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- Title
- THE PLIGHT OF BEING UNRECOGNIZED IN THE UNITED STATES: SHOULD UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS BE LICENSED TO DRIVE IN FLORIDA?.
- Creator
-
Wilford, Jennifer, Cook, Kathy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The United States of America is facing an important decision. Should illegal immigrants be allowed to obtain driver's licenses? Thus far ten states and the District of Columbia as well as Puerto Rico have passed laws permitting this to come into fruition. The purpose of this thesis is to gain an understanding of the significance that licensing laws have on this country. This thesis will compare the views and beliefs of both the proponents and opponents to this law. This thesis also discusses...
Show moreThe United States of America is facing an important decision. Should illegal immigrants be allowed to obtain driver's licenses? Thus far ten states and the District of Columbia as well as Puerto Rico have passed laws permitting this to come into fruition. The purpose of this thesis is to gain an understanding of the significance that licensing laws have on this country. This thesis will compare the views and beliefs of both the proponents and opponents to this law. This thesis also discusses how Florida is deeply affected due to its large Hispanic immigrant population. This issue is laden with passion and emotion due to the desire of many to see this group of people that are currently undocumented, have the ability to lead a more normal life and conversely the fear that allowing licenses will give undocumented aliens privileges of citizens and encourage illegal immigration. The views on these laws are divided throughout the nation. The lawfulness is examined in reference to rewarding and promoting illegal immigration and the cumulative negative effects that this can have on this country. The driver's license requirements were analyzed for each individual state. News articles were researched and used to enrich the pros and cons on this topic. This research was then used to give a recommendation for Florida law.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004759, ucf:45377
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004759
- Title
- ALGORITHMS FOR DISCOVERING COMMUNITIES IN COMPLEX NETWORKS.
- Creator
-
Balakrishnan, Hemant, Deo, Narsingh, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
It has been observed that real-world random networks like the WWW, Internet, social networks, citation networks, etc., organize themselves into closely-knit groups that are locally dense and globally sparse. These closely-knit groups are termed communities. Nodes within a community are similar in some aspect. For example in a WWW network, communities might consist of web pages that share similar contents. Mining these communities facilitates better understanding of their evolution and...
Show moreIt has been observed that real-world random networks like the WWW, Internet, social networks, citation networks, etc., organize themselves into closely-knit groups that are locally dense and globally sparse. These closely-knit groups are termed communities. Nodes within a community are similar in some aspect. For example in a WWW network, communities might consist of web pages that share similar contents. Mining these communities facilitates better understanding of their evolution and topology, and is of great theoretical and commercial significance. Community related research has focused on two main problems: community discovery and community identification. Community discovery is the problem of extracting all the communities in a given network, whereas community identification is the problem of identifying the community, to which, a given set of nodes belong. We make a comparative study of various existing community-discovery algorithms. We then propose a new algorithm based on bibliographic metrics, which addresses the drawbacks in existing approaches. Bibliographic metrics are used to study similarities between publications in a citation network. Our algorithm classifies nodes in the network based on the similarity of their neighborhoods. One of the drawbacks of the current community-discovery algorithms is their computational complexity. These algorithms do not scale up to the enormous size of the real-world networks. We propose a hash-table-based technique that helps us compute the bibliometric similarity between nodes in O(m ?) time. Here m is the number of edges in the graph and ?, the largest degree. Next, we investigate different centrality metrics. Centrality metrics are used to portray the importance of a node in the network. We propose an algorithm that utilizes centrality metrics of the nodes to compute the importance of the edges in the network. Removal of the edges in ascending order of their importance breaks the network into components, each of which represent a community. We compare the performance of the algorithm on synthetic networks with a known community structure using several centrality metrics. Performance was measured as the percentage of nodes that were correctly classified. As an illustration, we model the ucf.edu domain as a web graph and analyze the changes in its properties like densification power law, edge density, degree distribution, diameter, etc., over a five-year period. Our results show super-linear growth in the number of edges with time. We observe (and explain) that despite the increase in average degree of the nodes, the edge density decreases with time.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001473, ucf:47085
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001473
- Title
- A STUDY OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE LABOR LAW IN THE UNITED STATES.
- Creator
-
Bula, Oleh, Murray, Kenneth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examined the legal issues of public employee labor relations in the United States. Included in this study is a review of relevant case law as it pertains to collective bargaining in the public sector. In addition to reviewing the case law, this study researched the statutory language of each state for public sector collective bargaining. The study includes a review, analysis, and summary of the state and federal laws for public sector collective bargaining. The collective...
