Digital Commons Network^™

Emblems Of Incarnation: The Hypostatic Union Of Word And Image In Francis Quarles' Emblemes, Amber Bird

Theses and Dissertations

Although recent scholars have attempted to recuperate the cultural and literary value of Francis Quarles' Emblemes, traditional emblematic interpretations categorize the images as merely illustrations of the poetic utterance. The investment of this paper shifts critical attention away from the content of Quarles' text as the only source of meaning and argues that meaning is contingent on the interpretation of both word and image. In order for the images of the text to have full consideration, I have stepped away from the traditional emblem metaphor of body and soul in favor of an incarnational metaphor that joins image and word …

The Development Of Polymer Constructs For Adipose Tissue Engineering Applications, Kendall Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The adipose tissue functions as the body’s main energy reservoir and plays a central role in maintaining whole body energy homeostasis. The ability to modulate this tissue’s inherent endocrine and metabolic functions has promising implications in treating disease associated with adipose tissue dysfunction. This work revolves around two diseases where adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic dysfunction drive the disease, obesity and cachexia. Both diseases impact a significant population of U.S. adults and substantially reduce patient quality of life.

In this study, we first demonstrate the use of novel therapeutic platforms engineered to specifically target adipose tissue inflammation and lipid catabolism …

No “Me ” Before The Nation: Portrayal Of Nationalism And Religious Identities In Bollywood Movies Created During Modi-Era, Misha Khan

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed three Bollywood films, Raazi, PM Narendra Modi, and Gully Boy, that were released during the administration of the current Prime Minister of India, PM Narendra Modi. The research questions focused on the portrayal of nationalism and religious identities in the analyzed films. The recurring theme in all three films remained to be nationalism However, drawing on the past research, this study found an existing intertwined relationship between the portrayed nationalism and religious identities. Other central themes in the films included patriarchy, the notion of Othering, and class hegemony. This study draws added implications through its results and …

Comparing Binge-Watching Motivations In South Korea And The United States: Westernization Of South Korean Entertainment Media, Sohyun Ribeiro

Theses and Dissertations

Asian cultures have been heavily influenced by Western culture due to globalization. Video on demand (VOD) services provide a means to quantify the westernization of Asian cultures, especially those within South Korea. As the majority of current binge-watching studies have been conducted utilizing U.S. samples, there is a need for comparative research between the two cultures, to see if westernization can be quantified via these means. The current study examined the relative levels of five Korean binge-watching motivations (enjoyment, efficiency, recommendation of others, perceived control, fandom) and eight American binge-watching motivations (escape, information, engagement, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, habit) …

Comparing Binge-Watching Motivations In South Korea And The United States: Westernization Of South Korean Entertainment, Sohyun Ribeiro

Theses and Dissertations

Asian cultures have been heavily influenced by Western culture due to globalization. Video on demand (VOD) services provide a means to quantify the westernization of Asian cultures, especially those within South Korea. As the majority of current binge-watching studies have been conducted utilizing U.S. samples, there is a need for comparative research between the two cultures, to see if westernization can be quantified via these means. The current study examined the relative levels of five Korean binge-watching motivations (enjoyment, efficiency, recommendation of others, perceived control, fandom) and eight American binge-watching motivations (escape, information, engagement, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, habit) …

Feminine Gender Identification And Mother-Daughter Connectedness As Predictors And Sociocultural Buffers Against Adult Sexual Victimization In Latinas And Caucasians, Erika A. Pobee-Mensah

Theses and Dissertations

The growing body of literature on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has highlighted increased risk for adult re-victimization and transgenerational sexual abuse such that children of adult women with CSA histories are at increased risk for being sexually abused. Despite these research trends, there is less research specific to victimization risk and transgenerational sexual abuse. Furthermore, there is limited information on ethnic/racial differences in these trends, particularly regarding Latinas. Despite research suggesting an over-representation of reported CSA among Latina children, there are apparent disparities suggesting underreporting of sexual victimization among Latinas in adulthood. The present study examines interactional effects of sociocultural …

Vaginal Delivery Of Salmon Calcitonin In Self-Emulsified Nanoemulsion, Prachi Jirwankar

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Culturally Responsive Teaching For Asian Learners: A Micro-Ethnographic Case Study Of Ela Teachers Within A School Culture, Andy Yen

Theses and Dissertations

As student demographics across schools in the United States continue to become increasingly diverse, culture becomes a significant factor for educators. It is inextricably linked to the very fabric of identity in every individual and cannot be overlooked when it comes to student learning. Research into implementation of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in schools proposes a viable solution and yet, much of the literature has been centered on African American and Hispanic populations, neglecting Asian learners. The purpose of this micro-ethnographic case study was to explore the relationship between school culture and student culture for Asian learners in a suburban …

