Digital Commons Network^™

We Didn’T Know: How A Mid-Career Research Project Taught Us About Disability, Advocacy, And Ourselves, Lee Ann Fullington, Jill Cirasella

Publications and Research

We—Lee Ann and Jill—are mid-career faculty librarians at different campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY), and we are both hard of hearing. Lee Ann has bilateral hearing loss and uses two hearing aids; Jill has single-sided hearing loss and uses only one. However, even with hearing aids, which do not restore normal hearing, our hearing loss complicates our lives at work and in the broader world. This chapter describes how we found community in each other, how our conversations about hearing loss led to a mid-career research collaboration, and how that collaboration launched us into a larger …

Staging A Musical Self Through Paper, Canvas, And The Screen: A Taxonomy Of Musicians’ Self-Portraits From The Renaissance To The Digital Age, Antoni Pizà

Publications and Research

Abstract:

Musicians have engaged in visual self-representation at least since the Renaissance and have continued the tradition to modern times with contemporary practices including selfies and generative technology and AI art. The practitioners include so-called classical composers (Schoenberg is a well-known case) and performers (Caruso, for instance), but also pop singers and musicians (Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith, among others). The media used varies from oil on canvas to drawings on paper, from traditional photography to digital media. In some instances, there are grave, pompous self-representations, but caricatures also abound (e.g., Donizetti). There are also some miscategorized self-portraits (i.e., portraits …

Feeling Analogue: Using Modular Synthesizers, Designing Synthesis Communities, Eliot Bates

Publications and Research

When Harald Bode nominally invented the modular synthesiser in 1960, it was not yet clear whether it was a musical instrument or a less-defined form of studio-sited audio technology (Subotnik 1970). Much of the technology, from the interface design to the specific parts, was shared with nonmusical test and measurement equipment. Sixty years later, hardware modular synthesis is used not just for musical creation but for noise, sound art and data sonification/visualization. Through an ethnographic study of the design and use of the Eurorack modular synthesis format, and of modular synthesis maker and user communities spread through North America, Europe …

Inclusive Random Sampling In Graphs And Networks, Yitzchak Novick, Amotz Bar-Noy

Publications and Research

It is often of interest to sample vertices from a graph with a bias towards higher-degree vertices. One well-known method, which we call random neighbor or RN, involves taking a vertex at random and exchanging it for one of its neighbors. Loosely inspired by the friendship paradox, the method is predicated on the fact that the expected degree of the neighbor is greater than or equal to the expected degree of the initial vertex. Another method that is actually perfectly analogous to the friendship paradox is random edge, or RE, where an edge is sampled at random, and then one …

Differences Between Monolinguals And Bilinguals In Phonetic And Phonological Learning And The Connection With Auditory Sensory Memory, Laura Spinu, Jiwon Hwang, Mariana Vasilita

Publications and Research

Bilingualism has been linked with improved function regarding certain aspects of linguistic processing, e.g., novel word acquisition and learning unfamiliar sound patterns. Two non mutually-exclusive approaches might explain these results. One is related to executive function, speculating that more effective learning is achieved through actively choosing relevant information while inhibiting potentially interfering information. While still controversial, executive function enhancements attributed to bilingual experience have been reported for decades. The other approach, understudied to date, emphasizes the role of sensory mechanisms, specifically auditory sensory memory. Bilinguals outperformed monolinguals in tasks involving auditory processing and episodic memory recall, but the questions whether …

Fabrication And Errors In The Bibliographic Citations Generated By Chatgpt, William H. Walters, Esther Isabelle Wilder

Publications and Research

Although chatbots such as ChatGPT can facilitate cost-effective text generation and editing, factually incorrect responses (hallucinations) limit their utility. This study evaluates one particular type of hallucination: fabricated bibliographic citations that do not represent actual scholarly works. We used ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 to produce short literature reviews on 42 multidisciplinary topics, compiling data on the 636 bibliographic citations (references) found in the 84 papers. We then searched multiple databases and websites to determine the prevalence of fabricated citations, to identify errors in the citations to non-fabricated papers, and to evaluate adherence to APA citation format. Within this set of documents, …

