bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of TikTok Use on Social Capital among Young Adults
Authors:   , Tam Adrian Zhi Tin
Published: October 2024

The evolution of the Internet has connected people worldwide through various social media applications (i.e. Facebook, Instagram). One of which is the trending and controversial social media platform known for its short-form content, TikTok. Additionally, social capital theory pertains to a person's capacity to acquire benefits and valuable goods through meaningful social relationships and group affiliations. This quantitative study explores how the emergence of TikTok impacts social capital theory among young adults. The respondents were 18 to 25-year-olds who use TikTok (N = 490). The findings demonstrate that TikTok cultivates trust in content creators' authenticity and credibility, fostering meaningful interactions and communication dynamics among users. Interactions on TikTok, including likes, comments, and shares, serve as expressions of social support. Users engage actively by creating and sharing short videos, participating in trends and challenges, and directly interacting with content creators. This research contributes to our understanding of digital social interactions and highlights the importance of tailored engagement strategies to enhance social capital in online environments.
Total Praise: An Analysis and Performance Guide of "Come As You Are" (2020) by Steven Banks
Authors:   , Allen Ricardo John
Published: October 2024

Music written by Black composers has often been overlooked in the classical saxophone community regarding study and performance. One piece that is inspired directly by Black culture is Steven Banks' Come As You Are (2020). In this composition, Banks incorporates material directly from classic Negro spirituals and Gospel church hymns. The purpose of this document is to assist in educating classical saxophone pedagogues and performers about a work from an underrepresented composer who is clearly meritorious and whose work is worthy of being added to what might be considered by many as the standard repertoire for the saxophone. Included in this document is a performance guide of Come As You Are, as well as an oral history provided by the composer, Steven Banks.
Dissertation: A Performance Guide to Jake Heggie's "Songs for Murdered Sisters"
Authors:   , Rodriguez Christopher Robert Briggs
Published: October 2024

Songs for Murdered Sisters is a song cycle by Jake Heggie with poetry by Margaret Atwood based on the murders of three women in Ontario, Canada, all of whom were killed by the same former romantic partner in September 2015. Joshua Hopkins, baritone and brother of one of the women, commissioned composer Jake Heggie to write a cycle to memorialize his sister and draw awareness to the problem of violence against women. This document is to be used by singers and pianists in their performance and preparation of the cycle.
Navigating the Manager-AI Divide
Authors:   , Chandwani Sanjeev Narain
Published: October 2024

Employee performance evaluations have been subject to a lot of criticism and organizations are now leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance and maximize the efficiency and accuracy of these performance evaluations. Although organizations assume that AI-driven performance evaluation systems will enhance traditional performance evaluation systems, a growing body of research documents the phenomenon of algorithm aversion, the human tendency to discount algorithm/computer generated advice more heavily than human advice. Using an employee performance evaluation setting, I conduct an experiment to examine how managers will resolve differences between two contradictory judgments, their own judgment and an AI's judgment. I find that in addition to algorithm aversion and an individual's attitude towards technology, the performance evaluation measures (objective or subjective), and more importantly, the consequence of the decision on the employee strongly influenced the manager's reliance on AI. Specifically, managers resolved conflict between AI and their own decision by relying on decisions that were in the employee's favor. The study contributes to existing research on the adoption of AI and management accounting research.
Examination of the Associations between Psychopathic and General Personality Traits in Offenders
Authors:   , Bubeleva Katherine Victoria
Published: October 2024

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has long been associated with significant behavioral, interpersonal, and affective problems. However, its core components and overall construct continue to be a point of heated debate amongst researchers, despite a robust pool of literature supporting its status as a distinct diagnosis from other personality pathologies. Recently, a subset of scholars have suggested that personality disorders are, in fact, extreme manifestations of normative personality traits and can be adequately identified and modeled utilizing extant measures of general personality. Using a large offender sample, the current study investigated the relationships between psychopathic traits and various domains and facets of general personality, as conceptualized by the Five Factor Model (FFM). The structures of the PCL-R and NEO-FFI-3 were analyzed by comparing a range of structural equation models. The correlations between these measures' domains and facets were also compared to those of extant findings. Furthermore, as previous research has suggested the existence of psychopathic subtypes within this construct, the current study also utilized a person-centered approach to investigate whether these subtypes could be identified within this study's sample and, if so, whether they displayed different profiles on the FFM domains and facets. Results supported arguments that these constructs are related but different from each other, challenging exertions that psychopathy and other personality pathologies can be successfully subsumed within the FFM structure.
Examining Data-Driven Demand Models Using Text-Mining and Analytical Approaches
Authors:   , Gulzari Adeela
Published: October 2024

