bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dichotomy and Two-Component Polytomy in Contemporary Sociology
Authors: Pasovets Yuliya
Published: October 2023

The article reveals the need to rethink the heuristic potential of dichotomy as a cognition method in the research of contemporary social reality, which characterizes by its structure complication and dynamics acceleration. Based on the analysis of recent works by foreign and Russian authors, it gives the description of the understanding of dichotomy and the dichotomous method in social and humanitarian knowledge, its comparison with other terms used to characterize opposites and their relationship, and the separation of dichotomies into scientific and everyday ones. This paper analyzes the practice of applying the dichotomous method in sociological research in recent years: it identifies the main sociological dichotomies and reveals their movement in contemporary sociological knowledge, which consists of the use of established dichotomies in the research of the balance between extremes, the convergence of opposites, overcoming contradictions and, conversely, their exacerbation, polarization of social relations that are observed in the contemporary world, as well as the formation of new binary pairs following the example of the dichotomy «sustainability – vulnerability». It determines the changes in the practice of dichotomous method using in the field of social and sociological cognition: on the one side, there is a transition from its use as the main research method to use in combination with other methods and methodological techniques, which allows solving a wider range of research tasks, on the other side, along with dichotomies, researchers construct two-term polytomies, which their authors call dichotomies. The author reveals significant heuristic possibilities of the dichotomous method for conceptualization, analysis and explanation of the increasingly complex and dynamic contemporary social reality: this method allows you to identify the differences between the research objects, to carry out their comparative analysis and interpretation, to reveal their dualism and opposite sides, while emphasizing the independence and interconnectedness of these extremes, to order and generalize the data obtained on the basis of this method, to develop alternative models of explanation.
Life Goals of Youth and Ways to Achieve Them (a survey in the South-Western and Southern regions of Russia)
Authors: Reutov Evgeniy V. , Reutova Marina
Published: October 2023

The article is devoted to the analysis of the value orientations of the youth of the regions of the South of Russia in the context of life goals, methods and conditions for their implementation. The hierarchy of young people's value priorities (life goals) is headed by family, health and material wealth. Self-realization is on the semi-periphery of the value hierarchy, service to society is on the periphery. At the same time, as factors of success in life, interpreted as instrumental values (means of achievement), social conformism (observance of the rule of law, adherence to moral standards), professionalism, good friends and family support come to the fore. Values associated with social responsibility (citizenship, helping others) are of medium importance in the hierarchy of life success factors (means of achieving life goals). The following contradiction has been fixed in the value picture of the world of young people: if life goals are formulated in the paradigm of privacy and traditionalism, then the means of achieving them are considered to a large extent through social conformism and professionalization. The most rational way to regulate the imbalance in the conditions for the realization of life goals that has developed in Russian society, young people consider territorial, including cross-border mobility.
Perceptions of Inequality as a Factor of Investments in Human Capital (an empirical analysis)
Authors: Slobodenyuk Ekaterina D. , Mareeva Svetlana , Karavay Anastasia
Published: October 2023

The article presents the results of the empirical analysis of the relationship between the Russians' perceptions of inequality and their behavior in relation to investments in human capital. Empirical analysis of such a relation is based on the RLMS HSE data. The investments in human capital are operationalized by the expenditures for adult education, and the perceptions of inequality are measured by the subjective degree of fairness of access to higher education, and also by subjective factors of poverty and well-being that population finds most important in contemporary Russian society. The results of the analysis demonstrate that perceptions of inequality held among the population affect their behavior in relation to the adult’s human capital. The population's perception of access to higher education as fair, and the reasons for wealth as meritocratic, leads to a greater propensity to invest in the adults’ human capital. The perception of the causes of wealth as related to the specific parental family support or the institutional environment, which does not meet the principles of equality of opportunity, on the contrary, has a disincentive effect on investment in adult Russians human capital; understanding poverty as a consequence of the current institutional environment specifics in the country works in a similar way. The obtained results demonstrate another consequence of the population's perception of inequality as non-meritocratic (quite typical for Russians in general), affecting the range of possibilities for the implementation of Russia's development vector based on human capital as its driver.
Social Well-Being of Russians in the Spring of 2022
Authors: Rogach Olga , Frolova Elena
Published: October 2023

