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- Title
- THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: PERCEIVED DETERRENT EFFECT ON CAMPUS CRIME.
- Creator
-
Rhinehart, David, Watkins, R. Cory, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of the deterrent effect of School Resource Officers on crimes that may occur on school campuses and the factors that may influence those perceptions. The first school resource officer (SRO) program was implemented in 1953 and gained popularity in the 1990s. This study (conducted in 2008) reveals that the majority of students perceive that school resource officers are a deterrent to specific crimes and the overall crime rate on...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of the deterrent effect of School Resource Officers on crimes that may occur on school campuses and the factors that may influence those perceptions. The first school resource officer (SRO) program was implemented in 1953 and gained popularity in the 1990s. This study (conducted in 2008) reveals that the majority of students perceive that school resource officers are a deterrent to specific crimes and the overall crime rate on school campuses. The results of the survey indicated that the crimes of rape (74.1%), homicide (73.7%), aggravated assault or threat with a weapon (70.5%), sexual assault (67.0%), robbery (64.9%), and weapon possession (68.4%) had the highest percentage of students who responded agree (strongly agree or agree) that the school resource officer was a perceived deterrent to those crimes on the school campus. The incident with the lowest perceived deterrent effect was truancy with 48.9% of the students responding with strongly agree or agree. Based on a multivariate analysis, this study found that the factors that influenced the students' perceptions of the School Resource Officer as a deterrent to crime were students' age, class standing, school attended, exposure to a SRO, friends' crime history, and family crime history. The students' race, past crimes, income level, and gender were not statistically significant for any of the dependent variables. The examination of the ordinal logistic regression showed the percentage of variance the model explained was low. Based on this research with the limitations presented, the SRO is perceived as a deterrent to crime on school campuses. The deterrent effect was not stronger in any one demographic group. Peer pressure was one factor that was an influence in the majority of studied crimes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003765, ucf:48718
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003765
- Title
- THE SCATTERED BRAIN CONVALESCES.
- Creator
-
LaMura, Sam, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The intent for each poem in this thesis: To write without intent. I, ironically, intended to approach the writing process without considering the outcome of each poem. Some of the poems spiraled out of control, while others spiraled into focus. I do not always know what I'm thinking. It may be unfair to impose clarity on poems when clarity is not always part of experience. Each poem took self-examination to understand in the context of my own life. The proposal for this thesis, entitled, "The...
Show moreThe intent for each poem in this thesis: To write without intent. I, ironically, intended to approach the writing process without considering the outcome of each poem. Some of the poems spiraled out of control, while others spiraled into focus. I do not always know what I'm thinking. It may be unfair to impose clarity on poems when clarity is not always part of experience. Each poem took self-examination to understand in the context of my own life. The proposal for this thesis, entitled, "The Unintended Approach," did not mention the unintended consequences of writing poems in such a way. Bursts of energy found their way into the writing. Only in reflection, did I realize that these bursts of energy were understandable in the context of personal memory. This experiment in crafting poems, at times, left me confused. There are images I still can't seem to decipher. I have kept my belief that concise meaning in poetry is not the most important aspect of verse. With rapid urbanization, increased distortion created by fast-paced leaps in technology, and the evolution of celebrity awareness, the world we write in, is not the world we were written into. I have written each poem into their own place on page—allowed them their own discoveries without my approval. People behave in a way that is often erratic. My experience is intrinsic to what I have observed in my life; a schizophrenic cousin, a slurred maternal mouthing, uncles addicted to drugs or hope, for fame. My life has been a series of disjointed events. This thesis is a composite, not a copy. Genetic code is also a composite. Each poem has a life unlike my own. The goal of this collection was to allow these poems their own struggle to understand.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004631, ucf:45254
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004631
- Title
- THE SALZBURGERS' "CITY ON A HILL": THE FAILURE OF A PIETIST VISION IN EBENEZER, GEORGIA, 1734-1774.
- Creator
-
Moreshead, Ashley, Beiler, Rosalind, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A group of Protestant refugees from Salzburg founded the town of Ebenezer, Georgia, in 1734. The Pietists at the Francke Foundation in Halle sent two pastors, Johann Martin Boltzius and Israel Christian Gronau, to lead the religious immigrants in their new settlement. As other historians have shown, the Halle sponsors wanted Ebenezer to fulfill their own purposes: establish social and religious autonomy under British colonial rule, reproduce the economic structure and institutions of social...