Homeless With Breast Cancer On Skid Row, Los Angeles: A Review Of Services For Women, Eva Dittrich

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews the literature on breast cancer in general and narrows to within the context of the homeless population of Skid Row, Los Angeles, positing that the experience of breast cancer while homeless is a compounded traumatic experience with complex and numerous practical challenges. It poses the following question: What services are available to homeless women on Skid Row, Los Angeles, the information about which can be found online? Which and how many services are dedicated to breast cancer screenings and treatment? Are other types of cancer screening and treatment services advertised on the included service organizations' websites? A …

An Exploration Of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions, Cerynn Dawn Desjarlais

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive exploratory research is amongst the first to investigate Spiritual Microaggressions experienced by Indigenous Peoples across North America. Microaggressions can further be conceptualized and categorized as microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. Participants who self-identify as Indigenous individuals ages 18 and over, from North America, who work in or are educated in the mental health field engaged in 60-90-minute interviews to explore the spiritual microaggressions incurred upon them. A total of 8 participants who identify as mental health professionals and graduate students in the mental health field were interviewed as an intensity sample. Participants discussed the implications of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions …

English Language Learner Teachers’ Perceptions Of Digital Games On Student Learning, Khalifa Alshaya

Theses and Dissertations

This body of work contains three articles that examine the intersectionality between English Language Learner (ELL) teachers and digital games. The purpose of the study is to qualitatively explore the perception of ELL teachers’ use of digital games as educational tools and whether they realize the potential to promote language learning for ELLs. This study aims to understand the lived experiences of ELL teachers to identify their viewpoint of language learning through gaming. The work focuses particularly on the teacher in an effort to contribute empirical work that supports the need for a more holistic approach to digital games in …

An Investigation Of Elementary School Teachers’ Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices In Two Cultures: A Comparative Study In China And The United States, Alicia R. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Effective teaching is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Throughout the world, there are high expectations for teacher and student performance. Teachers and students need to navigate the demographic and cultural shifts occurring around the world. Teachers’ cultural awareness and knowledge base of culturally relevant teaching practices is critical to their effectiveness. Based on the need to better understand the cultural responsiveness of teachers, this comparative study investigated elementary school teachers’ culturally relevant teaching practices in China and the U.S. through the use of video-cued ethnography. The following findings were revealed from the study: (a) differences in …

Western Representation On Twitter In Relation To Orientalism And Framing: A Content Analysis Of #Saudi Arabia And #Saudis, Wedyan A. Kattan

Theses and Dissertations

Based on framing theory, Said’s Orientalism, and Hall’s theory of representation, this dissertation explores how the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is represented on the social media platform Twitter. Specifically, the study aims to identify how Saudi Arabia and Saudis are represented in English-language tweets by Western media in the years after several political incidents in the region, such as the Yemen war, and new political leadership in Saudi Arabia that has introduced many economic and social reforms. Thus, the overarching research question in this study is, how have Saudi Arabia and Saudis been presented on Twitter recently? This study sheds …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Popular Diets And Orthorexia Nervosa, Madison W. Weinstock

Theses and Dissertations

Data suggest that individuals’ purported dietary patterns influence others’ perceptions of them. However, few studies have investigated how adherence to specific popular diets might influence these perceptions. This study investigated female undergraduates’ (n = 463) perceptions of vignette characters described as adhering to specific dietary practices perceptions of a vignette character in a sample of 463 female undergraduates. Characters described as adhering to a Clean Eating diet were viewed most positively, followed by individuals on the Ketogenic diet or nondieters. Characters following an Intermittent Fasting diet, and those with Orthorexia Nervosa were viewed most negatively. These findings support the …

Failing In My Own Class, Bryan Castro

Theses and Dissertations

This research statement summarizes how my artwork has shifted from my performance-lecture Say It After Me to the painting-installation Becoming Dysfluent. To understand that shift in my practice, an account of my performance-lecture Say It After Me is explained in order to understand how it’s similar and different to Joseph Beuys’s performances with blackboards. Next, the relationship between the American educational system and my identity is explained in order to understand how my experiences as an instructor in higher education informed the creation of my performance persona Professor Castro. After discussing my identity as a Puerto Rican-American, my decision …

...And Yet The Devil Exists, John Hee Taek Chae

Theses and Dissertations

...And Yet the Devil Exists is a project that explores the ways in which ideology determines reality. It is an installation that plots and connects the historical and personal narratives that have defined my sense of identity–narratives in which perceptions of reality shatter, mutate, or hybridize when confronted with power, opportunity, or coercion. The installation component of the project consists of three parts. The first is an infrastructure made of wooden beams upon which paintings and images are installed; I call this the lantern. In the center of this is a round table on top of which is a nonsensical …

