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- Title
- DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A HARDWARE LEVEL CONTENT NETWORKING FRONT END DEVICE.
- Creator
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Buboltz, Jeremy, Kocak, Taskin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The bandwidth and speed of network connections are continually increasing. The speed increase in network technology is set to soon outpace the speed increase in CMOS technology. This asymmetrical growth is beginning to causing software applications that once worked with then current levels of network traffic to flounder under the new high data rates. Processes that were once executed in software now have to be executed, partially if not wholly in hardware. One such application that could...
Show moreThe bandwidth and speed of network connections are continually increasing. The speed increase in network technology is set to soon outpace the speed increase in CMOS technology. This asymmetrical growth is beginning to causing software applications that once worked with then current levels of network traffic to flounder under the new high data rates. Processes that were once executed in software now have to be executed, partially if not wholly in hardware. One such application that could benefit from hardware implementation is high layer routing. By allowing a network device to peer into higher layers of the OSI model, the device can scan for viruses, provide higher quality-of-service (QoS), and efficiently route packets. This thesis proposes an architecture for a device that will utilize hardware-level string matching to distribute incoming requests for a server farm. The proposed architecture is implemented in VHDL, synthesized, and laid out on an Altera FPGA.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001888, ucf:47390
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001888
- Title
- THE TRANSFORMATION AND DEMISE OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS: CAUSES AND CATEGORIES.
- Creator
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Mehta, Devyani M, Turcu, Anca, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In the recent years, the world has experienced devastating losses due to terrorist attacks. Research in the fields of causes of terrorism is abundant, but the amount of research on the end of terrorism does not equally measure up. This paper aims to add to the research focused on analyzing the factors which cause terrorist groups to transition away from violence. This paper introduces an original categorization of the factors which generate this transition. Factors belong to two categories:...
Show moreIn the recent years, the world has experienced devastating losses due to terrorist attacks. Research in the fields of causes of terrorism is abundant, but the amount of research on the end of terrorism does not equally measure up. This paper aims to add to the research focused on analyzing the factors which cause terrorist groups to transition away from violence. This paper introduces an original categorization of the factors which generate this transition. Factors belong to two categories: internal --decisions made by the terrorist organization, and external--actions or features pertaining to organization outside of non-terrorist organizations. These factors will be illustrated through examples of terrorist organizations and their activity. The purpose of this paper is to provide an original, comparative overview of those factors that may best illustrate the study of counterterrorism.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000026, ucf:45570
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000026
- Title
- BLACK CAREGIVER RESPONSES TO AND PERCEPTIONS OF SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENTS AT THE END OF LIFE.
- Creator
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Sermarini, Samantha M, Connor, Norma E., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Individuals in the final stages of life are often cared for by informal caregivers whose interpretation of the patient�s signs, symptoms and treatment needs and options may be incongruent with that of healthcare providers (Docherty et al., 2008). Nurses need to fully understand the scope of this disparity. The purpose of this study was to determine how Black caregivers interpreted signs, symptoms, and treatments for symptom relief during the last months of their loved one�s life. The effect...
Show moreIndividuals in the final stages of life are often cared for by informal caregivers whose interpretation of the patient�s signs, symptoms and treatment needs and options may be incongruent with that of healthcare providers (Docherty et al., 2008). Nurses need to fully understand the scope of this disparity. The purpose of this study was to determine how Black caregivers interpreted signs, symptoms, and treatments for symptom relief during the last months of their loved one�s life. The effect on caregiver decision making was explored. This project is a secondary analysis of preexisting qualitative data. Transcripts from 5 focus groups encompassed 53 participants. All participants were Black and informal caregivers or decision makers for a loved one at their loved one�s end of life. Eighty-seven percent of caregivers were female, and a majority had a high school education. The mean age was 66. Transcripts were coded for themes independently by two researchers. To allow for the most open interpretation, no a priori set of codes was utilized. 3 main categories of signs, 4 main categories of symptoms, 4 themes of the interpretation of signs and symptoms, 4 main categories of treatments and interventions, 5 themes of the interpretation of treatments, and 3 themes describing the effect of signs, symptoms, and treatments on decision making were identified. Case examples of the caregiver interpretation process are included. Health care providers need to provide time, clear and simplified language, and additional explanation in communication. Further research combining health literacy measures and qualitative data on interpretations should be conducted.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000017, ucf:45584
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000017
- Title
- ANALYSIS OF THE REPAIR OF TOPOISOMERASE II DNA DAMAGE.
- Creator
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Goldstein, Eric, Muller, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A large number of anti-cancer chemotherapeutics target DNA topoisomerases. Etoposide is a specific topoisomerase II poison which causes reversible double strand DNA breaks. The focus of this project is to analyze the repair of DNA damage induced by etoposide.. Double strand DNA break repair is mediated by through either non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination. NHEJ repairs through direct ligation of a double stranded break while homologous recombination utilizes a...
