bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Program-Readiness for Dental/Medical Tolerance
Authors:   , Heath Hayden Lee
Published: February 2025

Many clients with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities (ID/DD) do not tolerate routine medical or dental procedures and may require intrusive interventions, including restraint of various types (i.e. chemical, mechanical, physical, etc.) during appointments. Graduated exposure, or stimulus fading, along with reinforcement for compliance, have been shown to increase cooperation and tolerance in some clients; however, many do not respond to these types of interventions. Nine participants diagnosed with ID/DD recieved compliance/tolerance training for routine medical or dental procedures. Results of these interventions were evaluated in the context of several potential indices of readiness, such as medical diagnoses, level of disability, and presence of challenging behavior, among others. Several of the variables appeared to be correlated with program responsiveness; however, a larger sample will be necessary to draw definitive conclusions. Client characteristics and past assessments (anecdotals, preference assessments, terminal probes, and survey data) were evaluated. The analytical framework developed for this analysis may be useful to future researchers and clinicians as a model for assessing readiness for tolerance training programs.
Toward A Typology of eLancers: A Psychology of Working Perspective
Authors:   , Philip Jestine
Published: February 2025

There is currently an increasing trend among the American working population to voluntarily join the gig economy. New terms like the gig economy, sharing economy, internet freelancing, and eLancing have been created to understand this emerging trend among today's workforce. There is a small, yet highly relevant, body of scholarly literature in human resource management that is focused specifically on the eLancing economy as a subset of the gig economy. The purpose of this research is to acknowledge and contribute to this timely literature, which has adequately recognized the enormous potential of this new trend of working. Grounded in the psychology of working theory, a theoretical typology of eLancers is proposed based on the workers' level of volition to be able to choose eLancing as their employment. Further, various predictors such as demographics and personality characteristics were explored on the basis of which eLancers can be classified into types. The study also proposes that different types of eLancers differ in their attitudinal and behavioral work and life outcomes. Prior research has shown that career decisions made by individuals with high work volition relate to higher levels of overall well-being. Hence, classifying eLancers on the basis of their varying levels of volition can help organizations understand which type of eLancer might experience what level of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.
Developing a Multicontextual Model of High Schools whose Students Participate in Financial Aid Preparation Services: Family, School, and Community Level Effects
Authors:   , Perez Consuela
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis was to examine the effect of family, school, and community context on high schools whose students participate in financial aid preparation services. Data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 were analyzed to answer the two research questions using Perna's conceptual model of college enrollment behaviors that explores how students gain and utilize information about financial aid and college prices. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent of high school participation in financial aid services. The results indicated a varying degree of these interventions being offered at high schools ranging from 22% to 52%. Schools sending students reminders of FAFSA deadlines (52%) and disseminating flyers/pamphlets on financial aid (50%) were the only two interventions that had a slight majority of schools participating. Multiple regression was used to determine if a relationship existed between the outcome variable (participation in financial aid preparation services) and several family context and school context predictor variables for eight financial aid interventions. Results revealed school context variables as the best predictors of the outcome variable. Counselor caseload and school control were the most effective in predicting high school participation in the eight financial aid preparation services, though these greatly differed according to the type of intervention. Findings provide potential implications for research and practice, including highlighting ways in which K-12 and higher education can coordinate.
Differentiation: A Taxonomy of Online Learner Types in Higher Education
Authors:   , Darby Douglas
Published: February 2025

Online learning is no longer considered novel within higher education. It has emerged as an accepted distinct channel and environment for instructional engagement. There is a notable deficit of works and theoretical constructs specifically addressing the identification and differentiation of online learner types and examining them as a distinct system within the learning environment. Learning effectiveness within an online instructional environment is affected by the individual student engaged in the instruction. The instructional experience of the learner is determined by their individual perceptions of and reactions to both internal and external factors. Therefore, it is critical to address the online learner holistically as a stand-alone systemic dimension of the online learning environment to truly understand their differentiating behaviors, motives, characteristics, and dynamics. The study classified and articulated the distinctive types of learners engaged in online instruction within the higher education context based on the key dynamics, factors, and influencers of the individual in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the individuals engaged in learning. Additionally, the study generated a new theoretical model, the taxonomy of online learner types (TOLT) to provide unique insights into the different types of learners and serve as an essential step towards developing awareness and facilitating deeper investigations in the future.
Health on the Homestead: Women Physicians and the Search for Professional Medical Authority in the American West, 1870-1930
Authors:   , Doak Kate Lynn
Published: February 2025