In this work, based on the materials of a sociological survey of Russians, an analysis of the social well-being of citizens after the onset of the economic crisis and the introduction of external sanctions is carried out. The empirical analysis is based on the data of the all-Russian survey of the population (N=4422) conducted by the authors in May 2022. The data obtained represent the opinion of Russians aged 18 years and older, divided into regions in all federal districts of the Russian Federation. The article presents an examination of two aspects of the social well-being of Russians in the context of the economic crisis. It is concluded that the emotional and psychological aspect is illustrated by an increase in anxiety and an increase in uncertainty about the future, an actualization of the risks of violating personal security. In turn, the behavioral aspect of considering the social well-being of Russians has the opposite character: despite the presence of signs of depression in the emotional background, the majority of Russians are oriented towards constructive actions. In particular, the following empirical results were obtained in the work: almost half of Russians faced the problem of job loss, there are difficulties with employment and a massive decline in incomes of the population. In view of these problems, 2/3 of Russians were forced to change their way of life (this was perceived most painfully by the female part of the population). Despite the general increase in anxiety, the majority of Russians are focused on the implementation of a new life strategy and are actively planning their future: get an education, go into business, change jobs. Correlation analysis showed a strong relationship between changes in the social well-being of the population and such a factor as the destruction of the usual way of life. At the same time, difficulties with work, the disappearance of familiar goods had a much lesser impact on the growth of anxiety among social groups in Russian society than the need to reduce spending and change lifestyles.
Values and Norms of Political Culture in the Public Consciousness of Kazakhstan Society
Authors: Kurganskaya Valentina D. , Dunaev Vladimir Yu. , Sagikyzy Ayazhan
Published: October 2023

The article discusses the basic values and norms of the political culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan population on the basis of a sociological survey in the summer, 2022. The purpose of our study is to determine the values and norms in the political culture of the republic population at the present stage of the country’s political modernization. The authors analyze the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the political consciousness of the citizens of the country. Based on the survey results, a conclusion is made about the predominance of parochial and subordinate types of political culture in the mentality of the population of Kazakhstan. The trend of development of participatory political culture elements, despite attempts to implement a program of modernization of public consciousness, is not visible. The main sources of the formation of values and norms of political culture are communicative practices in reference groups, as well as official media.
Values and Socialization of Youth: the Case of the Russian Federation and China
Authors: Jianhui Li
Published: October 2023

The article examines changing values of contemporary youth and their parents' generation in China and Russia, two generations with different life experiences, taking into account the emergence of the Internet, a new agent of socialization, which provides young people with a special autonomous space for growing up and forming values. The results of value socialization of young generations in the two countries are evaluated according to two waves of the World Values Survey (1995-1998 and 2017-2020). It is found that changes in youth values tend to coincide with and follow socio-economic and socio-political developments in both societies, media and Internet are an important factor influencing changes in youth values from generation to generation, modern Russian and Chinese youth have changed family values and career attitudes compared to their parents' generation. It is confirmed that the value of education of Russian and Chinese youth is increasing, but young people in both countries consider hedonic values to be more important than their parents' generation. The findings have implications for the study of societal dynamics.
Features of the regulatory regulation of the implementation of the right of citizens to appeal in foreign countries (comparative legal research)
Authors: Stepkin Stanislav P.
Published: October 2023

In the article, the author conducted a comparative analysis between the legislative approaches of various states on the functioning and development of the institution of citizens’ appeals. According to the results of the study, conclusions were drawn about some differences and similarities of regulatory prescriptions that regulate the procedure for the exercise of citizens’ rights to appeal. The weak and strong aspects of the implementation of the affected right are noted, taking into account the various ways of transferring the appeal from the applicant to the object of its receipt. Separately, touches on the issue of such a concept as “petition”, describes its properties and features of submission, as well as the legislative norms of its use in the context of building a model of interaction between a citizen and the state (public authorities). The author formulated specific proposals to amend Article 33 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law “On the procedure for considering appeals of citizens of the Russian Federation”.
SAVAŞ NEVROZLARI BAĞLAMINDA ATEŞTEN GÖMLEK’İ OKUMAK
Authors: ÇETİNDAŞ Dilek
Published: October 2023

