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- Title
- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INDIVIDUAL: THE IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS FOR BIOLOGICAL AGE DETERMINATION.
- Creator
-
Alvarez, Michelle, Ballantyne, Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
It is now a matter of routine for the forensic scientist to obtain the genetic profile of an individual from DNA recovered from a biological stain deposited at a crime scene. Potential contributors of the stain must either be known to investigators (i.e. a developed suspect) or the questioned profile must be searched against a database of DNA profiles such as those maintained in the CODIS National DNA database. However, in those instances where there is no developed suspect and no match is...
Show moreIt is now a matter of routine for the forensic scientist to obtain the genetic profile of an individual from DNA recovered from a biological stain deposited at a crime scene. Potential contributors of the stain must either be known to investigators (i.e. a developed suspect) or the questioned profile must be searched against a database of DNA profiles such as those maintained in the CODIS National DNA database. However, in those instances where there is no developed suspect and no match is obtained after interrogation of appropriate DNA databases, the DNA profile per se presently provides no meaningful information to investigators, with the notable exception of gender determination. In these situations it would be advantageous to the investigation, if additional probative information could be obtained from the biological stain. A useful biometric that could provide important probative information, and one that may be amenable to molecular genetic analysis, is the biological age of an individual. The ability to provide investigators with information as to whether a DNA donor is a newborn, infant, toddler, child, adolescent, adult, middle-aged or elderly individual could be useful in certain cases, particularly those involving young children such as kidnappings or in providing additional intelligence during terrorist investigations. Currently no validated molecular assays exist for age determination. Biological human ageing can be defined by two distinct processes, degenerative and developmental ageing. The degenerative process of ageing is based on theories which identify an increase or decrease in physiological conditions with increasing age. In contrast, the developmental process of ageing is based on the theory that as individuals increase in chronological age, there will be subtle corresponding molecular based biological changes, each requiring genes to be expressed or silenced, indicative of that particular stage of life. We investigated the degenerative process of chromosomal telomere shortening, as well as the developmental process of gene expression profiling analysis, in an attempt to identify biomarkers of biological age in a self-renewing tissue such as blood. While telomere length analysis was an ineffective method for age determination; gene expression analysis revealed three gene transcripts expressed in an age-dependent physiological manner. These species namely- COL1A2, HBE1 and IGFBP3, were found to be expressed at elevated levels in younger individuals, newborns, or post-pubertal individuals, respectively. The biological process of hemoglobin switching was also investigated for the possibility of determining human age. While experimenting with the potential of using the gamma-hemoglobin chains, as newborn specific gene candidates, we serendipitously discovered four novel truncated transcripts, which we have termed HBG1n1, HBG1n2, HBG2n2 and HBG2n3; whose expression was restricted to whole-blood newborn samples and specific fetal tissues. The molecular origin of these transcripts appears to be at the RNA level, being produced by specific rearrangement events occurring in the standard gamma hemoglobin transcripts (HBG1 and HBG2), which yield these new isoforms that are expressed in a highly regulated tissue specific manner.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001737, ucf:47297
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001737
- Title
- COGNITIVE THEORY: A QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF THE GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND THE BARACK H.OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
- Creator
-
Urbanovich, Shelley, David, Houghton, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Although Republicans and Democrats frequently disagree ideologically, the leaders of both parties share one commonality in particular - they inevitably make flawed judgments. To adequately understand the extent to which psychological filters act as a fundamental factor in decision making, this thesis shall analyze current political events and observe how partisans within both administrations deal with information incompatible with their own values and beliefs. Specifically referencing the war...
Show moreAlthough Republicans and Democrats frequently disagree ideologically, the leaders of both parties share one commonality in particular - they inevitably make flawed judgments. To adequately understand the extent to which psychological filters act as a fundamental factor in decision making, this thesis shall analyze current political events and observe how partisans within both administrations deal with information incompatible with their own values and beliefs. Specifically referencing the war in Iraq, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), civil unrest, national security, the national economic climate, and the housing market, this study examines the way leaders deal differently with conflicting information. Although all subjects in the latter shall be discussed, the primary focus is directed towards weapons of mass destruction during the Bush administration and the economic climate during the Obama administration. During their presidencies, both administrations faced different circumstances and congruently possessed different ideologies in respect of how to resolve current problems. Therefore, both President Obama and Bush shall equally be observed in order to adequately compare the extent to which each succumbs to cognitive biases when faced with dissonant information. In addition, groupthink theory, schema theory, and self-justification shall be discussed as complimentary forces which impair political members' decisions. Overall, qualitatively assessing both Republican and Democratic parties in one comprehensive examination breaks the bounds of usual political science studies because both partisans are linked more by their similarities than differences.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004199, ucf:44813
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004199
- Title
- Larger-first partial parsing.
