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A Two-Part Validation Study Of The Sexual Minority Identity Emotion Scale, Henrietta Kadi Tettey-Tawiah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A number of existing studies indicate that there is some correlation between pride and shame and various behavioral health outcomes like anxiety, depression, and self-harm in the general population. Research also confirms that this relationship is true among sexual minorities as well. This study sets itself up to interrogate this assertion vis-à-vis sexual minority adolescents (SMAs). Consequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and differential item functioning (DIF) detection analysis were performed on the 35-item Sexual Minority Identity Emotion Scale (SMIES) for SMAs. A tree-based modeling technique, specifically conditional inference trees (CIT), was then employed to explore and make predictions about the …

Corporate Crisis Management: A Contemporary Best Practices Template, Vivek Narayan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper seeks to re-envision the crisis management framework used by organizations in their day-to-day activities. In the modern world, with exponential technological advancements, the social media age, and the 24/7 news cycle, crises have worsened in severity. Despite this, most literature on the subject is more than a decade old.

Incorporating past literature, this thesis demonstrates that society is in an “era of crises,” then defines and discusses the types and origins of these crises. It compares the topics of issues and crisis management before commentating on corporate and academic literature and ultimately previous 3-stage models for crisis management. …

Interagency Collaboration And The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Perspectives Of Public High School And Juvenile Detention Facility Administrators, Michael A. Allen Ii

Education Doctoral

The academic plight of Black and brown youth who enter the United States juvenile justice system is well-documented. Their likelihood of graduating from high school decreases, while the likelihood of dropping out and being further involved with the justice system increases. Although many factors contribute to this conundrum, this study explored the relationship between the public education system and the juvenile justice system. Using an adaptive leadership theoretical framework, this transcendental phenomenological study sought to ascertain the perspectives of administrators working in public high schools as well as those working in juvenile detention facilities across New York State. Through semi-structured, …

Sustainability Measures Of The Apparel Industry: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Apparel Corporations’ Sustainability Efforts, Lance Cheramie, Mahendran Balasubramanian

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change is a paramount challenge of our era, with profound implications for various sectors, including the apparel industry, known for its extensive environmental footprint throughout the entire clothing lifecycle. This study assesses the industry’s carbon emission trends using six years of data (2017–2022) focusing on Scope 1 and Scope 2. Employing a one-way repeated measures ANOVA, this study evaluates the impact of sustainability strategies on emissions. The results indicate a notable decrease in Scope 2 and overall carbon emissions, while Scope 1 emissions remain relatively unchanged despite a downward trend. These findings underscore the success of current sustainability measures …

A Grain Of Hope: Analysis Of The Economic Potential For An Association Of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Rice Futures Market, Richard Nyarko

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations) region is the world's leading rice producer, yet the region lacks a dedicated rice futures market. In contrast other world grain markets are served by liquid futures contracts, which aid producers through price discovery and risk management. This glaring gap raises a critical question: Can an ASEAN rice futures market be established to unlock the potential economic benefits for the region's rice sector? By predicting ASEAN rice pricing features and analyzing the efficacy of hedging for regional rice market players, this study explores the viability of an ASEAN rice futures contract to service the …

Cobblestone Farms, Fayetteville: A Study Of A Non-Profit Teaching Farm’S Volunteer Management Programs, Ariel Scholten

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-profit teaching farms (NPTFs) represent a unique intersection of mission-driven non-profits, agricultural education, and sustainable food production. Despite their growing presence, research on NPTFs, particularly regarding volunteer management, remains limited. This thesis examines volunteer management practices at Cobblestone Farms (CF), a prominent NPTF in Northwest Arkansas, focusing on its strategies to engage and retain volunteers. Through qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews with staff and volunteers, the study identifies, describes, and evaluates key components of CF's volunteer management program. Major findings reveal that CF leverages digital media, online platforms like Give Pulse, and strategic partnerships to recruit and maintain volunteers. The …

