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Control of a 9-DoF Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm System
No full textA wheelchair-mounted robotic arm (WMRA) system was designed and built to meet the needs of mobility-impaired persons with limitations of upper extremities, and to exceed the capabilities of current devices of this type. The control of this 9- DoF system expands on the conventional control methods and combines the 7-DoF robotic arm control with the 2-DoF power wheelchair control. The 3-degrees of redundancy are optimized to effectively perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and overcome singularities, joint limits and some workspace limitations. The control system is designed for teleoperated or autonomous coordinated Cartesian control, and it offers expandability for future research, such as voice or sip and puff control operations and sensor assist functions
Crow\u27s Nest : 2023: 09 : 25
No full text(Vol. 61, No. 2)https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/crows_nest/1890/thumbnail.jp
Training Parents via Telehealth to Teach Manding to Children with ASD to Replace Problem Behavior
No full textThis study assessed the effectiveness of using Behavioral Skills Training (BST) for parent training to implement functional behavior training and video modeling via a telehealth platform designed to increase manding abilities and to decrease problem behaviors with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). With eight participants, this study used a multiple-baseline design across subjects (four parents and four children with ASD). The research was divided into three phases: parent training, baseline, and intervention. BST was administered remotely from the United States through synchronous video conferencing with families in different countries in the Middle East. All parents were able to learn to identify the function of their child’s problem behavior, to create video models, and to implement the functional communication intervention. Problem behaviors were eliminated or nearly eliminated for all participants, and all participants were able to use manding independently to request desired items. Manding generalized to other settings for two of the four participants. The intervention was well received by all participants and the study\u27s social validity questionnaire revealed that all parents were satisfied with the training. The results of this study have significant implications for clinical application and contribute a meaningful and unique approach to add to the academic literature in ABA
PAMAM- Cyclodextrin Conjugate Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor in ARPE-19 Cells
No full textBackground: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major contributor to death and disability due to motorvehicle accidents, sports, physical abuse, and battlefield injuries. The primary insult to the brain leads to inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the brain as well as in the eye. This leads to loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) and downregulation of Brain derived Neurotopic Factor (BDNF). BDNF is a neurotrophic factor that binds to Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B (TrkB) receptor to promote cell growth, survival, and differentiation. Current treatment strategies do not promote neuronal regeneration. Therefore, novel treatments are needed to restore vision following TBI. Dendrimers are nanoscale, branched polymers that have been widely used to deliver drugs due to their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-retina barrier (BRB). β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) has a hydrophobic cavity that can encapsulate drugs. We aim to induce BDNF expression in ARPE-19 cells by complexing BDNF plasmid to PAMAM-β-cyclodextrin conjugate. Methods: In this study, we conjugated β-CyD to Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and used the PAMAM-β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles to deliver BDNF plasmid in retinal pigmented epithelial cell line, ARPE-19. Two different NP (N): plasmid (P) ratios – 2:1 and 5:1 were tested. Results: BDNF levels were downregulated in TBI mouse retina. Conjugation of β- CyD to PAMAM increased transfection efficiency compared to PAMAM alone. BDNF plasmid was complexed with PAMAM-β-CyD conjugated in different N/P ratios. Higher N/P ratios increase cytotoxicity due to positive charges of PAMAM disrupting the negatively charged cell membrane in the PAMAM-BDNF treatment group. Vice-versa was observed in BDNF complexed PAMAM- β-CyD treatment groups which might be because β-CyD can interact with phospholipids in the cell membrane. N/P ratio 5:1 increased transfection efficiency and Bdnf mRNA levels compared to 2:1 due to complete condensation of DNA around the PAMAM as a result of higher positive surface charges. Conclusion: BDNF complexed PAMAM-β-CyD conjugate are able to transfect ARPE-19 cells and upregulate Bdnf mRNA levels. This study using ARPE-19 cells can be further validated for ocular drug delivery to the posterior segment in-vivo animal models of TBI. For future studies, the hydrophobic cavity of β-CyD can be utilized to encapsulate drugs to decrease inflammation, oxidative stress, and intraocular pressure in the eye. The nanoparticles-mediated gene therapy may be a promising approach for gene therapy for retinal degeneration post-TBI, in the future
An Examination of Racial Disparities in Arrest Across Florida Counties, 1998-2018: A Test of the Racial Threat and Political Representation Hypotheses