This research evaluates data-driven demand models using natural language processing techniques and analytical approaches. The first essay offers a comprehensive review of data-driven newsvendor literature and applies natural language processing techniques, including latent semantic analysis, latent Dirichlet allocation and cluster analysis to analyze the text data. This study highlights emerging trends and future research directions in the field of data-driven newsvendor research. The second essay contributes to the data-driven newsvendor inventory management literature by proposing nonparametric approaches that include Tobit and quantile regression incorporating leverage values under conditions of homogeneity and heterogeneity. Lastly, the third essay addresses the optimization of healthcare facility location and resource allocation in post-earthquake scenarios, presenting a linear programming model with telemedicine integration for effective disaster response. This study applies the model to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan. These essays collectively highlight the potential of data-driven methodologies in enhancing decision-making processes across diverse domains, while also pointing towards future research directions to address inherent complexities and uncertainties of the models.
Presidential Legitimacy Rhetoric: Content, Context, and Consequences
Authors:   , Wise Stephanie
Published: October 2024

Scholars, journalists, and politicians speak frequently about the legitimacy of political institutions; yet there is little known about the precise elements that comprise the concept of legitimacy. I draw from a broad literature across the social sciences to present a coherent, multi-dimensional theory of legitimacy. I advance also a theory of presidential legitimacy rhetoric, arguing that presidents will use legitimacy rhetoric most when prompted by crisis conditions or in precedential contexts which mandate the use of language on institutions' legitimacy. Using text analysis on presidential speeches from 1961-2022, I demonstrate that presidents have indeed used legitimacy rhetoric more frequently during periods of crisis. I find subsequently, with original survey experiment data, that presidential legitimacy rhetoric has a significant impact on public attitudes, though not in the direction of the president's remarks. This dissertation therefore contributes to extant literature on presidential leadership by producing original evidence that presidents are largely defensive and limited actors in the U.S. political system, frequently turning to legitimacy rhetoric to exploit existing political conditions yet nevertheless typically unable to shift public opinion to fit their own views.
"In einem Augenblick"
Authors:   , Reed Patrick Edward
Published: October 2024

The way in which one perceives a temporal sense of time while listening to or interacting with music is heavily influenced by the way the composer presents their musical or visual materials. This dissertation discusses concepts and technical approaches regarding timelessness in relation to my piece, In einem Augienblick, and the ways in which I explore a displaced approach to interactivity between audio, video, and performance for clarinet and live interactive electronics and video. By referencing the writings of Johnathan Kramer and using models of references from other composers, most notably György Kurtág, this document contemplates and synthesizes a variety of different methodologies and their practical applications to discuss the approach of timelessness, temporal change, and shifts in musical time taken in In einem Augienblick. In my piece, multiple elements of visual and sonic material are utilized in conjunction with each other to create this stagnant but shifting musical world, which will be discussed by presenting examples from the score, video, and electronics to show how each of these elements work together to create moments of timelessness in the piece.
Warren Benson's "The Dream Net for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet" (1975): A Performance Guide
Authors:   , Stookey Matthew Stephen
Published: October 2024

Warren Benson's The Dream Net for alto saxophone and string quartet (1975) is often overlooked in the chamber music repertoire. Benson aims to blend the differing timbres of the saxophone with a string quartet through the use of extended techniques and non-standard notation in the parts of all ensemble members. As composers have sought to utilize the full timbral potential of the saxophone, they have found the need to invent notation markings for the performer to interpret as a means of achieving the desired effect. The Dream Net is a perfect example of this, and visually the score can be quite difficult to read. The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide for any saxophonists and string quartets that wish to perform the work. Included in this document is a performance guide of The Dream Net as well as an analysis of Benson's use of extended techniques.
A Study of the Beethoven Piano Sonata Opus 111 as Edited by Hans von Bülow with the Comparison of Historical and Critical Editions
Authors:   , Choi Gia Jiha
Published: October 2024