This project seeks to clarify the historical significance of women in the American West between 1870 and 1930 through the education, careers, and personal lives of western women physicians. The narratives presented in the work provide alternative roles for western women aside from the stereotypical images found in popular culture and history, such as the "Bad Woman," the prostitute, and the obedient homesteading wife. This collective biography additionally demonstrates how women participated in American medical culture during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, emphasizing their agency as historical actors, and countering the common misconception that Victorian women were merely passive subjects of their time and place. The lives of four physicians named Ellis Reynolds Shipp, Mary Babcock Atwater, Mary Bennett Ritter, and Mary Canaga Rowland are available through memoirs, biographies, scholarly articles, newspapers, and other sources that contextualize their careers into the broader context of Western, medical, and nineteenth-century history. Through their personal and professional experiences, a greater story of female autonomy emerges in a period understood to be inherently oppressive to and unnavigable for women.
Praseodymium Oxide and Organic Modified Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles for Electrodeposition of Nickel-Ceramic Nanocomposites to Enhance Corrosion Protection and Mechanical Properties
Authors:   , Sanders Stephen
Published: February 2025

There is a consistent need in many industries, especially oil and gas, to develop coatings which have higher corrosion resistance and better hardness to extend the lifetime of equipment when it is exposed to hostile environments. Electrodeposition has been a favorable method in the synthesis of metal coatings because of its low cost, convenience, ability to work at low temperatures, and ability to control surface morphology and structure. The inclusion of ceramic nanoparticles in metal matrix composites has previously been investigated as a technique to not only increase the corrosion resistance of the native metal but also to improve the hardness and mechanical properties. Cerium oxide nanoparticles were modified through the grafting of organic groups with increasing hydrophobicity for use in nickel coatings on stainless steel to further improve the corrosion properties while maintaining the hardness of the nanocomposite coatings. The process of modifying the cerium oxide nanoparticles involved the use of aryl diazonium salts and resulted in multilayers forming on the surface of the nanoparticles. Praseodymium oxide nanoparticles were also investigated as additives to nickel coatings, since praseodymium oxide has not yet been studied as a possible corrosion protection enhancement in coatings. These coatings were evaluated for composition and corrosion using many different types of instrumental and electrochemical techniques. With the addition of both the modified cerium oxide nanoparticles and the praseodymium oxide nanoparticles into nickel coatings, an increase in coating hardness and corrosion resistance was observed over pure nickel, resulting in an improvement of the lifetime of these coatings.
Revealing the Positive Meaning of a Negation
Authors:   , Sarabi Zahra
Published: February 2025

Negation is a complex phenomenon present in all human languages, allowing for the uniquely human capacities of denial, contradiction, misrepresentation, lying, and irony. It is in the first place a phenomenon of semantical opposition. Sentences containing negation are generally (a) less informative than affirmative ones, (b) morphosyntactically more marked—all languages have negative markers while only a few have affirmative markers, and (c) psychologically more complex and harder to process. Negation often conveys positive meaning. This meaning ranges from implicatures to entailments. In this dissertation, I develop a system to reveal the underlying positive interpretation of negation. I first identify which words are intended to be negated (i.e, the focus of negation) and second, I rewrite those tokens to generate an actual positive interpretation. I identify the focus of negation by scoring probable foci along a continuous scale. One of the obstacles to exploring foci scoring is that no public datasets exist for this task. Thus, to study this problem I create new corpora. The corpora contain verbal, nominal and adjectival negations and their potential positive interpretations along with their scores ranging from 1 to 5. Then, I use supervised learning models for scoring the focus of negation. In order to rewrite the focus of negation with its positive interpretation, I work with negations from Simple Wikipedia, automatically generate potential positive interpretations, and then collect manual annotations that effectively rewrite the negation in positive terms. This procedure yields positive interpretations for approximately 77% of negations, and the final corpus includes over 5,700 negations and over 5,900 positive interpretations. I then use sequence-to-sequence neural models and provide baseline results.
Increasing Effective Thermal Resistance of Building Envelope's Insulation Using Polyurethane Foam Incorporated with Phase Change Material
Authors:   , Houl Yassine
Published: February 2025