Show moreThis study examined the legal issues of public employee labor relations in the United States. Included in this study is a review of relevant case law as it pertains to collective bargaining in the public sector. In addition to reviewing the case law, this study researched the statutory language of each state for public sector collective bargaining. The study includes a review, analysis, and summary of the state and federal laws for public sector collective bargaining. The collective bargaining process in the United States is designed to resolve disputes between two parties, the employer and the employee. The resolution of these disputes often depends on the relative bargaining power of each party. The private sector has a collective bargaining process that has been well established since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935 and the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947. The federal laws that have been implemented in the last fifty years, to include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, among others, cover the scope of almost all of the private sector collective bargaining (Oberer, 1994). The public sector contains 50 different state laws and several federal laws defining the scope of collective bargaining for public employees. The bargaining process in the public sector takes place in the context of the political arena. This political influence, which is unique in each state and at each level of government, provides additional steps to the bargaining process that further differentiate public sector bargaining from private (Valletta, 1985). This study provides conclusions on certain aspects of public sector collective bargaining that lead to dispute resolution and contract negotiation to include fact-finding procedures, mediation, arbitration, and strike policies, in the current state of the law. Recommendations are made to public officials, policy makers, and other stakeholders for the future of public employee labor relations in the United States.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000353, ucf:46293
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000353
- Title
- AN ANALYSIS OF MISCLASSIFICATION RATES FOR DECISION TREES.
- Creator
-
Zhong, Mingyu, Georgiopoulos, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The decision tree is a well-known methodology for classification and regression. In this dissertation, we focus on the minimization of the misclassification rate for decision tree classifiers. We derive the necessary equations that provide the optimal tree prediction, the estimated risk of the tree's prediction, and the reliability of the tree's risk estimation. We carry out an extensive analysis of the application of Lidstone's law of succession for the estimation of the class...
Show moreThe decision tree is a well-known methodology for classification and regression. In this dissertation, we focus on the minimization of the misclassification rate for decision tree classifiers. We derive the necessary equations that provide the optimal tree prediction, the estimated risk of the tree's prediction, and the reliability of the tree's risk estimation. We carry out an extensive analysis of the application of Lidstone's law of succession for the estimation of the class probabilities. In contrast to existing research, we not only compute the expected values of the risks but also calculate the corresponding reliability of the risk (measured by standard deviations). We also provide an explicit expression of the k-norm estimation for the tree's misclassification rate that combines both the expected value and the reliability. Furthermore, our proposed and proven theorem on k-norm estimation suggests an efficient pruning algorithm that has a clear theoretical interpretation, is easily implemented, and does not require a validation set. Our experiments show that our proposed pruning algorithm produces accurate trees quickly that compares very favorably with two other well-known pruning algorithms, CCP of CART and EBP of C4.5. Finally, our work provides a deeper understanding of decision trees.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001774, ucf:47271
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001774
- Title
- STUDY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A BLAST LAYER FOR THE VIRTUAL RANGE PROJECT.
- Creator
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Rosales, Sergio, Sepulveda, Jose, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In this work we develop a Blast-Propellant-Facility integrated analysis study, which evaluates, by using two different approaches, the blast-related impact of an explosive accident of the Space Shuttle during the first ten seconds after launch at Kennedy Space Center. The blast-related risk associated with an explosion at this stage is high because of the quantity of energy involved in both multiple and complex processes. To do this, one of our approaches employed BlastFX®, a software...
Show moreIn this work we develop a Blast-Propellant-Facility integrated analysis study, which evaluates, by using two different approaches, the blast-related impact of an explosive accident of the Space Shuttle during the first ten seconds after launch at Kennedy Space Center. The blast-related risk associated with an explosion at this stage is high because of the quantity of energy involved in both multiple and complex processes. To do this, one of our approaches employed BlastFX®, a software system that facilitates the estimation of the level of damage to people and buildings, starting from an explosive device and rendering results through a complete report that illustrates and facilitates the evaluation of consequences. Our other approaches employed the Hopkinson-Cranz Scaled Law for estimating similar features at a more distant distance and by evaluating bigger amounts of TNT equivalent. Specifically, we considered more than 500 m and 45,400 kg, respectively, which are the range and TNT content limits that our version of BlastFX® can cover. Much research has been done to study the explosion phenomena with respect to both solid and liquid propellants and the laws that underlie the blast waves of an explosion. Therefore our methodology is based on the foundation provided by a large set of literature review and the actual capacities of an application like BlastFX®. By using and integrating the lessons from the literature and the capabilities of the software, we have obtained very useful information for evaluating different scenarios that rely on the assumption, which is largely studied, that the blast waves' behavior is affected by the distance. All of this has been focused on the Space Shuttle system, in which propellant mass represents the source of our analysis and the core of this work. Estimating the risks involved in it and providing results based on different scenarios augments the collective knowledge of risks associated with space exploration.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000190, ucf:46171
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000190
- Title
- GOVERNMENTS' ADOPTION OF NATIVE CRYPTOCURRENCY: A CASE STUDY OF IRAN, RUSSIA, AND VENEZUELA.