Türk edebiyatı içerisinde savaşların doğurduğu büyük kırılma anlarının mühim bir yeri vardır. Yazarlar millî şuuru diri tutmak, kimlik unsurunu pekiştirmek, tarihsel veriyi bir hafıza unsuruna dönüştürmek gibi nedenlerle savaşlar dönemine ait eserleri; savaş önce, sıra ve sonrasında verebilirler. Savaş öncesi eserlerini ise propaganda amacıyla, savaş sonrası eserlerini hafıza oluşturma ve resmî tarihin alternatifi olma arzusu içerisinde yazdıkları şeklinde değerlendirmemiz gerekir. Savaşın devam ettiği dönemde kaleme alınan eserlerin ise daha özel bir anlam alanı söz konusudur. Doğrudan savaş edebiyatının alanına giren bu eserlerin dramatik üslupları ve hedefleri dışında pek çok işlevi de mevcuttur. Toplumsal hayatın sözcüsü olma görevini üstlenen sanatçının savaşa dair tanıklığı, bu eserleri doğrudan tarihsel bir malzeme hâline de getirmektedir. Savaş içerisinde eser veren yazar, anlatıda estetik mesafeyi kaldırmak, gözlem ve samimiyeti artırmak durumundadır. Bununla birlikte savaş sırasında yazılan eserlerin hedef kitlesi de önemli bir meseledir. Kimi zaman cephedeki askere cesaret vermek kimi zaman da cephe gerisindeki halka moral aşılamak kimi zaman dünya devletleri için bir kanaat oluşturmak kimi zaman da olası bir kayıp durumunda gelecek kuşaklara tarihsel, kültürel ve iletişimsel bir bellek ve mekân inşası sunmak adına eserler verilir. Yazar, savaşa da katılmış ve cephe içerisinde veya gerisinde görev almışsa, eser veriş amacı savaş nevrozlarını aktarmak da olabilir. Bu nedenle savaş edebiyatı kavramı, tarihsel ve sosyal şartları içerisinde değerlendirilmeli ve anlam alanı çok doğru tahlil edilmelidir.

Türk edebiyatında mühim bir külliyat oluşturan savaş edebiyatı ürünleri, özellikle Tanzimat sonrası edebiyatından başlayarak bir hafıza ve tarih oluşturma noktasında oldukça değerli ve bütünsel okumaya uygundur. Bunlar içerisinde özel bir örnek de Halide Edip Adıvar’ın, savaş devam ederken ve yazar da cephede görevliyken kaleme aldığı Ateşten Gömlek romanıdır. Yazarın bu romanı, içerisindeki izlekler takip edildiğinde Freud’un savaş nevrozları düşüncesine uygun bir okuma sunmaktadır. Bu makalede psikanalizin önemli bir başlığı olan savaş nevrozları, Sakarya Savaşı’nın romanı olarak kabul edilen Ateşten Gömlek romanına uygulanacaktır.
Magnetic Signature Analysis of the Propulsor of a Military Ship
Authors: Zivieri Roberto , Palomba Giulia , Consolo Giancarlo , Crupi Vincenzo
Published: October 2023

The analysis of magnetic signature and the consequent identification of mitigation strategies are crucial issues in naval applications. The possibility to evaluate the magnetic signature of some essential components and structures during the design phase, represents an interesting opportunity to enhance ship design in terms of stealth capabilities. The current paper focuses on the assessment of the magnetic signature produced by a propulsor from a military ship with a fiberglass hull. The propulsor largest and heaviest components, which contribute most to the MS, were considered in the analysis. The numerical analysis carried out by means of a finite-element method technique was based on a simple theoretical model involving the concepts of averaged magnetization and of averaged permeability. The developed investigation is aimed at comparing the magnetic signature of a traditional propulsor with the one achievable by replacing the original ferromagnetic materials with weakly ferromagnetic ones and with a non-magnetic material, such as Aluminum, in the coating of the electric motor. The magnetic signature produced in the underwater region nearby the propulsor is consistently reduced and it is proved that the effect of Aluminum used in place of Cast iron is remarkable in determining this reduction. Therefore, the selection of suitable materials for the most critical parts in terms of magnetization and permeability, represents an effective yet simple strategy to improve the stealth properties of military ships. The possibility to use a simple model to evaluate the magnetic signature during the design phase is, therefore, essential to support a convenient selection of materials.
Three essays on decision-making in contexts of change and uncertainty
Authors:   , Bekee Barituka David
Published: October 2023

Today's world is characterized by various changing conditions and increased unpredictability, ranging from environmental upheavals to technological advancements. This dissertation is an attempt to advance our understanding of the processes and actions of decision-makers that aid in moderating harm and exploiting beneficial windows of opportunities in either anticipatory or reactive manners. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the first essay examines the issue of rural household resilience. This essay synthesizes some of the main contributions from various subfields and proposes a typology (i.e., a systematic classification of related concepts) to organize knowledge in this arena, as well as to guide future research and review efforts. The second essay assesses the resilience capacities of agro-pastoralists in the Altiplano region of Bolivia. The Bolivian Altiplano is characterized by climate variability and change. The households in this region are constantly engaging in a range of resilience-building activities, and this study investigates the effectiveness of those efforts. The third essay focuses on issues relating to the adoption of smart farm networks. Due to the rise in threats that transcend farm boundaries, management practices at the landscape or community level--aided by computing and communications technology--are often required to respond adequately. This study employs a translational research process to examine the views of commodity crop farmers in the United States on the use of digital technologies in collaborative contexts. Taken together, the essays in this dissertation contribute to the discussion and examination of decision-making in the contexts of change and uncertainty.
Examining reading diagnostic and intervention data-based decision-making among general educators, special educators, and school psychologists
Authors:   , Duesenberg-Marshall McKinzie Danielle
Published: October 2023

