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Built On Dignity, Backed By Love: A Mixed Methods Study And Curriculum Grounded In Black Caregivers’ Racial Socialization To Cultivate Youth Agency, Heather Watson

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how low-income Black youth and their caregivers experience, interpret, and respond to racial discrimination, with a focus on the development of youths’ dignity as a culturally grounded resilience process. Using a mixed-methods, community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, the study addresses three central aims: (1) to identify the forms of discrimination youth and caregivers encounter and their relationship to racial stress and resilience; (2) to define dignity from the perspectives of youth and caregivers; and (3) to identify caregiver-youth conversations that cultivate dignity and inform the development of the Dignity Development Curriculum (DDC). Data were collected through semi-structured …

Vital Environs: Ecologies Of Modernism And The Nature Tradition, Danielle Nasenbeny

Dissertations

Vital Environs: Ecologies of Modernism and the Nature Tradition is an investigation of late nineteenth and early twentieth century British literature that explores the space between the individual and the external world. The project begins by exploring the “mind-body problem,” which is a topic in philosophy that recognizes the difficulty in understanding how the mind emerges from physical matter. While this topic has been in discussion since at least Descartes, science is still making crucial discoveries that challenge our understanding of this connection. I argue that the environmental crisis we find ourselves in today is a mind-body problem of global …

Developing A Multimodal Approach To Channel Characterization On Youtube, Shadi Shajari

Theses and Dissertations

YouTube has become a dominant arena for global information sharing, where creators and audiences interact through content, comments, and engagement dynamics. Understanding how these interactions shape a channel’s identity requires a comprehensive characterization of both audience behavior and content structure. This dissertation develops a unified framework for characterizing YouTube channels through multimodal analysis that integrates behavioral modeling, dimensionality reduction, clustering, and content-based characterization to provide a holistic view of audience and editorial patterns. The framework begins by analyzing the structural relationships within co-commenter networks, where users who repeatedly comment on the same videos are connected to capture patterns of interaction …

Film Review Of K-Pop Demon Hunters, Emily Stier Adler, Emily Farmer

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Familism In The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Sleep In Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos (Hchs/Sol), Tetyana Krutsik

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Hispanic/Latino individuals in the U.S. face sleep health disparities, reporting higher rates of short sleep duration and fragmented sleep compared to non-Hispanic white individuals. While Hispanic/Latino immigrants initially report better sleep health than their U.S.-born counterparts, prolonged residence in the U.S. is associated with worsening sleep, possibly due to acculturative stress. Ethnic identity and familism are cultural factors that have been correlated with positive health outcomes, even mitigating the adverse effects of acculturative stress and discrimination. However, little is known about the associations between these cultural factors and sleep health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the effect of ethnic …

Sissies At The Cafeteria Table: Toward A Queer Black-Town Sense Of Place, Education And Life, Ezekiel Joubert Iii

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Contemporary research has shown rural communities to be places with diverse identities and ideologies, disrupting much of the mainstream images of rural spaces as isolated, White, monocultural, and conservative. However, the persistent tendency to imagine racial inequality and queer life as urban contributes to the invisibility of intersectional struggle. Drawing from Critical Pedagogy, Black geographies, Black Queer Studies, and Mobility Studies, this study examines the collective educational experience and storytelling of Black rural queers in a Metro-Rural community in the Upper Midwest. Using an autogeographic approach, building from auto-ethnography and archival praxis reveal how the spatial structures that reproduce educational …

Reading About Gender Identity In A Rural Community: Discourse Around Young Adult Literature And Social Justice, Ashley S. Boyd, Rachael R. Wolney

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This study explores how a rural adult book club engaged with gender identity through young adult literature (YAL), focusing on Mason Deaver’s I Wish You All the Best. Facilitated by two teacher educators, the club brought together local residents and a guest speaker from a regional support organization to discuss gender, pronouns, and the experiences of nonbinary youth. Using critical discourse analysis and thematic coding, the authors examine how participants, cisgender adults, navigated unfamiliar concepts, reflected on their own beliefs, and considered implications for their personal and professional lives. Findings highlight the power of YAL to serve as a …

