Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Of Federal Title V Funding To Retention And Graduation Rates Of Hispanic-Serving Institutions In The Southeastern United States, Julio Cesar Llanos Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The number of Latino/a or Hispanic students, also known as Latinx students, are expected to grow demographically in various regions of the United States over the next several years. To ensure Latinx students are progressing toward graduation in their respective cohorts, it may be beneficial to anticipate and prepare for the increase in this student demographic. This study focused on institutions in the Southeastern region of the United States. This study compared the relationship of federal Title V funding and retention rates and graduation rates of students; it also compared degrees awarded to Hispanic students and enrollment of Hispanic students …

The Nfl’S Collision With Antitrust Law: A Strategy For Defending The National Football League’S Joint Agreements With Streaming Providers, Jack Mays

Chapman Law Review

The next frontier of sports broadcasting is here. Media consumption has shifted dramatically in recent years. Streaming services have become the preferred medium for television shows and movies, and sports broadcasts have expanded beyond traditional cable to streaming services. Given this reconfiguration of public behavior, the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA)—a 1961 exemption to antitrust law—should be construed to allow the National Football League (NFL) to collectively negotiate with streaming providers like Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Netflix.

The SBA exempts joint agreements between professional sports leagues and broadcasters from antitrust scrutiny when those agreements involve the “sponsored telecasting” of games. …

Green Synthesis Of Tio2 Nanoparticles Via Graphene Oxide-Doped Malabar Spinach Leaf Extract For Perovskite Solar Cells, Nofrijon Sofyan, Ichsan Pandu Wicaksono, Fiona Angellinnov, Aga Ridhova, Akhmad Herman Yuwono, Donanta Dhaneswara

Baghdad Science Journal

This study investigates a green synthesis route for titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) using Malabar spinach (Basella rubra) leaf extract, with graphene oxide (GO) as a dopant, for application as an electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The synthesized TiO₂ NPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM/EDX). XRD results confirmed the presence of a pure anatase phase with a smaller crystallite size than that of commercial TiO₂, …

Effect Of Demineralization And Physical Activation In Enhancing The Porosity And Adsorption Properties Of Recovered Carbon Black Pyrolyzed From Waste Tire, Siti Nuramirah Rabbani Muhammad Zaki, Nurul Fatahah Asyqin Zainal, Hartini Ahmad Rafaie, Suhaila Idayu Abdul Halim, Chia Chay Tay

Baghdad Science Journal

This research aims to improve the porosity structure and adsorption characteristics of rCB through demineralization and physical activation techniques. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) at various concentrations (1, 5, 6, and 10 M) was employed for demineralization, followed by the addition of 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH). Physical activation was conducted at temperature ranges of 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500°C for durations of 1, 2, and 3 h. Characterization of rCB was conducted using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), ash content analysis, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and iodine adsorption number (IAN). Demineralization decreased the ash content …

Double-Layered Tin-Polydimethylsiloxane (Pdms) Composites: Evaluation Of Porosity And Structural Morphology Of Polymeric Composites, Nurul Syafiqah Roslan, Nur Maizatul Azra Mukhtar, Ainorkhilah Mahmood, Nor Aimi Abdul Wahab, Rafidah Zainon, Hanisah Zainal Abidin, Aishah Zarzali Shah, Nor Iwani Nor Izaham

Baghdad Science Journal

The pursuit of advanced materials for radiation protection has highlighted the potential of polymer–metal composites. Porosity is a key factor influencing radiation attenuation, as fewer voids reduce pathways for radiation penetration. Recent studies emphasize the role of filler distribution in enhancing both mechanical properties and shielding performance. This work investigates the structural morphology and porosity of tin–PDMS composites prepared with pure tin (PS) and tin alloy (AS) fillers at 10–60 wt.% loadings, along with a tin–alloy mixture series (TM). Morphological features, particle distribution, oxygen content, and porosity were comprehensively analyzed. Results show that porosity strongly correlates with filler distribution and …

Influence Of Motion Artifacts On Instantaneous Frequency Based Heart Rate Variability Of Arterial Pulse Signals Measured By A Tactile Sensor: An Analytical Study, Mamun Hasan, Zhili Hao