While there are many studies on STEM-trained people's creativity with STEM/non-STEM knowledge and skills in the workplace, few have focused on non-STEM people's creativity using STEM knowledge and skills. According to US labor statistics, non-STEM jobs outnumber STEM jobs, and non-STEM employees in non-STEM occupations are facing increasing tasks requiring STEM knowledge and skills. Creatively completing these tasks with STEM knowledge and skills can lead to better promotions or higher incomes. Thus, understanding how non-STEM-trained employees in non-STEM occupations use STEM knowledge and skills creatively is significant. In this phenomenological study, I interviewed 15 non-STEM employees from different non-STEM occupations to learn how they value creativity and STEM knowledge and skills and how they perceive the relationship between creativity and STEM knowledge and skills. I also conducted task-based observations with six additional non-STEM employees to understand how they use STEM knowledge and skills. Our findings reveal that non-STEM employees consider math, statistics, computer programming, data analysis, data visualization, and troubleshooting as crucial STEM knowledge and skills. They value STEM knowledge and skills more than creativity. While they claim to value creativity, they use it less in work tasks. They use creativity at a lower level by adapting or borrowing from existing ideas rather than at a higher level by synthesizing existing ideas or generating brand-new ideas. These findings have important implications for learning or training design for professional development programs. By understanding how non-STEMtrained employees perceive creativity and STEM knowledge and skills and how they use their creativity to apply STEM knowledge and skills in work tasks, professional development programs can be designed to enhance STEM skills, foster creativity, and better integrate technology. Additionally, the study provides a new perspective on learning how creativity and STEM knowledge and skills shape non-STEM people's minds and help them succeed in their careers.
Impact of prosocial education professional development on teachers' self-efficacy, stress, and burnout
Authors:   , Foster Jennifer
Published: October 2023

This study examines a professional development program designed to improve prosocial behavior, any voluntary behavior intended to help others and promote harmonious relationships in students, by providing teachers with research-based strategies that support the implementation of prosocial education in the classroom (Bergin, 2018). The professional development engages teachers in prosocial education and models the implementation of classroom management strategies, high-quality instructional practices, and various approaches designed to increase student engagement and prosocial behavior in the classroom (Brown et al., 2012). Providing teachers with strategies and support helps boost confidence in their ability to improve student behavior and engagement. When teachers' beliefs in their abilities increase, their stress-coping skills improve which lowers the effect of workplace stress and reduces burnout (Bandura, 1997). Prosocial education improves classroom climate and school culture by increasing student engagement and increasing prosocial behavior which results in a reduction in unwanted behavior and leads to teachers feeling more productive, happier, and having greater self-efficacy. This study examines how prosocial education impacts teacher self-efficacy as a way to improve the climate and culture in the classroom.
Development of selective fluorescent sensors for detection of biologically relevant analytes
Authors:   , Gilyot Glenn David, Jr.
Published: October 2023

Fluorescent sensing has become an important tool in the detection and monitoring of biological materials. Specifically, fluorescent sensing has allowed us to make inroads into understanding the complex roles of proteins and peptides, as well as imaging cellular structures and tumors. Herein, we propose three small molecule fluorescent sensing platforms for the recognition of certain biologically relevant analytes. First, we developed a near-infrared (NIR), near-neutral cyanine dye for the detection of pH changes in vivo. Our results indicated our dye was able to detect changes in pH with a pKa in the near-neutral range. In addition, the dye was successfully encapsulated in red blood cells through low hemoglobin ghosting for in vivo measurement of pH with pKa values comparable to the in vitro studies. Second, we developed a small molecule coumarin-based fluorogenic probe for protein detection. As a proof of concept, we modeled this probe with a biotin-PEG3 moiety for detection of streptavidin. Our results indicated a preferential binding with significant changes in fluorescence compared to glycine (Gly), lysine (Lys) and bovine serum albumin (BSA).
Standing and status : a dissertation on the necessary and sufficient conditions for moral standing and an analysis of moral status
Authors:   , Griffith Selwyn C
Published: October 2023

