bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bicultural Identity Integration and Psychological Wellness among Adult Children of Immigrants: Role of Cognitive Flexibility, Affect Regulation, and Adaptive Coping
Authors:   , Bismar Danna
Published: January 2025

Guided by the framework of bicultural identity integration (BII), a conceptual model depicting the direct and indirect effects of BII, cognitive flexibility, affect regulation, and coping on psychological wellbeing indicators (i.e., life satisfaction, depression) of adult children of immigrants (ACI) in the U.S. was developed. It was hypothesized that greater BII would contribute to greater cognitive flexibility and affect regulation, which would be associated with more utilization of adaptive coping strategies and greater psychological wellbeing. A total of 240 young ACI from across the U.S. completed the online research questionnaire that measured all variables of interest. Results from structural equation modeling analyses showed adequate model fit with the data. Findings provided support to the indirect effects of BII factors on wellbeing through affect regulation, however, the indirect effect paths are more complicated than what were hypothesized originally. Specifically, higher levels of identity harmony and identity blendedness contributed to more difficulties in emotion regulation, and subsequently, poorer wellbeing. Additionally, both cultural identity harmony and identity blendedness contributed to greater levels of cultural and relational maintenance strategies (i.e., avoidance, forbearance) in the context of intergenerational conflict through affect regulation, but not through cognitive flexibility. Notably, the latent variable of cultural coping strategies retained in the final model was not correlated with wellbeing. Findings are discussed from the BII framework and the sociological context of ACI in the U.S. Limitations, future directions, and implications for counseling, diversity, and advocacy issues are outlined.
Middle Childhood Behavioral Attachment Dimensions (MCBAD): Development and Validation of an Observational System for Coding Dimensions of Attachment Security in Middle Childhood
Authors:   , Geerts-Perry Ashley
Published: January 2025

Middle childhood is the least understood developmental period in the attachment literature, likely due to active reorganization of the attachment system during this stage. Coinciding with increased cognitive and socioemotional competencies, middle childhood attachment begins to transition from relationship-specific attachment to general attachment representations. While parents continue serving as the primary attachment figure used as a secure base and safe haven, noticeable shifts occur in terms of the need for availability over proximity to attachment figures and the child's involvement in maintaining the attachment relationship. Currently, there is no dominant conceptual or methodological approach for studying attachment in middle childhood. The present study sought to develop and validate an observational coding system examining middle childhood attachment using a dimensional approach. The Middle Childhood Behavioral Attachment Dimensions (MCBAD) system demonstrated mixed reliability and validity compared to other established attachment measures. Compared to traditional categorical attachment measures, this study provides evidence for the utility of an anxiety-avoidance dimensional attachment scale in childhood. Additionally, the MCBAD is the first observational system that examines both nonverbal and verbal attachment behaviors in an unstructured separation-reunion episode, and findings suggest a need for further examination of verbal attachment during this developmental stage.
Beyond the Hold: The Evolution of the Ship in African American Literature
Authors:   , Najera Joel Luis
Published: January 2025

In the wake of a disturbing decades-long trend in both print and visual media—the appropriation of Black history and culture—another trend is observed in works of African American fiction: the reclamation of the appropriated imagery, in both neo-slave narratives and works of Afrofuturism. The image focused on specifically in this paper is that of the ship, which I argue serves at least two identifiable functions in Black fiction: first, to address the historical treatment of Africans and their American descendants, and secondly, to demonstrate Black progress and potential. Through an exploration of three works of African American fiction, works that take their Black protagonists beyond the ship's dreadful hold, the reader can see the important themes being channeled: Charles Johnson's Middle Passage sets a course on how to arrive at true freedom, enacting a process of Black liberation that begins with learning how to survive "in the wake," a concept derived Christina Sharpe's work In the Wake: On Blackness and Being. Rivers Solomon's An Unkindness of Ghosts demonstrates not only the effects of "the hold," but how the hold itself has evolved from its origins on the slave ship; as new holds are constructed and demanded by society, rebellion is often necessary to dismantle them. Lastly, Octavia Butler's Dawn exposes the threat of neocolonialism, as well as the methodology under which subjection and enslavement is often justified. In each text, the protagonists exercise their empowerment to demonstrate that Black individuals possess the ability to change not only our nation, not only our world, but our entire universe. By tracking the evolution of ship in African American literature, a transformation is witnessed as the ship shifts from being an image of despair to an image of progress.
"Access Points"
Authors:   , Dye Aaron Charles
Published: January 2025

