Digital Commons Network^™

Diversification And Evolution Of Hawaiian Megalagrion Damselflies (Pinapinao, Odonata: Coenagrionidae), Robert K. Hadfield

Theses and Dissertations

The Megalagrion damselflies of HawaiÊ»i present a valuable study system for understanding the impacts of geology on evolutionary processes. Despite their significance, our understanding of the temporal, geographic, and phylogenetic origins of these damselflies remains incomplete. Prior phylogenetic studies have proposed adaptive ecological and morphological progressions, but evaluating these hypotheses relies on a sound understanding of phylogenetic relationships within the genus. Previous phylogenetic analyses have produced conflicting topologies. To resolve these uncertainties, we performed phylogenetic analyses including divergence time estimation with 90 nuclear loci (>50 kbp) and 2 mitochondrial loci (>1000 bp), sampling representatives from each genus within …

Multilevel Factors Affecting Covid-19 Vaccination Among African American Communities In South Carolina, Ran Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Persistent health disparities has led to significant public health challenges, especially for African American (AAs) communities, and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Achieving high population vaccination rates are crucial to controlling the virus’ spread. However, AAs have higher rates of COVID-19 infection and mortality than Whites, yet their vaccination rates remain relatively low. The dissertation aimed to investigate the multilevel factors and mechanisms that affect AAs’ vaccination behavior. The first objective is to assess the impact of the intrapersonal level factor (i.e., perceived barriers to vaccination) on vaccination behavior. The second objective is to investigate the impact …

Advances In Chalcogenide Crystal Growth, Anna Berseneva

Theses and Dissertations

Chalcogenides are the cornerstone of the semiconductor and thermoelectric industries and are up-and-coming materials for superconductors, catalysis, and battery applications. Challenges in the synthesis of those materials emerge from the chalcogen’s volatility and the tendencies of chalcogenide to react with even trace quantities of oxygen. Nonetheless, many techniques have been applied to the growth of chalcogenide single crystals, which are convenient for structure determinations and intrinsic property measurements. This dissertation will detail synthetic strategies applied to the crystal growth of novel chalcogenide materials via molten flux preparation (Chapters 2, 4, and 5), hydrothermal synthesis (Chapter 1 and 3), and single-crystal-to-single …

B-Spline Impulse Response Functions For Transient Ssi Analysis Of Pile Foundations, Kingsley C. Ozegbe

Theses and Dissertations

The advent and consequential advancements in geotechnical earthquake engineering has made soil-structural analysis (SSI) an important component in the analysis and design of earthquake resistant structures. The filtering effects of pile foundations which reduces the seismic demand on pile-supported superstructure when they are subjected to seismic waves have been investigated and confirmed by several researchers in the last 40 years. To this end, several methods of analyzing the effects of SSI have been developed over the years. From the simplified Winkler model to the more robust finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM), researchers and structural engineers alike …

Selected Commissioned Works For Solo Piano By National Artists For Music In The Philippines' National Competitions For Young Artists (Namcya) In The Philippines, Almond See Ponge

Theses and Dissertations

This document examines the importance of the role of the National Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in the Philippines and its commissioned competition pieces for solo piano by Philippine National Artists for Music. It underscores the significance of NAMCYA’s contribution to nurturing young talents and enriching Philippine piano literature that helps strengthen its national identity. An analysis of selected commissioned works by Col. Antonino Buenaventura, Lucrecia Kasilag, and Ramon Santos, shows the integration of Western and Filipino musical idioms with neo-classical, neo-romantic, and contemporary composition techniques. Performance notes are also provided to assist future pedagogues and performers of these works.

