Rise Above!! Second-Wave Post Punk/ Hardcore In Orange County, 1977-1983, Jessie Zepeda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Post-punk and Hardcore played a pivotal role in creating a youth identity in Orange County that created a stark contrast to the more recognized Republican image of O.C. during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While historians view this era of California for its Republican ties with former presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, we overlook the much more underground, yet important, identity created by many of the adolescents and young adults during this time. Though it is essential to recognize these Republican ties as they play a key role in understanding political dynamics and cultural studies that …

Diabetes-Induced Mitral Valve Degeneration: Tissue-Engineered Solutions And Antioxidant Therapy, Samantha Hahn

All Theses

Mitral valve (MV) fibrosis is a progressive pathological condition characterized by leaflet thickening and stiffening, ultimately compromising valve function. This process is accelerated in diabetes, where chronic hyperglycemia elevates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alters the mechanics of the extracellular matrix (ECM), collectively promoting the activation of valvular interstitial cells (VICs). Under healthy conditions, VICs maintain a quiescent, fibroblast-like phenotype responsible for sustaining ECM homeostasis. However, pathological biochemical cues or mechanical stress drive VICs toward a myofibroblast phenotype. While this transformation is essential for short-term repair, its persistence contributes to maladaptive MV remodeling and fibrosis. Diabetic stressors may be mitigated …

Conference Realignment And Coaching Perspectives: Examining Social Support From Coaches To Athletes In The Acc, Big 12, And Big Ten, Brannon H. Timms

All Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand, from a coach's point of view, their perspective on conference realignment and how, if at all, it has changed their relationship with their athletes as it pertains to social support. Findings indicate that coaches expressed awareness of social support needs for their student athletes; notable gaps remain in emotional, esteem, and informational support. Based on the participants' responses, tangible support emerged as the only form of social support provided by these coaches. Coaches also expressed a desire for further legislation regarding NIL to maintain competitive fairness among NCAA athletics. The results underscore …

Reproduction And Larval Development Of The Invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle In South Carolina, Lindsey A. Stone

All Theses

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky; ALB) is a major threat to forest health due to the damage done by larval feeding in host trees. In 2020, ALB was discovered in Charleston County, South Carolina, which presents a novel climate for this invasive pest in North America. I investigated the reproductive biology and larval development of ALB to support detection and management efforts. By exposing 19 host trees to mated pairs of adults, I was able to determine rates of oviposition success (55%), egg viability (55%), and early larval survival (56%). On average, females chewed nearly 1 egg …

Investigating The Impacts Of Azole Antifungals On Growth Of Cryptococcus Neoformans, Gnanambika Sindhe

All Theses

Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen is responsible for cryptococcosis, leading to approximately 181,000 deaths annually, predominantly in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Fluconazole, a widely used fungistatic azole, is often administered due to its relative affordability and lower toxicity. However, resistance to fluconazole in C. neoformans can arise through aneuploidy, complicating treatment efforts. This study aims to deepen our understanding of resistance mechanisms to azole drugs by comparing fluconazole with other azoles, including both clinical and agricultural azole antifungals. Disk diffusion assays were performed to evaluate the ability of C. neoformans to develop resistance to these compounds, focusing …

Tradespace Exploration For Multiple Collaborative Vehicles, Mrunal Deshmukh

All Theses

Modern military operations demand systems that adapt to uncertain, rapidly changing missions across diverse terrains. Traditional single-platform vehicle design is insufficient for such complexity. This research introduces a hierarchical tradespace exploration framework for designing and evaluating families of heterogeneous ground vehicles under a System-of-Systems (SoS) architecture. The framework treats vehicle design as a co-optimization problem, where a “parent” vehicle (e.g., a Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport) coordinates specialized “child” vehicles for reconnaissance, amphibious tasks, terrain traversal, and stealth missions. Unlike conventional approaches that optimize vehicles individually, this study emphasizes collaborative performance, resource sharing, and adaptability at the family level. Central to …

Investigating Workplace Management Conditions Influence On Interpreter Motivation And Interpretive Program Performance, Jessica M. Henry

All Theses

Organizations, including non-profit and government agencies such as the National Park Service and nature centers, that provide informal education (also known as interpretation) seek ways to achieve their mission and enhance their organizational performance (Anderson et al., 2022; Weiler & Ham, 2010). For informal education organizations that provide interpretation to visitors, one measure of organizational performance is the achievement of an organization’s desired visitor outcomes. Theory suggests that positive organizational performance is associated with positive workplace management conditions and high employee motivation. Thus, this study explored the relationships between interpreters’ perceptions of workplace management conditions, motivation, and performance on interpretive …

Evaluating High School Students’ Perceptions About The Construction Industry: Views To Consider And Improve The Inclination Towards A Career In Construction, Radhika Soni

All Theses

The construction industry continues to face a critical workforce shortage, intensified by declining interest among high school students who often hold narrow or negative views of construction careers. This study examines students’ perceptions of the construction industry, the experiences that shape those perceptions, and the factors influencing their likelihood of pursuing construction-related careers. A mixed-methods design was used, consisting of a survey distributed to students in Grades 9–12 across the upstate region of South Carolina. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Spearman correlations, while qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis.