Beethoven’s musical descendants, such as Carl Czerny, Franz Liszt, Hans von Bülow (Bülow), and Artur Schnabel, realizing that Beethoven’s music needed more directions, published their own Beethoven sonata editions. Czerny and Liszt tried to retain as much of Beethoven’s manuscript as possible in their editions, but later pianist editors such as Bülow and Schnabel boldly added many indications. Bülow’s Beethoven Sonata edition, which was admired by Liszt and was used by Liszt to teach his pupils in his later years, acquired some notoriety among serious pianists and piano students. The reasons for this notoriety were two-fold. First, Bülow’s additions and alterations were believed to be his own interpretations. Second, Bülow’s Beethoven Sonata edition, which is still in print today contains many misprints. The distinction between these two issues is the focus of this dissertation. In this study, I examine the issue of Bülow’s alterations by extensively researching the following accounts: seven historical sources including Beethoven’s manuscripts and early editions; nine editions edited by Beethoven’s musical descendants, Beethoven scholars and musicologists; and three historical recordings created by Beethoven’s musical descendants. This dissertation compares these accounts with Bülow’s edition, particularly the Allegro movement of Beethoven Sonata Op. 111. The comparative study in this dissertation sheds light on Beethoven’s intent for his composition and clarifies whether Bülow’s alterations in his edition were based on his own interpretation, reflect what he learned from Liszt—a close musical descendant of Beethoven, or are simply misprints.
Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Remote Instruction: Implications for Future Educational Practices
Authors:   , Norton Samantha Marie
Published: October 2024

This dissertation used three independent studies to evaluate learning adaptations, techniques, and tools in response to COVID-19. Study 1 provides a personal narrative about COVID-10 and school closures. The first-hand reflection explores technologies used for remote education and how the technologies can improve learning experiences. Study 2 is a literature review identifying the challenges faced in providing engaging lessons and overcoming technology fatigue. Study 3 is an empirical study providing insight into the continued use of video instruction and virtual simulations. Collectively, the manuscripts in this dissertation provide the factors influencing the normalization of digital tools used during remote learning. The technology adoption cycle and the normalization process theory are used to discuss factors that influence the normalization of tools and techniques post-pandemic. The findings of this dissertation provide insight into future uses of digital tools and techniques, given the lessons learned from emergency remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fourth Estate on Trial: Examining Partisan Bias in Broadcast and Cable News Coverage of the First Trump Impeachment
Authors:   , Montgomery Joshua Phillip
Published: October 2024

I examine partisan bias in broadcast and cable news coverage of the first impeachment of President Trump by evaluating how well three theories of news generation—network bias, marketplace incentives, and institutional forces—predict coverage, framing, and tonal biases. While no single theory provides a complete explanation of all partisan bias, institutional forces explain impeachment coverage better than either network bias or marketplace incentives. This research also highlights the nuanced nature of partisan frame representation, and suggests that institutional and marketplace theories better predict partisan frame diversity than theories of a partisan press. Finally, analysis of tonal bias reveals complex variations across and within news mediums, challenging simplistic narratives of network bias. My research shows that many of the professional norms and routines that have long been known to influence news generation continue to do so even as they evolve.
"Saba and Savta"
Authors:   , Davis Shelley Ilyssa
Published: October 2024

Focusing on the search for family history and identity, Saba and Savta is a personal and participatory documentary film about a Jewish-Italian couple, married for 50 plus years, searching for their lost family history while preserving what culture they know, before their memory dissipates. Sheldon and Joan Treibitz, residents of Lake County, FL for 20 years, travel back to Brooklyn, New York to visit the places of their birth, where they raised their children and where their family members are laid to rest. Joan and Sheldon take viewers and their granddaughter, Shelley, the director of the film, on a journey of acceptance and the chronicling of a family's history as they revisit their past lives in Brooklyn, and their family's first documented history in the United States, Ellis Island; Rewriting and sharing their past with the future generation of their family.
Escape from the Second Cave
Authors:   , Husband Teryn Brianna
Published: October 2024

The divide between Reason, otherwise known as "philosophy," and Revelation, otherwise known orthodoxy or religion, is hardly a new phenomenon. However, the beginning of the Enlightenment saw a new kind of warfare between the two. Oddly enough, almost as soon as the fighting began, the battlefield was abandoned without a victor being declared. Key questions pertaining to the battle between orthodoxy and the Enlightenment were taken for granted over time, until a victor was assumed without a conclusive defeat taking place. Humanity fell into a cave—unaware of the fundamental question—deeper and darker than its original state. This paper will explore the views of Leo Strauss concerning the causes, ramifications, and possible solution to the war between Enlightenment and Revelation.
A Force Free Procedure to Expand Food and Medicine Ingestion in Equines
Authors:   , Kring Anja
Published: October 2024