Show moreA group of Protestant refugees from Salzburg founded the town of Ebenezer, Georgia, in 1734. The Pietists at the Francke Foundation in Halle sent two pastors, Johann Martin Boltzius and Israel Christian Gronau, to lead the religious immigrants in their new settlement. As other historians have shown, the Halle sponsors wanted Ebenezer to fulfill their own purposes: establish social and religious autonomy under British colonial rule, reproduce the economic structure and institutions of social and religious reform of the Francke Foundation, and establish a successful Pietist ministry in North America. This study examines journals and correspondence from Ebenezer's pastors, British colonial authorities, and the German religious sponsors to reveal how different aspects of the Pietist vision were compromised until Ebenezer resembled a typical German-American settlement rather than a model Pietist community. Georgia's economic conditions, political pressures, and Ebenezer's internal demographic changes forced the pastors to sacrifice their goals for an orphanage, a free labor economy, and a closely structured community of persecuted Protestants. They ensured Ebenezer's economic success and social autonomy, but they were unable to replicate their sponsors' most distinctly Pietist economic, social and religious enterprises.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000698, ucf:46494
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000698
- Title
- The safe removal of frozen air from the annulus of a liquid hydrogen storage tank.
- Creator
-
Krenn, Angela, Bhattacharya, Aniket, Youngquist, Robert, Vasu Sumathi, Subith, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Large Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks are vital infrastructure for NASA. Eventually, air may leak into the evacuated and perlite filled annular region of these tanks. Although the vacuum level is monitored in this region, the extremely cold temperature causes all but the helium and neon constituents of air to freeze. A small, often unnoticeable pressure rise is the result. As the leak persists, the quantity of frozen air increases, as does the thermal conductivity of the insulation system...
Show moreLarge Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks are vital infrastructure for NASA. Eventually, air may leak into the evacuated and perlite filled annular region of these tanks. Although the vacuum level is monitored in this region, the extremely cold temperature causes all but the helium and neon constituents of air to freeze. A small, often unnoticeable pressure rise is the result. As the leak persists, the quantity of frozen air increases, as does the thermal conductivity of the insulation system. Consequently, a notable increase in commodity boiloff is often the first indicator of an air leak. Severe damage can then result from normal draining of the tank. The warming air will sublimate which will cause a pressure rise in the annulus. When the pressure increases above the triple point, the frozen air will begin to melt and migrate downward. Collection of liquid air on the carbon steel outer shell may chill it below its ductility range, resulting in fracture. In order to avoid a structural failure, as described above, a method for the safe removal of frozen air is needed. Two potential methods for air removal are evaluated here. The first method discussed is the connection of a vacuum pump to the annulus which provides pumping in parallel with drainage of LH2. The goal is to keep the annular pressure below the triple point so that the air continues to sublimate, thus eliminating the threat that liquefaction poses. The second method discussed is the application of heat to the bottom of the outer tank during tank drain. Though liquefaction in the annular space will occur, the goal of the heater design is to keep the outer shell above the embrittlement temperature, so that cracking will not occur.In order to evaluate these methods, it is first necessary to characterize some the physical properties and changes that take place in the system. A thermal model of the storage tank was created in SINDA/FLUINT (C(&)R Technologies, 2014) to identify locations where air can freeze. This model shows the volume that is capable of freezing air under varying conditions. It is also necessary to characterize the changes in thermal conductivity of perlite which has nitrogen frozen into its interstitial spaces. The details and results of an experiment designed for that purpose is outlined. All data, including operational data from existing LH2 tanks, is compiled and a physics-based evaluation of the two proposed air removal techniques is performed.Due to small pumping capacities at low pressure and the large quantity of air inside the annulus, the pumping option is not deemed feasible. It would take many years to remove a significant amount of air by pumping while maintaining the annular pressure below the necessary triple point. Application of heating devices is a feasible option. For a specific case, it is shown that approximately 105 kilowatts of power would be required to vaporize the air in the annulus and keep the temperature of the outer tank wall above the freezing point of water. Several engineering solutions to accomplish this are also discussed. There are many unknowns and complexities in addressing the problem of safely removing frozen air from the annulus of an LH2 storage sphere. The work that follows utilized: research, modeling, experimentation, analysis, and data from existing tanks to arrive at possible solutions to the problem. Heating solutions may be implemented immediately and could result in significant savings to the user.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005969, ucf:50766
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005969
- Title
- The Sacrament of Violence: Myth and War in C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy.
- Creator
-
Engelhardt, Tanya, Campbell, James, Dandrow, Edward, Jones, Donald, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
My primary aim for this study is to illuminate the Ransom trilogy's inherent psychological and spiritual themes, as well as demonstrate how these themes clarify Lewis's philosophical and political goals for the text. Specifically, by investigating Lewis's mythic imagery and suffering motifs in light of psychoanalytic and theological literary criticisms, I elucidate the reasoning behind Lewis's unique(-)and at times, horrific(-)portrayal of fear, violence, and death. I also investigate how...
