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Pages
- Title
- Use of a Patient Centered Transitional Care Program to Decrease Hospitalization in Adults with Heart Failure and/or COPD.
- Creator
- Guerrier, Mouline, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University
- Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUIR000360
- Format
- Citation
- Title
- Improving Eating Habits in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: An experience with FOOD.
- Creator
- Noyan-Lue, Christine, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University
- Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUIR000359
- Format
- Citation
- Title
- Increasing Cognitive Screening, Neuropsychological Referrals, and Dementia Detection among Older Haitian Adults.
- Creator
- Daccarett, Sandra, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, , Florida Atlantic University
- Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUIR000358
- Format
- Citation
- Title
- Cuba's Mesophotic Coral Reefs Macroalgae Photo Identification Guide.
- Creator
- Martinez-Daranas, Beatriz, Gonzalez-Sanchez, Patricia M., Ramos, Amanda, Gomez, Emma E., Alfonso, Yusimi, Suarez, Ana M., Hanisak, M. Dennis, Reed, John K., Farrington, Stephanie
- Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUIR000357
- Format
- Citation
- Title
- Protecting Synaptic Function From Acute Oxidative Stress: A Novel Role For Big K+ (BK) Channels And Resveratrol-Like Compounds.
- Creator
- Bollinger, Wesley L., Dawson-Scully, Ken, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Oxidative stress causes neural damage and inhibits essential cellular processes, such as synaptic transmission. Despite this knowledge, currently available pharmaceutical agents cannot effectively protect neural cells from acute oxidative stress elicited by strokes, heart attacks, and traumatic brain injuries in a real life clinical setting. Our lab has developed an electrophysiology protocol to identify novel drugs that protect an essential cellular process (neurotransmission) from acute...
Show moreOxidative stress causes neural damage and inhibits essential cellular processes, such as synaptic transmission. Despite this knowledge, currently available pharmaceutical agents cannot effectively protect neural cells from acute oxidative stress elicited by strokes, heart attacks, and traumatic brain injuries in a real life clinical setting. Our lab has developed an electrophysiology protocol to identify novel drugs that protect an essential cellular process (neurotransmission) from acute oxidative stress-induced damage. Through this doctoral dissertation, we have identified three new drugs, including a Big K+ (BK) K+ channel blocker (iberiotoxin), resveratrol, and a custom made resveratrol-like compound (fly2) that protect synaptic function from oxidative stress-induced insults. Further developing these drugs as neuroprotective agents may prove transformative in protecting the human brain from acute oxidative stress elicited by strokes, heart attacks, and traumatic brain injuries. Inhibiting the protein kinase G (PKG) pathway protects neurotransmission from acute oxidative stress. This dissertation has expanded upon these findings by determining that the PKG pathway and BK K+ channels function through independent biochemical pathways to protect neurotransmission from acute oxidative stress. Taken together, this dissertation has identified two classes of compounds that protect neurotransmission from acute oxidative stress, including resveratrol-like compounds (resveratrol, fly2) and a BK K+ channel inhibitor (iberiotoxin). Further developing these drugs in clinical trials may finally lead to the development of an effective neuroprotective agent.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013054
- Subject Headings
- Neural transmission., Oxidative stress., Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels., Neuroprotective Agents.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Effects of Eccentric Phase Duration on Concentric Outcomes in the Squat and Bench Press.
- Creator
- Carzoli, Joseph P., Zourdos, Michael C., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion
- Abstract/Description
-
The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of eccentric phase duration on concentric outcomes at 60% and 80% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the squat and bench press. Sixteen resistance-trained males completed four laboratory visits as follows: Day 1- 1RM testing; Day 2- establishment of normative eccentric durations; Days 3 and 4- randomized fast (0.75 times) or slow (2 times) eccentric duration variations, which were controlled by visual and auditory metronomes....
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of eccentric phase duration on concentric outcomes at 60% and 80% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the squat and bench press. Sixteen resistance-trained males completed four laboratory visits as follows: Day 1- 1RM testing; Day 2- establishment of normative eccentric durations; Days 3 and 4- randomized fast (0.75 times) or slow (2 times) eccentric duration variations, which were controlled by visual and auditory metronomes. Eccentric duration was significantly and inversely correlated with average concentric velocity (ACV) at 60% (r = 0.408) and 80% (r = -0.477) of 1RM squat and at 100% of 1RM bench press. At 60% of 1RM squat, both fast and slow eccentric conditions produced greater (p<0.001) peak concentric velocity (PCV) than normative duration with fast also producing greater PCV than slow (p=0.044). Therefore, fast eccentric durations may benefit concentric velocity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013055
- Subject Headings
- Weight training--Physiological aspects., Weight lifting--Physiological aspects., Resistance Training--methods.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Supportive Programs in Synergistic Middle and High Schools to Increase Engagement and Prevent Students From Dropping Out.