De-worming is an important and well-researched part of equine husbandry. However, the de-worming process has been problematic as horses often display avoidance behavior toward the oral administration of the paste. The current study was designed to investigate a force-free method to teach equines to voluntary ingest five novel target stimuli including de-wormer. This method was based on a fading procedure. Participants were initially presented with a highly preferred food stimulus. Over the course of the study, the target stimuli were blended into the highly preferred food stimulus at increasingly higher ratios. By the end of the procedure, only the target stimuli were presented. Four horses participated in the study. After treatment, three of the four horses voluntarily ingested all five target stimuli. The fourth horse voluntarily ingested two novel stimuli and the other three novel stimuli if blended with three quarters of an ounce of pellets. Overall, the procedure was successful and provides a non-aversive alternative to existing de-worming strategies.
Precarious Listening in the Domestic Soundscape and Beyond: Objects and Environmentalisms
Authors:   , Bissell Jacob Steven
Published: October 2024

In this thesis, I examine listening as a neural, cognitive, and behavioral phenomenon that just as much accounts for subject-formation as any other practice of everyday life. I center the performed sonic and musical characteristics of mundane sound objects found within the home and beyond – through direct sensory observation, domestic field recordings, contemporary sound performance, and ethnographic interviews – to ultimately uncover an analytic of precarious listening, or material-semiotic relationships built between sound objects and listening subjects through co-occurring articulations of precarity, such as the breaking down of a family heirloom during end-of-life care, or the shared liminality of transborder students and objects of their material culture. As the domestic soundscape continues to relationally permeate social, material, and environmental significance to (non)humans, I offer precarious listening as a tactic towards an ethics of care against the normative logics of which late modernity operates.
Without Borders: Measuring the Invariance and Universality of Psychopathy in South America
Authors:   , Kim Esther
Published: October 2024

Using a structural equation modeling approach, the current study examined the latent structure of psychopathy in South America and tested whether evidence for strong (scalar) invariance could be demonstrated with the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) using male offender samples from North America (N = 591) and South America (N = 409). Notably, there were more persons meeting PCL-R criteria for psychopathy in the North (22%) versus South (15%) American sample (p < .001). Still, the latent four-factor structure of psychopathy as measured by the PCL-R (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, Antisocial) demonstrated acceptable model fit in the combined North/South American sample, (CFI/TLI= .90, RMSEA= .07) as well as when the individual samples were accounted for in a configural model (CFI = .94, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .06). Full metric invariance (∆CFI = .01) and partial scalar invariance (∆CFI = .01) of the PCL-R was established between North American and South American offenders, indicating that the majority of PCL-R items were able to equally discriminate between individuals with varying levels of psychopathic characteristics and at similar levels of the underlying latent trait. At the same time, the level of latent psychopathic propensity required to meet PCL-R threshold criteria varied between North American and South American offenders—i.e., greater severity of Lifestyle and Antisocial features appeared to be necessary to differentiate between South American offenders with and without elevations in psychopathic features. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are further discussed.
Social Behavior and Cultural Analysis: A Behavior Analytic Investigation
Authors:   , Lopez Carlos Ramiro
Published: October 2024

Understanding the complexities of social behavior involves exploring both macro-level socio-cultural dynamics and micro-level neurobiological mechanisms. This dissertation presents findings from two experimental studies aimed at shedding light on different facets of social behavior. The first study focuses on the concept of the metacontingency, which involves the recurring interlocking behaviors of multiple individuals resulting in an aggregate outcome. This study examines the possibility of interlocking behavioral classes within social interactions. By employing experimental methodologies analogous to those used at the operant level, the study investigates whether natural units of interlocked behaviors emerge. The second study investigates the neuromodulatory role of oxytocin (OT) in social behavior, focusing on its effects on social reinforcement and punishment sensitivity. Utilizing a rat model and targeting the prefrontal cortex, this study explores how OT modulates the sensitivity of social consequences with both familiar cage mates and unfamiliar stranger rats. Together, these studies contribute to a comprehensive understanding of social behavior by highlighting behavioral processes at different levels of analysis.
Powerful Fingers, Elegant Bodies: Reclaiming Chinese Pipa's Feminine History
Authors:   , Mei Yuxin
Published: October 2024

