Digital Commons Network^™

Supply Chain Financial Performance In Liquefied Natural Gas Systems, Nasiru Zubairu

Plymouth Business School Theses

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a rapidly growing energy source, with highly competitive supply chain networks, sensitive to global macro-economic developments. To date, supply chain finance studies have failed to explore supply chain financial performance (SCFP) in the LNG sector and few have demonstrated the potential impact of supply chain practices on financial performance. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between supply chain strategies and the financial performance of Nigeria liquefied natural gas (NLNG) systems, to guide practitioners to review and adopt supply chain initiatives that drive business survival and growth, while creating value for investors. To identify key …

Measuring Sustainability In Less Developed Countries: Case Of Tourism In The Gorilla Parks Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Vincent-Bouky Kakuru Luhunde

Plymouth Business School Theses

This research proposes a method and tool for measuring the sustainability of tourism in Less Developed Countries (LDCs), more specifically the gorilla tourism of the D.R. Congo. Since the Brundtland Report several assessment models have been proposed but have all failed to capture the centrality of sustainability, i.e. stakeholders, the very ones who can take action for sustainability to be achieved or not. This research has helped to design a holistic and stakeholder-centred method and tool for measuring sustainability of tourism, the Sustainability Value Model (SVM) using Social Network Analysis (SNA) method. The SVM tool provides a visual assessment of …

Exploring The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Audiology Students About People Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Nancy Grosz Sager

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to explore and understand the attitudes and beliefs of audiology students about Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. The problem of practice was that some audiologists continue to advise parents not to sign with their Deaf or Hard of Hearing children. This problem was studied using the conceptual framework of General Systems Theory, looking at the problem through the lens of Critical Disability Theory, to determine if audiology students view Deaf and Hard of Hearing people from a medical model or from a social/cultural model. Using a qualitative case study methodology, I interviewed six first-year doctor …

The Evolution Of Sunset Magazine's Cooking Department: The Accommodation Of Men's And Women's Cooking In The 1930s, Jennifer Hoolhorst Pagano

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The Western regional magazine Sunset has been published under a series of owners and publishers since 1898. In 1928, Sunset was purchased by Lawrence Lane, a Midwestern magazine executive who transformed it from a failing turn-of-the-century, general interest publication about the West, into a successful magazine about living in the West for the Western middle-class. Sunset had always been a magazine for men and women, and one that appealed to both male and female intellectuals at the time Lane purchased it. Lane and his editors attempted to interject more rigid middle-class ideals into a magazine that had espoused ideas that …

Factors Underlying High School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Challenging Math Tasks, Mariya Anne Sullivan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In this confirmatory factor analysis, factors previously identified to explain the variability in Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ perception of the Common Core State Standards of Mathematics were considered as factors hypothesized to effect high school math teachers’ perceptions of challenging math tasks (CMTs). The factor of student characterization (i.e., disposition, academic preparation, and student behavior) was additionally considered as a factor hypothesized to explain teachers’ perceptions of CMTs, as well as site-based variables (i.e., curriculum, assessment and evaluation, professional development, and collaboration). In addition, teachers’ understanding of the importance of the mathematical practice standards and teacher familiarity with enacting CMTs …

Faculty Adaptation To Emerging Instructional Technologies In Higher Education, Marilyn Murrillo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how and why faculty adopt podcasting as an instructional technology tool in their teaching. Podcasting is an instructional technology tool being used for teaching and learning in higher education. Faculty may record lectures with audio, video, and/or PowerPoint slides to instruct students on class material. Students may access podcasts at their convenience through various devices, including mobile devices and computers. Research has shown that students who use podcasts to study for tests tend to perform more successfully on tests. This study was a qualitative multiple case study of seven California community college faculty using podcasting as an …

An Autoethnographic Study: An Identity Lost And A Passage Discovered, Simone Shonte Martinez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The professional careers of teachers with a chronic illness can sometimes be devastating. This study addresses the insufficient understanding of the identity crisis a teacher goes through when one is suddenly diagnosed with a chronic illness. While researching different types of theories, identity theory best fit this topic and my interest. Within identity theory, there are four perspectives to view identity. The four perspectives are Nature, Institution, Discourse, and Affinity identities. In order to understand identity, one must understand how identity is formed. Chronic illness identity is a change from all other identities that have been constructed. This study uses …

The Potency Of Ag10 In Stabilizing Transthyretin Is Driven By Interactions Mimicking The Disease-Suppressing T119m Variant, Dengpan Liang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Transthyretin (TTR) amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a fatal disease with no available disease-modifying therapies. While destabilizing TTR mutations increase the risk of developing ATTR-CM, the naturally occurring Thr119Met (T119M) variant stabilizes TTR and prevent disease. The two Serine 117 and Serine 117’ (S117/S117’) side chain hydroxyl groups of monomers A and B in T119M variant TTR form direct hydrogen bonds with each other. AG10 is an orally available, small molecule TTR stabilizer in Phase 3 clinical development for ATTR-CM. Structural features that infer high potency of AG10 for stabilizing TTR remains incompletely characterized.

