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(1 - 9 of 9)
- Title
- The contribution of educators' levels of inspiration and compassion for others to their degree of burnout.
- Creator
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Bierbrauer, Samuel, Lambie, Glenn, Barden, Sejal, Hundley, Gulnora, Taylor, Dalena, Witta, Eleanor, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study investigated the directional relationship between educators' levels of inspiration and compassion for others to their degree of burnout. Specifically, the investigation tested the hypothesized directional relationship that educators' who report higher levels of inspiration (as measured by the Educator Inspire Scale, EIS; Lambie, Barden, (&) Bierbrauer, 2016) and compassion for others (as measured by the Compassion for Others Scale; COS; Pommier, 2010) would score at lower levels of...
Show moreThis study investigated the directional relationship between educators' levels of inspiration and compassion for others to their degree of burnout. Specifically, the investigation tested the hypothesized directional relationship that educators' who report higher levels of inspiration (as measured by the Educator Inspire Scale, EIS; Lambie, Barden, (&) Bierbrauer, 2016) and compassion for others (as measured by the Compassion for Others Scale; COS; Pommier, 2010) would score at lower levels of burnout (as measured by the three components of burnout [emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment] on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (-) Educator Survey; MBI-ES; Maslach, et al., 1996). In addition, the investigation examined the relationship between educators' levels of inspiration, compassion for others, and burnout and their reported demographic information (e.g., age, years of experience, type of school, etc.). A review of the literature along with empirical support for the tested theoretical model of the three constructs of interest (educator inspiration, compassion for others, and burnout) is presented. A correlational research design was used to investigate the hypothesized structural model and exploratory research questions (Tabachnick (&) Fidell, 2012). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized structural model. The results found an acceptable model fit with these data. Specifically, the results yielded statistically significant relationship between educator inspiration and burnout, with educator inspiration accounting for approximately 17%, 15%, and 33% of variance in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, respectively. Study limitations and implications of this study are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006721, ucf:51886
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006721
- Title
- ART IN THE LIGHT OF KNOWING: A COGNITIVE APPROACH TO THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
- Creator
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Knoe, Victor, Francis, Madison, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Art can be an elusive concept. Neither an outsider nor a professional artist is immune to abstractions in the attempt to describe it. Every individual must necessarily come from their own, unique perspective. The obstacles that we experience in defining the essence of art can be better understood if we see them as a gauge for our historical period. Given the limits of our contemporary conditions, it seems impossible that we may ever overcome the vast chasms that imprison us. We are...
Show moreArt can be an elusive concept. Neither an outsider nor a professional artist is immune to abstractions in the attempt to describe it. Every individual must necessarily come from their own, unique perspective. The obstacles that we experience in defining the essence of art can be better understood if we see them as a gauge for our historical period. Given the limits of our contemporary conditions, it seems impossible that we may ever overcome the vast chasms that imprison us. We are discouraged to build bridges, at almost every turn, by the suggestive hopelessness of the abysmal distances between us. The series of work that I have developed for this thesis is a reflection on limitations. Whether we find them in the creative process or within the simple contemplations of our life experiences, thinking on our limits can lead us to a heightened cognition where we may find a lofty expression of human freedom. If art is to have a proper role in human culture, human individuals must begin to solve the problems of our limitations through the freedom that cognition affords us. We can begin by thinking imaginatively. Although difficult, it is quite possible to imagine reality. Beyond the mere production of beautiful objects, art is the very current that warms human beings to the reality that surrounds us. Artists can become involved by attempting to immerse their life in a new light of knowledge. With this sentiment, inspiration can begin offering us flight towards unreachable heights. The path that leads us, then, to an authentic concept of art will also take us into the world of another just as elusive: spirit.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003799, ucf:44760
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003799
- Title
- SWEAT: THE EXODUS FROM PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENSLAVEMENT TO EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL LIBERATION.
- Creator
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Roberson, Aqueelah, Chase, Diane, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this thesis is to showcase the importance of God-inspired Theatre and to manifest the transformative effects of living in accordance to the Word of God. In order to share my vision for theatre such as this, I will examine the biblical elements in Zora Neale Hurston's short story Sweat (1926). I will write a stage adaptation of the story, while placing emphasis on the biblical lessons that can be used for God-inspired Theatre. When viewing the stage adaptation based on Sweat...
Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to showcase the importance of God-inspired Theatre and to manifest the transformative effects of living in accordance to the Word of God. In order to share my vision for theatre such as this, I will examine the biblical elements in Zora Neale Hurston's short story Sweat (1926). I will write a stage adaptation of the story, while placing emphasis on the biblical lessons that can be used for God-inspired Theatre. When viewing the stage adaptation based on Sweat, the audience members will understand how God-inspired Theatre aims to help members of society utilize their gifts and abilities to assist others in achieving spiritual stability. The members of the audience will also be informed of my vision to use this piece to inspire others to embrace cultural awareness and sensitivity. This is my vision--helping others to walk in their God-ordained destiny. With this in mind, I am using Sweat as a proposed play because it is closely related to the creation account as recorded in the Old Testament Book of Genesis. In this play, Adam and Eve are replaced with the characters Sykes and Delia Jones. The creation account is a very influential testimony because it is known throughout humanity. Its popularity is due to the fact that the Old Testament is the commencement of the Christian Bible. For those of the Jewish faith, the collection encompasses the Torah, the first five books of the bible--the law for everyday living-- as well as the history of God's promise to them. For Christians, the Old Testament is just as sacred, but they view its religious meaning as incomplete without the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ detailed in the New Testament. Also, Muslims trace their religious roots to some of the figures in the Old Testament although they deny the religious significance of the work as a whole. In essence, the Old Testament is crucial to Western Civilization. This is why Sweat is so powerful. It takes an extremely familiar testimony and shares pertinent messages that help people to become productive members of society. In order to show how effective Sweat is in helping others to live spirit-filled lives, I will use creative staging that will place the characters in the personal space of the audience members. I will achieve this by: having the actors enter and exit from the audience; allowing certain scenes to take place within the audience; and having the actors deliver some lines to various audience members. I feel that by making the audience a part of the production, it will cause them to see that they are not any different from the characters in the play. At some point in their lives, theatergoers have encountered--or been intimate with--an Adam, an Eve, a Sykes or a Delia. This will cause them to not see Sweat as just a play, but as a valuable life lesson, triggering self-examination and initiating renovated thinking that helps people to become culturally aware and spiritually sound. It is imperative that the biblical messages in Sweat are conspicuous. Whereas the narrator normally describes Delia's facial expression or feelings, I plan to write in scenes where her thoughts are audible. Some of her thoughts will include moments when she is praising and worshipping God. This is apparent because she starts to emerge as a woman of strength as the story progresses. Her relationship with God is cultivated on a daily basis. This is why she is able to tolerate her husband's foolishness. Her husband, Sykes, does not commune with God. To demonstrate his lack of communion with God, I will stage him being resistant to her times of worship--as he normally is according to the narrator. Clearly, the marriage is unbalanced. One partner is trying to please God, and the other is trying to please self. This is not how God intended marriage to be. In the New Testament Book First Peter, it states in the third chapter and seventh verse "husbands are to dwell with them in understanding, giving honor to the wife … being heirs together of the grace of life." Showing the burdensome consequences of destructing God's original design will pull on the hearts of audience members because they have encountered or known someone who is presently dealing with the consequences of this disobedient act. I will further reiterate the need for living a spirit-filled life by using costumes, scenic devices, and lighting to convey the godly and ungodly character traits that are embodied within the story. Through the use of colors and patterns, I will project the internal state of the character as in relation to God's instructions. I will work with a lighting designer in order to help convey the moods of the various scenes. The lighting techniques we choose will help to establish the thoughts and personalities of the characters. These feelings will transcend the minds of the audience and cause them to take the biblical messages into very deep consideration. The actors are the final ingredients in making Sweat an awe-inspiring, informative piece. Words are what they are, what one perceives them to be, while on paper. It is the job of the actor to give life to these words, cause them to live in the atmosphere, and to make the character come alive. Until the actor embodies the very heart of a character, the message in God-inspired Theatre will not be able to come forth and propel audience members to have a spiritual awakening. This is why people cannot just read Sweat. They must see the trials and journeys in order to receive life-changing revelations from the testimonies within the play.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001702, ucf:47329
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001702
- Title
- Bio-Inspired Visual Servo Control of a Picking Mechanism in an Agricultural Ground Robot.