Access Points explores the different relationships that humans have to land, focusing on the various ways that the area known as the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is used, appreciated, and preserved by disparate groups. The natural beauty of this Wildlife Refuge and its striking appearance amidst encircling plains makes it a popular destination for many groups of people, including the local rock-climbing community and generations of indigenous peoples whose connection with this land is as deep as it is longstanding. While climbing organizations have long had to negotiate access and rules regarding climbing within the park, members of the Kiowa community negotiate a much different relationship to a natural area that is now managed by the United States government. These disparate voices, identities, and ways of thinking about land all impact the modern-day Wildlife Refuge in terms of its appearance, individuals' access to the land, and the conservation efforts happening there.
School of the Americas Graduates and the Possible Increase of Sexual Violence in South America
Authors:   , Hicks Allison A.
Published: January 2025

The School of the Americas (SOA), currently known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), is a Latin American training program run by the U.S. army since 1946. While the U.S. claimed they were training young men to serve as security personnel for South America, the trainees were often violent, acting more like CIA-trained terrorists, killing innocent people and serving as leaders in some of the worst South American dictatorial regimes. Most of these regimes heavily utilized rape as a key tactic of repression rising to the level of genocide, such as reported by other researches in both the Peruvian and Guatemalan civil wars where rape was used by SOA graduates against Indigenous populations to physically and psychologically damage the populace. While the functions of rape in civil conflicts have been identified by research and witnessed in the actions of SOA graduates, I find hesitant evidence that sexual assault was a legitimate torture and counterinsurgency tool taught at the SOA.
Development of an Enclosed Evaporation Chamber Utilizing a Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator
Authors:   , Planz Bridger T
Published: January 2025

This thesis project investigates the configuration of an enclosed evaporation chamber with the intention of converting seawater into potable freshwater. The evaporation chamber's sole heat source is provided by a Fresnel lens, located above the chamber, which concentrates sunlight onto a 3-inch diameter focal plate built into the core of the chamber. The design of the evaporation chamber is modeled after a solar still and is coupled with a heat exchanger to boost efficiency of the system. The chamber was designed with the objectives of being portable, lightweight, low cost, corrosion resistant, interchangeable, and size convenient with the goal of producing 1 Liter of freshwater per hour of operation. The evaporation chamber consists of two primary components, a core and an attached arrangement of fins, all of which are heated via the Fresnel lens. A consistent intake of 2 grams/second of saltwater enters from the top of the chamber and is then gravity fed across the fins. Fin orientation has been designed to inhibit the flow rate of water within the chamber, maximizing the surface area of contact with the heated fins. The evaporation chamber was modeled through SOLIDWORKS and underwent a physical optimization study to reduce material usage while maximizing potential for heat transfer and minimizing fluid flow rate. A symmetric profile of one quarter of the chamber was then simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics. Concentrated solar heat flux through a Fresnel lens was applied to the receiver on the top of the core. The simulation was split into a preheating and an evaporation phase. A profile approximation for the fluid flow was modeled by the CFD module. Following computer simulations, the evaporation chamber was constructed and tested.
Epistemological, Ontological, and Ethical Dimensions of Biocultural Rights: The Case of the Atrato River, Colombia
Authors:   , González Morales Valentina
Published: January 2025

