Digital Commons Network^™

Quantum Metalanguage And The New Cognitive Synthesis, Alexey V. Melkikh, Andrei Khrennikov, Roman V. Yampolskiy

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Problems with mechanisms of thinking and cognition in many ways remain unresolved. Why are a priori inferences possible? Why can a human understand but a computer cannot? It has been shown that when creating new concepts, generalization is contradictory in the sense that to be created concepts must exist a priori, and therefore, they are not new. The process of knowledge acquisition is also contradictory, as it inevitably involves recognition, which can be realized only when there is an a priori standard. Known approaches of the framework of artificial intelligence (in particular, Bayesian) do not determine the origins of knowledge, …

Emergence Of Addictive Behaviors In Reinforcement Learning Agents, Vahid Behzadan, Roman Yampolskiy, Arslan Munir

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper presents a novel approach to the technical analysis of wireheading in intelligent agents. Inspired by the natural analogues of wireheading and their prevalent manifestations, we propose the modeling of such phenomenon in Reinforcement Learning (RL) agents as psychological disorders. In a preliminary step towards evaluating this proposal, we study the feasibility and dynamics of emergent addictive policies in Q-learning agents in the tractable environment of the game of Snake. We consider a slightly modified version of this game, in which the environment provides a “drug” seed alongside the original “healthy” seed for the consumption of the snake. We …

Why Are Sheep Sheepish? How Perception Affects Animal Stereotyping, Robert G. Franklin Jr.

Animal Sentience

Marino & Merskin present compelling evidence that many stereotypes of sheep are incorrect. One factor that may play an important role in animal stereotyping is the physical appearance of animals, which can directly lead to stereotyping through automatic mental processes. Sheep have a round and babyish appearance that directly evokes judgments of warmth and docility. Depictions of sheep in art, and especially cartoons, reinforce this stereotype.

Acute Effects Of Ballistic And Non-Ballistic Bench Press On Plyometric Push-Up Performance, David Bodden, Timothy J. Suchomel, Alexandra Lates, Nicholas G. Anagnost, Matthew F. Moran, Christopher Taber

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a ballistic or non-ballistic concentric-only bench press (COBP) on subsequent plyometric push-up performance. Fourteen resistance trained men completed two separate one-repetition-maximum (1RM) testing sessions followed by three randomized experimental explosive push-up sessions. These sessions combined a heavy concentric bench press with plyometric push-ups. Using a series of 3 × 10 (condition × time) repeated measures ANOVA, comparisons were made between the effects of ballistic and non-ballistic bench presses on performance of plyometric push-ups to investigate push-up performance variables. Compared with the control condition, both ballistic and non-ballistic bench presses …

Effects Of Online Aba Training On Stress Levels Of Parents With A Child With Autism, Kristen Duffney

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated the effects of an online training program in applied behavior analysis (ABA) on stress levels of parents that have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The online ABA training program is comprised of 22 videos which take a total of 4½ hours to complete. Parenting stress levels were assessed using the Parenting Stress Inventory Short Form (PSI-SF, Abidin, 1995) and general stress levels were self-reported scores immediately before and after the training. The assessment and questionnaire were completed online immediately before the ABA training was made available and immediately after the ABA training was completed. …

A Study On Erosion Resistance For Microbially Induced Calcite Treated Beach Sand, Abigail Chek

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) was used to treat several sandboxes filled with naturally occurring beach sand collected from Atlantic Beach, FL. Unlike most previous MICP studies, a surface-spray technique was used to treat these sandboxes where relatively high-concentration bacteria solution and high concentration calcium chloride/urea solutions were applied directly to the boxes’ surfaces. Several different treatment combinations were tested whereby bacterial optical density, bacteria/urea/calcium chloride volume relative to void space, and bacteria/urea/calcium chloride ratio were manipulated. Treated sandboxes were tested for erodibility using a pocket erodometer and for calcification using a wash method. In addition, sandboxes were dissected after …

Evaluating The Performance Of Cooperative Merging Assistance System For Aging Drivers, Flavius Matata

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freeway merging maneuvers demand considerable attention by drivers and are among the more complex operations drivers must perform on freeways. Aging drivers, a growing population in the United States, face added challenges when merging. This study utilized Vissim models created in a previous study that modeled the behavior of aging drivers during freeway merging. An algorithm for Cooperative Merging Assistance System (CMAS) that utilizes Connected Vehicle (CV) technology was developed in this study. The Vissim models were created for two interchanges on I-75 in Fort Myers, Florida, each with different geometric characteristics. Acceleration lane lengths of 1000ft and 1500ft were …