In order to investigate the contribution of …

Evaluating Methods Of Obtaining Male Pheromone From Hymenochirus Sp. Using Analytical Chemistry, Vincent Wing-Kun Leung

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Male Hymenochirus sp. frogs are known to release pheromone that attracts females of the same species. Four methods for collecting secretions containing pheromone in Hymenochirus sp. were tested: norepinephrine injection, gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection, homogenization of gland tissue, and electrostimulation of the skin over the breeding gland area. The samples collected were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry. The HPLC chromatograph for the male norepinephrine sample contained a peak at 6.4 min that was not in the female norepinephrine sample HPLC chromatograph. The male norepinephrine sample mass spectrum had a peak of m/z 292.0 not in the female …

Sexual Dimorphism In Aortic Function Of Uc Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rat Model: Estrogen Specific Responses, Farjana Akther

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the interaction between diabetes and sex in vasculature. This study was designed to investigate the effects of estrogen as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D) on aortic function in rats with respect to sex. To test the effects of T2D and sex, UC Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (UCD-T2DM) rat model was used. To study the effects of estrogen, ovariectomized Sprague- Dawley female rats and UCD-T2DM rats at pre-diabetic stage were used and the rats were implanted subcutaneously either with placebo or 17 β-estradiol pellets (60 days release, 1.5mg/pellets). The plasma analytes for metabolic parameters and …

Improving Teacher Retention By Addressing Teachers' Compassion Fatigue, Jacquelyn Ollison

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

California is experiencing a massive teacher shortage, and urban schools are disproportionately affected by it negatively. Retention efforts to date have not included strategies to address Compassion Fatigue (burnout and secondary trauma) teachers experience when working with traumatized students at urban schools. This dissertation explores whether Compassion Fatigue is an unaddressed reason for teacher attrition at urban schools. A mixed method practical action research approach using the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version Five (ProQOL 5) and qualitative interviews, portions of which were turned into illustrative vignettes drove the exploration. Approximately 114 teachers completed the ProQOL 5. Statistical analysis of …

The Effects Of Design Thinking On Students' Career Self-Efficacy In Career Guidance Courses, Zhongmiao Sun

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The present study focuses on integrating design thinking into career guidance courses to test whether students’ career self-efficacy is increased by comparing the experiment group (by using design thinking method) and the general group (by using traditional teacher-centered method). The basic theoretic framework is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977). Students will achieve career self-efficacy after experiencing repeatedly success (Bandura, 1977) in the career activities through design thinking method. Then students will have more confidence to make more appropriate career choices in their employment environment.

This study used AMOS and path analysis to analyze a just-identified model. The model included five …

Developing Collective Teacher Efficacy In One Urban Low-Income Elementary School: A Case Study, Lori Ann Morgan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, research has shown links between collective teacher efficacy and student achievement. While the benefits of high levels of collective teacher efficacy have been documented, research focused on how it is developed in school serving socio-economically disadvantaged students and the role of principal leadership in that development is lacking, specifically from a qualitative case-study approach This qualitative case-study explored how collective teacher efficacy was developed in an urban neighborhood elementary school serving socio-economically disadvantaged students and how the principal’s leadership influenced that development. This was accomplished through in-depth individual interviews with teachers, support staff, and the …

The Relationship Between The Cefi, As A Measure For Executive Function, And The Basc-3, As A Measure Of Externalizing Behavior, On School Problems For Children Receiving Special Education Services, David Looney

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between executive function and externalizing behaviors within a student population that was assessed for special education services. Executive function was measured by using the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI). Externalizing behaviors and school problems was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3). Four separate structural equation models were produced and analyzed to examine this relationship. The results from this study indicate that there is a significant direct effect from executive function on externalizing behaviors and school problems, such that higher scores in executive function yielded lower externalizing behavior and school problems …

Effects Of Extended Intervention Conditions On Levels Of Physical Activity Exhibited By Young Children, Ingunn Kristjansdottir Oveny

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity is an important health-related behavior, and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) daily (CDC, 2015). However, worldwide, many children do not reach those requirements and health problems associated with physical inactivity are becoming more prevalent (CDC, 2015; World Health Organization [WHO], 2016). Recently, a few studies have conducted an intervention analysis to evaluate implications for function-based interventions to increase physical activity (Larson, Normand, Morley, & Miller, 2014; Zerger, Normand, Boga, & Patel, 2016). However, intervention analyses, indicate an overall decrease in levels of …

