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- Title
- WOMEN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS WHO BREAK THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING: AT WHAT PRICE?.
- Creator
- Volnick, Stacy Ann, Floyd, Deborah, Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
-
On average, the American university president is a white man in his early 60s. Progress has been slow for women in this role. This study examined the university presidency with a focus on the woman president experience. The hypothesis was that based on factors such as the glass ceiling and glass cliff, gender affects the experiences of women university presidents. The purpose of this study was to understand the personal and professional meaning-making of breaking through the glass ceiling for...
Show moreOn average, the American university president is a white man in his early 60s. Progress has been slow for women in this role. This study examined the university presidency with a focus on the woman president experience. The hypothesis was that based on factors such as the glass ceiling and glass cliff, gender affects the experiences of women university presidents. The purpose of this study was to understand the personal and professional meaning-making of breaking through the glass ceiling for women who have held or currently hold the position of president in higher education. The research methodology selected for this study was qualitative with a phenomenological design. There were two guiding research questions, which serve to understand the essence of the experiences of women who serve or have served in the role of president in higher education. The research questions are (a) how do women perceive the impact of the glass ceiling and/or the glass cliff on negotiating the role of university president from ascension to attainment? and (b) how do women university presidents perceive the price they have paid, personally and professionally, for breaking through the glass ceiling? The study sample size consisted of seven current or former women university presidents. The data collection method was semi-structured interviews. This study served to provide insight that may help identify support systems for women in the workplace, changes in perceptions of women in leadership, and how gender roles unfold in both the personal and professional lives of women university presidents
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014085
- Subject Headings
- University presidents, Women college presidents, Glass ceiling (Employment discrimination), Glass cliff (Employment discrimination), Women, Educational leadership
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- “EVERY HUMAN IS PSYCHEDELIC” AN ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY PSYCHEDELIC DRUG USE AND SUBCULTURE.
- Creator
- Taylor, H. J., Lewin, Philip, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Sociology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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The 21st Century is seeing an unprecedented wave of psychedelic drug research after decades of stagnancy. Despite this revival, there has been little research or interest in the current revival of psychedelic subculture or the attitudes of psychedelic users today—from here referred to as “psychedelia.” This qualitative study of 19 self-described psychedelic users/psychedelia members probes their intimate experiences with psychedelic drugs, their involvement in the broader subculture, and...
Show moreThe 21st Century is seeing an unprecedented wave of psychedelic drug research after decades of stagnancy. Despite this revival, there has been little research or interest in the current revival of psychedelic subculture or the attitudes of psychedelic users today—from here referred to as “psychedelia.” This qualitative study of 19 self-described psychedelic users/psychedelia members probes their intimate experiences with psychedelic drugs, their involvement in the broader subculture, and their political and social beliefs. By analyzing the subculture through post-subcultural theory, this study examines the state of psychedelic subculture today, its participants, and members beliefs in relation to drugs, politics, and society. Findings show psychedelia exists as a loose subculture, yet has several parallels to the hippies demographically and politically. Second, psychedelia members share several values such as openness, compassion, and caring for others. Third, despite their pessimism towards America’s future, interviewees engage in everyday activism to help disenfranchised groups.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014105
- Subject Headings
- Psychedelic drugs, Hallucinogenic drugs, Subculture
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Stress among Low-Income Brazilian Mothers.
- Creator
- Temes, Patricia Jeane, Bryan, Valerie C., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
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Lack of resources, mental health issues, low self-esteem, financial hardships and other maladaptive coping patterns are stressors that significantly impact low-income mothers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and perceived stress among low-income Brazilian mothers. Additionally, the study investigated the influence of age, educational level, and employment status on the relationship between participants’ emotional intelligence and...
Show moreLack of resources, mental health issues, low self-esteem, financial hardships and other maladaptive coping patterns are stressors that significantly impact low-income mothers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and perceived stress among low-income Brazilian mothers. Additionally, the study investigated the influence of age, educational level, and employment status on the relationship between participants’ emotional intelligence and perceived stress. Sixty-eight (n = 68) adult low-income Brazilian mothers receiving financial assistance from the Centers of Reference in Social Services (CRAS) in Brazil participated in this correlational study. Recruitment and interviews of the participants were conducted by Brazilian case managers. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and a demographic questionnaire were used to collect data. Results from a Pearson correlation coefficient (Pearson’s r) test indicated a negative correlation between emotional intelligence and stress in the sample. The findings from the multiple regression analysis revealed that the correlation between emotional intelligence and perceived stress in low-income Brazilian mothers does not differ based on age, educational level, or employment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014075
- Subject Headings
- Low-income mothers, Brazil, Emotional intelligence, Stress
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- To identify the functional domains of BNIP3L required for elimination of MT, ER and GA to form mature lens fiber cells.
