Digital Commons Network^™

The Boyfriend Dungeon Controversy: Fan Labor And Toxic Fan Practices In Progressive Fandom, Angela Orozco

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

On August 11, 2021, the hack and slash video game and queer dating simulator, Boyfriend Dungeon, was released to play on PC and various gaming consoles by indie developer, Kitfox Games. Quickly upon its release, the development team was met with fan outrage regarding a misleading content warning and themes that were not mentioned during the game's fundraising stage. This culminated in an online harassment campaign against Kitfox Games, with many fans targeting the voice actor of the game's main villain.

The following study attempts to analyze some of the core elements of what is now known to online …

Nailed It: Creative Nonfiction Essays, Kristi M. Dao

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Nailed It is a collection of personal essays that follow the life of the narrator as an unlovable outsider raised by parents who are Vietnam War refugees. This collection is made up of seven essays, each focusing on the relationships that have shaped the speaker's identity and ideas about how love works. “Lost in Translation” opens the collection and explores the narrator's attempts to make sense of parental relationships defined by communication errors. The next several essays consider the father and mother as both parents and business owners, as well as relationships with people beyond the immediate household and family. …

Foreign Language Writing Anxiety: Lived Experiences Of International Graduate Students, Padideh Fattahi Marnani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study investigates the lived experiences of international graduate students dealing with Second Language Writing Anxiety (SLWA), utilizing Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenological approach for data analysis. The study is framed by Horwitz’s theory of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and draws on data from seven participants from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Data collection methods included interviews, researcher’s memos, and writing samples. The findings reveal several causes of SLWA, including the experience of being judged, low self-confidence, avoidance and procrastination, limited technical vocabulary and ability to elaborate on ideas, and lack of proper grammar. The consequences of SLWA include …

Dna Nanotechnology: The Development Of Multi-Functional Hybridization Sensors, Brittany L. Mueller

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hybridization probes have been used to detect specific nucleic acids for the last 50 years. These probes have medical applications, including identifying disease-causing genes or multi-drug resistant bacteria. To be considered robust, a probe should have high selectivity at ambient or low temperatures, be able to detect folded analytes, and remain economical for use in clinical settings. This work will uncover a challenge faced by molecular beacon probes (MBP), describe an adaptation to MBPs that enables the hybridization of the probe to a folded target, a multicomponent DNA sensor (OWL2) that overcomes common challenges faced by hybridization probes, and a …

A Quantitative Approach To The Analysis Of Human Hair For Forensic Examinations, David S. Hernandez Funes

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hair is frequent trace evidence found in crime scenes due to its high transfer potential due to natural shed. They can provide investigative information in various cases, including homicide, sexual assault, missing persons, and human trafficking. Physical examination of hair involves the analysis of microscopic features, such as color and pigmentation, commonly using bright field microscopy. Microscopical techniques are non-destructive, with minimum to no sample preparation that can be followed by chemical and biological analysis. Although individualization is not possible via microscopical methods, it can be used to include or exclude potential donors. However, previous microscopical techniques lack quantitative and …

Molybdenum- And Tungsten-Based Vapor-Phase Materials Growth: Enhancing Understanding And Diversity Of Processes And Precursors, Taylor M. Currie

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Molybdenum- and tungsten-based materials, such as pure metal, metal oxides, and metal nitrides, have been used extensively in electronics, catalysis, photovoltaics, and sensing applications. Vapor-phase growth techniques, including chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), are commonly used to synthesize thin films of such Mo- and W-based materials. CVD and ALD growth of thin films are both highly dependent on process parameters including the properties of the precursors used, namely their volatility, thermal stability, and reactivity, which can dictate the mechanisms of growth and ultimate compositions of the resulting materials. Herein, we aim to better understand and diversify …

