Digital Commons Network^™

Financial Inclusion Gone Wrong: Securities And Cryptoassets Trading For Children, Nizan Geslevich Packin

UC Law Journal

According to studies, money is a major source of anxiety for most Americans. In looking for ways to remedy the source of such anxiety, some believe that increasing children’s financial orientation could help lower their money-related anxiety levels as adults. Identifying this market as a business opportunity—and reassured by research that shows that by age six, children are already veteran consumers of mobile apps—financial technology (fintech), decentralized finance (DeFi), and even traditional financial entities have started offering services and products to children. These services and products include a broad array of financial-related products and services, from enabling children to earn …

Considering Vaccination Status, Govind Persad

UC Law Journal

This Article examines whether policies—sometimes termed “vaccine mandates” or “vaccine requirements”— that consider vaccination status as a condition of employment, receipt of goods and services, or educational or other activity for participation are legally permitted, and whether such policies may even sometimes be legally required. It does so with particular reference to COVID-19 vaccines.

Part I explains the legality of private actors, such as employers or private universities, considering vaccination status, and concludes that such consideration is almost always legally permissible unless foreclosed by specific state legislation. Part II examines the consideration of vaccination status by state or federal policy. …

Mistreatment And Exploitation Of Skilled Foreign Workers Through H- Visa Precarity, Isha Vazirani

UC Law Journal

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that beginning on May 26, 2015, certain H-4 dependents of H-1B nonimmigrants would be eligible to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The H-4 EAD program was the target of several threats and changes under the Trump Administration, which made it increasingly difficult for H-4 EAD holders to maintain uninterrupted employment authorization. These difficulties prompted several lawsuits against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under DHS. USCIS favorably settled one such class-action lawsuit. Still, the H-4 EAD program remains only precariously in place because it was never officially codified and exists …

Loyalties V. Royalties, Sarah Polcz

UC Law Journal

Friendship rewards us with a bond of loyalty and equality. The marketplace rewards us based on what we have to offer. When friends work together to create something, and when the market judges their creation to have value, this sets up a clash between realms. Should the pie of profits be sliced according to the values of friendship or the values of the marketplace? The answer matters for policymakers concerned with creative incentives. How satisfied people are with their monetary rewards can turn more on how much others are getting—their relative rewards—than on the absolute amount received. Nevertheless, it is …

The Surprisingly Strong Case For Local Income Taxes In The Era Of Increased Remote Work, Erin Adele Scharff, Darien Shanske

UC Law Journal

Traditional theoretical literature on fiscal federalism urges cities to finance themselves with taxes on immobile sources. Thus, the literature sees real property taxes as the best source of local revenue; real property, after all, cannot be easily moved. This same literature eschews local income taxes because it is easy for a taxpayer to move, thus allowing exit from local income tax obligations.

Practice here seems to follow theory: cities do not tend to levy income taxes. However, this general trend has caused scholars to overlook important exceptions. In fact, many cities impose income taxes and have for a long time. …

Mitigating Catastrophe Risk For Landowners, Stewart E. Sterk

UC Law Journal

Local, national, and global catastrophes entail significant risk for landowners. The governmentsponsored National Flood Insurance Program illustrates how subsidizing insurance against catastrophe risk can result in overinvestment in risk-prone properties. Government intervention, however, has largely been a response to the historical failure of the private insurance industry to provide adequate protection against correlated risks, a failure with the potential to generate underinvestment in land and devastate existing owners.

When data is available about the incidence and severity of potential disasters, improvements in technology have made it more feasible for insurers to calibrate premiums and discounts with greater accuracy, and sophisticated …

Pole Cameras: Applying Fourth Amendment Protections To Emerging Surveillance Technology, Rahil Maharaj

UC Law Journal

Evolving surveillance technologies present unique challenges for the judiciary to maintain robust Fourth Amendment privacy protections. New surveillance tools such as pole cameras raise significant questions regarding the current scope of the Fourth Amendment and the steps the Supreme Court must take to prevent the erosion of a foundational constitutional right.