- Creator
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Van Delden, Sebastian Alexander, Gomez, Fernando, Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract / Description
-
University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; Larger-first partial parsing is a primarily top-down approach to partial parsing that is opposite to current easy-first, or primarily bottom-up, strategies. A rich partial tree structure is captured by an algorithm that assigns a hierarchy of structural tags to each of the input tokens in a sentence. Part-of-speech tags are first assigned to the words in a sentence by a part-of-speech tagger. A cascade of Deterministic Finite State...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; Larger-first partial parsing is a primarily top-down approach to partial parsing that is opposite to current easy-first, or primarily bottom-up, strategies. A rich partial tree structure is captured by an algorithm that assigns a hierarchy of structural tags to each of the input tokens in a sentence. Part-of-speech tags are first assigned to the words in a sentence by a part-of-speech tagger. A cascade of Deterministic Finite State Automata then uses this part-of-speech information to identify syntactic relations primarily ina descending order of their size. The cascade is divided into four specialized sections: (1) a Comma Network, which identifies syntactic relations associated with commas; (2) a Conjunction Network, which partially disambiguates phrasal conjunctions and fully disambiguates clausal conjunctions; (3) a Clause Network, which identifies non-comma-delimited clauses; and (4) a Phrase Network, which identifies the remaining base phrases in the sentence. Each automaton is capable of adding one ore more levels of structural tags to the to the tokens in a sentence. The larger-first approach is compared against a well-known easy-first approach. The results indicate that this larger-first approach is capable of (1) producing a more detailed partial parse than an easy first approach; (2) providing better containment of attachment ambiguity; (3) handling overlapping syntactic relations; and (4) achieving a higher accuracy than the easy-first approach. The automata of each network were developed by an empirical analysis of several sources and are presented here in details.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2003
- Identifier
- CFR0000760, ucf:52932
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0000760
- Title
- Data-Driven Modeling and Optimization of Building Energy Consumption.
- Creator
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Grover, Divas, Pourmohammadi Fallah, Yaser, Vosoughi, Azadeh, Zhou, Qun, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Sustainability and reducing energy consumption are targets for building operations. The installation of smart sensors and Building Automation Systems (BAS) makes it possible to study facility operations under different circumstances. These technologies generate large amounts of data. That data can be scrapped and used for the analysis. In this thesis, we focus on the process of data-driven modeling and decision making from scraping the data to simulate the building and optimizing the...
Show moreSustainability and reducing energy consumption are targets for building operations. The installation of smart sensors and Building Automation Systems (BAS) makes it possible to study facility operations under different circumstances. These technologies generate large amounts of data. That data can be scrapped and used for the analysis. In this thesis, we focus on the process of data-driven modeling and decision making from scraping the data to simulate the building and optimizing the operation. The City of Orlando has similar goals of sustainability and reduction of energy consumption so, they provided us access to their BAS for the data and study the operation of its facilities. The data scraped from the City's BAS serves can be used to develop statistical/machine learning methods for decision making. We selected a mid-size pilot building to apply these techniques. The process begins with the collection of data from BAS. An Application Programming Interface (API) is developed to login to the servers and scrape data for all data points and store it on the local machine. Then data is cleaned to analyze and model. The dataset contains various data points ranging from indoor and outdoor temperature to fan speed inside the Air Handling Unit (AHU) which are operated by Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). This whole dataset is a time series and is handled accordingly. The cleaned dataset is analyzed to find different patterns and investigate relations between different data points. The analysis helps us in choosing parameters for models that are developed in the next step. Different statistical models are developed to simulate building and equipment behavior. Finally, the models along with the data are used to optimize the building Operation with the equipment constraints to make decisions for building operation which leads to a reduction in energy consumption while maintaining temperature and pressure inside the building.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007810, ucf:52335
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007810
- Title
- Methodological Improvements in the mRNA Profiling Assays for Incorporation into DNA Casework Workflows.
- Creator
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Volk, Paris, Ballantyne, John, Gerasimova, Yulia, Baudelet, Matthieu, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Currently, DNA profiling is the gold standard to identify an individual. However, determining body fluid origin is important in criminal investigations, offering additional information surrounding the circumstances of a crime. However, crime labs can only definitively identify blood and semen and presumptively saliva using techniques that consume time and sample and do not simultaneously identify all forensically relevant body fluids. This causes many crime labs to want to bypass body fluid...
