Digital Commons Network^™

Dark German Romanticism And The Postpunk Ethos Of Joy Division, The Cure And Smashing Pumpkins, Logan Jansen Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an analysis of dark German Romanticism and its connection to the postpunk ethos in rock music. The music is dark and Romantic because of the artists’ reach beyond finite limits to attain Romantic ideals. The postpunk artists explored, Ian Curtis of Joy Division, Robert Smith of The Cure, and Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, present solipsistic lyrics relating to nineteenth century works by German writers Novalis, E.T.A. Hoffman, Heinrich Heine and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The spirit of dark German Romanticism dwells within the postpunk ethos adhered to by Curtis, Smith and Corgan, with each of …

Morals ‘Trump’ Party: Make America Cooperate Again, Jered Abernathy

Theses and Dissertations

Conflict between Democrats and Republicans is a central component of the contemporary American political system. Negative feelings and discrimination based on political orientation are at an all-time high, leading otherwise similar Americans to deeply distrust one another. Social identity theory provides a framework for not only understanding how this distrust between partisans persists, but how it may be negated. This study builds on recent work on moral judgments and trust games to create situations to increase trust across party lines. Using an online-experimental design, this study investigates the effects of two types of moral judgments on trust building: 1) moral …

A Comparative Study Of Cannabinoids & Cb1 Receptor Gi Signaling, Haley Kristen Andersen

Theses and Dissertations

The legalization of medical marijuana has highlighted cannabinoids as a potential, opioid-free therapeutic option for pain management; however, the rise in illicit synthetic cannabinoid-induced toxicity has demonstrated the need to outline cannabinoid molecular signaling. The cannabinoid-type 1 (CB1) receptor is an endogenous G protein-gated receptor (GPCR), well-expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) associated with modulating neuronal activity. Cannabinoid agonists bind to the CB1 receptor resulting in the inhibitory G protein (Gi) complex to dissociate into two subunits, Gβγi and Gαi. The Gαi subunit inhibits adenylyl cyclase, leading to a decrease in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). The Gβγi subunit activates …

Learning Programming Through Robots: A Mixed-Methods Study On The Effects Of Educational Robotics On Programming Comprehension And Motivation Of Preservice Teachers, Alex Geoffrey Fegely

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the effect educational robotics have on the programming comprehension and motivation of preservice teachers. Computer science is increasingly being integrated into K-8 curricula across the country. However, there are few teachers trained to teach basic computer science concepts. Core subject teachers are being asked to shoulder the load of integrating computer science concepts into their instruction. Educational robotics have gained attention for their potential to aid users with comprehension and motivation while learning to program. This convergent parallel mixed methods research thus investigated (1) the effect of educational robotics on preservice …

Investigating The Flipped Classroom Model In A High School Writing Course: Action Research To Impact Student Writing Skills And Engagement, Elizabeth Ann Florence

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of the flipped classroom model in a high school English classroom. Students are entering college and the workforce lacking the minimum writing skills needed, which may be the result of a lack of engagement throughout school. The flipped classroom model is one teaching and learning strategy that has been shown to increase student achievement, close the achievement gap, and increase student engagement and critical thinking. This study focused on three research questions: (1) How and in what ways does implementing a flipped classroom model in a high school writing …

Mathematical Modeling Of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, Niloofar Kamyab

Theses and Dissertations

Energy storage market transformed by utilization of lithium-ion batteries, will demand high and affordable deliverable energy in the near future which it would be impossible for the current employed technologies to meet those needs Among new generation of lithium batteries, high theoretical energy density, good low-temperature performance, and abundance of inexpensive nontoxic raw material, make the lithium-sulfur batteries (LiS) a promising candidate to outperform the current lithium-ion batteries and transform the technology of the future. However, the problems and challenges that LiS batteries are currently facing with, which stem from the inherent complex mechanism of these cells, are hindering their …

Package Warning Labels For Communicating Relative Risks Of Cigarettes, Heated Tobacco Products, And E-Cigarettes, Yoo Jin Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Package warning labeling policy is a fundamental public health strategy for communicating about tobacco product risks. The rapidly growing markets for novel tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes (ECs), make it critical to determine the characteristics of effective warning label policies for these products, which have lower levels of risk compared to cigarettes according to available evidence. Whether warning labels can communicate information about a continuum of risk across tobacco products is unexplored.