The Vertical Transfer Pipeline And Its Leaks: Tracking Students From Associate’S Programs To Bachelor’S Degrees, Kerstin Gentsch, Yoshiko Oka, Sarah Truelsch, A. W. Logue

Publications and Research

This longitudinal study of 17,455 students, the majority from underrepresented groups, investigated leaks in the vertical transfer pipeline from associate’s-degree program entry to bachelor’s-degree receipt. Investigated were both the size of the leaks and some associated variables. Pipeline progress examinations included quantification of early persistence, plus application to, enrollment and persistence in, and graduation from, bachelor’s programs. The examined associated variables included student demographic characteristics and possible pipeline leak malleable factors: academic preparation and performance and financial need. Overall, only 23% of the original cohort received a bachelor’s after eight years. In addition, this study is the first to identify …

Challenges For Successful Transfer From Community To Bachelor’S Colleges: Views Of Staff And Faculty With Transfer Responsibilities, A. W. Logue, Kerstin Gentsch, Yoshiko Oka, David Wutchiett, Stephanie Abbeyquaye

Publications and Research

Staff and faculty have influential roles in the success of students transferring from associate’s- to bachelor’s-degree programs (vertical transfer students). Our survey compared the reported views on transfer of 607 staff and faculty with transfer responsibilities in associate’s or bachelor’s programs at 19 City University of New York colleges. The findings included: (1) Staff reported feeling more confident in their responsibilities than did faculty. (2) Participants working with associate’s-degree students were more likely to report their colleges had sufficient transfer-service resources. (3) Associate’s-degree faculty were the least likely participant group to respond that the biggest barrier to the transfer process …

Similar Overall Expression, But Different Profiles, Of Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Mental Health Between Young Adult Males And Females, Garrett Cardon

Faculty Publications

Recent trends suggest that autism is more common in females than traditionally held. Additionally, some argue that females express autistic traits differently than males. Dimensional views of autism could shed light on these issues, especially with regards to understudied behavioral areas, such as sensory processing. We examined autistic traits, sensory processing, anxiety, and related behaviors in a large sample of neurotypical young adult males and females (n = 1122; 556 female; ages 19–26). Participants completed an online survey containing questionnaires related to the above. Between groups statistical analyses, as well as within groups correlations and mediation analyses containing these constructs …

Similar Overall Expression, But Different Profiles, Of Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Mental Health Between Young Adult Males And Females, Garrett Cardon, Miranda Mcquarrie, Savanah Calton, Terisa P. Gabrielsen

Faculty Publications

Recent trends suggest that autism is more common in females than traditionally held. Additionally, some argue that females express autistic traits differently than males. Dimensional views of autism could shed light on these issues, especially with regards to understudied behavioral areas, such as sensory processing. We examined autistic traits, sensory processing, anxiety, and related behaviors in a large sample of neurotypical young adult males and females (n = 1122; 556 female; ages 19–26). Participants completed an online survey containing questionnaires related to the above. Between groups statistical analyses, as well as within groups correlations and mediation analyses containing these constructs …

Perceptual Ratings Of Pronunciation For L2 Learners Of English As A Function Of Task Type, Word Position, And Listener Expertise, Shawn L. Nissen, Rachel Kemmey, K. James Hartshorn

Faculty Publications

Abstract Second language (L2) learners of English must learn to pro-duce English phonemes, words, and sentences. These L2learners make many errors when learning English; they may change the place or manner of articulation, insert vowels, or delete consonants. Obstruent sounds, such as fricatives, affricates, and stops, can be especially difficult for L2 learners. This study analyzed native English speakers’ perception of the quality of obstruents produced by native Mandarin Chinese and Korean speakers. Target words containing obstruents had been produced in three different tasks: in a carrier phrase, in a paragraph, and in a spontaneous speechsample. Obstruents were produced in …

Teaching Non-Native Sound Contrasts Using Visual Biofeedback, Shawn L. Nissen

Faculty Publications

This demonstration will explain how non-native sound contrasts can be taught to second language (L2) learners using real-time visual biofeedback through an electropalatographic (EPG) sensor. How the EPG sensor is created from a dental mold and is subsequently produced will be shown during the presentation. An explanation of how a student can visualize the contact patterns of their speech and how a tutor might use the various features of the associated software to customize the instruction to an individual speaker will be illustrated during the presentation. Possible limitations, costs, and drawbacks to using the technology will also be discussed.