- Creator
- Collado, Washington B., Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
-
This study examined how two high schools have successfully increased graduation rates while serving minority-majority and impoverished communities. Data collected for this qualitative, multi-site, case study employed publicly-available archival materials, interviews, focus groups, and observations in leadership meetings to help narrate a story that takes into account the complexities of human relations, specifically those in school settings in an urban school district. Thirty-four...
Show moreThis study examined how two high schools have successfully increased graduation rates while serving minority-majority and impoverished communities. Data collected for this qualitative, multi-site, case study employed publicly-available archival materials, interviews, focus groups, and observations in leadership meetings to help narrate a story that takes into account the complexities of human relations, specifically those in school settings in an urban school district. Thirty-four participants were selected by the principals at the participating schools and included members of their leadership teams, such as literacy coaches, assistant principals, magnet coordinators, students, parents, security specialists, and guidance counselors. The conceptual framework of the study was based on three research questions. The first question examined the synergistic relationships between the selected middle and the high schools with the purpose of addressing students’ at risk of dropping out factors in the areas of academic engagement, behavior, and attendance. The second question investigated the different types of initiatives enacted to provide support and efforts to engage or reengage students. The third question was used as a guide to observe the effects that the principals have on the work of stakeholders and how they serve their students. This study examined the various ways in which two high schools and their three feeder middle schools combine efforts to reengage students academically and socially. The selected high schools have demonstrated success in graduation rates while serving minority-majority students in areas of poverty, as determined by the high percentage of students qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. The findings indicate the existence of purposeful collaboration between personnel with an emphasis on programmatic continuum, communication, and other initiatives to strengthen articulation. Further, this study identified various forms of support programs for students to remain engaged or reengage, such as extracurricular activities, mentoring, and expansion of interest-based classes. Lastly, the findings demonstrate that the principals involved in this study clearly established a mission and vision and their leadership teams enact such with a balance between their own initiatives and adherence to the goals of their respective school leaders.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013056
- Subject Headings
- Low-income high school students., Minority high school students., Dropouts--Prevention.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Two Essays on An Examination of Life Cycle Effects and Firm Policies.
- Creator
- Danso, Charles K. A., Garcia-Feijoo, Luis, Pennathur, Anita K., Florida Atlantic University, College of Business, Department of Finance
- Abstract/Description
-
In Essay 1, I investigate the impact of corporate life cycle dynamics on the observed negative association between asset growth and stock returns in the crosssection. I find that the asset growth effect on average exists across some life cycle stages measured using cohorts. However, controlling for certain variables associated with the theoretical explanations, I find there is no relation between asset growth and returns. I argue this evidence is consistent with an agency-based explanation of...
Show moreIn Essay 1, I investigate the impact of corporate life cycle dynamics on the observed negative association between asset growth and stock returns in the crosssection. I find that the asset growth effect on average exists across some life cycle stages measured using cohorts. However, controlling for certain variables associated with the theoretical explanations, I find there is no relation between asset growth and returns. I argue this evidence is consistent with an agency-based explanation of the asset growth effect. Furthermore, a decomposition of the drivers of the effect shows that different components of assets (i.e. working capital and financing) drive asset growth effect at different life cycle stages. From a decomposition analyses, results show that in the youngest firms (cohort 1), asset growth effect is mostly driven by both operating liability and stock financing on one side (financing) and noncash current assets, PPE, and growth in other assets (for working capital) while cohort 3’s drivers appear to be stock issuances, together with noncash current assets, which I conclude offer further support for agency issues. In Essay 2, I examine how firms’ life cycle affect insider trading behavior, profits surrounding trades, price informativeness, and financing constraints. I argue that if firms’ policies and characteristics change over time as shown in lifecycle literature, then from firm characteristics that motivate insider-trading behavior, one should observe some differences across varying life cycle stages measured using age cohorts. I find that insiders are net sellers at all life cycle stages of a firm. Furthermore, insiders tend to trade more in younger firms than in older firms even though they have fewer numbers of insiders trading. Trading characteristics are generally statistically significant across cohorts. Overall, insiders appear to predict the correct direction for positive wealth generation when trading. Specifically, at all lifecycle stages, they appear to sell before negative CARs, and buy during periods associated with negative CARs that lead to positive CARs days after insider transactions. The findings on price informativeness suggest that in general insider purchases enhance price informativeness for firms at different lifecycle stages, however, this finding holds only for cohort 4 (oldest firms) in the case of insider sales. The implication of this finding is that regulation should be more lax towards purchases as compared to sales for firms, except for sales in firms that are older. Lastly, insider trades are linked with positive investment-cash flow sensitivities for both insider purchases and insider sales, which generally increase monotonically across cohorts. This finding is robust to using GMM approach.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013057
- Subject Headings
- Corporations--Growth., Stocks--Rate of return., Insider trading in securities.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Evaluation of Non-Contact ACL and MCL Strain on Lower Extremities Using a Hybrid Cadaveric System Simulating High Impact Athletic Activates.