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Objective: Heart rate variability (HRV), quantified via the instantaneous frequency (IF) of arterial pulse signals, is a key indicator of cardiovascular (CV) regulation. This study presents a theoretical and experimental investigation of how motion artifacts (MA) influence IF-and thus HRVmeasured with a tactile sensor, emphasizing underlying mechanisms rather than population-level validation. Approach: Building on a previously developed single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model of the tissue-contact-sensor (TCS) stack between the sensor and the artery, MA is represented as low-frequency baseline drift and time-varying system parameters (TVSP) of the TCS stack. Analytical expressions quantify the effect of MA on the IF of each harmonic …

Mechanical-Medical Convergence In Heart Failure: Artificial Intelligence, Finite-Element Modeling, And 3d Printing For Diagnosis And Prognosis, Quazi Noor E. Sabrina, Quazi Md Zobaer Shah, Quazi Noor E. Sohela, Md Mahabub Hasan Mousum, Md. Moyeen Uddin Chisty, Quazi Md. Akbar Shah

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Heart failure remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, yet routine clinical indices often miss the regional biomechanical disturbances that drive progression and shape treatment response. This State-of-the-Art review examines how finite-element (FE) modeling, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI) are converging to improve the diagnosis, phenotyping, procedural planning, and prognostic assessment of heart failure (HF). Although these technologies have matured in structural heart disease and transcatheter intervention research, their greatest translational potential may lie in HF, where patient-specific ventricular remodeling, myocardial stress–strain heterogeneity, valve-ventricular coupling, and device-tissue interaction are incompletely captured by conventional clinical indices. We synthesize …

Meteorological And Air Quality Effects On Bioaerosol Detection Using Wibs-Neo And Ibac-2 In Dublin City, Emma Markey, Jerry Hourihane Clancy, Moisés Martínez-Bracero, José María Maya-Manzano, Raúl Pecero-Casimiro, Eoin Joseph Mcgillicuddy, Gavin Sewell, Roland Sarda-Estève, Andrés M. Vélez-Pereira, David J. O’Connor

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study evaluates the performance of two real-time fluorescence-based bioaerosol sensors, the WIBS-NEO and IBAC-2, operating in urban Dublin, Ireland, and assesses the influence of different meteorological and pollution parameters on their outputs. This was done by comparing particle sensor data to meteorological variables and air quality metrics. Over the 41-day campaign, Urticaceae pollen and Cladosporium spores were the dominant bioaerosols recorded, comprising 78% and 66% of total pollen and fungal spore concentrations, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed several significant variables: fluorescent BC-type particles (>8 μm) detected by WIBS-NEO strongly correlated with pollen concentrations (r = 0.84 after excluding high-wind …

Code-Net++: An Attention-Guided Deep Learning Framework With Grad-Cam-Based Explainability For Covid-19 Detection Using Chest X-Ray Images, Fareesa Amina, Dr Krishnanaik Vankdoth

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Chest radiograph imaging has emerged as a practical and scalable diagnostic modality for respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. However, accurate discrimination of COVID-19 manifestations from other pulmonary abnormalities remains challenging because of low contrast, imaging noise, and overlapping radiographic patterns. This work presents CODE-NET++, an enhanced attention-guided deep learning framework with Grad-CAM-based explainability for reliable COVID-19 detection using chest X-ray images. The proposed framework integrates adaptive trilateral filtering for image enhancement, Reverse Edge Attention Network (RE-Net) for lesion-aware segmentation, and an Enhanced LinkNet architecture with dilated convolutions for multiscale feature extraction and classification. Grad-CAM-based explainable artificial intelligence visualization is incorporated to …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Untold Art History Of Grillz: An Introduction Exhibition At The Ica, Helena Opuama

MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design Dissertations

The Untold Art History of Grillz: An Introduction Exhibition at the ICA is a prompt multisensory exhibition scheduled to open 15th April 2028 in celebration of World Art Day, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, in London, UK. The exhibition critically utilises postcolonial frameworks to explore the dismissed decorative history of dental adornment and its influence on contemporary grill design today.

