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- Title
- BIGGER IS BETTER?: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN HAITI.
- Creator
-
Melecio-Zambrano, Crisely, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis conducts a comparative study of international organizations in regard to their effectiveness towards addressing humanitarian concerns in Haiti. The three case studies are the operations of the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services, and REBUILD Globally, predominantly after the January 2010 quake. The hypothesis supported in this study is that the services of smaller organizations prove to be more successful than larger NGOs, although they do not have the immense resources of...
Show moreThis thesis conducts a comparative study of international organizations in regard to their effectiveness towards addressing humanitarian concerns in Haiti. The three case studies are the operations of the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services, and REBUILD Globally, predominantly after the January 2010 quake. The hypothesis supported in this study is that the services of smaller organizations prove to be more successful than larger NGOs, although they do not have the immense resources of organizations such as the United Nations. The independent variables are type and quantity of funding, form of humanitarian work, and duration of support. All three variables establish the degree of overall effectiveness of the organization. This topic is significant because NGOs are rising in importance and influence in the international community as the average individual can now be involved in the foreign arena. It is important to study what is truly effective in humanitarian aid rather than assuming 'the bigger the better.'
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003828, ucf:44742
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003828
- Title
- DO YOU HAVE A FRIEND?: THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF SOMEONE WITH AIDS ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS AIDS.
- Creator
-
Lombas, Leith Leonce, Gay, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ABSTRACT The study of attitudes towards those with AIDS is relatively recent. Most studies have examined attitudes concerning health and medical concerns. Little research has focused on attitudes toward social and behavior concerns. The few that have focused on such attitudes have employed relatively small samples collected primarily out of convenience. The studies that have used national samples have primarily addressed public policy issues. Using national data from the 1988 General Social...
Show moreABSTRACT The study of attitudes towards those with AIDS is relatively recent. Most studies have examined attitudes concerning health and medical concerns. Little research has focused on attitudes toward social and behavior concerns. The few that have focused on such attitudes have employed relatively small samples collected primarily out of convenience. The studies that have used national samples have primarily addressed public policy issues. Using national data from the 1988 General Social Survey, this paper examines the effects of personal knowledge about the AIDS virus and other attitudinal variables on four dimensions of social and behavioral concern for those with AIDS in American society. Sociodemographic variables, which prior studies have demonstrated as important predictors of attitudes toward AIDS, are included as controls in this research that presents findings from a multivariate analysis. Results suggests that the impact of personal knowledge of someone with AIDS does not strongly lead to more supportive attitudes regarding the rights of people with AIDS, except when the economic costs of AIDS care is concerned. Directions for future research are presented and discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000010, ucf:46071
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000010
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF FOREIGN AID ON PERCEPTIONS OF CORRUPTION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.
- Creator
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Wilkie, Margaret, Fine, Terri, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This paper is a study of the effects of foreign aid on perceptions of political corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa. In keeping with the consensus on foreign aid effectiveness, this study proposed that Sub-Saharan African countries receiving more foreign aid would be more likely to maintain high levels of perceived corruption. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate regression, controlling for a number of factors which have shown to be influential on perceptions of political corruption. Two...
Show moreThis paper is a study of the effects of foreign aid on perceptions of political corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa. In keeping with the consensus on foreign aid effectiveness, this study proposed that Sub-Saharan African countries receiving more foreign aid would be more likely to maintain high levels of perceived corruption. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate regression, controlling for a number of factors which have shown to be influential on perceptions of political corruption. Two models were tested, one to show the regression over a period of nine years, and the other to show the relationship between the foreign aid and perceptions of corruption over one year. The tests resulted in showing a significantly negative relationship over nine years, but foreign aid lost its significance with perceptions of political corruption over one year. The most influential variable on political corruption in both models was the level of political rights in a country, which indicated a significantly negative relationship between the two variables. The paper also looked at Nigeria in a case study focusing on the effects of foreign aid on governance and economic policy environments, corruption being a major factor in both of these. This study resulted in the conclusion that increases in foreign aid paralleled improved perceptions of political corruption, and that Nigeria's reform initiative during the Obasanjo regime (1999-2007) was the major determining factor in this perception shift. Overall, this study supports the consensus that foreign aid given to countries with reform-minded governments is more likely to contribute to the fight against corruption.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002440, ucf:47726
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002440
- Title
- DOES FOREIGN AID PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT? A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF FOREIGN AID ON DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.
- Creator
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Gray, Rachael, Kinsey, Barbara, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Foreign aid aims to improve economic conditions and quality of life in developing countries. The literature on the efficacy of foreign aid to date has been inconclusive; yet there is some evidence that institutional factors may condition the relationship between aid and development. This research focuses on the effects of foreign aid on development, taking into consideration the effects of political institutional factors as intervening in the connection between aid and development....
