JBC Commons (New College of Florida)
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BETWEEN BELIEF AND BIAS: HOW RELIGIOUS PRIMING AFFECTS IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
No full textThis study works to understand the relationship between religiosity and impression management through use of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS). A total of 188 participants completed the study, representing 19 different faiths. Using priming methodology to make religion salient in one condition, participants were asked a series of 33 questions of socially desirable behavior, followed by measures on centrality of religion and religious orientation. The study did not find a general impact of religious priming on social desirability reporting. A significant positive relationship was found between participants scoring higher on extrinsic religiosity and social desirability reporting in unprimed participants. There was also a significant negative correlation between more central religious practice and social desirability in primed participants. This supports an understanding of the complex relationship social desirability has with religion. Understanding this relationship could impact potential validity and generalizability of studies within the psychology of religion
LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION AND PRACTICAL PEDAGOGY
No full textThis thesis explores how a liberal arts education, combined with extensive practical teaching experience and real-world insights, has shaped my philosophy and trajectory as a future educator as I traversed the college system. Drawing from interdisciplinary coursework and firsthand classroom involvement, I examine the benefits and challenges of pursuing a nontraditional path into teaching, particularly through the lens of Florida’s certification system. Rather than following a conventional teacher preparation program, I intentionally crafted an individualized academic journey grounded in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, complemented by sustained practicum experiences across multiple school districts. My work highlights how liberal arts training cultivates adaptability, critical thinking, and a holistic understanding of educational systems, qualities essential for today’s dynamic classrooms. Additionally, I reflect on my experiences as a mother and mentor, which provided early insight into educational inequities and the importance of flexibility in learning models. This paper also compares liberal arts pathways with occupational education degrees and advocates for more inclusive, experiential, and student-centered approaches to middle school education. Ultimately, I argue that educators with broad, interdisciplinary backgrounds are well-positioned to drive meaningful change in schools and communities, and I propose a vision for a future charter school that embodies these values
EVALUATION OF AN EFFICIENT ENSEMBLING STRATEGY FOR LINEAR CLASSIFIERS AND NEURAL NETWORKS
No full textIn this thesis I examine a specific ensembling technique—which I call “additive ensembling”—and how it performs when applied to linear classifiers, the perceptron, in particular, and feedforward neural networks. This technique differs from previous methods of ensembling, as it does not require the storage of individual weight vectors. Instead, it iteratively sums weight vectors from multiple separate models, resulting in one final summed model containing just one weight vector per class. It is implemented as an extension of scikit-learn’s machine learning library’s model classes. This algorithm is very straightforward to implement, requiring only a few lines of code and is much more efficient than traditional ensembling. The performance was evaluated on eight different standard datasets and the results show that it delivers superior performance with all linear classifiers, such as the perceptron and logistic regression. However, for feed-forward neural networks this type of ensembling fails completely, and yields essentially a random classification. I conjecture that this is because linear classifiers have convex parameter landscapes, or loss function surfaces. Because of this, the individual models find points that are all close to the minimum in this landscape, directing the model average towards a global minimum. The same is not true for feed-forward neural networks, however. Because their objective functions are not convex and can have multiple minima, the summation leads to a random point in the parameter space rather than an actual minimum
RESTING-STATE ELECTRODERMAL ACTIVITY IN ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT ADHD
No full textA growing body of literature shows strong evidence for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibiting hypoarousal compared to neurotypical children. This research is supported in conditions where stimuli are present and at a resting-state. However, the research with adult ADHD is conflicting. Adults with ADHD have been shown to exhibit no difference, hypoarousal, and hyperarousal compared to neurotypical adults. Therefore, the present study aims to employ a resting-state analysis of electrodermal activity (arousal) between self-reporting adults with ADHD (n = 11) and without ADHD (n = 8). A self-report questionnaire was also utilized to quantify the participant’s ADHD symptoms. Participants were recorded at a resting-state for 5 min. Adults with ADHD were significant at a 0.10 significance level for exhibiting different mean EDA across 5 min (p = .09) than adults with ADHD. A significant positive correlation between adult ADHD self-report report survey scores and mean EDA was also found (p = .03). A generalized linear mixed-effects model was employed to better understand the relationship. This was useful in better controlling for participant intercept and slope differences. At the midpoint of the 5 min resting-state EDA recording, participants with ADHD had significantly higher mean EDA compared to those without ADHD. However, the residual diagnostics of both models suggest interpreting these results cautiously. Overall, the findings suggest that by analyzing resting-state EDA between ADHD and control participants there is high variance within the ADHD group. Yet the control participants exhibit a trend that follows the generalized linear mixed-effects model with greater fit