Findings show that most …

Crafting Well-Being: Specialty Coffee As Leisure, Leah C. Dodge

All Theses

This thesis explores how individuals engage with specialty coffee as a leisure practice in Upstate South Carolina. Drawing on Flow Theory and Craft Consumption Theory, it examines how meaning is constructed through everyday interaction. Using semi-structured interviews with 15 self-identified enthusiasts in South Carolina, the study analyzes how participants describe their involvement with specialty coffee, reflect on its value, and situate it within local contexts. Findings suggest that specialty coffee encourages sustained engagement in which well- being is created through personal investment, community involvement, and awareness of global contexts. The research contributes to scholarly discourse by conceptualizing leisure as a …

The Development Of Tools For The Production Of Fusarium Oxysporum Race 4 Resistant Cotton Varieties, Thomas Rylands

All Theses

Fusarium oxysporum race 4 (FOV4) is a fungal pathogen that infects cotton (Gossypium spp.) plants, resulting in fusarium wilt (FW) disease that causes significant wilting, yield loss, and eventually death. Since cotton is such an important crop globally, with tens of millions of bales of fiber produced and sold worldwide each year, it is critical to develop effective strategies to combat this pathogen. This research aims to achieve that goal through two projects: (i) develop an efficient co-culture system to test fungal treatments in vitro, and (ii) develop a computer vision pipeline to more accurately assess plant resistance …

The People’S Medicine: Modern Perspectives On Folk Medicine In South Central Appalachia, Stacey M. Horton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study addresses the critical need to document Appalachian folk medicine conventions and cultural practices from a modern perspective. In so doing, it addresses folk medicine research gaps in understudied places in South Central Appalachia, particularly in Southwestern Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. This research utilizes participant observation and oral history interviews to research modern Appalachian folk medicine practices among a select group of practitioners. Interviews focused on individuals who center their professional careers and subsequent lifestyles around herbalism, foraging, folk medicine, ethnobotany, and botanicals. By utilizing a critical praxis framework, the study seeks to move beyond lists of symptoms and …

Learning To Think, Thinking To Learn: A Qualitative Investigation Of Inquiry-Based Learning And Metacognition In Preschools, Jessica Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to an increased focus in the field of early childhood on inquiry-based practices and metacognition, this qualitative study was designed to investigate a variety of approaches to planning and facilitating classroom inquiry. Additionally, this research was designed to discover the ways in which metacognitive strategies are used in preschool classrooms to foster the learning process. Using teacher interviews, classroom observation, and analyses of teachers’ planning documents in a multiple case study design, this study focused on five Reggio-inspired classrooms to investigate the planning and teaching practices of preschool teachers related to inquiry-based learning. Of importance was their use …

Branding The Divide: Political Ideology And The Strategic Challenges Of Higher Education Marketing, Oscar J. Early Mr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how first-year students experience and interpret institutional branding within the context of their personal and social identities, with particular attention to the role of political ideology. While previous research had examined general branding strategies and declining public trust in higher education, scholars have given little attention to the ways in which prospective students make meaning from institutional messaging during one of the most significant transitions of their lives.

I conducted interviews with 12 first-year students from four-year colleges and universities across South-Central Appalachia. The phenomenological analysis revealed that students’ interpretation of …

A Comparative-Correlational Study On The Mental Health And Well-Being Of First-Generation Students At A Historically Black College And University, Shedred Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental health and well-being of first-generation college students (FGCS) in comparison to non-first-generation college students (NFGCS) at a private Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeast. This study was undertaken to investigate students' mental health and well-being, as well as their use of, access to, and the availability of mental health services. A comparative-correlational research design was employed to collect and analyze the data. The study used a sample size of 388 responses from undergraduate college students enrolled at the private HBCU. Of the 388 students in the sample, …

Perceptions Of Choral Teachers On The Characteristics Of A Secondary Choral Program, Nathan Dale Rhea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of choral teachers on the characteristics of a successful secondary choral program. The study focused on the main characteristics of excellence, success, and sustainability. The literature showed that there was a significant amount of research on the music curriculum, standards, and various assessment strategies but minimal research on perceptions on the characteristics of excellence, success, and sustainability of a choral music program at the secondary level.

