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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. …

Examining The Adolescent Student And Middle Level Teacher Preparation Programs: Perspectives Of Novice Middle Level Educators And Higher Education Instructors, Deborah Washington

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teacher preparation programs and the extent to which teachers and higher education instructors perceived teachers’ readiness to teach middle school students. Additionally, the study investigated how much teachers are learning about adolescent development in their preparation programs. The study focused on middle level teachers and higher education instructors in the Western New York region. This examination of teacher preparation for middle level students used the Framework for Effective Middle Level Practices as the theoretical focus. The findings highlighted a lack of specialized middle level teacher preparation programs, leading to underprepared teachers. …

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 …

Sparse Neural Network To Enhance Performance Under Limited Parameter Constraints., Nailah Rawnaq

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, the widespread adoption of deep neural networks has been a breakthrough driven by significant computational advancements. Additionally, the number of parameters of those models is exponentially increasing for performing complex tasks and achieving better performance. However, in most practical cases, often there are constraints in the number of parameters due to limited resources in storage size and computational cost. Network pruning can lead to an optimal solution to this problem. In this thesis, I present supporting evidence to the hypothesis that higher sparsity leads to better performance for a convolution-based neural network. I perform performance studies …

Developing Educational Tools For Sustainable Stormwater Management, Lauren Houskeeper

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Rapid population growth and development in Western states are exerting strain on the region’s limited water resources. Urbanization exacerbates this issue by increasing impervious surfaces, limiting infiltration of precipitation during storm events and snowmelt, which results in changes to hydrologic conditions with higher runoff volumes and higher peak flows. Stormwater transports pollutants as it flows across impervious surfaces, discharging high volumes of runoff and elevated loads of urban contaminants into receiving waters. The amount of pollution entering waterways continually increases as urban areas expand. Utah is currently experiencing a rapid transition from undeveloped to developed landscapes, necessitating the implementation of …

Leveraging International Large-Scale Assessments: Insights From An Item-Writing Professional Development Program For High School Mathematics Teachers, Mark Lester B. Garcia, Catherine P. Vistro-Yu

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The Philippine Department of Education, despite seeing minimal improvements in the country’s score and rankings in the recent cycles of international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) such as TIMSS and PISA, maintained that it shall continue to participate in ILSAs to monitor the progress of educational effectiveness and benchmark with other countries by observing and adopting commendable practices. While legislators and other stakeholders push for increased financial resources in the education sector as part of the country’s preparations for upcoming ILSAs, one crucial aspect that is largely overlooked is teacher training. This paper presents a viable yet contentious way of upskilling teachers …

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder And Anxiety: An Evidence-Based Approach Exploring Interventions For Minimally Verbal Children With Asd And Anxiety, Zolzaya Batjargal

Research Psychology Theses

With approximately 1 in 100 children worldwide affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (WHO, 2023), the urgency for effective interventions is underscored. This study investigates evidence-based interventions for anxiety in minimally verbal children with ASD. The study examines CBT and ABA therapy effectiveness over 10 months for children with ASD, aiming to enhance their quality of life and well-being with tailored interventions. This research proposal hypothesizes reduced anxiety symptoms post-treatment, stable intellectual functioning, improved adaptive behavior skills, and better outcomes with higher parental involvement.

High Fat Diet & Social Isolation: Interactive Effects On Pain, Cognition, & Neuroinflammation, Ian M. Campuzano

Research Psychology Theses

Prior research has established a role for both social isolation and exposure to high fat Western diets in altering a range of behaviors from reduced memory performance to increased depression-like behaviors. The present study scrutinizes the interplay among these variables during the peri-adolescent developmental phase, utilizing Long-Evans rats as the experimental model. Our overarching hypothesis is that rats exposed to either social isolation, a high-fat diet, or both will result in heightened pain sensitivity, diminished cognitive flexibility, and increased neuroinflammatory responses within brain regions implicated in sociability, cognition, memory, and pain processing. Behavioral flexibility will be assessed using a maze-based …

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

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Medicinally Privileged Aza Heterocycles, Nneoma James