The Chinese pipa has long served as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture throughout its nearly two-thousand-year history. In Chinese literary, performing, and visual arts, the pipa is almost always associated with women, even though historically, both men and women played the instrument. Since the 1990s, however, the number of female pipa players has increased sharply, to the point of dominating the field in number. Despite the feminine associations and current-day dominance of women as pipa performers, women's names rarely appear in academic works focused on the pipa arts. Women, moreover, hold an othered status within the discipline. This dissertation argues that the gendered associations of the pipa have reinforced a power structure that privileges men and excludes women from participation in the professional community by devaluing women's musicality and entertainmentizing their creative contributions. This study examines historical materials to uncover connections between the pipa and women in historical contexts. It focuses particularly on the often-overlooked context of Chinese courtesan culture as well as the role that courtesan culture played in the instrument's gendering. Furthermore, through field research, I analyze the artistic and life journeys of three generations of 20th and early 21st-centuries female pipa musicians. My personal perspective as a pipa musician and ethnomusicologist provides a first-hand account of how female pipa players interpret and construe gender identities and performances through music making.
Behaviorism and Neuroscience: Explorations into Stroke Recovery and the Dopaminergic System
Authors:   , Armshaw Jared Thomas
Published: October 2024

Every forty seconds, a stroke occurs in the United States alone. This dissertation delves into the collaborative potential of behaviorism and neuroscience to enhance post-stroke recovery through the dopaminergic pathway, while also refining the measurement of stroke indices in rodent models. In the initial study, electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area was employed to augment recovery in rodent models. The findings indicate that activating dopaminergic nuclei in conjunction with rehabilitative movement leads to superior functional recovery compared to rehabilitation alone. Subsequent investigations focused on automating the collection of post-stroke data, through self-initiation of behavioral sessions automating the collection of data, and integrating technology into traditional tests such as the cylinder test for hemiparesis. This integration facilitates the automatic capture of conventional metrics and exploration of potentially more sensitive stroke indicators. These studies offer clear methodological advantages for the study of stroke recovery, presenting promising avenues for addressing this collective challenge.
Scaling Laws for Water Entry into Surface Seal Cavities
Authors:   , Chand Chakra Bahadur
Published: October 2024

Splash and surface craters (cavities) are ubiquitous phenomena when a mass impacts an air-liquid interface, penetrating the liquid phase from the air side—a process known as water entry. Depending on the impact velocity, the formed splash and cavity might result in four types of water entry: quasi-static, shallow, deep, and surface seal. Although numerous studies have been conducted to investigate different types of water entry, surface seal water entry is not well understood yet due to the complex interaction of the splash curtain with the cavity. This research employs high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations to study the characteristics of surface seal water entry and develop formulations of the time scaling and pressure scaling laws for low and high impact velocities. CFD studies were conducted to analyze surface seal dynamics across low and high-speed regimes (U = 6 to 50 m/s). Our findings suggest that the pressure inside the cavity can be scaled based on the impact velocity, and the dimensionless surface seal time can be scaled by the pressure within the cavity. We propose new scaling laws for pressure and time regarding surface seal cavities, and we also explore the pressure, velocity, and vorticity distributions inside and outside the air cavity, alongside the characteristics of splash dynamics.
Fair Housing: An Ethnographic Evaluation of Fair Housing through Civil Rights Testing
Authors:   , Fletcher Ebone Ayonna
Published: October 2024

Despite the existence of fair housing-based legislation that renders nearly all forms of housing discrimination in the U.S. illegal, discrimination in housing persists. This applied thesis examines housing inequality through the lens of a fair housing center based in Flint, Michigan. I designed and conducted ethnographic research on the fair housing center and its role in the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and related legislation through systemic, routine, and complaint-based investigation. Specifically, my research explores (a) the historical, economical, and political events that continue to impact access to fair and equitable housing; (b) the role non-profit private fair housing organizations play in enforcing fair housing laws; and (c) the ways in which law, policy, and lived experiences of housing discrimination intersect as well as recommendations on how they can be improved. To accomplish the aforementioned goals this project gathered and analyzed the experiences of civil rights testers, fair housing coordinators, and fair housing attorneys in their respective roles at the fair housing center for a bottom-to-top comprehensive analysis of fair housing enforcement in the U.S. Additionally, I drew on the results of this research to develop recommendations for new civil rights tester training, recruitment, and retention. The recommendations I provided may assist the fair housing center with its growing demand to enforce fair housing by increasing and retaining its current tester pool, thereby expanding its enforcement capabilities.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Library Management and User Services
Authors:   , Alenezi Abdullah M S M
Published: October 2024