Microchannel Slip Flow Characteristics By Time Travel After Photobleaching Velocimetry, Brandon James Sellers

Theses and Dissertations

Interfacial science follows the study of observing behavior between two or more phases of matter when in contact. For example, a liquid solution passes through a microchannel, and the walls interact with the fluid shearing along the surface. The fluid particles develop momentum changes from interfacial phenomena and slip along the wall begins to affect the fluid body. Slip flow is a name for the phenomenon, and with it, modeling velocity for the interfacial behavior demands both resolution and minimal interference. Laser-induced fluorescence photobleaching anemometry (LIFPA) works as a sound method for acquiring data on microchannel flow, but it needed …

Melding Of Traditions: African American Cultural And Learned Style Topics In The Music Of Roger Dickerson, Kenneth Green Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Roger Dickerson, born in 1934, is an African American composer, educator, and pianist from New Orleans. His compositions include multiple works for band, orchestra, voice, choir, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments. Dickerson, a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominated composer, published only one work for wind band, Essay for Band in 1958. Unfortunately, this work was rarely performed in its first sixty years, and it is not known by many band directors. In recent years, there has been a movement to program music by composers from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. Essay for Band has benefited from this movement which also seeks …

A Comprehensive Review And Meta-Analysis Of Breast Cancer Gene Expression Data: Understanding The Molecular Complexity Of A Silent Epidemic, Ifeanyichukwu O. Nwosu

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer type and the leading cause of cancer death; it accounts for 23% of total cases and 14% of deaths, with over 2 million new cases diagnosed and 600,000 deaths in 2020. This is a huge public health burden. Traditionally, clinical subtypes of breast cancer are defined based on a patient's immunohistochemistry profile. These profiles are determined by the combined expression status of three receptors: estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. It has also been observed that women of African descent, more commonly present with ER, PR and …

The Effects Of Writing Groups On Student Self-Efficacy, Katie Francom

Theses and Dissertations

High school students often lack confidence in their writing. One way to change this is by increasing their self-efficacy regarding writing. Previous studies suggest that writing groups have effectively improved students' self-efficacy in higher education. However, more must be done to see if this same intervention would succeed in high school. This study aimed to test this hypothesis and answer the question: How does participating in writing groups shape adolescents' writing self-efficacy? To do this, 57 11th-grade students participated in writing groups in an Honors English 11 class over a semester. For the study, they were surveyed about their writerly …

Cell Based Sodium Alginate Microcapsules Within Ocular Disease: A Proof Of Concept, Chelsea Marie Zizzi

Theses and Dissertations

Sodium alginate is a natural polymer that has been widely used as a drug delivery system due to its controlled-release qualities and low cellular toxicity. These capsules are effective at transporting therapeutics in various diseased animal models. Retinitis Pigmentosa is an incurable genetic disease affecting the retina, which causes gradual blindness as the disease progresses. In our study, we injected cell-based sodium alginate capsules into the vitreous cavity of C57BL/6 and Pde6b^rd10/J mice to observe the migration of these capsules in both wildtype and diseased mouse models over a course of 2 weeks. Our intention was …

Perspectives From Caregivers For Children With Retinoblastoma: Psychosocial Concerns And Genetic Counseling, Kayla Marie Lashinger

Theses and Dissertations

Caregivers play a vital role in the care of children affected with retinoblastoma as most cases are diagnosed before the age of five years old. While previous studies have explored the psychosocial needs of caregivers of children with pediatric cancer, these have not specifically focused on retinoblastoma in the United States (US). Prior research identified the profound emotional burden in terms of depression, anxiety, guilt, isolation, and loneliness experienced by caregivers. Given previous findings and the National Cancer Institute’s recommendation for genetic counseling and testing for all individuals affected with retinoblastoma, this study aimed to assess psychosocial concerns in relation …

Preimplantation Genetic Testing For Sickle Cell Disease; Exploring The Effect Health Disparities Have On Parental Awareness And Interest, Justine Frances Manigault