Moral standing is the property by which an entity is considered to be capable of being wronged or is morally considerable. For example, when I kick a rock, I do not do anything wrong, nor is the rock wronged. On the other hand, if I kicked an innocent child, I do something wrong, but more importantly I wrong the child. I argue that sentience (the capacity to feel pleasure and pain) and rational autonomy (the conscious capacity to self-govern) are both individually sufficient for moral standing and disjunctively necessary for moral standing. I argue against a variety of alternative positions such as consciousness (the capacity to have any experience such as the color blue), biological life, and dispositional agency, in order to strengthen my position. Moral status refers to the set of normative features governing the way we treat those with moral standing. When it comes to moral status regarding moral patients, I argue that they have at least two kinds of basic moral interests which are based on their wellbeing and their autonomy. I argue in favor of a hierarchical system of moral status whereby moral patients and agents possess higher, weaker, or equal moral status based on their capacities. I conclude by arguing that we may have impersonal obligations (moral obligations owed to no moral patient) towards the environment because the natural environment may be a possible source of beauty. Thus, our moral obligation would be to beauty rather than the environment itself.
Beyond learning (in)opportunities in mathematics education : advocating and curating in a rural school community
Authors:   , Kinder Cassandra
Published: October 2023

Despite egalitarian ideals, schools and school mathematics play an integral role in the stratification of individuals, determining which individuals will occupy which positions in society and justifying the distance between those positions. To learn more about how stratification occurs, I conducted a year-long ethnography in one public elementary school in a rural community. Through iterations of observation, analysis, and reading, I examined the opportunities students and parents encountered at school and within school mathematics and considered the ways in which they negotiated those opportunities. Findings revealed five distinct educational opportunities: learning, relating, positioning, networking, and credentialing, which clustered together to create inequality. Parents secured these opportunities following two main patterns in which they either curated opportunities for their child's school experience or advocated for sufficient educational opportunity. Among other implications, these results suggest that school reform should design for better inequality that minimizes the effects most consequential to individuals who have been historically marginalized in schools.
Collaborating with Black first-generation African youth for local career interventions
Authors:   , Milord Johanna
Published: October 2023

Recent job market trends show growth in attainment of educational opportunities for Black adults (Bureau of Labor Statistics; BLS, 2018). While this would typically be associated with higher levels of earning, there are still existing pay disparities for Black workers and other racial groups (BLS, 2018, Gould, 2020). Many researchers in vocational psychology have looked at the career journeys of marginalized individuals (e.g., Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016; Fouad & Kantamneni, 2013; Gottfredson, 1996; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994, 2000). The purpose of this study is to contribute the voices and advocacy of Black youth, a group of individuals directly involved by disparities in career outcomes. Participatory action research (PAR; Maguire, 1987; McIntyre, 2000) endeavors to collaborate with participants for solutions and take mutually agree upon action. The study was conducted over ten months and at this time, youth have begun to make observations about their context as being an important part of career decisions (Background as a Factor), how each school system has differing access to resources and policies (Separate and Kind of Equal-ish) and speaking to the school board committee about class curriculum and possible new resources (Making Their Impact). The current study provides a glimpse into how a more interactive research methodology may help create meaningful changes as the psychology field endeavors to strengthen career attainment for all students, including talented Black youth. Research and policy implications are discussed.
Deep learning-based solutions for electron microscopy image analysis
Authors:   , Nguyen Nguyen Phuoc
Published: October 2023

Electron microscopy (EM) enables capturing high resolution images of very small structures in biological and non-biological specimens such as membrane proteins, viruses, subcellular structures, nanoparticles, or material surfaces. Electron microscopy plays a critical role in research, development, and diagnosis in many applications of biological, physical, chemical and material sciences. Thanks to advances in instrumentation, electron microscopy generates large amounts of complex data that is no longer feasible to analyze manually. There is a growing need for development of computational methods and tools for automated analysis of electron microscopy data generated for variety of research fields. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly in deep learning have revolutionized image processing and computer vision. In this work, we explored deep learning guided image processing and computer vision solutions to address the growing high-performance processing needs of image data acquired using electron microscopy. The proposed solutions involved novel multi-step, 2D/3D fusion approaches to address the unique challenges of complex, low-contrast, noisy electron microscopy imagery; and selfsupervised, semi-supervised, or meta-learning schemes to address the challenges caused by lack of or limited amounts of labeled training data. These image analysis solutions were used for detection, segmentation, and quantification of various biological structures of interest such as proteins, viruses, mitochondrial or neural structures; and non-biological structures of interest such as carbon nanotube forests. Experiments conducted on the proposed methods showed robust and promising results towards automated, objective, and quantitative analysis of electron microscopy image data, that is of great value for biology, medicine, and material science applications.
A qualitative investigation of complex adaptive blended learning systems (CABLS) within rural indigenous communities
Authors:   , Olivera Brian Kevin
Published: October 2023