It’S Funny Because It’S True: The Transmission Of Explicit And Implicit Racism In Internet Memes, Tabitha Fairchild

Theses and Dissertations

Video games are traditionally seen as the domain of heteronormative white males. The purpose of this study is to explore how racism is transmitted and reproduced within digital communities, and how humor is being used to frame racist discourse in virtual spaces. Digitally, internet memes are widely used rhetorical vehicles, reaching large and broad audiences. The roles these artifacts play in the reproduction and transmission of racist ideology is often obfuscated by the perception that internet memes are "just jokes." This study analyzes internet memes collected from 16 months of communication between members of Discord servers that self-identify as communities …

Internalizing Data Collection: Personal Analytics As An Investigation Of The Self, Neal R. Swisher

Theses and Dissertations

Personal analytics, aka self-tracking, is the practice of using a digital device to track aspects of behavior, such as exercise habits, heart rate, sleep patterns, location, diet, and a host of other data points. This dissertation is an exploration of “self” in self-tracking, informed by theories of subjectivity, autonomy, power and knowledge. As a technological intervention, self-tracking devices change how we experience our own body and behavior. They also serve as methods to digitize human behavior. This data is combined with other data and processed using computational methods. Self-tracking devices are both personal and bureaucratic. They are devices used for …

Shakespeare's Cultural Capital Conversion, Christopher S. Hults

Theses and Dissertations

Shakespeare's vast cultural capital does not often translate easily to financial capital.Whether those who invest in Shakespeare seek financial, educational, or cultural gain, anunderstanding of capital conversion as it relates to Shakespeare industries can inform decisionsand clarify goals. After clarifying and delineating what we have and know of Shakespeare before1616 and what has been created by culture regarding him after 1616, we label the latterShakesaltation, then seek the key to converting his cultural capital to financial capital. ApplyingPierre Bourdieu's states of cultural capital to the Shakespeare industry illustrates why manyinvestments fail, few succeed, and why: cultural capital must be in …

Impact Of Intercultural Competence On Communicative Success In L2 Environments(With Reference To Missionaries Of The Church Ofjesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints), David Milford Lucero

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of cultural competence on success in completing key missionary tasks. Qualitative survey results are supported by data from an intercultural effectiveness assessment and a Mandarin Chinese listening proficiency test to describe themes related to missionary communicative success and to explore correlations between intercultural effectiveness and listening proficiency. Missionary communicative tasks are clarified into themes:"obtaining referrals,"obtaining teaching opportunities," and"helping people make and keep commitments." Factors perceived as associating with communicative success include"feeling and communicating love" and receiving"spiritual guidance." The effect of training on intercultural competence is also described. The intercultural effectiveness subcategory of positive regard is …

The Impact Of Culturally Different Types Of Faking On Test Properties, Yumiko Mochinushi

Theses and Dissertations

Personality measures have become a key component of the human capital strategies of organizations (Hough & Oswald, 2008). Multinationals often conduct employee selection across countries, and opportunities have expanded for using personality tests in selection across cultures. However, few studies have yet investigated applicant faking behavior in cross-cultural contexts, despite research suggesting that psychometric assessment tools are vulnerable to this (Salgado, 2016). One of main causes of the limited number of cross-cultural faking studies is the difficulty in data collection. Simulation is one of the more promising methods, and current research of similar problems often uses simulation (e.g., Jin & …

Understanding The Differences In The Radioprotection Activity Of The Vitamin E Tocols, And Their Implications In Developing Effective Radioprotectors, Ujwani Nukala

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased use of ionizing radiation for various purposes like radiotherapy, nuclear power generation, sterilization, the likelihood of intentional or unintentional radiation exposure is increasing and there is an unmet need for effective radiation countermeasures that are safe, efficient, easy to administer. Vitamin-E is a well-known antioxidant, consisting of eight different vitamers, including four tocopherols (α, β, γ and δ) and four tocotrienols (α, β, γ and δ), which are structurally very similar and collectively known as tocols. Though alpha-tocopherol has been considered the primary form of vitamin-E and extensively studied, tocotrienols have recently gained attention for their superior …

Improving Person-Independent Facial Expression Recognition Using Deep Learning, Jie Cai

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few years, deep learning, e.g., Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), have shown promise on facial expression recog- nition. However, the performance degrades dramatically especially in close-to-real-world settings due to high intra-class variations and high inter-class similarities introduced by subtle facial appearance changes, head pose variations, illumination changes, occlusions, and identity-related attributes, e.g., age, race, and gender. In this work, we developed two novel CNN frameworks and one novel GAN approach to learn discriminative features for facial expression recognition.