This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and user services of the public libraries staff in Denton County, Texas, by understanding the challenges faced by library staff during the pandemic, adaptation strategies used, and lessons learned for future crises. The study employed quantitative methodology, utilizing a survey distributed online via email to 152 library staff. Participants were selected through a random sampling method, and 107 respondents met the criteria for the study. The findings of the study are as follows: The management issues faced by the library staff involved remote work arrangements, online services provided, the need to increase the number of digital resources available, and staff training. The most common issues staff faced were providing remote library services to the user, balancing work and personal life, and attending virtual meetings using various digital platforms. The public library staff dealt with the COVID-19 changes by increasing their hours on remote work, using digital platforms, and making remote work arrangements. Despite the challenges, most participants gained valuable and positive experiences during the pandemic. It can be said that overall, COVID-19 did have an impact on the staff. The results of this study provide valuable insights for library employees, managers, policymakers, and researchers and offer guidance for future pandemic preparedness.
Profitability Premium Puzzle and Investors' Behavioral Mistakes
Authors:   , Cui Yachen
Published: October 2024

In this research, I classify all stocks into two groups: dividend and non-dividend payers and hypothesize that profitability premium may only exist among the firms with unforeseeable future cash flows, i.e., non-dividend payers. As expected, my empirical results support that profitability premium only exists among non-dividend payers but is very trivial among dividend payers. Dividends have a moderate effect on profitability premiums. To dig further into the source of profitability premium, I investigated risk and behavioral explanations from three perspectives: macroeconomics, industry, and total risks investors perceive for a firm. The evidence from empirical analysis supports that the profitability premium is mainly driven by the overpriced, unprofitable non-dividend payers, which, on average, have negative earnings announcement returns. In contrast, there is no significant positive or negative abnormal return from earnings announcements for portfolios sorted by profitability among dividend payers. Furthermore, the evidence from analyst forecast errors confirms that analysts are over-optimistic about unprofitable non-dividend-paying stocks and disagree more with their EPS forecast. Overall, the study finds that investors' expectation errors are the source of the profitability premium. It rejects the idea that risk is the profitability premium driver.
Studies on Zebrafish Thrombocytes
Authors:   , Fallatah Weam Ramadan M.
Published: October 2024

Zebrafish thrombocytes exhibit characteristics of human platelets and megakaryocytes, making them valuable for studying megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we analyzed gene expression in young and mature zebrafish thrombocytes. We identified 394 protein-coding genes unique to young thrombocytes, many corresponding with human orthologs, suggesting shared regulatory mechanisms in zebrafish and humans. We hypothesized knocking down these 394 genes should identify the novel regulatory genes that control thrombocyte maturation. To address this, we used the piggyback knockdown method to knock down these genes to study their biological functions in zebrafish thrombopoiesis. We first found the knockdown of nfe2, nfe2l1a, and nfe2l3 reduced both young and mature thrombocyte counts, confirming their role in thrombopoiesis. A comprehensive knockdown screening of the uniquely expressed genes in young thrombocytes identified 7 candidate genes associated with thrombopoiesis. We selected the spi1b gene for further mutant characterization, which revealed its critical role in young thrombocyte development, with homozygous mutations leading to embryonic lethality. Considering megakaryocyte properties in thrombocytes, we studied the potential for polyploidization in zebrafish thrombocytes. The inhibition of AURKA led to the development of polyploid thrombocytes resembling mammalian megakaryocytes, suggesting the retention of genetic programs for megakaryocyte development in zebrafish thrombocytes and providing insights into the evolutionary basis of thrombopoiesis. Thus, our study reveals critical gene expression patterns and regulatory factors in zebrafish thrombocyte development, offering insights into conserved mechanisms relevant to developmental biology and research in thrombosis and hemostasis disorder.
Catalogers' Practices Representing Thesis and Dissertation Bibliographic Records at Kuwaiti Institutions: A Comparative Case Study
Authors:   , Alazemi Mardhi F.
Published: October 2024

This study compares the practices of catalogers. Bibliographic records and subject headings were used for exploration of thesis and dissertation records in the databases of two Kuwaiti institutions to suggest ways to identify the best practices of library catalogers. This is the first research study to examine the bibliographic records for theses and dissertations in the databases of two Kuwaiti institutions. The researcher employed quantitative analysis of bibliographic records and an online survey with catalogers who created the records. The content analysis focused on the primary criteria of MARC 21 elements corresponding to the sufficiency and accessibility of the bibliographic records. The researcher observed a notable difference in the practices of the two Kuwaiti institutions' catalogers. Most significantly, there were differences in the distribution of the data in the subject heading fields. In one institution, catalogers were remarkably consistent in the numbers of subject headings and controlled vocabulary, while in the other, the data distribution was more random. This suggests greater efficiency in the recording of the subject heading by catalogers. This research has practical implications. It will benefit Kuwaiti institutions by improving catalogers' practices through increased attention to training, education, and development areas. Moreover, the research provided recommendations and suggestions for cataloging best practices and discussed the contributions, conclusions, limitations, and future research.
Three Essays on Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: The Perspective of Influencer Movement Effect, Exchange Security and Regulation
Authors:   , Mohit Hossein
Published: October 2024