Incorporating insulation material with phase change materials (PCMs) could help enhance the insulation capability for further building energy savings by reducing the HVAC loadings. During the phase change process between the solid and liquid states, heat is being absorbed or released by PCMs depending on the surrounding temperature. This research explores the benefits of a polyurethane (PU)-PCM composite insulation material through infiltrating paraffin wax as PCM into PU open cell foam. The new PU-PCM composite provides extra shielding from the exterior hot temperatures for buildings. Through this study, it was demonstrated that PU-PCM composite insulation could potentially help building energy savings through reducing the loads on the HVAC systems based on the building energy modeling using EnergyPlus. The Zero Energy Lab (ZØE) at the University of North Texas was modeled and studied in the EnergyPlus. It is a detached building with all wall facades exposed to the ambient. It was determined that the new PU-PCM insulation material could provide 14% total energy saving per year and reduce the electricity use due to cooling only by around 30%.
Two-Dimensional Sonata Form as Methodology: Understanding Sonata-Variation Hybrids through a Two-Dimensional Lens
Authors:   , Falterman David
Published: February 2025

One of the difficulties of nineteenth-century form studies is ambiguity in ascertaining which formal types are at work and in what ways. This can be an especially difficult problem when multiple formal types seem to influence the construction of a single composition. Drawing on some recent innovations in form studies proposed by Steven Vande Moortele, Janet Schmalfeldt, and Caitlin Martinkus, I first develop a set of analytical tools specifically made for the analysis of sonata/variation formal hybrids. I then refine these tools by applying them to the analysis of two pieces. Chopin's Fourth Piano Ballade can be understood from this perspective as primarily following the broad outlines of a sonata form, but with important influences from the recursive structures of variation forms; Franck's Symphonic Variations, on the other hand, are better viewed as engaging most of all with multiple variation-form paradigms and overlaying them with some of the rhetorical and formal structures of sonata forms. I conclude with a brief speculation on some further, more general applications of my methodology.
Liszt's Portrayal of Goethe's Faust Using Flat 6th Scale Degree as Harmonic Organizing Principle in the Faust Movement from His Faust Symphony
Authors:   , Li Chao
Published: February 2025

Franz Liszt's Faust Symphony has suffered neglect since its premiere in 1857. The analysis in this study aims to clarify some of the misunderstandings which have led to this neglect, particularly concerning Liszt's formal structure and character portrayal. In the Faust movement, the flat 6th scale degree (♭6) plays a prominent role in harmonic organization. Nineteenth-century composers sometimes used the distinct sonic color of chromatic-third progressions, as Liszt does here between C and E rather than diatonic movement by fifth to evoke a distant dream-world state. Liszt's conspicuous and form-defining use of ♭6 in the Faust movement suggests fantasy and mysterious elements ripe for programmatic interpretation. In this dissertation, I will attempt to clarify how Liszt portrayed the character of Faust by using the flat 6th scale degree as a crucial harmonic organizing principle in the Faust movement.
Transgender Representation in Mainstream Advertising
Authors:   , Maxwell Bailey
Published: February 2025

This study focuses on the transgender community's presence and portrayal in advertisements that reach a broad, mainstream audience base. Through a mixed-methods use of focus groups and qualitative content analysis, the content, context, and framings of ads between the years 2015 and 2018 are explored to illustrate current portrayals of the trans community and how the industry is approaching this subcultural group. Its findings contribute to advertising research by exploring current trends in trans portrayals in the cultural context they exist. Because trans advertising in both LGBTQ+ publications and to mainstream audience is largely unexplored, this study seeks to begin a conversation among advertising professionals. The main objective is to ultimately improve the number of genuine, positive portrayals of trans people in advertising and hold the industry accountable for the role they play in serving this community.
Information Sharing and Storage Behavior via Cloud Computing: Security and Privacy in Research and Practice and Users' Trust
Authors:   , Al Smadi Duha
Published: February 2025

This research contributes to the cloud computing (CC) literature and information science research by addressing the reality of information sharing and storage behavior (ISSB) of the users' personal information via CC. Gathering information about usage also allows this research to address the paradox between the research and practice. Additionally, this research explores the concept of trust and its role in the behavioral change relative to CC. The findings help reconcile the paradox between the two realms. Essay1 develops and tests cloud computing usage model (CCUM) that assesses ISSB. This model considers the main adoption determinants and the main drawbacks of CC. The study measures the main concerns of users found in the literature, perceived security and perceived privacy. The findings prove surprising on these concerns. Using multiple regression to analyze 129 valid survey responses, the results find that CC users are less concerned about the major issues of security and privacy and will use the technology based on peer usage. Essay 2 examines why users ignore the technology issues and elect to replace the traditional mechanisms for handling their personal information. The results of an interview-based study conducted on 11 normal users and 11 IT professionals clarify their perceptions about CC and examine its readiness to handle their information from an end-user perspective. Essay 3 explores the CC literature to identify the major factors associated with the users' trust beliefs. The research conducted in this essay groups these factors into three categories. The posited and tested model examines the effect of perceived trust on ISSB. A structural equation modeling approach is used to analyze 1228 valid responses and tests the developed cloud computing trust model. The results provide multiple implications for CC researchers, managers, and service providers.
Manipulating Fear: The Texas State Government and the Second Red Scare, 1947-1954
Authors:   , Bonewell Shaffer Allen
Published: February 2025