Queer Kids In The Country: Challenges, Resources, And Queer Cultural Capital Of Rural Lgbtqia+ Youth, Michelle L. Page

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of rural youth who identify as LGBTQIA+. Both rural young people and LGBTQIA+ youth are less likely to pursue higher education and more likely to report negative experiences in their schools and communities. Rural LGBTQIA+ youth face different challenges than do urban and suburban queer youth; therefore, different resources and strategies must be unveiled, developed, and employed in an effort to support rural LGBTQIA+ young people. This study explicates the challenges and assets of rural queer youth, finding that such young people continue to experience challenges in their schools and communities, particularly around identity …

“I’Ve Already Invested So Much Time, Effort, And Money Into This, So I Stay For Me”: A Case Study Of Paulina A First-Generation Trans Latina Rural Community College Student, Ángel De Jesus Gonzalez

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

While research continues to emerge on queer and/or trans (QT) experiences in higher-education, a paucity remains on the nuanced realities of those who exist at the intersections of identities, institutional, and regional contexts. Guided by jotería identity-and-consciousness, this intrinsic case study focuses on Paulina, a first-generation trans Latina rural community college student via queer pláticas. She informs ways that trans Latina students in rural community colleges exists and resists hostile ecological educational environments and in doing so generate queer futurities of rurality. Paulina’s jota-historia disrupts notions of QTs communities presence in rural spaces, rural spaces as synonymous with white, …

Rotating Along The Borderlands: Contextualizing Border Rurality Among Queer Transfronterizxs College Students, Carlos A. Fitch

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Queer Transfronterizx students at rural higher education institutions experience an array of systemic and racialized inequities related to Queerphobia, residential nativism, and immigration challenges. Through a Critical Race Feminista Methodology (CRFM), seven Queer Transfronterizx college students engaged in testimonios and a Queer plática to shed light into the navigation of their rural higher education contexts and lived experiences. The findings note the collaborators’ experience of (1) endangered educational oases, (2) the dual identity isolation pertaining to Queer and Latinx belongings, (3) transborder hypervigilance emerged from border- crossings practices, and (4) a rural border flexibility that provides Queer privileges. Recommendations for …

A Trans Youth’S Encounters With Queerness In Puerto Rico, Gabriel T. Acevedo

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This article explores the lived experiences of Pedro, a transgender youth from rural Puerto Rico, to examine how queer and trans identities are negotiated within contexts shaped by colonialism, Catholic traditions, machismo, and rural community life. Drawing on queer theory, Latinx studies, rural education research, and narrative inquiry, the study highlights Pedro’s voice through interviews, self-narratives, and reflections, positioning youth as knowledge creators rather than passive subjects. Findings reveal three interconnected themes: (1) the importance of educational relationships in fostering belonging and dialogue, (2) the disruption of normative expectations around adolescence, queerness, and urban migration, and (3) the expression of …

Performance Analysis Of Fuzzy-Pid Control For Single-Phase Interior Permanent Magnet Motors, Ogholo Michael, Akinloye Benjamin, Enivweru Edewor

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

This study presents an advanced performance analysis of a fuzzy-PID controller for Single-Phase Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motors using MATLAB/Simulink simulations. The fuzzy-PID controller dynamically adjusts its gains in real time via fuzzy logic, enhancing speed regulation and disturbance rejection while addressing the motor’s inherent nonlinearities and saliency effects. Performance comparisons with a conventional fixed-gain PID controller reveal that the fuzzy-PID achieves a 42% faster rise time, 68% lower overshoot, and reduced steady-state error (<0.8 rpm vs. ∼5.2 rpm for PID). Under ramp and sinusoidal inputs, the fuzzy-PID maintains lower tracking errors (∼7.5 rpm vs. ∼26 rpm for PID) and minimal phase lag (7° vs. 22° for PID). Robustness tests demonstrate superior disturbance rejection and faster recovery from load variations. The results confirm that fuzzy-PID control significantly improves transient response, accuracy, and adaptability for single-phase IPM motor drives, making it suitable for high-performance applications.