Show moreCurrently, DNA profiling is the gold standard to identify an individual. However, determining body fluid origin is important in criminal investigations, offering additional information surrounding the circumstances of a crime. However, crime labs can only definitively identify blood and semen and presumptively saliva using techniques that consume time and sample and do not simultaneously identify all forensically relevant body fluids. This causes many crime labs to want to bypass body fluid identification altogether. Therefore, advances into more definitive molecular-based body fluid methods are necessary. One such technique is mRNA profiling because it provides a highly sensitive and specific approach to definitively identifying all relevant body fluids in parallel. Although advancements have been made, improvements to mRNA profiling methodologies still need to be researched such as 1) possible mRNA recovery from established DNA workflows and 2) possible integration of mRNA profiling into an upfront male DNA screening assay for triaging sexual-assault evidence likely to contain male DNA and reduce/eliminate a significant bottleneck in the standard DNA workflow of microscopic sperm identification. This study was designed to address these two issues by evaluating a novel way to recover RNA, for body fluid identification, from the waste fractions of a PrepFiler(TM) DNA extraction, and from the DNA extracts directly. Next, this study aimed to provide a relatively quick molecular-based approach for screening sexual-assault evidence. It involves extraction of RNA using the Dynabeads(TM) mRNA DIRECT(TM) Kit, while saving the extraction waste fractions for downstream male-DNA quantitation and STR profiling. The RNA is then used in a rapid and sensitive 1-step combined reverse transcription-HRM assay to positively detect the presence of sperm. Both non-conventional co-extraction methods successfully addressed current body fluid identification challenges and allowed for easy integration into existing workflows when single sourced, mixture and mock casework samples were analyzed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007551, ucf:52627
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007551
- Title
- A COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF CAREER READINESS AND DECIDEDNESS IN FIRST YEAR STEM MAJORING STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN A STEM MENTORING PROGRAM IMBEDDED IN A LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITY WITH FOCUSED DATA ON FEMALE STEM STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Ramlakhan, Nirmala, Jeanpierre, Bobby, Boote, David, Hynes, Michael, Daire, Andrew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Female mentoring success was investigated as an undergraduate intervention utilizing career development practices to reduce dysfunctional career thinking and STEM major retention in first year freshmen females within a living-learning community. Repeated measures MANOVAs and canonical correlations in the causal comparative research design evaluated mentoring's influence on first year females. Male voluntary participants (n = 126) formulated the comparison group, and female voluntary...
Show moreFemale mentoring success was investigated as an undergraduate intervention utilizing career development practices to reduce dysfunctional career thinking and STEM major retention in first year freshmen females within a living-learning community. Repeated measures MANOVAs and canonical correlations in the causal comparative research design evaluated mentoring's influence on first year females. Male voluntary participants (n = 126) formulated the comparison group, and female voluntary participants (n = 75) filled the treatment group. Repeated measure multivariate analyses of variances compared differences between the interaction of mentoring and gender over time on dysfunctional career thinking using two assessments: Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) and Career Decision Scale (CDS) and their five subscales (decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, external conflict, certainty and indecision). Canonical correlations analyzed the effect participation rates had on student change scores on the CTI and CDS, indicating mentoring intervention effects on reducing dysfunctional career thinking and decidedness. Conclusions included: (a) females had higher levels of dysfunctional career thinking than males; (b) overtime both groups decreased dysfunctional thoughts,and solidifying their STEM career choices; (c) females had reduced levels of career decidedness compared to males; (d) both groups increased certainty overtime, solidifying their STEM career choice, and (e) when the STEM career choice was made, female certainty was more solidified than males. The study adds to the career development research within STEM at the undergraduate level providing colleges and universities with a structured first year female mentoring program in STEM. The GEMS model may be ideal for colleges and universities utilizing living-learning communities to increase underrepresented female retention and those without STEM career planning courses.?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004586, ucf:49191
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004586
- Title
- TEACHING AND ASSESSING CRITICAL THINKING IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Gosnell, Susan, Biraimah, Karen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was primarily to explore the conceptualization of critical thinking development in radiologic science students by radiography program directors. Seven research questions framed three overriding themes including 1) perceived definition of and skills associated with critical thinking; 2) effectiveness and utilization of teaching strategies for the development of critical thinking; and 3) appropriateness and utilization of specific assessment measures for documenting...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was primarily to explore the conceptualization of critical thinking development in radiologic science students by radiography program directors. Seven research questions framed three overriding themes including 1) perceived definition of and skills associated with critical thinking; 2) effectiveness and utilization of teaching strategies for the development of critical thinking; and 3) appropriateness and utilization of specific assessment measures for documenting critical thinking development. The population for this study included program directors for all JRCERT accredited radiography programs in the United States. Questionnaires were distributed via Survey Monkey©, a commercial on-line survey tool to 620 programs. A forty-seven percent (n = 295) response rate was achieved and included good representation from each of the three recognized program levels (AS, BS and certificate). Statistical analyses performed on the collected data included descriptive analyses (median, mean and standard deviation) to