Show moreForeign aid aims to improve economic conditions and quality of life in developing countries. The literature on the efficacy of foreign aid to date has been inconclusive; yet there is some evidence that institutional factors may condition the relationship between aid and development. This research focuses on the effects of foreign aid on development, taking into consideration the effects of political institutional factors as intervening in the connection between aid and development. Specifically, this study considers the effects of democracy (political rights and civil liberties) and level of corruption on the relationship between aid and development in sub-Saharan Africa. Development is determined by the Human Development Index, which takes into account gross national income, life expectancy, and education level. My findings indicate that aid is ineffective at promoting development in sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, it is found that democracy, as determined by level of political freedom, is positively associated to development in aid recipient countries. HIV prevalence rate, the location of the country relative to the coastline, and percent of arable land were found to be significant factors affecting development. The level of corruption and political stability do not have a significant effect on development. The study is conducted using a cross-national, longitudinal, statistical model. The impact of foreign aid on development is examined for 45 countries over a fourteen-year period, from 1995 to 2009. The results of the study show that foreign aid has a negative effect on development, yet development is affected by level of democracy, geographical location, percent of arable land, and HIV prevalence rate. Development is higher in countries located on the coastline, with a higher percentage of arable land, a higher level of democracy, and a higher rate of HIV.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003705, ucf:48804
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003705
- Title
- A Study to Determine the Degree of Fairness Resulting from Section 8002 of the Federal Impact Aid Program on Qualifying Local Education Agencies.
- Creator
-
Thomas, Danielle, Murray, Barbara, Murray, Kenneth, Doherty, Walter, Lynn, Evelyn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Educational funding is a topic of much focus given the impact school budgets have on instructional decisions and school programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the funding received by Local Education Agencies (LEAs) from Section 8002 of the Program to determine how the amount received equates to the local property tax from the land assessment. In addition, comparisons were drawn as to how the amounts between LEAs equate within a state and across states. Through the use of...
Show moreEducational funding is a topic of much focus given the impact school budgets have on instructional decisions and school programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the funding received by Local Education Agencies (LEAs) from Section 8002 of the Program to determine how the amount received equates to the local property tax from the land assessment. In addition, comparisons were drawn as to how the amounts between LEAs equate within a state and across states. Through the use of qualitative data received from the United States Department of Education regarding the amount paid to LEAs during fiscal years 2011 through 2015 as well projected property tax amounts calculated by the researcher, inequities were discovered between LEAs within states as well as across states. Significant deficiencies were discovered between projected property tax and the amount of impact aid received across most of the receiving LEAs. In addition, a large number of inequities were discovered between receiving LEAs across the same state with a significant number of inequities also occurring across LEAs in different states. These findings meant many LEAs had greatly reduced school district budgets which has a significant impact on the programs and services that can be funded for students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006404, ucf:51482
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006404
- Title
- MIGRANT CHILD.
- Creator
-
Sheperd, Nicholas, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Migrant Child is a poetry collection about injustice in the United States of America and the international community. The purpose of the collection is to humanize social injustice in the present, so as to show the reader that discrimination still happens in the United States in 2016. To that end, the collection draws on comparisons from civil rights movements of the 1960s and from present day. It is also meant to reflect injustices the author experiences in his own life. The poetry collection...
Show moreMigrant Child is a poetry collection about injustice in the United States of America and the international community. The purpose of the collection is to humanize social injustice in the present, so as to show the reader that discrimination still happens in the United States in 2016. To that end, the collection draws on comparisons from civil rights movements of the 1960s and from present day. It is also meant to reflect injustices the author experiences in his own life. The poetry collection was created after the author spent six months volunteering throughout the State of Florida. The poems in the collection center around Hispanic communities in the United States, refugees seeking asylum, individuals living HIV and AIDS, male rape, and familial abuse. Several poems are written in the epigraph format, so as to place the reader in the author's desired mindset for that particular poem. In addition, multiple poems in this collection have been inspired by the poets Yusef Komunyakaa, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Allen Ginsburg. In present day, discrimination and prejudice are still experienced by minority communities in the United States, and Migrant Child is not by any extent an exhaustive list of all communities that are, in the present, experiencing social injustice.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000107, ucf:45957
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000107
- Title
- THE ROLE OF BREASTFEEDING IN MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV/AIDS: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THREE COUNTRIES.
- Creator
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Cherukuri, Anjali, Borgon, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The HIV pandemic has affected millions of people around the world both medically and socially, since there is a stigma associated with this disease. Common methods of transmission include sexual intercourse and sharing needles, but there are other lesser known methods through which people can contract this disease. One such way is mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), in which a mother could transmit the virus to her child either during pregnancy, childbirth, or through breastfeeding. This...