Show moreMy primary aim for this study is to illuminate the Ransom trilogy's inherent psychological and spiritual themes, as well as demonstrate how these themes clarify Lewis's philosophical and political goals for the text. Specifically, by investigating Lewis's mythic imagery and suffering motifs in light of psychoanalytic and theological literary criticisms, I elucidate the reasoning behind Lewis's unique(-)and at times, horrific(-)portrayal of fear, violence, and death. I also investigate how Lewis integrates his theology with the horrors of personal and intrapersonal suffering, as well as how he utilizes imagination and myth to explicate the practical (or political) implications of his theodicy. As a whole, I present a systematic study of the relationship between the Great War, myth, and the three Ransom novels, one which reveals how Lewis manipulates his personal traumatic experiences to fashion a romantic Christian understanding of evil and violence in the modern world.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004279, ucf:49503
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004279
- Title
- The Rwandan Genocide and Western Media: French, British, and American Press Coverage of the Genocide between April and July of 1994.
- Creator
-
Tyrrell, Candice, Walker, Ezekiel, Lyons, Amelia, Crepeau, Richard, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The Rwandan Genocide occurred between April and July of 1994. Within those four months, approximately a million Tutsi were brutally murdered by the Hutu in an effort to cleanse the country of a Tutsi presence. The genocide was the culmination of decades of unrest between the two groups created from Western influence under colonialism and post-colonial relationships. The international response to the genocide was scarce. While international intervention waned, the international media kept the...
Show moreThe Rwandan Genocide occurred between April and July of 1994. Within those four months, approximately a million Tutsi were brutally murdered by the Hutu in an effort to cleanse the country of a Tutsi presence. The genocide was the culmination of decades of unrest between the two groups created from Western influence under colonialism and post-colonial relationships. The international response to the genocide was scarce. While international intervention waned, the international media kept the genocide relevant in its publications. This thesis examines print media sources from the United States, Britain, and France. This thesis argues that the reporting of the genocide exacerbated larger issues concerning the relationship between the West and Africa. The journalists perpetuated Western superiority over Africa by utilizing racism to preserve colonial ideologies and stereotypes of Africans. In turn, this inherent Western racism complicated the implementation of human rights legislation that would have helped save Tutsi lives. This thesis places the Rwandan genocide, through the reports of Western media, into the larger historiographic context of the Western African dichotomy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005730, ucf:50080
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005730
- Title
- The Russian Connection: How Russia Became a Leader in the World's Human Trafficking Market.
- Creator
-
De Mauro, Anthony, Mousseau, Demet, Dolan, Thomas, Boutton, Andrew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis assesses how the history of the USSR and its collapse affected the human trafficking market. By conducting a historical analysis of the Soviet Union, key aspects of Soviet society were determined that allowed for the human trafficking market to establish and operate extremely lucratively; a focus on some of the established factors of human trafficking including corruption, law enforcement, the economy, organized crime, and the dissolution of the Soviet government. While this...
Show moreThis thesis assesses how the history of the USSR and its collapse affected the human trafficking market. By conducting a historical analysis of the Soviet Union, key aspects of Soviet society were determined that allowed for the human trafficking market to establish and operate extremely lucratively; a focus on some of the established factors of human trafficking including corruption, law enforcement, the economy, organized crime, and the dissolution of the Soviet government. While this thesis highlights the historical factors of Russian human trafficking, this thesis does not determine why human trafficking exists beyond the surface exploitation that human trafficking consists of. This thesis also does not explore or explain why Russian human trafficking continues to exist for nearly twenty-five years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This thesis does conclude that the history of the Soviet Union is almost tailor made for the purposes of human trafficking, with the combination of organized crime, an economy that constantly struggled, a government that was full of corruption and focused on too many endeavors, and a population that faced starvations, a lack of material goods, and political persecution all contributed to Russia having a large supply (population) of victims to be potentially exploited.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006450, ucf:51444
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006450
- Title
- THE ROWING COACHES.
- Creator
-
O'Grady, Bernard, Leiby, Jeanne, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The Rowing Coaches is about friendship, money, love, loss, and rowing. It chronicles the turning point in the lives of three friends who are professional rowing coaches. The friends are Don Bestos, Bill Maxwell, and Bergman, men who are or were at the very top of their sport, and now question their friendships with each other and where their lives are headed. The story takes place on a weekend in the summer of 2000 at the USRowing Convention in Las Vegas, the big blow-out for everyone in the...