ascertain overall perceptions of the definition of critical thinking; levels of agreement regarding the effectiveness of listed teaching strategies and assessment measures; and the degree of utilization of the same teaching strategies and assessment measures. Chi squared analyses were conducted to identify differences within each of these themes between various program levels and/or between program directors with various levels of educational preparation as defined by the highest degree earned. Results showed that program directors had a broad and somewhat ambiguous perception of the definition of critical thinking, which included many related cognitive processes that were not always classified as attributes of critical thinking according to the literature, but were consistent with definitions and attributes identified as critical thinking by other allied health professions. These common attributes included creative thinking, decision making, problem solving and clinical reasoning as well as other high-order thinking activities such as reflection, judging and reasoning deductively and inductively. Statistically significant differences were identified for some items based on program level and for one item based on program director highest degree. There was general agreement regarding the appropriateness of specific teaching strategies also supported by the literature with the exception of on-line discussions and portfolios. The most highly used teaching strategies reported were not completely congruent with the literature and included traditional lectures with in-class discussions and high-order multiple choice test items. Significant differences between program levels were identified for only two items. The most highly used assessment measures included clinical competency results, employer surveys, image critique performance, specific course assignments, student surveys and ARRT exam results. Only one variable showed significant differences between programs at various academic levels.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003261, ucf:48518
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003261
- Title
- The Role of Virtual Avatars in Supporting Middle School Students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds on Science in After School Programs.
- Creator
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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
- Information Propagation Algorithms for Consensus Formation in Decentralized Multi-Agent Systems.
- Creator
-
Hollander, Christopher, Wu, Annie, Shumaker, Randall, Wiegand, Rudolf, Turgut, Damla, Song, Zixia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Consensus occurs within a multi-agent system when every agent is in agreement about the value of some particular state. For example, the color of an LED, the position or magnitude of a vector, a rendezvous location, the most recent state of data within a database, or the identity of a leader are all states that agents might need to agree on in order to execute their tasking.The task of the decentralized consensus problem for multi-agent systems is to design an algorithm that enables agents to...
Show moreConsensus occurs within a multi-agent system when every agent is in agreement about the value of some particular state. For example, the color of an LED, the position or magnitude of a vector, a rendezvous location, the most recent state of data within a database, or the identity of a leader are all states that agents might need to agree on in order to execute their tasking.The task of the decentralized consensus problem for multi-agent systems is to design an algorithm that enables agents to communicate and exchange information such that, in finite time, agents are able to form a consensus without the use of a centralized control mechanism. The primary goal of this research is to introduce and provide supporting evidence for Stochastic Local Observation/Gossip (SLOG) algorithms as a new class of solutions to the decentralized consensus problem for multi-agent systems that lack a centralized controller, with the additional constraints that agents act asynchronously, information is discrete, and all consensus options are equally preferable to all agents. Examples of where these constraints might apply include the spread of social norms and conventions in artificial populations, rendezvous among a set of specific locations, and task assignment.This goal is achieved through a combination of theory and experimentation. Information propagation process and an information propagation algorithm are derived by unifying the general structure of multiple existing solutions to the decentralized consensus problem. They are then used to define two classes of algorithms that spread information across a network and solve the decentralized consensus problem: buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms. Buffered gossip algorithms generalize the behavior of many push-based solutions to the decentralized consensus problem. Local observation algorithms generalize the behavior of many pull-based solutions to the decentralized consensus problem. In the language of object oriented design, buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms are abstract classes; information propagation processes are interfaces. SLOG algorithms combine the transmission mechanisms of buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms into a single "hybrid" algorithm that is able to push and pull information within the local neighborhood. A common mathematical framework is constructed and used to determine the conditions under which each of these algorithms are guaranteed to produce a consensus, and thus solve the decentralized consensus problem. Finally, a series of simulation experiments are conducted to study the performance of SLOG algorithms. These experiments compare the average speed of consensus formation between buffered gossip algorithms, local observation algorithms, and SLOG algorithms over four distinct network topologies.Beyond the introduction of the SLOG algorithm, this research also contributes to the existing literature on the decentralized consensus problem by: specifying a theoretical framework that can be used to explore the consensus behavior of push-based and pull-based information propagation algorithms; using this framework to define buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms as generalizations for existing solutions to the decentralized consensus problem; highlighting the similarities between consensus algorithms within control theory and opinion dynamics within computational sociology, and showing how these research areas can be successfully combined to create new and powerful algorithms; and providing an empirical comparison between multiple information propagation algorithms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005629, ucf:50229
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005629
- Title
- Theoretical Studies of Nanostructure Formation and Transport on Surfaces.