Show moreThe HIV pandemic has affected millions of people around the world both medically and socially, since there is a stigma associated with this disease. Common methods of transmission include sexual intercourse and sharing needles, but there are other lesser known methods through which people can contract this disease. One such way is mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), in which a mother could transmit the virus to her child either during pregnancy, childbirth, or through breastfeeding. This paper focuses on the role of breastfeeding in the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Many studies have investigated how breastfeeding results in the transmission of the virus, and effective common treatment methods have been established. However, the issue of MTCT of HIV still exists even though it can easily be eradicated with the proper techniques. This suggests that there are still factors that contribute to HIV transmission from mother to child that have yet to be eliminated. Thus, this paper reviews the breastfeeding rates and breastfeeding practices of three different countries: South Africa, India, and the United Kingdom. This paper analyzes epidemiological data, studies from medical journals, and studies from anthropology journals to determine what social influences surround breastfeeding practices in each of these countries to see how these may contribute to MTCT of HIV via breastfeeding. While there were no apparent trends between child HIV prevalence rates and breastfeeding rates in these countries, there were some social and cultural factors that were similar across all three nations. This information may be useful in creating more effective treatment plans that are conducive to the social environments in these countries.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH2000204, ucf:46034
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000204
- Title
- ATTITUDE CHANGE REGARDING ANIMAL ABUSE IN ADULTS: THE EFFECT OF EDUCATION AND VISUAL AIDS.
- Creator
-
Carter, Ashley, Chin, Matthew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Companion animals now serve as more than tools for human use, they have become family. Many individuals now spend increasingly more money on animals than in years past and are more likely to acknowledge the animal as a family member. With this change in roles many humans have become more empathetic to animal cruelty. Studies have been conducted to examine various aspects of animal cruelty and how it relates to humans. However, few have examined attitude change regarding animal abuse. If...
Show moreCompanion animals now serve as more than tools for human use, they have become family. Many individuals now spend increasingly more money on animals than in years past and are more likely to acknowledge the animal as a family member. With this change in roles many humans have become more empathetic to animal cruelty. Studies have been conducted to examine various aspects of animal cruelty and how it relates to humans. However, few have examined attitude change regarding animal abuse. If attitudes can be positively changed in adults, these individuals are in a position to pass the information onto their children. Adults are also currently in the position to make changes in legislature regarding humane treatment of animals. An experiment was conducted which examined adults' attitudes toward animal abuse and whether they can be changed. Text information was examined as a variable for attitude change. Additionally visual aids in the form of photographs were used in conjunction with and separate from the text information as variables. Two types of photographs were used: images of companion animals by themselves or the same animals accompanied by adult humans. The text information used was adapted from an ASPCA presentation obtained, with permission, from the Orange County ASPCA. The power point presentation included information on the connection between animal violence and violence toward humans, how to help stop animal cruelty and how to report it. Six conditions were created using the three variables. iii It was found that pictures have an immediate effect on attitude change and information affects individuals in certain measures but not others. On all measures, images had more of an effect than information alone. Only when the text was accompanied by a picture, did it produce a significant change. Attitudes regarding the treatment of animals saw an immediate increase in both conditions in which images of humans and animals were present. Additionally, images of animals alone immediately increased attitudes regarding treatment of animals. This difference does not appear to increase further over time. Images of animals alone appear to aid in immediately altering individuals' sense of continuity with animals. The attitude that animals and humans share some commonalities and exist in relation to each other could assist in adoption campaigns by allowing the potential owners to place themselves with the animals they are adopting. However, over time information combined with images of humans and animals significantly increase this sense of commonality. The applications for the results depend on what type of attitude one desires to change and how soon the change has to occur. The present research reveals that images appear to affect attitude change regarding companion animals and the way they are treated more than text information.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0004127, ucf:44883
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004127
- Title
- FEDERAL FUNDING AND THE RISE IN UNIVERSITY TUITION COSTS.
- Creator
-
Kizzort, Megan, Hofler, Richard, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Access to education is a central part of federal higher education policy, and federal grant and loan programs are in place to make college degrees more attainable for students. However, there is still controversy about whether there are unintended consequences of implementing and maintaining these programs, and whether they are effectively achieving the goal of increased accessibility. In order to answer questions about whether three specific types of federal aid cause higher tuition rates...