Through a limited chronological selection of physical objects, holographic projections, archival photographs, oral histories, and social media contributions; the exhibition co-narrates the history of dental adornment across four historical periods. These periods include Precolonial Traditions (14th-15th century); Colonial Evolutions …

Ai-Supported Socratic Questioning And Instructional Scaffolding: Effects On Student Comprehension, Reshma John

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examines how the intentional use of artificial intelligence (AI) designed for Socratic questioning and instructional scaffolding affects students' comprehension of course content. The literature suggests that AI is most likely to support comprehension when it prompts students to explain their reasoning, respond to guided questions, reflect on their understanding, and receive support adapted to their needs. In contrast, systems that primarily provide direct answers may encourage overreliance and mask gaps in students' understanding. Overall, the educational value of AI depends less on its availability and more on how it is designed and implemented.

Teaching Primary Sources To Increase Engagement And Build Literacy, Lindsey L. Beaulieu

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviews the use of primary sources in education. This literature review analyzes 30 articles regarding educators’ use of primary sources. There are four major themes within the articles: literacy with primary sources, engagement with primary sources, comprehension with primary sources, and examples of primary source units or lessons. While specific teaching topics vary, the overall consensus is that primary sources can help students’ skills with literacy, engagement, and comprehension. A main topic among the research is the educators’ understanding of scaffolding, pre-teaching, choosing primary sources, and re-using the primary sources, to be able to teach students effectively.

Meconium Metal Concentrations And Infant Temperament And Development, Fiona Fogarty

Dissertations and Theses

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to metals poses significant health consequences for early childhood development. Understanding the factors influencing metal concentrations that infants are exposed to in-utero is crucial for developing targeted interventions, particularly when maternal characteristics and environmental factors, may contribute to varying levels. Meconium offers insight into in-utero exposures for the developing infant, and the effect of each individual metal may be mediated or exacerbated by another and therefore should be studied in the context of a mixture. The effect of metal mixture exposure, as measured in meconium, on milestone and temperament outcomes has yet to be determined.

DESIGN: …

An Engine, Not A Vessel: Place, Politics, And Health In The United States, Philip B. Rocco

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

Social scientists often treat places as containers for social and economic phenomena that shape health outcomes. Yet this analytic practice conceals more than it reveals. Local governments in the United States should be understood as engines of both health promotion and stratification. As the contributions to this symposium suggest, governments not only occupy a formal place in the U.S. public health system, their decisions on everything from housing to transportation infrastructure can also have profound impacts on health outcomes. Local political economies likewise renegotiate the parameters of acceptable health interventions, public understandings of health disparities, and the status of population …

Luxury Café Concept For Mindful Indulgence In Central London: Business Plan For Tranquille House, Chelsea Hsiao

MA in Luxury Business Dissertations

In the 21st century, the idea of luxury is becoming less about wealth and exclusivity and more about health, rich experiences, and awareness. This practice-based dissertation examines current customers' interpretations of luxury within café settings and identifies the characteristics that foster a feeling of premium, meaningful experience in the hospitality industry.

A mixed-methods method was utilised. Quantitative data was gathered through an online survey of consumers within target market, and qualitative insights were produced through prior experience, and observational study around London cafés. Secondary sources pertaining to luxury, wellness tourism, and hospitality trends were employed to contextualise the industry and …

A Thymine Dimer Stalls A High-Fidelity Dna Polymerase By Providing No Template Information In The Same Manner As An Abasic Site, Amanda R. Walsh, Hye Rhee Kim, Lorena S. Beese, Eugene Y. Wu

Biology Faculty Publications

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are photolesions that form when UV-B irradiation causes adjacent thymine or cytosine bases to covalently bond and can arrest DNA synthesis by replicative polymerases. To gain insight into the effects of cis-syn cyclobutane thymine dimers (T=T) on DNA replication in a model polymerase, we conducted solution and crystallographic studies of the Bacillus DNA polymerase I large fragment (BF) in complex with a T=T-containing template and an incoming dNTP. A thymine dimer lesion blocked nucleotide addition by BF in solution. The crystal structure of the BF-T=T-dATP complex indicated that the thymine dimer is too large to enter the …

Twenty-One Years Of Global Atmospheric Chlorine Inventories From Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (Ace-Fts) Measurements, N. Raymond, P. Bernath, C. Boone, M. P. Chipperfield