Show moreA large number of anti-cancer chemotherapeutics target DNA topoisomerases. Etoposide is a specific topoisomerase II poison which causes reversible double strand DNA breaks. The focus of this project is to analyze the repair of DNA damage induced by etoposide.. Double strand DNA break repair is mediated by through either non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination. NHEJ repairs through direct ligation of a double stranded break while homologous recombination utilizes a homologous template to recover the wild type sequence. A reporter cassette, RYDR-GFP, has been stably integrated into HeLa cells. This reporter contains an ultra-high affinity topoisomerase II cleavage site (RY) placed in the middle of a mutant GFP sequence. Flanking this sequence is a corresponding stretch of wild type GFP that is used as template to repair the break and restore gene function yielding GFP positive cells. Titrations with etoposide have shown that a logarithmic increase in drug concentration yields a corresponding increase in repair through homologous recombination (HR). This result demonstrates that topoisomerase II mediated damage is efficiently repaired by the process of HR. To examine NHEJ repair, a doxycycline inducible, stably integrated NHEJ HeLa cell reporter cassette was also evaluated. The data indicates that repair of topoisomerase II mediated DNA damage occurs more efficiently through the HR pathway. Collectively, the data suggests that tumor cells proficient in HR repair may effectively elude treatment by topoisomerase II targeting drugs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003785, ucf:44767
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003785
- Title
- Necessary Conditions for Open-Ended Evolution.
- Creator
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Soros, Lisa, Stanley, Kenneth, Gonzalez, Avelino, Wiegand, Rudolf, Cash, Mason, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Evolution on Earth is widely considered to be an effectively endless process. Though this phenomenon of open-ended evolution (OEE) has been a topic of interest in the artificial life communitysince its beginnings, the field still lacks an empirically validated theory of what exactly is necessary to reproduce the phenomenon in general (including in domains quite unlike Earth). Thisdissertation (1) enumerates a set of conditions hypothesized to be necessary for OEE in addition to (2)...
Show moreEvolution on Earth is widely considered to be an effectively endless process. Though this phenomenon of open-ended evolution (OEE) has been a topic of interest in the artificial life communitysince its beginnings, the field still lacks an empirically validated theory of what exactly is necessary to reproduce the phenomenon in general (including in domains quite unlike Earth). Thisdissertation (1) enumerates a set of conditions hypothesized to be necessary for OEE in addition to (2) introducing an artificial life world called Chromaria that incorporates each of the hypothesizednecessary conditions. It then (3) describes a set of experiments with Chromaria designed to empirically validate the hypothesized necessary conditions. Thus, this dissertation describes the firstscientific endeavor to systematically test an OEE framework in an alife world and thereby make progress towards solving an open question not just for evolutionary computation and artificial life,but for science in general.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007247, ucf:52205
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007247
- Title
- A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR QOS PROVISIONING IN WIRELESS LANS USING THE P-PERSISTENT MAC PROTOCOL.
- Creator
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Anna, Kiran Babu, Bassiouni, Mostafa, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The support of multimedia traffic over IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) has recently received considerable attention. This dissertation has proposed a new framework that provides efficient channel access, service differentiation and statistical QoS guarantees in the enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) protocol of IEEE 802.11e. In the first part of the dissertation, the new framework to provide QoS support in IEEE 802.11e is presented. The framework uses three...
Show moreThe support of multimedia traffic over IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) has recently received considerable attention. This dissertation has proposed a new framework that provides efficient channel access, service differentiation and statistical QoS guarantees in the enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) protocol of IEEE 802.11e. In the first part of the dissertation, the new framework to provide QoS support in IEEE 802.11e is presented. The framework uses three independent components, namely, a core MAC layer, a scheduler, and an admission control. The core MAC layer concentrates on the channel access mechanism to improve the overall system efficiency. The scheduler provides service differentiation according to the weights assigned to each Access Category (AC). The admission control provides statistical QoS guarantees. The core MAC layer developed in this dissertation employs a P-Persistent based MAC protocol. A weight-based fair scheduler to obtain throughput service differentiation at each node has been used. In wireless LANs (WLANs), the MAC protocol is the main element that determines the efficiency of sharing the limited communication bandwidth of the wireless channel. In the second part of the dissertation, analytical Markov chain models for the P-Persistent 802.11 MAC protocol under unsaturated load conditions with heterogeneous loads are developed. The Markov models provide closed-form formulas for calculating the packet service time, the packet end-to-end delay, and the channel capacity in the unsaturated load conditions. The accuracy of the models has been validated by extensive NS2 simulation tests and the models are shown to give accurate results. In the final part of the dissertation, the admission control mechanism is developed and evaluated. The analytical model for P-Persistent 802.11 is used to develop a measurement-assisted model-based admission control. The proposed admission control mechanism uses delay as an admission criterion. Both distributed and centralized admission control schemes are developed and the performance results show that both schemes perform very efficiently in providing the QoS guarantees. Since the distributed admission scheme control does not have a complete state information of the WLAN, its performance is generally inferior to the centralized admission control scheme. The detailed performance results using the NS2 simulator have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Compared to 802.11e EDCA, the scheduler consistently achieved the desired throughput differentiation and easy tuning. The core MAC layer achieved better delays in terms of channel access, average packet service time and end-to-end delay. It also achieved higher system throughput than EDCA for any given service differentiation ratio. The admission control provided the desired statistical QoS guarantees.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003243, ucf:48513
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003243
- Title
- ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS CAR-TRUCK CRASH TYPES BASED ON GES AND FARS CRASH DATABASES USING MUTLINOMIAL AND BINARY LOGIT MODEL.