Show moreAccess to education is a central part of federal higher education policy, and federal grant and loan programs are in place to make college degrees more attainable for students. However, there is still controversy about whether there are unintended consequences of implementing and maintaining these programs, and whether they are effectively achieving the goal of increased accessibility. In order to answer questions about whether three specific types of federal aid cause higher tuition rates and whether these programs increase graduation rates, four ordinary least squares regression models were estimated. They include changes in both in-state and out-of-state tuition sticker prices, graduation rates, as well as changes in three types of federal aid, and other variables indicative of the value of a degree for four-year public universities in Arizona, California, Georgia, and Florida for years 2001-2011. The regressions indicate a positive effect of Pell Grants on in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees, a positive effect of disbursed subsidized federal loans on the change in number of degrees awarded, and a positive effect of Pell Grants on graduation rates.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004522, ucf:45162
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004522
- Title
- AN EVALUATION OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT MODELS OF THE 28 FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
- Creator
-
LoBasso, Thomas, Bozeman, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which enrollment management models have been successfully implemented within the 28 Florida community colleges. The study also sought to determine when enrollment management structures began and whether expected benefits were achieved. Analysis of the data collected in this study indicated the following five major findings. First, enrollment management concepts and practices have been implemented at some level within the 23...
Show moreABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which enrollment management models have been successfully implemented within the 28 Florida community colleges. The study also sought to determine when enrollment management structures began and whether expected benefits were achieved. Analysis of the data collected in this study indicated the following five major findings. First, enrollment management concepts and practices have been implemented at some level within the 23 Florida community colleges surveyed. This was evident by the use of the word "enrollment" in the organizational titles as well as in the titles of the individuals who were responsible for the models. Second, enrollment management models reported were determined to be relatively new in comparison to four-year institutions. The literature on enrollment management demonstrated that four-year colleges began enrollment management practices in the early-to-mid 1970s. Much of the existing literature on enrollment management has been based on the experiences at four-year institutions. Third, some enrollment management divisions appeared to have key enrollment offices displaced. The key enrollment offices selected in this study were supported throughout the literature. Those offices represented were as follows: Admissions, Records and Registration, Financial aid, Orientation, and Advising. Fourth, increasing enrollment was the strongest reason for implementing the enrollment structure and subsequently was the strongest benefit realized. The anticipated decline in high school graduates, and the expectation of subsequent declining college enrollments during the 1970s, provided the impetus for the adoption of models of enrollment management. The fifth finding was that moving key enrollment offices such as financial aid into the enrollment management organizations would be an improvement to existing models. As enrollment management concepts are implemented into practice, the realignment of related offices may be necessary to effectively accomplish goals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000371, ucf:46330
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000371
- Title
- INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFICATION OF POLAR BEARS BY WHISKER SPOT PATTERNS.
- Creator
-
Anderson, Carlos, Waterman, Jane, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Many types of ecological studies require identification of individual animals. I developed and evaluated an automated identification system for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) based on their whisker spot patterns. First, I measured the reliability of using whisker spot patterns for identification from polar bear photographs taken in western Hudson Bay. This analysis involved estimating the complexity of each whisker spot pattern in terms of its information content. I found that 98% of patterns...
Show moreMany types of ecological studies require identification of individual animals. I developed and evaluated an automated identification system for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) based on their whisker spot patterns. First, I measured the reliability of using whisker spot patterns for identification from polar bear photographs taken in western Hudson Bay. This analysis involved estimating the complexity of each whisker spot pattern in terms of its information content. I found that 98% of patterns contained enough information to be reliable, and this result varied little among three different observers. Based on these results, I implemented a computer-aided identification system for polar bears based on whisker spot pattern recognition. I used standard computer vision techniques to pre-process images and the Chamfer distance transform to compute similary scores between images. In addition, I evaluated the system by testing the effects of photographic quality and angle on system accuracy. I found that excellent and moderate quality/angle provided best results, with system accuracy of 90-95%. These findings suggest that individual identification of polar bears in the field based on whisker spot pattern variation is possible. Researchers studying polar bear behavior or estimating population parameters should benefit from this noninvasive technique.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001671, ucf:47207
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001671
- Title
- AN EVALUATION OF HIV/AIDS INCIDENCE REDUCTION AND AWARENESS-RAISING INTERVENTIONS INSPIRED BY THE SONAGACHI PROJECT AND THE 100% CONDOM USE PROGRAM.
- Creator
-
Fernandez, Nicole, Rovito, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In the past thirty years, HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) transformed from a mysteriously lethal disease affecting limited portions of the population to a true global pandemic. Although HIV/AIDS is responsible for the deaths of approximately 30 million people worldwide, prevalence rates are now increasing significantly due to increasing survival rates. However, overall increasing incidence rates now serve as a primary concern for researchers. Avert ...