Between 1947 and 1954, the Texas State Legislature enacted a series of eight highly restrictive anti-communist laws. Designed to protect political, military, and economic structures in the state from communist infiltration, the laws banned communists from participating the political process, required registration of all communists who entered the state and eventually outlawed the Communist Party. Drawn from perceptions about Cold War events, such as the Truman Doctrine and the Korean War, and an expanding economy inside of Texas, members of the state legislature perceived that communism represented a threat to their state. However, when presented with the opportunity to put the laws into action during the 1953 Port Arthur Labor Strike, the state government failed to bring any charges against those who they labeled as communists. Instead of actually curtailing the limited communist presence inside of the state, members of the state government instead used the laws to leverage political control throughout the state by attacking labor, liberals in education and government, and racial minorities with accusations of communism.
"A Balloon Flower": A Study and Interpretive Guide to the Gagok of Jihoon Park
Authors:   , Choe Joanne
Published: February 2025

Jihoon Park (b.1973), a South Korean composer with over 500 compositions spanning multiple genres, is treasured in his motherland as the most noteworthy composer of his generation. This study provides an in-depth introduction of the gagok (Korean art songs) of Park to Western teachers and students of singing, discussing his compositional techniques and their application to the interpretation of his selected songs. Moreover, the introduction to International Korean Phonetic Alphabet (IKPA) to supplement the traditionally used International Phonetics Alphabet (IPA) serves as the foundation and model for further exploration into Korean art song literature by Western scholars.
Insomnia and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors:   , Pinkston Sophie Wardle
Published: February 2025

Daytime cognitive performance and sleep/wake cycles are strongly interrelated, and cognitive dysfunction has been extensively investigated in relation to insomnia. However, methods and outcomes vary widely by study, making comparison difficult without more systematic evaluation. Review of the literature reveals discrepant findings for the relationship between both subjective and objective measures of cognitive performance and insomnia. The current meta-analysis included 42 studies investigating the relationship between insomnia and cognitive performance. Results confirmed the discrepant nature of previous findings and suggest that type of cognitive performance (e.g., simple attention, procedural memory, verbal functions) is important to consider when discussing the impact of insomnia. Mixed-effect meta-analysis of aggregate effect sizes suggest impairments in working memory, complex attention, and episodic memory are significantly associated with insomnia. Analysis of the grouped subjective cognitive performance effect size revealed no significant impact of insomnia. Average age and gender makeup of the sample, study quality, and type of insomnia measure (i.e., clinical or diagnostic criteria, validated scale, or single unvalidated item) did not consistently moderate findings. These results confirm the equivocal nature of the relationship between insomnia and cognitive performance. Overall, about 44% of the studies included in the analysis failed to use DSM or ICSD criteria when categorizing insomnia. Additionally, the cognitive measures used varied widely and certain measures may not be sensitive enough to detect the degree of cognitive deficit that may be present for individuals with insomnia. This indicates a need for the standardization of methods used when assessing both insomnia and cognitive performance to elucidate these relationships.
Effects on the Use of Technology-Based Self-Monitoring for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis
Authors:   , Robertson Ryan S
Published: February 2025

Self-monitoring involves teaching students to be aware of their own behavior, and be able to record whether the behavior happened or not. The present study uses meta-analysis of single case design (SCD) studies to evaluate the effectiveness of self-monitoring interventions that use electronic devices during implementation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eligible studies were accessed to determine design quality, and examine the use of self-monitoring for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Studies were evaluated against inclusion-exclusion criteria. The studies that met inclusion criteria (n = 15) were assessed with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for methodological rigor. The WWC standards were applied to baseline and intervention phases. There were a total of 12 studies with 32 students diagnosed with ASD that met SCD standards without, and with reservations. The 12 studies were evaluated using the Tau-U effect size metric to quantify the percentage of change that was attributed to the self-monitoring intervention. Overall, omnibus Tau-U was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.89, 1.0]). Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Synthesis and Characterization of Triphenylene-BODIPY Paddle Wheel Conjugates for Ultra-Fast Light Induced Charge Separation Yielding High-Energy Charge-Separated States
Authors:   , Cantu Robert
Published: February 2025

