Digital Commons Network^™

Reading Ethics: Modernism, Narrative, Violence, Katie Dyson

Dissertations

Reading Ethics hinges on the relationship between its two central terms, tracing how modernist narrative innovations reimagined reading as an ethical practice. To ask how we read is to return to a core question for the discipline. Building on recent reevaluations of reading methodologies by Rita Felski, Sharon Marcus and Stephen Best, and other scholars, I argue that modernist narrative forms foreground the ethical dynamics between text, reader, and world, asking readers to rethink how we understand the world even as they work to build new ones. Focusing on British and American modernist and meta-modernist fiction from writers such as …

F Plasmids In Escherichia Coli Decrease Permissivity To Coliphage, Cesar Eber Montelongo Hernandez

Dissertations

The urinary tract contains a community of bacteria called the urinary microbiota (urobiota) thatmay be relevant to health; the genomic component of the urobiota is the urinary microbiome (urobiome). Urinary bacteria have been associated with both asymptomatic states and disease conditions, such as urinary tract infection (UTI), overactive bladder (OAB), and urge urinary incontinence (UUI). Some bacteria, such as E. coli, are considered urinary pathogens (uropathogens) but also can be commensals. Bacteriophage (phage) are ubiquitous in nature and likely shape bacterial populations in every niche; thus, phage may be one factor that modulates the urobiota. Phages have a specific host …

Dismantling Tools Of The Incompetent: Exploring Cultural Competence Training In Undergraduate Education Policy And Education Studies Programs, Ashley P. Allen

Dissertations

Cultural competence is described as a set of skills, values, and principles that acknowledge, respect, and work toward optimal interactions between the individual and the various cultural and ethnic groups with which an individual might come into contact. Scholars have been critical of cultural competence training because the three-dimensional approach which is its foundation fails to address institutional and systemic racism. I posit that undergraduate programs should provide training, so graduates are culturally competent entering their respective fields. I examined cultural competence training within education policy and studies undergraduate programs because these graduates will work within education at all levels …

Emancipatory And Controlling: Examining The Negotiation Of Masculinity-Centered Practices By Women's And Gender Equity Center Practitioners, Ashley M. Brown

Dissertations

Initiatives to understand and transform masculinity have increasingly emerged in higher education, calling attention to the consequences of dominant, masculine gender expectations that permeate throughout college campuses. These masculinity-centered practices in higher education encompass formalized, departmental initiatives for students, faculty, and/or staff that examine topics related to masculinity through educational workshops, speaker events, professional development sessions, dialogue spaces, and other efforts. While it is often assumed that these practices support the advancement of gender equity, scholars have theorized the ways in which this work can also lead to depoliticized efforts that may, in fact, reify patriarchal and other systems of …

Cardioprotective Extracellular Vesicles Derived-Micrornas: Sorting Mechanisms And Functions, Anh P. Phan

Dissertations

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-size membrane bound vesicles that are derived from the fusion of multivesicular endosomes with the plasma membranes. EVs have important roles in intercellular communication through the transfer of their unique cargoes including RNA, DNA and protein molecules to recipient cells. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived EVs have been shown to reduce infarct size and reduce the progress of heart failure after cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in animal models. Small non-coding RNAs such as microRNA (miRNA) have been indicated as one of the active components that mediate the beneficial effects of MSC-derived EVs. However, the selective packaging mechanisms …

Identification And Characterization Of Calcium As A Biofilm Promoting Signal By Vibrio Fischeri, Alice Hannah Tischler

Dissertations

The marine bacterium, V. fischeri actively engages in an exclusive partnership in the light organ of its squid host, Euprymna scolopes. A critical step in this colonization process is the formation of a bacterial aggregate, or biofilm, which is a community of bacteria embedded within a protective extracellular matrix. While V. fischeri readily forms biofilms in nature, genetic overexpression must be utilized to achieve biofilm formation in the laboratory. Recent work investigating media composition led myself and others to evaluate how seawater salts impacted growth and biofilm formation in a number of mutant backgrounds, leading to the identification of calcium …

The Effects Of Technological Supervision On Gig Workers: Organizational Control And Motivation Of Uber, Taxi, And Limousine Drivers, Peter Norlander, Nenad Jukic, Arup Varma, Svetlozar Nestorov