Show moreThe Rowing Coaches is about friendship, money, love, loss, and rowing. It chronicles the turning point in the lives of three friends who are professional rowing coaches. The friends are Don Bestos, Bill Maxwell, and Bergman, men who are or were at the very top of their sport, and now question their friendships with each other and where their lives are headed. The story takes place on a weekend in the summer of 2000 at the USRowing Convention in Las Vegas, the big blow-out for everyone in the sport of rowing. The Rowing Coaches also offers a look at an esoteric and often misunderstood sport. The main character is Don Bestos, a fifty-year-old head coach from Northeastern University. Don is recently divorced and has yet to move on from the failure of his marriage. The memory of his ex-wife Annie causes him physical pain and occasionally haunts him. Don is in crisis and he questions what he has done with his life and whether he can continue with his chosen career. Don's concerns are compounded by his alcoholism. He grapples with his addiction throughout the story. Don also has a peculiar gift; upon touching certain inanimate objects, such as a boat, he can sense if the object has a soul. Don's best friend is Bergman, the obese head coach from the University of Pennsylvania. Bergman's team has been losing for years and he has lost the drive to continue as an elite rowing coach. Bergman is a loyal friend and he watches out for his friends. The one coach who appears to be on the upswing is Billy Maxwell, Don's assistant coach at Northeastern. Billy is a former Olympian and he is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching profession. Billy has been a winner at every level in the sport and he is willing to sacrifice everything to win, even friendship. Other characters include Stacy Kookla, a sociable sales representative for the top rowing boat manufacturer in the country; Andy Carr, the head coach of Yale University; and Missy Krajcik, the fastest female rower in the world.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001478, ucf:47082
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001478
- Title
- THE ROUND BARN.
- Creator
-
Fallows, Susan, Ivonne Lamazares, Lisa Roney, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The Round Barn is a novel in two parts that tells the story of two Iowa farm families during the period 1915 to 1929, a volatile time in the history of the American farm. The first part of the novel tells the story of Joe Marshall, a young man in conflict with his hard-working farmer father. At sixteen-years-old, Joe must choose whether to leave the farm to pursue his own desires or to stay where he is needed to help keep his financially strapped family afloat. Part two of the novel focuses...
Show moreThe Round Barn is a novel in two parts that tells the story of two Iowa farm families during the period 1915 to 1929, a volatile time in the history of the American farm. The first part of the novel tells the story of Joe Marshall, a young man in conflict with his hard-working farmer father. At sixteen-years-old, Joe must choose whether to leave the farm to pursue his own desires or to stay where he is needed to help keep his financially strapped family afloat. Part two of the novel focuses on Mae Allinson, a woman in her early twenties, who has willingly accepted the responsibility of raising her sister's child after her sister dies in childbirth. By doing so, Mae forsakes the man she was to marry, the man who would take her to Chicago and away from farm life. The round barn, built by Joe Marshall's father in the opening chapter of the novel, serves as a through line linking all the chapters and connecting characters to a specific place. The round barn, in addition to being a stage setting for the action of the novel, has its own story arc, rising out of the Iowa soil in the first chapter, functioning as a working barn through the central part of the novel, then finally falling into disrepair by the end. In the novel, Joe and Mae each seek their own identities within their families, identities that put them in conflict with a family dynamic that is focused on the survival and prosperity of the family as a whole. This conflict forces each character to define for themselves what love, power, freedom, and obligation mean and how far they are willing to go inpursuit of these things. In addition to functioning within their own families, the main characters must also contend with the larger issues that put pressure on the American farm of the time (economics, war, social change, and migration to the urban areas), factors that push and pull the characters in different directions. By telling the story from the positions of two different characters and by spanning the number of years that it does, the novel seeks to show how events and the passage of time transform the individual characters, their families, and the American farm.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001925, ucf:47479
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001925
- Title
- THE ROMAN CONQUEST OF BRITAIN.
- Creator
-
Delaney, Jason, Dandrow, Edward, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In 43 CE, Britain became part of the Roman Empire and was systematically conquered for nearly half a century. The province had valuable natural resources to plunder, but the decision to invade was based upon more than its material wealth. Prestige through warfare was paramount in Roman society, and that is just what Claudius sought to achieve when he launched his invasion of the island. The Romans pushed all the way into Caledonia before stopping and securing the frontier with the...
Show moreIn 43 CE, Britain became part of the Roman Empire and was systematically conquered for nearly half a century. The province had valuable natural resources to plunder, but the decision to invade was based upon more than its material wealth. Prestige through warfare was paramount in Roman society, and that is just what Claudius sought to achieve when he launched his invasion of the island. The Romans pushed all the way into Caledonia before stopping and securing the frontier with the construction of Hadrian's Wall. Britain had become just another component in the colossal machine that was the Roman Empire.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004827, ucf:45462
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004827
- Title
- THE ROLE RELIGION PLAYS IN ATTITUDES TOWARD EUTHANASIA.
- Creator
-
Chowdhury, Rezawana, Smither, Janan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research investigated the role religion plays in how individuals view euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. One hundred participants from each of the three major monotheistic world religions were given a seven-question survey. The seven questions consisted of statements regarding the knowledge of their own religion, how the participants feel about terminally ill patients and those who have lost vital functions, and also whether or not they believe euthanasia is morally just. It was...
Show moreThis research investigated the role religion plays in how individuals view euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. One hundred participants from each of the three major monotheistic world religions were given a seven-question survey. The seven questions consisted of statements regarding the knowledge of their own religion, how the participants feel about terminally ill patients and those who have lost vital functions, and also whether or not they believe euthanasia is morally just. It was predicted that the participants who belong to Judaism and Islam viewed euthanasia as morally just and participants who belong to the Christianity viewed euthanasia as morally incorrect.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004254, ucf:44959
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004254
- Title
- The role perception of Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Japanese hospitality industry: Culture-based characteristics and generational difference.