Automatic Uncovering Of Patient Primary Concerns In Portal Messages Using A Fusion Framework Of Pretrained Language Models, Yang Ren, Yuqi Wu, Jungwei W. Fan, Aditya Khurana, Sunyang Fu, Dezhi Wu, Hongfang Liu, Ming Huang

Publications

Objectives: The surge in patient portal messages (PPMs) with increasing needs and workloads for efficient PPM triage in healthcare settings has spurred the exploration of AI-driven solutions to streamline the healthcare workflow processes, ensuring timely responses to patients to satisfy their healthcare needs. However, there has been less focus on isolating and understanding patient primary concerns in PPMs-a practice which holds the potential to yield more nuanced insights and enhances the quality of healthcare delivery and patient-centered care. Materials and Methods: We propose a fusion framework to leverage pretrained language models (LMs) with different language advantages via a Convolution Neural …

An Investigation Of Continued Contact Between Victim And Perpetrator After Sexual Violence, Maria Bates

Student Theses

Given the prevalence of sexual violence and child sexual abuse (CSA) it is imperative to accurately conceptualize victim experience following sexual violence. Rape myths do not provide an adequate understanding of victim behavior post-abuse/assault (e.g., Denne et al., 2013; Harsey & Freed, 2023; Romero-Sanchez et al., 2018; Russel & Hand, 2017), such as prescribing that victims of sexual violence would never hold contact with a perpetrator post-abuse/assault (e.g., Maurer, 2015; Shepp et al., 2019; St. George et al., 2022; Smith, 2023). Since research shows that many victims, particularly CSA victims, know the perpetrator, (e.g., Basile, 2020; Gewirtz-Meydan & Finkelhor, 2020; …

Wooyake Winyan: The Experience Of Three Native Women In Higher Education Leadership At 4-Year Institutions In The Midwest, Raven Gray

Theses and Dissertations

Native women in higher education have faced many challenges and disparities, specifically within 4-year institutions. This research used a qualitative method known as storytelling to identify ways of progression for Native women in higher education leadership while being supported by the theoretical framework of aspirational capital. Additionally, this knowledge is explained through cultural ways of storytelling, with hope of gaining perspective of Native female leadership and how this impacts Native communities within higher education. Through this research, it portrayed the experience of Native women in Higher education leadership which included their successes and challenges. Each participant shared their background of …

Solar Panel Damage Identification Using Tensorflow Lite, Garrick Muncie

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The number of utility-scale PV installations is rising, with a power capacity of 12.5 Gigawatts installed in 2021, 10.4 in 2022, and an estimated 24 Gigawatts installed in 2023 [1]. With larger-scale installations, quicker ways of identifying and locating damaged PV arrays are needed. The solution presented in this thesis is to use drones to capture aerial photos and TensorFlow-Lite and Keras deep learning methods to determine if a panel has defects, such as debris, cracked panels, and hotspots. The model features an execution time of 0.185 seconds per picture. In addition, the model will run on an embedded system …

Topology And Geometry-Based Methods For Quantifying The Complexity Of Protein Structures, Masumi Sugiyama

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

New topological and geometrical methods in knot theory provide a way to rigorously measure the entanglement of open curves in 3-space for the first time. These methods enable the topological analysis of physical systems of filaments, such as those formed by proteins. In this dissertation we employ tools from knot theory in combination with available experimental data and molecular simulations to analyze the topological complexity of tau proteins. These proteins are involved in a class of neurodegenerative diseases, called tauopathies. The methods developed in this dissertation are general and applicable to other proteins as well as any physical systems of …

The Effects Of Stressful Life Experiences And Maladaptive Daydreaming On Selective Attention Among Young Adults, Claudia Colpo