Leadership Skills, Promoting Flow And Generating Profit: A Study Of Millennial Managers Through Gamification, Junior Badibanga

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An increased number or organizations are shifting away from traditional hierarchical, command and control business strategies which focus solely on generating profit to focusing on both people and profit. In this study, Csíkszentmihályi’s flow state (1975/2000) is considered to correspond with the people side of the social enterprise model, where organizations focus on both people and profit. Csíkszentmihályi (1990) describes the flow experience as a mental state which occurs when a person is motivated and fully immersed in an activity, resulting in feelings of energized focus and profound enjoyment. The current study analyzed secondary data from 1,184 millennial managers that …

Exploring Applicability Of Blockchain To Enhance Single Sign-On (Sso) Systems, Samuel Matloob

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Single-Sign-On (SSO) systems usage has been on the rise exponentially. One of the major benefits of having an SSO system is to have a central authentication service, which other applications can use. However, SSO services are also prone to failure. If an SSO service becomes unavailable due to failure, every application that uses the SSO service become simultaneously inaccessible to users. The goal of this research is to explore a technique to mitigate the availability issue of the SSO by customizing its functionality, and distributing its data using blockchain technology over the network. The Blockchain data structure possesses inherent properties …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Resign!!!: Acrimony And Protest On President Trump's @Realdonaldtrump Twitter Account, Saman Talib

Iowa Journal of Communication

A major feature of the Trump election and presidency is President Trump's use of Twitter. He has used @realdonaldtrump, his personal Twitter account, to state policy positions, berate various people, and even announce firings. While news coverage focuses on President Trump's tweets, the account itself has been and continues to be the recipient of copious numbers of negative posts from ordinary citizens. The court 's designation of this Twitter account as a 'designated public space' and the large number of negative posts warrants a closer examination of these tweets. This study employed the grounded theory method to analyze the account …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

The Rhetoric Of Rhetorical Reactance: Pork Producers' Responses To The Animal Activist Movement, Kathleen German, Adam Rottinghaus

Iowa Journal of Communication

Animal activists made inroads against the fur industry, laboratory research, veal production, and horse slaughter during the 1980s and 1990s. While pork producers were not directly targeted, they nevertheless reacted, perceiving a dire threat to their own industry and a bleak future for pork production. This fear was magnified by their sense that activists were supported by a broad population of non/armers who were naively susceptible to irrational and emotional appeals. This case study points out the complexity of public discourse rippling outward from the animal rights movement. As animal activists raised their voices against fur ranchers, animal researchers, and …

Partisanship, Provocation, Protest, And Pugnacity: Communication In A Context Of Conflict - Introduction To The Special Issue, Rachel C. Murdock

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Why? Because I Like You: Effects Of Familiarity On Perceptions Of Media Trustworthiness, Stephanie G. Shartel Dunn

Iowa Journal of Communication

Familiarity and parasocial relationships (PSR) play a definitive role on perceptions of trustworthiness and credibility. In this study, the role PSR play in the evaluation of political commentators is tested. Research presented demonstrates familiarity and PSR allow commentators to cultivate perceptions of trustworthiness and overcome retraction/corrective messages. Findings suggest increased familiarity and higher PSR generate more positive message evaluations, higher assessments of source credibility, and increased likelihood of persuasion.

The Dilemma Of Being Colin Kaepernick: An Examination Of The #Takeaknee Protest Using Heider's Balance Theory, Ashley A. Hanna Edwards, M. Elizabeth Thorpe

Iowa Journal of Communication

Colin Kaepernick and the #takeaknee protest have been simultaneously criticized and praised. Critics argue that Kaepernick disrespects veterans and the country, while supporters suggest he is an advocate for social justice in the mistreatment of people of color, particularly by law enforcement. Beyond partisan politics, this paper shows that critics and supporters alike are evaluating Kaepernick's protest on the basis of perceived consistency between his identity and behavior. Drawing on Heider 's balance theory, we argue that individuals who focus on Kaepernick 's identity as a professional athlete will be critical of the protest because it is out of balance …

The Influence Of Goals On Sexual Initiation, Shawna Harris

Iowa Journal of Communication

In an effort to utilize theory to understand sexual communication, this study examined if the Goals-Plans-Actions Theory's conceptualization of goals would relate to the use of direct and indirect sexual initiation strategies. We surveyed 111 participants and asked them to identify the salient goals and strategies used when initiating sex with a partner. Although relational resource goals and identity goals were rated high, they had no effect on the use of direct or indirect initiation strategies. However, the primary goal of having sex and conversation management goals positively correlated with the use of direct and indirect initiation strategies.