- Creator
-
Aminpour, Maral, Rahman, Talat, Stolbov, Sergey, Roldan Cuenya, Beatriz, Blair, Richard, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation undertakes theoretical and computational research to characterize and understand in detail atomic configurations and electronic structural properties of surfaces and interfaces at the nano-scale, with particular emphasis on identifying the factors that control atomic-scale diffusion and transport properties. The overarching goal is to outline, with examples, a predictive modeling procedure of stable structures of novel materials that, on the one hand, facilitates a better...
Show moreThis dissertation undertakes theoretical and computational research to characterize and understand in detail atomic configurations and electronic structural properties of surfaces and interfaces at the nano-scale, with particular emphasis on identifying the factors that control atomic-scale diffusion and transport properties. The overarching goal is to outline, with examples, a predictive modeling procedure of stable structures of novel materials that, on the one hand, facilitates a better understanding of experimental results, and on the other hand, provide guidelines for future experimental work. The results of this dissertation are useful in future miniaturization of electronic devices, predicting and engineering functional novel nanostructures. A variety of theoretical and computational tools with different degrees of accuracy is used to study problems in different time and length scales. Interactions between the atoms are derived using both ab-initio methods based on Density Functional Theory (DFT), as well as semi-empirical approaches such as those embodied in the Embedded Atom Method (EAM), depending on the scale of the problem at hand. The energetics for a variety of surface phenomena (adsorption, desorption, diffusion, and reactions) are calculated using either DFT or EAM, as feasible. For simulating dynamic processes such as diffusion of ad-atoms on surfaces with dislocations the Molecular Dynamics (MD) method is applied. To calculate vibrational mode frequencies, the infinitesimal displacement method is employed. The combination of non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) and DFT is used to calculate electronic transport properties of molecular devices as well as interfaces and junctions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005298, ucf:50504
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005298
- Title
- THE POWER IN MULTIPLYING: GROWTH IN NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS.
- Creator
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Wrobel, Nicole, Gleig, Ann, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Starting in November of 2016, a documentary series aired on the original network A[and]E where it continues to capture the attention of thousands of viewers in America. Scientology: The Aftermath, starring the well-known King of Queens and Dancing with the Stars actress Leah Remini and former senior executive of the church of Scientology International and Sea Organization Mike Rinder, aim to reveal the "truth" that hides behind the church of Scientology. The show interviews ex-practitioners...
Show moreStarting in November of 2016, a documentary series aired on the original network A[and]E where it continues to capture the attention of thousands of viewers in America. Scientology: The Aftermath, starring the well-known King of Queens and Dancing with the Stars actress Leah Remini and former senior executive of the church of Scientology International and Sea Organization Mike Rinder, aim to reveal the "truth" that hides behind the church of Scientology. The show interviews ex-practitioners who claim their lives have been deeply impacted by the church and who want to assist in revealing the shocking stories of abuse and harassment the church tries to keep secret. The goal of the show, in short, is to not only share the "real" face of Scientology to the public, but to also reach out and assist people who have been affected personally by the church; some have lost their family and friends while others have been followed or monitored by church members. A simple Google search on Scientology brings up multiple news headlines on the church being labeled as a "cult" and "criminal" while magazines in the lines of grocery stores display the downfall on the marriage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes due to the intensity of the Church of Scientology. Yet Scientology isn't alone in receiving negative attention from the media. Christian Science has been accused of depriving the ill of needed medical attention which has led to some members becoming severely ill and dying in some cases. Most of these cases are children that were deprived of needed medical assistance due to their parents' religious views. Religious Studies scholar, Mary Bednarowski, adds that due to these circumstances, Christian Science has long experienced harsh criticism. With families and anti-cult movements protesting in the streets, ads, books, and magazines displaying their opposition, and the media labeling these movements as "dangerous", why would people join and remain in these New Religious Movements? What is it that makes these religious movements alluring and what are their adherents benefiting from them?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000325, ucf:45732
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000325
- Title
- WHAT IS THE EFFICACY OF PEER PRESENTATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS?.