This dissertation investigated two warning label systems for communicating the relative risks of cigarettes, HTPs, and ECs: (1) varying warning sizes as a …

Composition Of Musical And Visual Devices To Create Moments Of Resolution In Marching Arts Production Design, Ryan John Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This research study identifies techniques of creating and releasing musical tension in audio-visual performance media, specifically within the marching arts. A successful composition in this medium is defined, in part, by the coordination of effects between pitched musical elements, non-pitched (percussive) musical elements, and movement (choreographed) elements. Such compositions create a concert performance situation in which there is aesthetic gratification and a sense of sophistication in which aural stimuli interact in congruence and in conjunction with visual stimuli. By identifying the creative practice through conversation with practitioners, designers, choreographers, and composers, the common practices of the genre can be identified …

The Health Care Commons: A Philosophical Approach, Roel Feys

Theses and Dissertations

This project is the first large-scale and systematic effort to bridge the fields of commons research and biomedical ethics, with the aim of furthering key debates in both areas of inquiry. The aims and contributions of the project are twofold.

First, I argue that commons research is valuable to bioethics, because it provides a language to talk about health care institutions. I critically discuss commons research’s main conceptual tools in the context of health care: the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework, the design principles of successful commons, parallel experimentation, and polycentric governance regimes. This conceptual apparatus can help to …

Fostering Resilience In Correctional Officers, Jon Thomas Arthur Gist

Theses and Dissertations

A significant portion of the literature regarding corrections emphasizes the negative factors and outcomes related to the job. The career of a correctional officer includes a stressful, demanding, and unpredictable work environment. Correctional institutions are struggling to keep a correctional staff that can adapt to internal and external forces. Several studies have shown that correctional officers frequently encounter severe inmate misconduct, resulting in high levels of stress, low job satisfaction, and intentions of leaving the job. However, research begs the question of what makes a correctional officer resilient and functional at work?

No prior study has applied a mixed-methods study …

Addressing Unconscious Bias, Power, And Privilege To Increase Cultural Competence Skills In Healthcare Faculty: Intersecting Critical Race Theory And The Pyramid Model For Intercultural Competence, Christina B. Gunther

Theses and Dissertations

Inequity in healthcare has long been understood to be caused by individual and structural racism in the health system. Little progress has been made in diminishing the disparities that exist between Black and African American minoritized populations and the White majority. Cultural competence training in healthcare has focused on surface level differences in ethnicities, including language and religious practices, while ignoring difficult to address topics such as race and racism. This action research study, using a convergent mixed-methods design, attempted to address the gap in knowledge of race and racial structures in healthcare for the faculty in the college of …

Measuring The Ability Of A Readiness Course To Improve Online Student Success At A Two-Year Technical College, James Devin Henson

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the continued growth of online enrollments nationwide, students consistently are not as successful in online courses as traditional face-to-face courses. The challenges are magnified in the two-year college environment, which has a disproportionately high percentage of low-income or minority students compared to four-year universities. This action research study uses a convergent parallel mixed methods design to study the effectiveness of a mandatory readiness course for online students at a two-year college in South Carolina to increase student success. Specifically, this study examined how and to what extent taking an online readiness course impacted online student success, students’ perceptions of …