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We present atmospheric chlorine inventories over 21 years (2004-2024) and five latitude bands (82-60°N, 60-30°N, 30°N-30°S, 30-60°S, 60-82°S) across altitudes from the surface up to 61 km. These inventories were calculated using the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) version 5.3 retrievals of the volume mixing ratios (VMRs) of 13 chlorine-containing species. Of these, five are product gases: HCl, HOCl, ClONO₂, COClF, COCl₂, and eight are source gases: CCl₄, CH₃Cl, CFC-11 (CCl₃F), CFC-12 ( CCl₂F₂), CFC-113 (CClF₂CCl₂F}), HCFC-22 (CHF₂Cl), HCFC-141b ( C₂H₃Cl₂F), and HCFC-142b (C₂H₃}Cl₂F). Where necessary, ACE-FTS data were supplemented with data from the TOMCAT 3-D chemical transport model, …

College Athletes’ Perception Of The Specialization Process Through Youth Sport, Clayre J. Shaver

Masters Theses

This study explored the adolescent sport experiences of Division I student-athletes, focusing on early sport specialization versus sampling. Past research was seeking the influences that drive athlete and stakeholder decision making through adolescents up until college. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, important themes emerged in these athletes’ stories, including family involvement, financial support, birth order, transitions within athletics and the athletes’ internal goals and motivations. The core finding of this research was the role family played in these athletes’ lives, both positively and negatively, that shaped their athletic and mental development. Athletes expressed how important it is to have …

The Effect Of Occupational Roles, Burnout, And Efficacy On Job Satisfaction Among K-12 Teachers, Chloe Schwahn

Masters Theses

The aim of this study was to investigate variables that may impact the ratings of job satisfaction by practicing Illinois K-12 teachers specifically examining if the variables of occupational roles, burnout, efficacy, and other relevant covariates are correlated and/or have predictive utility on teacher job satisfaction. A secondary goal was to raise awareness about the stressors teachers face in their work environments. Survey materials included a demographics questionnaire, an occupational roles catalog, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, and the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale. Seventy-six practicing Illinois K-12 teachers completed the study. Results of the current …

Crisis Communication Guidebook For Small And Medium-Sized Food Business: From Theory To Practice, Yixin Li

Masters Theses

This creative thesis aims to develop a practical crisis communication guidebook for small and medium-sized food businesses. Compared with larger businesses that have greater human and financial resources, small and medium-sized food businesses are often more vulnerable to the influences of crises on revenue and reputation. For this reason, they have a bigger need for practical and systematic crisis guidance. This project is grounded in crisis communication theory and analyzes existing literature in order to translate academic research and theoretical knowledge into an applied guidebook.

The guidebook is organized into three sections based on the timeline of crisis development: before …

Good Girl Bootcamp: Performative Femininity, Purity Culture, And Other Things Girls Are Taught, Kiersten Holland

Masters Theses

Performative femininity is a dangerous and controlling idea that subjugates women and places their inherent worth on how well they can conform to societal standards in male dominated spaces. Consequently, the reactionary messaging that surfaced as a result of these social pressures created a series of stereotypical female characterizations often depicted in the material and visual cultures of each period. By comparing contemporary literature with literature from the Victorian time period, it emphasizes the longstanding and controlling gender stereotypes pervasive throughout the past few centuries. This thesis attempts to understand and analyze the way that literature both critiques and supports …

Independence Of Spectral Contrast Effects Across Different Frequency Regions In Speech Perception, Christian E. Stilp, Matthew B. Winn

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Identification of speech sounds is influenced by spectral contrast effects (SCEs), the perceptual magnification of spectral differences between successive sounds. SCEs result in the categorization of a target sound being biased away from spectral properties in the preceding acoustic context. Given remarkable consistency in the magnitudes of these contrast effects within the same frequency region, it was hypothesized that they would also show stable relationships across different frequency regions. In this study, normal-hearing listeners’ phoneme categorization and contrast effects were assessed where phonetic contrasts were driven by changes in low-frequency F₁ (“big”-“beg” continuum), mid-frequency F₃ (“dot”-“got”), or high-frequency …

Integrating Military-Acquired Iso Quality Management Principles Into Civilian Employment: A Phenomenological Study Of Post-9/11 Veterans, Paul Encinias

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study explored how post-9/11 U.S. military veterans describe their lived experiences of understanding and applying four ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Principles (leadership, engagement of people, process approach, and evidence-based decision making) during the transition to civilian employment. This study further sought to understand how veterans articulated these competencies across employment stages and how those competencies were recognized within civilian organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study used semistructured interviews with 10 post-9/11 U.S. military veterans residing in the United States who had separated from active duty and were engaged in the transition to civilian employment. Participants were …

From Glass Ceilings To Balustrades: The Barriers And Supports In Gender-Balanced Corporate Boards Through The Lens Of Activity Theory, Erica Joy Thompson Dias

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine, through the lens of activity theory (AT), barriers individuals on public company boards of directors experienced in achieving or maintaining gender balance and supports that mitigated those barriers.