In the development of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), often the scaffold linkers are assumed to be electro- and photoinactive, and this was also to be the case for 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene, a tritopic linker. However, as demonstrated in the present study, the reaction product of this linker, hexaoxatriphenylene, is electron rich and when connected to a suitable photosensitizer engages itself in an efficient excited-state charge separation process. In the present study, we have employed BF2-chelated dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs) as sensitizers, which are connected to hexaoxatriphenylene through the center boron, rendering paddle-wheel-type structures. Systematic photophysical, electrochemical, computational, and photochemical studies involving pump-probe femtosecond transient spectroscopy have been performed to establish efficient charge separation in these novel supramolecular structures.
The Effect of Trauma Experiences and PTSD Severity on Positive Memory Recall and Memory Phenomenology
Authors:   , Dolan Megan
Published: February 2025

Positive memories play an important role in the etiology and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, there are potential clinical benefits of recalling positive memories on affect, cognitions, and behaviors. However, most research/clinical work has focused on the role of traumatic memories in PTSD's symptomatology and treatment. The current study examined positive memory recall difficulties and positive memory phenomenology among 185 trauma-exposed individuals with varying PTSD severity. Participants completed the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Autobiographical Memory Test, Memory Experiences Questionnaire – Short Form, Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire, Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale – Brief 16-Item Version, Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale – Positive Emotions, the Positive Affect subscale of the Affective Control Scale, and two items from the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Results showed that (1) greater PTSD severity was a marginally significant predictor of fewer recalled positive memories; (2) greater positive emotional dysregulation predicted fewer recalled positive memories controlling for PTSD severity; and (3) increasing PTSD severity predicted more negative valence, less vividness, less coherence, less accessibility, less clear time perspective, fewer sensory details, and greater distancing ratings of the recalled positive memory, controlling for sleep quantity/quality. Such findings add to the PTSD-positive memory literature by informing PTSD theoretical perspectives; enhancing an understanding of if/how positive memories may be incorporated into PTSD treatments; and highlighting potential clinical targets, such as positive emotional regulation skills, when integrating a focus on positive memories into PTSD intervention.
Hispanic Students' Perceptions of How Well Public High School Prepared Them for College
Authors:   , Soto Lionel
Published: February 2025

Although Hispanics are graduating from high school at greater rates, it is not leading to college success as college graduation rates remain low. In Texas, the Hispanic population has grown to the point that one out of three of all Texans are Hispanic. A phenomenological approach to research was used to investigate the perceptions of Hispanic college students on how well their public high school prepared them for college. Through face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions, eight Hispanic college students provided insight concerning their high school experience and how it translated into college readiness. Four questions guided the study: 1) in what ways do Hispanic college students believe their public high school prepared or failed to prepare them academically for post-secondary education; 2) in what ways do Hispanic college students believe their public high school prepared or failed to prepare them culturally for post-secondary education; 3) in what ways do Hispanic college students believe their public high school prepared or failed to prepare them socio-emotionally for post-secondary education; and 4) how do Hispanic students perceive their cultural identity in regards to their high school experience. Findings revealed four themes relating to how Hispanic students perceive their high school experience prepared them for college which include, academic readiness, cultural readiness, socio-emotional readiness, and cultural identity. The research demonstrated the complex process of transitioning from high school to college for Hispanics.
Viewing Colorblindness through the Eyes of Black, Female Early Childhood Educators: A Photovoice Project
Authors:   , Rideaux Kia S.
Published: February 2025

The rationale of color-blind ideology in the socializing space of the early childhood classroom encourages that racial, cultural, and ethnic differences remain unrecognized. Demographic shifts of diverse marginalized populations within majority, White suburban schools require the analysis of dominant ideologies that potentially leave biases unchallenged. This photovoice project centered the voice of three Black, early childhood educators working within majority White suburban schools in the South to explore how they rationalized the discourse of color-blind ideology in their professional and personal lives. Findings showed that Black women's critical social location within a racialized society and their historical engagement with Black oppositional knowledge structured oppositional knowledges and embodied critiques of suburban spaces. They crafted wisdoms for engaging and navigating tensions with colleagues, parents, and administrators and nurtured embodied perspectives, resisting stereotypical images of Black women and girls. Deconstructed dominant ideologies in the socializing space of the early childhood classroom extend and modify our understanding of racialized knowledge in our educational spaces and offer transformative readings of color-blind ideology.
The Brazilian Art Song and the Non-Brazilian Portuguese Singer: A Performance Guide to Nine Songs by Alberto Nepomuceno
Authors:   , Riggs Rawlianne
Published: February 2025

Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920) is considered to be the father of the Brazilian art song. With a total of seventy songs, Nepomuceno revolutionized and established a new path to the Brazilian art song. His songs were innovative because they: (1) incorporated folk elements in his songs, (2) introduced Portuguese as a language acceptable in bel canto style and (3) established Brazilian songs in the tradition of the European vanguard. His approach influenced several composers including his young student Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), one of the most significant Latin American composers. The purpose of this research is to inform singers and teachers about one of Brazil's most significant art song composers, and to provide the necessary tools--Brazilian Portuguese diction guide, IPA and poem translations of the selected songs--for effective and accurate performances and interpretations.
An Efficient Approach for Dengue Mitigation: A Computational Framework
Authors:   , Dinayadura Nirosha
Published: February 2025

Dengue mitigation is a major research area among scientist who are working towards an effective management of the dengue epidemic. An effective dengue mitigation requires several other important components. These components include an accurate epidemic modeling, an efficient epidemic prediction, and an efficient resource allocation for controlling of the spread of the dengue disease. Past studies assumed homogeneous response pattern of the dengue epidemic to climate conditions throughout the regions. The dengue epidemic is climate dependent and also it is geographically dependent. A global model is not sufficient to capture the local variations of the epidemic. We propose a novel method of epidemic modeling considering local variation and that uses micro ensemble of regressors for each region. There are three regressors that are used in the construction of the ensemble. These are support vector regression, ordinary least square regression, and a k-nearest neighbor regression. The best performing regressors get selected into the ensemble. The proposed ensemble determines the risk of dengue epidemic in each region in advance. The risk is then used in risk-based resource allocation. The proposing resource allocation is built based on the genetic algorithm. The algorithm exploits the genetic algorithm with major modifications to its main components, mutation and crossover. The proposed resource allocation converges faster than the standard genetic algorithm and also produces a better allocation compared to the standard algorithm.
An Overview and Performance Guide to the 10 Etudes for Guitar by Giulio Regondi
Authors:   , Lochbaum Stephen
Published: February 2025

The 10 Etudes for Guitar by Giulio Regondi represent the pinnacle of technical achievement for nineteenth century guitar performance. Dense textures, large stretches, fast scales and arpeggios, and obscure modulations are used in combinations that were unrivalled among his contemporaries. The etudes were not published until the late twentieth century and have not had generations of guitarists solving their challenges and teaching them to younger generations of students. Right-hand fingerings are virtually non-existent in published versions, but a thorough study of period sources yields several strategies; examples from each etude are provided. Modern right-hand scale philosophy, such as playing scales with "a," "m," and "i" in the right-hand are addressed and further example provided to give players several solutions to choose from. Right-hand fingering implies articulation and several interpretations are analyzed for each etude where they exist. Left-hand fingerings are sporadically present in modern editions but are often lacking in the most difficult passages. Stretching techniques from other string instruments can be applied to the guitar and one technique in particular can be applied to the most difficult stretches in Regondi in numerous instances. For some of the most challenging textures several solutions are given. The etudes of Regondi can prepare the guitarist for challenges found in playing music that is not written for the guitar or even by guitarists which consists of a substantial portion of the modern concert guitarist's repertoire. His music pushes what is possible on the guitar and borderlines what many would call idiomatic. This paper establishes a small number of techniques that will allow players to solve any challenge presented in the etudes from multiple technical viewpoints.
Effects of Telepractice for Training Autism Teachers to Contrive Motivating Operations
Authors:   , Shearer Carin R
Published: February 2025