- Creator
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Mannila, Kranthi Kiran, Radwan, Essam, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Each year about 400,000 trucks are involved in motor vehicle crashes. Crashes involving a car and truck have always been a major concern due to the heavy fatality rates. These types of crashes result in about 60 percent of all fatal truck crashes and two-thirds of all police-reportable truck crashes. Car-truck crashes need to be analyzed further to study the trends for a car-truck crash and develop some countermeasures to lower these crashes. Various types of car-truck crashes are analyzed in...
Show moreEach year about 400,000 trucks are involved in motor vehicle crashes. Crashes involving a car and truck have always been a major concern due to the heavy fatality rates. These types of crashes result in about 60 percent of all fatal truck crashes and two-thirds of all police-reportable truck crashes. Car-truck crashes need to be analyzed further to study the trends for a car-truck crash and develop some countermeasures to lower these crashes. Various types of car-truck crashes are analyzed in this study and the effects of various roadway/environment factors and variables related to driver characteristics in these car-truck crashes are investigated. To examine the crash characteristics and to investigate the significant factors related to a car-truck crash, this study analyzed five years of data (2000-2004) of the General estimates system of National Sampling System (GES) and the Fatality Analysis Reporting system database (FARS). All two vehicle crashes including either a car or truck (truck-truck cases excluded because of their low percentage composition) were obtained from these databases. Based on the five year data (GES/FARS) the percentage of car-truck angle collisions constituted the highest percent of frequency of all types of car-truck collisions. Furthermore, based on the 2004 GES data there is a clear trend that the frequency of angle collision increases with the increase in driver injury severity. When analyzing the GES data it was observed that the percentage of angle collisions was the highest followed by the rear end and sideswipe (same direction) collisions respectively. When the fatalities were considered (FARS database used), the percentage of angle collisions was the highest followed by head-on and rear-end collisions. The nominal multinomial logit model and logistic regression models were utilized for this analysis. Divided section, alcohol involvement, adverse weather conditions, dark lighting condition and old age of drivers had a significant effect on the car-truck crashes and were likely to increase the likelihood of a car-truck crash. Whereas dark but light conditions, young aged drivers showed a less likelihood of involving in a car-truck crash. This research is significant in providing an insight into various car-truck crash types and provides with results, which have impacted the car-truck crashes. A better understanding of the factors impacting these crashes will help in providing better countermeasures, which would result in reducing the car-truck crashes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001390, ucf:46996
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001390
- Title
- NEURAL NETWORK TREES AND SIMULATION DATABASES: NEW APPROACHES FOR SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION CRASH CLASSIFICATION AND PREDICTION.
- Creator
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Nawathe, Piyush, Abdel-Aty, Mohamed, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Intersection related crashes form a significant proportion of the crashes occurring on roadways. Many organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are considering intersection safety improvement as one of their top priority areas. This study contributes to the area of safety of signalized intersections by identifying the traffic and geometric characteristics that affect the different types of...
Show moreIntersection related crashes form a significant proportion of the crashes occurring on roadways. Many organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are considering intersection safety improvement as one of their top priority areas. This study contributes to the area of safety of signalized intersections by identifying the traffic and geometric characteristics that affect the different types of crashes. The first phase of this thesis was to classify the crashes occurring at signalized intersections into rear-end, angle, turn and sideswipe crash types based on the traffic and geometric properties of the intersections and the conditions at the time of the crashes. This was achieved by using an innovative approach developed in this thesis "Neural Network Trees". The first neural network model built in the Neural Network tree classified the crashes either into rear end and sideswipe or into angle and turn crashes. The next models further classified the crashes into their individual types. Two different neural network methods (MLP and PNN) were used in classification, and the neural network with a better performance was selected for each model. For these models, the significant variables were identified using the forward sequential selection method. Then a large simulation database was built that contained all possible combinations of intersections subjected to various crash conditions. The collision type of crashes was predicted for this simulation database and the output obtained was plotted along with the input variables to obtain a relationship between the input and output variables. For example, the analysis showed that the number of rear end and sideswipe crashes increase relative to the angle and turn crashes when there is an increase in the major and minor roadways' AADT and speed limits, surface conditions, total left turning lanes, channelized right turning lanes for the major roadway and the protected left turning lanes for the minor roadway, but decrease when the light conditions are dark. The next phase in this study was to predict the frequency of different types of crashes at signalized intersections by using the geometric and traffic characteristics of the intersections. A high accuracy in predicting the crash frequencies was obtained by using another innovative method where the intersections were first classified into two different types named the "safe" and "unsafe" intersections based on the total number of lanes at the intersections and then the frequency of crashes was predicted for each type of intersections separately. This method consisted of identifying the best neural network for each step of the analysis, selecting significant variables, using a different simulation database that contained all possible combinations of intersections and then plotting each input variable with the average output to obtain the pattern in which the frequency of crashes will vary based on the changes in the geometric and traffic characteristics of the intersections. The patterns indicated that an increase in the number of lanes of the major roadway, lanes of the minor roadway and the AADT on the major roadway leads to an increased crashes of all types, whereas an increase in protected left turning lanes on the major road increases the rear end and sideswipe crashes but decreases the angle, turning and overall crash frequencies. The analyses performed in this thesis were possible due to a diligent data collection effort. Traffic and geometric characteristics were obtained from multiple sources for 1562 signalized intersections in Brevard, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Seminole and Orange counties and the city of Orlando in Florida. The crash database for these intersections contained 27,044 crashes. This research sheds a light on the characteristics of different types of crashes. The method used in classifying crashes into their respective collision types provides a deeper insight on the characteristics of each type of crash and can be helpful in mitigating a particular type of crash at an intersection. The second analysis carried out has a three fold advantage. First, it identifies if an intersection can be considered safe for different crash types. Second, it accurately predicts the frequencies of total, rear end, angle, sideswipe and turn crashes. Lastly, it identifies the traffic and geometric characteristics of signalized intersections that affect each of these crash types. Thus the models developed in this thesis can be used to identify the specific problems at an intersection, and identify the factors that should be changed to improve its safety
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000664, ucf:46524
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000664
- Title
- DRIVING SIMULATOR VALIDATION AND REAR-END CRASH RISK ANALYSIS AT A SIGNALISED INTERSECTION.