- Creator
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Defterli, Sinem, Xu, Yunjun, Kauffman, Jeffrey L., Lin, Kuo-Chi, Song, Sang-Eun, Zheng, Qipeng, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
For a recently constructed disease detection agricultural ground robot, the segregation of unhealthy leaves fromstrawberry plants is a major task of the robot's manipulation subsystem in field operations. In this dissertation, the motion planning of a custom-designedpicking mechanism in the ground robot's subsystem is studied in two sections. First, a set of analytical, suboptimal semi-analyticaland numerical algorithms are studied to solve the inverse kinematics problem of the handling...
Show moreFor a recently constructed disease detection agricultural ground robot, the segregation of unhealthy leaves fromstrawberry plants is a major task of the robot's manipulation subsystem in field operations. In this dissertation, the motion planning of a custom-designedpicking mechanism in the ground robot's subsystem is studied in two sections. First, a set of analytical, suboptimal semi-analyticaland numerical algorithms are studied to solve the inverse kinematics problem of the handling mechanism in firmcircumstances. These premeditated approaches are built on the computation of the joint variables by an identified 3Dposition data of the target leaf only. The outcomes of the three solution algorithms are evaluated in terms of the performanceindexes of energy change and the CPU time cost. The resultant postures of the mechanism for different target pointlocations are observed both in simulations and the hardware experiments with each IK solution. Secondly, after the manipulation task of the mechanism via the proposed inverse kinematicalgorithms is performed, some compensation may be needed due to the sudden and unpredicted deviation of the targetposition under field conditions.For the purpose of finding optimal joint values under certain constraints, a trajectory optimization problem in image-based visual servoing method via the camera-in-handconfiguration is initiated when the end-effector is in the close proximity of the target leaf. In this part of the study, a bio-inspired trajectory optimization problem in image-basedvisual servoing method is constructed based on the mathematical model derived from the prey-predatorrelationships in nature. In this biological phenomenon, the predator constructs its path in a certain subspace whilecatching the prey. When this motion strategy is applied to trajectory optimization problems, it causes a significantreduce in the computation cost since it finds the optimum solution in a certain manifold. The performance of the introducedbio-inspired trajectory optimization in visual servoing is validated with the hardware experiments both in laboratory settings and in fieldconditions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007170, ucf:52247
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007170
- Title
- Virtual Motion Camouflage Based Nonlinear Constrained Optimal Trajectory Design Method.
- Creator
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Basset, Gareth, Xu, Yunjun, Kassab, Alain, Lin, Kuo-Chi, Cho, Hyoung, Qu, Zhihua, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Nonlinear constrained optimal trajectory control is an important and fundamental area of research that continues to advance in numerous fields. Many attempts have been made to present new methods that can solve for optimal trajectories more efficiently or to improve the overall performance of existing techniques. This research presents a recently developed bio-inspired method called the Virtual Motion Camouflage (VMC) method that offers a means of quickly finding, within a defined but varying...
Show moreNonlinear constrained optimal trajectory control is an important and fundamental area of research that continues to advance in numerous fields. Many attempts have been made to present new methods that can solve for optimal trajectories more efficiently or to improve the overall performance of existing techniques. This research presents a recently developed bio-inspired method called the Virtual Motion Camouflage (VMC) method that offers a means of quickly finding, within a defined but varying search space, the optimal trajectory that is equal or close to the optimal solution.The research starts with the polynomial-based VMC method, which works within a search space that is defined by a selected and fixed polynomial type virtual prey motion. Next will be presented a means of improving the solution's optimality by using a sequential based form of VMC, where the search space is adjusted by adjusting the polynomial prey trajectory after a solution is obtained. After the search space is adjusted, an optimization is performed in the new search space to find a solution closer to the global space optimal solution, and further adjustments are made as desired. Finally, a B-spline augmented VMC method is presented, in which a B-spline curve represents the prey motion and will allow the search space to be optimized together with the solution trajectory.It is shown that (1) the polynomial based VMC method will significantly reduce the overall problem dimension, which in practice will significantly reduce the computational cost associated with solving nonlinear constrained optimal trajectory problems; (2) the sequential VMC method will improve the solution optimality by sequentially refining certain parameters, such as the prey motion; and (3) the B-spline augmented VMC method will improve the solution optimality without sacrificing the CPU time much as compared with the polynomial based approach. Several simulation scenarios, including the Breakwell problem, the phantom track problem, the minimum-time mobile robot obstacle avoidance problem, and the Snell's river problem are simulated to demonstrate the capabilities of the various forms of the VMC algorithm. The capabilities of the B-spline augmented VMC method are also shown in a hardware demonstration using a mobile robot obstacle avoidance testbed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004298, ucf:49493
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004298
- Title
- Bio-inspired, Varying Manifold Based Method with Enhanced Initial Guess Strategies for Single Vehicle's Optimal Trajectory Planning.