Developing Integrated Dna Molecular Circuits, Andrea C. Bardales Martinez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Due to nucleic acid’s programmability, it is possible to realize DNA structures with computing functions, and thus a new generation of molecular computers is evolving to solve biological and medical problems. There is evidence that genetic heredity diseases and cancer can be the result of genetic heterogeneity, thus there is a need for diagnostics and therapeutic tools with multiplex and smart components to compute all the molecular drivers. DNA molecular computers mimics electronic computers by programming synthetic nucleic acids to perform similarly to central processing units. Considering how the evolution of integrated circuits made possible the revolution of silicon-based computers, …

Access To Functional Arylalkoxysilanes By Intermolecular C–H Silylation By Harnessing Silane Redistribution Control, Salina Som

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis is comprised of two main themes: (i) harnessing the control of redistribution-prone hydroalkoxysilanes by utilizing well-defined preformed catalysts, and (ii) protocols for intermolecular C–H silylation of hydroalkoxysilanes and unactivated arenes to access function arylalkoxysilanes. The first portion of this thesis focuses on protocols for Rh-catalyzed intermolecular C–H silylation of unactivated arenes and heteroarenes with monoalkoxysilane, HSiMe₂(OEt). The silylation is catalyzed by 0.5 mol % of [RhCl(Ph-BPE)]₂, derived from [Rh(coe)₂Cl]₂ and (S,S)-Ph-BPE, in the presence of cyclohexene as a hydrogen scavenger at 100 °C, affording the desired arylethoxydimethylsialnes …

Advancements In Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Multipole Moments, And Lie Group Proprieties, Zhichen Liu

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

To accurately solve the general nuclear spin state function in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), a rotation wave approach was employed, allowing the reference frame to rotate in sync with the oscillating magnetic field. The spin state system was analogously treated as a Rubik's Cube, ensuring the diagonalization of only the time-dependent part of the state function. Although Gottfried's equation (1966) aligns with transitions between specific spin states m and m′, his second rotation contradicts the conservation of angular momentum, resulting in inaccuracies for spin states with initial phase shifts or entangled states. Contrarily, Schwinger (1937) efficiently computed the coefficients for …

Mathematical Developments For Bubble Dynamics, Kacie Kulenguski

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis explores bubble dynamics described by the Rayleigh-Plesset equation. The primary focus is on bubble growth. A theoretical discussion of bubble growth is given using the Rayleigh-Plesset equation. This work considers bubble growth in four different cases: a polytropic case without the consideration of surface tension, an isothermal case without surface tension, a polytropic case with surface tension, and an isothermal case with surface tension. Based on these cases, this work develops asymptotic solutions for the evolution of radial bubble growth over time. This thesis provides numerical solutions to these cases through the use of the Runge-Kutta method. These …

Assessment Of Caretaker Resources And Motivation In The Wean-To-Market Phase Of Swine Production, Joshua W. Holtkamp

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study is a novel application of I/O Psychology principles to the U.S. swine industry. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) recently identified caretaker motivation related to compliance with biosecurity behaviors as a priority needing to be better understood. This exploratory study seeks to identify if there is indeed a worker motivation issue within the industry that is impacting compliance with biosecurity, and if so, establish both a baseline of motivation and a better understanding of the primary influencing factors. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Job Demands/Resources Model of Burnout as a framework, an online survey was …

Development And Validation Of The Nicotine Vaping Expectancy Questionnaire: Item Generation, Scale Construction, Reliability And Validity, Gabrielle Lynch

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Over the past two decades, cigarette smoking has decreased among teenagers and young adults, but nicotine vaping has increased dramatically. Liquid vape products contain harmful chemicals ingested when vapor is inhaled, and vaping is associated with lung damage and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There has been relatively little research on nicotine vaping and effective prevention and intervention methods have yet to be developed. Changing expectancy processes has been successful in preventing early alcohol use and cigarette smoking, but little is known about nicotine vaping expectancies. An appropriately developed nicotine vaping expectancy measure is necessary to better understand vaping behavior and …