On Matters Of Feedback: Supporting The Online Grading Feedback Process With Web-Based, Collaborative Comment Banks, Jennifer Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes how a web-based, feedback comment bank impacts online instructor efficacy as well as attitudes and perceptions associated with the online grading feedback process. Bandura’s work on individual self-efficacy, Tschannen-Moran and Hoy’s work on instructor efficacy, and Hattie’s work on collective efficacy, along with Wiggins and Hattie and Clarke’s work on grading feedback represent the core of the study’s theoretical framework. The study adopted a mixed-methods action research design to examine three research questions: “How does the use of a web-based grading feedback comment bank impact online instructor’s teaching efficacy?,” “How does the use of a …

Examining Parental Perceptions And Decisions To Uptake Child Influenza Immunizations: Assessing Pandemic And Policy Impacts On Vaccination Rates Following The H1n1 Pandemic, And The Acip Laiv Preferential Recommendation Revocation, Amir H. Mehrabi

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

2009 H1N1 Pandemic: The historical 2009 H1N1 Influenza pandemic, which had a CDC estimated accrued disease burden of 100.5 million illnesses, 936,000 hospitalizations, and 75,000 deaths from 2009 to 2018, resulted in a declared state of emergency nationally, with ensuing diminished vaccine confidence and amplified fears of infection, prompting some to pursue flu vaccination, and others to forego. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend an annual flu vaccine for individuals 6 months of age and older as the “first and best” defense against influenza, a low percentage …

Finding Their Strengths, Dreams And Struggles: A Narrative Inquiry Of High School Students Independent Reading Habits, Tori T. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to read and understand texts are important to student’s success in school and life. However, many secondary students enter without the skills needed to handle the rigor and amount of reading they will meet as they matriculate high school. Yet, this is not the case for those who struggle to read most. Allington (2013) found that students who struggle the most to read are also those who given the least amount of time to reading and the most to worksheets (p. 526). Therefore, this study hopes to better understand the reading histories of three high school students and …

Sleep Quality And The Prospective Pain-Fatigue Relationship Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Julia D. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for poor psychosocial and functional outcomes due, in part, to disease effects like vaso-occlusive pain crises, fatigue, and poor sleep quality (Brown, 2006). A growing body of literature has examined temporal associations between pain, sleep quality, and mood using daily diary studies (Valrie, Gil, Redding-Lallinger, & Daeschner, 2007a; Valrie et al., 2019). These studies help to identify how symptoms are prospectively related to each other, but they are often limited to small sample sizes and may lack generalizability. Additionally, despite ubiquitous reports of fatigue among sickle cell patients, few studies …

Distinguishing Neuro-Markers Of Math Learning Disability Using Eeg Coherence, Jessica C. Luedke

Theses and Dissertations

Math learning disability (MLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from specific cognitive deficits involved with numeric computation and arithmetic that cannot be attributed to low general ability. Although MLD has a significant impact on life outcomes, only a few studies have evaluated unique neurological profile differences between those with and without specific math deficits. EEG coherence has been useful for evaluating neural disconnections in children with neurodevelopmental disorders but has never been used to explain cognitive deficits found in children with MLD. The current study contributed to the literature by evaluating at-rest electrocortical signatures in those with MLD (n …

African American Teachers’ Perspectives On Principals’ Leadership Styles And The Influence On Teacher Morale, Ernestine Young

Theses and Dissertations

Morale is a concept that denotes how workers feel about their work and the environment in which they work (Robbins, 2003). Low teacher morale is not a new problem; however, with increasing frequency of low morale, teachers are affected all over the nation because of the financial and academic toll it has on education. Low morale typically impedes the achievement of the organization’s desired outcome and corresponds with unresolved grievances, attrition, and high absenteeism. Low morale is associated with billions of dollars spent per year. Low morale is due to effects such as stress, teacher burnout, absenteeism, attrition, and small …