- Creator
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Li, Ni, Xu, Yunjun, Lin, Kuo-Chi, Bai, Yuanli, Behal, Aman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Trajectory planning is important in many applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles, underwater vehicles, spacecraft, and industrial manipulators. It is still a challenging task to rapidly find an optimal trajectory while taking into account dynamic and environmental constraints. In this dissertation, a unified, varying manifold based optimal trajectory planning method inspired by several predator-prey relationships is investigated to tackle this challenging problem. Biological species,...
Show moreTrajectory planning is important in many applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles, underwater vehicles, spacecraft, and industrial manipulators. It is still a challenging task to rapidly find an optimal trajectory while taking into account dynamic and environmental constraints. In this dissertation, a unified, varying manifold based optimal trajectory planning method inspired by several predator-prey relationships is investigated to tackle this challenging problem. Biological species, such as hoverflies, ants, and bats, have developed many efficient hunting strategies. It is hypothesized that these types of predators only move along paths in a carefully selected manifold based on the prey's motion in some of their hunting activities. Inspired by these studies, the predator-prey relationships are organized into a unified form and incorporated into the trajectory optimization formulation, which can reduce the computational cost in solving nonlinear constrained optimal trajectory planning problems. Specifically, three motion strategies are studied in this dissertation: motion camouflage, constant absolute target direction, and local pursuit. Necessary conditions based on the speed and obstacle avoidance constraints are derived. Strategies to tune initial guesses are proposed based on these necessary conditions to enhance the convergence rate and reduce the computational cost of the motion camouflage inspired strategy. The following simulations have been conducted to show the advantages of the proposed methods: a supersonic aircraft minimum-time-to-climb problem, a ground robot obstacle avoidance problem, and a micro air vehicle minimum time trajectory problem. The results show that the proposed methods can find the optimal solution with higher success rate and faster convergent speed as compared with some other popular methods. Among these three motion strategies, the method based on the local pursuit strategy has a relatively higher success rate when compared to the other two.In addition, the optimal trajectory planning method is embedded into a receding horizon framework with unknown parameters updated in each planning horizon using an Extended Kalman Filter.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005023, ucf:49986
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005023
- Title
- Bio-Inspired Cooperative Optimal Trajectory Planning for Autonomous Vehicles.
- Creator
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Remeikas, Charles, Xu, Yunjun, Kassab, Alain, Lin, Kuo-Chi, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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With the recent trend for systems to be more and more autonomous, there is a growing need for cooperative trajectory planning. Applications that can be considered as cooperative systems such as surveying, formation flight, and traffic control need a method that can rapidly produce trajectories while considering all of the constraints on the system. Currently most of the existing methods to handle cooperative control are based around either simple dynamics and/or on the assumption that all...
Show moreWith the recent trend for systems to be more and more autonomous, there is a growing need for cooperative trajectory planning. Applications that can be considered as cooperative systems such as surveying, formation flight, and traffic control need a method that can rapidly produce trajectories while considering all of the constraints on the system. Currently most of the existing methods to handle cooperative control are based around either simple dynamics and/or on the assumption that all vehicles have homogeneous properties. In reality, typical autonomous systems will have heterogeneous, nonlinear dynamics while also being subject to extreme constraints on certain state and control variables. In this thesis, a new approach to the cooperative control problem is presented based on the bio-inspired motion strategy known as local pursuit. In this framework, decision making about the group trajectory and formation are handled at a cooperative level while individual trajectory planning is considered in a local sense. An example is presented for a case of an autonomous farming system (e.g. scouting) utilizing nonlinear vehicles to cooperatively accomplish various farming task with minimal energy consumption or minimum time. The decision making and trajectory generation is handled very quickly while being able to consider changing environments laden with obstacles.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005053, ucf:49978
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005053
- Title
- CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL ANTIMALARIALS FROM COMPOUNDS INSPIRED BY NATURAL PRODUCTS USING PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS (PCA).