The rising rate of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has resulted in challenges for teachers in public schools, concerning the delivery of evidence-based practices for superior outcomes. Thus, school districts are in need of professional learning options that can be efficiently and effectively delivered to improve the procedural fidelity of interventions. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using telepractice to teach autism teachers how to contrive motivating operations to teach manding to students with ASD. By utilizing multiple baselines across participants design, four autism teachers in public schools received intervention support through an online module along with video models as well as direct performance feedback from autism specialists via video-conferencing. The primary dependent variable was the percentage of correct responses from the instructional procedures of task analysis, and the secondary measure was the subsequent rate of student mands. Data were analyzed both visually (i.e., through the study of behavioral patterns) and statistically (i.e., analysis of effect size). Results indicate that telepractice increased accuracy of both teacher and student target responses.
Language Learning and the Trumpet: Correlations and Advantages of Utilizing Language Learning Techniques in Trumpet Practice and Instruction
Authors:   , Lankford Jacquelyn
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this document is to examine the effects of learning music similarly to the way humans learn language to answer the following questions: (1) what are the correlations between language learning and music learning? and (2) how can the ideals of language learning be used to maximize the effectiveness of the music learning process? To achieve this, the stages of language acquisition is examined alongside Edwin Gordon's skill learning sequence to draw comparisons between the music and language learning processes. Examined materials include common beginning band method books and trumpet-specific materials. Common problems public school educators face, as well as solutions to those difficulties are addressed. The solutions are concepts inspired by the language learning process that can be utilized to maximize the learning at both the beginning and advanced stages of learning. A beginner level piece ("Lyra" from Trumpet Stars by H.A. Vandercook) and an advanced level piece ("Danse" from Incantation, Threne, and Danse by Alfred Desenclos) are examined thouroughly with these ideals in mind. In order to maximize results of the music learning process, incorporation of language acquisition ideals is necessary not only at the beginning of one's musical journey, but also into the later years of higher-level learning. Through this, a musician can achieve maximum results with any musical endeavor, ultimately presenting the true opportunity for expression through music.
The Evolution of the Ride Cymbal Pattern from 1917 to 1941: An Historical and Critical Analysis
Authors:   , Clark Colleen
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study is to provide a historiographical and musical analysis examining the jazz ride cymbal pattern, from its inception on woodblock, small accessory cymbals, hand cymbal mechanisms and brushes through what becomes known as the modern-day ride cymbal pattern. This research examines a wide array of drummers and bandleaders, with the objective of identifying the earliest recordings of this important addition to jazz drumming, and popular music history while analyzing the ride cymbal pattern's evolution through definitive recordings. The study begins with the earliest known recordings that clearly display the pattern as it is played on any of the instruments mentioned above. The research concludes with the jam sessions of the early 1940s at Minton's Playhouse, where the pioneer of bebop drumming, Kenny Clarke, experimented with altering the pattern. At this point, the pattern reach its final level of maturity and has since experienced no subsequent major modification. The historical and geographical analysis uses relevant literature from the field of jazz history in order to interpret and evaluate the impact of the the overall trajectory of the music and players. By surveying newspaper and magazine articles, archival interviews, and photographic sources, combined with audio and film analysis, it is clear that drummers navigated a path to the maturation of the pattern.
Who is Who in Zimbabwe's Armed Revolution? Representation of the ZAPU/ZIPRA and the ZANU/ZANLA in High School History Textbooks Narratives of the Liberation War
Authors:   , Sibanda Lovemore
Published: February 2025

The liberation war was a watershed event in the history of Zimbabwe. According to the ZANU PF (Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front) ruling elites, an understanding of the common experiences of the people during the liberation war provides the best opportunity to mold a common national identity and consciousness. However, the representation of important historical events in a nation's history is problematic. At best events are manipulated for political purposes by the ruling elites, and at the worst they are distorted or exaggerated. In Zimbabwe, the representation of the ZAPU/ZIPRA and the ZANU/ZANLA as liberation movements in high school history textbooks during the armed struggle is a hot potato. This study critically examined and explored the contested "representational practices" of the ZAPU/ZIPRA and the ZANU/ZANLA as liberation movements during the Zimbabwean armed revolution. By means of qualitative content analysis, seven high school history textbooks from Zimbabwe were analyzed. Drawing from postcolonial perspectives and insights, particularly Fanon's concept of the pitfall of national consciousness, the study unveiled the way in which Zimbabwean high school textbooks portrayed the ZAPU/ZIPRA and the ZANU/ZANLA as very different liberation movements whose roles and contributions were unequal. High school textbooks depicted the ZANU/ZANLA as a radical revolutionary and people-oriented liberation movement totally committed to the armed struggle and the ZAPU/ZIPRA as a moderate party not dedicated to the armed revolution. In a nutshell, the high school history textbooks glorified and celebrated the political and military achievements of the ZANU/ZANLA and suppressed while not completely ignoring those of the ZAPU/ZIPRA. Although the findings of this study will not solve the problem of high school textbooks (mis) representation of the roles and contributions of the ZAPU/ZIPRA and the ZANU/ZANLA in the armed struggle, the study can serve as a "tool of resistance" by exposing the continual abuse and misuse of history education by postcolonial ruling elites to preservice teachers, classroom teachers, teacher education programs and textbook publishers.
Patient Experience of Cultural Competency in a Hospital Setting
Authors:   , Thomas Ashley Nicole
Published: February 2025