Show moreIn the past thirty years, HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) transformed from a mysteriously lethal disease affecting limited portions of the population to a true global pandemic. Although HIV/AIDS is responsible for the deaths of approximately 30 million people worldwide, prevalence rates are now increasing significantly due to increasing survival rates. However, overall increasing incidence rates now serve as a primary concern for researchers. Avert (2011) suggests that there is a lack of behavioral interventions and prevention programs aimed at decreasing the number of newly affected individuals. This is problematic as it may create not only physical and mental stress upon patients but also a source of financial and resource stress upon service organizations. In Asia, HIV/AIDS is primarily apparent in three high-risk groups: sex workers, men who have sex with men, and intravenous drug users (Avert, 2011). Service organizations target these high-risk groups with prevention programs in order to decrease infection rates and raise general awareness of the disease. This study aims to evaluate two HIV/AIDS prevention program theories(the Sonagachi Project and the 100% Condom Use Program) and the studies that implement them. This proposed evaluation assesses the effectiveness of these HIV/AIDS prevention programs in reducing infection rates and raising awareness of the disease. Due to the widespread use and apparent effectiveness of the 100% Condom Use Program and The Sonagachi Project, this study aims to assess the interventions in lessening HIV infection rates and critique the methods outlined by both. This thesis also employs a systemic review of the literature by using the program theories of The 100% Condom Use Program and The Sonagachi Project.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004180, ucf:44839
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004180
- Title
- Countering the Narrative: Exploring the Relationships among Wellness, Resilience, and Empowerment within Black Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV (BMSM+).
- Creator
-
Heard, Nevin, Shillingford-Butler, Ann, Joe, Richelle, Boote, David, Dollarhide, Collette, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately impact marginalized populations, where one in two Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The lack of research regarding the wellness of Black men who have sex with men living with HIV (BMSM+) inhibits understanding, which could hinder professions missioned with bettering the wellness of BMSM+. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate if resilience and empowerment predict BMSM+'s...
Show moreThe HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately impact marginalized populations, where one in two Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The lack of research regarding the wellness of Black men who have sex with men living with HIV (BMSM+) inhibits understanding, which could hinder professions missioned with bettering the wellness of BMSM+. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate if resilience and empowerment predict BMSM+'s wellness. However, a lack of internal consistency among the empowerment measurement required the researcher to remove the scale and adjust the scope of the study. A simple linear regression determined that resilience predicted wellness with statistical significance F(1, 247) = 726.012,(&)nbsp;R2 = .745, p =.000, f2 = 2.92. Descriptive statistics revealed that there were no significant differences in overall wellness when comparing BMSM+ ((N = 249) to norming samples representative of the U.S. population, t(248) = 1.575, p = .12 and African-Americans, t(248) = -1.444, p = .150; though BMSM+ had higher overall wellness when compared to men, t(248) = 9.926, p = .000. Most of the BMSM+ in this study had a resilience score that was somewhat low to very low (M = 123. 39), which was significantly lower than norming samples of the U.S. population, t(248) = -8.345, p = .000 and men, p = .000; males: t(248) = -7.938, p = .000. Additionally, the researcher ran two post hoc analyses that used multi-factor ANOVAs that revealed significant differences in resilience and wellness between groups when examining participants' HIV viral load detectability, CD4 count, mode of HIV contraction, level of religiosity/spirituality, education, and relationship status. Overall, the findings of the current study challenge the assumption that BMSM+ are unwell and has implications for counseling practitioners, counselor educators, researchers, and community-based organizations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007191, ucf:52258
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007191
- Title
- RETROCYCLIN, A POTENT HIV-1 ENTRY INHIBITOR.
- Creator
-
Venkataraman, Nitya, Cole, Alexander, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Human immununodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the leading cause of death due to viral infections worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine or consistent male condom use, there is a clear need for female-controlled preventatives such as topical vaginal microbicides. Recent attention has been focused on developing natural antimicrobial peptides, as anti-retroviral microbicides. Increasing evidence suggests that cationic antimicrobial peptides such as defensins are effective HIV-1...