- Creator
-
Roy, Courtney, Ezell, Dan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study investigates whether the learning strategy of Peer Presentations may positively influence an English Language Learner's (ELL's) relationship with peers, and personal perspectives with pertinence to the sciences, public discourse, and their institution. Data collection in-struments included a developed pre- and post-sociometric survey to quantitate each classroom's social status, and a pre- and post-qualitative oral interview to acquire individual perceptions concerning enjoyment...
Show moreThis study investigates whether the learning strategy of Peer Presentations may positively influence an English Language Learner's (ELL's) relationship with peers, and personal perspectives with pertinence to the sciences, public discourse, and their institution. Data collection in-struments included a developed pre- and post-sociometric survey to quantitate each classroom's social status, and a pre- and post-qualitative oral interview to acquire individual perceptions concerning enjoyment and contentment of academic topics. Three ELLs from two learning environments participated with the eight day intervention, comprising of 45 minute instructive sessions to become proficient with demonstrating an arrangement of invigorating yet harmless scientific experiments. After the Peer Presentation, analysis of pre- and post-sociometric results demonstrated an overall increase of more intimate friendships. Examination of the ELLs' oral interview responses indicated growth of enjoyment regarding their institution and public discourse. Overall recommendations and suggestions of utilizing Peer Presentations are discussed for those involved with educating students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004665, ucf:45266
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004665
- Title
- THE EFFECT OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON DEMOCRATIC WARFARE.
- Creator
-
Rakower, Andres, Vasquez, Joseph Paul, Kang, Kyungkook, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study was done to see the effects of a war on the economy and the internal politics of the United States. In selecting the engagement, we would study we agreed the Iraq War would be aided by a large amount of sampling of public opinion that was more nuanced than in previous wars. The Iraq War was a very complicated war, as it was controversial from the beginning and became a political issue while continuing to be a war fought by Americans abroad. Based on the literature, there were many...
Show moreThis study was done to see the effects of a war on the economy and the internal politics of the United States. In selecting the engagement, we would study we agreed the Iraq War would be aided by a large amount of sampling of public opinion that was more nuanced than in previous wars. The Iraq War was a very complicated war, as it was controversial from the beginning and became a political issue while continuing to be a war fought by Americans abroad. Based on the literature, there were many starting effects and assumptions that were accounted for such as the 'rally round the flag effect.' As a historical landmark, the Iraq War is important for being a significant conflict after the Vietnam War, another very controversial conflict in the eyes of the American public. The hypothesis that I presented were not supported by the data. The impact of the war on the economy was not strong enough that it would create pressure for the sort of model I created to apply. In this model the economic problems faced domestically could lead to more unemployment and therefore to higher military recruitment rates. While this was partially true in 2008, the consequence was not a significantly higher amount of people in the military. Ultimately, this project requires to be done in a more thorough setting where effects may be compared with those of other similar countries in similar scenarios.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000435, ucf:45816
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000435
- Title
- INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY: EVALUATING TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS TARGETING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL AND DIET.
- Creator
-
DiPietro, Jessica, Norris, Anne, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Overweight and obese children have increased risks for multiple preventable diseases and conditions which can impair their physiological health and significantly increases the overall cost of their healthcare. Free mobile applications and technology for weight loss, dietary tracking, and physical activity may be quite useful for monitoring nutritional intake and exercise to facilitate weight loss. If so, nurses are well positioned to recommend such tools as part of their efforts to prevent...
Show moreOverweight and obese children have increased risks for multiple preventable diseases and conditions which can impair their physiological health and significantly increases the overall cost of their healthcare. Free mobile applications and technology for weight loss, dietary tracking, and physical activity may be quite useful for monitoring nutritional intake and exercise to facilitate weight loss. If so, nurses are well positioned to recommend such tools as part of their efforts to prevent childhood obesity and help children and parents better manage childhood obesity when it is present. However, there are no guidelines that nurses can use to determine what applications or technologies are most beneficial to children and their parents. The purpose of this project is to develop such guidelines based on a review of the scientific literature published in the last 5 years. Articles regarding healthy-lifestyle promoting mobile applications and technological approaches to health and fitness interventions were identified by searching articles indexed by CINAHL, Psychinfo, Medline, ERIC, IEEE Xplore, and Academic Search Premier. Identified articles were assessed using Melnyk's hierarchy of evidence and organized into tables so that implications for research and suggestions for practice could be made.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004616, ucf:45255
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004616
- Title
- Light Matter Interaction in Single Molecule Magnets.