Theses and Dissertations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of disorders of the hemoglobin resulting in episodes of chronic pain, pulmonary hypertension, progressive multiorgan damage, risk for stroke, and increased mortality. It is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the HBB gene and 1 in 12 African Americans, 1 in 100 Hispanic individuals, and 1 in 30-50 Mediterranean people are reported to be carriers of the disease and have sickle cell trait (SCT). SCD is typically diagnosed through newborn screening; however, when prospective parents are aware of their carrier status, they can conceive via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have genetic testing …

Action Research On Instructional Scaffolding In Information Literacy Instruction For Community College Students, Huyen Maluck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the effect of instructional scaffolding on information literacy skills of college students in an English Composition I (ENG 101) course at Urban Community College in the Southeast. Information literacy is defined as a set of skills to recognize an information need as well as locate, evaluate, and effectively use information (American Library Association, 2021). Community college students may have insufficiencies in their information literacy skills due to lack prior information literacy experience in academic libraries or completing research projects (Head, 2013; Hincliffe et al., 2018). I developed an intervention that involved …

Enhancing Surface Texturing Of Zirconia Toughened Alumina Ceramic Through Optimized Electric Discharge Machining Utilizing The Assistive Electrode Method, Yazan Eyas Tuffaha

Theses and Dissertations

Zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) is a durable and biocompatible ceramic material commonly used in prosthetic hip implants because of its excellent mechanical properties and wear/corrosion resistance. Surface texturing can improve the lubricity and longevity of hip implant bearing surfaces, but precision machining of ceramic materials such as ZTA is very difficult due to suboptimal surface integrity results of traditional machining techniques. This thesis explores the optimization of machining ZTA using electric discharge machining (EDM) - a process usually reserved for conductive metals - to machine holes into the ceramic to create surface textures. EDM is made possible through the assistive …

Implicit Vs. Explicit Approaches When Teaching Reflexive Structures In A Fifth-Grade Spanish Dual Immersion Classroom, Paula Valeria Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Dual language immersion (DLI) students can develop high levels of proficiency in their second language at a young age. However, they often have difficulties with their accuracy using advanced grammatical constructions (Watzinger-Tharp et al., 2018), such as using different verbs tenses or gender and number agreement in speaking and writing (Bateman et al., 2020). The goal of this study is to test whether explicit or implicit instructional approaches are more effective in the teaching of one such grammatical concept, specifically reflexive constructions, in two DLI classrooms. In this research, I investigated results from a five-lesson treatment in a case study …

Reconstructing Visual Narratives: Mary Colter, Fred Kabotie, And The Myth Of The West At Desert View Watchtower, Allison M. Foster

Theses and Dissertations

Desert View Watchtower opened in 1933 on the Grand Canyon South Rim, under the management of the Fred Harvey Company. The structure contains many self-contradictions, in terms of style and use. In this thesis, I argue that these contradictions come from the dichotomous motives of Desert View Watchtower's architect, Mary Colter, and her employers, the Fred Harvey Company and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. New western history theory of the Mythical West is used to explain Harvey/Santa Fe marketing, which created a narrative suggesting that Native American lifeways were going to disappear from the Southwest. I argue that …

One-Dimensional Cores Of Peano Continua, Shogo Starr

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, we define a berbering of a Peano continuum, which is the space one gets by attaching a null sequence of circles to a countable dense subset of a Peano continuum. The topology of a berbering is one that recognizes which circles are small, in the sense that any neighborhood of the original Peano continuum will entirely contain all but finitely many of the attached circles. We then show that given a berbering of any simply connected, locally simply connected Peano continuum $Y$, there exists a one-dimensional Peano continuum $X$ and a map from $X$ to the berbering …

Native American Nationalism: Chickasaw Identity And The Music Of Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Austin Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Native American nationalism in classical music has yet to be seriously researched and is not taught in music academia. One of the more well-known contemporary Native American composers is Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (b. 1968). Throughout his career, Tate has explored and expressed his identity as a Native American and Chickasaw citizen through his music. As a result, his compositional output is a rich resource for examining what Native American nationalism in classical music looks like and how it is utilized in his works.