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Does supervision from technological platforms alter gig workers’ motivation and perceptions of control? We address this question with two field studies set in the passenger livery (pick up and drop off) industry. A between-subjects field survey (n = 50) finds that UberX drivers perceive significantly greater organizational control compared to taxi drivers, but do not report significantly different levels of intrinsic motivation, needs satisfaction, or enjoyment of work. In a follow-up within-subjects field experiment (n = 79), we identify the causal impact of technological supervision on drivers’ perceptions of control and motivation. Black car limousine drivers who sometimes …

Elementary Principals' And Teachers' Educational Beliefs And Practices In Inclusive Schools, Dawn Hill

Dissertations

This qualitative study will explore the educational beliefs and practices of elementary principals and teachers in inclusive schools. Nine elementary schools in a unit district are the focus of this study given the significant gains made in closing the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. The research questions in this study are as follows: (1) How are principals’ LRE beliefs and practices related to student achievement? (2) How are teachers’ LRE beliefs and practices related to student achievement? The elementary schools included in this study not only narrowed the achievement gap between students with IEPs and …

Deciphering Property Insurers’ Indemnification Obligations After Disasters, Pandemics And Business Interruption Losses: An Analysis Of State Supreme Courts And Federal Circuits’ Declaratory Judgments, Willy E. Rice

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Facebook's "Like" Button Plugin And User Tracking: Stretching Outdated And Ambiguous Laws To Protect User Privacy, David Brokaw

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Manhattan Community Access Corp. V. Halleck:Taking The Public Out Of Public Access, James A. Hamilton

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Folding Methodology For Flexible Aircraft Interiors, Aditya Venkatesh, Fengfeng (Jeff) Xi, Joon Chung

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This paper establishes a general furniture folding methodology that is aimed at flexible aircraft cabin interiors. This methodology will allow users to modify existing furniture pieces to their liking and thereby customizing their overall travel experience. The folding methodology also includes a process to quantify the transformation of the furniture pieces. This paper also introduces two design concepts called Open-on-Demand and Reconfiguration to allow passengers to modify an otherwise rigid cabin. The advantages of the multi-functional space saving furniture pieces are also illustrated in this paper. While the general folding methodology was developed for aircraft interiors, it can be adapted …

Aviation Culture: A ‘Glass Sky’ For Women Pilots - Literature Review, Ivana Gorlin, Donna Bridges

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This paper reports on a review of literature covering gender issues in aviation. It considers the impacts of aviation culture on women pilots. The focus of the review was on empirical studies over a 25-year period (1996-2020). Two research questions underpin the review; firstly, we investigated how aviation culture impacts women pilots’ experiences, secondly, we considered its effect on women as pilots. Using a hermeneutic methodological framework, we found that cultural attitudes towards women pilots in the aviation industry are biased and discriminatory. The studies in the review overwhelming concur that the hegemonic masculine culture that dominates aviation significantly diminishes …

Pilot Visual Detection Of Small Unmanned Aircraft On Final Approach During Nighttime Conditions, Jon M. Loffi, Ryan J. Wallace, Samuel M. Vance, Jamey Jacob, Jared C. Dunlap, Taylor A. Mitchell, Dane C. Johnson

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In December 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the release of a new final rule, permitting operators of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) to perform routine night operations. Public comments to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking indicated potential safety concerns regarding a pilot’s ability to spot a low-altitude sUAS during nighttime conditions. Leveraging data from the FAA’s UAS Sighting Report Database, the research team evaluated the significance of aircraft encounters with UAS at night. Researchers conducted an inflight experiment in which 10 pilots performed an instrument approach to airport during nighttime conditions in which a multi-rotor sUAS presented a …

‘Whether The Elves Are Watching Or Not’. Listening To Teachers’ Experiences Regarding Surveillance Technologies In Schools., Martin Edward Edmonds

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

Abstract Surveillance technologies have become a normalised aspect of the workplace, and daily life, in England. This is particularly true in schools, where CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) is commonplace, and an audit culture well established. This study explores how teachers feel the atmosphere and culture of a school is influenced by technologized surveillance tools. Three interrelated questions were explored; what effect do surveillance technologies in schools have upon relationships between colleagues and students? What is lost by the application of such surveillance technologies in schools? How can Ivan Illich’s work show us a way to respond? To explore these questions, …

The ‘Justice Files’ Film Project: A Brief Account, Hugo De Rijke

Plymouth Law Review

No abstract provided.