This qualitative bounded case study examined how emergence (of events, ideas, and innovations) occurred from interactions between stakeholders in Kodiak, Alaska's blended learning program. The study examined two research questions with the interviews to reveal experiences of 45 participants who had been or were within the Kodiak rural schools blended learning program, employing a constant comparative method of analysis to identify themes that cut across the data. The first research question examined emergences the spaces between the six components of the CABLS framework with the implementation of Kodiak's blended learning system. The researcher identified three themes that led to emergence: synchronous interactions, real time proximal problem solving, and collaborative sharing with reciprocal feedback loops. Moreover, the research found that the conditions for emergence happened at the point of intersection where the three themes were simultaneously present. The second research question examined the perception of impact that the blended learning program had on student choices for life after high school. The researcher found that the implementation of blended learning led to extended access to resources, expanded social networks, and increased self-confidence had an impact on the choices students made after high school. Future researchers should consider how blended learning is impacting the population in rural Alaska, and its economic environment.
Examining the effects of a peer-mediated academic intervention on the language and literacy performance on emergent bilingual students
Authors:   , Romero Monica
Published: October 2023

About 5 million Emergent Bilingual (EB) students are enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools across the United States. Spanish-speaking EBs constituted 76 percent of the EB population in the U.S. educational system (Office of English Language Acquisition, 2019). Although not all EBs are at risk for falling behind grade level proficiency in literacy, examination of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that EBs, on average, demonstrate significantly lower levels of literacy proficiency than their non-EB peers in Grades 4 and 8 (McFarland et al., 2018). Schools support the literacy development of Spanishspeaking EBs through multitiered systems of support (MTSS), which encourages early identification and intervention for those students needing support. A fundamental aspect of MTSS is Tier 1, which consists of high-quality core instruction and universal screening of all children in general education classrooms. Despite the school policies and practices to close or reduce the academic opportunity gap for EBs by implementing MTSS, it has not fulfilled its promise for Spanish-speaking EBs. One aspect is that few programs do not address EB's home language as well as English language development and provide culturally and linguistically responsive instruction. This dissertation aims to examine the effects of an abbreviated peer- mediated academic intervention on literacy and language performance among 64 Spanish-Speaking EB students in a rural school district and to further examine the extent to which home language exposure affects literacy outcomes. A randomized cluster design was used to examine the effects of an abbreviated peer-mediated literacy intervention. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to examine the effect of home language exposure on literacy measures. Results indicated the treatment condition outperformed students in the control condition in Spanish oral reading fluency, bilingual receptive vocabulary, and English reading comprehension measures. Home language exposure did not affect literacy measures. This study addresses an important gap in the literature on providing abbreviated peer-mediated academic interventions for emergent bilingual students.
Teacher facilitation of critical literature discussions with kindergarten students
Authors:   , Watson Elizabeth Ann
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how literature discussions are used to promote social justice in an early childhood classroom that emphasizes critical literacies and sociocultural approaches to literacy. Rita, the teacher, read aloud to a small group of students to spark interests and provide opportunities for students' talk. Data was collected from a small group in her kindergarten classroom over a semester. Data analysis consisted of two cycles of coding: initial coding and eclectic coding, using constant comparative analysis, and discourse analytical techniques. Findings from this study suggest, through careful teacher facilitation, kindergarten students can inquire and ask questions together when encountering texts that depict injustice. Additionally, children are not too young to have discussions surrounding issues of social justice. Three findings emerged from this study. Rita chose texts that built on one another and met the group's needs, as well as delving more deeply into social justice issues. By keeping the group consistent over a semester, trust was built, and students felt safe to explore together. Most importantly, Rita orchestrated and changed scaffolding techniques, including her talk moves, to support students' construction of meaning. When students encountered abstract topics like poverty and homelessness that they have not experienced, Rita reflected and made significant changes to her scaffolds to support their moves toward more critical talk. Implications for early childhood teachers, administrators, faculty in early childhood, and future researchers are included.
Understanding discrimination in academic collaboration networks
Authors:   , Vasishta Angela
Published: October 2023