- Creator
-
Negoro, Yoko, Ro, Heejung, Hara, Tadayuki, Gregory, Amy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Although a substantial amount of research on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) has been conducted, little is known about it within the context of the Japanese hospitality industry. While OCB is generally considered to be beyond ordinary job duties (extra-role), some researchers suggest that Japanese employees view OCB as part of their job (in-role). However, theoretical explanation for this phenomenon is still scant. This research aims to examine how culture-based organizational...
Show moreAlthough a substantial amount of research on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) has been conducted, little is known about it within the context of the Japanese hospitality industry. While OCB is generally considered to be beyond ordinary job duties (extra-role), some researchers suggest that Japanese employees view OCB as part of their job (in-role). However, theoretical explanation for this phenomenon is still scant. This research aims to examine how culture-based organizational characteristics (workplace harmony and customer orientation) and generation influence the role perception of OCB among Japanese hospitality employees. An online survey was developed and distributed to hospitality employees working in Japan using snowball sampling and resulting in a total of 303 participants. The results showed that Japanese culture-based characteristics, workplace harmony and customer orientation, positively influenced in-role perceptions of OCB-Altruism and OCB-General compliance. In addition, older generations showed higher in-role perception of OCB-General compliance than Generation Y. This research contributes to OCB literature by examining the impact of culture-based organizational characteristics on the employee's positive behavior that helps increase organizational performance. Workplace harmony and customer orientation in Japanese service organizations have often been noted by researchers, however they are rarely examined. This research contributes to the hospitality service management literature by documenting their impact on OCB through an empirical examination. Lastly, the findings of this study provide hospitality practitioners with a better understanding of employee citizenship behaviors in a collectivistic cultural background so that the results can aid human resources practices, including recruiting and training.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006363, ucf:51524
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006363
- Title
- THE ROLE OF WEB 2.0 AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY IN EDUCATION AS A FORM OF TEACHER PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
- Creator
-
Smith, Brandi, Gunter, Glenda, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Teachers are facing greater technological demands. They are expected to use and teach their students to use various forms of collaborative technology (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2010). Personal professional development is professional development that teachers seek on their own, strictly on a voluntary basis, so that they can meet the needs of their students or address issues that are unique to their classroom. This study used a survey to examine the relationship between how...
Show moreTeachers are facing greater technological demands. They are expected to use and teach their students to use various forms of collaborative technology (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2010). Personal professional development is professional development that teachers seek on their own, strictly on a voluntary basis, so that they can meet the needs of their students or address issues that are unique to their classroom. This study used a survey to examine the relationship between how teachers' reported using social media community in education for personal professional development and the criteria for effective professional development, teachers' integration practices, teachers' frequency of collaboration, and teachers' ability to communicate with colleagues. The results revealed a relationship between the criteria that a professional development be content specific and coherent and integrated with teachers' daily lives and whether or not teachers report using social media community in education as a form of professional development. There was also a statistically significant relationship between the frequency of technology integration, the reported level of technology integration, and the feeling of growth based on whether or not teachers used social media community in education to enhance professional practices. A statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency at which teachers report collaborating on technology integration projects with colleagues in social media communities in education and whether or not respondents use Social media community in education connect with other educational professionals. Finally, a statistically significant relationship was found between how comfortable participants are giving technology integration advice to colleagues in social media communities in education based on whether or not respondents use social media community in education to share materials and ideas. Based on the findings of the study, several implications can be made regarding the use of social networks for personal professional development. First, the use of social networks for personal professional development is best when there is content specificity and cohesion with teachers' personal and professional goals. Secondly the users of a social network for personal professional development must purposeful in their reasons for using the social network, users must perceive themselves as capable of learning and they must have the willingness to commit to learning. Another implication is that increased levels of ownership for the material in social media communities in education would result in greater frequency of collaboration. Finally, teachers' perceptions of their integration abilities will determine if teachers will use social networks to communicate professionally with colleagues.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004027, ucf:49179
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004027
- Title
- The Role of Virtual Avatars in Supporting Middle School Students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds on Science in After School Programs.
- Creator
-
Gallegos, Benjamin, Dieker, Lisa, Vasquez, Eleazar, Marino, Matthew, Hughes, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Students who receive additional educational supports in afterschool programs were the focus of the investigation. This study was conducted to measure what effects a TeachLivE avatar, a mixed-reality virtual environment, used in combination with a video game, had on the activation of prior knowledge in science for students in rural middle school. The delivery of the biology science lessons on cell structures and processes were delivered using the video game, Cell Command. The TeachLivE adult...