- Creator
- DiRoma, Mark, Hashemi, Javad, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
- Abstract/Description
-
In this thesis, adaptations were made on the Hybrid Cadaveric System to accommodate new testing ramifications. The tests simulated dynamic loading (jump landings) from a 1ft. height with various degrees of valgus (fixed hamstring and quadricep forces) and various Quadricep (Q) and Hamstring (H) forces (fixed degrees of valgus) to determine how the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) behave. The tests performed included 0Q 0H, 100Q 0H, 300Q 0H, 300Q 100H, and...
Show moreIn this thesis, adaptations were made on the Hybrid Cadaveric System to accommodate new testing ramifications. The tests simulated dynamic loading (jump landings) from a 1ft. height with various degrees of valgus (fixed hamstring and quadricep forces) and various Quadricep (Q) and Hamstring (H) forces (fixed degrees of valgus) to determine how the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) behave. The tests performed included 0Q 0H, 100Q 0H, 300Q 0H, 300Q 100H, and 5°, 15°, 25° of valgus. To determine the strain behavior of the ACL and MCL a variety of equipment was used, including electromagnetic force plate to take impact reading, cables used to create loading on the quadriceps and hamstrings, and two Differential Variance Resistance Transducers (DVRTs). These ultimately generated ACL and MCL strain allowing for a variety of strain comparisons under various circumstances. It was concluded that in a few cases there were statistically significant differences in strain for the ACL and MCL when applying various quadricep and hamstring forces (fixed valgus). It was also found that only statistical significance was present in ACL strain when comparing degrees of valgus (fixed quadricep and hamstring forces). The research concluded that muscle activation reduces strain on the ACL and MCL in these testing scenarios. It was also established that degrees of valgus effects the ACL but is negligible for the MCL. However, due to complications and variables, further testing is needed to increase accuracy and supply more definitive results.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013058
- Subject Headings
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament., Ligaments--injuries., Athletic Injuries.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A Historical Perspective on LP Marketing and Payola in 1962: The Case of Robby and the Troubadours.
- Creator
- Fagan, Kalman Sheppard, Rhorer, Marc A., Florida Atlantic University, College of Business, Department of Marketing
- Abstract/Description
-
The music industry in 1962 reflected the political turmoil of the times. Dinner and dancing was a popular pastime. The music Americans heard and enjoyed over the airways was limited, however, by payola. Program directors adhered to criteria that supported the corporate fiscal model of their radio stations. Songs needed to attract listeners and major advertisers. Payola typically involved direct payments from major record labels to disc jockeys and the rewards were lucrative. Record labels fed...
Show moreThe music industry in 1962 reflected the political turmoil of the times. Dinner and dancing was a popular pastime. The music Americans heard and enjoyed over the airways was limited, however, by payola. Program directors adhered to criteria that supported the corporate fiscal model of their radio stations. Songs needed to attract listeners and major advertisers. Payola typically involved direct payments from major record labels to disc jockeys and the rewards were lucrative. Record labels fed them songs to play and disc jockeys became loyal to the payments. Thus, payola became a bottleneck to broader distribution of other artists, which hurt musicians, small record labels, and the public, and increased the price of music. Entertainment managers were ambitious band managers who took on additional roles due to the high costs of producing and promoting songs. The case of Robby and the Troubadours is shared through a historical simulated marketing plan.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013059
- Subject Headings
- Long-playing records., Music trade--Marketing., Rock groups.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A biological mechanism for enhanced wading bird foraging patches in seasonally-pulsed wetlands.