- Creator
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Balde, Zarina Marie G, Chakrabarti, Debopam, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which is responsible for over 500,000 deaths per year worldwide. Although malaria medicines are working well in many parts of the world, antimalarial drug resistance has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing malaria control today. Since the malaria parasites are once again developing widespread resistance to antimalarial drugs, this can cause the spread of malaria to new areas and the re-emergence of malaria in areas...
Show moreMalaria is caused by a protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which is responsible for over 500,000 deaths per year worldwide. Although malaria medicines are working well in many parts of the world, antimalarial drug resistance has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing malaria control today. Since the malaria parasites are once again developing widespread resistance to antimalarial drugs, this can cause the spread of malaria to new areas and the re-emergence of malaria in areas where it had already been eradicated. Therefore, the discovery and characterization of novel antimalarials is extremely urgent. A previous drug screen in Dr. Chakrabarti's lab identified several natural products (NPs) with antiplasmodial activities. The focus of this study is to characterize the hit compounds using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine structural uniqueness compared to known antimalarial drugs. This study will compare multiple libraries of different compounds, such as known drugs, kinase inhibitors, macrocycles, and top antimalarial hits discovered in our lab. Prioritizing the hit compounds by their chemical uniqueness will lessen the probability of future drug resistance. This is an important step in drug discovery as this will allow us to increase the interpretability of the datasets by creating new uncorrelated variables that will successively maximize variance. Characterization of the Natural Product inspired compounds will enable us to discover potent, selective, and novel antiplasmodial scaffolds that are unique in the 3-dimensional chemical space and will provide critical information that will serve as advanced starting points for the antimalarial drug discovery pipeline.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000405, ucf:45893
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000405
- Title
- Recruiting Followers for the Caliphate: A Narrative Analysis of Four Jihadist Magazines.
- Creator
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Madrazo, Andrea, Matusitz, Jonathan, Malala, John, Sellnow, Timothy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study identifies and compares the methods of recruitment used by three prime jihadist organizations through their online magazines. The successful recruitment efforts and growth as a threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sh?m (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab are attributed, in part, to the widespread popularity and accessibility of Dabiq and Rumiyah (published by ISIS), Inspire (published by Al-Qaeda), and Gaidi Mtaani (published by Al-Shabaab). In order to best examine the techniques...
Show moreThis study identifies and compares the methods of recruitment used by three prime jihadist organizations through their online magazines. The successful recruitment efforts and growth as a threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sh?m (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab are attributed, in part, to the widespread popularity and accessibility of Dabiq and Rumiyah (published by ISIS), Inspire (published by Al-Qaeda), and Gaidi Mtaani (published by Al-Shabaab). In order to best examine the techniques of persuasion and propaganda to recruit new followers, the theoretical approach of compliance-gaining theory and methodological approach of a narrative analysis are applied. The author analyzed a total of twelve magazine issues to compare how the four magazines use (1) imagery, (2) attrition, (3) intimidation, (4) propaganda, (5) spoiling, (6) outbidding, (7) incitement, and (8) recruitment. To validate each of these themes, the study applies an open-coding instrument to select each label based on specific dimensions. These findings reveal how the same purpose to achieve the Caliphate can be chosen on a similar path by these three different jihadist organizations. This path may take different turns at certain spots, but ultimately the road is based on the same historical context to justify the recruitment process. Overall, this study provides fresh descriptive insights on jihadist organizations' recruitment methods to gain new followers toward the achievement of the Caliphate (i.e., the global Islamic state). The sample reveals that the online jihadist magazines integrate all analyzed themes to portray their messages. The findings show certain issues implement specific themes more than others. Across the sample, the use of persuasion justified and encouraged violence. Persuasion is found in prideful examples of successful terrorist attacks and aftermath scenes of destruction. The distinct difference between the four online jihadist magazines is the persuasion of recruitment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007048, ucf:51984
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007048