Corticosteroid-Laba Inhalers Increase Phonation Threshold Pressure (Ptp) And Flow (Ptf) In Rabbits, Christopher Dromey, Kristine Tanner, Heidi J. Robison, Maya Elena Stevens, Ray M. Merrill, Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer, Ben Christensen

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study examined the effects of a combination corticosteroid plus long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist inhaler (IC) on rabbit phonation. Methods: White New Zealand male rabbits were assigned randomly to experimental and control groups (n = 11 per group). The experimental group received twice-daily doses of Advair HFA™ (fluticasone propionate 45 mcg and salmeterol 21 mcg) via a veterinary facemask with 1-way valve and spacer; the control group received aerosolized saline. After 8 weeks, animals were euthanized, larynges excised, frozen, and subsequently thawed and mounted on a standard bench apparatus. Phonation was elicited during 15 successive trials, and phonation threshold pressure …

Resistant Traditions Of The Rio Grande Valley, Aztlan, Raul Garza, Gricelda Eufracio, James C. Jupp

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Our pedagogical essay emerges from three members of the Aztlan Study Group, a study group dedicated to mutual support in learning, teaching, and research as related to the critical study of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) and, more broadly, Aztlan. Our essay sketches resistant, transnational, and translanguaging traditions of the RGV and conjugates them with our in situ notion of critical curricular-pedagogical praxis. Critical circular pedagogical praxis, by definition, refers to critical pedagogy specifically elaborated within specific bioregions and leveraged towards collective conscientization. In our conclusion, we return to our understanding of critical curricular-pedagogical praxis in order to advance the …

2023 Create, Grow, Scale Entrepreneurship Convening: Summary Report, Research Institute For Social Equity At Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Institute for Social Equity

In partnership with Capital One Insights Center, the Research Institute for Social Equity (the Institute) hosted a convening to discuss the ecosystem around Black and Hispanic businesses in Richmond, Virginia. This full-day experience brought together thought leaders, policymakers, practitioners, community influencers, and entrepreneurs from the greater Richmond community to strategize how to translate research into action toward economic outcomes that benefit Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs. This summary paper offers an overview of the sessions and outcomes of this convening.

Human-Centered Design For Strategic Organizational Shifts In Complex Times, Kristen Laviano Snow

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations are faced with unprecedented challenges as they seek to accomplish their lofty missions in a complex environment, ripe with uncertainty. The global COVID-19 pandemic brought forth new problems for communities and workplaces. As a result, some old ways of working may no longer be useful. To make meaningful progress on their social missions while navigating an unfamiliar post-pandemic context, nonprofits need new tools to help them understand and respond to changing community needs. Evidence has shown design thinking to be an effective approach to developing innovative strategies tailored to real needs, however, it has not been widely practiced …

A Qualitative Study On The Financial Education Of Young Black Men, Sue M. May

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Financial literacy awareness is low among young adults, and financial literacy among Black college students is significantly lower than in other groups (Singh, 2018). However, there is little to no research on why financial literacy is so low among young Black men between 18 and 25. Few studies specifically show how financial literacy and decision-making may be related to their family economics and socialization for young Black men. Using Critical Race Theory and Family Financial Socialization theoretical frameworks, this dissertation project examined a sample of seven young self-identified Black men ages 24 to 25 years old in Northern California Bay …

Targeting Ribonucleotide Reductase For Breast Cancer Treatment, Nahid Sultana

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in the world. Hormone receptor (HR) positive breast cancer (BC) is a prevalent disease accounting for approximately 2 million new cases globally. Almost 70-80% of breast cancer patients are women with a positive score for the estrogen receptor (ER). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) which have a negative score for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) is considered an aggressive histological breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options.Frequently, doxorubicin (DOXO)-based chemotherapy is utilized in this patient population due to the lack of …