- Creator
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Mahdavieh, Rose, Turcu, Anca, Mousseau, Demet, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The emergence of digital currency is becoming prevalent in the age of globalization - specifically, cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain are two recently discovered concepts currently being explored by researchers and developers. Cryptocurrency is a subset of digital currency that encompasses revolutionary technology, shifting political and economic spheres in nation-states. Certain governments are more prone to the adoption of cryptocurrencies and three comparative case study...
Show moreThe emergence of digital currency is becoming prevalent in the age of globalization - specifically, cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain are two recently discovered concepts currently being explored by researchers and developers. Cryptocurrency is a subset of digital currency that encompasses revolutionary technology, shifting political and economic spheres in nation-states. Certain governments are more prone to the adoption of cryptocurrencies and three comparative case study countries, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela, have shared attributes that result in adoption. Observed factors that result in the adoption of cryptocurrencies include corruption, GDP level, economic volatility, and Western sanctions. These factors will be applied in the case study countries to analyze the adoption of native government-backed cryptocurrency.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFH2000502, ucf:45630
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000502
- Title
- POLITICAL ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY.
- Creator
-
Browne-Michael, Mikellon S, Sadri, Houman A., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The Middle East is a predominately Islamic region. Islam is not only a religion, it is the Muslim way of life and law. The western world follows a more modern system of government, in the form of democracy. Democracy is not modern, as in new, since it was started by the ancient Greeks, but it is modern, because it is the main system being adopted in contemporary times. Muslims follow the ideals found in the Holy Quran, the book dictated by the prophet Muhammad. The Middle East has had a...
Show moreThe Middle East is a predominately Islamic region. Islam is not only a religion, it is the Muslim way of life and law. The western world follows a more modern system of government, in the form of democracy. Democracy is not modern, as in new, since it was started by the ancient Greeks, but it is modern, because it is the main system being adopted in contemporary times. Muslims follow the ideals found in the Holy Quran, the book dictated by the prophet Muhammad. The Middle East has had a strong Islamic influence since the mid-seventh century. Islam originated in Mecca in 610 C.E. About twelve years later, in 622 C.E., after much persecution in Mecca, Muslims migrated to Medina. This was in 622 C.E. and it marked the start of the Muslim calendar. Soon, by 655 C.E., Islam had begun spreading over the regions along the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Peninsula, Asia, and Africa. This research will span the political systems from pre-Ottoman, to Ottoman, to the Modern era. The beginning of the modern Middle East is marked by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the end of World War I. Since the end of World War I, much of the Middle Eastern region has been exposed to the western system of government and western culture. The intent of this Thesis is to analyze and draw a conclusion on the possibility of Politically Islamic states having Democracy and following Democratic ideologies. It will examine the ideologies of Islam to determine if democracy, a system of government that includes the citizens of the nation having the right to speak and receiving civil liberties to choose their leaders, is actually present. It will use data from Turkey, Iran, and Egypt, Middle Eastern nations located either in, or bordering, three different continents of the world. In each country the research will examine, the governmental system, the regime type, the leaders past and present, and the policies, including how each country vary according to a specific Islamic sector (Sunni or Shia). This thesis will draw conclusions from the comparative analysis on each case study, on whether it is possible to have democracy in a state where Islamic ideologies are a major factor. From the case study findings, there were clear differences between all the countries studied. Turkey was found to be majority Sunni with a secular republic government but it is showing signs of reverting into the realm of political Islam. Iran was found to be majority Shia with a religious republic government, one that freely allows religion into the law-making body and has emphasized policies that are based on Islamic law. In addition, Iran shows adversity to western democratic bodies, which falls in line with the idea that Islam and democracy are at odds. Finally, Egypt the most revolution-plagued has changed leaders constantly through coups and protests, when the citizens find the leaders as corrupt or not acting in the best interest of the country. Like Turkey, Egypt is a secular republic with the majority of its citizens being from the Sunni Islamic sect it has recently shown an inclination to be the most democratic nation of those studied. The research showed that the Middle East is still having trouble adjusting to the idea of democracy and democratic ideology. The issues were found on various cultural, social, and leadership levels. There were not only civil and regional disputes among the nations of the Middle East, some of the issues have been extended to international levels. The split between Democracy and traditional Islamic values, appeared to only deepen the conflicts of the region.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH0000238, ucf:44673
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0000238
- Title
- A NEW CRASH TEST: THE RISE AND FALL OF FLORIDA MOTOR VEHICLE NO-FAULT LAW.
- Creator
-
Colquitt, James, Cook, Kathy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Florida is one of 12 states that have a no-fault law. The first party benefit coverage is known as personal injury protection (PIP). Every policy sold in the state must include at least $10,000 in personal injury protection. This law went into effect in 1971 and is now being challenged. Changes in consumer, lawyer, and doctor behavior as well as changes in the legal and economic environment have diminished the positive impact of the no-fault law. This thesis will focus on the diminished...