In 2016, the Colombian Constitutional Court recognized the Atrato River as a subject of rights based on the theory of biocultural rights. This dissertation analyzes a new legal concept that aims to defend the rights to a good life for humans and other-than-human co-inhabitants who share river ecosystems, focusing on the case of the Atrato River in Colombia. The 3Hs framework of biocultural ethics is adopted to interconnect complex and interrelated historical, biophysical, cultural, and political dimensions. With this analysis, broader biocultural approaches are suggested. They could be valuable for understanding and implementing biocultural rights in other world regions. Moreover, it could transform the current situation that destroys biocultural diversity toward public policies that favor more just and sustainable forms of co-inhabiting biocultural diversity. A primary limitation of the implementation of biocultural rights is the context of a "failed state," in which the Colombian State is subject to severe problems of corruption, illegal mining, conflicts between legal and illegal armed groups, and drug trafficking. There is a need for a dialogue solution to the conflict. This requires that illegal armed groups are valued as co-inhabitants. Achieving social-environmental justice is essential for biocultural ethics. In this case, it is the condition of possibility for the ruling of biocultural rights of the Atrato River to be entirely carried out.
The Decision-Making Process of Transitioning to a Regenerative Agricultural System: How Disaster Resilience Fits In
Authors:   , Boyle Cassidy
Published: January 2025

Regenerative agriculture, a soil health focused alternative to conventional agriculture, has been increasingly popular among producers and consumers for its ability to produce nourishing food while also prioritizing the health of the environment. The practices used within this style of farming and ranching also have benefits that make operations more resilient to various agricultural hazards. Few studies have addressed the role of resiliency in the transition process to regenerative agriculture. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of disaster resilience in the decision-making process farmers and ranchers use as they transition to regenerative agricultural practices. Drawing from qualitative, semi-structured interviews with Texas ranchers that use regenerative methods, four major themes were found. First, climate related hazards are a recurring issue because agricultural operations are continually threatened by the same hazards. Next, the food system is in dire need of change, as producers recognize a major problem in the food system, and it is leading to a food insecure future. Also prevalent, disaster resilience is a built-in benefit because regenerative practices result in the creation of systems that build resilience. Finally, learning opportunities are expanding as an increased interest in regenerative agriculture is providing more opportunities for both producer and consumer. The implications of this study highlight new opportunities to bridge the gap between emergency management and agriculture, specifically focusing on the resilience capabilities of using regenerative methods.
Experiences of Black Student Athletes in the Advent of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic: A Qualitative Study
Authors:   , Jackson Randi D.
Published: January 2025

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a public health emergency of international concern. In March 2020, the United States government imposed impactful safety and confinement measures issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all over the country to prevent community transmission of COVID-19. Institutions of higher education rapidly transitioned to online learning and eliminated in-person engagements in the spring of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) followed a similar trajectory by shutting down all athletic activities due to the global pandemic. While college students in general notably experienced increased pandemic related distress and mental health concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety) during the early stages of the global pandemic, the disruption of collegiate sport competitions and seasons uniquely and significantly impacted collegiate student athletes and their overall well-being. In this qualitative study, I sought to document and understand the narrative of Black student athletes' experiences of stress and coping during the first two months of the COVID-19 global pandemic and cancellation of collegiate sports. Through reflexive thematic analysis, I found that psychosocial resources such as avoidance, acceptance, mindful self-compassion, health and wellness, and social support, emerged as important coping skills for the athletes in the present sample. Practical implications for athletes, coaches, support staff, mental health providers, and administrative leaders within college athletics are identified and discussed.
Using Paired Excerpts from Robert Schumann's "Album for the Young," Op. 68 and Lowell Liebermann's "Album for the Young," Op. 43 as a Teaching Resource to Make a Smoother Transition from Romantic to Modern Piano Music for Young Students
Authors:   , Cho Kyungrae
Published: January 2025

The first chapter introduces the purpose and significance of this study for the piano teacher who wants to teach twentieth-century piano music effectively at the elementary or intermediate level, combining it and comparing it with nineteenth-century piano music. The second chapter presents an overview of both Schumann and Liebermann's Album for the Young. In the third chapter, the two collections are analyzed pedagogically and compared in detail. The study should provide piano teachers with an understanding of the musical concepts of each piece and how to effectively teach students about twentieth-century music by pairing them.
A Performer's Analysis of Georg Schumann's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 19
Authors:   , Chilton Kaye Yu-Ho Chang
Published: January 2025