NEWT GINGRICH, THE ‘94 ELECTIONS, AND HOUSE POLARIZATION: A STRATEGIC CONNECTION
No full textThe 1994 elections have been a highly interesting subject of study in the field of political science, mainly because of how astonishing the results were. The effects of these elections, at the time they occurred, were not yet visible; however, many books, including Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein’s It’s Even Worse Than It Looks, have now partially attributed the force behind these elections, Newt Gingrich, to an enduring party polarization in the modern era. However, in researching the effects of the ‘94 elections, I could not find an attempted causal process tracing which would account for that connection, or a comprehensive account of Gingrich’s strategy. Thus, my aim was to research and organize Gingrich’s methods and strategic initiatives put forth to achieve the Republican Revolution in order to causally trace the process, and to find out if this strategy contributed to heightened House polarization. My methods included conducting primary source analysis on congressional documents and footage in order to process trace. I also balanced the qualitative research with a quantitative contextual analysis by using DW-NOMINATE spatial models in order to compare the 103rd and 104th Congresses, among other congresses for context. My findings indicate that Gingrich’s utilization of GOPAC should be looked to in order to describe heightened House polarization after the 1994 elections, and that party strategy matters. A clear difference between the 103rd and 104th Congress is shown, and contextual primary source analysis provides a picture which has important implications for the ways in which individuals can elicit systemic change (heightened polarization) in our law making institutions. I present evidence that without the Gingrich strategy implemented for the 1994 elections, an exacerbation of congressional polarization in the 104th Congress would not have been as likely
AN ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT SOCIAL CAPITAL AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HAVE ON COUNTY-LEVEL POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
No full textThe foundations of a well-functioning democratic society depend on an active and diverse political culture. Social capital is one way of evaluating the extent to which a diverse range of people participate politically. While there is a wealth interdisciplinary of literature utilizing the concept of social capital, the built environment (being all human infrastructure and ecological influence on earth) has not been deeply explored concerning social capital or political participation. This thesis follows three Florida counties which have been selected for being rural, suburban, and urban generally. Geospatial zoning data is collected along with each zoning district\u27s unique ordinance codes in order to craft a detailed understanding of each county\u27s built environment and the policies utilized to shape it. Additionally, the voting turnout rates and voter registrations of each county are provided for the 2020 and 2022 elections. Multiple indices of social capital are utilized to measure the dynamics of political interaction in each county. Using demographics and regional history, the rural and suburban case counties are argued to only have higher turnout rates due to exclusionary zoning policies that have resulted in extreme ideological homogeneity among these communities and such policies maintain this homogeneity withing these communities. Various other elements of the study are problematized, and recommendations are made for future research wishing to utilize zoning or ordinance codes as a way to help better understand community-level political participation
Four Cases of Smart City Development and Redevelopment: A Comparative Analysis of Berlin, Boston, Busan, and Shanghai
No full textThe concept of Smart Cities, originating in 2009 and solidified by ISO 37120:2018, has piqued global interest as cities strive to adapt to future technology, urban design, and sustainability. This paper explores the intricate dynamics between state and private funding in Smart City transitions, as well as the technological choices, focusing on comparing cities with historical infrastructure and those rebuilt after being devastated. Cities with special administrative status and major ports naturally aligned with the criteria for mature smart cities during the filtering process. Four mature Smart Cities - Berlin, Boston, Busan, and Shanghai - were selected for their relatively developed Smart City programs and their variation in infrastructure. The study revealed that cities with historical infrastructure, like Boston and Busan, tend to seek private sector partnerships to cater to their unique needs, which off-the-shelf plans may not accommodate. Conversely, cities rebuilt after devastation, such as Shanghai and Berlin, prefer off-the-shelf plans with minimal modifications, as these plans are designed for modern infrastructure. The preference for state or private funding in relation to unitary or federal governing systems was less clear. While unitary systems leaned towards state funding, federal cases were inconclusive, with Berlin and Boston opting for public and private funding respectively. This study serves as a stepping stone in the growing field of Smart Cities, and future research building upon this initial analysis will be crucial in understanding how Smart Cities develop and interact with governments, constituents, and the environment