Diversity in backgrounds, ideas, and beliefs plays an important role in the scientific research community yet researchers belonging to minority groups are often discriminated against in academic collaborations. Here I replicate game-theoretic models originally described in a 2018 publication by Hannah Rubin and Cailin O'Connor in an attempt to reproduce their findings. Findings from these replicated models followed the same trends reported by Rubin and O'Connor including an increased likelihood of discrimination associated with smaller minority group sizes as well as a decrease in researchers working with out-group partners as a result of discriminatory norms in collaborative research networks. I then build on these base models and their findings to propose future model extensions that will provide insight into both the short-term and long-term impacts of discrimination faced by minority researchers within and beyond collaboration networks.
Development of novel fluorescent sensors for targeting biologically relevant molecules
Authors:   , Bade Anusha
Published: October 2023

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] Fluorescence sensing plays an important role in a wide variety of fields such as medical science, chemical biology, food industry and so on. Several new fluorescent probes were developed to target various biologically relevant molecules and will be discussed herein. Firstly, a new strategy was devised to synthesize photoactive C,O-BODIPY substituted dyes for capturing 18F so that they can used as dual modality PET/Fluorescence imaging probe for labeling peptide constructs. Next, several sensors were developed for both inhibition and detection of thiaminase enzyme. The two novel fluorescent irreversible inhibitors were designed based on sulforhodamine and the sensor for measuring thiaminase activity was developed based on resorufin. Complex supramolecular systems have been developed for various applications. Designing such systems for aqueous phase work remains a challenge. We have been interested in preparing multi-component cucurbituril systems for use in fluorescent sensing. A series of different phenyl-pyridinium derivatives were thus synthesized as novel components and the CB[8] complexes of those components were characterized and analyzed. The binding stoichiometry between these components and the CB[8] macrocycle were studied using 1H-NMR, COSY, NOESY , DOSY and were found to self-assemble into 1:1 and 2:1(R2H) complexes. Various secondary guests were examined for formation of ternary complexes. These complexes were studied using 1H-NMR and fluorescence titrations. In addition to this, several cell-impermeable receptors were also designed for the extraction of glycolipids from the vesicles.
Non-STEM-trained employees' creativity in using STEM knowledge or skills
Authors:   , He Hao
Published: October 2023

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] While there are many studies on STEM-trained people's creativity with STEM/non-STEM knowledge and skills in the workplace, few have focused on non-STEM people's creativity using STEM knowledge and skills. According to US labor statistics, non-STEM jobs outnumber STEM jobs, and non-STEM employees in non-STEM occupations are facing increasing tasks requiring STEM knowledge and skills. Creatively completing these tasks with STEM knowledge and skills can lead to better promotions or higher incomes. Thus, understanding how non-STEM-trained employees in non-STEM occupations use STEM knowledge and skills creatively is significant. In this phenomenological study, I interviewed 15 non-STEM employees from different non-STEM occupations to learn how they value creativity and STEM knowledge and skills and how they perceive the relationship between creativity and STEM knowledge and skills. I also conducted task-based observations with six additional non-STEM employees to understand how they use STEM knowledge and skills. Our findings reveal that non-STEM employees consider math, statistics, computer programming, data analysis, data visualization, and troubleshooting as crucial STEM knowledge and skills. They value STEM knowledge and skills more than creativity. While they claim to value creativity, they use it less in work tasks. They use creativity at a lower level by adapting or borrowing from existing ideas rather than at a higher level by synthesizing existing ideas or generating brand-new ideas. These findings have important implications for learning or training design for professional development programs. By understanding how non-STEM-trained employees perceive creativity and STEM knowledge and skills and how they use their creativity to apply STEM knowledge and skills in work tasks, professional development programs can be designed to enhance STEM skills, foster creativity, and better integrate technology. Additionally, the study provides a new perspective on learning how creativity and STEM knowledge and skills shape non-STEM people's minds and help them succeed in their careers.
Consumer digital inequality and technology resistance in technology-driven fashion retail environments : a mixed methods approach
Authors:   , Hwang Joohye
Published: October 2023