Intelligent Control Strategies For Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors: A Review, Ghufran Saad Mohammed, Mohammed Obaid Mustafa

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) have been widely employed in numerous applications, on account of their high efficiency, compact structure, and high-performance torque control. Nevertheless, the dynamic and uncertain control PMSMs under the action of system perturbation and variation is a difficult problem in the field of traditional control law by using Proportional Integral Derivative controller (PID),Field oriented control (FOC) and Direct Torque Control (DTC) etc. In this article, we offer a critical survey of intelligent control methods such as Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Genetic Algorithms (GAs), Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) and discuss their advantages in accommodating …

Cognitive Dysfunction In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation During Midlife: The Lassi-L Reveals Curvilinear Cgg-Dependent Risk Buffered By College Education, Jessica Klusek, Jillian Gierman, Amanda Fairchild, Andreana M. Benitez, Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, Marsha R. Mailick

Faculty Publications

Background

The FMR1premutation (FXPM) is a common genetic variant (∼1:151 females) linked to increased risk for neurodegenerative disease. Midlife cognitive phenotypes remain poorly defined.

Objective

To characterize episodic memory performance in midlife FXPM women and examine potential risk moderation via genetic (i.e., FMR1CGG repeat expansion size) and environmental (i.e., college degree attainment) influences.

Methods

Eighty-eight FXPM women and 84 matched controls, aged 30–55, completed the Loewenstein-Acevedo Scales for Semantic Interference and Learning (LASSI-L), a measure of specific episodic memory processes sensitive to subtle Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cognitive and neuropathological changes.

Results

FXPM women demonstrated deficits in proactive semantic …

Tolkien And The Mystery Of Literary Creation (2025), By Giuseppe Pezzini, Mitchell Kooh

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Mitchell Kooh, of Tolkien and the Mystery of Literary Creation (2025) by Giuseppe Pezzini

Humanizing Online Learning Through Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Preserving Cultural Identity And Human Connection In Digital Spaces, Michael Mills

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

The rapid shift to online and hybrid learning environments has highlighted the need for culturally responsive pedagogical approaches in digital spaces. While much research has explored culturally responsive teaching in traditional classrooms, less attention has been paid to how these principles can be effectively translated to online learning environments. This article examines how culturally responsive pedagogy can be meaningfully integrated into online learning spaces through intentional course design, assessment practices, and community building. Drawing from existing literature on culturally responsive teaching, online learning, and digital equity, this paper provides a framework for educators to create more inclusive and culturally sustaining …

Understanding Technology Integration Through Hermeneutic Interpretation: A Study Of Faculty Experiences At An Hbcu, Jill Ardley, Tamara Smith-Moyler, Keesha M. Kerns, Beatrice Darden-Woody, Priscilla Spencer, Ronald White

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

This study explores how six education faculty members in the School of Education at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the southeastern United States interpret and implement instructional technology instruction through a hermeneutic theoretical lens. Grounded in the HBCU’s School of Education vision statement, the research investigates how faculty members’ understanding of human learning behaviors shapes their pedagogical choices within School of Education courses. The qualitative analysis revealed three key themes: (1) Technology as a Tool for Equity and Inclusion, (2) Alignment with the School of Education Vision, and (3) Student-Centered, Practice-Oriented Use of Technology. Rather than employing …

Engaging Asl-English Interpreting Undergraduates In Research: A Model For Student Engagement And Faculty Productivity, Kimberly J. Hale, Valerie Freeman

Journal of Interpretation

Engaging undergraduate ASL-English interpreting students in research yields multiple benefits beyond enhancing faculty scholarly productivity. In this innovative practices article, we first summarize scholarly literature showing that including undergraduates in research experiences supports development of career-readiness skills while simultaneously building the pipeline of future faculty. We then discuss the benefits of undergraduate research experiences and argue that research activities can be integrated throughout an interpreter education program curriculum. Using a detailed description of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) and course-embedded project examples, we demonstrate how structured research experiences can be integrated into programs without creating additional burden for faculty …

The Effects Of A Nurse-Led Peace Program On Perceived Peaceful End-Of-Life And Quality Of Life Among Head And Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemoradiation, Sirinya Pimvichai, Yaowarat Matchim, Tanadej Sinthusake, Kiratiya Wongkalasin