- Creator
- Faughnan, Thomas J., Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Environmental Studies
- Abstract/Description
-
In tropical wetlands, breeding wading birds rely on concentrations of aquatic fauna during the dry season to meet increased energetic demands. Wetland microtopography increases aquatic fauna concentration levels. Crocodilians modify the landscape creating deep-water refugia but their role as a mechanism for aquatic fauna concentration is unknown. I sampled alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) abundance and slough microtopography to examine correlation between the two measures. Despite...
Show moreIn tropical wetlands, breeding wading birds rely on concentrations of aquatic fauna during the dry season to meet increased energetic demands. Wetland microtopography increases aquatic fauna concentration levels. Crocodilians modify the landscape creating deep-water refugia but their role as a mechanism for aquatic fauna concentration is unknown. I sampled alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) abundance and slough microtopography to examine correlation between the two measures. Despite increased microtopography in high alligator use sloughs, the differences were not significant. Using an in situ experimental approach, I quantified the magnitude, timing, and spatial extent of aquatic fauna concentrations within simulated alligator depressions and the surrounding marsh. Aquatic fauna density and biomass were greater within simulated depressions, thus enhancing wading bird foraging habitat. Further understanding the mechanisms creating microtopography, thus enhancing wading bird habitat, is critical to facilitate restoration and prevent declines of wading bird populations in seasonally pulsed wetlands worldwide.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013060
- Subject Headings
- Wading birds., Wetland ecology., American alligator.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Rethinking Public Service Motivation: The role of communal narcissism.
- Creator
- Fennimore, Anne K., Sementelli, Arthur J., Florida Atlantic University, College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Public Administration
- Abstract/Description
-
Public service motivation (PSM) encompasses self-sacrifice (SS), compassion (COM), commitment to public values (CPV), and attraction to public participation (APP) as part of a public service ethic. The public and non-profit sectors are purported to consist of individuals possessing other-directed, communal values, rather than self-directed, agentic values characterizing private sector organizations. However, PSM’s positive, or prosocial bias often discounts self-interested motives and mixed...
Show morePublic service motivation (PSM) encompasses self-sacrifice (SS), compassion (COM), commitment to public values (CPV), and attraction to public participation (APP) as part of a public service ethic. The public and non-profit sectors are purported to consist of individuals possessing other-directed, communal values, rather than self-directed, agentic values characterizing private sector organizations. However, PSM’s positive, or prosocial bias often discounts self-interested motives and mixed motives. Garnering insights from personality psychology may further the development of PSM from multidisciplinary angles. Malevolent personalities in organizations have been evidenced by decades of research in the private sector. Yet, similar efforts delineating malevolent types in public and non-profit organizations remain lacking. While a battery of personality scales access general personality disorders, none has been administered across sectors to determine if disordered individuals are more likely to be found employed in a particular sector. The communal narcissism scale is distinct from other malevolent scales because it measures communal traits as a function of domain specificity. Unlike the agentic version of narcissism, in which self-aggrandizement is almost immediately apparent to others, in communal narcissism, the self-aggrandizement component is hidden by a ‘saint-type bias’ and self-proclaimed other-orientation. Some communal narcissism traits may mimic dimensions of the PSM scale. If a malevolent personality can mimic public service motivation, then this research would be among the first to illustrate a dark side of PSM, as recently suggested by PSM scholars. This research found that CNI was, indeed, associated with PSM, particularly the self-sacrifice, public participation, and compassion dimensions. Additionally, PSM was positively associated with the non-profit sector and negatively associated with the private sector. CNI, in contrast, was indirectly influenced by sector. Specifically, CNI was positively associated with non-profit sector and negatively associated with the private sector. An empirical analysis of two studies is presented and future research directions are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013061
- Subject Headings
- Public service., Narcissism., Personality--Research.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Enhancing Fracture Toughness and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Vinyl-ester Composites Using a Hybrid Inclusion of CNT and GNP.