First, a novel island loss is proposed to enhance the discriminative power of learned deep …

Emerging Populations: An Analysis Of Twenty-First Century Caribbean Short Stories, Jeremy Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

The Caribbean has always been a contested space, a space difficult to define, and the literary genre of the short story has always been difficult to define as well. As a region and as a genre, what they share is less prestige, and less development, than other regions and genres. This dissertation brings both of these elements together in a comparative literature study of three twenty-first century Caribbean short story anthologies from the three major linguistic traditions of the Caribbean (English, French, and Spanish). The distinguishing characteristic of these short stories, and the overarching framework for this study, is that …

Critical Thinking In The Age Of Fake News: Developing Fairmindedness And Metacognition Among Gifted High School Learners, Tiffany Dimatteo

Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking has proved essential for college, career, and civic readiness, and K-12 educators have accepted its significance while being unsure of how to implement it in the classroom. The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to identify effective instructional practices for developing fairmindedness and metacognition, two elements of critical thinking identified by Paul and Elder (2012) and purposefully selected by the participating students and the practitioner-researcher as the focus for this study. A hybrid instructional approach that integrated direct instruction and collaborative learning was developed, enacted and studied using a pre-/post-assessment model with four weeks of …

An Analysis Of Jazz Elements In The Solo And Ensemble Educational Piano Compositions By Martha Mier, Hye Jee Jang

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze Martha Mier’s solo and ensemble educational repertoire that incorporates jazz, ragtime and blues elements. This document is an analysis of jazz elements from her collections: Jazz, Rag, & Blues; Classical Jazz, Rag, & Blues; Christmas Jazz, Rag, & Blues; and Jazz, Rag, & Blues for Two. The analysis includes examination of the stylistic elements, harmony, key signature, meter, and rhythmic patterns. The document includes an interview with Martha Mier regarding her work in incorporating jazz, ragtime, and blues elements in her compositions.

The dissertation contains five chapters. Chapter one consists of the …

Assessing The Competitive Advantage Of Carbonic Anhydrase In Estuarine Microalgae Through Removed Enzymatic Activity, Eilea R. Knotts

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) are used by photoautotrophs to overcome possible limitations in carbon acquisition but the competitive strategies and efficiencies of these mechanisms among photosynthesizers can be variable. The diversity in carbon acquisition abilities establishes the potential for alterations in community structure with shifting carbon concentrations. Given the role of phytoplankton and benthic microalgae (BMA) in the trophodynamics of estuaries, understanding the mechanisms of carbon acquisition in these systems is important in predicting how primary productivity and nutrient cycling might change in response to increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2. Our approach to investigate whether induced carbon limitation would show …

A Multiscale Modeling Approach To Investigate Traumatic Brain Injury, Amirhamed Bakhtiarydavijani

Theses and Dissertations

In the current study, mechanoporation-related neuronal injury as a result of mechanical loading has been studied using a multiscale approach. Injurious mechanical loads to the head induce strains in the brain tissue at the macroscale. As each length scale has its own unique morphology and heterogeneities, the strains have been scaled down from the macroscale brain tissue to the nanoscale neuronal components that result in mechanoporation of the neuronal membrane, while relevant neuronal membrane mechanoporation-related damage criteria have been scaled up to the macroscale. To achieve this, first, damage evolution equations has been developed and calibrated to molecular dynamics simulations …

Investigating The Impact Of Stereotype Threat On Undergraduate Engineering Students, Carla Grimes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how stereotype threat impacts women and minorities within the College of Engineering. Within this study, I present a mixed-methods study that begins with an exploratory qualitative study into an sequential explanatory study. The purpose of the first study, Manuscript 1, was to identify common barriers present to women in engineering that negatively impact their motivations within engineering. During the analysis of this data, stereotype threat emerged as a common theme which lead to a literature review and subsequent explanatory study. A quantitative study, using Picho and Brown’s Social Identities and Attitudes Scale, …

Salem Belles, Succubi, And The Scarlet Letter: Transatlantic Witchcraft And Gothic Erotic Affect, Sylvia Cutler

Theses and Dissertations

In order to reconcile the absence of sexually deviant witch figures (succubae, demonic women, etc.) within the formation of American national literature in the nineteenth century with the fantastic elements found in European variations on the gothic, my thesis aims to demonstrate transatlantic variants of erotic signifiers attached to witch figures in nineteenth-century gothic fiction and mediums across national traditions. I will begin by tracing the transatlantic and historical impact of Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger’s Malleus Maleficarum—an early modern handbook of sorts used widely in witchcraft inquisitions—on Early American witch trials, specifically where its influence deviates from a sexualized …