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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Determinants Of Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease, Shabu Varghese Jan 2016

Determinants Of Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease, Shabu Varghese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) constitutes a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), in 2013, Medicare spending alone accounts for $30.9 billion for the treatment-related expenses for ESRD. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship of two important determinants, perceived social support and treatment adherence with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of ESRD patients. Using the health belief model and Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the study explained the theoretical underpinnings of the causal relationships of the patient's perspectives of perceived social support …


The Longitudinal Relationship Between Moderate Alcohol Use And Cognitive Aging Among Older Adults., Danielle Herring Jan 2016

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Moderate Alcohol Use And Cognitive Aging Among Older Adults., Danielle Herring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive aging appears inconsistent across cognitive domains, indicating that domains may not all decline at the same rate across individuals. Individual trajectories of cognitive aging can vary widely and are affected by numerous lifestyle and health factors. Alcohol use among older adults is known to confer both health risks, typically related to excessive use, and protective effects, often associated with moderate consumption. Moderate alcohol use has been linked with better cognitive functioning as well as a decrease in cardiovascular mortality and systemic inflammation, as compared to heavy or abstinent users. Given that extant research has identified C-reactive protein (CRP) as …


An Investigation Of The Biomechanical Implications Of Lower Limb Fractures And Leg Length Disparity, Elizabeth Mills Jan 2016

An Investigation Of The Biomechanical Implications Of Lower Limb Fractures And Leg Length Disparity, Elizabeth Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the primary goals of biological anthropology is to develop an accurate understanding of human anatomy, health, disease, and injury in both modern and archaeological populations. Paleopathological analyses are a fruitful means of identifying disease and injury in skeletal assemblages, but the individual long-term biomechanical effects associated with pathological conditions have not yet been adequately explored in the literature. Leg fractures are a common pathological condition in both modern and archaeological populations, the effects of which may alter the biomechanics of gait. A growing body of clinical literature demonstrates that abnormal ambulatory function may have far-reaching effects in the …


Hegemony Of The Fourth And Fifth Estates: Exploration Of Ideology And False Consciousness In The Media, Anna Turner Jan 2016

Hegemony Of The Fourth And Fifth Estates: Exploration Of Ideology And False Consciousness In The Media, Anna Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hegemony is a process of dialectic political control. On one side, intellectuals use political and economic channels to convey an ideology, a set of principles, to the public, and on the other side, the public accepts this ideology, thus consenting to the status quo (Boggs, 1976). Research suggests that media are hegemonic entities that reinforce ideology (Bielby & Moloney, 2008; Lewis, 1999a). Traditional news media comprise the fourth estate, while the blogosphere, often heralded as media critics, constitutes the fifth. Limited research exists on the fifth estate, which, due to the ubiquity of the internet, has emerged as a public …


The Female Human Trafficker In The Criminal Justice System: A Test Of The Chivalry Hypothesis, Brielle Francis Jan 2016

The Female Human Trafficker In The Criminal Justice System: A Test Of The Chivalry Hypothesis, Brielle Francis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The involvement of women in human trafficking within the United States has received limited research attention. Human trafficking encompasses labor, sex, and organ trafficking (Roberts, 2012). In 2009 the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that women play a significant role in human trafficking. Nagel and Johnson (1994) conclude that, historically, female offenders have stayed at the edge of the criminal justice system. Generally, theories about prosecution and conviction outcomes derive from the study of male offenders. Women can be involved in all aspects of the human trafficking organizations, from the recruitment, to the supervision of prostitutes …


Superwholock: An Analysis Of Subculture In A Microblogging Setting, Dean Short Jan 2016

Superwholock: An Analysis Of Subculture In A Microblogging Setting, Dean Short

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While subcultural research has always been a common focus of sociological research, most such studies focus on deviant subcultures. This has led to a glut of information on countercultures and criminal subcultures, but relatively little study of less visible subcultures. While there is a great deal of research on the sociology of sport, including sport fandom, there is very little on other fandom subcultures. While this makes sense, as they are niche subcultures, the popularity of formerly niche entertainment is expanding rapidly. Much of this fandom renaissance owes its existence to the Internet, and its ability to bring geographically separate …