The unprecedented growth of the cryptocurrency market over the past decade has attracted significant interest from various stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, and researchers. Cryptocurrencies, digital currencies that operate on blockchain technology, are revolutionary because they offer financial transactions without the need for traditional banking systems. This innovative approach to finance has reshaped the global economic landscape, presenting unique opportunities and substantial challenges. Cryptocurrency, spearheaded by the introduction of Bitcoin in 2008 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, represents a significant shift from traditional fiat currencies to a decentralized digital economy. Bitcoin and its contemporaries rely on a peer-to-peer network, utilizing cryptographic techniques to ensure transaction security and user anonymity, a characteristic has fueled both adoption and controversy. As the market has grown, so have the complexities associated with its expansion, notably in regulation, security, and market dynamics. This dissertation explores these complexities through three distinct but interconnected essays, each focusing on a different aspect of the cryptocurrency environment.
PharmaChain: Distributed Ledger Based Robust Solutions to Ensure Counterfeit-Free Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
Authors:   , Bapatla Anand Kumar
Published: October 2024

Globalization has transformed the pharmaceutical industry into a vast, interconnected network. However, this complexity has led to inefficiencies in the supply chain, with existing ERP systems struggling to keep up due to their centralized nature, resulting in a lack of transparency and increased errors. This research proposes efficient distributed ledger-based architectures to address these challenges. In Chapter 3, a new transparent supply chain architecture is introduced to eliminate blind spots and enable stakeholders to verify the authenticity of pharmaceutical products. This system creates a secure, single source of truth for the entire lifecycle of medicines, thereby eliminating counterfeits. Chapter 4 focuses on securing the cold pharmaceutical supply chain using IoT and distributed ledgers. The proposed architecture monitors and controls environmental parameters, ensuring safe drug transport. Scalability is addressed with a novel proof of authentication (PoAh) blockchain called EasyChain. In Chapter 5, the serialization of pharmaceutical products is enhanced through digital twinning, providing an efficient and cost-effective solution while complying with regulations. This research aims to create scalable and efficient pharmaceutical supply chains, reducing counterfeits and improving overall security.
Barriers to Housing Access for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors:   , Chaminuka Arthur Simbarashe
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the interaction of HIV/AIDS and housing, identifying barriers affecting people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in accessing fair housing options essential in understanding physical and mental health outcomes associated with unstable housing and homelessness in this population. This research follows a three-essay format to examine the relationship between HIV and housing. The first essay, a systematic review, evaluated peer-reviewed literature reporting housing access/insecurity/assistance/options, housing impact, and unmet needs of older individuals living with HIV in North America from 2012 to 2023. Furthermore, latent semantic analysis (LSA), a text-mining technique, and singular value decomposition (SVD) for text clustering were utilized to examine unstructured data from the abstracts selected from the review. The second essay is a quantitative study that examines the correlation between housing access to HIV-related stigma, awareness of housing assistance programs, and demographics. The results provide insight into homelessness and unstable housing experienced by PLWHA despite available resources and laws prohibiting discrimination. The third essay is a qualitative study that uses semi-structured interviews with HIV housing organizations' staff to highlight the role they play in combating homelessness, providing health and supportive services, and addressing emerging unmet needs. This research contributes to existing knowledge on housing gaps and unfulfilled needs for people living with HIV.
Impact of Language Barriers and Students' Perceptions on Classroom Knowledge Sharing: A Comparative Case Study
Authors:   , Aria Paria
Published: October 2024