Quantification of Serum DNA in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Proton Radiation Therapy
No full textProstate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for men worldwide. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2020 alone, 3,343,976 men were diagnosed with PCa in the United States, with an estimated death rate of 34,700 per year, and the estimated number of new diagnosed cases being 288,300 in 2023. Currently, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is the main method of screening for PCa: a blood sample is taken to measure levels of a protein that is generated by both healthy and cancerous cells of the prostate gland. However, the PSA test is not PCa-specific, but instead prostate gland-specific, which results in many inaccurate diagnoses of PCa. Additionally, depending on the age of the individual, PSA levels can be elevated even when no PCa is present, resulting in high false-positive rates. Because of this, a positive PSA test is usually followed by a tissue biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of PCa. Given the heterogeneity of PCa, biopsies can be imprecise and may result in complications. These biopsies are used to stratify patients into PCa risk groups based on Gleason score, stage, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and guide PCa treatment based on the risk for recurrence and metastases. In the era of precision medicine, there is a compelling need for more precise, minimally invasive methods such as liquid biopsies to improve the prediction of who may be at risk for recurrence or progression at diagnosis, during, and following treatment. Liquid biopsies, which can detect nucleic acids in plasma or serum, hold great promise for determining the risk for recurrence and metastatic spread in cancer patients. For many cancers, it has been hypothesized that increasing levels of circulating cell-free (ccf) DNA may be associated with adverse outcomes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether ccfDNA quantity was associated with the PCa risk group. Our methods included isolating ccfDNA from serum, determining the quantity in each sample over time, and performing descriptive, inferential, and associational statistical analyses to determine its association with the risk group. Specifically, PCa patients who were eligible for the study volunteered to have their blood taken for pre-radiation therapy as well as 2 and 4 weeks after the radiation therapy. Our results indicated that increasing ccfDNA quantity was not associated with a PCa risk group
OCR Of Greek
No full textThe goal of this thesis is to create a program which is capable of transliterating Greek manuscripts. An existing Transformer-based Optical Character Recognition (TrOCR) software was identified which is able to be trained on provided datasets. The model requires images of individual lines for its training data. This thesis deals with the effort to convert images which contain one to two pages of a manuscript into a series of images each containing a single line of text. The images are first preprocessed, being binarized and having OpenCV’s morphological filters applied. Using linear regression, it is then determined how many columns of text are within the image which is then cropped into a series of smaller images, each containing one of the columns of text. Using autoregression and mean pixel values, the location of each line is found within these column images. OpenCV’s contour methods are then used to assign text to each line. This information is used to create a series of images each containing one line of text
FIDGETING AND ATTENTION TO SELF/OTHER NARRATIVES: AN EEG STUDY
No full textThough fidgeting is widespread, its purpose is not yet known. Fidgeting has been proposed to be a method of regulating sensory input, a method of releasing excess energy, or a strategy to reduce stress. Of particular interest has been the interaction between fidgeting and the processes of attention and memory. As fidgeting tends to occur in environments which necessitate focused attention and later recall of details, it is important to understand what fidgeting may do to help or harm attention and memory. Previous studies have established a mixed relationship between measures of attention, memory, and fidgeting, with a somewhat negative skew. In this study, I used a naturalistic narrative and free recall task to determine the relationship between fidgeting duration and recall in 16 participants. I used an electroencephalogram to measure the relationship between fidgeting duration, recall performance, and mean power in the alpha, beta, and theta frequency bands over the frontal cortex. No significant correlation was found between fidgeting duration and recall performance. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between alpha, beta, or theta power and fidgeting duration or recall performance. As an addition to a mixed body of results, these findings indicate that fidgeting must be studied further to determine its possible relationship with recall and attention. Possible methodological improvements and future lines of inquiry are discussed, as well as the potential implications of fidgeting for the functioning of different networks in the brain