Theses and Dissertations

Four-membered cyclic amides, commonly known as β-lactams, have played a crucial role in drug discovery research since its discovery by Alexander Fleming in 1928 from Penicillium notatum. The β-lactam antibiotics are broadly effective against several bacterial infections through acylating the transpeptidase involved in cross-linking peptides to form peptidoglycan or periplasmic murein, which is a fundamental constituent of the bacterial cell wall for both the gram-positive (ten or more layers) and gram-negative (one or two layers) bacteria. Although for more than eight decades, β-lactams have been recognized as antibiotics, later, other medicinal activities of β-lactam derivatives have been reported, including lowering …

Chemical Investigation Of The Ethanol Extract Of Tillandsia Usneoides (Spanish Moss), Jakir Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Tillandsia usneoides in epiphytic bromeliads takes up water through absorptive trichomes on the shoot surface under extreme environmental conditions. Although previous studies revealed the way by which T. usneoides absorbs water and prevents water loss, its water transport remains unclear. Uses of T. usneoides L. have been documented going back to pre-Columbian and late archaic societies. Between the 1800s and 1900s. T. usneoides was utilized in fruit packing and polish, among other industrial goods. In terms of medicine, tillandsia is well-known for treating leucorrhea, rheumatism, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and as an anti-diabetic, emetic, analgesic, purgative, antispasmodic, and diuretic. The chemical composition …

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 …

Autohistorias In The Borderlands: A Narrative Inquiry, Gricelda Eufracio

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the lived experiences of immigrant teachers of/from the borderlands region through autohistorias. The borderlands region is rich in cultural traditions yet faces challenges in education related to cultural/linguistic mismatches with mainstream schooling. The purpose of this study is to examine how autohistorias can inform understanding of immigrant struggles in education and teaching/learning in the borderlands region called Aztláán. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) How can autohistorias inform understanding of the struggles faced by immigrant students within mainstream curriculum? 2) How do the researcher's and participants' autohistorias inform teaching and learning in Aztlán? The study …

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 …

Democratizing Social Studies Education: Testimonios Of Mexicana Youth In El Llano Grande De Aztlan, Cecile M. Caddel

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents the testimonios of Mexicana youth. Through a qualitative research design, this centered on the central question: How does testimonio in the social studies classroom serve as a decolonizing practice and how does this impact Mexicana students? and secondary question: How do Mexicana make meaning and reclaim identity using lived experiences as brown bodied women? As an individualized approach to social studies education, the testimonios give voice to the life and schooling experiences of Mexicana youth in El Llano Grande de Aztlán. As methodology, testimonio bears witness to bring about new theorizing. With intention, the theoretical frame, a …

A Thermo-Mechanical Analysis Of The Well-Structure Integrity In Enhanced Geothermal Systems Using Numerical Simulation, John Alfred Ganal Acevedo

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will investigate the well structure integrity of enhanced geothermal systems. Enhanced geothermal system is a type of renewable energy generation that utilizes heat from a rock reservoir deep within the Earth’s subsurface delivered by circulating working fluids through kilometers-long well structures. However, due to the surrounding environment and harsh operating conditions, the well structures are vulnerable to deterioration and cracking, which can lead to structural failure of wells and reduced energy efficiency. The study seeks to gain a better understanding of the vulnerability of the well structure. A finite element model of a well structure was developed, and …

Label-Free Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Electrochemical Biosensor Modified With Graphene-Conductive Polymer Ink Coating For Detection Of Alpha-Fetoprotein And 17Β – Estradiol, Ridma Tabassum

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, a novel electrochemical biosensor was proposed based on inducing graphene formation on polyimide substrate via laser engraving. Graphene polyaniline (G-PANI) conductive ink was synthesized by planetary mixing and applied to the working zone of the developed sensor to effectively enhance the electrical signals. The laser-induced graphene (LIG) sensor was used to detect alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and 17β-Estradiol in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) buffer and human serum. The electrochemical performance of the biosensor in determining these biomarkers was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry (CA). In a buffer environment, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and 17β-Estradiol detection range were …

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 …

Recognizing Triangles Using Weighted Ehrhart Polynomials, Rafael Sarabia

Theses and Dissertations

Ehrhart theory is a classical topic for polygons or polytopes with vertices with integer coordinates. One of the main results of the theory claims that for every convex polygon P with integer vertices, the number of integer points in its nth dilation is a polynomial in n, the Ehrhart polynomial of P. This property can be extended if for a polynomial weight w(x, y), we sum values of w(x, y) over all points with integer coordinates in the nth dilation of P. The resulted polynomial is called the weighted Ehrhart polynomial of P associated with the weight w. In this …

Validation, Optimization, And Experimentation Of Electro-Centrifugal Spinning, Carlos Alberto Delgado

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to understand the behavior of polymeric solutions, when exposed to both electric fields and centrifugal forces through the electro-centrifugal fiber creation method, observing both effects of various parameter variations on the resulting nanofibers. The elemental deposition on electrospun fibers through in-situ processes is studied and optimized. The morphology, crystallinity, thermal properties, and elemental composition of the nanofibers were characterized. The purpose of these nanofibers is for future applications such as energy harvesting, filtration, and biomedical applications.

