Digital Commons Network^™

Practicing Strategy And Performance Preparation Of György Ligeti’S Musica Ricercata., Xiyao Wang

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923–2006) is renowned as one of the most significant composers of the twentieth century. Musicians around the world have admired his innovative musical language. “Through the 1950s and 1960s, he went from composing in the style of his countryman Béla Bartók to working at the cutting edge of the Western European avant-garde.” His folk elements and avant-garde compositional techniques expanded through various genres, including orchestral, chamber, and keyboard compositions. This study's primary purpose is to explore Ligeti's piano work Musica Ricercata and ultimately provide a resource to other musicians that will assist in preparing and …

Reaction Toward Potential Resurgent Multiple Risks: Understanding Risk Information Seeking And Behavior In The Post-Pandemic Era, Shudan Huang

Theses and Dissertations

This study applies the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to understand how individuals seek and process information related to overlapping pandemics, including COVID-19, flu, monkeypox, and polio. These overlapping health crises have created a complex media environment, contributing to pandemic fatigue, information overload, and varied preventive behaviors. The research explores how pandemic fatigue influences informational behaviors—such as information seeking, processing, and avoidance—and how these behaviors, in turn, predict preventive behavioral intentions.

Using an online survey of 443 participants, structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that information insufficiency positively predicts both information seeking and …

Rational Catalyst Synthesis For Sustainable Energy Applications, Alaba Upe Ojo

Theses and Dissertations

Energy accounts for two-thirds of the global climate challenges. Effective utilization of green hydrogen or finding cleaner ways to improve energy generation is necessary to combat climate crisis and allow for a more sustainable future. This work evaluates three heterogeneous catalytic processes which contribute to a sustainable future. In chapter 2, we studied the hydrogenation of toluene to methylcyclohexane; a reaction that can potentially serve as a medium for hydrogen storage and help to overcome the safety challenges of transporting gaseous hydrogen. We found that palladium catalysts on certain carbons exhibited significantly enhanced toluene hydrogenation rates compared to activated carbons …

Securing Memorization In Piano Performance With Continuous Audiation, Jie He

Theses and Dissertations

The study explores how incorporating continuous audiation, a concept introduced by pianist and educator Sarah Croom-Hatch, can be used as a strategy to improve pianists’ music memorization abilities and relief performance-related stress. The study presents a four-stage memorization process that emphasizes preparation, early, middle, and late stages. By integrating aural, kinesthetic, analytical, and visual memory with continuous audiation during the four-stage memorization process, pianists can develop a cohesive and secure “sound stream” that significantly enhances their memory system. The study provides practical guidance for systematically developing continuous audiation within daily practice routines to enhance memorization skills and achieve successful piano …

Redefining Gas Turbine Engine Development: A Digital Twin Framework Informed By Operational Dynamics And Numerical Analysis, Sowmya Raghu

Theses and Dissertations

Gas Turbine Engines (GTEs) serve as primary propulsion systems in aviation and are key for power generation units in various industrial applications. The conventional Gas Turbine Engine Development and Monitoring Lifecycle (EDML) typically encompasses six stages: preliminary design, numerical analysis, prototyping and testing, manufacturing, systems integration, and subsequent systematic monitoring processes. This dissertation redefines the gas turbine engine design and development process by synergistically integrating design capabilities, real-time operational data, and predictive maintenance through the implementation of digital twins. The primary objective is to establish a comprehensive framework for gas turbine engine design by utilizing thermodynamic and aerodynamic modeling, supported …

Seeking Solutions: The Impact Of State Policies On Mental And Behavioral Health, Angela Shoulders

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of state-level policies aimed at improving access to mental and behavioral health treatment in the United States. Using rigorous quasi-experimental methods and a variety of data sources, the three manuscripts analyze the effects of distinct but related policies: naloxone co-prescription laws, psychologist prescription privileges, and mental health parity laws mandating timely access to care. The findings suggest that naloxone co-prescription laws lead to unintended consequences, including an increase in opioid overdose deaths among certain demographics. The analyses of psychologist prescribing privileges show expanding prescribing privileges to psychologists increases the availability of mental health providers without …

