAM) to reduce the rate of diabetic hospitalization at the local/ county …

Ceria Defect Engineering Using Thin-Films/Ald And Biological Applications, Udit Kumar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Ceria nanostructures have been utilized for various engineering applications due to their unique defect structure, enabling them to have regenerative redox properties. The ability to shuttle between Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states extends to unique properties. Defect level in ceria is usually expressed in the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio. It can be achieved by varying the size(0 to 3D), morphologies, dopants, hetero-nanostructures, and external stimuli. However, it is still a challenge to have precise control over defect structures in the ceria lattice. The current study aims to explore the thin film deposition techniques for cerium oxide using ALD (Atomic layer deposition) and …

Florida Frontiers Radio Program #491, Dr. Ben Brotemarkle, Florida Historical Society

Florida Frontiers Radio Transcripts

SEGMENTS | La Florida - The Interactive Digital Archive | 1968 Teacher's Strike | Bending Towards Justice - Ocoee Massacre Exhibit

The Epistemology Of Complexity And "Doing" Interdisciplinarity, Sharon Woodill

Interface: The C3 Lab Knowledge Commons

Complexity is now well established as the driver of interdisciplinarity, but what this means for how knowledge is ‘done’ within Interdisciplinary Studies has not been well developed. This paper examines the theory of complexity and unpacks its epistemological implications for doing interdisciplinary work. The epistemology of complexity demands a cognitive toolkit that includes such things as open-mindedness, tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity, and intellectual courage. This paper draws out these connections and suggests implications for curriculum development in Interdisciplinary Studies.