Speaking For Another Polis, Rebecca Townsend

Iowa Journal of Communication

With the ending of the historic practice of town meeting legislature in Amherst, Massachusetts in 2018, this essay studies one practice that had been a source of tension: the deliberative body's foreign policy rhetoric. This essay examines one deliberation on a resolution concerning Nigeria for how participants use presence (Perelman & Olbrechts-Tyteca, 1971) and ventriloquism (Cooren, 2016) to construct a sense of authority for speaking for themselves and for others as democratic agents. It contributes to literature on public meetings and on rhetorical authority.

Making The Case: A College Physical And Mental Health Integration, Tamara L. Laursen

Iowa Journal of Communication

Much research has been done linking physical disorders and depressive disorders. Although this topic is highly relevant to college populations, administrative structures and clinical practices vary as to how college health, health promotion, and counseling services are delivered. Understanding current operational relationships and possible strengths and weaknesses of an integrated physical and mental health service can provide notable benefits for college students. Recognized standards exist for college health services, health promotion, and counseling services. Exploration of current integrated models offers an understanding of benefits and challenges encountered when establishing an integrated model. Health and well-being are life-long endeavors, and by …

Examining The Ncaa Selection Process For Bias Against Mid-Majors, Jackson Twait

Honors Program Theses

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Men’s Basketball Tournament is a single-elimination style tournament that takes place every March in order to crown the best men’s college basketball team in the country. Every year since 2011, 68 teams have made it through the grueling regular season for a chance at winning the title of best in the nation. The current system’s 68 teams are selected by a committee of ten athletic directors of schools and commissioners of conferences, but only 36 teams are actually selected by the committee because 32 teams gain an automatic spot in the tournament by winning …

Alcohol And Marijuana: Substitutes Or Complements And A Deeper Evaluation Of Marijuana Prohibition, Nicholas Andrew Brown

Honors Program Theses

This paper first looks to determine whether alcohol and marijuana are substitutes or complements. This economic relationship between alcohol and marijuana could influence policy decisions regarding marijuana’s legal status in the United States. My method is a meta study and evaluates the current literature on alcohol and marijuana’s economic connection. I find that more empirical research is needed before we can definitively say whether alcohol and marijuana are substitutes or complements. Second, the paper compares the prohibitions of alcohol and marijuana and gives reasons why the United States should learn from its experience during alcohol prohibition and legalize marijuana

Liability Design For Autonomous Vehicles And Human-Driven Vehicles: A Hierarchical Game-Theoretic Approach, Xuan Di, Xu Chen, Eric L. Talley

Faculty Scholarship

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are inevitably entering our lives with potential benefits for improved traffic safety, mobility, and accessibility. However, AVs’ benefits also introduce a serious potential challenge, in the form of complex interactions with human-driven vehicles (HVs). The emergence of AVs introduces uncertainty in the behavior of human actors and in the impact of the AV manufacturer on autonomous driving design. This paper thus aims to investigate how AVs affect road safety and to design socially optimal liability rules in comparative negligence for AVs and human drivers. A unified game is developed, including a Nash game between human drivers, a …

Variation In Both Host Defense And Prior Herbivory Can Alter Plant-Vector-Virus Interactions, Xiaobin Shi, Evan L. Preisser, Baiming Liu, Huipeng Pan, Min Xiang, Wen Xie, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Chuanyou Li, Yong Liu, Xuguo Zhou, Youjun Zhang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background:

While virus-vector-host interactions have been a major focus of both basic and applied ecological research, little is known about how different levels of plant defense interact with prior herbivory to affect these relationships. We used genetically-modified strains of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) varying in the jasmonic acid (JA) plant defense pathways to explore how plant defense and prior herbivory affects a plant virus (tomato yellow leaf curl virus, ‘TYLCV’), its vector (the whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED), and the host.