Transcriptome Analysis For Novel Peptide In Breeding Gland Of Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Minjin Ko

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of the project was to find nucleotide sequences potentially encoding a pheromone from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri. The reasons in searching for the sequence of a pheromone were to better understand the organism and to use the information for application in reproduction of other species. Due to climate change and rampant deforestation, such as in Africa’s Congo Basin, many amphibian species are being threatened. With these increasing threats, a viable option for the future may be breeding in captivity for the amphibian species. Pheromone characterization from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri may help with …

Educational Success Of Low-Income And First Generation College Students In Private Colleges Of China, Yinghui Chen

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In China, low-income and first generation college students in private institutions are faced with adversities which undermine their educational outcome. Since the previous researches are mainly deficit-focused, the researcher conducted an investigation which put emphasis on the students’ successful educational outcome in order to round out the knowledge of this problem. The researcher employed a qualitative multiple case study to explore how three students accomplished educational resilience despite their hardships. The researcher findings suggested that: 1) Internal locus of control, career and academic planning, financial aids, job-related experience, and rational occupational aspiration contribute to students’ educational success; 2) The primary …

Student Perceptions Of The Clip Chart Management System, Karin D. Compise

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Six children between the ages of seven and eleven and their parents were interviewed to gather perceptions of the Clip Chart Management System. The Clip Chart system is a behavior system used in many primary classrooms where teachers move students’ clothespins up and down a chart in response to students’ behavior. Some findings from this qualitative case study are: students experienced feelings of shame and embarrassment, students compared their clips to their peers’ clips, and students labeled other students as “bad.” Some parents appreciated the consistency of behavior monitoring, but other parents felt that the system was ineffective and contributed …

The Impact Of Social And Cognitive Variables On Communication Competence, Griffin Cheek

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

College students are increasingly engaged in watching online videos and using social media. Therefore, researchers should attempt to better understand how these variables as well as other social and cognitive variables, affect the communication competence of students. The researcher administered a questionnaire to 392 college students from a private medium-sized West Coast university using various modified scales examining student-to-student confirmation, social support through social media, online video viewing, self-esteem, personal reports of public speaking anxiety, and communication competence. Student-to-student confirmation and online video viewing were measured using new sets of scales developed by the researcher. The data from the surveys …

Poison Ivy's Green Screen Debut: A Rhetorical Criticism On Erasing Identity On Screen, Jennifer Baney

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates the loss of power on screen for female comic book characters. Specifically, I investigate how scenes create narratives using heteronormativity and over-sexualization of female characters. The artifact of analysis included in this project is Batman and Robin (1997). This text focuses on Poison Ivy, including the background of the character before dissecting her role in the film. Turning to Sonja J. Foss (2009) and her feminist critique as a guide to understanding the implications of this research. Using feminist criticism, I argue that Poison Ivy was put in a lesser position, removed of her power, and was …

An Evaluation Of Individual And Group Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Members Of Greek Letter Organizations To Free-Pour Standards Of Alcohol, Meagan Anne Strickland

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

College students engage in high levels of excessive drinking and certain subpopulations of college students, such as members of Greek Letter Organizations (GLOs) report higher levels of excessive alcohol consumptions. Those who report less excessive drinking also report counting their drinks and setting drink limits. However, the effectiveness of these strategies may be improved by the ability to accurately identify and pour standard servings of alcohol, an area in which college students’ knowledge is generally quite poor. Although individual behavioral skills training (BST) has been used to teach college students to accurately pour beer (Hankla et al., 2017), little is …

The Effects Of Mindfulness Practice With Music Listening On Working Memory, Emily Irene Messick

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate mindfulness strategies and their influence on working memory. The potential role of music in facilitating mindfulness practice is explored. Various listening exercises were investigated along with their influence on working memory (i.e. attention control). Thirty-four individuals were randomly assigned to participate in one of four listening groups: 1) mindfulness with music, 2) mindfulness without music, 3) music only, and 4) silence. Thirty-four participants engaged in a computerized digit-span task before and after the listening exercise to assess pre- and post-test working memory performance. Thirty participants were included in data-analysis due to …

Oral Health Care: An Autoethnography Reflecting On Dentistry's Collective Neglect And Changes In Professional Education Resulting In The Dental Hygienist Being The Prevention-Focused Primary Oral Health Care Provider, Maureen Patricia Mcweeney Harrington