The Effect Of Perceived Discrimination On Alcohol Use Behaviors: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Among Hispanic/Latinx Drinkers, Ardhys N. De Leon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hispanic/Latinx drinkers are more likely to experience adverse alcohol-related consequences and have less access to treatment services. Research indicates that discrimination has a unique effect on drinking behaviors. The Minority Stress Model depicts how discrimination places individuals at a heightened risk for adverse health outcomes. Emotion regulation and alcohol craving are also known to impact alcohol use. This study investigated the impact of perceived discrimination on emotional disturbance, alcohol craving, and alcohol use using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). The following were proposed: H1: Emotional disturbance will predict alcohol craving in the moment (Level 1). H2: The association between perceived discrimination …

Is My Team As Passionate As Me? Effects Of Perceived Dissimilarity Of Occupational Passion-Intensity On Key Outcomes Among Working Adults, Moses Rivera

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation explores the impact of perceived self-to-team dissimilarity in occupational passion-intensity on individual-level outcomes among workgroup members in organizational contexts. Grounded in need-to-belong theory, moralization theory, and equity theory, the outcomes examined include job satisfaction, turnover intentions, involvement in task-conflict, and psychological safety. Additionally, results via three methods for measuring self-to-team similarity and/or dissimilarity were compared. Two self-report online questionnaires separated by one week were administered to 530 adult workers from the US, Canada, and the UK, across a wide variety of industries. Based on a final sample of N = 483, structural equation models—each corresponding to one method …

Two Studies Examining The Effects Of Cash Rewards And Non-Cash Rewards On Employee Perceptions And Motivation, Aaron Mccullough

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

An important component of the total compensation that employees receive is employee rewards. Informing companies on how to best utilize their limited resources to reward and motivate their employees is a critical aspect of management accounting research. In Study 1, I examine employee perceptions and usage of various types of non-cash rewards vis-à-vis cash rewards. Using survey methods, I find employees self-report cash rewards as more motivating than all other types of non-cash rewards. I find employees report no greater likelihood of spending cash rewards or gift card rewards on hedonic purchases; however, when spending any type of reward on …

Understanding And Enhancing Performance And Microarchitecture Security In Modern And Emerging Computer Systems, Md Hafizul Islam Chowdhuryy

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Ensuring information security and scalable performance are critical in modern processor architecture designs. High-performance, data-intensive applications demand robust microarchitectures that are both secure-by-design and efficient. This dissertation explores new information leakage threats in modern processors and proposes secure-by-design architectures for emerging systems.

First, we examine vulnerabilities in existing microarchitectures, focusing on speculative execution's security implications. We reveal that branch predictor designs in modern processors are speculatively updated, leading to a novel speculative execution side channel. We propose a secure branch predictor architecture to mitigate this issue while maintaining performance benefits.

Second, we address challenges with emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies. …

Design And Fabrication Of Quantum Cascade Laser Tree Arrays, Luke Milbocker

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are semiconductor lasers that can be designed to emit over a very broad wavelength range from the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) to terahertz frequencies. Their compact size and ability to output several watts of MWIR or long-wave infrared (LWIR) radiation makes them ideal sources for directional infrared counter measures (DIRCM). This application is fueling demand for ever more powerful QCLs, but power gains from single QCLs have largely stagnated in recent years. Novel waveguide geometries such as tree-arrays seek to increase output power delivered in a single high-quality beam. InGaAs/AlInAs tree array QCLs based on ridge waveguides …

Trauma And Dynamic Needs: Examining The Role Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Changes In Youth Needs While In Residential Placement, Ashley Lockwood

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) for youth in residential facilities is greater than youth in the general population and those in other justice settings. Despite recent advancements in the literature on ACEs and treatment for justice-involved youth, an expansion of this inquiry continues to be warranted. The Risk, Needs, and Responsivity framework has not conceptualized the influence of trauma across youth sex and race/ethnicity in rehabilitation efforts. Therefore, the current study has two primary objectives: (1) to explore the presence of ACEs in the lives of youth in residential facilities, and (2) examine the association between ACEs and …

