Current Search: Vulnerability (x)
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(1 - 9 of 9)
- Title
- When There's No Home to Prepare: Understanding Natural Hazards Vulnerability Among the Homeless in Central Florida.
- Creator
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Settembrino, Marc, Rivera, Fernando, Wright, James, Koontz, Amanda, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The current study explores the social construction of natural hazards vulnerability by examining the perceptions of emergency management personnel, homeless service providers and homeless men living in Central Florida. The matrix of vulnerability is proposed as a framework for studying disaster vulnerability, wherein vulnerability is viewed as a complex process consisting of social and physical risk, human agency and time. Using the matrix as a guiding framework, this study examines the risks...
Show moreThe current study explores the social construction of natural hazards vulnerability by examining the perceptions of emergency management personnel, homeless service providers and homeless men living in Central Florida. The matrix of vulnerability is proposed as a framework for studying disaster vulnerability, wherein vulnerability is viewed as a complex process consisting of social and physical risk, human agency and time. Using the matrix as a guiding framework, this study examines the risks that natural hazards present to the homeless living in Central Florida and the strategies used by the homeless to manage these risks. This study argues that because the homeless experience increased exposure to natural hazards coupled with potential chronic medical conditions, economic hardship, and social stigma, they are more vulnerable to natural hazards than the general population. However, this study finds that homeless men in Central Florida utilize a variety of strategies that help them manage their risks to severe and inclement weather in Central Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004936, ucf:49618
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004936
- Title
- EXPLORING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER AND BILINGUALISM.
- Creator
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James, Nicholas, Beidel, Deborah, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study investigated the possible relationship between bilingualism and social anxiety disorder. Past research has indicated developmental delays in language as increasing risk for other psychological difficulties. With the pressure to learn two languages, possibly in the drastically different environments of home, school, and/or work, individuals may be vulnerable to becoming socially anxious in conjunction with language use. This study examined a series of factors surrounding linguistic...
Show moreThis study investigated the possible relationship between bilingualism and social anxiety disorder. Past research has indicated developmental delays in language as increasing risk for other psychological difficulties. With the pressure to learn two languages, possibly in the drastically different environments of home, school, and/or work, individuals may be vulnerable to becoming socially anxious in conjunction with language use. This study examined a series of factors surrounding linguistic development and reports of social anxiety. Participants were divided into 4 groups: Socially Anxious (SA; n = 43) monolinguals, Non-Socially Anxious (Non-SA; n = 81) monolinguals, SA bilinguals (n = 30), and Non-SA bilinguals (n = 43). Measures of social anxiety, linguistic ability, and demographic information were collected and compared. The results of this study showed no direct link between bilingualism and SAD. However results raised other questions as there was an overrepresentation of SA bilinguals having accents when compared with Non-SA bilingual individuals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004676, ucf:45285
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004676
- Title
- NONPROFIT BOARD EFFECTIVENESS, FUNDING SOURCE,AND FINANCIAL VULNERABILITY.
- Creator
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Hodge, Matthew, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on their governing board of directors to provide leadership, strategic guidance, and financial oversight. The nonprofit community continues to grow, and the services provided by these organizations have become a critical part of our society, providing a wide variety of services targeting a diverse population. In this context, how the role of the board of directors impacts the financial position of the nonprofit organization is of great interest to both the...
Show moreNonprofit organizations rely heavily on their governing board of directors to provide leadership, strategic guidance, and financial oversight. The nonprofit community continues to grow, and the services provided by these organizations have become a critical part of our society, providing a wide variety of services targeting a diverse population. In this context, how the role of the board of directors impacts the financial position of the nonprofit organization is of great interest to both the academic community and the practitioner. This study examined three areas of interest: board effectiveness, funding source, and financial vulnerability. First, the association between board effectiveness and financial vulnerability was tested. Second, specific board behaviors associated with strategic planning and stakeholder management were tested to determine if they were greater predictors of financial vulnerability. Finally, the role of funding source (specifically privately funded organizations) as a moderating variable for board effectiveness and financial vulnerability was explored. The sample was composed of 112 participants, consisting of board member/executive director survey responses and financial information for the participating organizations. The sample was drawn from six counties in the Central Florida area. Data were collected from a series of mailings, and surveys were distributed at nonprofit lecture series. The Financial Vulnerability Index (FVI) was used as a measure of the financial condition of the nonprofit organization and represented the dependent variable in this study. The Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) was used to assess board effectiveness and represented the independent variable in this study. Primary funding source was identified as a moderating variable, while board size, age of the organization, CEO tenure, service area, United Way affiliation, national affiliation were included as control variables. Board effectiveness as measured by the BSAQ was a significant predictor of financial vulnerability as measured by the FVI. The strategic and stakeholder behaviors associated with board effectiveness were not found to be significant predictors of financial vulnerability, beyond other behaviors associated with board effectiveness. Funding source was shown to moderate the observed relationship between board effectiveness and financial vulnerability, as the association between effectiveness and financial condition was significant in privately funded nonprofit organizations (no such significance was identified in government funded or commercially funded organizations).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0000974, ucf:46690
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000974
- Title
- An Ecological Analysis of Social and Economic Influences on Black and White Infant Mortality Risk In Orange County, FL.