Keeping Quiet: Investigating The Maintenance And Policing Of Male-Dominated Gaming Space, Christopher Charles Jan 2016

Keeping Quiet: Investigating The Maintenance And Policing Of Male-Dominated Gaming Space, Christopher Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the near parity between the number of female and male gamers (Entertainment Software Association, 2014), studies on gender in videogames illustrate a culture that typically reflects hegemonic masculinity and excludes women on a multitude of levels. Because these interactions occur within real and virtual space (both online and within games), a holistic approach is warranted to analyze these mechanisms of oppression. This paper seeks to uncover the ways by which gaming culture is maintained and policed as a male-dominated space, through qualitative data collection. By using ethnographic, participant observation at a large, multi-genre convention the experiences of both male …


Ideas, Beliefs, Strategic Culture, And Foreign Policy: Understanding Brazil's Geopolitical Thought, Marcos Rosas Degaut Pontes Jan 2016

Ideas, Beliefs, Strategic Culture, And Foreign Policy: Understanding Brazil's Geopolitical Thought, Marcos Rosas Degaut Pontes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brazil is an important player both at regional and global levels, figuring prominently in almost all lists of emerging states and regional powers. It is one of the world's largest democracies, the fifth most populous country in the world, the world's seventh-largest economy, and Latin America's largest economy, accounting for approximately 60% of South America's GDP, 47% of South America's territory and 49% of South American population, a G20 member, and an active contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, despite being usually depicted as a "monster country" which would help shape global affairs, Brazil has never been able to …


Don't Let The World Rot: Anarchism, Hardcore Music, And Counterculture, Pearson Bolt Jan 2016

Don't Let The World Rot: Anarchism, Hardcore Music, And Counterculture, Pearson Bolt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hardcore music is intrinsically anarchistic. The hardcore music scene represents a radical departure from contemporary society. Rejecting the materialism, militarism, and hedonism of the mainstream music scene—and, by extension, modern culture—hardcore music presents an alternative lifestyle rooted in solidarity, equality, and liberty. Indeed, the culture of the hardcore scene approaches a transitive, nomadic model of an anarchistic commune built on resistance as a way of life. In this study, I identified the ways music and lyrics craft attitudes and environments for revolt and rebellion, cultivating critical thinking and disobedience in equal measures. In order to understand the hardcore community, I …


Preparing For The Inevitable: Sensemaking In Parent-Child Discussions Of Death, Carrie Ann Wartmann Jan 2016

Preparing For The Inevitable: Sensemaking In Parent-Child Discussions Of Death, Carrie Ann Wartmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Death is something everyone will eventually encounter, yet American society has a tendency to avoid or deny death in everyday life and language. Death makes people uncomfortable, and many view it as a topic too complex for children to understand. Children, however, witness big and little deaths in their lives: of pets, relatives, plants, and favorite fairy tale characters. When a child experiences a death, he or she may have questions for parents or other trusted adults which our current avoidance-geared society does not prepare adults for. Children exist in a specific cultural context, and learn rules and expectations of …


Making The Invisible Visible: Exploring The Experiences Of Black Male Professionals In Postsecondary Education, Claudine Mclaren Turner Jan 2016

Making The Invisible Visible: Exploring The Experiences Of Black Male Professionals In Postsecondary Education, Claudine Mclaren Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College student development literature discusses the challenges faced by historically under-represented groups in college and the role that university personnel play in retaining students from these groups (Brown 2009; Hairston 2013; Kuh et al 2005). Research reveals that Black male students are retained in greater numbers when connected with Black male professionals who: 1) hold them accountable for their choices; and 2) discuss and demonstrate effective coping techniques to deal with race-based challenges that seem to convey colleges and universities are not the appropriate space for young Black men (Bonner and Bailey 2006; Harper 2012; Wynn 2007; Cuyjet 2006). Research …