Show moreFlorida is one of 12 states that have a no-fault law. The first party benefit coverage is known as personal injury protection (PIP). Every policy sold in the state must include at least $10,000 in personal injury protection. This law went into effect in 1971 and is now being challenged. Changes in consumer, lawyer, and doctor behavior as well as changes in the legal and economic environment have diminished the positive impact of the no-fault law. This thesis will focus on the diminished effectiveness of the no-fault law in Florida. It will be based on research from primary sources. Other legal resources including law review articles and journal publications were consulted for persuasive scholarly views. Published work from insurance institutes and journals were included since they guide practitioners on the application of the law. Insurers, insureds and policymakers face serious challenges regarding Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law. The purpose of this thesis is (1) to review the legislative history of Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, (2) to assess how well the current system is working (3) examine solutions to compensation from other states and provide relevant data and (4) make recommendations for future legislation. This thesis will recommend proposed changes with guidelines for future legislation to effect the changes necessary to balance the needs of the insurance companies, plaintiffs and defendants.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004558, ucf:45154
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004558
- Title
- CITIZENS POLICING THE POLICE: AN EVALUATION OF CITIZENS RECORDING POLICE OFFICER AND WIRETAPPING LAWS.
- Creator
-
Coelho, Thiago, Bast, Carol, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The focus of this thesis is to explore the legality, the issues, and the remedy to a controversial statute in the State of Illinois. This thesis will explain how the First Amendment relates to the Illinois statute and its desire of a citizen is right to report information that is not being granted. Moreover, this paper will further go into a recent legislative bill to amend the Illinois statute, its failure, the media surrounding the issue, and the consequences of amending or not amending the...
Show moreThe focus of this thesis is to explore the legality, the issues, and the remedy to a controversial statute in the State of Illinois. This thesis will explain how the First Amendment relates to the Illinois statute and its desire of a citizen is right to report information that is not being granted. Moreover, this paper will further go into a recent legislative bill to amend the Illinois statute, its failure, the media surrounding the issue, and the consequences of amending or not amending the statute. It will further review state law in regard to citizens recording police officers, and explain how some states deal with the statute.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004435, ucf:45127
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004435
- Title
- THE FLORIDA JURY: TECHNICAL EVIDENCE AND BIAS.
- Creator
-
Albaugh, Andrew, Cook, Kathy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The recent societal development of highly specialized evidence has brought new problems to the forefront of the jury system. Because of the constitutional right to jury trials citizens of the United States and Florida have, it is imperative that the problems facing juries be discussed and explored. The question of whether or not juries can be trusted to comprehend highly technical evidence must be answered for the Florida jury to move forward into modern era. The subsequent question of what...
Show moreThe recent societal development of highly specialized evidence has brought new problems to the forefront of the jury system. Because of the constitutional right to jury trials citizens of the United States and Florida have, it is imperative that the problems facing juries be discussed and explored. The question of whether or not juries can be trusted to comprehend highly technical evidence must be answered for the Florida jury to move forward into modern era. The subsequent question of what biases regarding highly specialized evidence have arisen must also be examined and addressed. Furthermore, solutions designed to increase a jury's comprehension and decrease their bias must be discussed and propagated. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the answers to those questions and provide potential solutions to the issues facing the modern Florida jury. Law journals, statutes, and case law all suggest that juror comprehension decreases substantially when faced with highly complex evidence. Biases are also commonly associated with these forms of evidence and are leading towards unfair verdicts. Despite these problems, there are solutions that are readily available in the areas of alternative dispute resolution. Further solutions may be created through a revision of the jury instruction process. This thesis seeks to raise awareness of the problems facing the Florida jury and contribute solutions that are practical and easily used.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004427, ucf:45098
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004427
- Title
- DANGEROUS OPINIONS: PERCEPTION OF VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ON JURY DECISION MAKING.
- Creator
-
Jacobi, Brock, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of the study was to examine whether a potential juror would give harsher sentences to defendants based only on the manipulation of the defendant's personal hobby. This was investigated by manipulating the hobby through a hypothetical manslaughter scenario in a vignette. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to the defendant's guilt and potential sentencing. Results indicate that participants' sex, participants' authoritarianism, and defendant's hobby were...
Show moreThe purpose of the study was to examine whether a potential juror would give harsher sentences to defendants based only on the manipulation of the defendant's personal hobby. This was investigated by manipulating the hobby through a hypothetical manslaughter scenario in a vignette. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to the defendant's guilt and potential sentencing. Results indicate that participants' sex, participants' authoritarianism, and defendant's hobby were significant factors. Significant interactions were found pertaining to whether the defendant should receive counseling across sex by violence and sex by avocation. These results are evidence that the use of jurors in the legal system is flawed and needs to be improved upon. Future research should examine an age distribution closer to the national mean, and the online setting should be replaced with an in person mock jury that will have more realistic group dynamic and higher ecological validity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004569, ucf:45177
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004569
- Title
- EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE ABSORTION PHENOMENA IN BRINE/OIL MIXTURES AS A FUNCTION OF SYSTEM PRESSURE AND H2S CONCENTRATION.