Turning Participation Into Power: A Water Justice Case Study, Jaime Alison Lee

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Unaccompanied Youth In Our Public Schools And Our Opportunity To Lead For Emancipatory Practices (Jóvenes No Acompañados En Nuestras Escuelas Públicas Y Nuestra Oportunidad Para Liderar Prácticas Emancipatorias), Leyda W. Garcia

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Unaccompanied youth are migrant children who travel by themselves to the United States, mostly from Central America and Mexico. Since 2014, more than 200,000 unaccompanied youth have entered the United States, with approximately 28,000 residing in Los Angeles, California (U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP], CBP 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021a, 2021b). Hundreds of these young migrants have enrolled in public schools (Pierce, 2016). Schools seek adequate and effective ways to support these students’ complex needs and aspirations. Within the body of research about this sub-group of immigrants there is a significant absence of the voices of unaccompanied youth themselves, which …

Building An Ignatian Ummah: The Experience Of Muslim International Students At An American Jesuit University, Csilla V. Samay

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, over a million international students enrolled at universities in the United States. A significant percent come from Muslim-majority countries whose governments sponsor their education abroad. As overall international enrollments decrease, recruiting this population remains attractive to U.S. institutions. International students face the challenge of entering higher education in a foreign country and culture, navigating their education during a time of political battles over immigration and issues of diversity. Muslim students face prejudice and exclusion due to Islamophobia in the U.S. Universities have a responsibility to understand and fully support students from whom they benefit financially.

This study examined …

African American Superintendent Perceptions And Experiences With The Recruitment, Selection And Promotion Process, Dennis Perry

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The underrepresentation of African Americans in the superintendency and lack of equitable access to the superintendency in K-12 public school districts across the United States is a problem of significant concern. This qualitative study explores the perceptions of 17 African American superintendents with the recruitment, selection, and promotion process to the superintendency while examining how the role of race, racism, sexism, and discrimination contribute to the underrepresentation of African American superintendents. The career and employment experiences of African American superintendents via semi-structured interviews is how this study extrapolates data to answer the research question. Thematic analysis based on narrative inquiry …

Different Ways Of Knowing And Growing: A Case Study Of An Arts-Integrated Pedagogy At An Urban Elementary Charter School, Amarpal Khanna

LMU Theses and Dissertations

An arts equity gap exists in K–12 grade education. African American and Latinx students have fewer opportunities for access to arts education than do White students. In California, charter schools have an opportunity to address the equity gap for students in those demographic groups. The goal of this qualitative case study was to observe how Kahlo Charter Elementary School, an urban charter elementary school in Los Angeles County, implemented an arts integrated curriculum and to identify benefits and challenges for fourth and fifth grade students of color enrolled at the school. Aesthetic learning (Bose, 2008; Denaway, 2013; Greene, 1978, 1995, …

A Decade Of Gomri Dispersant Science: Lessons Learned And Recommendations For The Future, Antonietta Quigg, John W. Farrington, Sherryl Gilbert, Steven A. Murawski, Vijay T. John

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Dispersants are among a number of options available to oil spill responders. The goals of this technique are to remove oil from surface waters in order to reduce exposure of surface-dwelling organisms, to keep oil slicks from impacting sensitive shorelines, and to protect responders from volatile organic compounds. During the Deepwater Horizon response, unprecedented volumes of dispersants (Corexit 9500 and 9527) were both sprayed on surface slicks from airplanes and applied directly at the wellhead (~1,500 m water depth). A decade of research followed, leading to a deeper understanding of dispersant effectiveness, fate, and effects. These studies resulted in new …

Perspectives On Cyber Security For Offshore Oil And Gas Assets, Iosif Progoulakis, Nikitas Nikitakos, Paul Rohmeyer, Barry Bunin, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Stavros Karamperidis

Articles

In an ever-evolving technological industry, the oil and gas sector is already moving forward through the adaptation of Industry 4.0 and the adaptation of advanced cyber technologies through Oil and Gas 4.0. As IT/OT (information technology/operational technology) systems are evolving technologically, so are the cyber security threats faced by the offshore oil and gas assets. This paper aims to raise the awareness of cyber security threats and the organizational and technical measures that need to be adopted by the oil and gas industry for remote and complex assets in the upstream sector. A comprehensive literature review covering the areas of …