In the late 19th century, Georg Schumann (1866-1952) composed an attractive sonata for the cello that remains largely unknown today. By presenting a performer's analysis, this dissertation aims to position Georg Schumann's Sonata for Cello and Piano in E minor, Op. 19 (1898) amongst other more commonly performed sonatas of the era. This paper provides a detailed analysis of each movement of the sonata, an overview of the history and development of the cello sonata and an overview of Georg Schumann's biography leading up to the composition of his cello sonata.
Motivic Stratification in Fauré's Late Chamber Works: Perspectives on Voice Leading and Tonal Coherence
Authors:   , Bilik Matthew
Published: January 2025

This dissertation argues how motivic saturation on the musical surface complicates a conventional harmonic interpretation in Fauré's late chamber works. Using motivic segmentation and linear analysis, I illustrate how the abundance of foreground motives has far-reaching implications for tonal voice leading and overall coherence. The outcomes of motivic saliency are twofold, influencing harmonic progressions by 1) altering traditional syntax or 2) replacing traditional syntax to provide the primary form of tonal coherence. I unpack the voice-leading consequences of stratifying motives over one another and bring in two larger, emerging concepts: 1) key duality as disjunction between melody and bass and 2) tonal coherence from the tonal profile of motives. In the first case, either the melody or the bass projects its own center or key separate from the other parts, producing a sensation of key duality. In the second, a single motive furnishes the main source of tonal grounding by unfolding a structural harmony t
Understanding the Relationship between Critical Literacy, Cultural Literacy, and Religious Literacy for Second-Generation Immigrants
Authors:   , Khader Malak M
Published: January 2025

This study explores information seeking behavior of second-generation Muslim immigrants utilizing factors such as critical, cultural, and religious literacy skills. The study examined the second-generation immigrants' ability to balance their parents' and grandparents' native culture and traditions with the culture and traditions of their country. The interview questions were designed using the cognitive authority theory and the figured worlds theory that provides an explanation for the mentality of those who are in environments influenced by culture or religion. An interesting main finding of the study is that participants sought more religious-based rather than culturally-based information. Participants seek information from their parents, communities, and religious leaders, but are particular with who they consider credible and reliable; if the person providing the information follows a similar lifestyle to the participants, they are more likely to hold cognitive authority. Four different themes emerged from the study. The first is "religious focus" where many participants stated that religion is rather static whereas culture can evolve and change with time, location, and events. The second theme emerged is the reliance on family members for religious literacy given the close upbringing of Muslim extended family system. The third theme indicated that although information seeking behavior relied on Google and mobile devices to locate information, in verifying religious content they depended on parents and religious cognitive authorities. The fourth theme emerged is the loss of richness going forward and the concerns about the possible decline in religious information literacy for future generations.
Continuity of Hausdorff Dimension of Julia Sets of Expansive Polynomials
Authors:   , Wilson Timothy Charles
Published: January 2025

This dissertation is in the area of complex dynamics, more specifically focused on the iteration of rational functions. Given a well-chosen family of rational functions, parameterized by a complex parameter, we are especially interested in regularity properties of the Hausdorff dimension of Julia sets of these polynomials considered as a function of the parameters. In this dissertation I deal with a family of polynomials of degree at least 3 depending in a holomorphic way on a parameter, focusing on the point where the dynamics and topology of the polynomials drastically change. In such a context proving continuity is quite challenging while real analyticity will most likely break. Our approach will, on the one hand, build on the existing methods of proving continuity of Hausdorff dimension, primarily based on proving continuity, in the weak* topology of measures on the Riemann sphere, of canonical conformal measures, but will also require methods which, up to my best knowledge, have not been implemented anywhere yet. Our main result gives a surprising example where the Hausdorff dimension of the Julia set is continuous in the parameter, but where the Julia set itself is not.
Engineering Cardiac Organoid Vascularization via Fluid Shear Stress and Vascular-Promoting Growth Factors
Authors:   , Huerta Gomez Angello
Published: January 2025

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death internationally. Efforts to decrease CVD death has been explored through stem cell technology, specifically organoid formation. Current cardiac organoid models lack the vascular networks for nutrient supply and maturation. In this study, pillar perfusion technology is used to fabricate cardiac organoids and induce vascularization via dynamic culturing and the addition of vascular promoting growth factors (GFs). In addition to this study, a millifluidic chip is engineered for shear stress application via flow simulations and experimental flow analysis. We successfully optimized the millifluidic chip to achieve fluid shear stress of 20mPa and validated through particle tracking velocimetry using 0.1um diameter beads under flow. The results of cardiac organoids displayed contraction and growth of endothelial cells (ECs) under dynamic flow with GFs. In addition, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) displayed growth via GFs in both dynamic and static culturing. Although vascular networks were not present in all conditions of this experiment, this thesis can serve a basis for searching other methods of inducing vascularization.
Mixed Reality Tailored to the Visually-Impaired
Authors:   , Omary Danah M
Published: January 2025