This Note lays out the current debate among scholars and courts regarding the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Carpenter v. United States. It demonstrates the challenge that new technology presents by providing an overview of the split between state and federal circuit courts in applying Carpenter to …

Foreign Investment And National Security Challenges In The Data Age: An Assessment Of The Current Regime And Recommendations, Irene Yu

UC Law Journal

This Note contributes to the growing literature that attempts to grasp the current landscape of international trade and investment norms and policies in the data age. Focusing on the disputes between the United States and China surrounding Chinese investment in American businesses that gather private user data, this Note adds to the argument that new challenges posed by the internet age and the use of private data have transformed current international trade policy and the national security exception regime. The U.S. government in the recent years has demonstrated little self-restraint in employing national security grounds to justify its interference with …

Experiences Embodied & Remembered: Contemporary Artists Engaging Contemporary Concerns, Michelle Ried

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Defining A Cyber Operations Performance Framework Via Computational Modeling, Briant Becote

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

Cyber operations are influenced by a wide range of environmental characteristics, strategic policies, organizational procedures, complex networks, and the individuals who attack and defend these cyber battlegrounds. While no two cyber operations are identical, leveraging the power of computational modeling will enable decision-makers to understand and evaluate the effect of these influences prior to their impact on mission success. Given the complexity of these influences, this research proposes an agent-based modeling framework that will result in an operational performance dashboard for user analysis. To account for cyber team behavioral characteristics, this research includes the development and validation of the Cyber …

Enhanced Convolutional Neural Network For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Classification, Yahya Tashtoush, Rasha Obeidat, Abdallah Al-Shorman, Omar Darwish, Mohammad A. Al-Ramahi, Dirar Darweesh

Computer Information Systems Faculty Publications (Archived)

Lung cancer is a common type of cancer that causes death if not detected
early enough. Doctors use computed tomography (CT) images to diagnose
lung cancer. The accuracy of the diagnosis relies highly on the doctor's
expertise. Recently, clinical decision support systems based on deep learning
valuable recommendations to doctors in their diagnoses. In this paper, we
present several deep learning models to detect non-small cell lung cancer in
CT images and differentiate its main subtypes namely adenocarcinoma,
large cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. We adopted standard
convolutional neural networks (CNN), visual geometry group-16 (VGG16),
and VGG19. Besides, we …

Analysis Of Freight Movements In The San Joaquin Valley, Aly Tawfik, Utsav Shah

Mineta Transportation Institute

Freight transportation plays a primary role in supply chains, costs, and availability of goods and is a major part of the economy. This study identifies, assesses, and utilizes different data sources to uncover and understand the patterns and movements of different types of freight in the San Joaquin Valley’s (SJV's) different counties. The San Joaquin Valley region consists of eight counties: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare. This research explored some major datasets with freight information, such as Global Trade Atlas (GTA), Port Imports and Exports Reporting Systems (PIERS), and Streetlight data insights for the year 2019 …

Trade And Transportation Talent Pipeline Blueprints: Building Universityindustry Talent Pipelines In Colleges Of Continuing And Professional Education, Tyler D. Reeb, Stacey Park

Mineta Transportation Institute

The rapid adoption of transformational technologies along with other economic and cultural shifts, have created a gap between workers and the skills and knowledge necessary for in-demand occupations. Trade and Transportation Talent Pipeline Blueprints: Building University-Industry Talent Pipelines in Colleges of Continuing and Professional Education identifies the steps required to build talent pipelines that target in-demand trade and transportation occupations requiring specific degrees, certificates, and non-credit professional development. This report provides a literature review and labor market data analysis. It also includes documentation of methodology in planning a pilot program for Colleges of Professional and Continuing Education housed within each …

Constructing An Extensive Hail Damage Swath Database For Impact Analysis And Future Applications, Emily Faith Wisinski

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Diamond's Hidden Gems - Sage Research Methods, Diamond Williams

Libraries' Documents

Nearly everyone at UCF is involved in research, from students learning how to conduct research for the first time to faculty conducting research for publication. There are many programs and resources that motivate students to participate, from the Student Scholar Symposium to the Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

SAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. Read on to learn more about what this resources can do for you, and how to access it!