Show moreStudents who receive additional educational supports in afterschool programs were the focus of the investigation. This study was conducted to measure what effects a TeachLivE avatar, a mixed-reality virtual environment, used in combination with a video game, had on the activation of prior knowledge in science for students in rural middle school. The delivery of the biology science lessons on cell structures and processes were delivered using the video game, Cell Command. The TeachLivE adult avatar was customized as a biologist who spoke to students in the treatment group about science concepts prior to playing the science video game. Unexpected attrition rates and low numbers of participants in the targeted area of research providing consent affected the original research design to conduct the research study. Therefore, a pivot was made from the original research design. The initial target population was students with a learning disability who were culturally and linguistically diverse from low socioeconomic backgrounds in rural communities. By the end of the study, only one student with a learning disability consented and completed the study, with attrition rates in the original school approaching 90% due to various factors, which are discussed. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the effects between students in the control group who only played the Cell Command video game, compared to students in the treatment condition who played the Cell Command science video game, and had four, five minute conversations with a TeachLivE avatar. The analysis indicated varied differences between the treatment and control conditions. The analysis of a STEM-CIS survey, that measures career interests, sum means were included in the descriptive analysis along with the unique challenges presented in conducting research in a rural Title I school.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006304, ucf:51606
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006304
- Title
- The Role of Type-I Interferon in Limiting Spread and Killing of an Oncolytic RNA Virus in Prostate Cells.
- Creator
-
Kedarinath, Kritika, Parks, Griffith, Chakrabarti, Ratna, Altomare, Deborah, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent cancer amongst men and there is an urgent need to address viable therapeutic options for its treatment. Development of viruses which target and kill cancer cells has gained momentum due to the first FDA approved oncolytic virus for treating human cancer patients. Our previous work with the RNA virus, Parainfluenza Virus 5 (PIV5), has led to the generation of mutants that are potential candidates for oncolytic viruses: 1) the hyperfusogenic (P/V/F)...
Show moreProstate cancer is the second most prevalent cancer amongst men and there is an urgent need to address viable therapeutic options for its treatment. Development of viruses which target and kill cancer cells has gained momentum due to the first FDA approved oncolytic virus for treating human cancer patients. Our previous work with the RNA virus, Parainfluenza Virus 5 (PIV5), has led to the generation of mutants that are potential candidates for oncolytic viruses: 1) the hyperfusogenic (P/V/F) mutant has a mutated P/V and fusion gene which activates anti-viral responses and causes massive cell-cell fusion respectively, and 2) the Leader mutant has a mutated viral genomic promoter which kills cells due to overactive viral gene expression. The P/V/F mutant has shown effectiveness in reducing prostate tumor burden in a mouse model system, however, the specificity of these viruses is unclear, i.e. targeting cancerous prostate cells while leaving uninvolved cells unaffected. In this study, we addressed how these PIV5 mutants replicate in and killed tumor versus benign human prostate cells. Flow cytometry demonstrated that the mutants are able to infect and replicate in prostate tumor cells (22Rv1), resulting in effective cell killing. However, these mutants showed highly restricted spread in benign prostatic hyperplasia cells (BPH-1). Upon further exploration, it was determined that the restriction observed in the BPH-1 cells is due to the induction and signaling of type-I Interferon (IFN). This was confirmed upon treatment with an IFN-? neutralizing antibody, which relieved restricted spread of mutants in benign cells. BPH-1 cells infected with the mutants also showed upregulation of key anti-viral, IFN-induced genes such as TLR3, IFIT1, and OAS2. Upon characterization of the mutant viruses in an additional metastatic prostate cancer cell line (C4-2B), a restriction in viral spread was observed. The restricted spread did not correlate with production of high levels of type-I IFN, suggesting that other cytokines or intracellular factors can limit replication in tumor cells. Therefore, these studies lay the groundwork for further improving the specificity of oncolytic PIV5 mutants by exploiting type-I IFN pathways as well as other anti-viral factors.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006468, ucf:51445
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006468
- Title
- THE ROLE OF THEORY OF MIND IN HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION.
- Creator
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Jaramillo, Isabella, McConnell, Daniel, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Theory of Mind (ToM) has repeatedly been defined as the ability to understand that others believe their own things based on their own subjective interpretations and experiences, and that their thoughts are determined independently from your own. In this study, we wanted to see if individual differences in ToM are capable of causing different perceptions of an individual's interactions with human like robotics and highlight whether or not individual differences in ToM account for different...