The Ontological Sociology Of Cryptocurrency: A Theoretical Exploration Of Bitcoin, Omar Eliud Villarreal Robledo Jan 2016

The Ontological Sociology Of Cryptocurrency: A Theoretical Exploration Of Bitcoin, Omar Eliud Villarreal Robledo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For millennia, money has been a basal element of everyday life reality in market-organized societies. Albeit money has changed extrinsically (e.g., form, use, utility) countless of times, some intrinsic characteristics remain the same, i.e., money is reified value. But why? What gives money value? Even more crucial, what is money in the first place? This exploratory study delves into the intricacies of money, in particular the revolutionary 21st century pecuniary techno-phenomenon, a cryptocurrency called Bitcoin. Though cryptocurrencies have been the topic of several financial and legal scholarly publications for a few years, we rather focus our analysis on Bitcoin's ontological …


The Estimation Of Germ Line De Novo Mutation Rates Of Extended Sets Of Y-Str Haplotypes To Aid In The Differentiation Of Male Biological Relatives In Criminal Investigations, Nicole Masker Jan 2016

The Estimation Of Germ Line De Novo Mutation Rates Of Extended Sets Of Y-Str Haplotypes To Aid In The Differentiation Of Male Biological Relatives In Criminal Investigations, Nicole Masker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An important forensic application for Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) is the identification of male DNA. Since the Y-chromosome is non-recombining and most Y-STRs have slippage mutation rates on the order of 1x10-3 or lower, Y-STR commercial multiplex systems do not yet allow personal individualization. This is problematic in criminal investigations where the persons of interest include males of the same paternal line. In order to obtain discrimination among paternal male relatives, it would be necessary to use a larger number of Y-STRs or a selection of Y-loci with higher slippage mutations with the hope of encountering a germline meiotic …


Investigating The Influence Of The Built Environment On Energy-Saving Behaviors, Brittany Sellers Jan 2016

Investigating The Influence Of The Built Environment On Energy-Saving Behaviors, Brittany Sellers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses a gap in the existing sustainability behavior research, by integrating research from the social sciences about environmental attitudes and knowledge with approaches from engineering regarding the characteristics of the built environment. Specifically, this dissertation explores the role of both environmental knowledge and design features within the built environment on building occupants' energy behaviors throughout the course of an environmental conservation campaign. Data were collected from 240 dormitory residents using a multi-phase questionnaire approach to study these factors and their combined impact within the context of environmental sustainability practices on UCF's campus. The results from a series of …


Justifying War In Ukraine: An Analysis Of Speeches, Excerpts And Interviews By Vladimir Putin, Irene Goudimiak Jan 2016

Justifying War In Ukraine: An Analysis Of Speeches, Excerpts And Interviews By Vladimir Putin, Irene Goudimiak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For two years now the war in Southeast Ukraine has claimed approximately 10, 000 lives and countless casualties. Pegged as a civil war, the conflict is waging on between pro-Western nationalists and pro-Russian separatists. The war ignited after the public ousting of President Yanukovch in Maidan Square in the midst of thousands of protesters, and the subsequent annexation of Crimea. Although the Russian Federation maintains it does not have a military presence in Ukraine, U.S. intelligence and Ukrainian military officials have evidence otherwise. As a result, the West has imposed significant sanctions on "Putin's Russia". This study explores how Putin …


Transitions In Polyamorous Identity And Intercultural Communication: An Application Of Identity Management Theory, Allison Table Jan 2016

Transitions In Polyamorous Identity And Intercultural Communication: An Application Of Identity Management Theory, Allison Table