- Creator
- Zabizhin, Rachel, Brennan, Lisa, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
- Abstract/Description
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The structure and transparency of the eye lens are vital for focusing light onto the retina for vision. Lens fiber cells undergo a cellular remodeling program that removes mitochondria (MT), endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and Golgi apparatus (GA) to form mature transparent lens fiber cells. Previous studies established a requirement for the mitochondrial outer membrane protein BNIP3L for the elimination of these non-nuclear organelles in the lens; however, the precise molecular pathways for...
Show moreThe structure and transparency of the eye lens are vital for focusing light onto the retina for vision. Lens fiber cells undergo a cellular remodeling program that removes mitochondria (MT), endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and Golgi apparatus (GA) to form mature transparent lens fiber cells. Previous studies established a requirement for the mitochondrial outer membrane protein BNIP3L for the elimination of these non-nuclear organelles in the lens; however, the precise molecular pathways for BNIP3L function remain to be elucidated. BNIP3L contains multiple functional domains whose analysis may illuminate its lens mechanisms including the LIR, BH3, and TM domains. These domains each play an important role in regulation of autophagosome formation and initiation of autophagy. To test each domain’s functionality for BNIP3L-dependent organelle elimination, we designed site-directed mutagenesis studies to delete each domain and test the resulting mutants in initiating the degradation of organelles in ex vivo cultured embryonic chick lenses.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014087
- Subject Headings
- Eye, Lens, Crystalline
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- “A Woman’s Place”: Myth, Body, and Nation in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
- Creator
- García, Madeline Elizabeth, Sim, Gerald, Miller, Andrea, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This thesis investigates the role of myth in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Through an analysis of concepts such as the body and nation, I investigate the mythical underpinnings of gender, race, social reproduction, and capitalism in Gilead as well as the veritable history of oppression and imperialism in the United States that informs the Gileadean imaginary. I interrogate myth’s utility in creating nations and worlds, real or imagined, and the mechanisms of myth that make this possible. Using...
Show moreThis thesis investigates the role of myth in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Through an analysis of concepts such as the body and nation, I investigate the mythical underpinnings of gender, race, social reproduction, and capitalism in Gilead as well as the veritable history of oppression and imperialism in the United States that informs the Gileadean imaginary. I interrogate myth’s utility in creating nations and worlds, real or imagined, and the mechanisms of myth that make this possible. Using the works of authors such as Roland Barthes, Kalindi Vora, Achille Mbembe, and others, I read The Handmaid’s Tale series as a text that reveals how truth can be distorted by myth but can be demythologized to belie intention, historically contextualize, and inspire resistance. Written in the midst and wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this thesis is also a meditation on auto-ethnographic and textual resistance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014111
- Subject Headings
- Women's studies, Gender Studies
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Unwavering Support and Relentless Fear: A Narrative Inquiry into How Mothers of Adult Children who are Registered as Sex Offenders in Florida Experience the Sex Offender Registry, Rules, and Laws.
- Creator
- Kavanagh, Shelley, Howard, Heather, Florida Atlantic University, School of Social Work, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice
- Abstract/Description
-
Sex Offender Registry and Notification (SORN) and Sex Offender Residency Restrictions (SORR) laws and policies were developed and implemented with the intention of keeping communities and children safe, however many studies illustrate that these policies are in fact resulting in negative consequences for registrants and their families. All the existing studies focused on both registrants and family members, in most cases, spouses. A gap in the literature about the possible impacts on mothers...
