Digital Commons Network^™

Control Of The Spar-Buoy Based Wind Turbine Floating Platform Through Mooring Line Actuation, Tajnuba Hasan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis presents an innovative approach to enhance the stability of floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) platform through mooring actuation. First, an OC3- Hywind spar-buoy floating platform is modeled utilizing the Control-oriented, Reconfigurable, and Acausal Floating Turbine Simulator (CRAFTS) with a specific focus on predicting hydrodynamic and mooring line loads while intentionally excluding consideration of aerodynamic forces. The accuracy of this model is validated against the industry standard OpenFAST simulator through various test cases. The central objective of this study revolves around achieving robust stabilization of the spar buoy platform, primarily focusing on X-Z symmetric planar motions, including surge, pitch, …

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.

Classification Of Adult Income Using Decision Tree, Roland Fiagbe

Data Science and Data Mining

Decision tree is a commonly used data mining methodology for performing classification tasks. It is a tree-based supervised machine learning algorithm that is used to classify or make predictions in a path of how previous questions are answered. Generally, the decision tree algorithm categorizes data into branch-like segments that develop into a tree that contains a root, nodes, and leaves. This project seeks to explore the decision tree methodology and apply it to the Adult Income dataset from the UCI Machine Learning Repository, to determine whether a person makes over 50K per year and determine the necessary factors that improve …

Analyzing The Impact Of Health, Economic, And Demographic Factors On Life Expectancy: A Comparative Study Of Developed And Developing Countries, Mahyar Alinejad

Data Science and Data Mining

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of three prominent machine learning regression models—Random Forest, XGBoost, and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—in the context of predictive analysis. Leveraging a carefully curated dataset, we explore the impact of various hyperparameters on model performance through an exhaustive tuning process. The Random Forest and XGBoost models exhibit robust predictive capabilities, with the former revealing notable insights through feature importance visualization. Additionally, SVM, optimized via GridSearchCV, demonstrates competitive performance. Evaluation metrics, including Mean Squared Error and R-squared, facilitate a thorough comparison of model efficacy. Results highlight nuanced strengths and weaknesses, informing practitioners on the suitability of …

Ocean Vector Wind Measurement Potential From The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Using A Combined Active And Passive Algorithm, Alamgir Hossan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Ocean surface vector wind (OVW) is an essential parameter for understanding the physics and dynamics of the ocean-atmosphere system, thereby improving weather forecasting and climate studies. Satellite scatterometers, synthetic aperture radars, and polarimetric microwave radiometers have provided almost global coverage of ocean surface vector wind for the last four decades. Nonetheless, a consistent and uninterrupted long-time data record with the capability of resolving sub-diurnal variability has remained a critical challenge over the years. The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) is a satellite mission designed to provide space-based precipitation information on a global scale with complete diurnal sampling. This dissertation presents …

Getting The Story, Ann Mccutchan

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

Characterization Of Multiphase Complex Coacervate Droplets, Lindsey Rush

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intracellular environment of eukaryotic cells has been found to have membrane-less organelles, which form through liquid-liquid phase separation.^1,2 The membrane-less organelles within the cell can be modeled with multiphase complex coacervates that are formed through the combination of two liquid polyelectrolyte complex coacervates, which are individually made up of a pair of one positively charged polymer and one negatively charged polymer.^3,4 Membrane-less organelles in a eukaryotic cell have been found to aggregate from liquid to solid in neurological disorders and during the aging process⁵, and investigation into the factors affecting aggregation of multiphase complex coacervates …

Weierstrass Vertices On Finite Graphs, Abrianna L. Gill

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore whether any patterns emerge among families or through graph operations regarding the appearance of Weierstrass vertices on graphs. Currently, patterns have been identified and proven on cycles, complete graphs, complete bipartite graphs, and the house and house-x graphs. A Python program developed as part of this thesis to perform the algorithms used in this analysis confirms these findings. This program also revealed a pattern: if v is a Weierstrass vertex, then the vertex v* added to the graph as a pendant vertex to v is also a Weierstrass vertex. The converse is …

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 …

Design And Validation Of A Variable, Speed-Dependent Resistance Training Method For Muscle Hypertrophy, Alvaro Andres Aracena Alvial

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Muscle disorders and induced muscle atrophy impose critical risks to the well-being of an individual, limiting normal activities of daily living. Several resistance training methods have effectively reversed the progression of muscle atrophy. Weightlifting and hydrotherapy are the two widely practiced schemes for resistance training; however, there is the potential risk of excessive loads exerted on the muscles during weightlifting, and limited accessibility and cost are barriers to hydrotherapy. An alternative is using a resistance band. Some limitations include engaging multiple muscles/joints while only unidirectional resistance is feasible. To address these limitations, a VAriable Resistance Suit (VARS) was designed to …

Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology To Study Chlamydia Occurrence On A College Campus, Jessie E. Chin Quee

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, commonly affecting sexually active college-aged adults. Presently, opportunistic testing, self-testing, and information campaigns are methods to screen vulnerable populations and raise awareness about chlamydia. Chlamydia remains underdiagnosed and undertested due to a lack of participation by individuals who may have been exposed to it. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a rising biomonitoring tool that detects the presence of disease- and drug-specific biomarkers in a community's wastewater. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology was used to detect the presence of C. trachomatis on the University of Central Florida campus. Wastewater samples were collected …

A Numerical Analysis Of Shock Angles From Inward Turning Axisymmetric Flows, William L. Hilal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Detonation-based propulsion systems are known for their high efficiency and energy release when compared to deflagrative systems, making them an ideal candidate in hypersonic propulsion applications. One such engine is the Oblique Detonation Wave (ODW) engine, which has a similar architecture to traditional scramjets but shortens the combustor and isolator to an anchored ODW after fuel injection.

Previous research has focused on using a two-dimensional wedge to induce an ODW while limiting total losses through the combustor. In this configuration, a two-dimensional wedge-based architecture entails a rectangular duct, limiting potential inlet design and increasing overall skin friction. However, an inward-turning …

Audible And Subaudible Components Of The First And Second Heart Sounds Using Phonocardiography And Seismocardiography, Daniella King

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cardiovascular disease continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States, and a source of financial strain on the healthcare system. This prompts the need for new methods of low-cost, noninvasive technologies for cardiac monitoring to improve patient health and reduce healthcare costs. While the first and second heart sounds are common references that are listened to during auscultation of heart, seismocardiography (SCG) is a technology that detects chest sound vibrations with an accelerometer and may offer more information beyond the audible heart sounds. There is currently limited information regarding both the relationship between audible heart sounds …

Understanding The Pressure-Sinkage Relationship For Simulated Lunar Regolith And Implications On Bearing Capacity And Trafficability, Catherine A. Millwater

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore the pressure-sinkage relationship for simulated lunar regolith (simulant). The simulants used in this experiment emulate the lunar highlands (LHS-1) and the lunar mare (LMS-1). The ultimate ability of a terrain or regolith to support a load without shear failure is vital to the planning and construction of permanent infrastructure. This relationship can be measured by applying a normal load to the regolith until shear failure, from which allowable and ultimate bearing capacity can be deduced. An understanding of the pressure-sinkage of lighter loads on the higher ‘fluffy' layer of regolith is of …

Education Interventions And Preeclampsia Knowledge Among Pregnant Women, Shantel Mir

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: The aim of this literature review was to explore the impacts of educational interventions integrated into antenatal care on knowledge of preeclampsia among pregnant women. Background: Preeclampsia has remained one of the leading causes of preventable maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. A lack of patient education and awareness of preeclampsia may lead to missed opportunities for diagnosis and preeclampsia complications. Methods: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson) databases were utilized. Literature specifically focusing on preeclampsia educational interventions among pregnant women were considered. Results: There were eleven articles that fit the criteria …

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 …

Testicular Cancer And Firefighters: An Umbrella Review, Andre Naguib Guirguis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Purpose: The relationship between testicular cancer and working as a firefighter has been a relatively brushed off scope of concentration until recent years and recent developments in hopes of presenting new protocols and better guidelines to screen for testicular cancer in this occupation. The purpose of this study was to perform a scoping review to present the current data concerning testicular cancer and its association to the occupation of firefighters.

Methods: PubMed as a data base was used and articles concerning firefighters and testicular cancer were found and screened for eligibility with respect to the kind of study and the …

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 …

Granular Jamming: Stiffness Vs Pressure And Organ Palpation Devices, Christopher H. Quach

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis it to find a correlation between the stiffness of granular jammed particles and the pressure of the vacuum initiating the jamming force. Currently, granular jamming is being used to create palpation simulators for physicians to practice feeling the variety of stiffnesses of organs when healthy or ill. Because granular jamming allows for variable stiffness of any shape, it is an apt phenomenon to simulate the change of rigidity organs like the liver undergoes when diseased. For physicians to correctly identify how stiff the organ must be when using these palpation simulators, there needs to be …

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 …

Silver Doped Nanoceria (Agcnp) Integrated Silk Scaffold For Chronic Wound Healing, Architha K. Venkatesan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Chronic wound healing can be seriously impeded by the formation of biofilms, infections, peri-wound edema, hematoma, osteomyelitis, and the formation of reactive oxidative species (ROS). We hypothesize that a scaffold created from Silver-Doped Nanoceria (AgCNP) embedding silk can be beneficial to aid the wound healing process, inhibit inflammation and prevent microorganisms from forming a biofilm over the wound. Current wound healing methods such as intradermal injections are not advantageous to use since they can cause unwanted responses elsewhere in the body other than the wound site. Silk, however, has a positive impact on the wound healing effect and can be …