Perspectives On Cyber Security For Offshore Oil And Gas Assets, Iosif Progoulakis, Nikitas Nikitakos, Paul Rohmeyer, Barry Bunin, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Stavros Karamperidis

Articles

In an ever-evolving technological industry, the oil and gas sector is already moving forward through the adaptation of Industry 4.0 and the adaptation of advanced cyber technologies through Oil and Gas 4.0. As IT/OT (information technology/operational technology) systems are evolving technologically, so are the cyber security threats faced by the offshore oil and gas assets. This paper aims to raise the awareness of cyber security threats and the organizational and technical measures that need to be adopted by the oil and gas industry for remote and complex assets in the upstream sector. A comprehensive literature review covering the areas of …

The Northwest Passage In The Arctic : A Brief Assessment Of The Relevant Marine Transportation System And Current Availability Of Search And Rescue Services, Rebecca Sheehan, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Anastasia Christodoulou, Megan Drewniak, Peter Raneri, Angelos Dalaklis

Articles

No abstract provided.

Cr Cybermar As A Solution Path Towards Cybersecurity Soundness In Maritime Logistics Domain, Monica Canepa, Fabio Ballini, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Seyedvahid Vakili, Luis Miguel Colmenares Hernandez

Articles

Cybersecurity is now considered as one of the main challenges for the maritime sector. At the same time, the maritime transport industry remains one of the most relevant and driving sectors for the global economy in terms of both the number and operations of active companies, and infrastructure and investments, thanks to the policies pushed to attract the latter. Maritime information systems, whether on board ships or in ports, are numerous, built with standard components available on the market and in many cases designed without factoring in well the ever-growing cyber risk. Digital infrastructure has become essential in operating and …

Repercussions Of A Weak Ocean Governance And A Non-Existent Maritime Security Policy : The Resurgence Of Piracy And Armed Robbery In The Gulf Of Mexico, Adriana Avila-Zúñiga Nordfjeld, Dimitrios Dalaklis

Articles

Piracy and armed robbery attacks against vessels at anchoring areas of ports in the Southern Gulf of Mexico and oil platforms located in the region have increased significantly during the last three years. Only during the first seven months of 2020, research efforts have documented 14 piratical attacks, but only 3 of them were officially reported to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) by the attacked vessel’s flag jurisdiction and not by Mexico, the State where these incidents occurred.

Maritime Robotics And Autonomous Systems Operations : Exploring Pathways For Overcoming International Techno-Regulatory Data Barriers, Tafsir Martin Johansson, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Aspasia Pastra

Articles

The current regulatory landscape that applies to maritime service robotics, aptly termed as robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), is quite complex. When it comes to patents, there are multifarious considerations in relation to vessel survey, inspection, and maintenance processes under national and international law. Adherence is challenging, given that the traditional delivery methods are viewed as unsafe, strenuous, and laborious. Service robotics, namely micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) or drones, magnetic-wheeled crawlers (crawlers), and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), function by relying on the architecture of the Internet of Robotic Things. The aforementioned are being introduced as time-saving apparatuses, accompanied by the …

From Cancer Stem Cells To Brain Tumour Formation: The Role Of Heatr1 And Ribosome Biogenesis, Laura Rodríguez Díaz

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Brain tumours are initiated by neoplastic transformation of brain cells followed by uncontrolled proliferation, and are driven by genetic mutations. Despite years of study towards increasing our understanding of their origin and development, the high recurrence rate and poor prognosis of brain tumours in general, and specially of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive type, highlight the need for more efficient therapeutic approaches. According to the Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) hypothesis, tumour initiation and relapse might be caused by a subpopulation of cells with stem cell characteristics. Loss of the Drosophila melanogaster tumour suppressor Brat or its human orthologue, TRIM3, …

The Control Of Safeguarding Children Social Work: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Interaction Between Managerial And Professional Control In A Social Policy Context, Julie Brown

Other Faculty of Health Theses

While central government guidance has standardised children’s social work processes, social work practice remains fundamentally the application of professional knowledge in complex and unpredictable situations. Existing empirical studies have prioritised the perspective of social workers and their frustration with the changes imposed on them by central government and local management and have neglected the view of management. This mixed methods study includes content analysis of official guidance and an analysis of interviews with local authority managers and social workers. This evidence reveals both the roles and attitudes towards control, of policy makers, managers and practitioners in their exercise of control …