- Creator
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Chilakapati, Praveen, Abdel-Aty, Mohamed, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In recent years the use of advanced driving simulators has increased in the transportation engineering field especially in evaluating safety countermeasures. The driving simulator at UCF is a high fidelity simulator with six degrees of freedom. This research aims at validating the simulator in terms of speed and safety with the intention of using it as a test bed for high risk locations and to use it in developing traffic safety countermeasures. The Simulator replicates a real world...
Show moreIn recent years the use of advanced driving simulators has increased in the transportation engineering field especially in evaluating safety countermeasures. The driving simulator at UCF is a high fidelity simulator with six degrees of freedom. This research aims at validating the simulator in terms of speed and safety with the intention of using it as a test bed for high risk locations and to use it in developing traffic safety countermeasures. The Simulator replicates a real world signalized intersection (Alafaya trail (SR-434) and Colonial Drive (SR-50)). A total of sixty one subjects of age ranging from sixteen to sixty years were recruited to drive the simulator for the experiment, which consists of eight scenarios. This research validates the driving simulator for speed, safety and visual aspects. Based on the overall comparisons of speed between the simulated results and the real world, it was concluded that the UCF driving simulator is a valid tool for traffic studies related to driving speed behavior. Based on statistical analysis conducted on the experiment results, it is concluded that SR-434 northbound right turn lane and SR-50 eastbound through lanes have a higher rear-end crash risk than that at SR-50 westbound right turn lane and SR-434 northbound through lanes, respectively. This conforms to the risk of rear-end crashes observed at the actual intersection. Therefore, the simulator is validated for using it as an effective tool for traffic safety studies to test high-risk intersection locations. The driving simulator is also validated for physical and visual aspects of the intersection as 87.10% of the subjects recognized the intersection and were of the opinion that the replicated intersection was good enough or realistic. A binary logistic regression model was estimated and was used to quantify the relative rear-end crash risk at through lanes. It was found that in terms of rear-end crash risk SR50 east- bound approach is 23.67% riskier than the SR434 north-bound approach.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001391, ucf:46964
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001391
- Title
- NURSING INTERVENTIONS THAT FACILITATE END-OF-LIFE DECISION-MAKING IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY.
- Creator
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Baeringer, Lauren, Wink, Diane, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Nearly one-third of all pediatric oncology patients die from their disease, so nurses need to have an evidence-based standard of practice to guide their role in end-of-life decision-making. The purpose of this integrative review is to analyze current research on end-of-life decision-making within pediatric oncology to create a practice guideline for nurses working with this patient population. Eleven studies were examined to identify nursing interventions regarding the role of the nurse in...
Show moreNearly one-third of all pediatric oncology patients die from their disease, so nurses need to have an evidence-based standard of practice to guide their role in end-of-life decision-making. The purpose of this integrative review is to analyze current research on end-of-life decision-making within pediatric oncology to create a practice guideline for nurses working with this patient population. Eleven studies were examined to identify nursing interventions regarding the role of the nurse in end-of-life care, the role of the nurse in end-of-life decision-making, parent involvement in end-of-life decision-making, and child involvement in end-of-life decision-making, including the child's ability to participate in end-of-life decision-making. Based on the findings, the researcher identified several interventions that can be used by nurses to facilitate end-of-life discussion and decision-making that includes both parent and, when appropriate, the child.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004443, ucf:45081
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004443
- Title
- TEACHING AS A MORAL ACT: SIMONE WEIL'S LIMINALITY AS AN ADDITION TO THE MORAL CONVERSATION IN EDUCATION.