In this document, I analyze three of Tate’s pieces written for orchestra: Tracing Mississippi, Ghost …

Placebos, Rhetoric, And The Power Of Expectation, Jennifer M. Reeher

Theses and Dissertations

Placebos, Rhetoric, and the Power of Expectation examines the relationship between persuasion and health to determine what interventions rhetoric could make in the interdisciplinary field of placebo studies. This exploration of the relationship between rhetoric and placebo responses relies on non-anthropocentric definitions and theories of rhetoric as well as a multifaceted archive that includes patient narratives, clinical intake forms, and peer-reviewed scientific studies of condition-specific placebo responses. The impact of this investigation spans the practical and the theoretical. First, rhetorical study highlights the importance of a patient’s perception of care in patient recovery. To this end, rhetoric offers audience-focused methods …

Use Of Improvement Science To Build The Instructional Capacity Of Faculty In A Community College, Marianne Yohannan

Theses and Dissertations

Up to 78% of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students experience poor academic achievement as defined by course grades of D, F and W in college. Students entering these fields are often not prepared (Chen & Soldner, 2013) and struggle to succeed in gateway STEM courses, with one-third of them possibly failing (Freeman et al., 2011). The success rates are lower among first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minoritized groups (Doerschuk et al., 2016). At Tri-County Technical College, 30-40% of introductory biology students are unsuccessful and receive low grades (Institutional Research, n.d.). Low academic achievement has a huge impact on our …

Developing A Curriculum For An Online Group Piano In The Philippines: An Ideological, Historical, And Practical Approach, Lady Abigail Imperio

Theses and Dissertations

Online distance learning, a modern educational practice, has permeated music pedagogy in the past several decades. It involves synthesizing interdisciplinary studies in philosophy, music, technology, and sociology. In this study, the integrated approach aims to develop a unique curriculum for an online group piano in the Philippine setting. This goal involves coalescing ideological, historical, and practical perspectives to develop a coherent, learner-centered approach.

The ideological approach surveys educational philosophies, music learning theories, cooperative learning theories, online learning theories, and socio-cultural perspectives relevant to forming a unique framework. The nature of online distance music learning itself presents complex challenges of international …

Mathematical Modeling And Reconstruction Of Porous Media To Understand Transport Phenomena For Electrochemical System Applications, Mitchell Sepe

Theses and Dissertations

Alternative power generation has grown significantly in the space of energy production over the last ten years. Development of new technologies to produce energy is vital to the growing need for electricity. Batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and countless other renewable energy options have been deemed necessary to create an overall greener future. Fuels cells when combined with electrolyzer show a promising system for stationary power generation. Both technologies are comprised of multiple parts in contact that must work together simultaneously to create an ideal environment for catalytic reactions to take place. A crucial component to a properly functioning cell …

Sonic Data: Sonification In James Stephenson’S There Are No Words And David Kirkland Garner’S Red Hot Sun Turning Over, Nathan Lee Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

Sonification, or the transformation of data relations into sound, has inspired composers of orchestral and wind ensemble music over the past several years. Two of the resulting works included there are no words by James Stephenson and red hot sun turning over by David Kirkland Garner. Both works were analyzed, and their histories detailed in this study. Issues in American society and the American South such as gun violence, civil rights, and American Civil War monuments are revealed as inspiration for composers to map empirical processes onto sound. These musical protests against misinformation were shown to illuminate histories and correlations …

Examining Systems To Improve Third Grade Literacy: Focus On Schools With High Poverty Index, Brenda Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

This improvement project was designed to ensure students enrolled in elementary schools with a high poverty index received literacy instructional strategies that promoted literacy achievement. When analyzing Graham County School data, I noticed third-grade students attending high poverty elementary schools were not achieving literacy success at the same rate as third-grade students attending low poverty elementary schools. An improvement team, consisting of myself, administration, and teachers at a high poverty elementary school implemented the improvement science framework to further study the root causes of this problem. Utilizing the six principles of the improvement science framework, problem focused and user centered, …