Exploring Barriers And Pathways To Public Engagement On Climate Change, Monica Mayer

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Despite evidence of its severity and urgency, climate change elicits relatively high skepticism and low concern within the U.S. This study explores psychological barriers preventing people from prioritizing the issue as well as potential strategies to overcome those barriers. Interviews with individuals living in Florida identifying as cautious, disengaged, or doubtful about climate change were conducted between September and October 2023. Participants expressed skepticism over humanity’s impact on the climate. They further conveyed that other nations have a larger impact on climate change than the U.S, that the issue’s criticality is exaggerated, and that observable weather shifts are not the …

Humor As An Instructional Communication Tool: Revisiting Humor And Exploring The New Punchline In Human-Machine Communication, Melissa M. Looney

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This research examined the role of humor in instructional communication, focusing on human-to-human and human-machine communication (HMC). As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in learning environments, it is critical to understand how elements such as humor influence user perceptions and, consequently, affective learning outcomes. Previous arguments about humor in educational settings, particularly those centered on traditional student-teacher interactions, have been arguably derelict. Therefore, this research revisited earlier assertions about humor, extending the inquiry to include online communication and AI-driven chatbots in learning management systems. Specifically, the study explored how humor and the type of agent (human or AI chatbot) …

"What Do You Mean By...?" The Role Of Plain Language In Jury Instructions, Jamie L. Vega

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Extant literature indicates there are significant problems related to how jurors comprehend instructions. Cognitive fluency literature explains that when information is presented in plain language, it enhances cognitive fluency by reducing the cognitive load on the reader or listener. Therefore, utilizing a quantitative experiment, this study sought to explore the use of plain language and its role when presenting instructions to jurors. A total of 212 participants were randomly assigned to one of the two jury instruction conditions and one of the six case facts, where they were asked to read a hypothetical self-defense case scenario followed by the corresponding …

Effects Of Language Differences On Healthcare Barriers Experienced By Arab Americans, Abigail Yazdiya

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study analyzes the effects of language differences on healthcare services for Arab Americans. The research specifically investigates the subpopulation of ESL (English Second Language)/bilingual Arab Americans, in order to learn about the effect of a lack of interpretation services and therefore the use of family translators on healthcare treatment. There has been a lack of research on this growing population in the United States. Language barriers can hinder the already difficult process of healthcare. These barriers, combined with other barriers, such as cultural factors, can negatively affect healthcare treatment and outcomes. This study uses surveys to reach people in …

Fatal Overdoses And Harm Reduction In Hotels And Motels In Central Florida, Alexandria R. Mcclarty

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This exploratory research assesses the relationship between unintentional fatal overdoses and hospitality environments, with a special focus on the Central Florida region, due to its high annual tourism rates. Multiple methodologies are used to determine the frequency of unintentional fatal overdoses across five calendar years in hotels and motels, analyze statistical significance between location of death and other demographic factors, geographically depict locations of overdoses, and analyze the role that hospitality staff plays in preventing or responding to fatal overdoses on their properties.

Upon analyzing overdose data from the District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office Medical Examiner, it was found that …

Exploring Hypervigilance Among Trans+ People Navigating Cisgendered Healthcare, Emma M. Tukdarian

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis uses the limited research on LGBTQ+ specific hypervigilance and queer battle fatigue to explore the prevalence of hypervigilance and fatigue in trans+ medical experiences, even when emotions aren't centered in their narratives, while also using participants' narratives and minority stress theory to suggest changes to the American medical system. Data was taken from a previous study of in-depth interviews on healthcare experiences of 60 trans+ young adults ages 18-24. Analysis of the data was done in NVivo using line-by-line coding for mentions of emotional responses linked to hypervigilance within interview transcripts. Results show that 67% of participants shared …

A Social Portal To Online Higher Education: How Students With Disabilities Experience Online Courses, Marisa Lucca