- Creator
- Gapstur, Christopher M., Mahfuz, Hassan, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
- Abstract/Description
-
We report a method of increasing fracture toughness (KIc) and strain energy release rate (GIc) of vinyl-ester (VE) matrix by adopting a hybrid (dual) reinforcement strategy. The idea of using this strategy was to trigger intrinsic polymer-nanoparticle interaction such as carbon nanotube (CNT) pull-out and interface sliding to enhance energy absorption during fracture. Additionally, we included a second reinforcement, graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), to promote crack-deflection, crack bridging...
Show moreWe report a method of increasing fracture toughness (KIc) and strain energy release rate (GIc) of vinyl-ester (VE) matrix by adopting a hybrid (dual) reinforcement strategy. The idea of using this strategy was to trigger intrinsic polymer-nanoparticle interaction such as carbon nanotube (CNT) pull-out and interface sliding to enhance energy absorption during fracture. Additionally, we included a second reinforcement, graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), to promote crack-deflection, crack bridging and cross-linking density. Both reinforcements were dispersed into the polymer in three states: non-functionalized (nf>); functionalized with COOH (f>); surface-treated with Triton X-100 (TX100). We embarked on numerous experiments with many combinations of these variables. We measured KIc and GIc using ASTM D5045-14. We conducted an exhaustive iterative investigation with three systems (f>CNT-VE; f>GNP-VE; f>CNT-f>GNP-VE) to determine the best weight-percentage for the nanocomposite system that produced the highest KIc and GIc values when compared to neat-VE. We found that 0.5wt% f>CNT with 0.25wt% f>GNP in the VE matrix resulted in the highest fracture toughness values and was termed the optimized hybrid nanocomposites (OHN) system. Subsequently, we explored further increasing the KIc and GIc of OHN through altering the nanoparticle surface characteristics, which led to four OHN groups: f>CNT-f>GNP-VE; f>CNT-f>GNP-TX100-VE; nf>CNT-nf>GNP-TX100-VE; nf>CNT-nf>GNP-VE. We discovered that the OHN group with non-functionalized nanofillers that were TX100 surface treated (0.5wt%nf>CNT-0.25wt%nf>GNP-TX100-VE) generated the greatest improvements in KIc and GIc. Ultimately, we observed that the KIc of neat-VE increased by 65%, from 1.14 to 1.88 MPa*(m½). The improvement in GIc was even greater with an increase of 166%, from 370 to 985 J/(m2). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) studies showed a minor shift in glass transition temperature (Tg) by up to 8°C when comparing neat-VE specimens to OHN specimens. A similar increase in maximum thermal decomposition temperature (Tp) of up to 8°C was observed through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and derivative TGA (DTG). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies revealed that the source of improvements in fracture toughness and thermal properties was primarily the three-dimensional hybrid nanostructures (3DHN) that formed by binding CNT and GNP together, which caused an increase in nanoparticle surface area and inhibited agglomerations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013062
- Subject Headings
- Carbon nanotubes., Graphene., Vinyl ester resins.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Generalized Feature Embedding Learning for Clustering and Classication.
- Creator
- Golinko, Eric David, Zhu, Xingquan, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
-
Data comes in many di erent shapes and sizes. In real life applications it is common that data we are studying has features that are of varied data types. This may include, numerical, categorical, and text. In order to be able to model this data with machine learning algorithms, it is required that the data is typically in numeric form. Therefore, for data that is not originally numerical, it must be transformed to be able to be used as input into these algorithms. Along with this...