Perceptions Of Music Performance Anxiety Throughout The Covid-19 Pandemic And Their Predictors, Caroline E. Villacis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Performance anxiety affects individuals across many fields, from sports to medicine to music. Research in the area of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) has been of particular importance to instrumental and vocal soloists and ensemble members for several decades. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many musicians have been required to change the format and location of their performances. These adjustments, as well as musicians' existing unique characteristics and life experiences, may have impacted their experience of MPA. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors on MPA. Participants (N = 251) were …

Hypersonic Scramjet Inlet Development For Variable Mach Number Flows, Zachary P. White

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hypersonic propulsion has become an increasingly important research field over the past fifty years, and subsequent interest in propulsion systems utilizing supersonic combustion has emerged. Air-breathing engines are desirable for such applications as hypersonic flight vehicles would not need to carry an oxidizer. Therefore, hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems require an inlet with high mass capture and compressive efficiency. The present work seeks to outline the development and validation of a novel design tool for producing air inlet designs for hypersonic vehicles at variable flight conditions. A Busemann inlet was chosen for its high compressive efficiency, geometric flexibility, and existing experimental …

Exploring Bibliotherapy And Creating Family Literacy Bags In Response To Community Violence, Sierra Urbaez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis sought to aid children in coping with community violence. As violent crimes terrorize communities near and far, children are hearing about them. Children might learn about this violence on the news or by overhearing adults' discussions. Regardless, this thesis sought to help students navigate a world that may be anxiety filled. This thesis includes an exploration of bibliotherapy and discussions of the use of books in a therapeutic manner to delve deeper into its profound effects. The topics of this thesis surround social-emotional learning, which is also investigated and explained. The benefits of combining bibliotherapy and social-emotional learning …

The Effects Of Head-Centric Rest Frames On Egocentric Distance Perception In Virtual Reality, Yahya Hmaiti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

It has been shown through several research investigations that users tend to underestimate distances in virtual reality (VR). Virtual objects that appear close to users wearing a Head-mounted display (HMD) might be located at a farther distance in reality. This discrepancy between the actual distance and the distance observed by users in VR was found to hinder users from benefiting from the full in-VR immersive experience, and several efforts have been directed toward finding the causes and developing tools that mitigate this phenomenon. One hypothesis that stands out in the field of spatial perception is the rest frame hypothesis (RFH), …

Preparing College Students With Adhd For Online Job Interviews: Self-Regulation & Psychophysiology, Tahnee L. Wilder

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation investigates the complex dynamics of digital communication, highlights the unique stressors it places on college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and advocates for adopting interdisciplinary methods to enhance their participation in online communication environments. While online interviewing has become increasingly common in the employment domain, it poses unique difficulties for individuals with ADHD, who may struggle with self-regulation and communication skills. Due to the absence of physical presence, online interviews pose a significant challenge to individuals in perceiving and responding to the nuanced range of non-verbal cues, which can greatly impact the effectiveness of their communication. To advance …

Safety Evaluation Of Active Traffic Management Strategies On Freeways By Short-Term Crash Prediction Models, Md Tarek Hasan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Traditional crash frequency prediction models cannot capture the temporal effects of traffic characteristics due to the high level of data aggregation. Also, this approach is less suitable to address the crash risk for active traffic management strategies that typically operate for short-time intervals. Hence, this research proposes short-term crash prediction models for traffic management strategies such as Variable Speed Limit (VSL)/Variable Advisory Speed (VAS), and Part-time Shoulder Use (PTSU). By using high-resolution traffic detectors and VSL/VAS operational data, short-term Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) are estimated at weekday hourly and peak period aggregation levels. The results indicate that the short-term SPFs …

Adversarial Attacks, Coarse Robustness, And Dataless Neural Networks: Novel Techniques For Improved Classification And Combinatorial Optimization, Ismail Alkhouri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Neural networks (NN) have become a central component in most machine learning systems. However, studies have shown that these models are not robust against adversarial attacks. As such, in this dissertation, we explore four directions. In the first direction, we investigate adversarial attacks on two hierarchical classification (HC) models: the Flat HC (FHC), and the Top-Down HC (TDHC). In particular, we formulate attacks against these models by using convex programming. Through experimental results, it is shown that FHCs are more robust than TDHCs. Second, we formalize a new notion of coarse robustness that is defined with respect to a specified …