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Adverse childhood (ACEs) and adult (AAEs) experiences have been connected to negative psychological and physical consequences. ACEs have been associated with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and impairments in selective attention (SA). Less is known about AAEs on selective attention and MD in adults. This study aimed to address gaps in the literature using a sample of 177 adults aged 18 and 30 who were assessed for ACEs, AAEs, and MD. Participants’ SA was assessed through an emotional Stroop test. ACEs and AAEs were both positively associated with MD, as well as with increased reaction times in the Emotional Stroop. There was …

Reentry Roadblocks: Investigating The Unique Reintegration Challenges Of Rural Offenders, Brenda Zaragoza

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The reintegration process for inmates entails multifaceted challenges, with rural offenders experiencing even more unique obstacles. Factors such as limited employment opportunities, housing options, reliable transportation and prevalent substance use issues are significant obstacles that rural ex-offenders must navigate during reintegration. These challenges are only multiplied given the geographical location where rural ex-offenders will reintegrate (Garland et al., 2011; Harley & Dunkley, 2018). Compared to their urban counterparts, rural ex-offenders may experience lower wages, little to no drug treatment programs, or the inability to reach mental health services within their rural setting (Chan et al., 2016; Mohatt et al., 2005). …

Stress And Vigilance Toward Social Approval Versus Disapproval: Assessing The Interactions Between Childhood Maltreatment Severity And Coping Styles Among Highly Socially Anxious Young Adults, Griffin Akira Thomas Randolph

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood maltreatment (CM) can impact the development of social anxiety (SA), influencing behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social outcomes. This study explored the relationship between CM severity and SA among young adults through real-time social interaction using Zoom. This approach combined objective behavioral and physiological data with self-report measures. Results showed a significant positive relationship between CM severity and trait SA. Higher CM levels were linked to increased state anxiety during anticipation and peak levels of a speech task. No significant correlations were found between CM severity and mean skin conductance levels (SCLs), indicating SCLs may not reflect emotional responses. Similarly, …

Optimizing Cybersecurity Knowledge Graph Question Answering: A Framework For Performance And Generalization, Ayman Gumaa

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

UTC's ForensiQ system demonstrates that Knowledge Graph Question Answering (KGQA) systems can handle the scale and complexity of Internet of Things (IoT) forensics. However, using KGQA systems requires a high level of technical expertise, and there are concerns about ForensiQ's inference speed and generalization ability. This thesis aims to enhance KGQA system usability in IoT forensics by extending ForensiQ’s framework to aid investigators, improving ForensiQ's entity detection speed, and testing performance on rephrased questions. Towards this goal, a Django web application was developed to visualize KGQA reasoning, aid KG exploration, and facilitate the creation of custom KGQA datasets. We also …

Predicting Hand Grasping Orientation For Prosthetic Hand Control Using Multimodal Sensor Data (Eeg, Emg, And Imu) With Machine Learning Approach, Nafiseh Ghaffar Nia

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Enhancing the control of prosthetic hands is a crucial challenge that directly impacts the daily functionality of individuals with limb loss. Our research delves into advanced machine learning (ML) methodologies to accurately predict hand-grasping orientations, thereby improving the precision of prosthetic control. We present a comprehensive framework that amalgamates inputs from multiple sensors. This includes electroencephalography (EEG) to discern user intentions, electromyography (EMG) to evaluate muscle activity, and inertial measurement units (IMU) to track features of hand movement. By harmoniously integrating these varied data streams, our ML model strives to provide predictions of hand orientation that are more accurate and …

College Students' Perceptions Of Malingering Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nicolas Maynard

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study assessed college students’ knowledge and perceptions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to help identify patterns of behavior in those who malinger ADHD in a college environment. Specifically, I sought to determine what behaviors college students attribute to ADHD and how those behaviors are demonstrated when malingering the disorder. Participants in this study were neurotypical college students and those with a valid ADHD diagnosis. Half of the neurotypical participants were instructed to malinger ADHD on all study assessments. Participants who were instructed to malinger ADHD subjectively reported significantly more symptoms than their neurotypical peers, but not their valid …