Quantum Copyright Law: Schrodinger's Cat, Banksy's Shredder, And Art On The Edge, Richard H. Chused

Articles & Chapters

An object has been assembled by artists I know that presents a fascinating set of conundrums about the relationships between quantum physics, shredders, random surprises, the value of art, and copyright law. Seems fantastical, right? And so it is. The object of concern is a metal box a little under four feet tall, about eighteen inches deep, and a bit less than three feet wide. The box is welded together along all twelve of its edges. It has an opening across one side. And there is a small control panel on top. Before the box was welded shut, a set …

Trauma Presentation Among Latinx/Hispanic Subgroups, Ana Paula Leao De Camargo

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanics/Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States and are estimated to compose half of the American population by 2060 if growing trends follow current levels. It has been suggested that Latinx/Hispanics perceive and react to adverse experiences with somatization, which is highly comorbid with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms (van der Kolk, et al 1996). This study surveyed 451 participants from which 88% identified as being Hispanic or Latinas, 2.7% identified as being Black Hispanic/Black Latina, and 9.3% identified as having mixed ethnicities including Hispanic/Latina. Regarding place of birth, 431 respondents (95.6%) identified being born in Continental …

United States National Science Foundation Response To The Office Of Science And Technology Policy Memo, 2022: Public Access Plan (February 2023)

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

NSF response to OSTP memo, 2022: Public Access Plan (February 2023)

Chiral Photocurrent In A Quasi-1d Tis3 (001) Phototransistor, Simeon J. Gilbert, Mingxing Li, Jia-Shiang Chen, Hemian Yi, Alexey Lipatov, Jose Avila, Alexander Sinitskii, Maria C. Asensio, Peter A. Dowben, Andrew J. Yost

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Faculty Publications

The presence of in-plane chiral effects, hence spin–orbit coupling, is evident in the changes in the photocurrent produced in a TiS₃(001) field-effect phototransistor with left versus right circularly polarized light. The direction of the photocurrent is protected by the presence of strong spin–orbit coupling and the anisotropy of the band structure as indicated in NanoARPES measurements. Dark electronic transport measurements indicate that TiS₃ is n-type and has an electron mobility in the range of 1–6 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹. I–V measurements under laser illumination indicate the photocurrent exhibits a bias directionality dependence, reminiscent of …

United Methodist Children Center Drain Project, Ethan Mikio Lin

Construction Management

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Class C And Class F Fly Ash On Early-Age And Mature-Age Properties Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste, Sukanta K. Mondal, Carrie Clinton, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To Promote the Sustainable Development of Eco-Efficient Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA) Cements through the Partial Replacement of the CSA Clinker with Supplementary Cementitious Waste Products, the Effects of Coal Fly Ashes on the Early-Age and Mature-Age Properties of a Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA)-Based Cement Paste Were Investigated. the Impacts of Both Class C and Class F Fly Ashes on the Rheological Properties, Hydration Kinetics, and Compressive Strength Development of CSA Cement Paste Were Studied. Rheology-Based Workability Parameters, Representing the Rate of Loss of Flowability, the Rate of Hardening, and the Placement Limit, Were Characterized for the Pastes Prepared with Fixed Water-To-Cement (W/c) …

Presentations Of Active Substance Use In The Emergency Department: A Single Center’S Perspective Study In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mohammed K. Alageel, Alshamoos A. Alwassel, Hamad A. Almohsen