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital shopping technology, consumers experiencing vulnerability toward these advances have become a significant, yet overlooked, challenge. This study explored the cognitive and emotional dimensions of fashion consumers' digital inequalities, specifically digital inadaptability and relative digital exclusion, and its impact on their resistance to in-store technologies, using a mixed-methods approach. In Phase 1, a qualitative study explored the psychological mechanisms behind consumers' perceptions of digital inequalities. A total of eight influencing factors were identified through summative content analysis based on the Qualtrics samples (n = 31). In Phase 2, a quantitative study examined how these identified factors lead to consumers' resistance toward in-store innovations through the perception of digital inequalities. The PLS-SEM results with Qualtrics samples (n = 588) indicated that the higher consumers perceive technology complexity and the lack of digital self-efficacy, the greater they perceive their digital inadaptability. Inertia, feeling aged, and feeling disconnected from technology increased consumers' feelings of relative digital exclusion. Frustration was triggered by technology errors and human crowdedness in stores. Finally, perceived digital inadaptability, relative digital exclusion, and frustration facilitated consumers' resistance to in-store technologies. The study provides an inclusive perspective to examine consumers' digital technology-engaged shopping behavior and fashion retailers can implement practical strategies to alleviate consumers' digital inequality perceptions. Future studies can test the model to a particular type of in-store technology and conduct a multigroup analysis to explore the potential moderating effects of demographic factors, such as age or living area, on the research model.
Essays on the econometrics of ordinal data
Authors:   , Wu Qian
Published: October 2023

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] In economics, ordinal variables like general health, mental health, and happiness level play a crucial role. Ordinal data is commonly used in surveys and questionnaires due to its ordered structure. However, incorporating an ordinal outcome variable in economic studies presents challenges. The categorical and fixed order nature of ordinal data sets it apart from continuous data. Additionally, most ordinal data exhibits unknown and inconsistent variations across categories. Consequently, specific methodologies are needed for econometric analysis when dealing with an ordinal variable. In Chapter 1, I develop a methodology for testing stochastic monotonicity when the outcome variable of interest is ordinal. I use a multiple testing procedure (MTP) technique to evaluate whether and where ordinal stochastic monotonicity exists, rather than using a single null hypothesis test. Additionally, I estimate the true set where ordinal stochastic monotonicity holds and construct "inner" and "outer" confidence sets by inverting the recommended MTP that controls the familywise error rate. With high asymptotic probability, an "inner" confidence set is contained inside the true set, whereas the "outer" confidence set contains the true set. Simulations illustrate that the MTP controls the familywise error rate well. Three empirical examples, including general health with educational level, depression with educational level, and inner peace with income class, illustrate the methodology. The famous Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition (BOD) takes an unconditional mean difference and decomposes it into a portion that is assigned to the levels of explanatory variables and a portion that is related to the magnitude of regression coefficients. However, the conventional BOD assumes Y has a cardinal meaning, not ordinal. To address this limitation and facilitate decomposition analysis of ordinal outcomes, in Chapter 2, I compare several alternative approaches. To illustrate these approaches, I use an empirical example to study how much of the disparity in general depression levels between rural and urban residents can be attributed to differences in educational attainment, income, age, and other observables. Each approach relies on different assumptions and offers different interpretations, allowing researchers to extract meaningful information from ordinal data. To better understand and distinguish these approaches, I conduct simulation studies that provide valuable insights into their practical implications and performance. These approaches are practically helpful for researchers employing decomposition with an ordinal outcome.
The role of tumor-associated macrophages in pancreatic cancer
Authors:   , Zhou Jing
Published: October 2023

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] Due to the lack of early diagnosis and efficient therapy, it is projected that pancreatic cancer (PaC) will become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. by 2030. Conventional therapies provide very limited benefit to human patients. Surgery, as a potential cure, is only available for a small proportion of patients. PaC is resistant to most therapies and has a dense desmoplastic stroma, and most patients die of distant metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are essential components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play essential roles in the regulation of tumor progression and immunity. In recent years, macrophage-targeted monotherapy or integrated therapies have been investigated in pre-clinical models. However, only limited success was obtained when these drugs or ideals translated into clinic trials. PaC is resistant to immune checkpoint therapy, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, comparative analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data and validated experiments demonstrated that more exhausted effector CD8+ T cells and increased M2-like TAMs with a reduced capacity of antigen presentation are detected in resistant Panc02-formed tumors versus responsive Panc02-H7-formed tumors. Our data highlight the correlation of tumor-induced imbalance of macrophages with the fate of tumor-resident effector CD8+ T cells and PaC response to [alpha]PD-1 immunotherapy. TAMs as a critical regulator of tumor immunity and immunotherapy contribute to PaC resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. Using scRNA-Seq, we identified TAMs as the main cells producing transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein (TGFBI, also known as [beta]ig-H3). Further in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that TGFBI as a macrophage (M[phi])-intrinsic and secreted factor promotes PaC tumor growth, programs M[phi], and impacts T cell activation and exhaustion. These exciting findings inspire us to perform further mechanistic studies and the potential of TGFBI and M[phi] as PaC therapeutic targets.