- Creator
-
Cebulka, Rebecca, Del Barco, Enrique, Klemm, Richard, Mucciolo, Eduardo, Luis, Fernando, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation includes a series of experimental realizations which focus on studying the coupling between photons and single-molecule magnets (SMMs) in both the weak and strong coupling regimes. In the weak coupling regime, the aim is to achieve coherent control over the time evolution of the spin of SMMs while applying rapid microwave pulses at sub-Kelvin temperatures, where polarization of the spin bath may be achieved without large magnetic fields, allowing the suppression of dipolar...
Show moreThis dissertation includes a series of experimental realizations which focus on studying the coupling between photons and single-molecule magnets (SMMs) in both the weak and strong coupling regimes. In the weak coupling regime, the aim is to achieve coherent control over the time evolution of the spin of SMMs while applying rapid microwave pulses at sub-Kelvin temperatures, where polarization of the spin bath may be achieved without large magnetic fields, allowing the suppression of dipolar dephasing. The continuing results of this experiment will be to provide a window into fundamental sources of decoherence in single-crystal SMMs in an energy range not thoroughly investigated. We expect that these conditions would allow us to study the quantum dynamics of the spins as governed by the intrinsic molecular magnetic anisotropy, which should give rise to non-well-defined Rabi oscillations of the spin state, including metastable precessional spin states. In the strong coupling regime, high quality factor superconducting CPW resonators have been designed and fabricated to investigate the vacuum Rabi splitting between a photon and the SMM spin. The proposed setup will permit measurements of coherent collective coupling between molecular spins and a low number of photons, ideally down to a single photon. This experiment may ultimately provide the opportunity for reaching the strong coupling regime with a single spin. Finally, this thesis also documents a research study into the impact of service-learning methodology on students' depth of learning and critical thinking skills during a novel nanoscale science and technology course offered in the UCF Physics Dept. The overall learning of students was assessed and results clearly showed improvement in both multiple choice pre/post-tests and critical reflection papers. We associate this improvement at least partially to the service-learning experience.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007442, ucf:52728
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007442
- Title
- Science occupational images and aspirations of African American/ Black elementary students.
- Creator
-
LaMothe, Saron, Hagedorn, W. Bryce, Hopp, Carolyn, Van Horn, Stacy, Blank, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Within the United States, more than a million jobs in science and engineering (S(&)E) are projected over the next few years; yet, the Nation lacks the workforce to meet these demands. Despite the need for a more diverse, qualified workforce, African Americans/Blacks remain disproportionately underrepresented in science occupations, science degree attainment, and in science postsecondary majors. The lack of science participation is reflective of how minority secondary students view science and...
Show moreWithin the United States, more than a million jobs in science and engineering (S(&)E) are projected over the next few years; yet, the Nation lacks the workforce to meet these demands. Despite the need for a more diverse, qualified workforce, African Americans/Blacks remain disproportionately underrepresented in science occupations, science degree attainment, and in science postsecondary majors. The lack of science participation is reflective of how minority secondary students view science and science occupations as many consider the pursuit of a science career as unfavorable. Moreover, minority secondary students, who do choose to pursue science occupations, seem to possess inaccurate (or a lack of) occupational knowledge necessary to do so successfully. Therefore, an understanding of antecedents to career choice will assist educational professionals in addressing the underrepresentation of diverse populations, such as African Americans/Blacks, within the science workforce. The purpose of this study is to garner insight into the science occupational images, occupational and educational aspirations of African American/Black fourth and five grade students. Gottfredson's Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, in conjunction with extant empirical literature, serves as the foundation for the study's conceptual framework. A qualitative case study design was used. The qualitative data provided a contextual understanding of science occupational images, occupational and educational aspirations. Participant-produced drawings, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews served as sources for data collection. Overall, participants lacked some occupational knowledge. Participants viewed scientists as mostly male and Black. Additionally, the occupation of scientist was perceived as a dangerous and of high status. Lastly, half of the participants expressed aspirations to be a scientist, while a majority expressed college educational aspirations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007668, ucf:52493
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007668
- Title
- INTELLIGENT DESIGN.
- Creator
-
Dudziak, Jillian, Poindexter, Carla, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As human beings we are designed and created in a fabric that is profound and complex. We are built with a framework where mind and body work in a concerted effort to maintain our lives automatically. A deep and defining part of our existence as humans is not just the innate desire to live but to live in consistent well-beingemotionally, physically, and mentally. I believe when we incorporate our knowledge of human physiology into our creative process then we allow ourselves a greater...