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To explore the most common clinical presentations of active substance users in our institution’s Emergency Department (ED). Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of all patients that were brought to the ED of King Saud University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia thought to be actively using illicit substances, between January 2019 and December 2021. Those with incomplete data were excluded. Results: A total of 582 patients were included in the study, 532 (91.4%) males, the majority were in the age group 21-30 years old (53.1%). Most patients were fully alert (n=405, 69.6%). Overall, cannabis was used by …

The Role Of Teleradiology During Covid-19 Outbreak: Saudi Radiologists’ Perspectives, Shrooq T. Al-Dahery, Walaa M. Alsharif, Fatima H. Alamri, Shahad A. Nawawi, Wed K. Mofti, Fahad H. Alhazmi, Khalid M. Alshamrani, Awadia G. Suliman, Abdulaziz A. Qurashi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To evaluate the role of teleradiology during the COVID-19 pandemic from Saudi radiologists’ perspectives to improve the radiology quality service. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Saudi Arabia among radiologists working at local hospitals from October to November 2021. It contains 21 questions involved demographic information; general information on teleradiology services; and the impact of teleradiology during COVID-19. One-way ANOVA was used to compare demographic groups. Chi-square test was used to compare demographic groups regarding their distribution of responses. All tests were carried out <0.05 level of significance. Results: A total of 102 radiologists participated in this study (56% males, 44% females), 58.8% of them were sub-specialized in chest radiology. Regarding the general status of teleradiology, 69.6% of participants believed that teleradiology is a helpful tool for imaging interpretation. However, 44% of them were uncertain on the impact of teleradiology on patients’ confidentiality. Approximately 87% of participants agreed that there is a positive contribution of teleradiology during COVID-19, which enables decreasing risk of infection and workload. There was a significant difference between professional degrees and overall participant responses ( p <0.05). Academicians agreed that it enhances radiology departments’ work (mean=17.78, SD=1.86). Conclusion: Concerns raised on complicated cases that require physical presence of patients, cannot be performed by teleradiology. Additionally, it might provide insufficient communication with other professionals to discuss images.

Using Virtual Simulations Of Future Extreme Weather Events To Communicate Climate Change Risk, Terry Van Gevelt, Brian G. Mcadoo, Jie Yang, Linlin Li, Fiona Williamson, Alex Scollay, Aileen Lam, Kwan Nok Chan, Adam D. Switzer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Virtual simulations of future extreme weather events may prove an effective vehicle for climate change risk communication. To test this, we created a 3D virtual simulation of a future tropical cyclone amplified by climate change. Using an experimental framework, we isolated the effect of our simulation on risk perceptions and individual mitigation behaviour for a representative sample (n = 1507) of the general public in Hong Kong. We find that exposure to our simulation is systematically associated with a relatively small decrease in risk perceptions and individual mitigation behaviour. We suggest that this is likely due to climate change scepticism, …

The City Never Sleeps: But When Will Investment Banks Wake Up To The Climate Crisis?, Theodor Florian Cojoianu, Andrea G. F. Hoepner, Fabiola I. Schneider, Michael Urban, Anh Vu, Dariusz Wojcik

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Using a global dataset of over 840,000 equity, bond and syndicated loan investment banking deals, we build the fossil fuel investment brokerage profile of financial centres worldwide between 2000 and 2018. We also study whether city-level fossil fuel divestment commitments and country-level green banking policies impact the profile of fossil fuel financial centres over our study timeframe. We find that several financial centres shift their fossil fuel investment brokerage profiles substantially, including the asset classes in which they are active. However, we do not find any evidence that this is driven by city-level divestment commitments. In contrast, we find that …

District-Scale Surface Temperatures Generated From High-Resolution Longitudinal Thermal Infrared Images, Subin Lin, Vasantha Ramani, Miguel Martin, Pandarasamy Arjunan, Adrian Chong, Filip Biljecki, Marcel Ignatius, Clayton Miller, Clayton Miller