The Role Of Spatial Attention In The Maintenance Of Visual Working Memory: Modulatory Effect By Task-Relevance Of Spatial Information And Evidence From Alpha Oscillations, Sori Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The close interplay between spatial attention and visual working memory is essential for optimizing our visual experiences. The following studies investigated this interaction, focusing on how spatial attention influences visual working memory processes. In Chapter 2 a dual-task paradigm was used to examine how the relevance of spatial information to the task modulated the effects of spatial attention. The findings showed that shifting spatial attention away from a potential memory target impaired its consolidation in working memory. In Chapter 3, the experiment aimed to amplify these effects to observe clearer facilitatory and inhibitory processes. However, the results only demonstrated that …

Temporal Forecasting Of High-Rate Dynamic Using Physics-Informed Machine Learning And Hardware-Software Co-Design, Puja Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Due to aging, fatigue, corrosion, and even natural disasters; the health of the structure is prone to degradation throughout its service life. The explosively-fast growing efforts on Structural health monitoring (SHM) always try to exploit different aspects of the automation of damage detection, localization, and prognosis tasks. One of the main challenges is the hardware and software co-design to implement the model in real-life situations. On the other hand, the fast-advancing artificial intelligence draws the researchers' attention to adopt different data-driven approaches in this field. This brings other challenges like domain-specific model adaptation, data bias, data scarcity, model validation by …

Tracking Deposition And Settling Characteristics Of Airborne Metallic Particulate, William Kahale Caspino

Theses and Dissertations

Transport and deposition of metal particles is a source of environmental and public health concern. Understanding how ambient conditions and the properties of the particles interact to influence the dispersal range can provide information on and the possible extent of environmental contamination. Controlled laboratory experiments and modeling were utilized to determine when such particles would deposit. Particle samples containing heavy metals, a Palladium-dominant alloy and a Nickel/Aluminum dominant alloy LANA, were released in a static column, and the vertical displacement was tracked utilizing a Phantom v7.3 camera and a camera lens. Electron microscopy revealed that particles are not spherical and …

Understanding Patterns Of Hope And Sense Of Belonging From Mentoring Through Latent Class Analysis, Bailey Dow

Theses and Dissertations

Youth who have safe, stable, nurturing relationships (SSNRs) are more resilient to adverse childhood experiences and have better mental health. Compared to prior generations, today’s youth feel lonelier and more socially isolated than ever, and they crave the sense of belonging and hope that comes from meaningful social connections. Mentors can play a crucial role in bolstering these attributes. Mentors help youth in different ways, depending on the mentee's characteristics, preferences, or circumstances. Despite the well-known significance of natural mentoring relationships as a SSNR, researchers have paid little attention to how and why natural mentoring benefits vary among mentees. The …

Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Algorithms To Improve Low Birthweight Prediction, Yang Ren

Theses and Dissertations

Low birthweight (LBW) is a major public health issue resulting in increased neonatal mortality and long-term health complications. Traditional LBW analysis methods, focusing on incidence rates and risk factors through statistical models, often struggle with complex unseen data, and thus, their effectiveness is limited in early prevention of LBW, requiring more advanced LBW prediction models. Therefore, this dissertation delves into this important research area by proposing and examining novel machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms, aiming to predict LBW more accurately during the early stage of pregnancy. This dissertation consists of three studies, strategically designed to build upon …

Improving Collaborative Lesson Planning By Implementing Design Thinking In A Professional Learning Community, Kelli Jo Bellant

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes the effects of incorporating design thinking processes in implementing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) towards collective lesson planning practices among elementary teachers. This study occurred at Forest Creek Elementary School (FCES), indicating a need to improve collaborative lesson planning. The study sought to determine how using a design thinking protocol in a PLC impacted teachers' views about collaborative lesson planning and whether participating in a PLC to co-create lesson plans impacted teachers' views of efficacy. The framework of the study was based on the social constructivism perspective and the design thinking model. This action research was conducted with …

“We Don’T Know What We Don’T Know”: Improving The Quality Of Stem Teaching In A British International School By Developing Teachers’ Stem Pedagogical Knowledge And Stem Instructional Practices, Matthew James Fagg

Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed at improving the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching at a British international school in Brunei Darussalam. Evidence from a range of sources suggested that teachers at the school were not employing common STEM instructional practices when giving their pupils STEM problems to solve. The purpose of the two research questions was to identify how STEM lessons were being taught in Grades 2 to 7 in the school, and to measure the influence of STEM-related professional development sessions on teachers’ STEM pedagogical knowledge and STEM instructional practices. The researcher followed an eight-stage action-research cycle …

A Flipped Classroom Approach For Algebra 2 Students Who Have Struggled In Previous Mathematics Courses, Abby Suss

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method study examined the effect of a flipped classroom approach on the engagement and attitude of Algebra 2 students who had struggled in previous mathematics classes. Videos for students to watch at home were constructed with adherence to the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia. Class time then focused on students working together and with teacher support in accordance with active learning theory. Qualitative sources of data - pre and post intervention interviews, pre and post student questionnaires, and teacher anecdotal notes and quantitative sources of data - the SEMs and the ATMI - were gathered and analyzed. Results showed …

"I Don't Want To Be Anywhere Near That Word!": The Experiences Of Jewish College Students Navigating Antisemitism, Sandra Greene

Theses and Dissertations

This comics-based research study was guided by HebCrit (Rubin, 2020) and explored the experiences of eight Jewish college students navigating antisemitism. This study was guided by four research questions including, (1) What are Jewish college students’ experiences with antisemitism?, (2) How do Jewish college students respond to personal experiences with antisemitism?, (3) How do Jewish college students respond to rising rates of antisemitism?, and (4) How does antisemitism intersect with other forms of oppression (e.g., racism, misogyny, etc.) for Jewish college students?

This study was conducted at a predominantly white and Christian university in the Southeastern United States with a …

An Examination Of Civil Asset Forfeiture In South Carolina, Jeffrey Trowbridge

Theses and Dissertations

Civil asset forfeiture allows the government to seize and forfeit property that is associated with criminal activity without arresting or charging the property owner. Although expansive in its potential application, little is understood about the characteristics of civil asset forfeiture cases, the property owners involved in forfeiture cases, or the characteristics of any criminal cases pursued parallel to the civil cases. Utilizing open-source, public court records, this dissertation provides an exploratory analysis of these gaps in the literature by examining the types of civil asset forfeiture used, the value of asset forfeiture cases, how money from asset forfeiture is divided …

Assessing The Accuracy, Validity, And Application Of A New Method For Sex Estimation Using Isotopic Ratios Of Fe, Cu, And Zn In Human Bone, Elizabeth Anne Wakefield

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the accuracy, validity, and application of a novel sex determination method based on isotopic variations in copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) within human bone, initially developed by Jaouen et al. (2012). The primary aim of this research was to test the reproducibility of the method, expand the sample to include a broader age range and ethnically diverse groups, and assess its applicability in forensic contexts using contemporary skeletal samples. Bone samples were collected from 60 individuals across two curated skeletal collections: the George S. Huntington Skeletal Collection and the Texas State Forensic Anthropology Donated Skeletal Collection. The …

Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries: A Study On The Integration Of Social Studies Within Elementary Ela Education, Jill Knight

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study investigates the integration of social studies within English Language Arts (ELA) education, highlighting the challenges educators face in balancing curriculum demands amid increasing literacy and math instruction pressures. With over 20 years of experience teaching high school history, the researcher identified a concerning decline in social studies education at the elementary level, a situation worsened by legislative measures such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which prioritize tested subjects. The primary aim of this study was to collaborate with elementary teachers to explore their perceptions and experiences related …

Beyond Narrow Views On First-Grade Reading Instruction In Saudi Arabia: Insights From First-Grade Saudi Reading Teachers, Ali Alzughaibi

Theses and Dissertations

Recent development in reading research and instruction has highlighted the need to unpack certain claims about how children learn to read and how reading is taught. These claims where challenged by different scholars in the field, pointing to the complexity of reading. Much of this research, however, was done where English is taught as a first language (e.g., United States, UK). Lacking supporting evidence, a review of the literature on early Arabic reading instruction in Saudi Arabia has highlighted different claims about how Arabic early reading is taught and what teachers know about early reading. For example, teaching Arabic early …