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the intercultural communicative strategies and non-monogamous identity formation of polyamorous individuals. The purpose of this study is to investigate the identity management tactics that polyamorous individuals utilize to navigate a society in which monogamy is the norm. Interactions of polyamorous individuals within a monoganormative society are treated as a type of intercultural communication due to the contrasting cultural identities and communication rules. E-interviews with 38 polyamorous individuals provided basis for phone and Skype interviews. The Retrospective Interview Technique (Huston, Surra, Fitzgerald, & Cate, 1981) required interviewees to recall development of their polyamorous identity and interactions with monogamous …


Classification Of Silicone-Based Personal And Condom Lubricants Using Dart-Tofms, Lauren Harvey Jan 2016

Classification Of Silicone-Based Personal And Condom Lubricants Using Dart-Tofms, Lauren Harvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual lubricants are used to enable sexual encounters. There are different types of sexual lubricants such as water-based, oil-based, and silicone-based. They come pre-applied to condoms and separately in bottles as personal lubricants. Although sexual lubricants are intended for consensual use, they are also unfortunately used during the commission of sexual assaults. The analysis of sexual lubricants facilitates sexual assault investigations. With the increased usage of condoms in sexual assault cases, the potential of collected DNA evidence in each case is reduced. In the absence of biological evidence, the presence of sexual lubricants after a sexual assault can provide an …


From The Yellow Peril To The Model Minority: An Experimental Survey Examining Racial Attitudes Towards Asian Americans, Jenny Nguyen Jan 2016

From The Yellow Peril To The Model Minority: An Experimental Survey Examining Racial Attitudes Towards Asian Americans, Jenny Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attitudinal research continues to show a more liberal trend in racial attitudes of Whites towards Blacks across a spectrum of issues (i.e. interracial marriage, residential integration, etc.) leading some to believe that we are moving into a post-racial society. However, a growing body of research has brought into question this utopian post-racial assertion. While Whites express support for racial equality in principle, they vehemently oppose race-targeted policies aimed to address racial inequality. This principle-policy gap has been consistently associated with persistent racial resentment; thus, contradicting the notion that of a post-racial era. Existing attitudinal research is often limited to the …


Development Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers For Forensic Applications, Sara Martinez Jan 2016

Development Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers For Forensic Applications, Sara Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In some forensic disciplines various methods of extraction are used to perform analysis. Among these methods, solid phase extraction (SPE) and solid phase microextraction (SPME) are used in fields such as toxicology and explosives analysis. To enhance extraction efficiency in SPE and SPME, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), which are designer polymers, can be more selective for the binding of an analyte or group of analytes that are similarly structured. Separation of analytes from complex mixtures is possible by utilizing these polymers. This may be especially useful in forensic applications where sample sizes may be small and composition may be complex. …


Juvenile-Perpetrated Homicide And Family Disorganization, Brittany Murray Jan 2016

Juvenile-Perpetrated Homicide And Family Disorganization, Brittany Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile-perpetrated homicide is a complicated and sensitive topic in the literature. Uncovering the potential influences on a juvenile is arguably important for recognizing the trends in juvenile behavior and the devastating consequences of some of this behavior. Family disorganization, a component to social disorganization as proposed by Elliott and Merrill (1934), explained that families with higher levels of social disorganization (as measured by factors such as poverty, welfare, and residential mobility) are expected to have higher numbers of juvenile delinquents. Using this theoretical frame, data from 1984-2006 on juvenile-perpetrated homicide in 91 of the largest cities in the United States …


Vulture Scavenging Of Child-Sized Pig Carcasses In Central Florida: Utilizing Gis To Analyze Site Variables Affecting Skeletal Dispersal, Alexander Mitchell Jan 2016