Anthropological research conducted in a local Texas hospital provides data to analyze cultural competency. Increasing health equity is a key aspect of cultural competency literature, hospital, and national goals. Examining the local context allows for the analysis of how one hospital can affect public health in the area by using patient-centered care. Using observational and interview data to create the ideal of the patient journey shows how patient families experience cultural competency. Overall, the patient families felt they experienced culturally competent healthcare, however from the hospital structure perspective there could more goals to attain.
Independence of Mania and Depression across 4 Years in Bipolar Disorder
Authors:   , Bennett Charles B.
Published: February 2025

If mania and depression are part of the same pathological processes, one would predict that episodes of one prospectively increase the odds of episodes of the other. The aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis. For comparison purposes, their relationship was contrasted to the relationship between mania and periods of psychosis. Exploratory analyses also tested the degree to which episodes of each occur with greater frequency over time (i.e., kindling). Participants for the present study came from the Suffolk County Mental Health Project (N = 628), a study of first-admission patients with psychosis. Of these participants, 144 met diagnostic criteria for bipolar I disorder and were analyzed for the current study. Results indicated that mania in a given month predicted depression the following month, even after controlling for other symptoms. The reverse, however, was not the case. Mania and psychosis, in contrast, were found to be robust predictors of one another from month to month. Effects were not due to treatment or demographic differences. These findings provide evidence that mania and depression are weakly related. In contrast, mania and psychosis are more closely linked. Findings are consistent with suggestions that psychiatric nosology regroup mania more closely with thought disorders rather than with internalizing or depressive ones. They also alert clinicians to the strong, longitudinal persistence and comorbidity among these syndromes.
An Introduction to Contemporary Characteristics in Twentieth-Century Piano Music for the Late-Intermediate Student: A Pedagogical Analysis of the Bagatelles, Opus 5 by Alexander Tcherepnin
Authors:   , Ai Meilin
Published: February 2025

Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977) was a Russian-born American composer, his musical style represents the modern and diverse features of much twentieth-century piano music. The purpose of this research is to conduct a comprehensive pedagogical analysis of Alexander Tcherepnin's Bagatelles, Op. 5 with the goal of introducing contemporary characteristics in twentieth-century piano music for the late-intermediate student. Chapter 2 contains overall biographical information regarding Alexander Tcherepnin and a discussion of the general compositional style of his piano works. Chapter 3 analyzes the Bagatelles, Op. 5 from the perspective of musical challenges concerning the contemporary characteristics, including contemporary harmony: interval of seconds, non-tertian chords, special use of the seventh chords, and ninth chords; contemporary rhythm and meter: shifted accents, asymmetric meter, meter change, and ostinato; modal melodic resources and tonalities; and other special tonalities. Chapter 4 has suggestions on fingering, pedaling, articulation, tone, dynamics and phrasing, and practicing procedures for individual technical difficulties. Studying the Bagatelles, Op. 5 provides a transition for the student from learning standard repertoire of the eighteenth and the nineteenth century, to contemporary repertoire through the combination of Russian compositional traditions with twentieth century repertory.
Modeling Marijuana Use Willingness and Problems as a Function of Social Rejection and Social Anxiety
Authors:   , Cloutier Renee
Published: February 2025

Marijuana is the second most commonly used substance in the US. A growing literature suggests that socially anxious individuals use marijuana to manage their symptoms in social situations, which may explain why they are also more likely to experience problems. Unfortunately, the majority of the literature is based on research conducted with adult samples or the co-occurrence of diagnoses in adolescent samples. The proposed study sought to test the link between social anxiety (SA) and proxies for ‘real-time' marijuana use behaviors (i.e., use willingness) as well as use-related problems among adolescents. Participants were 69 adolescents (15-17; 55% female) recruited from the community reporting any lifetime marijuana use. Participants were randomly assigned to a novel social rejection or neutral laboratory task and completed measures of SA, marijuana use frequency, and related problems. Consistent with adult findings, main effects of SA and experimental condition on marijuana use willingness were expected to be qualified by an interaction in which the greatest marijuana use willingness would occur among high SA youth post-rejection (H1), SA would be positively related to marijuana use problems (H2), and among adolescents in the rejection condition, marijuana use willingness would be positively correlated with use problems (H3). Only H2 was supported, highlighting areas of convergence and divergence in the role of SA and social stress on marijuana outcomes. These data stand to improve the scientific knowledge on the relative roles of SA and social stress on marijuana use within an understudied, high-risk population and help inform future intervention efforts.