Bridging The Digital Divide: A Multiple-Case Study Examining The Impact Of Instructional Coaching On Technology Integration Of High School Teachers, Jennifer Elizabeth Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the impact of an instructional coaching cycle on four high school teachers’ use of technology in the classroom. The problem of practice was identified as the struggle that high school teachers face regarding integrating instructional technology tools into their classrooms in purposeful and meaningful ways that would enrich the classroom learning environment. Using a convergent mixed methods framework, the research was conducted in a multi-case study format with four participants in the study. The research was based on Vygotsky’s (1986) Sociocultural Theory with specific emphasis on the use of scaffolding and the zone of proximal …

Bayesian Nonparametric Models For Pooled Data, Yizeng Li

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines two applications of pooling: group testing and pooled biomonitoring. Group testing, introduced by Dorfman in the early 1940s, was initially developed to screen for syphilis among U.S. inductees during World War II. Since then, the approach has demonstrated cost-saving benefits in diverse fields, including drug discovery, genetics, and infectious disease testing. While various regression methods—parametric, nonparametric, and semiparametric—have been proposed to analyze group testing data, they fall short in addressing age-related disparities in disease presence if such variations exist. In Chapter 2, we address this gap by expanding varying coefficient regression within a Bayesian framework to accommodate …

Creating A Quality Feedback System Between School Administrators And Teachers, Gerald Keith Price

Theses and Dissertations

After moving to a new school district as superintendent, I recognized early on that student achievement was low and intentional work needed to be done to bring about academic improvement. As the district leadership team began to explore causes and discuss possible solutions, we decided we needed to focus on changing the perception around instructional leadership. School administrators are much more likely to have mutual dialogue with their teachers when they assume the role of a coach rather than a superior. With open lines of communication, teachers and administrators are able to discuss ways to maximize learning time with students …

Empowering Science Educators: A Study Of Self-Efficacy, Phenomenon-Based Instruction, And Community Of Practice In Arabic Language Classrooms., Rolla Elsaiary

Theses and Dissertations

In the dynamic realm of science education, a crucial demand exists for customized teacher professional development (PD) initiatives that address diversity and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These programs should be designed to accommodate varied student demographics, explicitly addressing the needs of those engaging with science education in less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), such as Arabic. Four fundamental questions guide this research. First, it should assess teachers' self-efficacy in teaching science in the context of Arabic instruction. Secondly, it needs to explore the impact of phenomenon-based instruction (PBI) on elevating teachers' self-efficacy in delivering science education in Arabic. Thirdly, …

The Missing Interest: Enforcing A Child’S Right To Public Education, Jamie Miller, Samantha Blond

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

Disruption Of Neural Periodicity Predicts Clinical Response After Deep Brain Stimulation For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Sameer V Rajesh, Nabeel Diab, Gabriel Reyes, Rose M Caston, Kalman A Katlowitz, Ajay D Gandhi, Raphael A Bechtold, Huy Q Dang, Ricardo A Najera, Nisha Giridharan, Katherine E Kabotyanski, Faiza Momin, Mohammed Hasen, Garrett P Banks, Brian J Mickey, Brent M Kious, Ben Shofty, Benjamin Y Hayden, Jeffrey A Herron, Eric A Storch, Ankit B Patel, Wayne K Goodman, Sameer A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent advances in surgical neuromodulation have enabled chronic and continuous intracranial monitoring during everyday life. We used this opportunity to identify neural predictors of clinical state in 12 individuals with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) receiving deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy ( NCT05915741 ). We developed our neurobehavioral models based on continuous neural recordings in the region of the ventral striatum in an initial cohort of five patients and tested and validated them in a held-out cohort of seven additional patients. Before DBS activation, in the most symptomatic state, theta/alpha (9 Hz) power evidenced a prominent circadian pattern and a high …

Mutant Npm1 Marginally Impacts Ribosome Footprint In Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells, Margaret A Goodell, Brunangelo Falini

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND:NPM1‐mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most frequent AML subtype. As wild‐type NPM1 is known to orchestrate ribosome biogenesis, it has been hypothesized that altered translation may contribute to leukemogenesis and leukemia maintenance in NPM1‐mutated AML. However, this hypothesis has never been investigated. We reasoned that if mutant NPM1 (NPM1c) directly impacts translation in leukemic cells, loss of NPM1c would result in acute changes in the ribosome footprint.