The goal of the proposed device and software architecture is to apply the functionality of mixed reality (MR) in order to make a virtual environment that is more accessible to the visually-impaired. We propose a glove-based system for MR that will use finger and hand movement tracking along with tactile feedback so that the visually-impaired can interact with and obtain a more detailed sense of virtual objects and potentially even virtual environments. The software architecture makes current MR frameworks more accessible by augmenting the existing software and extensive 3D model libraries with both the interfacing of the glove-based system and the audibly navigable user interface (UI) of a virtual environment we have developed. We implemented a circuit with finger flexion/extension tracking for all 5 fingers of a single hand and variable vibration intensities for the vibromotors on all 5 fingertips of a single hand. The virtual environment can be hosted on a Windows 10 application. The virtual hand and its fingers can be moved with the system's input and the virtual fingertips touching the virtual objects trigger vibration motors (vibromotors) to vibrate while the virtual objects are being touched. A rudimentary implementation of picking up and moving virtual objects inside the virtual environment is also implemented. In addition to the vibromotor responses, text to speech (TTS) is also implemented in the application for when virtual fingertips touch virtual objects and other relevant events in the virtual environment.
Advances to Convolutional Neural Network Architectures for Prediction and Classification with Applications in the First Dimensional Space
Authors:   , Kim Hae Jin
Published: January 2025

In the vast field of signal processing, machine learning is rapidly expanding its domain into all realms. As a constituent of this expansion, this thesis presents contributive work on advancements in machine learning algorithms by building on the shoulder of giants. The first chapter of this thesis contains enhancements to a CNN (convolutional neural network) for better classification of heartbeat arrhythmia. The network goes through a two stage development, the first being augmentations to the network and the second being the implementation of dropout. Chapter 2 involves the combination of CNN and LSTM (long short term memory) networks for the task of short-term energy use data regression. Exploiting the benefits of two of the most powerful neural networks, a unique, novel neural network is created to effectually predict future energy use. The final section concludes this work with directions for future works.
Weight Initialization for Convolutional Neural Networks Using Unsupervised Machine Learning
Authors:   , Behpour Sahar
Published: January 2025

The goal of this work is to improve the robustness and generalization of deep learning models, using a similar approach to the unsupervised "innate learning" strategy in visual development. A series of research studies are presented to demonstrate how an unsupervised machine learning efficient coding approach can create filters similar to the receptive fields of the primary visual cortex (V1) in the brain, and these filters are capable of pretraining convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to enable faster training times and higher accuracy with less dependency on the source data. Independent component analysis (ICA) is used for unsupervised feature extraction as it has shown success in both applied machine learning and modeling biological neural receptive fields. This pretraining applies equally well to various forms of visual input, including natural color images, black and white, binocular, and video to drive the V1-like Gabor filters in the brain. For efficient processing of typical visual scenes, the filters that ICA produces are developed by encoding natural images. These filters are then used to initialize the kernels in the first layer of a CNN to train on the CIFAR-10 dataset to perform image classification. Results show that the ICA initialization for a custom made CNN produces models with a test accuracy up to 12% better than the standard model in the first 10 epochs, which for specific accuracy thresholds reduces the number of training epochs by approximately 40% (to reach 60% accuracy) and 50% (to reach 70% accuracy). Additionally, this pre-training results in marginally higher accuracy even after extensive training over 50 epochs. This proposed method of unsupervised machine learning to pre-train weights in deep learning improves both training time and accuracy, which is why it is observed in biological networks and is finding increased application in applied deep learning.
Robust Methodology in Evaluating and Optimizing the Performance of Decision Making Units: Empirical Financial Evidence
Authors:   , Gharoie Ahangar Reza
Published: January 2025