- Creator
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Zea, Luis, Kumar, Ranganathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In underground oil reservoirs, Hydrogen sulfide is usually found coexisting with the oil due to bacteria reduction over a long period of time. The amount of H2S in the oil varies from place to place around the globe. When the oil extraction process begins, the presence of Hydrogen sulfide becomes noticeable as drilling tools, piping and other equipment suffer from sulfide stress cracking, electrochemical corrosion and corrosion fatigue. For this reason, the oil industry invests millions of...
Show moreIn underground oil reservoirs, Hydrogen sulfide is usually found coexisting with the oil due to bacteria reduction over a long period of time. The amount of H2S in the oil varies from place to place around the globe. When the oil extraction process begins, the presence of Hydrogen sulfide becomes noticeable as drilling tools, piping and other equipment suffer from sulfide stress cracking, electrochemical corrosion and corrosion fatigue. For this reason, the oil industry invests millions of dollars per year trying to find better ways to reduce the amount of H2S in oil. An important part of the current investigations deals with brine (sea water)/oil mixtures. The reasons are two-fold: 1) one way of extracting the petroleum from the reservoir is by injecting brine into it and since it has a higher density than oil, the latter will be ejected up to the surface. Taking into account the complex fluid flow occurring within the reservoir it is easy to understand that some brine will also be present as part of the ejected fluid; 2) brine is already present in the reservoir, so independent of the extraction method used, there will be a brine/oil mixture in the ejected flow. When brine and oil have absorbed H2S under pressure in the reservoir and then suffer a decompression during the extraction process, a certain amount of H2S is released from the liquid phase. In order to have a better prediction of how much Hydrogen sulfide can be liberated a good understanding of H2S absorption by these liquids is necessary. The amount of gas a solvent absorbs is a function of pressure, original gas concentration and temperature as described by Henry's Law. The purpose of this thesis is to experimentally analyze how much of the corrosive gas is absorbed into different brine/oil mixtures, and brine and oil, separately. In order to find sufficient data for a thorough analysis, different reservoir simulation scenarios were created. The liquids were mixed from pure brine to pure oil, resulting in 33% and 66% water cuts. Data were obtained at 2 pressures of 20atm and 70atm at room temperature. H2S concentration was also a variable, changing the original gas concentration through different values: 50, 100, and 300ppm. These experiments were conducted in an autoclave system and will better explain the hydrostatic process that occurs inside the reservoir. It was found that throughout all the water cuts, the role that total pressure plays in the absorption phenomena is of less importance as the original H2S concentration is increased. In the same manner it was observed that the highest mass-absorption ratios are always found between 50 and 100ppm and the lowest at 300ppm, this is observed for all water cuts and total pressures. Another important finding was that the ability to absorb the corrosive gas decreases as the original H2S concentration increases and this proves to be true for all water cuts and system pressures. After conducting these different reservoir scenarios, tests were conducted to simulate 300m of the horizontal section of the pipe that connects the head of the well with the platform. This was done with a high pressure 300-meter long loop. It was found that the corrosive gas is absorbed at a higher rate when there is a flow, opposite to a hydrostatic case. Henry's Law constant was identified for each water cut and each pressure, however, the test procedure could not be validated since the gas being studied was not in its pure form. Understanding the absorption phenomena of Hydrogen sulfide in different water cuts will definitely be of great help to the oil industry to make better forecasts of H2S concentrations being ejected from each well.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002257, ucf:47824
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002257
- Title
- Beyond building a tree: Phylogeny of pitvipers and exploration of evolutionary patterns.
- Creator
-
Fenwick, Allyson, Parkinson, Christopher, Hoffman, Eric, Crampton, William, Wiens, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As generic and higher-scale evolutionary relationships are increasingly well understood, systematists move research in two directions: 1) understanding species-level relationships with dense taxon sampling, and 2) evaluating evolutionary patterns using phylogeny. In this study I address both foci of systematic research using pitvipers, subfamily Crotalinae. For direction one, I evaluate the relationships of 96% of pitvipers by combining independent sets of molecular and phenotypic data. I...