Evaluation Of Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons In 2d And 3d Cultures For Neurodevelopmental Studies, Epilepsy Disease Modeling And Drug Discovery, Hamed Salmanzadeh-Dozdabi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Human stem cells have revolutionized the study of early neural development, offering a powerful tool to investigate the complex processes involved in the formation of the nervous system. In this study, the human pluripotent stem cell line, TERA2.cl.SP12, was utilized to derive neuroglial cells and to determine their differentiation and functional maturation up to one year in culture; this model was then investigated as a new tool for the study of neurodevelopmental toxicity, for seizure modeling and as a screening method for the investigation of new anticonvulsants. Immunocytochemistry experiments determined that non-differentiated cells expressed the stem cell marker Oct-3/4 and, …

Making Sense Of Big (Kinematic) Data: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Movement Parameters In A Diverse Population, Naomi Wilma Nunis

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine how kinematic, big data can be evaluated using computational, comprehensive analysis of movement parameters in a diverse population.

METHODS

Retrospective data was collected, cleaned, and reviewed for further analysis of biomechanical movement in an active population using 3D collinear resistance loads. The active sample of the population involved in the study ranged from age 7 to 82 years old and respectively identified as active in 13 different sports. Moreover, a series of exercises were conducted by each participant across multiple sessions. Exercises were measured and recorded based on 6 distinct biometric …

The Effect Of A Music Therapy Video In-Service On Staffs' Beliefs About Music Therapy In Behavioral Health, Jesus Javier Garcia

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a short video presentation, about music therapy in behavioral health, had a positive effect on staff members’ beliefs about music therapy in that setting. A total of 26 staff members, from different departments, participated in the study and completed a pre- and post-presentation questionnaire. Responses were analyzed and compared to investigate whether the video had a positive effect on staff members’ beliefs about music therapy in behavioral health. Participant demographics and pre- and post-video questionnaire responses were also analyzed and compared to explore the differential impact of the video by subgroups …

Singing In The Key Of Life, Georgia Braun Mcbride Agerton

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Singing is often used in music therapy sessions. It can provide physiological, psychological, and interpersonal benefits, and music therapists use it to address clinical goals including improved blood oxygenation, emotional expression, and increased interpersonal engagement between clients and their family members. Singing uniquely combines musicality, the body as the instrument, and meaningful words. Furthermore, the voice is a personal instrument, which makes musical engagement accessible to many people. Though singing can provide various benefits, many people experience singing negatively, especially when singing with an exposed voice, i.e., when others can hear their singing voice. Whidden (2015) found that one can …

Social Media: Are You Addicted? Examining The Role Of Social Media Platforms On Life Satisfaction, Personality And Generation, Alexzander Ponce

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The rise of social media has led to an increase in social media use and social media addiction. Research has found that social media addiction is influenced by various factors, and this study looks to examine the relation between social media addiction and users' life satisfaction, personality type and age group; and whether the type of social media platform moderates this relationship. This study dispersed survey questionnaires and conducted an ANCOVA to analyze the results. Results found that life satisfaction and social media addiction are negatively related, but the negative relation is larger for Twitter users. Results also found a …

Check Your Attitude: An Examination Of Companies’ Adversarial Disclosures About Tax Enforcement, Hannah W. Judd, Sean T. Mcguire, Connie D. Weaver, Junwei Xia

Faculty Publications

This study examines companies’ voluntary disclosures of an adversarial stance toward tax enforcement in income tax footnotes, where companies express disagreement with tax authorities or a willingness to litigate unresolved audit issues. We find that larger companies, industry leaders, and companies in industries with high litigation risk are more likely to make adversarial disclosures toward tax enforcement, and companies’ tax planning activities do not solely determine such disclosures. We examine the implications of adversarial disclosures on future tax audit outcomes and find that future settlement outcomes are more unfavorable for companies with such disclosures relative to those without. Finally, our …

Enriching Our Understanding Of Language Change With Vowel Formant Trajectories, Joseph A. Stanley

Faculty Publications

American English vowels are variable in pronunciation

• ban vs. bat, too vs. boo
• feel vs. fill, [bæt] vs. [bæ̞̙ t]

We can categorize these differences:

Shifts:

• I pronounce /u/ fronter than my grandparents do.
• My students pronounce /æ/ as lower and more centralized than I do.