Show moreSex Offender Registry and Notification (SORN) and Sex Offender Residency Restrictions (SORR) laws and policies were developed and implemented with the intention of keeping communities and children safe, however many studies illustrate that these policies are in fact resulting in negative consequences for registrants and their families. All the existing studies focused on both registrants and family members, in most cases, spouses. A gap in the literature about the possible impacts on mothers of adult registrants was identified. Further, there was a lack of qualitative research, which, in highlighting the lived experiences and stories of mothers, is powerful and can have a significant impact on increasing social awareness. The number of registered citizens continues to grow in Florida each year, and there are increasing numbers of families and loved ones of registered citizens that will need supportive and specialized therapeutic services. As a doctoral capstone, this qualitative narrative research involved one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 15 mothers of registered citizens throughout the state of Florida between March and November 2021. The aims of the study were to determine if mothers experienced the same impacts as other family members, or if their experiences were unique to mothering a registered adult child; to learn about how mothers coped with having an adult child on the Florida registry; and finally, what service providers need to know to adequately support this population.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014099
- Subject Headings
- Sex offenders, Sex offenders--Legal status, laws, etc.--Florida., Sex offenders--Family relationships
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- VIRTUAL PROCEDURAL FACILITATOR TRAINING WITH VIDEO MODELING: IMPACT ON THE OPINION WRITING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL- AGED CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
- Creator
- Launder, Susanna M., Miller, Katie, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Exceptional Student Education, College of Education
- Abstract/Description
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts one in every 44 children in the United States (CDC, 2022) and is characterized by marked deficits in social communication with the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Students with ASD are increasingly being educated in the general education classroom and are expected to meet the curricular demands thereof (Roberts & Webster, 2020). Due to the core features of their disability, these students often experience significant challenges...
Show moreAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts one in every 44 children in the United States (CDC, 2022) and is characterized by marked deficits in social communication with the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Students with ASD are increasingly being educated in the general education classroom and are expected to meet the curricular demands thereof (Roberts & Webster, 2020). Due to the core features of their disability, these students often experience significant challenges in written expression. Writing, across content areas, is a primary means in which student learning is measured and evaluated. The COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to explore the use of technology, through the application of synchronous and asynchronous instructional models, to meet the needs of all students while also providing access to Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) and rigorous content (Cox et al., 2021). This study examined the effects of an intervention package consisting of video modeling and virtual coaching on the use of a procedural facilitator (PF) as a planning tool on the overall written quality of the opinion writing with elementary school-aged children with ASD. Writing quality was measured by the presence of planned paragraph elements, Correct Word Sequences (CWS), and Total Words Written (TWW). The significance, acceptability, and effectiveness of the intervention package was also explored. Results indicate a functional relationship between the intervention package and the presence of planned paragraph elements. The intervention package did not directly impact CWS or TWW. Participant perceptions of the intervention package were generally positive. Caregiver perceptions of the intervention package were generally positive. Implications of the present study are discussed along with limitations and recommendations for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014058
- Subject Headings
- Autism spectrum disorders in children, Education, Elementary, Writing skills, Teaching with technology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- RESVERATROL-INSPIRED BRIDGED BICYCLIC COMPOUNDS: CHARACTERIZING A NOVEL ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG CLASS.
- Creator
- Stilley, Samantha E., Dawson-Scully, Kenneth, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
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Epilepsy is a widely prevalent disease within the United States. It is estimated that about 1.2% of the total American population has active epilepsy, a condition of the brain that causes seizures. These seizures are marked by chemical alterations in neuronal firing that can cause abnormal behavior, sensations, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. Although the prevalence of seizures and epilepsy is high, effective treatments are limited and fail to provide effective treatment for nearly...
Show moreEpilepsy is a widely prevalent disease within the United States. It is estimated that about 1.2% of the total American population has active epilepsy, a condition of the brain that causes seizures. These seizures are marked by chemical alterations in neuronal firing that can cause abnormal behavior, sensations, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. Although the prevalence of seizures and epilepsy is high, effective treatments are limited and fail to provide effective treatment for nearly one-third of adult epileptic patients. Here, I conclude results of successful screening of novel compounds that can ameliorate seizures using an electroshock assay to examine seizure susceptibility and duration in C. elegans. The use of this assay provides an excellent platform for novel antiepileptic drug (AED) discovery efficiently. Literature shows Resveratrol, a natural product from plants, provides neuroprotective effects in various model organisms and therefore, is an excellent candidate for a molecule that has never been related to seizure. However, it is easily metabolized, being a flat and planar molecule. Our research group has collaboratively identified a novel bicyclic bridge molecule derived from the scaffolding of two resveratrol molecules we named Resveramorph (RVM). We also used the candidate approach to test a number of Resveramorph analogs on this assay to find the analog with highest efficacy. The various molecules characterized with their efficacy for seizure-like behavior after an electroshock have helped elucidate the mechanism of action and the RVMs physical target to give us greater insight into this potential family of AEDs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014072
- Subject Headings
- Anticonvulsants, Epilepsy, Drug development, Caenorhabditis elegans
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- REVISITING THE COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER DISPOSAL METHODS IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.