Show moreTheory of Mind (ToM) has repeatedly been defined as the ability to understand that others believe their own things based on their own subjective interpretations and experiences, and that their thoughts are determined independently from your own. In this study, we wanted to see if individual differences in ToM are capable of causing different perceptions of an individual's interactions with human like robotics and highlight whether or not individual differences in ToM account for different levels of how individuals experience what is called the "Uncanny Valley phenomenon" and to see whether or not having a fully developed theory of mind is essential to the perception of the interaction. This was assessed by inquiring whether or not individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) perceive robotics and artificially intelligent technology in the same ways that typically developed individuals do; we focused on the growing use of social robotics in ASD therapies. Studies have indicated that differences of ToM exist between individuals with ASD and those who are typically developed. Comparably, we were also curious to see if differences in empathy levels also accounted for differences in ToM and thus a difference in the perceptions of human like robotics. A robotic image rating survey was administered to a group of University of central Florida students, as well as 2 surveys - the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ) and the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), which helped optimize a measurement for theory of mind. Although the results of this study did not support the claim that individuals with ASD do not experience the uncanny valley differently than typically developed individuals, there were significant enough results to conclude that different levels of empathy may account for individual differences in the uncanny valley. People with low empathy seemed to have experienced less of an uncanny valley feeling, while people with higher recorded empathy showed to experience more of an uncanny valley sensitivity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004858, ucf:45457
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004858
- Title
- The Role of the Y-Chromosome in the Evolution of Autosomally Coded Traits.
- Creator
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Kutch, Ian, Fedorka, Kenneth, Vonkalm, Laurence, Hoffman, Eric, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Recent work indicates that the Y-chromosome of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can influence gene regulation on the autosomes and X chromosome. This newly discovered function of the Y has the potential to dramatically shape the regulatory evolution of numerous genes that reside throughout the genome; even for genes that code for both male and female traits. Given that the mechanism underlying the Y-linked influence on gene expression in D. melanogaster appears to exist in other...
Show moreRecent work indicates that the Y-chromosome of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can influence gene regulation on the autosomes and X chromosome. This newly discovered function of the Y has the potential to dramatically shape the regulatory evolution of numerous genes that reside throughout the genome; even for genes that code for both male and female traits. Given that the mechanism underlying the Y-linked influence on gene expression in D. melanogaster appears to exist in other independently evolved heterogametic sex chromosomes, the evolutionary implications of Y-linked regulatory variation (YRV) deserves to be explored. These implications include the potential for Y-chromosomes to facilitate the adaptive evolution of sexually dimorphic gene expression, and the potential for the Y to constrain evolutionary rates in both males and females (depending on the nature of the YRV effect). Unfortunately, the evolutionary implications of this potentially widespread and significant phenomenon have yet to be explored. My dissertation addresses this knowledge gap by determining the influence YRV has on the evolution of autosomally coded traits in D. melanogaster. First, we address the potential for selection to shape YRV by determining if YRV (i) exists within natural populations (i.e. where natural selection operates), and (ii) has any influence on male fitness-related autosomal traits. Second, we address if YRV can facilitate the adaptive evolution of sexually dimorphic gene expression by testing for the presence of Y-linked additive genetic variation. To this end, we investigate the physiological properties of select Y-chromosomes across multiple genetic backgrounds. Third, we address if YRV can constrain adaptive evolution for autosomally coded traits by employing artificial selection on replicate populations that contain either multiple Y-chromosomes (i.e. contain YRV) or only a single Y-chromosome (no YRV). The following studies present evidence that YRV does exist within populations where natural selection operates. We show significant levels of YRV on X-linked and autosomal immune gene expression in wild caught D. melanogaster from a single natural population. Furthermore, YRV effects on immune related genes show a significantly positive correlation to a male fly's ability to fight an immune challenge (an important aspect of organismal fitness). Estimated physiological properties of YRV support previous interpopulation studies showing strong non-additive effect dependent on the autosomal genetic background with which Y-chromosome's are paired with. Physiological epistasis can manifest as additive genetic variation on a population level, but our experimental evolution study suggest that YRV constrains rather than facilitates the evolution of the autosomal coded geotaxis behavior. Ultimately, this dissertation provides evidence that YRV has the potential to influence how autosomal traits evolve and that population level studies of YRV indicate a potential constraint to the adaptive evolution of autosomal traits. If these trends are common and YRV is a wide spread phenomenon, Y-chromosomes have the potential to influence how autosomal traits evolve.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006756, ucf:51873
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006756
- Title
- THE ROLE OF THE INTERNET AS A TOOL TO AID IN U.S. ADULT CONSUMERS' WEIGHT LOSS.