- Creator
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Bowden, MaryZoe, Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
We are facing a crisis in education: there is a vacuum where there once was an exhortation in terms of how teachers serve as moral models for their students. This reality becomes even more complex when the particular educator facing the dilemma has a specific religious perspective herself. The problem confronted in this philosophical study is how does today's educator, working in the public sector and having a particular religious background, best serve her students in her role as a moral...
Show moreWe are facing a crisis in education: there is a vacuum where there once was an exhortation in terms of how teachers serve as moral models for their students. This reality becomes even more complex when the particular educator facing the dilemma has a specific religious perspective herself. The problem confronted in this philosophical study is how does today's educator, working in the public sector and having a particular religious background, best serve her students in her role as a moral agent, given an environment that is either vacuous of or even hostile toward the moral vector implicit in education. The following questions are considered: 1) Does education today have a moral end? 2) What should that moral end be? 3) What should the educator's role be in said education? 4) Has education historically served as a moral endeavor? 5) And finally, how much should a teacher with a specific religious basis for her morals allow that to affect her role as moral agent in a secular setting? In order to respond to these questions, an historical review of how teachers were traditionally expected to serve as moral agents was undertaken, as were a review of contemporary research on moral education and a consideration of numerous philosophers' perspectives. Simone Weil, a French philosopher and teacher, is looked to as an example of a woman who lived her life with a core set of beliefs that led her to both push boundaries and yet remain in a liminal space that allowed her to remain open to others' values and needs. Weil's liminal approach to life is explored in combination with MacIntyre's call to found a morality on virtues based on a teleological view of man. Ultimately it is suggested that the educator with a deep sense of faith must both strive to function in the liminality Weil represented, and to root herself deeply in her own faith, from which she will gain the strength to live within the necessary tension evoked by teaching in a secular institution.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002898, ucf:48044
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002898
- Title
- ASSESSING ADULT ATTITUDES TOWARD END-OF-LIFE ISSUES AND ADVANCED DIRECTIVES AFTER IMPLEMENTING AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION IN A WORKPLACE SETTING.
- Creator
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Tolbert-Jones, Marchina, Chase, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Purpose: There is a lack of discussion regarding end-of-life care planning which results in low advanced directive execution (AD) rates. This can lead to decision making by family, friends, and the health care team on behalf of patients whose end-of-life care wishes are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention in the work setting to increase end-of-life discussions and the execution of advanced directives. Methods: A descriptive...
Show morePurpose: There is a lack of discussion regarding end-of-life care planning which results in low advanced directive execution (AD) rates. This can lead to decision making by family, friends, and the health care team on behalf of patients whose end-of-life care wishes are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention in the work setting to increase end-of-life discussions and the execution of advanced directives. Methods: A descriptive design was used in an occupational workplace setting at a local bottling company after appropriate IRB approval was obtained. An educational intervention based on the Five Wishes document was presented in an occupational health setting covering all shifts and employment categories. A pre-program questionnaire measured a lack of knowledge and understanding of end-of-life planning and advanced directives. A post-program questionnaire measured the increase in knowledge and understanding of end-of-life planning and advanced directives. A focus group was conducted with audio recording to describe personal experiences. The quantitative analysis used statistical procedures to describe and synthesize data and content analysis was conducted on the focus group data. Results: A sample of 78 participants was used to gather the quantitative data. Of the total participants, an overwhelming majority were male with ethnic backgrounds evenly represented. Most of the participants either were married and either were drivers, salespeople, or warehouse workers. More participants indicated no religious affiliation than any other affiliation, and the majority of participants indicated that they had a high school diploma. When questioned about their 1) knowledge of advanced directives, 2) whether or not they would consider executing an advanced directive, 3) whether or not they were likely to discuss end-of-life care with other, 4) whether they would be comfortable having someone make end-of-life decisions on their behalf, and 5) whether or not they believed that advanced directives were important, the majority of participants indicated that they strongly agreed or agreed. However, none of the participants had executed an advanced directive. Only 10.3% of participants had ever discussed ADÂÂ's with a healthcare provider. When the same participants were asked the same questions after the education portion of the study, data analysis of the pre- and post-program questionnaire mean scores, revealed a significant increase in scores on questions 1,2 and 3 (p <.05), and no significant increase on question 4 and 5 (p > .05). The implication of these findings suggest that an education intervention program in a workplace setting significantly increases end-of-life discussions and advanced directive execution rates. The Jones model of end-of-life education intervention and interpretation of the study are presented. Limitations of the study, as well as implications for nursing professionals and health care providers that will improve patient outcomes are presented. Discussion/Implication: The study shows that workplace education regarding Advanced Directives can lead to increase end-of-life discussions and increase advanced directive execution rates. Therefore, this education program at a worksite merits further research and may serve as a model program for other worksite settings.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003275, ucf:48564
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003275
- Title
- Evolution Through the Search for Novelty.
- Creator
-
Lehman, Joel, Stanley, Kenneth, Gonzalez, Avelino, Wiegand, Rudolf, Hoffman, Eric, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
I present a new approach to evolutionary search called novelty search, wherein only behavioral novelty is rewarded, thereby abstracting evolution as a search for novel forms. This new approach contrasts with the traditional approach of rewarding progress towards the objective through an objective function. Although they are designed to light a path to the objective, objective functions can instead deceive search into converging to dead ends called local optima.As a significant problem in...