Journal of Health Research

Background: Evidence indicates that peaceful end-of-life care programs benefit terminally ill patients, with nurses playing a central role in program delivery. However, no structured end-of-life care programs currently exist for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), who often experience profound physical and psychological distress. A nurse-led Peaceful End-of-Life Care (PEACE) program was therefore developed. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the PEACE program on perceived peaceful end-of-life (PEOL) and quality of life (QoL) among HNC patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Methods: A quasi-experimental, two-group time-series design was conducted with 64 HNC patients recruited from oncology wards at …

Exploring The English Language Learning Strategies Preferred And Used By Jazan University Female Students, Abdul Rahman Ali Al Towity

UB Journal for Humanities

This study aimed to investigate the language learning strategies employed by Saudi university students and examine the differences in strategy use based on academic year level, motivation, and proficiency. The study was conducted at the University College of Aldayer, a female college at Jazan University, and included a sample of 125 students majoring in English. Data were collected using Oxford’s (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). The findings revealed that participants frequently used language learning strategies overall. No significant differences were found in relation to academic year level, however, sophomore and junior students tended to use language learning strategies …

System For Generating Themed Content Using A Generator-Evaluator Framework, Roy Katz

Defensive Publications Series

Manual creation of themed navigational content for user engagement campaigns can be a slow, resource-intensive, and unscalable process, while general-purpose generative models may lack domain-specific safety guidelines and struggle with thematic consistency. A disclosed system can address these challenges through a dual-model, generator-evaluator framework. A primary generative model can create multiple thematic text candidates for a given instruction. A separate, secondary evaluator model may then assess these candidates using a hybrid evaluation process that combines model-based semantic analysis for attributes, such as safety and logical contradiction, with function-based checks for criteria like length and semantic similarity. The system can iteratively …

System For Autonomous Generation And Methodologically Guided Optimization Of Language Model Prompts, Hui Wu, Yulou Zhou, Simon Zhao

Defensive Publications Series

The efficacy of large language models may be dependent on prompt quality, and manual prompt engineering can be an inefficient, trial-and-error process. Some existing automated optimization approaches may utilize a pre-existing seed prompt and could lack methodological guidance, potentially limiting their effectiveness. A system is described for the automated optimization of instructional prompts that can employ a closed-loop algorithmic pipeline to iteratively generate, evaluate, and refine candidate prompts. The process can be initiated, for example, without a human-provided seed prompt, instead originating initial candidates from reference data and a structured methodological framework, such as a chain-of-thought workflow. This automated and …

The Implications Of Integrating Naturalised Refugees On National Security In Tanzania: Insights From Katumba Old Settlement, Adventina Lauren

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

The threats of flight-related factors of the integrated refugees on Tanzania’s national security have not been given serious attention. The article examined the effect of the 162,156 integrated refugee who fled their country of origin due to ethnic, economic, political, and religious conflicts. The study adopted a case study design mixing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The data were collected through; a survey, in-depth interviews, direct observation, focus group discussion, and document review. It drew data from a sample of 397 involving both naturalised refugees (IRs) and native Tanzanians (NTs) who have been living in the study area and 31 …

Teachers’ Perceptions Towards Disruptive Behaviours Among Students In Public Secondary Schools In Tanzania, Jonas Kinanda

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

Disruptive behaviours among secondary school students adversely affect students, teachers, parents and community members. This study explores teachers’ perceptions towards disruptive behaviours among students in public secondary schools in Tanzania. This qualitative study involved 50 teachers selected from four public secondary schools from two councils, namely Mwanza City and Ukerewe District, both found in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Data collection was done through interviews, focus group discussions, and document reviews. The analysis was thematic and MAXQDA. The findings showed that teachers perceived students’ disruptive behaviours as problematic to the teachers, peers, school administrators, parents, and the community at large. This is …

Effectiveness Of Electoral Violence Prevention Mechanisms: Insights From Malawi, Rodrick Henry