- Creator
- Conboy, Kelley, Bloetscher, Frederick, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
-
A comparative risk assessment of wastewater disposal methods in southeast Florida has only been performed once and it was over 20 years ago. Since then, methods has changed and research have been developed. This study follows the methods used in the 2000 study, and assesses the following disposal methods: ocean outfalls, deep injection wells, surface water discharge, reuse for non-potable applications, indirect potable reuse, and direct potable reuse. This assessment assembled a team of...
Show moreA comparative risk assessment of wastewater disposal methods in southeast Florida has only been performed once and it was over 20 years ago. Since then, methods has changed and research have been developed. This study follows the methods used in the 2000 study, and assesses the following disposal methods: ocean outfalls, deep injection wells, surface water discharge, reuse for non-potable applications, indirect potable reuse, and direct potable reuse. This assessment assembled a team of qualified experts to complete a modified delphi survey to assess the human risks of wastewater disposal methods. Using the delphi results in a Bayesian Assessment Model, this assessment found that deep injection well and direct potable reuse were the disposal methods with the least risk.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014068
- Subject Headings
- Sewage disposal--Florida, Wastewater, Sewage--Management
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Embodied Biological Computers: Closing The Loop on Sensorimotor Integration of Dexterous Robotic Hands.
- Creator
- Ades, Craig, Engeberg, Erik D., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
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The sensation of touch is an integral part of using our hands. As different researchers work toward the restoration of afferent sensation in prosthetic hands, it becomes urgent to better understand how an artificial hand’s afferent inputs are affected by the efferent muscular outputs, and vice-versa. Current methods of neuroprosthetic research have many regulatory hurdles, time, cost, and associated risk to the patient. To circumvent these hurdles, we developed a non-invasive, closed-loop (CL...
Show moreThe sensation of touch is an integral part of using our hands. As different researchers work toward the restoration of afferent sensation in prosthetic hands, it becomes urgent to better understand how an artificial hand’s afferent inputs are affected by the efferent muscular outputs, and vice-versa. Current methods of neuroprosthetic research have many regulatory hurdles, time, cost, and associated risk to the patient. To circumvent these hurdles, we developed a non-invasive, closed-loop (CL) neuroprosthetic research platform, integrating artificial tactile signals from an artificial hand with biomimetically-stimulated biological neuronal networks (BNNs) cultured in a multielectrode array (MEA) chamber. These living embodied biological computers (EBCs) can provide a non-invasive alternative for investigating invasive neuroprosthetic interfaces. With them we can explore a variety of control techniques, tactile sensation encoding methods, and neural decoding methods to increase the rate of research in this area with minimal regulatory approval, greatly reduced cost and time, and no risk to the patients. In the first stage of this integration, our EBC was programmed to embody neuronal spiking from spontaneously active “efferent” receptive fields in cultured BNNs as intentional signals for movement. Bursts were transferred to a robotic hand and initiated a tapping motion of the index finger laid in proximity to a surface. Contact elicited artificial sensations, which were registered by a biotac tactile sensor array fit to the robotic fingertip.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014092
- Subject Headings
- Artificial hands, Neuroprostheses, Neurotechnology (Bioengineering), Robotics
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- FAMILY CAREGIVING DURING TRANSITIONAL CARE: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION OF THAI-ISAN FAMILY CAREGIVERS PROVIDING CARE FOR SURVIVING STROKE OLDER ADULTS.
- Creator
- Thiengtham, Supavadee, Chiang-Hanisko, Lenny, Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
- Abstract/Description
-
Providing family caregiving during transitional care of a stroke patient is the most challenging for family caregivers. This is because of the shift in the care environment from a hospital with an organizational culture to a home with a traditional culture. Yet, cultural influences on family caregiving during transitional care are not well studied. This ethnographic study aims to describe the family caregiving of older Thai-Isan stroke survivors through the transition from hospital to home....