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper describes a dataset collected by infrared thermography, a non-contact, non-intrusive technique to acquire data and analyze the built environment in various aspects. While most studies focus on the city and building scales, an observatory installed on a rooftop provides high temporal and spatial resolution observations with dynamic interactions on the district scale. The rooftop infrared thermography observatory with a multi-modal platform capable of assessing a wide range of dynamic processes in urban systems was deployed in Singapore. It was placed on the top of two buildings that overlook the outdoor context of the National University of Singapore campus. …

Curcumin Release From Biomaterials For Enhanced Tissue Regeneration Following Injury Or Disease, Adelle E. Hamilton, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Curcumin, a bioactive phenol derived from turmeric, is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial molecule. Although curcumin exhibits beneficial effects in its innate form, it is highly hydrophobic, which leads to poor water solubility and, consequently, low bioavailability. The lack of bioavailability limits curcumin's effectiveness as a treatment and restricts its use in clinical applications. Furthermore, to achieve beneficial, clinically relevant results, high doses of curcumin are required for systemic administration. Many researchers have utilized biomaterial carriers, including electrospun fibers, nanoparticles, hydrogels, and composite scaffolds, to overcome curcumin's principle therapeutic limitation of low bioavailability. By using biomaterials to deliver curcumin directly …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Novel Lifestyle Intervention Used With Or Without Meal Replacements In Work Sites, Sai Krupa Das, Rachel E Silver, Taylor A Vail, Meghan K Chin, Caroline M Blanchard, Stephanie L Dickinson, Xiwei Chen, Lisa Ceglia, Edward Saltzman, David B Allison, Susan B Roberts

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: Lifestyle interventions have had limited effectiveness in work sites when evaluated in randomized trials. This study assessed the effectiveness of a novel lifestyle intervention for weight loss (Healthy Weight for Living [HWL]) implemented with or without meal replacements (MR) in work sites. HWL used a new behavioral approach emphasizing reducing hunger and building healthy food preferences, and, unlike traditional lifestyle interventions, it did not require calorie counting.

Methods: Twelve work sites were randomized to an 18-month intervention (n = 8; randomization within work sites to HWL, HWL + MR) or 6-month wait-listed control (n = 4). Participants were employees …

Circulation Of Rhinoviruses And/Or Enteroviruses In Pediatric Patients With Acute Respiratory Illness Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Us., Danielle A. Rankin, Andrew J. Spieker, Ariana Perez, Anna L. Stahl, Herdi K. Rahman, Laura S. Stewart, Jennifer E. Schuster, Joana Y. Lively, Zaid Haddadin, Varvara Probst, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Monica M. Mcneal, Christopher J. Harrison, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Susan I. Gerber, Meredith Mcmorrow, Brian Rha, James D. Chappell, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Claire M. Midgley, Natasha B. Halasa, Nvsn Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Rhinoviruses and/or enteroviruses, which continued to circulate during the COVID-19 pandemic, are commonly detected in pediatric patients with acute respiratory illness (ARI). Yet detailed characterization of rhinovirus and/or enterovirus detection over time is limited, especially by age group and health care setting.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify and characterize rhinovirus and/or enterovirus detection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among children and adolescents seeking medical care for ARI at emergency departments (EDs) or hospitals.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN), a multicenter, active, prospective surveillance platform, for pediatric patients who sought …

Focusing On Candidate Experience To Decenter Professionalism In Hiring And Onboarding, Annie Bélanger, Kat Bell, Lori Cawthorne, Jesus Espinoza

Presentations

In Focusing on Candidate Experience to Decenter Professionalism in Hiring and Onboarding, participants will engage with the presenters and one another to dive into hiring and onboarding practices within libraries. The workshop will be structured along the hiring to onboarding life cycle with a focus on leading practices for healthy processes. Learning about these processes will help those on the job search in better navigating processes and in making informed decisions about an organization as well as those interested in leadership in considering ways to foster healthy candidate-focused processes. Lastly, the presenters will provide practical tips on being an empowered …