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Many factors influence poor oral health among disadvantaged populations including socioeconomic circumstances, knowledge of disease prevention strategies and ability to implement those strategies, public policies, insurance status, insurance policies, dental providers and other challenges to accessing dental care. Often these issues converge and result in early disadvantages to achieving good oral health (Horton & Barker, 2010). Addressing even some of the factors that contribute to poor oral health may provide ways to change the dental health status of historically underserved populations. The purpose of this research is to explore my role as a practitioner and researcher in the creation of …

How A Small Business Negotiates Digital Inclusion Of People With Disabilities: A Case Study, Belo Miguel Cipriani

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Technology has provided more people access products and services, yet some individuals who would benefit the most from digital access to resources are frequently excluded from participation. One group that is largely neglected is the disability community. Despite federal regulations intended to ensure that people with physical/mental disabilities are included in public digital platforms, organizations continuously design websites, applications, and interfaces without people with disabilities in mind. This is particularly the case with small businesses, which are most commonly reported as having inaccessible digital platforms.

Digital inclusion attempts to ensure equity in digital properties by providing a model to operationalize …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Relation To Perceived English Proficiency And Teaching Practices: An Investigation Of Chinese Primary English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Teachers, Yun Zhang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Research on self-efficacy has been a productive field and abundant research has shown that teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs influence teachers’ actions and performances and thus affect students’ learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of literature on EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and even less research was set in Chinese EFL contexts. On the one hand, this study was conducted to provide a general picture of the current status of EFL teachers’ perceived English proficiency, self-rated self-efficacy beliefs and self-reported teaching practices in terms of some demographic perspectives; On the other hand, it aimed to explore the correlations among Chinese primary EFL …

Exploring Leadership Identity Development Of Chinese Generation Z Student Leaders, Juan Mille Xu

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This is a phenomenological study exploring leadership identity development of Chinese generation Z student leaders by referring to Leadership Identity Development (LID) theory. There are two research questions. First, in what ways, if any, is the development of Chinese Generation Z student leader’s leadership identity similar to the Leadership Identity Development (LID) by Komives et al. (2005)? Second, in what ways, if any, is the development of Chinese Generation Z student leader’s leadership identity different from Leadership Identity Development (LID) by Komives et al.

The research adopts purposeful sampling and 10 participants were interviewed. Based on the analysis of the …

The Effects Of The Flipped Classroom Model On Students' Learning In A College English Class In Shanghai, China, Xiaoying Wei

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

For many decades, college English teaching in China has been teacher-centered, mainly focusing on the enhancement of students’ four basic English language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with little attention paid to the cultivation of students’ higher order thinking skills (Tang, 2016; Wang, Xu, & Zhou, 2016). The teacher-centered teaching approach has led to the problem that after having learned English for many years, students cannot speak English fluently (Dai, 2001). There has been a call for promoting the student-centered teaching model in China (NACFLT, 2000). One relatively new approach to support student-centered active learning is flipped instruction …

Dialogue During Team Problem Solving Using Visual Representation Boundary Objects: A Case Study, Julie Marie Webb

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Organizations benefit from the knowledge held by individual members as well as knowledge that is shared among those members. In order for knowledge to co-develop between members, and to spread, organizations must provide opportunities for members to collaborate. Organizational teams sometimes require assistance with interpersonal communication, establishing consensus, and sharing knowledge when collaborating. Group facilitators can offer guidance and intervene when teams need support. In addition, teams can find support through the use of visual representation boundary objects (VRBOs) to build trust, improve communication, increase cooperation, and share ideas. This study explores how knowledge is shared between team members and …

The Effects Of Listening To Motivational Music On Performance Of Knee Extension And Flexion In Healthy Adults, Alexander Lesser

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether listening to motivational music prior to performing leg extensions and flexions effected peak torque performance. Participants included 23 adults between the ages 18 and 48 years. Participants engaged in three sets of leg extensions and flexions utilizing a Cybex Humac NORM system following a warm-up period consisting of listening to either researcher-selected music, self-selected music, and in silence. Two one-way ANOVAs comparing participants’ data showed significant results in leg flexions performed following warm-up while listening to self-selected music. Significant results were not achieved for leg extensions yet a similar trend was …

Visual Feedback In Voice Therapy For Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Rachel Brooke Convey

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson ’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects one’s movement. As the disease develops, individuals begin to present with symptoms that include but are not limited to bradykinesia, rigidity, tremors, and hypokinetic dysarthria. These symptoms affect a person’s entire body, including his/her voice. The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) program for treating individuals with PD is supported by over twenty-five years of research. It is considered a safe, non-invasive method to improve vocal loudness and speech clarity in individuals with PD. However, simply because LSVT is effective in its current state, it does not mean that the …