Show moreProviding family caregiving during transitional care of a stroke patient is the most challenging for family caregivers. This is because of the shift in the care environment from a hospital with an organizational culture to a home with a traditional culture. Yet, cultural influences on family caregiving during transitional care are not well studied. This ethnographic study aims to describe the family caregiving of older Thai-Isan stroke survivors through the transition from hospital to home. This study employs Lininger's culture care theory (CCT) as the theoretical framework and utilizes the ethnonursing method to discover cultural knowledge. Data was collected through a demographic questionnaire, participant observations, and a semi-structured interview. Data was analyzed using the Four Phases of the Data Analysis Enabler. Fifteen dyads of older stroke patients and their family caregivers were recruited following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The research settings included Srinagarind Hospital units and key informants’ homes in a Thai-Isan community.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014114
- Subject Headings
- Caregivers, Thai ʻĪsān, Stroke, Transcultural nursing
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- GENETIC STRUCTURE OF SHALLOW AND MESOPHOTIC POPULATIONS OF A DOMINANT, BROADCAST SPAWNING CORAL, MONTASTRAEA CAVERNOSA, IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND WESTERN CARIBBEAN.
- Creator
- Sturm, Alexis B., Voss, Joshua D., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
-
Coral reef ecosystems across the Tropical Western Atlantic, are rapidly degrading due to a combination of anthropogenic stressors including coastal development, overfishing, and climate change-induced coral bleaching and disease outbreaks. Despite this general pattern, certain reef ecosystems are less exposed to these stressors due to a lack of/or distance from coastal development and/or their depth. These characteristics protect these coral reef ecosystems from rapid degradation and these...
Show moreCoral reef ecosystems across the Tropical Western Atlantic, are rapidly degrading due to a combination of anthropogenic stressors including coastal development, overfishing, and climate change-induced coral bleaching and disease outbreaks. Despite this general pattern, certain reef ecosystems are less exposed to these stressors due to a lack of/or distance from coastal development and/or their depth. These characteristics protect these coral reef ecosystems from rapid degradation and these coral populations potentially serve as important refugia. Developing an understanding of the connectivity dynamics among these refugia and to more degraded reefs is critical to developing networks of marine protected areas and management to ensure the persistence and recovery of coral metapopulations. In particular, increased research focus has been placed on mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, 30-150 m) which are deeper and more buffered from anthropogenic stressors than shallow reefs (<30 m). A collection of hypotheses known as the Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis surmises that MCEs may serve as larval sources to reseed shallow coral populations following a disturbance-driven decline. This dissertation research focuses on quantifying the population genetic structure of a dominant, depthgeneralist, coral species, Montastraea cavernosa, across previously understudied shallow and mesophotic reefs throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean to quantify the refugia potential of these reefs and characterize their roles in the regional coral metapopulation. Chapter 1 provides a review of the ecology and population genetic connectivity dynamics of shallow and mesophotic coral populations in the Tropical Western Atlantic.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014054
- Subject Headings
- Montastraea, Corals, Mexico, Gulf of, Caribbean Area
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- JUSTICE ON DEMAND: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF VIRGINIA ARTRIP SNYDER.
- Creator
- Alvarez, Maria I., Cesar, Gabriel T., Florida Atlantic University, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice
- Abstract/Description
-
This thesis is a single ethnographic qualitative case study on gender, focusing on the parallels between gender and historical inequities of social, economic, political, and power oppression. The study metaphorically examines the systolic and diastolic reading of approximately 100 years of injustices. Virginia Artrip Snyder, the subject of this study, is a woman, practitioner, and advocate. The timeframe is from the 1920s to the present. The researcher examined a variety of samples, which...
Show moreThis thesis is a single ethnographic qualitative case study on gender, focusing on the parallels between gender and historical inequities of social, economic, political, and power oppression. The study metaphorically examines the systolic and diastolic reading of approximately 100 years of injustices. Virginia Artrip Snyder, the subject of this study, is a woman, practitioner, and advocate. The timeframe is from the 1920s to the present. The researcher examined a variety of samples, which included Virginia's documents, files, news clippings, books, letters, community involvement, and the criminal justice system. Virginia's family donated the data to the Spady Museum in Delray, Florida, and Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Virginia’s alma mater. The results demonstrated that Virginia was a victim of both domestic violence and the criminal justice system. Virginia sharpened the saw by educating and serving, thus demonstrating that one person can make a difference. As activist George Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014052
- Subject Headings
- Snyder, Virginia Artrip, 1920-2017, Feminist criminology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Prediction of Radiobiological Indices and Equivalent Uniform Dose in Lung Cancer Radiation Therapy using an Artificial Neural Network.