Show moreHuman immununodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the leading cause of death due to viral infections worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine or consistent male condom use, there is a clear need for female-controlled preventatives such as topical vaginal microbicides. Recent attention has been focused on developing natural antimicrobial peptides, as anti-retroviral microbicides. Increasing evidence suggests that cationic antimicrobial peptides such as defensins are effective HIV-1 inhibitors. Human alpha- and beta-defensins contribute substantially to innate immune defenses against microbial and viral infections. Certain nonhuman primates also produce theta-defensins 18 residue cyclic peptides that are potent HIV-1 entry inhibitors. Multiple human theta-defensin genes exist, but they harbor a premature termination codon that blocks translation. Consequently, the theta-defensins (retrocyclins) encoded within the human genome are not expressed as peptides. In vivo production of theta-defensins in rhesus macaques involves the post-translational ligation of two nonapeptides, each derived from a 12-residue "demidefensin" precursor. Neither the mechanism of this unique process nor its existence in human cells is known. To ascertain if human cells retained the ability to process demidefensins, we transfected human promyelocytic cells with plasmids containing repaired retrocyclin-like genes. The expected peptides were isolated, their sequences were verified by mass spectrometric analyses, and their anti-HIV-1 activity was confirmed in vitro. Our study reveals for the first time, to our knowledge, that human cells have the ability to make cyclic theta-defensins. Given this evidence that human cells could make theta-defensins, we attempted to restore endogenous expression of retrocyclin peptides. Since human theta-defensin genes are transcribed, we used aminoglycosides to read-through the premature termination codon found in the mRNA transcripts. This treatment induced the production of intact, bioactive retrocyclin-1 peptide by human epithelial cells and cervicovaginal tissues. The ability to reawaken retrocyclins genes from their 7 million years of slumber using aminoglycosides could provide a novel way to secure enhanced resistance to HIV-1 infection. Our studies on retrocyclin reveal that they are potential candidates to develop as topical vaginal microbicides to prevent sexual transmission of HIV-1. Mucosal surfaces of the vagina are the portals for heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 and therefore play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of primary infection. In a search for direct biological evidence for the role of human vaginal fluid in innate host defense, we characterized the anti-HIV-1 function of cationic polypeptides within minimally manipulated vaginal fluid. In our studies, we revealed that vaginal fluid confers intrinsic anti-HIV-1 properties against both X4 and R5 strains of HIV-1, and could protect against HIV-1 infection and reduce proviral genome integration in organotypic cultures of human cervicovaginal tissue. The majority of this activity was contained in the cationic polypeptide fraction, and the depletion of cationic polypeptides using a selective cation-exchange resin ablated most of the intrinsic activity against HIV-1. By adding the cationic polypeptide fraction to depleted vaginal fluid, we were able to restore activity against HIV-1. Using a proteomic approach, we identified 18 cationic polypeptides within vaginal fluid, nearly all of which are either known antimicrobials or have other purported roles in host defense. Interestingly, physiologic concentrations of 13 of the cationic polypeptides were alone not active against HIV-1, yet in concert they partially restored the anti-HIV-1 activity of cation-depleted vaginal fluid. These results suggest that synergism between cationic polypeptides is complex and full anti-HIV-1 activity likely involves the aggregate of the cationic peptides and proteins in the acidic human vaginal fluid. Interestingly, retrocyclins retained complete anti-HIV-1 activity in the presence of human vaginal fluid. Therefore expression of retrocyclin peptides can help activate the natural defense mechanism against HIV-1. We next investigated the regulation of expression of retrocyclin (pseudo)gene. We identified a putative interferon response cluster upstream of the retrocyclin gene. The activity of this cluster was upregulated when treated with IFN-β although to a modest extent. Interestingly, the cluster also contained the binding site for an Interferon Consensus Sequence Binding Protein (ICSBP), a known repressor of the IFN inducible genes. Deletion of the ICSBP site or addition of a known inhibitor of ICSBP resulted in the increase in the activity of the cluster, indicating a role for ICSBP in the negative regulation of expression of retrocyclins. Collectively our data suggest that the expression of this ancestral gene is tightly regulated in both a positive and negative manner via the IFN response pathway.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002777, ucf:48104
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002777
- Title
- EVALUATION OF A QUALITY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE AND HIV AMBULATORY SERVICES PERFORMANCE IN THAILAND.
- Creator
-
Meemon, Natthani, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The accomplishment of pilot implementation of the HIVQUAL-T model, an innovative HIV care quality management tool, has led to an authoritative decision to scale up the use of the model nationwide in Thailand. However, the level of implementing this model varies across target hospitals. Some hospitals have fully adopted the model by conducting quality improvement (QI) activities following performance measurement (PM) results while others have partially adopted only PM or have not used this...