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 …

Synthesis Of Silicon Carbide, Titanium Nitride, And Titanium Carbide Nanofibers: Exploring Novel Approaches With Unique Precursors, Jahaziel Eduardo Cavazos

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramics such as β-silicon carbide (β-SiC), titanium nitride (TiN), and titanium carbide (TiC) are profoundly studied in high-temperature and harsh environments given the properties each ceramic exhibit, including high mechanical strength and toughness, excellent thermal shock resistance, and chemical inertness. The development of nanofibers has evolved from electrospinning to Forcespinning®—the latest proving potential for high yield production in industrial applications. This thesis presents the work conducted on the synthesis-structure-property relationships of TiN and TiC nanofiber systems. The nanofibers were synthesized utilizing Ti precursors and subjecting the solutions to the Forcespinning® method. Developed nanofiber systems were subjected to post processing heat …

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 …

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.

Bridging Human Emotion And Autonomous Vehicle Control: Reinforcement Learning Enhancements In The Carla Simulator, Timothy Marion Jude Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles are a key component for an evolution in transportation as they may lead to increased safety and productivity. As autonomous vehicles advance industries will look to further increase customer satisfaction through personalized experiences for autonomous vehicle passengers. Reinforcement learning may be the key to success for autonomous vehicles. The development of autonomous vehicles, utilizing reinforcement learning, which consider the emotions of the passenger, will be a breakthrough for the automotive industry. This thesis presents a unique approach to autonomous vehicles developed with reinforcement learning which consider the human emotions of the passenger. It is a stepping stone to …

Density Functional Theory Calculations On Electronic And Optical Properties Of Mos2/Metal Heterojunction, Mos2/Graphene/Metal Vertical Heterostructure Interfaces And Sulfur Vacancies On Mos2/Au, Shishir Timilsena

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation on computational simulations and analyses of heterostructures formed by two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and graphene (Gr) on various metal coated substrates, including gold (Au), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and platinum (Pt). The frequency-dependent dielectric function (ɛ(ω)), refractive index (n), and reflectivity (R) are determined using light polarization parallel and perpendicular to the c axis of the 2D layers. Our findings reveal that MoS2/Au, MoS2/Cu, and MoS2/Pt heterostructures exhibit a direct bandgap at the K-point of the Brillouin zone, whereas their corresponding MoS2/MoS2/Metal structures present an indirect bandgap. The reduced interlayer spacing …

Vessel Delay Detection And Pattern Mining From Ais Data, Naznin Ara

Theses and Dissertations

The maritime industry relies on the Automated Identification System (AIS) for real-time vessel tracking and navigation. This thesis focuses on detecting vessel delays and mining delay patterns from AIS data, which are crucial for improving shipping schedules, port operations, and global trade logistics. The research begins with rigorous data preprocessing, including noise reduction, data interpolation, and anomaly detection, to ensure high-quality AIS data as well as focuses on detecting vessel delays and mining delay patterns from AIS data to enhance maritime operations. Advanced machine learning models analyze temporal and spatial features to detect delays, considering vessel type, speed, and route. …

Thermodynamic Feasibility Of Potential Nano-Energetic Systems Based On Metal Oxynitrides, Manoj Chhetri

Theses and Dissertations

A computational study was undertaken with the objective of identifying the nano-energetic systems containing aluminum as fuel and metal oxynitrides as oxidizer, aiming to achieve an exothermic reaction characterized by the maximum values of gas generation, adiabatic combustion temperature, and energy release. For the thermodynamic calculation, nine systems based on metal oxynitrides were taken using the THERMO software that works based on the Gibbs free energy minimization, together with HSC Chemistry 7 to calculate the thermodynamic equilibrium concentrations of reactants and products corresponding gas generation, temperature and energy release by varying the fuel to oxidizer ratio. Among all the chosen …