- Creator
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Lopez-Littleton, Vanessa, Liberman, Aaron, Wan, Thomas, Wright, James, Lieberman, Leslie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Black health disparities are a salient public health issue with blacks in every socioeconomic level at a greater health disadvantage than their white counterparts. In particular, disparity in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites have widened in recent decades to differentials never before experienced in the United States. Social ecologists investigating the myriad of individual and environmental risk factors have failed to fully account for the persistent differential. This study...
Show moreBlack health disparities are a salient public health issue with blacks in every socioeconomic level at a greater health disadvantage than their white counterparts. In particular, disparity in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites have widened in recent decades to differentials never before experienced in the United States. Social ecologists investigating the myriad of individual and environmental risk factors have failed to fully account for the persistent differential. This study examines the relationships between individual and environmental influences on the health risk experienced by blacks, whites, as well as the differential between the two populations. This multi-level analysis was conducted using five-year aggregate data centering on the 2000 decennial census (1998 - 2002) as the most recent census data available. During the study period, the 193 census tracts in Orange County, Florida, experienced 504 infant deaths which included 242 black and 241 white infant deaths. Using the infant mortality target rate developed for Healthy People 2000 as the (")normal(") infant mortality rate, risk was calculated as the percentage of deviation from the (")normal("). A rate was also calculated to demonstrate the difference between black and white percent deviations from the (")normal("). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between socioeconomic influences (Socioeconomic Disadvantage), social risk factors (Social Disorganization), and behavioral risk factors (Poor Behavioral Choices) using a latent variable approach based on a conceptual model which integrated the social determinants of health framework and conflict theory. In this study, an inverse association was found between socioeconomic disadvantage and infant mortality risk for black infants. This finding is contradictory to the expected finding and may have been due to multicollinearity or the operationalization of the endogenous study variable for black infant mortality risk. Thus, this study highlights the complexity of unraveling the interrelationship between social and economic risk factors. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of the latent variable approach in public health research as well as the need to broaden the approach to selecting indicators. This study concludes with specific policy recommendations aimed at improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations using the social determinants of health framework.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004129, ucf:49109
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004129
- Title
- An Exploratory Study of Customer Vulnerability: A Cross-Segment Approach.
- Creator
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Aiello, Taryn, Severt, Denver, Rompf, Paul, Breiter, Deborah, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of customer vulnerability across varying service industries. While the concept of customer vulnerability has been debated in business, marketing, sociology, and psychology scholarly literature, there has been little research conducted that specifically investigates consumers' perceptions of vulnerability during the service exchange. Specific to this research, customer vulnerability is defined as experiences in which consumers participate in...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to explore the concept of customer vulnerability across varying service industries. While the concept of customer vulnerability has been debated in business, marketing, sociology, and psychology scholarly literature, there has been little research conducted that specifically investigates consumers' perceptions of vulnerability during the service exchange. Specific to this research, customer vulnerability is defined as experiences in which consumers participate in a service exchange with a firm during a time of individual or shared medical, physical, emotional, or spiritual necessity, whether the vulnerability is experienced during the course of the transaction or whether consumers arrive to the firm already immersed in that state. Customer vulnerability is an important concept for research, as the exchanges between service providers and consumers during a time of vulnerability are heightened in emotion and memory. As a result, these exchanges lend themselves to be more likely to become transformative experiences, in that the provider and recipient may be left emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually changed as a result. Therefore, additional focus is needed in this area to understand transformative experiences in service as a result of exchanges between service providers and customers.The explorative study first conducts a critical literature review across disciplines regarding scales that have been used and are considered by the researcher to be important constructs of analysis when exploring vulnerable service encounters. Next, a qualitative investigation of consumer forums is conducted in the air travel, banking, and assisted living industries, which resulted in the finding that similar behavioral attributes within industry, but different behavioral attributes between industries, were needed to cater to consumers experiencing vulnerability. The study is followed by a quantitative investigation of vulnerable service experiences through an application of the identified scales combined with the results of the qualitative investigation across the same three industries. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that two industries' results loaded onto two factors; however, each industry's factors differed due to the nature of that industry. The air travel factors were entitled task humanism and task functionality. The banking factors were entitled maintenance functionality and maintenance humanism. A third factor was revealed within the assisted living facility segment entitled hospitable humanism, along with factors of personal humanism and personal functionality. The study concludes by presenting a discussion of the findings and practical implications for service industry managers, a presentation of the study limitations, and suggestions for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005291, ucf:50542
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005291
- Title
- PANUA PARTNERS IN HOPE, NAIVASHA, KENYA: LEGAL AND DOMESTIC RELATED CHALLENGES.