Show moreAs generic and higher-scale evolutionary relationships are increasingly well understood, systematists move research in two directions: 1) understanding species-level relationships with dense taxon sampling, and 2) evaluating evolutionary patterns using phylogeny. In this study I address both foci of systematic research using pitvipers, subfamily Crotalinae. For direction one, I evaluate the relationships of 96% of pitvipers by combining independent sets of molecular and phenotypic data. I find the inclusion of species with low numbers of informative characters (i.e. less than 100) negatively impacts resolution of the phylogeny, and the addition of independent datasets has no effect on or a small benefit to confidence in estimated evolutionary relationships. Combined evidence is extremely useful in evaluating taxonomy; I use it with South American bothropoid pitvipers. Previous work found the genus Bothrops paraphyletic, but no study had included enough species to propose a taxonomic resolution. I resolve the relationships of 90% of bothropoid pitvipers, and support the paraphyly of Bothrops as previously defined, but find it consists of three well-supported clades distinguished by distinct habitats and geographic ranges. I propose the division of Bothrops sensu lato into three genera.To address research direction two, I investigate the change in reproductive mode from egg-laying (oviparity) to livebearing (viviparity) in vipers, as well as the expansion of pitvipers through South America. I resolve the phylogeny and the divergence times for subgroups of interest then use model comparison and ancestral character state or geographic range estimation to trace the evolution of reproductive mode or geographic range across evolutionary history. For vertebrates, the predominant explanation for the evolution of reproductive mode is Dollo's Law of unidirectional evolution. This law has been challenged for a number of characters in different systems, but the phylogenetic methods that found those violations were criticized. I find support for unidirectional evolution in two analyses and rejection of it in others, and therefore do not reject Dollo's Law for the evolution of reproductive mode in vipers. In the case of geographic range, dozens of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the great biodiversity in South America, but tests of these hypotheses are lacking. I define specific time- and space-based predictions for seven hypotheses based on geological and climatic events (-) uplift of the Andes Mountains, saltwater inundation of inland areas, change in river flow, and Pleistocene climate changes. I find some support for half of the hypotheses, including one allopatric, one parapatric, and one based on climate change. I conclude that the evolution of South American pitvipers is extremely complex. Through fulfillment of both systematic research directions, I generated new knowledge about pitvipers and evolutionary processes. My methods of evaluating evolutionary patterns provide frameworks for different research questions in these areas, and I suggest that other researchers apply similar techniques to evaluate other portions of the Tree of Life.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004535, ucf:49236
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004535
- Title
- Maritime Pirates and Foreign Terrorist Organizations: Complicit Against the United States and NATO?.
- Creator
-
Lusk, William, Morales, Waltraud, Knuckey, Jonathan, Vasquez, Joseph, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Maritime piracy, a phenomenon which has plagued free maritime trade for thousands of years, has entered a new age of sophistication and global reverberation. These acts of illegal criminal activity in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries yield a significant profit margin for the perpetrators while creating considerable cost for ransom payments, security measures, capital, and human life. The classification of maritime pirates, as either criminals hoping to gain financial income...
Show moreMaritime piracy, a phenomenon which has plagued free maritime trade for thousands of years, has entered a new age of sophistication and global reverberation. These acts of illegal criminal activity in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries yield a significant profit margin for the perpetrators while creating considerable cost for ransom payments, security measures, capital, and human life. The classification of maritime pirates, as either criminals hoping to gain financial income or terrorists hoping to usher in political change, is warranted and compelling. If maritime pirates conduct their operations to institute political change, it is possible that flags of the United States and its allies can be more susceptible to pirate attacks than others. The author argues that although the definitional separation of (")maritime piracy(") and (")terrorism(") is becoming increasingly blurred in the twenty-first century, pirates will attack ships based on convenience and opportunity rather than based on the flags of vessels. Testing of this theory will be based on quantitative data produced by the International Maritime Bureau to test pirates' ideologies as a variable. To test if deprivation is a variable to consider, the author will also compare Indonesian economic performance with the frequency of attempted pirate attacks off its waters.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004573, ucf:49201
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004573
- Title
- A Mixed-Methods Approach to Examining the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model: An exploratory study of program effectiveness and institutionalization processes.
- Creator
-
Magers, Megan, Potter, Roberto, Rosky, Jeffrey, Adams, Kenneth, Lin, Hefang, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month...
Show moreThe present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month following their completion of CIT training (follow-up). These surveys measured the extent to which CIT training achieved several officer-level objectives, including increased knowledge of mental illness and the mental health referral process, improved self-efficacy when responding to mental health crises, and enhanced perceptions of verbal de-escalation skills, mental health services in the community, and the mental health referral process. The results of these surveys revealed officers experienced a statistically significant increase on every measure of training effectiveness between the pretest and posttest data collection points. However, a significant decline was found among the 117 officers that responded to the follow-up survey on the measures associated with self-efficacy and perceptions of verbal de-escalation, which points to a measurable decay in the effectiveness of the training in the intermediate timeframe with regard to these two measures. To examine the extent to which the diffusion of the CIT model resembles a social movement in the field of criminal justice and to explore the impact of CIT institutionalization on the organizational structure of criminal justice agencies, an online survey was distributed to 33 representatives of law enforcement and correctional agencies known to participate in the CIT program in the nine Florida counties in which officers were surveyed. The results of this survey indicate interagency communication and external pressure from mental health providers and advocates largely contribute to the decision of criminal justice agencies to adopt the CIT model. In addition, the findings of this survey suggest criminal justice agencies modify their organizational structure in a number of different ways to internalize and institutionalize the CIT model. By coupling a training program evaluation with an assessment of diffusion and institutionalization, this study makes a unique contribution to organizational and evidence-based literature.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004884, ucf:49671
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004884
- Title
- AN ANALYSIS OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE, PRIVATE SCHOOL LAW, AND BUSINESS AND FINANCE BETWEEN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PRINCIPALS WITH AND WITHOUT GRADUATE DEGREES.