Intelligent algorithm approaches that augment the analytical capabilities of traditional techniques may improve the evaluation and performance of decision making units (DMUs). Crises such as the massive COVID-19 pandemic-related shock to businesses have prompted the deployment of analytical tools to provide solutions to emerging complex questions with incredible speed and accuracy. Performance evaluation of DMUs (e.g., financial institutions) is challenging and often depends on the sophistication and robustness of analytical methods. Therefore, advances in analytical methods capable of accurate solutions for competitive real-world applications are essential to managers. This dissertation introduces and reviews three robust methods for evaluating and optimizing the decision-making processes of DMUs to assist managers in enhancing the productivity and performance of their operational goals. The first essay proposes a robust search field division method, which improves the performance of evolutionary algorithms. The second essay proposes a robust double judgment approach method that enhances the efficiency of the data envelopment analysis method. The third essay proposes a robust general regression neural network method to examine the effect of shocks on GDP loss caused by COVID-19 on the global economy. These three essays contribute to optimization methodology by introducing novel robust techniques for managers of DMUs to improve the evaluation and performance of their units as well as by providing guidelines in selecting appropriate models to improve solutions to real-world optimization problems.
String Playing for a Lifetime: Narratives of Two Adult Amateur String Players
Authors:   , Flippin Sam Houston
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge about the experiences of adult amateur string players. Through narrative inquiry, this study presents the unique stories of two amateur string players who have sustained their active music-making throughout their adult lives. Leaders in music education have promised lifelong music-making and touted it as a benefit of supporting music in schools. This promise is part of vision statements, symposia, advocacy efforts, and guiding documents for the last century. Yet, the most common outcome for students who participate in school music programs is that they quit before they graduate high school, or soon afterward. The idea of school music segueing into lifetime music-making for large numbers of students remains an aspiration and not the outcome. I used narrative inquiry to explore and present the stories of these two players. Their experiences are unique, and it is not appropriate to generalize their narratives to others. However, I hope that by closely examining the experiences they considered impactful in their lives as music students and amateur musicians, music educators can better understand the ways their teaching practices might lead to students' enjoyment of music-making past their student years. Implications for practicing music teachers and future research are discussed.
Developing Ultra-Fast Plasmonic Spiking Neuron via Integrated Photonics
Authors:   , Goudarzi Abbas
Published: January 2025

This research provides a proof of concept and background theory for the physics behind the state-of-the-art ultra-fast plasmonic spiking neurons (PSN), which can serve as a primary synaptic device for developing a platform for fast neural computing. Such a plasmonic-powered computing system allows localized AI with ultra-fast operation speed. The designed architecture for a plasmonic spiking neuron (PSN) presented in this thesis is a photonic integrated nanodevice consisting of two electro-optic and optoelectronic active components and works based on their coupling. The electro-optic active structure incorporated a periodic array of seeded quantum nanorods sandwiched between two electrodes and positioned at a near-field distance from the topmost metal layer of a sub-wavelength metal-oxide multilayer metamaterial. Three of the metal layers of the metamaterials form the active optoelectronic component. The device operates based on the coupling of the two active components through optical complex modes supported by the multilayer and switching between two of them. Both action and resting potentials occur through subsequent quantum and extraordinary photonics phenomena. These phenomena include the generation of plasmonic high-k complex modes, switching between the modes by enhanced quantum-confined stark effect, decay of the plasmonic excitations in each metal layer into hot-electrons, and collecting hot-electrons by the optoelectronic component. The underlying principles and functionality of the plasmonic spiking neuron are illustrated using computer simulation.
The Influence of Social Responsibility on Consumer Behavior in Small Business Restaurants
Authors:   , Holladay Travis John
Published: January 2025