METHODS: Here, we performed ribosome footprint profiling (Ribo-seq) and bulk messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing in two

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Incubation of degron cells with the small compound dTAG-13 …

Behavioral Screening Reveals A Conserved Residue In Y-Box Rna-Binding Protein Required For Associative Learning And Memory In C Elegans, Paul R Merlau, Priyadharshini Vijayakumar, Emily J Leptich, Elizabeth S Gaytan, Meredith I Williams, Connie W Ni, Hsiao-Tuan Chao, Jill A Rosenfeld, Rachel N Arey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate translation and plasticity which are required for memory. RBP dysfunction has been linked to a range of neurological disorders where cognitive impairments are a key symptom. However, of the 2,000 RBPs in the human genome, many are uncharacterized with regards to neurological phenotypes. To address this, we used the model organism C. elegans to assess the role of 20 conserved RBPs in memory. We identified eight previously uncharacterized memory regulators, three of which are in the C. elegans Y-Box (CEY) RBP family. Of these, we determined that cey-1 is the closest ortholog to the mammalian Y-Box …

A Mouse Model For Conditional Expression Of Activated Β-Catenin In Epidermal Keratinocytes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report the generation and characterization of the K5: CAT bigenic mouse in which the constitutively activated form of β-catenin (ΔN89 β-catenin) is conditionally expressed in cytokeratin-5 (K5) positive epidermal keratinocytes. Following short-term doxycycline intake during the telogen resting phase, the adult K5: CAT bigenic develops enlarged pilosebaceous units that expand deep into the dermis, an expansion usually observed during the anagen growth phase. Prolonged doxycycline treatment results in significant thickening and folding of the K5: CAT epidermis. During this persistent induction period, there is clear evidence of increased keratinocyte proliferation, particularly in the epidermal basal cell layer and the …

Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy And Survival In Children And Young Adults: Findings From The Multinational We-Rock Collaborative, Nicholas J Ollberding, Shanthi Balani, Andrea Cappoli, Eileen Ciccia, Catherine Joseph, Aadil Kakajiwala, Aaron Kessel, Melissa Muff-Luett, María J Santiago Lozano, Matthew Pinto, Stephanie Reynaud, Sonia Solomon, Cara Slagle, Rachana Srivastava, Weiwen V Shih, Tennille Webb, Shina Menon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: There are limited studies describing the epidemiology and outcomes in children and young adults receiving continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT). We aimed to describe associations between patient characteristics, CKRT prescription, and survival.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 980 patients aged from birth to 25 years who received CKRT between 2015 and 2021 at 1 of 32 centers in 7 countries participating in WE-ROCK (Worldwide Exploration of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative in Kidney Diseases).

EXPOSURE: CKRT for acute kidney injury or volume overload.

OUTCOMES: Death before intensive care unit (ICU) discharge.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Descriptive …

Evaluation Of Vancomycin Dose Needed To Achieve 24-Hour Area Under The Concentration-Time Curve To Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Ratio Greater Than Or Equal To 400 Using Pharmacometric Approaches In Pediatric Intensive Care Patients, Ginny E Cummings, Hana M El Sahly, Manpreet K Virk, Brady S Moffett, Jennifer L Morris Daniel, Amy Watanabe, Nicholas Fishbane, Karen L Kotloff, Kenan Gu, Varduhi Ghazaryan, Jogarao V S Gobburu, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, James D Campbell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To investigate which independent factor(s) have an impact on the pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in critically ill children, develop an equation to predict the 24-hour area under the concentration-time curve from a trough concentration, and evaluate dosing regimens likely to achieve a 24-hour area under the concentration-time curve to minimum inhibitory concentration ratio (AUC24/MIC) greater than or equal to 400.

DESIGN: Prospective population pharmacokinetic study of vancomycin.

SETTING: Critically ill patients in quaternary care PICUs.

PATIENTS: Children 90 days old or older to younger than 18 years who received IV vancomycin treatment, irrespective of the indication for use, in the …