Mergers:

• For me, cot and caught are distinct; for 95% of my students, they’re homophones
• In Utah, feel and fill are often pronounced the same

Language change happens as some variants spread to more and more people.

Does Text Entry Method Make A Difference On Chinese Writing Test Scores?, Dana Scott Bourgerie, Troy L. Cox, Steven L. Riep

Faculty Publications

Should the writing construct be assessed through handwriting or keyboarding? As the only major language entirely without a syllabary or alphabet, the Chinese writing system is unique among modern languages, thus the question of writing proficiency is complicated by character recall. Most of the testing research comparing text entry methods has been conducted in English and has found that keyboarding and handwriting can be used interchangeably. This paper reports the outcome of a study comparing the results of handwritten and typed versions of the Chinese ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT). L2 Chinese students (n=25) with Intermediate to Superior speaking skills …

Barriers And Enablers To K-12 Blended Teaching, Courtney N. Hanny, Karen T. Arnesen, Qi Guo, Jordan Hansen, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

The attributes of post-pandemic blended teaching (BT) will more closely resemble pre-Coronavirus conditions than the outbreak’s emergency remote teaching. Thus, barriers and enablers for teachers transitioning to BT after emergency remote teaching will be similar to those of early BT adopters. K-12 research has identified external and internal barriers and enablers to technology integration but has largely overlooked those of BT. This study involved analyzing 62 interviews of K-12 blended teachers to discover factors that enabled BT, stood as barriers to initial and continued blending efforts, and helped teachers overcome barriers. Teacher-perceived barriers included, among others, costs perceived as outweighing …

Digital Learning Transformation In Higher Education: International Cases Of University Efforts To Evaluate And Improve Blended Teaching Readiness, Charles R. Graham, Ganbat Danaa, Tserenchimed Purevsuren, Adriana Martínez, Cinthia Bittencourt Spricigo, Barbara Maria Camilotti, Tserenkhand Batsukh

Faculty Publications

The global pandemic of 2019 brought heightened awareness to institutions of higher education of the need to engage in a digital transformation that extends beyond university business operations to the pedagogy of the classroom. This paper is a case study that explores three international cases of universities in Colombia, Brazil, and Mongolia that are at different stages along the path of a digital pedagogical transformation. This article tells each story, including (1) what is driving the local need to engage in digital transformation, (2) what the major challenges and barriers are to achieving a transformation, and (3) what efforts are …

Boomer Peak Or Gen X Cliff? From Svs To Lbms In Georgia English, Margaret E. L. Renwick, Joseph A. Stanley, Jon Forrest, Lelia Glass

Faculty Publications

The late twentieth century in the United States marks the decline of regional vowel systems like the Northern Cities Shift and the Southern Vowel Shift, replaced by supralocal systems like the Low-Back-Merger Shift.We chart such change in acoustic data from seven generations of White speakers (n = 135) in the Southeastern state of Georgia. We analyze front vowels affected by both the SVS and LBMS (DRESS, TRAP), plus PRICE and FACE, known respectively to monophthongize and centralize in the SVS, and LBMS-implicated LOT/ THOUGHT. The SVS is most advanced among Georgians born in the mid-twentieth century, particularly in FACE-centralization. In …

Sample Size Matters In Calculating Pillai Scores, Joseph A. Stanley, Betsy Sneller

Faculty Publications

Since their introduction to sociolinguistics by Hay, Warren, and Drager [(2006). J. Phon. (Modell. Sociophon. Var.) 34(4), 458–484], Pillai scores have become a standard metric for quantifying vowel overlap. However, there is no established threshold value for determining whether two vowels are merged, leading to conflicting ad hoc measures. Furthermore, as a parametric measure, Pillai scores are sensitive to sample size. In this paper, we use generated data from a simulated pair of underlyingly merged vowels to demonstrate (1) larger sample sizes yield reliably more accurate Pillai scores, (2) unequal group sizes across the two vowel classes are irrelevant in …