Methodology: Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 16 directors representing 13 gender-balanced public company boards. Data were coded using the AT framework, which conceptualizes human activity through interacting components including subject, object, rules, tools, community, and division of labor. In this study, barriers were tensions that obstructed progress toward gender balance, and supports were methods, resources, or actions that mitigated those …

Student Perceptions Of Academic Support Systems: A Sequential Mixed Methods Analysis Of Persistence, James Anderson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to assess the perceived influence of first-year institutional support services on student retention from the first to the second year at regional public universities in the Northeastern United States.

Methodology: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. In the quantitative phase, 437 retained second-year students completed the researcher-designed Retention Support Impact Survey to assess service utilization and perceived effectiveness. In the qualitative phase, 10 students participated in semi-structured interviews to provide deeper contextual insight into the numerical data.

Findings: The data indicated a disparity between service utilization rates and student-reported …

Walking On A Tightrope: Women And Managers Navigating Maternity Leave And Return-To-Work, Rachel R. Kalvert

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study explored how professional women experience maternity leave and return-to-work, focusing on how managerial communication shapes perceptions of career, competence, belonging, and career progression. The study involved professional women who returned to the same organization full-time from 6 months to 3 years after maternity leave.Methodology: Fourteen professional women were recruited via snowball sampling and listservs. Data were collected through Zoom interviews. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and received interview questions in advance. The interview guide aligned with the study's three questions. After the interview, participants reviewed AI-generated transcript summaries for accuracy; and participants were given a …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Principals’ Transformational Leadership And Its Impact On Job Satisfaction In Rural California, Pesach Walter

Dissertations

Purpose: This phenomenological study explored how early-career teachers in rural California public schools perceive their principals’ transformational leadership behaviors and how those perceptions influence job satisfaction, retention, and leadership effectiveness.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological design examined the lived experiences of early-career teachers in rural California K–12 public schools. Five participants with three to five years of experience were selected by purposive sampling; rurality was defined by National Center for Education Statistics locale codes 41, 42, and 43. Data were gathered through semi-structured, 60-minute Zoom interviews guided by a researcher-developed protocol based on Bass’s Four I’s framework. Transcripts were coded in …

Practices Alternative Education Principals Use To Create An Infinite Mindset In Their Schools To Inspire Extraordinary Results, Renee Gates

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe how exemplary alternative education principals perceive the practices of Simon Sinek’s Infinite Mindset Framework are embedded within their organizations to inspire the achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand the organizational supports and barriers these exemplary leaders perceive affect the development of an infinite mindset.

Methodology: Interviews were used to explore and describe how exemplary alternative high school principals perceive the five practices of Sinek’s Infinite Mindset are embedded within their organizations. The study is intended to contribute to and extend current …

Precision Metagenomics Reveals Microbial Landscape In Acute Upper Respiratory Infections: A Comprehensive Dataset, Sadia Almas, Rob E. Carpenter, Vaibhav K. Tamrakar, Anuradha Singh, Aditya Sharma, Rahul Sharma

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives The comprehension of the microbial composition in upper respiratory tract infections is pivotal for the progression of diagnostic and treatment methodologies. This article presents a dataset derived from Precision Metagenomic next-generation sequencing using hybridization capture-based targeted sequencing. Nasopharyngeal samples from 24 patients with acute URIs were analyzed using the Illumina®/IDbyDNA Respiratory Pathogen ID/ AMR panel. The dataset contains a wealth of information on the composition of the microbiota, including the relative abundance of known pathogens and their potential clinical significance. Data description This dataset serves as a valuable asset for future research in respiratory medicine, infectious disease epidemiology, antimicrobial …