- Creator
-
Robinson, Dennis, Murray, Barbara, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study analyzed the performance of a sample of K-12 Assemblies of God Christian school principals on the Christian School Principal Preparation Assessment Questionnaire (CSPPAQ). The CSPPAQ, developed especially for this study, assesses knowledge in three areas: knowledge of the Bible, knowledge of private school law, and knowledge of business and finance. A sample size of 102 was determined using the sample size formula, based on a population of 611and a bound of 4 (+ 2). Numerous school...
Show moreThis study analyzed the performance of a sample of K-12 Assemblies of God Christian school principals on the Christian School Principal Preparation Assessment Questionnaire (CSPPAQ). The CSPPAQ, developed especially for this study, assesses knowledge in three areas: knowledge of the Bible, knowledge of private school law, and knowledge of business and finance. A sample size of 102 was determined using the sample size formula, based on a population of 611and a bound of 4 (+ 2). Numerous school closures over the course of this study caused the population size to drop to 490. This fact, coupled with a 45% survey return rate called for an adjustment of the bound to 6.4 (+ 3.2) for a sample size of 42. The scores in each of the three sub-areas as well as the composite score were then analyzed to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between principals without a graduate degree and those with a graduate degree in Bible/theology, educational leadership and other (any other graduate degree). A single factor ANOVA procedure was used and determined that no statistically significant relationship exists for mean score in knowledge of the Bible (F=1.05, p>.05). Mean score for knowledge of private school law showed a marginally significant difference (F=2.8, p=.054). Mean score in knowledge of business and finance also showed no significant relationship (F=1.7, p>.05) with the same result for the composite score (F=2.18, p>.05). Mean scores in the areas of private school law and business and finance were low (18.7 and 16.2 respectively). Calculating a percentage score for these areas would compute to 53% (18.7/35) and 54% (16.2/30) respectively, indicating a low knowledge base for these areas. Percentage composite score was also low at 63% (55.2/88). The data showed that it did not seem to make a difference whether the respondents had attained a graduate degree in any of the tested fields; there was little or no significant difference in their score. This evidence suggests that no current study program adequately prepares an individual with the knowledge base needed to effectively lead a Christian school, especially in the areas of private school law and business and finance. Given that the review of literature showed that Christian schools most often fail due to financial reasons, this finding is particularly significant. It was suggested that universities look at the principal preparation programs to determine if they can add material which would help to better prepare the Christian school principal. This study indicates a knowledge deficit in the areas of business and finance and private school law, materials added in those areas might prove helpful to this group. Follow-on study was suggested in a larger population of Christian schools, perhaps in the Association of Christian Schools International, to more definitively determine if specially designed graduate programs need to be developed for this population of administrators.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003879, ucf:48726
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003879
- Title
- ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIAL CAPITAL AND PERCEIVED PERFORMANCE OF DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS: A CASE STUDY IN TURKEY.
- Creator
-
Sahin, Ismail, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Supply reduction efforts by drug law enforcement departments are a significant factor in improving the effectiveness of drug control policies. As with other public organizations, the performance of drug law enforcement departments is one of the most important concerns for policy makers. Therefore, improving the performance of these departments is crucial in order for governments to constrict illegal drug markets and prevent illegal drug distribution. The literature suggests that social...