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

Elections are vital to democracy and democratic consolidation. Ideally, they are peaceful endeavours, allowing voters to express their preferences and winners to take office. However, elections in the Third Wave of democracy often exhibit violence. Election Violence Prevention (EVP) mechanisms have been employed to address conflicts between various actors. Nevertheless, their effectiveness in curbing electoral violence varies across African countries. This paper examines the effectiveness of EVP mechanisms in Malawi, focusing on the Public Affairs Committee, National Initiative for Civic Education, and Multi-party Liaison Committees. The paper argues that EVP mechanisms have been effective in preventing electoral violence. The effectiveness …

Effectiveness Of Electoral Violence Prevention Mechanisms: Insights From Malawi, Rodrick Henry

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

Elections are vital to democracy and democratic consolidation. Ideally, they are peaceful endeavours, allowing voters to express their preferences and winners to take office. However, elections in the Third Wave of democracy often exhibit violence. Election Violence Prevention (EVP) mechanisms have been employed to address conflicts between various actors. Nevertheless, their effectiveness in curbing electoral violence varies across African countries. This paper examines the effectiveness of EVP mechanisms in Malawi, focusing on the Public Affairs Committee, National Initiative for Civic Education, and Multi-party Liaison Committees. The paper argues that EVP mechanisms have been effective in preventing electoral violence. The effectiveness …

Narratives Of First-Generation Mexican American Bilingual Licensed Counselors, Marleny Soriano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the growing demand for mental health services in Spanish, bilingual counselors are often ill-equipped to provide services in Spanish and frequently enter state-required supervised licensure without adequate training or opportunities for clinical supervision to support their growth as bilingual counseling professionals. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to answer the research question: What are the narratives of first-generation Mexican American bilingual counselors during supervised licensure? Guided by Anzaldua’s Borderlands Theory as a conceptual framework, data were collected from eight participants through semi-structured virtual interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed four themes mirroring the stages of …

Learning In Motion: The Role Of Flexible Seating In Enhancing Equity And Student Empowerment In A Title 1 Junior High School, Alexandria Morales

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods action research study explored how flexible seating influences student empowerment, autonomy, decision making, and self-regulation in a Title I junior high school on California’s Central Coast. Grounded in constructivist learning theory (Piaget, 1952; Vygotsky, 1978) and self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985), the current study examined how providing students with meaningful choice over their learning environment can promote equity and engagement within underresourced contexts. Forty-six eighth-grade students participated in this study by completing Likert-scale and open-ended survey items assessing their experiences with flexible seating. Quantitative data revealed flexible seating increased students’ sense of autonomy, comfort, and engagement, …

Emotional Regulation Strategies Used By Indonesian Teachers In Thailand: Descriptive Qualitative Study, Didit Haryadi, Jeffrey Dawala Wilang

The Qualitative Report

The significance of this study is to explore insights into the emotions experienced by Indonesian English teachers in Thailand, highlighting their emotional journeys and the emotion regulation strategies they use. Ten Indonesian English teachers from diverse elementary and secondary schools across Thailand voluntarily participated in this qualitative research. Through semi-structured interviews, the collected data were analyzed deductively, applying Richards' (2020) framework to examine teacher emotions and Gross' (1998) framework to analyze emotion regulation strategies. The findings reveal a wide range of emotions, including happiness, pride, anger, confusion, loneliness, and mixed emotions. Notably, emotion regulation strategies, situation modification, and response modulation …

“Fairy-Tale Beginnings Are Often Pretty Bad.” Filling The Gaps Of The Adoption Experience With Narrative Inquiry, Christina B. Gunther, Michelle A. Cole, Robin L. Danzak

The Qualitative Report

This study utilized narrative inquiry to delve into some of the less-celebrated experiences of adoptees and their families. Drawing on focus group data from 17 adult participants with various connections to adoption, we co-constructed three composite narratives centering on darker aspects of the adoption experience: adoptees’ sense of loss, adoption as a secret or taboo, and the challenging implications of interracial adoption. By weaving together participants' authentic voices, the study provides rich insights into the multifaceted experiences of those touched by adoption. The narratives reveal complex emotional journeys of adoptees, including feelings of rejection and grief, identity struggles, and the …