Engaging Youth And Families Within The Context Of Evidence-Based Treatment (Ebt) Implementation: Examining Integrity Of Engagement Practices To Different Ebt Information Sources, Eleanor Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Promoting and maintaining client engagement has proven to be a significant challenge across community mental health settings, including within the context of implementing evidence-based treatments (EBTs) (De Haan et al., 2013). Few efforts have been made to equip providers with empirically-sourced engagement strategies outside of the limited set of engagement procedures covered in EBT protocols. To inform efforts for improving EBT accessibility, the current study characterizes the delivery of engagement practices from the literature within the context of EBT implementation, and examines provider integrity of engagement practice use according to two information sources (i.e., the provider’s EBT training history and …

Digesting Gender: Gendered Foodways In Modern Chinese Literature, 1890s–1940s, Zhuo Feng

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I investigate Han Bangqing (1856–1894), Lao She (1899– 1966), and Su Qing’s (1914–1982) works to study the literary representations of how people purchased, prepared, shared, and ate food in different social contexts allowing them to adapt to new gender norms. I contend that the intersection of food, gender and literature stages the process through which people reconciled different and sometimes conflicting gender norms through their everyday eating practices. When encountering new cooking and eating practices in these literary works, people reflect upon their past lives and, wittingly or unwittingly, begin to accept different gender norms, and modify …

The Literacies Of Adolescents With International Experiences, Caitlin Hanzlick Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reports the findings of a study on how international experiences impact adolescents. Data were gathered from interviews with and writing samples from seven participants with varying international experiences. A critical perspective and existing research in New Literacy Studies (NLS), on study abroad programs, and on transnationalism framed the study and predicted much of what was found about the literacies of adolescents with international experiences. However, five new findings emerged as significant about adolescents’ utilitarian, oral, geolingual, critical, and cosmopolitan literacies uniquely impacted by travel. From these findings, new insights emerged about the importance of embracing multiple forms of …

African American Teachers’ Perspectives On Principals’ Leadership Styles And The Influence On Teacher Morale, Ernestine Young

Theses and Dissertations

Morale is a concept that denotes how workers feel about their work and the environment in which they work (Robbins, 2003). Low teacher morale is not a new problem; however, with increasing frequency of low morale, teachers are affected all over the nation because of the financial and academic toll it has on education. Low morale typically impedes the achievement of the organization’s desired outcome and corresponds with unresolved grievances, attrition, and high absenteeism. Low morale is associated with billions of dollars spent per year. Low morale is due to effects such as stress, teacher burnout, absenteeism, attrition, and small …

Application Of The “Idisco” Full-Brain Tissue Clearing Method: A View Of Dopamine And Inflammation In The Hiv-1 Transgenic Rat, Kristin Nickole Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

The iDISCO (immunolabeling-enabled three-dimensional imaging of solvent-cleared organs) method is a quick, inexpensive, and easily adaptable tissue staining and clearing procedure that allows neuroscientists to study a protein of interest in a whole, unaltered tissue sample. While the iDISCO method was initially tested and validated for mice embryos and brains, the current experiment sought to adapt the method for use in the rat using HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat brain tissue. Antibodies for tyrosine hydroxylase and Iba-1 were validated in the HIV-1 Tg rat and in F344/N control rats using iDISCO. Confocal images were taken of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in …

Effect Of Lifestyle, Medical School Culture And Income On Medical Students' Decision To Pursue A Primary Care Career In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Abdullah Alhussain

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to examine the relationship of medical school students who select primary care as their career specialty. Based on extensive literature review, we focused on the three main factors that influence students to consider career specialty: lifestyle, income, and medical school culture. With a paper questionnaire of a cross-sectional study survey at ten medical schools, we were able to collect 1,006 participants from fourth and fifth year students. The clear majority of students considered lifestyle characteristics to be a significant influence in their career decision (PP<.05). Also, we found there was a significant relationship between students’ specialty choices and income variables. The result showed us that medical school culture played a notable role in terms of forming the students’ decisions in different ways. First, specialty characteristics were strongly correlated with career consideration. Second, having advising and mentoring within the medical school enhanced the probability of choosing primary care specialty. Finally, the effect of the primary care course was significant and closely related to the choice of the primary care specialty. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the impact of lifestyle, income, and medical school culture on student career selection. These results are in parallel with previous studies conducted in many countries around the world.