Design Of Nylon-Carbon Fiber Composite Gears, Ben Swords

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Advances in manufacturing and material science have changed fundamental limitations of designs and have allowed designers to redesign components to improve performance characteristics. This work applies traditional gearing standards from the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) to a nylon-carbon composite material for the purpose of additive manufacturing (AM). Calculations for load carrying capacity and operating temperature are used to optimize a design that was previously constrained by conventional manufacturing technology. A model of the optimized design is presented, and simulations applied using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to determine load characteristics between traditionally manufactured gear profiles and the optimized design. The …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2024 - 2025, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Msw Portfolio Paper, Kortni Sims

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio paper integrates personal experiences with academic and professional development. She is reflecting on her progression as a social worker. The paper focuses on food security and social justice, examining the impact of systems theory and conflict theory in her practice. Sims demonstrates her proficiency in the ten social work competencies, highlighting her ability to engage in critical self-reflection and advocate for marginalized communities. The paper concludes with a reflection on her past, present, and future as an advanced integrated social worker, committed to ongoing personal and professional growth.

The Role Of Shareholder Derivative Lawsuits In Accounting: Impacts On Corporate Information Quality And Audit Fee Determination, Md Zubair Zuven

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays on shareholder derivative lawsuit issues in accounting. In the first essay, I investigate the causal effect of shareholder litigation rights on information quality by using the staggered adoption of universal demand (UD) laws as an exogenous variation in litigation risk. My empirical findings from the difference-in-differences methodology align with the theory that shareholder litigation risk plays a deterrence role and acts as a corporate governance mechanism. I find a significant drop in information quality measures for firms incorporated in states that adopted UD laws, which is consistent with the notion that higher (lower) shareholder …

White Light Specular Reflection Data Augmentation For Polyp Detection, Jose Angel Nunez

Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer is among the deadliest cancers, but fortunately, this type of cancer can be prevented. The best current method of prevention is via detecting the bad polyps in the colon in time. Furthermore, the best method we have available to detect these bad polyps is through colonoscopies. Even though a lot of lives have been saved via these methods, it is still not perfect because of human error. Integrating artificial intelligence into colonoscopy procedures is our next evolution in increasing our prevention of colorectal cancer. Polyp detectors are one of the tools brought by advancements in technology that may …

Comparative Analysis Of Transfer Learning Strategies For Polyp Detection In Colonoscopy Images Using Yolov8, Fabian Vazquez Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The early detection of polyps during colonoscopy procedures is crucial for preventing colorectal cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Traditional methods for polyp detection are often time-consuming and prone to human error. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of transfer learning, the process of taking a pre-trained model that was trained on a large dataset and adapting it to a new, but related task, requiring less data and time for training. This research compares whether the YOLOv8 model trained from scratch on a specific polyp dataset is outperformed by transfer learning methods such as utilizing a pretrained model on …

Communicating Character: Ceo-Expressed Humility, Stakeholder Protest Activism, And Organizational Misconduct, Guadalupe J. Solano

Theses and Dissertations

In an era characterized by self-promotion, individualism, and the pursuit of self-interest, the virtue of humility appears to be in decline, with far-reaching implications for contemporary organizations and overall social cohesion. The corporate landscape, in particular, has not been immune to this trend, as leaders who prioritize humility are becoming increasingly scarce (Heimann, 2021). Within the realm of business and, more specifically, leadership, the scarcity of humility can create a fertile ground for organizational misconduct to flourish, as it may reduce accountability and foster an unethical climate. Additionally, when misconduct is exposed, the perceived lack of humility in leadership can …

Missing Data Imputation With Longitudinal Data, Joseph Omar Alanis

Theses and Dissertations

In the repeated measures longitudinal datasets where missing data is a relatively common issue, we explored different imputation methods, including machine learning (ML) methods in order to examine potential efficiencies for using traditional versus newer computational methods. In order to accomplish said comparison, we used a Monte Carlo simulation experiment of a population of size N=70000 to mimic a clinical trial, with different scenarios of missing at random (MAR) data in the response variable. To compare the behavior of each method resulting from the difference between population and sample dataset, a real dataset was used from the Boston College on …