Show moreAs human beings we are designed and created in a fabric that is profound and complex. We are built with a framework where mind and body work in a concerted effort to maintain our lives automatically. A deep and defining part of our existence as humans is not just the innate desire to live but to live in consistent well-beingemotionally, physically, and mentally. I believe when we incorporate our knowledge of human physiology into our creative process then we allow ourselves a greater opportunity to create an authentic connection with our intended audience. My work during the past three years has been rooted in the study of these philosophical and scientific principles. I created a series of visual experimentations that aim to assist in my understanding of human beings at an emotional and biological level. Armed with a deep desire to understand humanity, my goal is to create work that fosters positive change and has significant impact in the world. My past and present research has been focused on human emotions, the intuitive creative process and the relationship between technology and establishing social identity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003693, ucf:48844
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003693
- Title
- EPISODIC MEMORY MODEL FOR EMBODIED CONVERSATIONAL AGENTS.
- Creator
-
Elvir, Miguel, Gonzalez, Avelino, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into...
Show moreEmbodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into dialog management tools for ECAs. In our work, we propose to take a closer look at the shared characteristics of episodic memory models in recent examples from the field. Additionally, we propose several enhancements to these existing models through a unified episodic memory model for ECAÂÂ's. As part of our research into episodic memory models, we present a process for determining the prevalent contexts in the conversations obtained from the aforementioned interactions. The process presented demonstrates the use of statistical and machine learning services, as well as Natural Language Processing techniques to extract relevant snippets from conversations. Finally, mechanisms to store, retrieve, and recall episodes from previous conversations are discussed. A primary contribution of this research is in the context of contemporary memory models for conversational agents and cognitive architectures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comparative summary of existing works. As implementations of ECAs become more complex and encompass more realistic conversation engines, we expect that episodic memory models will continue to evolve and further enhance the naturalness of conversations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003353, ucf:48443
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003353
- Title
- NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND?: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION POLICY AND STUDENT SUCCESS.
- Creator
-
Resmann, Brittany, Kiel , Dwight, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study investigated how education policy influences student success, and if there are linkages between K-12 education policy and higher education. Historically, education has primarily been a function of state and local governments. The role of the federal government drastically changed with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. This thesis focused on the influence of No Child Behind on several indicators of student success in K-12 and postsecondary education. All fifty...
Show moreThis study investigated how education policy influences student success, and if there are linkages between K-12 education policy and higher education. Historically, education has primarily been a function of state and local governments. The role of the federal government drastically changed with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. This thesis focused on the influence of No Child Behind on several indicators of student success in K-12 and postsecondary education. All fifty states were examined in this study. This approach is rather unusual since it is typical to focus on one state or a small group of states. In addition to the state level analyses, macro analyses were also conducted to generate sounder policy prescriptions. This study tested three primary research questions. The first research question tested possible changes in several measures of student success since the implementation of No Child Left Behind. The second research question analyzed the relationship between K-12 education policy and higher education. The third research question addressed the possibility that state education reforms have had an impact on test scores, graduation rates, and college enrollment. Findings showed that K-12 test scores have improved on the national level since the implementation of No Child Left Behind, but there are several states that have witnessed a decline in test scores since legislation was enacted. There was no relationship between the state reforms and the variables that measured student success. Based on the findings, policy prescriptions were generated for both leaders within education and policymakers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002607, ucf:48249
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002607
- Title
- ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF EDUCATIONAL COMPUTER GAME USE AND MILKEN EXEMPLAR TEACHER INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES.
- Creator
-
Dahan Marks, Yaela, Proctor, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research examines the nature and level of educational computer-based game techniques adoption by Milken Educator Award winning teachers in achieving success in their classrooms. The focus of the research is on their level of acceptance of educational computer-based games and the nature of game usage to increase student performance in the classroom. With Davis' (1985) Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1985) as the conceptual framework, the research also examines how teachers'...
Show moreThis research examines the nature and level of educational computer-based game techniques adoption by Milken Educator Award winning teachers in achieving success in their classrooms. The focus of the research is on their level of acceptance of educational computer-based games and the nature of game usage to increase student performance in the classroom. With Davis' (1985) Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1985) as the conceptual framework, the research also examines how teachers' perceptions of educational computer-based games influence their willingness to incorporate these teaching methods in their classroom. The approach utilizes a descriptive survey to develop and evaluate responses from exemplar teachers about the level and nature of their use (or lack thereof) of educational computer-based games and implementation in the classroom. Further, this research seeks to identify successful and unsuccessful techniques in the use of educational computer-based games in the classroom. In addition, data collection and analysis will seek to identify the strength of relationships between content-specific educational computer-based games and subject; educational computer-based games and gender; educational computer-based games and age; etc. A teacher who is exemplary as defined by Milken Educator Awards possesses, "exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school". Survey findings are placed within the Technology Acceptance Model framework developed by Davis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003682, ucf:48811
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003682