Results:

Virus-free MED preferred low-JA over high-JA plants and had lower fitness on high-JA plants. Viruliferous MED preferred …

Analysis Of The Tcr Repertoire In Hiv-Exposed But Uninfected Infants, Benjamin Gabriel, Carey Medin, Jeremiah Alves, Ruth Nduati, Rose Kerubo Bosire, Dalton Wamalwa, Carey Farquhar, Grace John-Steward, Barbara L. Lohman-Payne

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been shown to leave profound and lasting impacts on the HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infant, including increased mortality and morbidity, immunological changes, and developmental delays compared to their HIV-unexposed (HU) counterparts. Exposure to HIV or antiretroviral therapy may influence immune development, which could increase morbidity and mortality. However, a direct link between the increased mortality and morbidity and the infant’s immune system has not been identified. To provide a global picture of the neonatal T cell repertoire in HEU versus HU infants, the diversity of the T cell receptor beta chain (TRB) expressed in …

Valuation Of The External Costs Of Unconventional Oil And Gas Development: The Critical Importance Of Mineral Rights Ownership, Andrew Boslett, Todd Guilfoos, Corey Lang

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Faculty Publications

We quantify the externalities associated with unconventional oil and gas development using hedonic valuation. One complication in determining local impacts is that some but not all properties are unified with mineral rights, which enable the residents to financially benefit from drilling, and this information is typically unobserved by researchers. To overcome this issue, we exploit the mineral severance legacy of the homestead act extensions of the twentieth century to identify properties in western Colorado that do not have mineral rights and are therefore only impacted negatively by drilling. We find housing prices decline about 35% when drilling occurs within 1 …

Interpreting The Law Of The Sea ‘Regime Of Islands’: An Opportunity For Productive Us Leadership, Elizabeth Mendenhall

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

This commentary describes an opportunity for clarification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ‘regime of islands.’ It describes the growing need to authoritatively distinguish between islands, rocks, and artificial islands for the purpose of stabilizing claims to maritime territory. Sea level rise and island building activities in the South China Sea and elsewhere are increasing the pace at which new islands appear and existing islands disappear. This commentary proposes a two-part interpretation of UNCLOS, which (1) freezes the status of islands and rocks, and (2) asserts a practical distinction between ‘islands’ and ‘artificial islands.’ …

Institutional And Conceptual Barriers To Climate Change Adaptation For Coastal Cultural Heritage, Alanna Casey, Austin Becker

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

Climate change is increasing the speed at which tangible coastal cultural heritage is changing in character or being lost through weathering, erosion, and inundation. Damages to coastal archeological sites, loss of access to historical sites, and the alteration of cultural landscapes will force changes in the way researchers can study sites, tourists can enjoy places, and descendant communities who have lived in particular areas for time immemorial, and local community members can utilize and relate to landscapes. In the USA, the National Park Service is a primary coastal cultural resource management organization. The National Park Service has been working on …

Social Learning And Communication With Threshold Uncertainty, Todd Guilfoos, Haoran Miao, Simona Trandafir, Emi Uchida

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Faculty Publications

Using a threshold public bad game, we perform an experiment to test the effects of communication on coordination failure with various levels of threshold uncertainty. We apply two communication treatments to the coordination game: cheap talk between group members (unrestricted) and anonymous written communication from one generation of subjects to another (restricted). We find that the probability of groups coordinating and reaching the socially preferred equilibrium increases significantly with cheap talk and increases moderately with written communication. Repeated communication through cheap talk leads to a higher probability of achieving a set of payoff-dominant equilibria even in the face of threshold …

Assessing Consumer Preferences For Sustainability, Equity, And Welfare In The Aquarium Trade, Larynn Cutshaw

Open Access Master's Theses

Each year millions of fish and invertebrates are traded to support the home aquaria industry. Aquarium keeping is a popular hobby worldwide and the trade has the potential to provide socio-economic benefits to reef-adjacent communities while promoting environmental stewardship by consumers. However, current practices are negatively impacting the industry as the supply chain can be environmentally unsustainable and socially unequitable. Poor industry practices compromise the welfare of the organisms, leading to immense supply chain losses which exacerbate the sustainability and equity issues. Since the trade is demand-driven, consumers can play a role in addressing poor industry practices by using their …

The Burden Of Invisibility: A Case Study Of The Fisheries Crisis In Ghana, And Usaid/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project’S Gender Mainstreaming Strategy, Danielle Bilecki

Open Access Master's Theses

The Sustainable Fisheries Management Project’s primary goal is to create a more sustainable artisanal fishery in Ghana, in order to increase food security within the nation. One of SFMP’s strategies within this fisheries-based project was to implement a gender mainstreaming strategy in order to empower previously overlooked women stakeholders. This chapter will present the results of a study on the impacts of SFMP’s gender mainstreaming strategy on members of Ghana’s artisanal fisheries sector.

This study focuses on impacts primarily associated with fishers, fish processors, members of client and partner organizations, as well as the organizations themselves, and on the Ministry …