The Impact Of Blended Learning Upon Mathematics Attitudes And Academic Achievement: An Action Research Study, Aronda Yvette Frazier

Theses and Dissertations

Negative attitudes toward mathematics can adversely impact student achievement in the subject area. Successful development and implementation of blended learning in high school mathematics has the potential to positively impact student attitudes towards mathematics and towards their ability to do mathematics and their mathematics achievement. Developed out of my concern for the mathematical challenges that my students face, this convergent mix-methods action research study was conducted to determine if blended learning would positively affect my students’ attitudes toward mathematics and their mathematics achievement. Guided by the research questions, ‘What impact does learning have on students’ attitudes towards geometry, specifically two …

101up: Implementation Of A Gamified Curriculum To Increase Self-Regulated Learning Skills And Motivation For At-Risk Students In A First-Year Experience Course— An Action Research Study, Candace Lisek Bruder

Theses and Dissertations

The transition to college from high school is significant for at-risk students, especially as they tend to struggle with self-regulated learning skills when trying to adapt to the university environment. In an attempt to mitigate this challenge and assist students with this transition, many universities offer first-year experience courses. Nationally, however, a quarter of freshmen students still drop out before their sophomore year. The purpose of this action-based research study was to evaluate the implementation of a gamified curriculum for at-risk students enrolled in a university first-year experience course. The first research question in this study explored how and in …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Student Learning Objectives (Slos) In Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness, Xumei Fan

Theses and Dissertations

Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), as a measure of students’ academic growth, have been broadly used in the evaluation of teacher effectiveness. In this research I employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design and incorporated four studies to investigate using SLOs in teacher evaluation in South Carolina (SC). For Study 1 and Study 2, I used surveys to explore educators’ perspectives of SLOs before and after the full implementation of the teacher evaluation system in SC. For Study 3, I used interviews with teachers to explore in-depth the impact and implementation of SLOs. In Study 4, I investigated the relationship between teachers’ …

Mental Health Prevalence And Biofeedback Intervention For Student- Athletes, Samantha Rose Weber

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health in student-athletes has been a subject of discussion in the recent past. Historically, student-athletes have been thought to be immune to mental health disorders. Researchers have examined the prevalence of common mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety and through the previous efforts, and it has been determined student-athletes are at nearly the same risk as regular college students. Even with increased attention to mental health disorders, prevention programs designed to educate studentathletes, coaches, and athletic trainers, the prevalence rates of depression and anxiety in student-athletes have not improved. Therefore, the purpose of these papers was to …

Sex-Based Differences In Concussion Outcomes Among Adolescents And Young Adults, Jacob James Michael Kay

Theses and Dissertations

Concussive injuries among youth are a serious public health concern in the United States, with increasing incidence leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to classify these injuries a “silent epidemic.” Though most concussions in youth resolve within a few weeks, a significant proportion (~15-20%) of individuals will experience persisting symptoms that can negatively affect important aspects of social life, as well as academic and vocational performance. Furthermore, guidelines from the most recent Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport highlight the importance of considering individual characteristics that may modify the nature and outcomes of concussion. Biological sex is one …

Categorical And Fuzzy Ensemble-Based Algorithms For Cluster Analysis, Bridget Nicole Manning

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on improving multivariate methods of cluster analysis. In Chapter 3 we discuss methods relevant to the categorical clustering of tertiary data while Chapter 4 considers the clustering of quantitative data using ensemble algorithms. Lastly, in Chapter 5, future research plans are discussed to investigate the clustering of spatial binary data.

Cluster analysis is an unsupervised methodology whose results may be influenced by the types of variables recorded on observations. When dealing with the clustering of categorical data, solutions produced may not accurately reflect the structure of the process that generated them. Increased variability within the latent structure …