Vulture Scavenging Of Child-Sized Pig Carcasses In Central Florida: Utilizing Gis To Analyze Site Variables Affecting Skeletal Dispersal, Alexander Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scavengers can significantly alter a forensic scene and consume, modify, disarticulate, and disperse bodies. However, little research exists regarding scavenging in Central Florida, specifically scavenging involving Black and Turkey Vultures (Coragyps atratus, Cathartes aura respectively). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of vulture scavenging on consumption, disarticulation, and dispersal of child-sized carcasses in the Central Florida region. The research sample consisted of four pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses weighing approximately 25kgs that were deposited in two distinct sites (shaded and unshaded) at the Deep Foundations Geotechnical Research Site located on the UCF campus. Two field cameras were …


"I Kid You Not, I Am Asked A Question About Children At Least Once A Week": Exploring Differences In Childbearing Habitus In Pronatalist Fields, Alyssa Mullins Jan 2016

"I Kid You Not, I Am Asked A Question About Children At Least Once A Week": Exploring Differences In Childbearing Habitus In Pronatalist Fields, Alyssa Mullins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, childbearing remains part of the typical life course. However, evidence suggests that men and women, on average, are having fewer children and having them later in life. Additionally, public and academic outlets are increasingly acknowledging some adults' decisions to intentionally forego childbearing completely, with an emphasis on the reasons why individuals choose to abstain from childbearing. However, further research is needed to identify the ways in which voluntarily childless adults actively negotiate the social world among structural influences that simultaneously values parenthood and place complex burdens on parents. Utilizing the Bourdieuian concepts of habitus, capital, and …


An Inconclusive Truth: An Evaluation Of Speleothem Evidence For Climate Change As A Driver Of Ancient Maya Culture Change, Benjamin Goldblatt Jan 2016

An Inconclusive Truth: An Evaluation Of Speleothem Evidence For Climate Change As A Driver Of Ancient Maya Culture Change, Benjamin Goldblatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As anthropologists who focus their scholarly attention on the past, archaeologists are interested in examining past changes in human cultures, which can include investigating the role(s) of climatic conditions in shaping them. Paleoclimatology offers the possibility of reconstructing past climates and demonstrating their variability over time, potentially contributing a great deal to archaeology. However, while paleoclimatology may lead to new discoveries about the human past, it may also lead to new errors in interpreting it. Cave speleothems are sources of paleoclimatic data that have recently attracted attention in Mesoamerican archaeology, particularly in studies of the Maya region. In order to …


Identifying Archetypal Attributes Of Maya Ceremonial Architecture: Clues To The Late Classic Sociopolitical Status Of Pacbitun, Belize, George Micheletti Jan 2016

Identifying Archetypal Attributes Of Maya Ceremonial Architecture: Clues To The Late Classic Sociopolitical Status Of Pacbitun, Belize, George Micheletti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The E Group complex is one of the most widely known archetypes in Maya archaeology. The complex's easily recognized configuration has helped archaeologists to identify this archetype at hundreds of sites throughout the Southern Maya Lowlands. However, things are not always what they appear to be. Conducted by Jaime Awe and colleagues (2016), a reinvestigation of excavation data of assemblages long designated as E Group complexes in a region known as the Belize River Valley revealed several unique attributes not typical of the E Group complex. Awe et al. (2016) suggest that these assemblages appear to function more as "eastern …


On The Back Of The Crocodile: Extent, Energetics, And Productivity In Wetland Agricultural Systems, Northern Belize, Shane Montgomery Jan 2016

On The Back Of The Crocodile: Extent, Energetics, And Productivity In Wetland Agricultural Systems, Northern Belize, Shane Montgomery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ancient populations across the globe successfully employed wetland agricultural techniques in a variety of environmentally and climatically diverse landscapes throughout prehistory. Within the Maya Lowlands, these agricultural features figure prominently in the region comprised of northern Belize and southern Quintana Roo, an area supporting low-outflow rivers, large lagoons, and numerous bajo (swamp) features. Along the banks of the Hondo and New Rivers, the Maya effectively utilized wetland agricultural practices from the Middle Preclassic to the Terminal Classic Periods (1000 B.C. - A.D. 950). A number of past archaeological projects have thoroughly examined the construction and impact of these swampland modifications. …