Show moreData comes in many di erent shapes and sizes. In real life applications it is common that data we are studying has features that are of varied data types. This may include, numerical, categorical, and text. In order to be able to model this data with machine learning algorithms, it is required that the data is typically in numeric form. Therefore, for data that is not originally numerical, it must be transformed to be able to be used as input into these algorithms. Along with this transformation it is common that data we study has many features relative to the number of samples in the data. It is often desirable to reduce the number of features that are being trained in a model to eliminate noise and reduce time in training. This problem of high dimensionality can be approached through feature selection, feature extraction, or feature embedding. Feature selection seeks to identify the most essential variables in a dataset that will lead to a parsimonious model and high performing results, while feature extraction and embedding are techniques that utilize a mathematical transformation of the data into a represented space. As a byproduct of using a new representation, we are able to reduce the dimension greatly without sacri cing performance. Oftentimes, by using embedded features we observe a gain in performance. Though extraction and embedding methods may be powerful for isolated machine learning problems, they do not always generalize well. Therefore, we are motivated to illustrate a methodology that can be applied to any data type with little pre-processing. The methods we develop can be applied in unsupervised, supervised, incremental, and deep learning contexts. Using 28 benchmark datasets as examples which include di erent data types, we construct a framework that can be applied for general machine learning tasks. The techniques we develop contribute to the eld of dimension reduction and feature embedding. Using this framework, we make additional contributions to eigendecomposition by creating an objective matrix that includes three main vital components. The rst being a class partitioned row and feature product representation of one-hot encoded data. Secondarily, the derivation of a weighted adjacency matrix based on class label relationships. Finally, by the inner product of these aforementioned values, we are able to condition the one-hot encoded data generated from the original data prior to eigenvector decomposition. The use of class partitioning and adjacency enable subsequent projections of the data to be trained more e ectively when compared side-to-side to baseline algorithm performance. Along with this improved performance, we can adjust the dimension of the subsequent data arbitrarily. In addition, we also show how these dense vectors may be used in applications to order the features of generic data for deep learning. In this dissertation, we examine a general approach to dimension reduction and feature embedding that utilizes a class partitioned row and feature representation, a weighted approach to instance similarity, and an adjacency representation. This general approach has application to unsupervised, supervised, online, and deep learning. In our experiments of 28 benchmark datasets, we show signi cant performance gains in clustering, classi cation, and training time.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013063
- Subject Headings
- Eigenvectors--Data processing., Algorithms., Cluster analysis.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A Collaborative Approach for Real-Time Measurements of Human Trust, Satisfaction and Frustration in Human-Robot Teaming.
- Creator
- Gonzalez Moya, Iker Javier, Nojoumian, Mehrdad, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
-
This thesis aims at real-time measurements of human trust, satisfaction, and frustration in human-robot teaming. Recent studies suggest that humans are inclined to have a negative attitude towards using autonomous systems. These ndings elevate the necessity of conducting research to better understand the key factors that a ect the levels of trust, satisfaction and frustration in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). We utilized a new sequential and collaborative approach for HRI data collection that...
Show moreThis thesis aims at real-time measurements of human trust, satisfaction, and frustration in human-robot teaming. Recent studies suggest that humans are inclined to have a negative attitude towards using autonomous systems. These ndings elevate the necessity of conducting research to better understand the key factors that a ect the levels of trust, satisfaction and frustration in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). We utilized a new sequential and collaborative approach for HRI data collection that employed trust, satisfaction and frustration as primarily evaluative metrics. We also used haptic feedback through a soft actuator armband to help our human subjects control a robotic hand for grabbing or not grabbing an object during our interaction scenarios. Three experimental studies were conducted during our research of which the rst was related to the evaluation of aforementioned metrics through a collabora- tive approach between the Baxter robot and human subjects. The second experiment embodied the evaluation of a newly fabricated 3D- nger for the I-Limb robotic hand through a nuclear-waste glove. The third experiment was based on the two previous studies that focused on real-time measurements of trust, satisfaction and frustration in human-robot teaming with the addition of pressure feedback to the system through soft actuators. In the last case, human subjects had more controls over our robotic systems compared to earlier experiments leading to a more collaborative interaction and teaming. The results of these experiments illustrated that human subjects can rebuild their trust and also increase their satisfaction levels while lowering their frus- tration levels after failures or any faulty behavior. Furthermore, our analyses showed that our methods are highly e ective for collecting honest and genuine data from hu- man subjects and lays the foundation for more-involved future research in the domain of human-robot teaming.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013064
- Subject Headings
- Human-robot interaction., Haptic devices.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Reducing Inattentive Responding by Promoting Autonomous Motivation.
- Creator
- Haas, Justin, Maniaci, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
In some cases, as much as 9% of participants in self-report studies are extremely inattentive (Maniaci & Rogge, 2014). Previous researchers have dealt with this problem by removing inattentive participants from data analyses. A better solution would be to prevent inattentive responding. Self-Determination Theory may provide an effective approach to reducing inattentive responding, specifically by attempting to promote autonomous motivation in research participants. Providing participants with...