- Creator
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Holman, Keisha, Naccarato-Fromang, Gina, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The complexities of issues existing in Kenya create a domino effect directly affecting not only the effective management and economic growth of Kenya, but also social and legislative constraints to the lower socioeconomic classes. Land dispossession, proof of ownership to property and nationality are ongoing troubling issues affecting increased orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kenya, most noticeably within predominantly poverty stricken rural enclaves. This research focuses on the...
Show moreThe complexities of issues existing in Kenya create a domino effect directly affecting not only the effective management and economic growth of Kenya, but also social and legislative constraints to the lower socioeconomic classes. Land dispossession, proof of ownership to property and nationality are ongoing troubling issues affecting increased orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kenya, most noticeably within predominantly poverty stricken rural enclaves. This research focuses on the bold move of stakeholders of Trinity United Methodist Church in Naivasha, Kenya partnering with First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, Orlando, United States of America. In 2010, they conceptualized Panua Partners in Hope, a transformational ministerial assisted non-profit organization program. These churches recently established support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Naivasha, Kenya. Decisively apply all their available resources to stem the varying issues these orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) are facing. Whereby, the program is designed to teach self-sufficiency, wealth creation through sustainable income generation and entrepreneurship, and religious relationship development. Continued education is a key component of which Panua mandates. Ongoing (learning) education ensures each child remain in school - (basic, primary and secondary school levels). In addition to ensuring orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) are legally aware of their civil, human and property rights. Conversely, these issues being perpetual worldwide challenges, however, the aim of this research is to specifically address its impactive progression on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Thus, outlining their local conditions, the provisions of governmental policies, and assistance, or lack thereof to remedy such current challenges. Additionally, the research will outline reformed constitutional statutes despite being ratified, have not addressed the major issues currently impinging on the freedom and rights of rural communities in Naivasha, Kenya.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004640, ucf:45319
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004640
- Title
- An Examination of the Connection Between Genuine Dialogue and Improv.
- Creator
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O'Neal, Kathleen, Hastings, Sally, Katt, James, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The value of improv training extends beyond the stage. Improv has been successfully utilized and applied in a variety of ways in the workplace, school, and community. This study examines the connection between genuine dialogue and improv to determine if improv exhibits dialogic qualities. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of nineteen improv students. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the director of a hospital's Innovation Lab where improv is used in an organizational...
Show moreThe value of improv training extends beyond the stage. Improv has been successfully utilized and applied in a variety of ways in the workplace, school, and community. This study examines the connection between genuine dialogue and improv to determine if improv exhibits dialogic qualities. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of nineteen improv students. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the director of a hospital's Innovation Lab where improv is used in an organizational setting. The conditions for dialogue set by Gordon (2006) served as a guideline for analyzing data. Thematic analysis generated categories used to analyze data. The most prominent of Gordon's conditions for dialogue within improv were Imagination (&) Innovation, Vulnerability and Immediacy of Presence. The importance of this study, implications and future studies for the connection between improv and dialogue are examined.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005389, ucf:52873
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005389
- Title
- PERCEPTION OF CUTENESS AND BEAUTY.
- Creator
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Jones, Danielle, Poindexter, Carla, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Upbringing and psychological make-up inspire individual norms for beauty and cuteness. The mannerist approach in my work is a product of the figural liberties found in cartooning, illustration and art history. By altering facial and bodily features, I relate the proportions of an infant to cuteness and innocence. However, I tailor the photographs to empower the subjects all the while mirroring trends in contemporary pop culture. I'm interested in themes of everyday life, vitality and...