- Creator
- Pudasaini, Mukunda Prasad, Leventouri, Theodora, Muhammad, Wazir, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Physics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
-
In radiotherapy, radiobiological indices tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), and equivalent uniform dose (EUD) are computed by analytical models. These models are rarely employed to rank and optimize treatment plans even though radiobiological indices weights more compared to dosimetric indices to reflect treatment goal. The objective of this study is to predict TCP, NTCP and EUDs for lung cancer radiotherapy treatment plans using an artificial...
Show moreIn radiotherapy, radiobiological indices tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), and equivalent uniform dose (EUD) are computed by analytical models. These models are rarely employed to rank and optimize treatment plans even though radiobiological indices weights more compared to dosimetric indices to reflect treatment goal. The objective of this study is to predict TCP, NTCP and EUDs for lung cancer radiotherapy treatment plans using an artificial neural network (ANN). A total of 100 lung cancer patients’ treatment plans were selected for this study. Normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) of organs at risk (OARs) i.e., esophagus, spinal cord, heart and contralateral lung and tumor control probability (TCP) of treatment target volume (i.e., tumor) were calculated by the equivalent uniform dose (EUD) model. TCP/NTCP pairing with corresponding EUD are used individually as outputs for the neural network. The inputs for ANN are planning target volume (PTV), treatment modality, tumor location, prescribed dose, number of fractions, mean dose to PTV, gender, age, and mean doses to the OARs. The ANN is based on Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm with one hidden layer having 13 inputs and 2 outputs. 70% of the data was used for training, 15% for validation and 15% for testing the ANN. Our ANN model predicted TCP and EUD with correlation coefficient of 0.99 for training, 0.96 for validation, and 0.94 for testing. In NTCP and EUD prediction, averages of correlation coefficients are 0.94 for training, 0.89 for validation and 0.84 for testing. The maximum mean squared error (MSE) for the ANN is 0.025 in predicting the NTCP and EUD of heart. Our results show that an ANN model can be used with high discriminatory power to predict the radiobiological indices for lung cancer treatment plans.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014064
- Subject Headings
- Lungs--Cancer--Radiotherapy, Radiobiology, Neural networks (Computer science)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- REAL-TIME HIGHWAY TRAFFIC FLOW AND ACCIDENT SEVERITY PREDICTION IN VEHICULAR NETWORKS USING DISTRIBUTED MACHINE LEARNING AND BIG DATA ANALYSIS.
- Creator
- Alnami, Hani Mohammed, Mahgoub, Imadeldin, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
-
In recent years, Florida State recorded thousands of abnormal traffic flows on highways that were caused by traffic incidents. Highway traffic congestion costed the US economy 101 billion dollars in 2020. Therefore, it is imperative to develop effective real-time traffic flow prediction schemes to mitigate the impact of traffic congestion. In this dissertation, we utilized real-life highway segment-based traffic and incident data obtained from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for...
Show moreIn recent years, Florida State recorded thousands of abnormal traffic flows on highways that were caused by traffic incidents. Highway traffic congestion costed the US economy 101 billion dollars in 2020. Therefore, it is imperative to develop effective real-time traffic flow prediction schemes to mitigate the impact of traffic congestion. In this dissertation, we utilized real-life highway segment-based traffic and incident data obtained from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for real-time incident prediction. We used eight years of FDOT real-life traffic and incident data for Florida I-95 highway to build prediction models for traffic accident severity. Accurate severity prediction is beneficial for responders since it allows the emergency center to dispatch the right number of vehicles without wasting additional resources.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014089
- Subject Headings
- Traffic flow, Traffic accidents, Machine learning, Big data, Traffic estimation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- PATH PLANNING FOR THE HYBRID AERIAL UNDERWATER ROBOTIC SYSTEM.
- Creator
- Davis, Anthony C., Ouyang, Bing, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
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Marine food chains are highly stressed by aggressive fishing practices and environmental damage. Aquaculture has increasingly become a source of seafood which spares the deleterious impact to wild fisheries, but it requires continuous water quality data to successfully grow and harvest fish. Aerial drones have great potential to monitor large areas quickly and efficiently. The Hybrid Aerial Underwater Robotic System (HAUCS) is a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and underwater...