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation is to examine variations in the racial distribution of reported arrests across counties, and whether those outcomes are related to racial demographics variables and measure of the political structure in the State of Florida. The study seeks to bring awareness to the importance of representation of minorities by conducting a test of Blalock’s minority threat theory and extending the theory through the examination of political variables across Florida counties. Arrest and population data from 67 Florida counties along with the racial composition of the Florida State House of Representatives from 1998 to 2018 are utilized to test the minority threat theory and examine the additional political aspect. The study finds support for Blalock’s minority threat theory but does not find support for Blalock’s, percent Black squared, curvilinear assumption. The study finds evidence of consistent racial disparities in arrest over time, in approximately 81% of the counties with a decreasing trend of racial disparities in arrest, however, while maintaining a large disproportional gap between Black-specific arrest rates and White-specific arrest rates. Findings of the Black political representation indicates that racial disparities in arrest continue to increase in the presence of Black political representation and presents inconclusive evidence to whether Black political representation have a negative effect on racial disparities in arrest, however, the study concludes that the effect may not be prevalent due to the low number of Black political representation in the political structure across Florida counties
The Invisible Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Boys and Their Barriers to Access to Services
No full textWhile there has been a large body of research conducted on girl (under the age of 18) victims of commercial sexual exploitation, boy (under the age of 18) victims do not seem to receive the same attention. From the few studies that have been conducted, boys and young male victims of commercial sexual exploitation have been shown to have gender specific barriers that prevent them from getting help, yet not many papers explore this unique problem. Using survey data from key providers that work in programs that serve commercially sexually exploited boys, the present study fills this hole in the literature by providing information on these barriers that boys face. This study is exploratory in nature as not much is known about the scope and prevalence of these barriers. However, using theory from feminist criminology and masculinity theory, three specific barriers are proposed as being potentially influential. These proposed barriers are hegemonic masculinity, male victimization/rape myths, and homophobia. While these are the barriers that are expected to be the most prevalent in the survey responses, other barriers will be examined as well depending on the answers that programs provide. Additionally, this study aims to highlight the lack of programs available for boys and suggests that the same barriers that prevent boys from being identified as victims may also be to blame for the lack of programs for boys
The \u27Charm and Distinction\u27 of Proverbs: The Duality of the Gem Analogy in Erasmus\u27s \u3cem\u3eAdagia\u3c/em\u3e
No full textThroughout the Adagia, Erasmus of Rotterdam frequently compares proverbs to precious gems and gemstone jewelry. My interdisciplinary study contributes to the broader discussion of Erasmus’s use of imagery by evaluating the specific qualities Erasmus associates with gemstones as analogous to the qualities he argues synonymously describe proverbs, specifically how both possess and imbue “charm and distinction.” The historical use of gemstones as essential for the display of social status and political power coupled with the contemporaneous belief in amuletic and astral magical properties of gemstones reveals the complex connections Erasmus forges between the qualities of gemstones and proverbs. Erasmus’s marked use of references to gemstones uncovers the social, political, and moral implications of his humanist message, advocating for the ability of knowledge from classical antiquity to bring back the golden age of learning. Ultimately, Erasmus mirrors Platonic rhetoric, in his discussion of a deceptive outer appearance, to argue for the value of a proverb’s wisdom as true gems which lend real charm and distinction, while precious gemstones and jewelry are a false proxy for virtue. Erasmus advances his arguments for the value of ancient wisdom by using the gem as a relatable device capable of expressing his many points about the true nature of proverbs
The Development of a Behaviorally Based Mentoring Workplace Scale
No full textThe purpose of this research is to contribute to the mentoring literature by providing a new tool to measure mentoring behaviors and their effectiveness from the perspective of the protégé. To accomplish this, I used the specific mentoring behaviors outlined by previous research to develop a behaviorally based measure of mentorship. The items for this new behaviorally based mentoring effectiveness scale were developed to measure the same theoretical construct as previous mentoring scales, but with the intention of capturing effective behaviors instead of broader mentoring functions. This scale was developed through three main steps: a pilot study to narrow down behaviors to the most important behaviors for mentoring effectiveness, a second pilot study to refine items and determine the factor structure, and a final study which was used to replicate the factor structure as well as provide evidence of criterion-related validity with mentoring outcomes. The result of this work is the development of the Behavioral Effectiveness of Mentoring Scale, which is comprised of three factors: competency development, relationship building, and sponsorship. This scale and its factors are related to important subjective outcomes found in the mentoring literature and explain unique variance above and beyond traditional function-based mentoring scales