Show moreI present a new approach to evolutionary search called novelty search, wherein only behavioral novelty is rewarded, thereby abstracting evolution as a search for novel forms. This new approach contrasts with the traditional approach of rewarding progress towards the objective through an objective function. Although they are designed to light a path to the objective, objective functions can instead deceive search into converging to dead ends called local optima.As a significant problem in evolutionary computation, deception has inspired many techniques designed to mitigate it. However, nearly all such methods are still ultimately susceptible to deceptive local optima because they still measure progress with respect to the objective, which this dissertation will show is often a broken compass. Furthermore, although novelty search completely abandons the objective, it counterintuitively often outperforms methods that search directly for the objective in deceptive tasks and can induce evolutionary dynamics closer in spirit to natural evolution. The main contributions are to (1) introduce novelty search, an example of an effective search method that is not guided by actively measuring or encouraging objective progress; (2) validate novelty search by applying it to biped locomotion; (3) demonstrate novelty search's benefits for evolvability (i.e. the abilityof an organism to further evolve) in a variety of domains; (4) introduce an extension of novelty search called minimal criteria novelty search that brings a new abstraction of natural evolution to evolutionary computation (i.e. evolution as a search for many ways of meeting the minimal criteria of life); (5) present a second extension of novelty search called novelty search with local competition that abstracts evolution instead as a process driven towards diversity with competition playing a subservient role; and (6) evolve a diversity of functional virtual creatures in a single run as a culminating application of novelty search with local competition. Overall these contributions establish novelty search as an important new research direction for the field of evolutionary computation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004398, ucf:49390
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004398
- Title
- THE EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS PROVIDING COMFORT FOR NURSING HOME PATIENTS AT THE END OF LIFE.
- Creator
-
Baker, Herma, Rash, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Research shows that healthcare providers (HCPs) are not adequately prepared to provide comfort care for patients who are at the end of life. Since the 1990s, numerous legislative, research, and clinical initiatives have addressed concerns about improving care at the end of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of HCPs providing comfort for patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. This study focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and nurses...
Show moreResearch shows that healthcare providers (HCPs) are not adequately prepared to provide comfort care for patients who are at the end of life. Since the 1990s, numerous legislative, research, and clinical initiatives have addressed concerns about improving care at the end of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of HCPs providing comfort for patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. This study focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and nursesÂÂÂÂ' aides at a central Florida nursing home. A descriptive qualitative design was done utilizing a focus group discussion, individual interviews, and a self-administered questionnaire. The findings indicated that a lack of facility support, inadequate staffing, inadequate end of life care education, family and patient denial of prognosis, as well as decreased primary care physician involvement affect the delivery of comfort care for patients at the end of life in the nursing home. This study supports the need for end of life education to HCPs and the need for adjustments in staffing to meet the complex needs of patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. A new finding of this study reflects the use of an angel cart to aid in the provision of comfort care for patients at the end of life. Recommendations for future research were made based on study results
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003305, ucf:48505
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003305
- Title
- A Quasi-Experiment Examining Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge of Preschool Head Start Children Using Mobile Media Apps.
- Creator
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Vatalaro, Angela, Culp, Anne, Szente, Judit, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, Levin, Judith, Goodman, Jill, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The American Academy of Pediatrics (1999, 2011) recommends no screen time for children under two years and limited screen time for three- and four-year-olds. Despite these recommendations, most young children have easy access to various types of screens. In particular, children's use of mobile media, including tablets and other touch screen devices, is increasing (Common Sense Media, 2013). Even though scholars have highlighted positive uses for mobile media (Christakis, 2014; Radesky,...