Show moreMarine food chains are highly stressed by aggressive fishing practices and environmental damage. Aquaculture has increasingly become a source of seafood which spares the deleterious impact to wild fisheries, but it requires continuous water quality data to successfully grow and harvest fish. Aerial drones have great potential to monitor large areas quickly and efficiently. The Hybrid Aerial Underwater Robotic System (HAUCS) is a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and underwater measurement devices designed to collect water quality data of aquaculture ponds. The routing of drones to cover each fish pond on an aquaculture farm can be reduced to the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). A dataset is created to simulate the distribution of ponds on a farm and is used to assess the HAUCS Path Planning Algorithm (HPP). Its performance is compared with the Google Linear Optimization Package (GLOP) and a Graph Attention Model (GAM) for routing around the simulated farms. The three methods are then implemented on a team of waterproof drones and experimentally verified at Southern Illinois University’s (SIU) Aquaculture Research Center. GLOP and GAM are demonstrated to be efficient path planning methods for small farms, while HPP is likely to be more suited to large farms. HAUCS shows great value as a future direction for intelligent aquaculture, but issues with obstacle avoidance and robust waterproofing need to be addressed before commercialization. The future of aquaculture promises more integrated and sustainable operations by mimicking natural systems and leveraging deeper understandings of biology.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014108
- Subject Headings
- Drone aircraft, Drones, Aquaculture
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- PATTERNS AND TRENDS THAT IMPACT TEACHER ATTRITION AND RETENTION: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY.
- Creator
- Wittel, Kerry A., Dukes, Charles, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Exceptional Student Education, College of Education
- Abstract/Description
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This study intended to examine factors potentially contributing to teacher retention and attrition at the local (district) level and the costs associated with this teacher movement. A secondary data set from a large urban school district in the southern United States served as the unit of analysis for this study. Demographic data on 25,724 teachers, from 2010-2019 were used in the analysis. A correlation, multiple regression, chi-square, and a demographic frequency distribution were run for...
Show moreThis study intended to examine factors potentially contributing to teacher retention and attrition at the local (district) level and the costs associated with this teacher movement. A secondary data set from a large urban school district in the southern United States served as the unit of analysis for this study. Demographic data on 25,724 teachers, from 2010-2019 were used in the analysis. A correlation, multiple regression, chi-square, and a demographic frequency distribution were run for each of the three criterion variables: teacher job attrition, teacher school attrition, and teacher retention. The predictor variables used in the analysis were gender, certification, total number of years teaching, and race/ethnicity. Student demographic data from the district were used as a comparison to teacher data from the same school district. Results indicated trends particular in teacher movement, whether job or school, impact the number of years a teacher stays in teaching. Special education certified teachers appear to be the most vulnerable to teacher movement. Teacher retention (leaving) averages over 17% each year over 10 years, costing $36 million dollars annually or over $367 million dollars over 10 years. At that rate, this district could experience a complete turnover of staff in only 5.7 years. Latino teachers are underrepresented in this teacher population and are out of proportion with the majority Latino student population. Black teachers change jobs and schools at statistically significantly higher rates than their White or Latino peers. National data are not longitudinal, and do not track teacher job movement, only teacher school movement. Current local data are critical for educational agencies, administrators, and decision makers to combat the teacher shortage. Findings from this study may inform the field about factors, trends, or patterns that contribute to teacher retention and attrition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014062
- Subject Headings
- Teacher turnover, Teacher attrition, Teacher retention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- MEASUREMENT, ANALYSIS, CLASSIFICATION AND DETECTION OF GUNSHOT AND GUNSHOT-LIKE SOUNDS.
- Creator
- Baliram, Rajesh Singh, Zhuang, Hanqi, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
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The recent uptick in senseless shootings in otherwise quiet and relatively safe environments is powerful evidence of the need, now more than ever, to reduce these occurrences. Artificial intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in deterring individuals from attempting these acts of violence. The installation of audio sensors can assist in the proper surveillance of surroundings linked to public safety, which is the first step toward AI-driven surveillance. With the increasing popularity...