This research studied the impact of language barriers and cultural experiences on students' perceptions at the University of North Texas. The population of this study were students who had taken a class with a non-native speaking instructor and those who hadn't. Following a mixed-method research approach, online surveys were distributed to the students through Canvas and listservs. Follow-up interviews were scheduled with students interested in providing more feedback about their experience. The survey and interview results showed that accent is the main communication barrier in classes taught by non-native-speaking instructors. Although previous research does not show an impact on student performance, students believe the accent of their instructor affects their performance in class, as they tend to place more effort into listening and paying attention to the lecture. Other factors impacting knowledge sharing were vocabulary and cultural awareness for both population groups of this study. Although no significant relationship existed between the cultural experience of students and their perception, interview participants with previous exposure to foreign accents were able to understand their non-native-speaking instructor more easily. This study also discovered different information-seeking and knowledge-sharing behaviors that were discussed by the interview participants. The results of this study are helpful for higher education institutions, instructors, and students to create an effective learning environment.
Club Isomorphisms between Subtrees of Aronszajn Trees
Authors:   , Kaiser Jill Renee
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we prove that it is consistent with ZFC that GCH holds and that every pair of normal Aronszajn trees contain club isomorphic subtrees.
The Role of Social Media Influencers' Credibility and Followers' Motivations in Shaping Saudi Consumer Behavior
Authors:   , Alenezi Abdullah Heleil D
Published: October 2024

The current study investigated the role of social media influencers' credibility and followers' motivations in shaping consumer behavior among Saudi consumers, focusing on key aspects of influencers' credibility (expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness) and followers' (consumers) motivations (information, socialization, and entertainment). The current study developed a framework to investigate how social media influencers' credibility and followers' motivations impact consumer purchase intention and consumer behavior, using the theory of reasoned action (TRA). The study employed quantitative research methodology, utilizing the Qualtrics platform to distribute online surveys to collect data. The study sample was 416 Saudi consumers. The study proposed a framework to describe the phenomena. The relationships were tested using liner multiple regression. SPSS software was employed for analysis of data including the demographic characteristics of participants. The study's findings showed that in relation to the influencer's credibility, the factors of trustworthiness and attractiveness had a statically significant and positive direct impact on purchase intention. However, expertise had a statistically insignificant negative impact on purchase intention. The findings showed that all the investigated factors of follower motivations, which include information, socialization, and entertainment, were statically significant and had a direct positive impact on purchase intention. The study offers significant insights into the connection between social media marketing influencers and consumer behavior, insights ultimately beneficial in the areas of both academic research and practical implications. These findings will enable marketers to optimize their strategies and improve their effectiveness within the Saudi market.
Exploratory Study of Students' Perception: Information Security Awareness among Undergraduate Business Majors in Postsecondary Educational Environments in the Post-COVID-19 Era
Authors:   , Pandian Thirunavukarasu
Published: October 2024

In academic institutions, e-learning platforms are widely used to manage learning contents, assessments, and student communication and act as a primary system for managing teaching and learning activities. Due to public health concerns during COVID-19, online learning was the primary medium of instruction used to teach students. During this time, the world also noticed the increased activity of identity theft, individual and institutional content theft, and ransom attacks in many educational institutions since most students were using digital technologies to learn, and information, including personal and intellectual content, was being shared online. This study sought to identify college students' perceptions of information security regarding online learning platforms. This study focused on college students because they are active users of online learning tools, and there is a potential need for increased awareness regarding information security measures within these tools that could potentially create vulnerabilities that may lead to security breaches. The global COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online learning methods, making it more critical for institutions to pay more attention to cybersecurity and ransom attacks. The results from this study will facilitate an understanding of student's confidence in the learning platforms and their level of knowledge related to information security while using the Internet. Additionally, the result may help e-learning platform providers to create safer and more secure solutions that protect the integrity of the information shared.
Breakdown and Adaptation: The Western Allies and the Liberation of the Concentration Camps
Authors:   , Reeves Jeremy Ray
Published: October 2024

In mid-April 1945, US and UK forces swept through Germany. The Western Allies had spent years preparing for the moment, cultivating a civil affairs capacity since the Interwar Period and devoting thousands of hours to planning for the occupation. However, the rapid pace of the advance stretched the new capability beyond its limits as frontline forces seized large swaths of Germany and encountered exponentially increasing numbers of displaced persons. The accidental discoveries of Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen and the tens of thousands of survivors suffering appalling levels of starvation and disease overwhelmed the forces dispatched to address the sites, resulting in a sluggish response. Significant flaws in Allied planning assumptions caused the breakdown that potentially cost hundreds of unnecessary deaths. Yet, operational staff officers from the Supreme Headquarters down to the division level recognized the poor response and, in two short weeks, adapted the plan to address the conditions on the front. Policy adjustments and messages from General Eisenhower removed ambiguity in existing guidance and provided clear direction to frontline forces. More importantly, the Western Allies formally merged the campaign plan guiding combat operations, OVERLORD, with the plan for occupation, ECLIPSE. The changes produced a marked improvement in the US liberation of Dachau on 29 April 1945, thereby demonstrating adaptation and innovation at the operational level of war.