Meta-Analysis of United States Seabird Populations Based on Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) Records (1965–2018)
No full textUnderstanding the distribution of organisms is an important priority for society as we live through ecosystem transformations that threaten the well-being of all organisms. I have approached the dynamic and complex issue of studying biodiversity by using open-access seabird data collected along the Americas since the 1960s. I explained how these data have changed over time and space, how certain species populations could have shifted over time, and possible correlations between this potential geographic change and select environmental variables.
In Chapter 2 I evaluated the suitability of the open-access data archive Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) for supporting detailed inquiry into multi-decadal-scale geographic distributions of sea- and shorebird species in the Americas. The study included more than 680,000 occurrence records of 210 species collected between 1965 and 2018, evaluating them by marine ecoregion. I found that while OBIS contained a significant amount of data, the majority of records were from North American marine ecoregions, specifically from the Puget Trough/Georgia Basin and the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy. Only a small portion of the data covered South America, the majority of which was collected in the Channels and Fjords of Southern Chile ecoregion. This study concluded that North American ecoregions could be used for future research, but that the community should share additional observations via OBIS to enable comprehensive, large-scale and detailed meta-analyses of spatial and temporal trends in marine and shorebird biodiversity.
In Chapter 3, I used OBIS occurrence (presence only) records from 1980–2018 for common loons (Gavia immer), sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus), and black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) to see how locations of these field-observations changed over time. The objective was to see how these changes illustrate the possibility of populations shifting northward or southward correlating with sea-surface temperatures, among other variables. These species were selected because of the larger volume of records available over the four-decade period compared to other seabird species. Records available for each of the four decades made these taxa useful for my study. Records for other taxa were too sparse to address changes over multi-decadal time scales. Results show that the average centroids of the distributions of sooty shearwater and black-footed albatross observations off the west coast of the United States of America (USA) moved northward by ~450 and 270 kilometers over 40 years, respectively. In contrast, the average centroids of the sooty shearwater and common loon observation distributions on the east coast of the USA moved southward by ~140 and 260 kilometers, respectively, over this period. However, these results have high uncertainty, and it is not possible to assign these changes to processes such as climate change at this time. Using the modelled Copernicus Global Ocean Physics Reanalysis (GLORYS12V1) environmental data product, I examined correlations between species’ geographic locations and abiotic factors (e.g., sea-surface temperatures, salinity, mixed-layer depth, northward and eastern current velocities, and sea-surface height).
The statistical analyses indicated that changes between decades in the average population distributions of common loons computed for any one season off the east coast of the USA were largely associated with sea-surface temperature changes in all seasons except spring. Locations of observations of sooty shearwaters on the east coast actually occurred such that records were matched to progressively cooler sea-surface temperature from decade to decade (~7℃ across 40 years), and leading to an apparent southward location of the spring centroids over time. For observations in autumn and summer, locations were associated with warmer waters (an increase of ~2.5℃ over 40 years, also corresponding to southward location of the bulk of shearwater observations). On the west coast, sooty shearwater observation distributions were positively associated with both temperature and salinity in spring, and negatively correlated in summer and autumn. Population observation distribution of black-footed albatross positively correlated with sea-surface temperature and salinity in spring, summer and autumn. Summer centroid temperatures for sooty shearwaters and black-footed albatross observations on the west coast increased by 1℃ and 0.5℃ over the 40-year period, respectively. In all cases except for common loons, records from winter seasons provided insufficient data for meaningful analyses. The results included numerous artifacts due to an uneven availability of records of species observations across years and from decade to decade.