Data collection strategies included individual interviews of eight participants who were choral music educators. The analysis of data occurred through the lens of the …

Prevalence Of Respiratory Distress Syndrome Among Late Preterm Infants Admitted To A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit In Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study, Abdulmohsen K. Alswayed, Kamal Ali, Amjad O. Alharbi, Ghadah K. Alnami, Haifa M. Bindokhi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: The objective of this research was to identify how common Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is and explore related factors in late preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted over 1 year (2021). Infants with a gestational age of 34 to 36 weeks were selected using a consecutive, non-probability sampling method. Clinical, neonatal, and maternal factors were analyzed to assess their impact on the prevalence of RDS in this gestational age group. Results: The majority of infants in the …

Prevention: Bend It Like Bekham, Mirvat Alasnag, Adel Tash

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Make Ready: Productive Disruption And Interstitial Sites Of Graphic Design Practice, Peter Maybury

Theses

This thesis draws on five publications produced between 2010–22: My 2020 film installation Landfall; a series of four museum and gallery-published books made with artist Gerard Byrne (2010–18); Gall, my practice enquiry with Tom dePaor which encompasses film, writing, books, sculpture, curation, and gallery works; releases and live performances by my band Thread Pulls during the period 2010–12; and my exhibition, conference talk, and book Make Ready (2015), the structure of which is taken as ‘armature’ for the writing of the thesis. Through these wide-ranging pursuits, this thesis articulates a non-normative role for the graphic designer. It identifies my operative …

A Study On The Influence Of Entity Internet Hospital Platforms And Health Literacy Facilitation On Postoperative Patients’ Platform Usage, Hong Ye

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Entity Internet Hospital (EIH) is emerging online medical service platforms in China. Currently, while EIHs in China are developing rapidly, their usage rates remain low. However, postoperative patients have substantial follow-up consultation needs. Consequently, incentivizing postoperative patients to use EIH from the demand side is a highly challenging proposition in the current era. Grounded in Technology Acceptance Model and Health Belief Model, this study examined the impacts of platform and health literacy facilitation on platform usage (including intention and frequency) among 631 postoperative patients with cardiovascular disease from four medical institutions in Wuhan, and explored the moderating role of literacy …

Corporate Strategic Changes In Response To Negative Performance Gaps: The Role Of Listing Board In China, Lei Yu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation investigates how Chinese listed companies respond strategically to negative performance gaps under different institutional environments defined by the Main Board and ChiNext Board of China’s capital market. Drawing on Performance Feedback Theory and New Institutional Theory, it explores whether and how listing board heterogeneity moderates the relation between performance shortfalls and corporate strategic transformation, and further examines the boundary effects of internal governance factors including ownership type, CEO power, and resource slack.

Using panel data of A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2019 obtained from the CSMAR database, this study employs multiple regression analysis and interaction modeling to …

Striking A Balance Between Personal Data Protection And Transactional Efficiency In The Context Of Data-Driven Mergers, Jun Hu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The proliferation of data-driven mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has created a critical tension between the commercial value of integrated data assets and the fundamental privacy rights of users. This dissertation addresses the underexplored micro-foundations of user consent when personal data is transferred wholesale to an acquiring firm. It develops and empirically tests a sequential mediation model, anchored in Privacy Calculus and Signaling Theory, to explain how users' perceptions and intentions are shaped by different corporate data protection strategies.

A between-subjects experimental design was employed (N=532), exposing participants to one of three distinct protection mechanisms: procedural safeguards (emphasizing fairness and control), …

Evaluating Psychosocial Stressors And Mental Well-Being Of Construction Professionals From The Management Standpoint: An Exploratory Study, Md Tauhidul Karim

Masters Theses

Construction professionals face persistent workplace stressors that undermine their mental well-being outcomes. Despite progress in general job-related stressors, social and interpersonal aspects of psychosocial stressors traditionally remain underexplored in the construction management research. The present study examines how social and interpersonal factors influence construction workers’ mental well-being and how management’s awareness, responsiveness, and strategic roles evolved in the transition of the COVID-19 pandemic at the organizational level. An integrative mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a systematic literature review, a bibliometric analysis, and an exploratory case study to capture the current landscape of mental well-being and management standpoints in the US …

Coaching Life Skills Through Sport: Program Description And Evaluation, Lori Gano-Overway, Sarah Sackett, Robert J. Harmison, Dorian Hayden