Show moreUpbringing and psychological make-up inspire individual norms for beauty and cuteness. The mannerist approach in my work is a product of the figural liberties found in cartooning, illustration and art history. By altering facial and bodily features, I relate the proportions of an infant to cuteness and innocence. However, I tailor the photographs to empower the subjects all the while mirroring trends in contemporary pop culture. I'm interested in themes of everyday life, vitality and emotion placed in obscure, imaginary or exaggerated venues. I fictionalize subjects of my reality to compel viewers to identify with and fancy emotions, circumstances, moods and relationships. The intent is to amplify, yet be truer to their existence and idiosyncrasies through figural adaptations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002538, ucf:47637
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002538
- Title
- Adaptive Architectural Strategies for Resilient Energy-Aware Computing.
- Creator
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Ashraf, Rizwan, DeMara, Ronald, Lin, Mingjie, Wang, Jun, Jha, Sumit, Johnson, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Reconfigurable logic or Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices have the ability to dynamically adapt the computational circuit based on user-specified or operating-condition requirements. Such hardware platforms are utilized in this dissertation to develop adaptive techniques for achieving reliable and sustainable operation while autonomously meeting these requirements. In particular, the properties of resource uniformity and in-field reconfiguration via on-chip processors are exploited...
Show moreReconfigurable logic or Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices have the ability to dynamically adapt the computational circuit based on user-specified or operating-condition requirements. Such hardware platforms are utilized in this dissertation to develop adaptive techniques for achieving reliable and sustainable operation while autonomously meeting these requirements. In particular, the properties of resource uniformity and in-field reconfiguration via on-chip processors are exploited to implement Evolvable Hardware (EHW). EHW utilize genetic algorithms to realize logic circuits at runtime, as directed by the objective function. However, the size of problems solved using EHW as compared with traditional approaches has been limited to relatively compact circuits. This is due to the increase in complexity of the genetic algorithm with increase in circuit size. To address this research challenge of scalability, the Netlist-Driven Evolutionary Refurbishment (NDER) technique was designed and implemented herein to enable on-the-fly permanent fault mitigation in FPGA circuits. NDER has been shown to achieve refurbishment of relatively large sized benchmark circuits as compared to related works. Additionally, Design Diversity (DD) techniques which are used to aid such evolutionary refurbishment techniques are also proposed and the efficacy of various DD techniques is quantified and evaluated.Similarly, there exists a growing need for adaptable logic datapaths in custom-designed nanometer-scale ICs, for ensuring operational reliability in the presence of Process, Voltage, and Temperature (PVT) and, transistor-aging variations owing to decreased feature sizes for electronic devices. Without such adaptability, excessive design guardbands are required to maintain the desired integration and performance levels. To address these challenges, the circuit-level technique of Self-Recovery Enabled Logic (SREL) was designed herein. At design-time, vulnerable portions of the circuit identified using conventional Electronic Design Automation tools are replicated to provide post-fabrication adaptability via intelligent techniques. In-situ timing sensors are utilized in a feedback loop to activate suitable datapaths based on current conditions that optimize performance and energy consumption. Primarily, SREL is able to mitigate the timing degradations caused due to transistor aging effects in sub-micron devices by reducing the stress induced on active elements by utilizing power-gating. As a result, fewer guardbands need to be included to achieve comparable performance levels which leads to considerable energy savings over the operational lifetime.The need for energy-efficient operation in current computing systems has given rise to Near-Threshold Computing as opposed to the conventional approach of operating devices at nominal voltage. In particular, the goal of exascale computing initiative in High Performance Computing (HPC) is to achieve 1 EFLOPS under the power budget of 20MW. However, it comes at the cost of increased reliability concerns, such as the increase in performance variations and soft errors. This has given rise to increased resiliency requirements for HPC applications in terms of ensuring functionality within given error thresholds while operating at lower voltages. My dissertation research devised techniques and tools to quantify the effects of radiation-induced transient faults in distributed applications on large-scale systems. A combination of compiler-level code transformation and instrumentation are employed for runtime monitoring to assess the speed and depth of application state corruption as a result of fault injection. Finally, fault propagation models are derived for each HPC application that can be used to estimate the number of corrupted memory locations at runtime. Additionally, the tradeoffs between performance and vulnerability and the causal relations between compiler optimization and application vulnerability are investigated.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006206, ucf:52889
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006206