Battle On The Homefront: An Auto-Ethnographic Perspective On Domestic Violence Post-Deployment, Michelle Craske Jan 2016

Battle On The Homefront: An Auto-Ethnographic Perspective On Domestic Violence Post-Deployment, Michelle Craske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Domestic and sexual trauma that occurs during the time a soldier is actively serving in the military are difficult for researchers to measure in large part because the Department of Defense does not report these offenses to the public. Recent combat missions to the Middle East have increased mental health issues among soldiers, but it is unclear whether these issues are related to domestic violence and sexual trauma soldiers may have endured. The purpose of this study is to investigate how combat operations may have increased domestic violence and sexual trauma among soldiers. An auto ethnographic method is used to …


"Sealing The Bond": A Qualitative Study Of African American Funeral Rituals, Danielle (Grant) Graham Jan 2016

"Sealing The Bond": A Qualitative Study Of African American Funeral Rituals, Danielle (Grant) Graham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Death is a universal phenomenon; yet, reactions to death are uniquely diverse. Handling the loss of a loved one has the potential to completely change how an individual sees their world, and their response to death can vary by race, religion, gender, and culture. The bereavement process in many ways is culturally guided, and understanding how culture guides the bereavement process through rituals is imperative. Despite cultural difference, responses to death within the academic community are only representative of one group of people. This study looks at funeral rituals seen within the African American community, and addresses possible meanings behind …


An Examination Of Domestic Violence Perpetration: A Further Look Into The Gender Symmetry Debate., Michelle Parra Jan 2016

An Examination Of Domestic Violence Perpetration: A Further Look Into The Gender Symmetry Debate., Michelle Parra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The influences of certain social changes and social movements, such as the feminist movement, in society introduced a violence gendered stereotype model that promoted the social idea that males are more violent than females. From the limited research, it appears that domestic violence perpetration among women differs from male domestic violence perpetration; however, research has not clarified the extent of female domestic violence perpetration and the severity of their abusive behaviors. The current research examines gender-specific intimate partner violence perpetration to determine whether attitudes toward social gender role expectations, income contribution and production, and division of labor in the household …


Mothers' History Of Child Maltreatment And Regulation Abilities: Interactions Among Young Children's Temperament, Attachment, And Maltreatment Potential, Jayme Puff Jan 2016

Mothers' History Of Child Maltreatment And Regulation Abilities: Interactions Among Young Children's Temperament, Attachment, And Maltreatment Potential, Jayme Puff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the impact that parents' and young children's characteristics have on the potential for child maltreatment, the present study sought to examine how mothers' ratings of their own childhood maltreatment, their psychological symptoms, their regulation abilities (i.e., emotion regulation, reflective functioning, attributions, and coping with young children's negative emotions), and their perceptions of their young children's temperament were related to their narratives of their attachment relationships with their young children and their child maltreatment potential. As part of this study, 54 mothers rated themselves and their young children on the aforementioned variables. Binary logistic hierarchical regression analysis suggested that mothers' …


Examining The Role Of Music Streaming Motives, Social Identification, And Technological Engagement In Digital Music Streaming Service Use, Heidi Bolduc Jan 2016

Examining The Role Of Music Streaming Motives, Social Identification, And Technological Engagement In Digital Music Streaming Service Use, Heidi Bolduc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the Nielsen Music 360 Research Report, 67% of all music consumers in the United States used digital music streaming services to listen, discover, and share music online in 2014 (The Nielsen Company, 2014). As such, communications scholars and music industry professionals are beginning to recognize the importance of understanding the factors that influence digital music listener behavior. Therefore, this study proposes an expanded theory of planned behavior model (TPB) by incorporating music streaming motives, social identification, and technological engagement into the original TPB model framework in an effort to gain a better understanding of people's intentions to use …