Show moreThe recent uptick in senseless shootings in otherwise quiet and relatively safe environments is powerful evidence of the need, now more than ever, to reduce these occurrences. Artificial intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in deterring individuals from attempting these acts of violence. The installation of audio sensors can assist in the proper surveillance of surroundings linked to public safety, which is the first step toward AI-driven surveillance. With the increasing popularity of machine learning (ML) processes, systems are being developed and optimized to assist personnel in highly dangerous situations. In addition to saving innocent lives, supporting the capture of the responsible criminals is part of the AI algorithm that can be hosted in acoustic gunshot detection systems (AGDSs). Although there has been some speculation that these AGDSs produce a higher false positive rate (FPR) than reported in their specifications, optimizing the dataset used for the model’s training and testing will enhance its performance. This dissertation proposes a new gunshot-like sound database that can be incorporated into a dataset for improved training and testing of a ML gunshot detection model. Reduction of the sample bias (that is, a bias in ML caused by an incomplete database) is achievable. The Mel frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) feature extraction process was utilized in this research. The uniform manifold and projection (UMAP) algorithm revealed that the MFCCs of this newly created database were the closest sounds to a gunshot sound, as compared to other gunshot-like sounds reported in literature. The UMAP algorithm reinforced the outcome derived from the calculation of the distances of the centroids of various gunshot-like sounds in MFCCs’ clusters. Further research was conducted into the feature reduction aspect of the gunshot detection ML model. Reducing a feature set to a minimum, while also maintaining a high accuracy rate, is a key parameter of a highly efficient model. Therefore, it is necessary for field deployed ML applications to be computationally light weight and highly efficient. Building on the discoveries of this research can lead to the development of highly efficient gunshot detection models.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014110
- Subject Headings
- Firearms, Sound, Detectors, Machine learning
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- LONGITUDINAL PREDICTORS OF POPULARITY AND UNPOPULARITY IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD AND EARLY ADOLESCENCE.
- Creator
- Altman, Robert L., Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
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As children enter middle childhood, they become increasing focused on navigating the peer system, which provides an acute awareness of the social hierarchy and their place in it (Gottman & Mettetal, 1986; Parker & Gottman, 1989). Some children even prioritize attaining social status over maintaining friendships (LaFontana & Cillessen, 2010). Status matters because it describes an individual’s ability to compete for and control both physical and social resources (Hawley, 1999). Previous...
Show moreAs children enter middle childhood, they become increasing focused on navigating the peer system, which provides an acute awareness of the social hierarchy and their place in it (Gottman & Mettetal, 1986; Parker & Gottman, 1989). Some children even prioritize attaining social status over maintaining friendships (LaFontana & Cillessen, 2010). Status matters because it describes an individual’s ability to compete for and control both physical and social resources (Hawley, 1999). Previous studies have identified two forms of affective regard, separate from the peer group and behavioral reputation, that predict popularity and unpopularity: acceptance and rejection (Marks et al., 2021). However, their relative importance has been unclear because previous studies have not included both in the same model and because most studies have been concurrent, not longitudinal. Affective markers of peer regard and behavioral markers of peer group reputation are moderately correlated, making it difficult to draw conclusions from separate studies of each. Studies which incorporate measures of each are few and limited in scope. The current study was designed to examine the origins of popularity and unpopularity by disentangling affective regard from behavioral reputation using a sample of 292 students enrolled in grades 4 to 6 (ages 9-13) of a university-affiliated school.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014044
- Subject Headings
- Popularity, Adolescence, Childhood
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- NOT SO STRAIGHT FORWARD: SWIMMING, MANEUVERING, AND FEEDING KINEMATICS OF THE SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD (SPHYRNA LEWINI).
- Creator
- Heerdegen, Ivan, Porter, Marianne E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Abstract/Description
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Many studies on shark swimming have examined kinematic variables along straight tracks or under controlled flow speeds in flumes, but there is less known about unsteady swimming during maneuvering or feeding. Sharks may adjust their speed, undulatory kinematics, or body curvature to accommodate different actions. This study quantified variations in kinematics during straight swimming, maneuvering, and feeding in scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini). I obtained video of three juvenile...
Show moreMany studies on shark swimming have examined kinematic variables along straight tracks or under controlled flow speeds in flumes, but there is less known about unsteady swimming during maneuvering or feeding. Sharks may adjust their speed, undulatory kinematics, or body curvature to accommodate different actions. This study quantified variations in kinematics during straight swimming, maneuvering, and feeding in scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini). I obtained video of three juvenile scalloped hammerheads, developed an ethogram assessing three behavioral categories, and tracked points along the body’s midline. I found that velocity was lower during feeding compared to maneuvering and straight swimming, while body curvature increased during feeding turns but decreased with increasing velocity. These data will provide insight into kinematic variations in hammerhead sharks across ontogeny and among behaviors, ultimately expanding on the relationship between form and function. This also provides context for varying behaviors and trends within the movement ecology paradigm.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014079
- Subject Headings
- Kinematics, Hammerhead sharks
- Format
- Document (PDF)