Show moreThe accomplishment of pilot implementation of the HIVQUAL-T model, an innovative HIV care quality management tool, has led to an authoritative decision to scale up the use of the model nationwide in Thailand. However, the level of implementing this model varies across target hospitals. Some hospitals have fully adopted the model by conducting quality improvement (QI) activities following performance measurement (PM) results while others have partially adopted only PM or have not used this model at all. The differential level of implementation could be a contributing factor accounting for discrepancies in the quality of care across different HIV ambulatory care facilities. A cross-sectional study was conducted by using two main datasets, including Thailand's national HIV care performance results and an online survey of all public hospitals nationwide. A total of 382 hospitals responded to the survey, accounting for a response rate of 50%. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) method was performed to examine the validity of latent constructs developed from the diffusion of innovation theory. Structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed to investigate the relationship between the determinants of organizational decision-making and their contribution to organizational outcomes, under the context-design-performance framework. Furthermore, using a panel model of hospitals that reported performance results across a 3-year period, the improvement in HIV ambulatory services performance among the adopters was examined. The results indicated that two innovation attributes -relative advantage and simplicity perceived by HIV care practitioners in hospitals- were found to be positively associated with the level of the HIVQUAL-T model implementation. Two structural characteristics -interconnectedness and organizational slack- appeared to be positively associated with the level of model implementation, while rate of adoption in the region also had significant positive contribution. Ultimately, the extensiveness of the HIVQUAL-T model implementation demonstrated a proportionate impact on the variation in hospitals' HIV ambulatory services performance. It was noted that the implementers considerably improved their performance within two years of implementing the model. The study findings imply that adoption is more likely when individual practitioners assess the innovation and find it to be easy to comprehend and operate and also worthwhile to implement. Furthermore, hospitals' decision making is likely influenced by their relations to external environment. The findings suggest more emphasis on individual and hospital-level capacity building for meaningful use of this quality management initiative, accompanied by an adjustment of performance measurement software with valid, reliable, and interpretable indicators.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003753, ucf:48785
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003753
- Title
- The Design Plan for a Comprehensive Financial Literacy Program.
- Creator
-
Manselle, Karemah, Hopp, Carolyn, Owens, J. Thomas, Ortiz, Enrique, Vitale, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The need for financial literacy among Americans has become a national topic of interest. Economists, financial professionals, educators, and government officials recognize there is an overall deficit of financial knowledge. More specifically, higher education administrators have become increasingly concerned with ensuring that financial literacy tools are available to college students. Students of today face higher tuition and education-related costs, are less likely to receive grant funding...
Show moreThe need for financial literacy among Americans has become a national topic of interest. Economists, financial professionals, educators, and government officials recognize there is an overall deficit of financial knowledge. More specifically, higher education administrators have become increasingly concerned with ensuring that financial literacy tools are available to college students. Students of today face higher tuition and education-related costs, are less likely to receive grant funding to assist with their educational expenses, and are more likely to be in debt, carrying higher student debt loads than previous generations. Further, students lack the financial knowledge needed to make sound financial decisions. Hence, there is a need for effective financial literacy programs at post-secondary institutions. The purpose of this dissertation in practice (DIP) is to design a comprehensive financial literacy program model for students attending large diverse higher education institutions similar to the University of Central Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005837, ucf:50921
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005837
- Title
- Enhancing the effectiveness of Human-Robot teaming with a closed-loop system.
- Creator
-
Teo, Grace, Szalma, James, Jentsch, Florian, Hancock, Peter, Matthews, Gerald, Reinerman, Lauren, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
With the development in robotics and the increasing deployment of robots, human-robot teams are set to be a mainstay in the future. However, our understanding of the effectiveness and impact of this new form of teaming is limited. Previous experience with technology and automa-tion has shown that technological aids do not always result in the intended consequences of im-proved performance and alleviation of workload and stress. No doubt a large part of this is due to the fact that the...
Show moreWith the development in robotics and the increasing deployment of robots, human-robot teams are set to be a mainstay in the future. However, our understanding of the effectiveness and impact of this new form of teaming is limited. Previous experience with technology and automa-tion has shown that technological aids do not always result in the intended consequences of im-proved performance and alleviation of workload and stress. No doubt a large part of this is due to the fact that the relationships among taskload, workload and performance are complex as hu-man operators interact dynamically with tasks and technology. Measures of workload are also varied and differentially sensitive. There is also the added challenge posed by multi-tasking envi-ronments which typify most real-world situations. Given all this, efforts in designing technologi-cal aids, such as an adaptive robot aid in the context of human-robot teaming, would require a workload model that reflects the intricate relationship between taskload and the individual opera-tor's experience of workload. Such a model can then be used to drive a closed-loop system on which adaptive robot aiding can be based. The present research sought to investigate the effec-tiveness of a closed-loop system, based on a model of workload, in enhancing performance in a simulated military mission involving a human-robot team. Results showed that adaptive robot aid driven by workload needs as assessed by physiological measures resulted in greater improve-ments in performance compared to robot aid that was imposed by the system.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006403, ucf:51485
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006403
- Title
- The Effects of Diagnostic Aiding on Situation Awareness under Robot Unreliability.
- Creator
-
Schuster, David, Jentsch, Florian, Szalma, James, Mouloua, Mustapha, Shumaker, Randall, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In highly autonomous robotic systems, human operators are able to attend to their own, separate tasks, but robots still need occasional human intervention. In this scenario, it may be difficult for human operators to determine the status of the system and environment when called upon to aid the robot. The resulting lack of situation awareness (SA) is a problem common to other automated systems, and it can lead to poor performance and compromised safety. Existing research on this problem...