- Creator
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Kirby, Jaclyn, Matusitz, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis focuses on ways the Internet can positively influence and educate U.S. Americans to become healthier and eventually lose weight. Throughout the past 30 years, the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased immensely, resulting in a nationwide epidemic (American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2006; Center for Disease Control, 2006; Goodman, 2005; The Obesity Society, 2008). The research question for this thesis is the following: What are the...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on ways the Internet can positively influence and educate U.S. Americans to become healthier and eventually lose weight. Throughout the past 30 years, the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased immensely, resulting in a nationwide epidemic (American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2006; Center for Disease Control, 2006; Goodman, 2005; The Obesity Society, 2008). The research question for this thesis is the following: What are the perceptions of U.S. adult consumers regarding the positive influence the Internet has on weight loss? In order to determine the influence of the Internet on U.S. adults, a qualitative method of interviewing was conducted with fifteen U.S. adults. Upon completion of listening to the audiotapes and transcribing the health narratives, six key themes emerged as the most relevant to the author's research question: (1) Weight Loss Support Rooted in Social Networking, (2) Internet as an Exercise Motivator, (3) Lack of Trust in Internet Sources for Health Information, (4) Meaningfulness of Health Seeking, (5) Internet as a Teaching Tool, and (6) Uses and Gratifications of Online Health Seeking. Overall, based on this small sample, the researcher concluded that U.S. adults have often turned to the Internet as an aid in their weight loss journey. U.S. adults have a positive perception of the Internet and feel that most adults would benefit from using it to find health information.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002567, ucf:48262
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002567
- Title
- THE ROLE OF THE INTERMEMBRANE DOMAIN OF MULAN IN MITOPHAGY AND CELL DEATH.
- Creator
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Herbert, Jared M, Zervos, Antonis S., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Mulan is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and an E3 SUMO ligase embedded in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Mulan plays a major role in various cell processes including cell growth, mitophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dynamics. In addition, its deregulation isinvolved in the development and progression of several human disorders such as neurodegeneration and heart disease. There are two main discernible domains in Mulan: a large cytoplasmic domain that encodes the RING-finger motif and carries...
Show moreMulan is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and an E3 SUMO ligase embedded in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Mulan plays a major role in various cell processes including cell growth, mitophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dynamics. In addition, its deregulation isinvolved in the development and progression of several human disorders such as neurodegeneration and heart disease. There are two main discernible domains in Mulan: a large cytoplasmic domain that encodes the RING-finger motif and carries out the catalytic activity of the protein; the second domain of Mulan is exposed to the intermembrane space of mitochondria, and its function remains unknown. This part of Mulan is also referred to as the BAM domain and is expected to have a significant function since its amino acid sequence has been conserved through evolution and is found in bacteria, animals, and plants. The purpose of this study is to isolate and characterize potential binding partner proteins of the BAM domain using the yeast two-hybrid system. These studies are expected to provide new information on the physiological function of this domain and how it is potentially used to modulate the ligase activity of Mulan.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH0000235, ucf:44682
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0000235
- Title
- THE ROLE OF THE FERAL PIG (SUS SCROFA) AS A DISTURBANCE AGENT AND SEED DISPERSER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA'S NATURAL LANDS.
- Creator
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Brescacin, Camille, Jenkins, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are considered to be among the world's worst invasive species due to their successful invasion and ecological and economic impact to native and agricultural plants and animals around the world. Feral pigs are significant disturbance agents that destroy plant communities, change soil characteristics, alter nutrient cycling, and create open sites for colonization of both native and non-native plant species through their foraging behavior called rooting. In contrast to...
Show moreFeral pigs (Sus scrofa) are considered to be among the world's worst invasive species due to their successful invasion and ecological and economic impact to native and agricultural plants and animals around the world. Feral pigs are significant disturbance agents that destroy plant communities, change soil characteristics, alter nutrient cycling, and create open sites for colonization of both native and non-native plant species through their foraging behavior called rooting. In contrast to native animal disturbances, rooting is a striking feature in the landscape that varies in space, seasonal timing, frequency (number of times rooted), and intensity (depth of rooting). During this study, feral pigs rooted 7.7% of the search area, which increased to 12% when abandoned patches (baseline patches that were not rooted during this study) were included. Overall, feral pigs rooted and re-rooted habitats along roads and trails significantly more than wetlands. Rooting also varied temporally with the most rooting occurring during July-November, which also corresponds to the peak in rooting intensity. Implications to land managers include avoiding the installation of roads and trails near wet to mesic habitats or other habitats that contain species of concern in order to conserve habitat quality and recreational value. Despite less rooting activity, feral pigs still pose a significant threat to wetlands as evidenced by the large amount of abandoned patches documented. In order to conserve natural areas, effective management and development of efficient control methods is needed to keep feral pig populations in check. As a large opportunistic omnivore, feral pigs have the potential to be important vectors for endozoochorus seed dispersal of a variety of plant species. Feral pigs can travel long distances and have a gut retention time up to 49 hours, therefore seeds can be deposited throughout the landscape far from the parent plant. Over the course of this study, feral pigs dispersed 50 plant species from a wide range of ecological and morphological characteristics, though the majority were native, small seeded, wetland species. For most plant species, location of deposition matched their habitat preference and suggests a high probability of survival. Feral pigs disperse mainly wetland plant species, which has important implications for wetland conservation. However, feral pigs also deposited unwanted species into wetlands and predated the seeds of important wetland canopy tree species.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003468, ucf:48934
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003468