Unraveling The Impact Of The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Investigating Racial Disparities In Disciplinary Practices, Zelexis Croffie

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study sought to examine ways to narrow the racial discipline gap in South Carolina’s elementary schools. Employing both the Critical Race Theory and BlackCrit in schools as the theoretical frameworks, the research delved into the narratives of teachers in grades 3^rd through 5^th, exploring their encounters with school-based disciplinary practices. The study integrated Social-Emotional Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching to ultimately uncover implicit biases held by teachers that positioned Black students as less innocent compared to their White counterparts. The primary focus was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ inequitable disciplinary practices and the …

Eco-Domestic Femininity: The Collapse Of Domestic And Wild In Southern Women’S Writing, Christina Xan

Theses and Dissertations

When the Agrarians set out to assert their definition of southern in I’ll Take My Stand (1930), they planted roots deep in the ground of the south that slowly wrapped its tendrils around its descendants. In the years that have followed, southern women have had to push back against these limiting boundaries. Their individual stories are linked by the communal lineage of the south, specifically the binary of domestic and wild. Traditionally, southern women have had to stay in the boundaries of the home, cultivating domesticity, ordering the space, and warming the hearth. The land itself, posed as opposite from …

A Modified Flipped Classroom: Action Research Using An In-Class Flip To Measure Student Achievement And Perceptions Within A High School Multimedia Course, Jamie Mercer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to implement and evaluate the impact of a modified flipped classroom approach on students’ ability to use Adobe Premiere Pro in a Multimedia course at Jefferson High School. The current pedagogical model for teaching the video editing software is not conducive to student achievement and students need additional instruction after in-class demonstrations. A major issue in teaching software programs using in-class demonstrations is that when students do not understand the applications of the program, the teacher has to stop demonstrations and walk around the classroom to help struggling students while other students …

The Autistic Adult's Perspective On Genetic Testing In The Prenatal And Cancer Settings, Robin Lisa Urban

Theses and Dissertations

Prenatal and cancer genetic tests are recommended by many professional medical organizations. Previous studies have shown that autistic adults have a negative opinion towards genetic testing for autism but have not explored if this sentiment is shared for other types of genetic testing. We used a descriptive, web-based survey of autistic adults to assess their attitudes towards prenatal and cancer genetic testing (n=36). Our data showed that overall attitudes towards prenatal and cancer genetic testing are positive. Notably, participants had slightly more positive attitudes towards prenatal genetic testing related to neurodevelopmental disorders when compared to testing for disorders primarily affecting …

Echoes Of Heritage: Documenting Contemporary Works From Singapore Featuring The Cello, Eunice Koh

Theses and Dissertations

Multiculturalism is prevalent in many countries around the world, including Singapore, and music is used as a way to reflect and represent cultural influences in societies worldwide. Singapore is a multicultural nation renowned for its diversity, and the fusion of influences from Asian heritages and Western cultures. This study echoes the heritage in Singapore, showing a brief history and development of the country, cultural integration, and representation of musical identity. The artistic tapestry of the country is achieved with endeavors from government initiatives and various music ensembles that contributed to the vibrant musical ecosystem in Singapore. This is represented through …

Perspectives On Transition To Adult Healthcare For Adults With Williams Syndrome And Their Caregivers, Andrea Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning to adult care services is a crucial time for young adults with a genetic condition. Many of these conditions are diagnosed early in childhood, with follow-up care fragmented and dependent on the specific needs of the individual. Williams syndrome (WS) is a complex genetic condition characterized by multisystemic features. The variation in the clinical presentation of adults with WS can influence the individual’s ability to transition from pediatric care because of its medical complications, variable and poorly characterized psychiatric needs, and intellectual disability that causes difficulty communicating health-related needs to providers. This study focused on understanding the needs of …