Show moreIn highly autonomous robotic systems, human operators are able to attend to their own, separate tasks, but robots still need occasional human intervention. In this scenario, it may be difficult for human operators to determine the status of the system and environment when called upon to aid the robot. The resulting lack of situation awareness (SA) is a problem common to other automated systems, and it can lead to poor performance and compromised safety. Existing research on this problem suggested that reliable automation of information processing, called diagnostic aiding, leads to better operator SA. The effects of unreliable diagnostic aiding, however, were not well understood. These effects are likely to depend on the ability of the operator to perform the task unaided. That is, under conditions in which the operator can reconcile their own sensing with that of the robot, the influence of unreliable diagnostic aiding may be more pronounced. When the robot is the only source of information for a task, these effects may be weaker or may reverse direction. The purpose of the current experiment was to determine if SA is differentially affected by unreliability at different levels of unaided human performance and at different stages of diagnostic aiding. This was accomplished by experimentally manipulating the stage of diagnostic aiding, robot reliability, and the ability of the operator to build SA unaided. Results indicated that while reliable diagnostic aiding is generally useful, unreliable diagnostic aiding has effects that depend on the amount of information available to operators in the environment. This research improves understanding of how robots can support operator SA and can guide the development of future robots so that humans are most likely to use them effectively.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005247, ucf:50577
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005247
- Title
- CAREGIVER BURDEN AND COPING RESPONSES FOR FEMALES WHO ARE THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER FOR A FAMILY MEMBER LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN KENYA.
- Creator
-
Kimemia, Veronica, Daire, Andrew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Caring for a family member who is ill can be a draining experience (Cooper et al., 2006; Daire, 2002; Zarit et al, 1980). Providing care for a family member that is living with HIV/AIDS is potentially even more stressful because of social meanings associated with HIV/AIDS infection (Stajduhar, 1998) and the contagious nature of the HIV virus (Powell-Cope & Brown, 1992). Research indicates that most caregivers are female (Bunting, 2001; Songwathana, 2000). In Africa women bear the brunt of the...
Show moreCaring for a family member who is ill can be a draining experience (Cooper et al., 2006; Daire, 2002; Zarit et al, 1980). Providing care for a family member that is living with HIV/AIDS is potentially even more stressful because of social meanings associated with HIV/AIDS infection (Stajduhar, 1998) and the contagious nature of the HIV virus (Powell-Cope & Brown, 1992). Research indicates that most caregivers are female (Bunting, 2001; Songwathana, 2000). In Africa women bear the brunt of the burden of providing care for family members who are living with HIV/AIDS (Mushonga, 2001; Olenja, 1999). This study examined coping factors and caregiver burden among female caregivers (N=116) of a family member living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Coping factors were derived from a principal components factor analysis of the fourteen scales on the Brief Cope (Carver, 1997). Caregiver burden was measured using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationships between caregiver burden and coping factors. Posthoc multiple regression analyses further investigated the relationship between caregiver burden and caregiver demographic characteristics. The relationship between caregiver burden and care recipient characteristics was also investigated. The principle components factor analysis of the Brief Cope yielded five coping factors that were labeled: Social support, Hope, Acceptance, Planning, and Disposition. The regression analysis that was conducted to investigate the relationships between these five coping factors and caregiver burden indicated a significant inverse relationship between Hope and caregiver burden. The post-hoc analyses investigating the relationship between various caregiver and care recipient characteristics indicated a significant relationship between the caregiver's age and caregiver burden, and education level and caregiver burden. An increase in age correlated with a decrease in caregiver burden. An increase in education level correlated with reduced caregiver burden. Implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001012, ucf:46832
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001012
- Title
- A Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Pell Grant Aid and Associated Variables in a Florida Public State College.
- Creator
-
Powers, Lynn, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Owens, James, Cox, Thomas, Roman, Marcia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Using Bean and Metzner's conceptual framework related to non-traditional student attrition, the responsible use of Federal Pell Grants was studied by examining the retention and academic performance of college-credit seeking students in a public college in Florida that predominantly offered two year degree programs. Also analyzed were differences between Pell Grant recipients and non-recipients among various demographic categories. Chi-square tests of independence indicated that statistical...
Show moreUsing Bean and Metzner's conceptual framework related to non-traditional student attrition, the responsible use of Federal Pell Grants was studied by examining the retention and academic performance of college-credit seeking students in a public college in Florida that predominantly offered two year degree programs. Also analyzed were differences between Pell Grant recipients and non-recipients among various demographic categories. Chi-square tests of independence indicated that statistical significance existed between Pell Grant recipients and non-recipients in retention rates from fall to spring terms, as well as in the demographic variables of academic performance, gender, ethnicity, age group, residency, and credit hours achieved. Only the variable of ethnicity showed a medium practical effect size, with all the other variables indicating a small to no practical effect size.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005231, ucf:50581
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005231