Show moreThe American Academy of Pediatrics (1999, 2011) recommends no screen time for children under two years and limited screen time for three- and four-year-olds. Despite these recommendations, most young children have easy access to various types of screens. In particular, children's use of mobile media, including tablets and other touch screen devices, is increasing (Common Sense Media, 2013). Even though scholars have highlighted positive uses for mobile media (Christakis, 2014; Radesky, Schumacher, (&) Zuckerman, 2015) and there are recommendations in place for using mobile media with young children in active, open-ended ways (NAEYC (&) Fred Rogers Center, 2012), there has been very limited research conducted on the impact of mobile media on young children's development. What is more, as early childhood professionals are beginning to incorporate mobile media into their classrooms, they are struggling with the ability to use these devices in developmentally appropriate ways (Marklund, 2015; Nuttall, Edwards, Mantilla, Grieshaber, (&) Wood, 2015). The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the efficacy of using different types of mobile media apps to increase the receptive and expressive vocabulary development of preschool children living in economically disadvantaged communities. Children and teachers in four Head Start classrooms participated in the quasi-experimental study, which included an eight-week intervention in which the children interacted with one of two types of apps: one classroom used direct instruction vocabulary apps (n = 16) and one classroom used open-ended vocabulary apps (n = 15). Two classrooms served as control groups (n = 18; n = 14) which used apps that were chosen by the Head Start program with no specific instructional method. Children's vocabulary was assessed pre- and post-intervention. To assess receptive vocabulary, the PPVT-4 (Dunn (&) Dunn, 2007) and an iPad Receptive Vocabulary Assessment (Vatalaro, 2015a) were used. To assess expressive vocabulary, the EVT-2 (Williams, 2007) and an iPad Expressive Vocabulary Assessment (Vatalaro, 2015b) were used. Using a repeated measures analysis of variance with split plot analysis, children who used direct instruction apps performed statistically significantly higher on the PPVT-4 than children who used open-ended apps. Children in the direct instruction app group also performed statistically significantly higher than both control groups on the iPad Receptive Vocabulary Assessment. There were no statistically significant differences between groups for receptive vocabulary as measured by the EVT-2. However, when children were credited for describing a function instead of the iPad vocabulary word, the analysis of the iPad Expressive Vocabulary Assessment revealed that the children using direct instruction apps performed statistically significantly higher than children using open-ended apps and the children in one of the control groups. A secondary purpose of the present study was to examine the use of apps in mobile media by Head Start teachers. The teachers in the two intervention classrooms participated in weekly meetings with the primary researcher for support in using mobile media in their classrooms in order to ensure that the child intervention was carried out with fidelity. After analyzing data from teachers' self-report daily logs across the eight-week intervention, it was determined that the children received instruction on the assigned apps in both intervention classrooms. Although caution is given to the findings due to some limitations such as the quasi-experimental choice of a research design and the number of participants, the present study contributed to the early childhood research literature with the findings that interactive, animated apps which provide the meanings of vocabulary words in a direct instruction manner may have the ability to increase a child's receptive vocabulary, and to increase a child's descriptive definitions of iPad functions. This information increases the chance that teachers in Head Start will begin using direct instruction apps, in the hope of increasing a child's vocabulary knowledge.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005896, ucf:50859
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005896
- Title
- Quality Diversity: Harnessing Evolution to Generate a Diversity of High-Performing Solutions.
- Creator
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Pugh, Justin, Stanley, Kenneth, Wu, Annie, Sukthankar, Gita, Garibay, Ivan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Evolution in nature has designed countless solutions to innumerable interconnected problems, giving birth to the impressive array of complex modern life observed today. Inspired by this success, the practice of evolutionary computation (EC) abstracts evolution artificially as a search operator to find solutions to problems of interest primarily through the adaptive mechanism of survival of the fittest, where stronger candidates are pursued at the expense of weaker ones until a solution of...
Show moreEvolution in nature has designed countless solutions to innumerable interconnected problems, giving birth to the impressive array of complex modern life observed today. Inspired by this success, the practice of evolutionary computation (EC) abstracts evolution artificially as a search operator to find solutions to problems of interest primarily through the adaptive mechanism of survival of the fittest, where stronger candidates are pursued at the expense of weaker ones until a solution of satisfying quality emerges. At the same time, research in open-ended evolution (OEE) draws different lessons from nature, seeking to identify and recreate processes that lead to the type of perpetual innovation and indefinitely increasing complexity observed in natural evolution. New algorithms in EC such as MAP-Elites and Novelty Search with Local Competition harness the toolkit of evolution for a related purpose: finding as many types of good solutions as possible (rather than merely the single best solution). With the field in its infancy, no empirical studies previously existed comparing these so-called quality diversity (QD) algorithms. This dissertation (1) contains the first extensive and methodical effort to compare different approaches to QD (including both existing published approaches as well as some new methods presented for the first time here) and to understand how they operate to help inform better approaches in the future.It also (2) introduces a new technique for encoding neural networks for evolution with indirect encoding that contain multiple sensory or output modalities.Further, it (3) explores the idea that QD can act as an engine of open-ended discovery by introducing an expressive platform called Voxelbuild where QD algorithms continually evolve robots that stack blocks in new ways. A culminating experiment (4) is presented that investigates evolution in Voxelbuild over a very long timescale. This research thus stands to advance the OEE community's desire to create and understand open-ended systems while also laying the groundwork for QD to realize its potential within EC as a means to automatically generate an endless progression of new content in real-world applications.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007513, ucf:52638
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007513
- Title
- Determinants of Health-related Quality of Life of Patients with End-stage Renal Disease.
- Creator
-
Varghese, Shabu, Dziegielewski, Sophia, Burg, Mary Ann, Zhang, Ning, Jacinto, George, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) constitutes a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), in 2013, Medicare spending alone accounts for $30.9 billion for the treatment-related expenses for ESRD. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship of two important determinants, perceived social support and treatment adherence with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of ESRD patients...