Show moreSupply reduction efforts by drug law enforcement departments are a significant factor in improving the effectiveness of drug control policies. As with other public organizations, the performance of drug law enforcement departments is one of the most important concerns for policy makers. Therefore, improving the performance of these departments is crucial in order for governments to constrict illegal drug markets and prevent illegal drug distribution. The literature suggests that social capital may have significant implications for policy makers and practitioners in terms of enhancing organizational performance.Social capital has recently been examined at the organizational level. It may contribute to organizational effectiveness by increasing motivation, solving coordination problems, facilitating information flow between individuals and organizations, and developing knowledge within organizations. Because of the nature of the work, drug law enforcement departments or agencies require information sharing, cooperation, and motivation, all possible derivatives of social capital.Using a measurement model of organizational social capital, this study examines relationships among three dimensions of organizational social capital. The influence of social capital on the perceived performance of drug law enforcement departments is investigated using structural equation modeling. Possible correlations among these dimensions or domains of organizational social capital are also empirically tested.Using survey data from 12 city law enforcement departments in Turkey, this study examines three social capital dimensions: (1) the structural dimension, concerning the extent to which officers within a department informally interact with each other; (2) the relational dimension, referring to the normative qualities of relationships among officers, such as trust and reciprocity; and (3) the cognitive dimension, reflected by shared language, shared interpretation, and shared vision.Four research hypotheses were tested and supported by the statistical results. The studyÂÂ's findings indicate that the relational and cognitive social capital variables have a direct and positive relationship with the perceived performance of drug law enforcement departments. Relational and cognitive social capital, as latent constructs, were shown to have a strong relationship with organizational performance. Structural social capital, however, does not have a direct relationship with but may indirectly influence performance. This result indicates that structural social capital may influence organizational performance only indirectly, through its joint influence with two other social capital domains. On the other hand, strong and positive intercorrelations were found among the three dimensions. The results suggest that social capital is essential for drug law enforcement departments because police officers who know, understand, and trust each other are more likely to work together efficiently and effectively towards achieving organizational performance.According to the findings, informal structures shaped by informal relations among officers within the departments may also be an important factor for organizational performance. Investing in the development of social interactions and networks and building trust within organizations is important in order for administrators to improve organizational performance. The results of this conceptually grounded and empirical study suggest that drug law enforcement departments or agencies should pay close attention to promoting social capital among officers in order to fight effectively against drug trafficking.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003182, ucf:48601
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003182
- Title
- Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement Agency Interoperability Capabilities and Cyber Vulnerabilities.
- Creator
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Trapnell, Tyrone, Caulkins, Bruce, Wiegand, Rudolf, Bockelman, Patricia, Canham, Matthew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System is the central informational hub located at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Its purpose is to provide network subscriptions to all Federal, state and local level law enforcement agencies while increasing information collaboration across all domains. The National Data Exchange users must satisfy the Advanced Permission Requirements, confirming the terms of N-DEx information use, and the Verification Requirement (verifying the completeness,...
Show moreThe National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System is the central informational hub located at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Its purpose is to provide network subscriptions to all Federal, state and local level law enforcement agencies while increasing information collaboration across all domains. The National Data Exchange users must satisfy the Advanced Permission Requirements, confirming the terms of N-DEx information use, and the Verification Requirement (verifying the completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and relevancy of N-DEx information) through coordination with the record-owning agency (Management, 2018). A network infection model is proposed to simulate the spread impact of various cyber-attacks within Federal, state and local level law enforcement networks that are linked together through the topologies merging with the National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System as the ability to manipulate the live network is limited. The model design methodology is conducted in a manner that creates a level of organization from the state level to the local level of law enforcement agencies allowing for each organizational infection probability to be calculated and entered, thus making the model very specific in nature for determining spread or outbreaks of cyber-attacks among law enforcement agencies at all levels. This research will enable future researchers to further develop a model that is capable of detecting weak points within an information structure when multiple topologies merge, allowing for more secure operations among law enforcement networks.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007543, ucf:52621
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007543
- Title
- ON RIGHTS: A DEFENSE AND ANALYSIS OF RIGHTS THROUGH NATURAL LAW.
- Creator
-
Lopez, Ramon, Kiel, Dwight, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
One of the central questions in political theory deals with the nature of rights. What sorts of rights do people possess? How are these rights justified? How ought these rights be reflected and related when seen in political, economic, and social institutions? Following the publication of John Rawls' A Theory of Justice (1971) and Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974), rights have once again returned to dominate much of contemporary political theory. However, natural law, which...
Show moreOne of the central questions in political theory deals with the nature of rights. What sorts of rights do people possess? How are these rights justified? How ought these rights be reflected and related when seen in political, economic, and social institutions? Following the publication of John Rawls' A Theory of Justice (1971) and Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974), rights have once again returned to dominate much of contemporary political theory. However, natural law, which was the historical basis of the early Enlightenment theories of rights, is no longer the primary system appealed to when discussing rights. In fact, classical natural law has been all but discarded in most of political theory today. There has also been renewed debate over the nature of public neutrality, and what the relationship ought to be between the public and private sphere. The mainstream view of how our liberties relate to our rights, as well as what kinds of rights we have over our private affairs, has come under fire from a newly emerging political philosophy known as communitarianism. This thesis will present a robust theory of rights that provides a new understanding of the relationship between positive and negative rights through a defense of classical natural law as an ethical foundation for political theory. It will side with the communitarian critics of public neutrality, and offer a practical method of determining when the state is justified in limiting private liberties due to public interest.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003856, ucf:44695
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003856
- Title
- A proclamation.
- Creator
-
Lincoln, Abraham
- Date Created
- 1862
- Identifier
- DP0012652, E453.l725 1862
- Format
- Image (JPEG)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/DP0012652