Chapter 4 argues for the importance of integrating our communities, exploring scientific inquiry, and improving communication skills to bridge the gap between scientists and the public. This chapter presents four case studies from various parts of the Americas, including Brazil, Argentina, and Canada, which demonstrate diverse approaches such as technological applications, websites, community engagement activities, and events. The examples encompass a mobile “app” designed to reduce bycatch in shrimp fishing, participatory workshops utilizing graphic facilitation to raise awareness about environmental change, and an academic group that conducts accessible laboratory experiments to explain geophysical fluids. This chapter emphasizes the potential of these strategies to inform environmental management and everyday decision-making while fostering positive societal transformations. This can be easily applicable to, and was useful in, my seabird research. Clear and accessible communication between the scientific community and the public can raise awareness about the conservation needs of seabirds and promote community engagement.
Chapter 5 is a summary of the dissertation findings with recommendations for future work. Overall, my work highlights that even the most numerous seabird species records at present are insufficient to conduct robust temporal and spatial analyses and comprehensive assessments. The OBIS platform provides a foundation to understand sea- and shorebird distributions throughout North American marine ecoregions. However, to enable comprehensive analyses of spatial and temporal trends in marine and shorebird communities and their biodiversity, the temporal and geographic coverage of OBIS must be augmented with many more observations. Sharing observations via open-access databases such as OBIS can support monitoring and ecological analyses within and across marine ecoregions and contribute to future conservation efforts.
It is clear that there can be more coordinated efforts in capacity development and training in data management and use at the level of graduate study programs. Standardized, open databases are an essential component of creating, compiling and spreading knowledge. Using such information helps establish best practices for taxonomic and environmental observations, ultimately expanding and improving the availability of data on sea- and shorebirds. Furthermore, supporting scientific understanding and environmental interest in local communities can contribute to a more comprehensive and effective understanding of these species and their role in marine ecosystems
Attention-Grabbing Tactics on Social Media
No full textNews posts are popular among social media users. Since news reading is critical for both social media platforms and news providers, the use of attention-grabbing tactics, such as hyperbole and expressed emotional arousal, is commonplace to increase news readership. However, there is scant empirical evidence to explain the impact of attention-grabbing tactics on social media users’ reading intentions and behavior in social media. Therefore, I first explore how and why the use of hyperbolic statements in news headlines influences users’ interest and intention to read the news. Drawing on expectation violation theory, I propose competing hypotheses. I conducted three experiments to examine the impact of hyperbole and test the competing mechanisms. The findings from this research challenge the prevailing notion that the use of attention-grabbing tactics, such as hyperbole, is effective in piquing reader interest and influencing news readership. This research contributes to the online news consumption literature by revealing the unintended consequences of deploying hyperbole in headlines and highlighting the nuanced role of expectation violation in this emerging phenomenon. Next, I explore the role of expressed emotional arousal in news reading on social media. Expressions of emotions are common in news posts on social media. News providers embed emotional expressions to grab users’ attention and entice them to read the full article. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support this practice. I develop a theoretical model using emotions as social information theory to explain how, when, and why the arousal of emotions expressed in headlines influences news article reading in social media. Through three experiments, I provide converging evidence that the use of expressed arousal backfires and reduces news reading. I also reveal a context-dependent boundary condition (i.e., information gap) and explore underlying mechanisms. The findings of this research speak to the growing literature on emotional expressions in social media and challenge the assumption that expressed arousal is beneficial in increasing news readership in social media. In summary, this dissertation provides converging evidence that attention-grabbing tactics such as hyperbole and expressed emotional arousal have an unintended impact on news reading on social media. Through this dissertation, I contribute to the growing literature on news consumption on social media and challenge the commonly held assumption that attention-grabbing tactics are useful in increasing news readership on social media