Show moreEnd-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) constitutes a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), in 2013, Medicare spending alone accounts for $30.9 billion for the treatment-related expenses for ESRD. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship of two important determinants, perceived social support and treatment adherence with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of ESRD patients. Using the health belief model and Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the study explained the theoretical underpinnings of the causal relationships of the patient's perspectives of perceived social support and treatment adherence in predicting the HRQOL of ESRD patients. The study utilized a non-experimental research design and the statistical tool Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), in evaluating the causal relationships between the variables. With a convenience sample size of 413 ESRD patients from the Central West region of Florida, the findings of the study validated a statistically significant relationship between perceived social support and HRQOL as well as between perceived social support and treatment adherence in ESRD patients. However, the study didn't find any significant relationships between treatment adherence and HRQOL. The results of the study enhanced the body of knowledge relating to HRQOL of ESRD patients, provided foundation for interventions and policy formation in improving the HRQOL of patients with ESRD.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006512, ucf:51366
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006512
- Title
- A Comparative Study of the Effect of Block Scheduling and Traditional Scheduling on Student Achievement for the Florida Algebra 1 End-of-Course Examination.
- Creator
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Underwood, Arthur, Murray, Kenneth, Murray, Barbara, Baldwin, Lee, Hutchinson, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The focus of this research was on the effect of school schedules on student achievement for ninth-grade students in a Florida school district. Data were collected from two central Florida high schools from the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years. Five one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to ascertain if there was any interaction between school schedules and student achievement. Examined were the interactions (a) between schedule and schools, (b) schedule and male students, ...
Show moreThe focus of this research was on the effect of school schedules on student achievement for ninth-grade students in a Florida school district. Data were collected from two central Florida high schools from the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years. Five one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to ascertain if there was any interaction between school schedules and student achievement. Examined were the interactions (a) between schedule and schools, (b) schedule and male students, (c) schedule and female students, (d) schedule and Black students, and (e) schedule and Hispanic students. The independent variable, school schedule, consisted of two levels: traditional schedule and A/B block schedule. The dependent variable was the spring Algebra 1 End- of-Course Examination (EOC), and the covariate was the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Mathematics Eighth-grade Development Scale Score. School schedule was not significantly related to students' spring Algebra 1 EOC scores, F(1,788) p = .932. School schedule was not significantly related to male students' spring Algebra 1 EOC scores, F(1,392) p = .698. School schedule was not significantly related to female students' spring Algebra 1 EOC scores, F(1,393) p = .579. School schedule was not significantly related to Black students' spring Algebra 1 EOC scores, F(1,186) p = .545. School schedule was not significantly related to Hispanic students' spring Algebra 1 EOC scores, F (1,184) p = .700.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005433, ucf:50406
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005433
- Title
- LEVINAS ON THE 'ORIGIN' OF JUSTICE: KANT, HEIDEGGER, AND A COMMUNAL STRUCTURE OF DIFFERENCE.
- Creator
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Tomasello, Olga, Janz, Bruce, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The way we understand community fundamentally structures the way we approach justice. In opposition to totalizing structures of justice founded upon an ontological conception of community, Emmanuel Levinas conceives the possibility of a political or social structure of difference. I argue that the conceptions of community presented by Kant and Heidegger, either as a harmonious, unified being in common, or as a common-identity disclosed beneath the ontological horizon of being-with,...
Show moreThe way we understand community fundamentally structures the way we approach justice. In opposition to totalizing structures of justice founded upon an ontological conception of community, Emmanuel Levinas conceives the possibility of a political or social structure of difference. I argue that the conceptions of community presented by Kant and Heidegger, either as a harmonious, unified being in common, or as a common-identity disclosed beneath the ontological horizon of being-with, necessarily leads to violence. This violence is reflected in the forms of justice instantiated by these philosophies, which privilege the 'light' of the universal over the particularity of individuals in the face-to-face encounter, ultimately corrupting and nullifying one's anarchic moral responsibility for the Other. The intent of this thesis is to argue that justice can only remain just if it is seen, not on the basis of a communal 'light' that absorbs, integrates, and incorporates the Other as an element of a system, but as founded on the anarchic responsibility of the one-for-the-Other. Justice, I will show, cannot be seen as an aim of a community—complete and self-sufficient—in achieving an end, but as a rupture, a disturbance, as a call made among a multitude of particular, unique Others by which ethics (the face-to-face) is fundamental.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004630, ucf:45309
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004630
- Title
- BUSINESS CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES.
- Creator
-
Lynch, Sheri L, Combs, James G., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Protecting the environment for future generations is crucial. Although businesses are under strong pressure to support sustainability, many leaders find it challenging to meet the environmental needs of the present without negatively impacting their economic goals. This paper describes some methods that businesses have adopted to effectively manage environmental issues and offer an opportunity for competitive advantage. In particular, three case studies show ways that the companies have...
Show moreProtecting the environment for future generations is crucial. Although businesses are under strong pressure to support sustainability, many leaders find it challenging to meet the environmental needs of the present without negatively impacting their economic goals. This paper describes some methods that businesses have adopted to effectively manage environmental issues and offer an opportunity for competitive advantage. In particular, three case studies show ways that the companies have embraced and integrated sustainability into their strategic planning process, which helped them achieve growth and success in the context of social and environmental concerns. The paper shows how these businesses have chosen to embrace sustainability to minimize the negative impact in our environment, society, and economy. The case studies can help managers define and prioritize their sustainability goals, achieve social and economic value, and transform these environmental investments into sources of competitive advantage. This paper can be beneficial to other businesses who desire to move beyond compliance of the law and become proactive in helping our environment for future generations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000100, ucf:45523
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000100