Journal of Youth Development

While life skill development opportunities in sport and the coach’s essential role in facilitating the process have received much support, coaches often report they lack the tools and confidence necessary to integrate life skill development strategies into practice. Additionally, while life skill development focused coach education programming exists, few have been formally documented and systematically evaluated for effectiveness. The present study aimed to describe an accessible (online, free, asynchronous) and evidence- informed course while assessing the program’s fidelity and utility using the utilization-focused evaluation model (Patton & Campbell-Patton, 2021). The developed Coaching Life Skills Through Sport (CLSTS) course covers empirically …

Personality And Perceived Police Legitimacy, Yuxuan Yang

Master's Theses

Police legitimacy refers to one’s trust in the police to be fair and make just decisions in their interactions with the public. Individuals’ perceptions of police legitimacy play a crucial role in predicting how they interact with police. More positive perceptions are associated with cooperative behaviors; less favorable views are associated with resisting behaviors. Few studies have examined the relationship of broad personality traits with perceptions of police legitimacy. The current study examined the HEXACO model of personality and right-wing authoritarianism as predictors of perceived police legitimacy among college students (N = 268). While taking gender, race, and social …

Population Observations And Microhabitat Use Of Isthmohyla Tica (Anura: Hylidae) In San Ramón, Costa Rica, Pablo Marin Pacheco, Jerson Santamaria Martinez, Jose Manuel Mora, Jennifer L. Stynoski, Randall Arguedas

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Isthmohyla tica, the Tica Frog, is a critically endangered species endemic to Costa Rica and supposedly Panama that has only been seen in a few sites in recent decades. To aid in its conservation, we assessed the population status and microhabitat preferences of this frog in a section of the Danta stream at Rancho Alegre farm, San Ramón, Costa Rica. We conducted 18 nocturnal surveys and collected data on perch types, vegetation associations, stream characteristics, and environmental variables for each sighting of the Tica Frog. To identify potential microhabitat preferences, we compared these features between sites with or without frogs …

Proceedings Of The 25th International Symposium On Adapted Physical Activity, Catherine Carty, Gerard Masdeu Yelamos

Publications

This volume presents the Proceedings of the 25th International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA 2025), hosted by Munster Technological University under the Patronage of UNESCO. It is intended as a permanent scholarly record of the symposium, its themes, and its contributions across research, practice, policy, culture, and inclusion in line with CoARA principles.

“Tag, You’Re It!”: Catalyzing Latino Success Through A Latino-Centered College Access Program In Boston, Ilyitch Nahiely Tábora

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed-methods case study examined the impact on Latino students of a Latino-centered college access program, the Talented and Gifted (TAG) Latino Program, based at Boston’s only public university (the University of Massachusetts Boston). Centering on the experiences of predominantly—but not exclusively—Latino alumni, the study triangulated quantitative survey data from 127 participants, qualitative data from 27 “Cafecito" focus groups involving a total of 120 alumni, and content analysis of 27 documents developed collaboratively during Cafecitos. Through this approach, the study amplified alumni voices to define the TAG program’s impact on their academic, social, personal, and professional advancement, illuminating the characteristics …

Sme Cyber Resilience State Of The Sector 2025, Hazel Murray, Gillian O'Carroll, Aoibheann Brangan, Jason Holland, Stephanie Chevanne Wallace, Miriam Curtain, Glenda Deveney

Department of Computer Science Publications

Ireland's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face a critical cyber resilience gap. SMEs account for 99.8% of all enterprises in Ireland and employ over 2.29 million people, representing 67.9% of total employment (based on the latest CSO 2022 figures). This cyber resilience assessment reveals that the majority of SMEs remain underprepared for modern cyber threats.

Out To Pasture, Amandeep Singh

Theses

With a wildly successful acting career approaching its final days, Marcel T. Cow looks back at his rise to fame, as well as a rollercoaster of a career. A toxic relationship, substance abuse, and living a lavish lifestyle all lead to his downfall, ultimately making him face one final decision: Leave the vices behind and save his career, or give in and lose everything. Out To Pasture is an animated biopic parody about Marcel’s life as an actor and how his career comes to an end. The film starts with a flashback to Marcel’s humble beginnings, moving to the Big …

Unmasking Corruption And Bribery Using Predictive Analytics, Maha Salem

Theses

The initiative (Unmasking Corruption and Bribery Using Predictive Analytics) aims to identify employees in government sectors who commit corruption and bribery by addressing issues such as the lack of transparency, fairness, equality, and public trust, as well as weakened loyalty and poor reputation. This project focuses on data analytics and predictive modeling to detect suspicious or high-risk employee behaviors related to corruption and bribery. The main objective is to reduce these unethical activities in government sectors, strengthen integrity, and promote transparency and public trust through predictive capabilities. It also seeks to raise awareness about how serious and harmful these crimes …