Show moreIn some cases, as much as 9% of participants in self-report studies are extremely inattentive (Maniaci & Rogge, 2014). Previous researchers have dealt with this problem by removing inattentive participants from data analyses. A better solution would be to prevent inattentive responding. Self-Determination Theory may provide an effective approach to reducing inattentive responding, specifically by attempting to promote autonomous motivation in research participants. Providing participants with personalized feedback may increase participants’ autonomous motivation, which in turn may lead to more attentive responding. Study 1 showed that participants who are interested in feedback are more attentive throughout an online survey than participants who are not interested in feedback. The next goal was to show through experimental manipulation that emphasizing the opportunity to receive personalized feedback would decrease levels of inattentive responding and increase autonomous motivation. No significant difference occurred between groups in levels of inattention, nor in autonomous motivation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013065
- Subject Headings
- Attention., Self-report inventories., Validity.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An Examination of Literacy Based Beha.
- Creator
- Hall Pistorio, Kalynn, Brady, Michael P., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
- Abstract/Description
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Preparing young children for kindergarten is an important task. There are many skills that need to be learned. Simple everyday school and daily living tasks are kindergarten readiness skills that need to be taught. Many preschool students struggle to learn these skills unless taught directly. There are a sufficient number of interventions that have been used to teach various skills to students, but few have been identified as evidenced-based practices for teaching skills to at-risk preschool...
Show morePreparing young children for kindergarten is an important task. There are many skills that need to be learned. Simple everyday school and daily living tasks are kindergarten readiness skills that need to be taught. Many preschool students struggle to learn these skills unless taught directly. There are a sufficient number of interventions that have been used to teach various skills to students, but few have been identified as evidenced-based practices for teaching skills to at-risk preschool students in the classroom. Literacy based behavioral interventions (LBBI) (Bucholz, Brady, Duffy, Scott, & Kontosh, 2008) are a class of intervention that have been found to be effective to teach a variety of skills. This type of intervention consists of a combination of sequenced visuals and words to either teach a new skill and/or increase or decrease a behavior. Several studies have shown that a storybook LBBI is an effective intervention for teaching new skills including daily living skills, but to date only one study has looked at the effects of a storybook LBBI with preschool children who are at-risk (Hall, Brady, & Morris, 2017). This study expanded the storybook LBBI literature by exploring the effect of small group-delivered storybook LBBIs on preschool students who were at-risk and struggling to learn basic kindergarten readiness skills. Using a multiple baseline design across skills, this study examined the effectiveness of using LBBIs delivered in a small group to teach kindergarten readiness skills and the children’s ability to maintain and generalize these skills. Four preschool students were taught three skills including cutting with scissors, using liquid glue, and matching. Data were collected on the steps correct and independent on the task analysis for each skill. The results found an increase in skill acquisition with students learning the new skills and maintaining those skills after the removal of the LBBI. Students were also able to generalize these new skills to novel materials. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013066
- Subject Headings
- Preschool children--Education., Teaching young children., Kindergarten., Literacy.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Machine Learning Algorithms for the Analysis of Social Media and Detection of Malicious User Generated Content.
- Creator
- Heredia, Brian, Khoshgoftaar, Taghi M., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
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One of the de ning characteristics of the modern Internet is its massive connectedness, with information and human connection simply a few clicks away. Social media and online retailers have revolutionized how we communicate and purchase goods or services. User generated content on the web, through social media, plays a large role in modern society; Twitter has been in the forefront of political discourse, with politicians choosing it as their platform for disseminating information, while...
Show moreOne of the de ning characteristics of the modern Internet is its massive connectedness, with information and human connection simply a few clicks away. Social media and online retailers have revolutionized how we communicate and purchase goods or services. User generated content on the web, through social media, plays a large role in modern society; Twitter has been in the forefront of political discourse, with politicians choosing it as their platform for disseminating information, while websites like Amazon and Yelp allow users to share their opinions on products via online reviews. The information available through these platforms can provide insight into a host of relevant topics through the process of machine learning. Speci - cally, this process involves text mining for sentiment analysis, which is an application domain of machine learning involving the extraction of emotion from text. Unfortunately, there are still those with malicious intent and with the changes to how we communicate and conduct business, comes changes to their malicious practices. Social bots and fake reviews plague the web, providing incorrect information and swaying the opinion of unaware readers. The detection of these false users or posts from reading the text is di cult, if not impossible, for humans. Fortunately, text mining provides us with methods for the detection of harmful user generated content. This dissertation expands the current research in sentiment analysis, fake online review detection and election prediction. We examine cross-domain sentiment analysis using tweets and reviews. Novel techniques combining ensemble and feature selection methods are proposed for the domain of online spam review detection. We investigate the ability for the Twitter platform to predict the United States 2016 presidential election. In addition, we determine how social bots in uence this prediction.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013067
- Subject Headings
- Machine learning., Text mining., User-generated content., Social media.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Student Perception of Professors’ Teaching Attributes in Post-Secondary Hospitality Management Degree Programs.