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Although people with disabilities have made significant strides toward educational equity, they continue to face struggles in college that perpetuate their dismal college outcomes. Current research focuses on struggles endured in the on-campus setting and provides little insight into online course experiences. Toward addressing the knowledge gap, the study opened a social portal to online higher education, leveraging disability as an experiential lens to understand online course challenges and the potential for universal design for learning practices to reduce obstacles to academic success. We considered online course experiences concerning impairment effects and disablism within a social relational disability studies perspective. …

Competing Narratives And Converging Perspectives: Analyzing The Dynamics Of The Pulse Memorial Crisis, Amy E. Maciel

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In the wake of the Pulse nightclub massacre, the effort to create a memorial devolved into a crisis and ultimate failure amidst a complex interplay of divergent claims. This study explored the evolving memorialization process for the creation of a Pulse Memorial, utilizing Fisher's narrative paradigm to analyze articles from the Orlando Sentinel published between January 1st, 2023, and January 31st, 2024. By employing Fisher's framework, which emphasizes narrative fidelity and narrative probability, this study investigated the dynamic evolution of storytelling related to the Pulse Memorial Crisis. Through thematic analysis, the study explored how stakeholders constructed and challenged the memory …

How Sexual Health Knowledge Can Affect The Reproductive Behaviors Of Ethnic Minority Women, Bansari Modi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Health knowledge plays a large role in health outcomes, especially those of racial and ethnic minorities. There is a lack of literature discussing the relation between sexual health knowledge obtained during adolescence and the reproductive behaviors of minority women later in life.

Purpose: To examine the association between sexual health knowledge during adolescence and subsequent contraception use among racial and ethnic minority women in adulthood.

Methods: Data from Waves I, III, and IV of the National Longitudinal Study if Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) was used to explore the relation between adolescent health knowledge and subsequent contraception use …

Decolonizing Yoga: Historical Perspectives And Contemporary Practices, Archana Ram

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Over the last few decades, yoga has become a multi-billion-dollar industry in the West. This industry is typically represented by glossy photographs of thin white women in physical postures. Given its religious origins in South Asia, this mass marketing of yoga has raised important questions about Western commodification and cultural appropriation. As a result, counter-movements have emerged to “Take Back Yoga” and “Honor the Cultural Roots of Yoga.” This thesis analyzes a range of critical-constructive responses to the commodification and colonization of yoga. It focuses on two case studies: Susanna Barkataki, an American yoga teacher of Indian descent, and Kallie …

Curacao Milestone 2023: Welcoming Over Half A Million Tourists, Manuel Rivera, Valeriya Shapoval, Margaret Zorrilla

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

In 2023, the Curaçao Tourism Board achieved significant milestones in promoting and developing the island as a premier tourist destination. The tourism sector experienced remarkable growth, with a 19% increase in stayover arrivals, reaching 582,400 visitors compared to 489,599 in 2022. This marked the first time Curaçao exceeded half a million stayover arrivals.

The success of Curaçao's tourism sector was bolstered by targeted marketing campaigns in key source markets. The Curaçao Tourist Board actively promoted the island through collaborations with local stakeholders, enhancing the effectiveness of their efforts. Additionally, the Board launched several initiatives to raise consumer awareness, such as …

One Beat, One Island: The Seamless Fusion Of Curaçao And The Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival, Manuel Rivera, Robertico Croes, Brianna Morman, Margaret Zorrilla Cortez

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival (CNSJF) has established itself as a significant international event, attracting 6,232 attendees worldwide, significantly boosting the island’s tourism and cultural profile. Notably, 78.9% of attendees, or 4,917 "Festival-Passion Tourists," traveled to Curaçao specifically for the festival. These tourists were affluent and well-educated, primarily from the Netherlands, USA, Venezuela, Colombia, Aruba, and Suriname. Despite ongoing challenges with accessibility, particularly from Aruba, the festival strengthened perceptions of Curaçao as a destination, as evidenced by many visitors expressing intentions to return.[1] Held at the World Trade Center in Curaçao from August 29 through August 31, 2024, this …