Advancements In Aerial Vehicle Platforms: A Guide For Design, Validation, And Implementation Of 3d Printed Drones, Alan Salvador Urteaga

Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing methods have revolutionized the way products are designed and developed through a product's entire design life cycle. This is in part correlated with the nature of additive manufacturing methods that differentiate them from traditional methods. Some of the benefits of additive manufacturing methods include customizability, rapid prototyping, the production of complex design geometry, and embedded assembly manufacturing. Unmanned aerial vehicles have been on the rise for various military, commercial, or personal applications. The focus of this study is to provide detailed instructions on how to engineer a viable drone design that is impact-resistant, modular, and customizable. This study …

Development Of The Structure And Control System Of A Stewart Platform Robot For Human Balance Recovery Interventions, Rhobenn R. Alvarez Zambrano

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the process to design a Stewart platform parallel robot for balance recovery with given assembly constraints and mobility requirements is described. A Model Based Design (MBD) approach in MATLAB was used as a tool to model and optimize the design of the platform through quick and repeatable workspace and movements simulations. An algorithm based on Inverse Kinematics was used to find the most adequate Stewart platform configuration which yields a workspace that fulfills the design goals best. Solidworks was used as a 3D CAD Modeling tool to elaborate machining blueprints while ensuring that each piece fits accurately …

In Situ Shear Exfoliation Of Layered Materials And Fabrication Of Multifunctional Composites, Md Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam

Theses and Dissertations

To harness the extraordinary properties of 2D nanomaterials across a range of applications, including but not limited to device fabrication (such as sensors and transistors), energy storage and conversion systems (like batteries and solar cells), as well as biomedical applications (such as drug delivery and tissue engineering), it is imperative to achieve proper synthesis to single-layer form from bulk material, ensuring defect-free synthesis. Recognizing the criticality of defect-free synthesis and high yield for nanocomposite production, our focus centered on developing a facile, contamination-free, single-step, in situ shear exfoliation process for bulk materials (such as graphene, hBN, coal) within elastomers, which …

Feature Extraction From Vibration Signature Acquired From Railroad Bearing Onboard Condition Monitoring Sensor Modules, Kevin Quaye

Theses and Dissertations

The University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) has designed an onboard monitoring system that tracks vibration waveforms over time, to obtain a direct and more accurate indicator of bearing health. The data collected by these sensors is used for vibrational analyses of the bearings. The speed of the bearing is a fundamental parameter needed to carry out the analysis. GPS data can be used to determine bearing speed if available; however, due to size, cost and power constraints GPS is typically not available at the sensor location. This means that analysis must be delayed until the data is uploaded …

Rabi Oscillations And Entanglement Between Two Rydberg Atoms In An Optical Cavity Studied By The Jaynes-Cummings Model And Quantum Circuits On Qiskit, Francisco D. Santillan

Theses and Dissertations

Rydberg atoms are highly excited atoms in which one electron has a large principal quantum number. Due to their unusual atomic properties, Rydberg atoms are promising building blocks of two-qubit gates and light-atom quantum interfaces in quantum information processing. For two atoms at close distance (< 10 mm) the Rydberg blockade prevents the two atoms to be simultaneously in the excited state whereas this blockade is absent for atoms far apart. Recently, this effect was used to engineer a quantum processor based on two-dimensional arrays of neutral atoms which are trapped and transported by optical tweezers. Motivated by these experiments, we study the light-atom interaction and entanglement of two Rydberg atoms interacting by the Rydberg blockade in an optical cavity using the Jaynes-Cummings model. We find a rich variety of Rabi oscillations and entanglement as a function of initial conditions and interaction time, which may be used to generate two-qubit gates. Furthermore, we develop and simulate a quantum circuit of this system using Qiskit, an open-source software development kit designed to emulate the operation of a real Quantum Computer.