- Creator
- Hertz, Oren, Bryan, Valerie, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
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This study describes how undergraduate students in their junior and senior year seeking a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management at a regionally accredited university perceive their professors’ instructional attributes and behaviors. This examination concentrated on two critical zones of discernment concerning professors’ instructional practices. Participants were asked what teaching attributes contributed to their academic success, and teaching attributes did not contribute to their...
Show moreThis study describes how undergraduate students in their junior and senior year seeking a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management at a regionally accredited university perceive their professors’ instructional attributes and behaviors. This examination concentrated on two critical zones of discernment concerning professors’ instructional practices. Participants were asked what teaching attributes contributed to their academic success, and teaching attributes did not contribute to their academic success. The study also sought to identify any obstacles faced by the participating undergraduate students and their faculty as indicators of how to mitigate such obstacles. This study included a review of an extensive collection of research on student perspectives and how those perspectives may reflect on the evaluation of the adequacy of various teaching techniques and academic practices. This study found that the instructional attributes that participating students reported that they value include: agreeableness (concern and regard for students), accommodation (accessibility), and receptiveness to others’ conclusions (support of class inquiries and exchange), yet all instructors do not exhibit each of these attributes. This study identified the positive teaching characteristics of professors in one setting and how these professors interact with their students in a manner that captures students’ attention and promotes teaching and learning in the classroom. It also suggests attributes that professors in this setting and discipline may wish to elevate to better connect with students in the classroom.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013068
- Subject Headings
- College teachers., Effective teaching in higher education., Student evaluation of teachers.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Factors That Contribute to Healthy Professional Relationships and a Positive Perception of School Climate in Christian Schools.
- Creator
- Hoffman, Tammy, Vaughan, Michelle, Bogotch, Ira, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
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Several Christian schools are becoming insolvent due to competition from larger private and charter schools. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to determine teacher and administrators’ perception of school climate in the dimension of “Professional Relationships” in two accredited secondary Christian schools in South Florida, identify factors that contribute to healthy interpersonal relationships between the two groups, and determine how each group’s Christian...
Show moreSeveral Christian schools are becoming insolvent due to competition from larger private and charter schools. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to determine teacher and administrators’ perception of school climate in the dimension of “Professional Relationships” in two accredited secondary Christian schools in South Florida, identify factors that contribute to healthy interpersonal relationships between the two groups, and determine how each group’s Christian faith influenced their actions. This study was unique because it included the administrators. The Organizational Climate Descriptive Questionnaire Revised for Secondary Schools (OCDQ-RS) survey was administered and results indicated that the participants’ perception of school climate was strongly influenced by their interpersonal relationships with their leaders, and positive interactions with one leader balanced out negative interactions with another leader. The survey results determined that School B’s participants scored above average in all five behaviors, and in “Teacher Engaged Behavior” their high score was an outlier, but the qualitative strand proved the score was appropriate. A t-test proved there was a significant statistical difference between the two research sites. Both schools scored above average in their openness scores, supporting the literature that Christian schools tend to have healthier school climates than public schools. An intrinsic case study was used for the qualitative strand, and the results indicated that teachers appreciate “Intentional Compassionate Leaders” who demonstrate healthy communication skills and compassion, and administrators appreciate “Professional Teachers” who demonstrate healthy communication skills and reciprocal compliance. Teachers appreciate administrators who demonstrate humility, Christian leadership, collaboration, accessibility, and visibility. These findings are significant for all educators because they identify concrete actions that teachers and administrators can take to improve their professional relationships. Christian school leaders could consider conducting a school climate study with a qualitative strand and following the Christian Transformational Leadership style, which encourages leaders to develop professional relationships with teachers, provide teachers with growth opportunities, develop a shared vision with their staff, and incorporates the three R’s, which stand for Christian school leaders who are “responsible” to secure “resources” and implement “reform” to keep their school in business.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013069
- Subject Headings
- Christian schools., Church schools--Administration., Interpersonal relations., School climate
- Format
- Document (PDF)