This research quantifies the mediating effects of consumer satisfaction on the social responsibility dimensions of philanthropy, economics, environmental, ethical, and legal regarding the behavioral outcomes of consumer loyalty while developing a new model (small business social responsibility, SBSR) to measure these effects. The purpose of current study is to provide a contemporary perspective of the influence of organizational social responsibility strategy on consumer behavior regarding three specific characteristics: enterprise size (small business), population demographic (Generation Z), and type of industry (restaurant industry). The questionnaire was developed, modified, and designed to measure the mediating effects of consumer satisfaction on SBSR initiatives and the behavioral outcomes of consumer loyalty. Data were collected from January 15 to March 15, 2022. The sample for this study consisted of 233 students from a large public university in the southwestern United States. The study found social responsibility initiatives do impact consumer behaviors, although not all the initiatives studied had a significant effect on consumer satisfaction and ultimately on consume loyalty. Environmental initiatives had the strongest significance levels on both consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty. Conversely, the initiatives of economics and legal had no significant influence of both consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty. The study gave evidence that managers should expect higher consumer behavior levels if they invest in social responsibility intiatives, especially environmental initiatives. As well, the study developed a model for future research which can measure and identify the social responsibility initiatives which small businesses can utilize to influence consumer behaviors.
The Impact of Counter-Rumor Strategy and Source on Non-Professional Investors' Judgments over Social Media
Authors:   , Li Ziyin
Published: January 2025

Non-professional investors often rely on information obtained from social media to make investment decisions. Extant literature has not examined the most effective strategy for the target company to counter the rumors so that investors will be more willing to continue investing in the target firm. Drawing on source credibility theory and the moral intensity model, I propose that the most effective strategy would vary given different agents who are selected to counter the rumor. After conducting a 2 x 3 (counter-rumor source x counter-rumor strategy) experiment with 272 non-professional investors recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, my study shows that when an internal agent (e.g., the CEO) acts as a counter-rumor source, shareholders are more willing to invest in the company when the internal agent utilizes a denial strategy rather than a reassociation or a questioning strategy. In contrast, when an external agent (e.g., a famous food blogger) serves as the counter-rumor source, the external agent can also use a questioning strategy in addition to a denial strategy to motivate shareholders to be more willing to invest in the company; however, the external agent still needs to avoid from engaging a reassociation strategy. Moderated serial-mediation analysis shows that the persuasiveness of the counter-rumor information and investors' perceived rumor intensity serially mediate the effect of counter-rumor source on investors' willingness to invest, and this effect is conditioned on the different strategy used to counter the rumor. Overall, the main effect of counter-rumor source suggests that external agents are perceived as more persuasive, which leads investors to perceive less rumor intensity, making them more willing to invest in the target company. The results of my paper can thus inform companies' social media policy.
An Explanation of Racial Attitudes Utilizing Intergroup Threat Theory and Group Empathy Theory
Authors:   , Larrison KayLynn Marie
Published: January 2025

This project examined the effects of threat perceptions and group empathy on racial outgroup attitudes. The relationship between threat perception and increased racial prejudice has been well established within the literature, but the effect of group empathy within this dynamic has been largely undocumented. The following study utilizes data from the American National Election Study 2020 Time Series to analyze racial outgroup attitudes among subsamples of Blacks (n = 726), Hispanics (n = 762), and Whites (n = 5,962). Along with threat perception, group empathy was found to be a salient predictor of outgroup attitudes. These results suggest that an effective technique to reduce negative outgroup attitudes would aim to reduce perceptions of outgroups as threatening and increase group empathy.
Occupancy Monitoring Using Low Resolution Thermal Imaging Sensors
Authors:   , Chidurala Veena
Published: January 2025

Occupancy monitoring is an important research problem with a broad range of applications in security, surveillance, and resource management in smart building environments. As a result, it has immediate solutions to solving some of society's most pressing issues. For example, HVAC and lighting systems in the US consume approximately 45-50% of the total energy a building uses. Smart buildings can reduce wasted energy by incorporating networkable occupancy sensors to obtain real-time occupancy data for the facilities. Therefore, occupancy monitoring systems can enable significant cost savings and carbon reduction. In addition, workplaces have quickly adapted and implemented COVID-19 safety measures by preventing overcrowding using real-time information on people density. While there are many sensors, RGB cameras have proven to be the most accurate. However, cameras create privacy concerns. Hence, our research aims to design an efficient occupancy monitoring system with minimal privacy invasion. We conducted a systematic study on sensor characterization using various low-resolution infrared sensors and proposed a unified processing algorithms pipeline for occupancy estimation. This research also investigates low-resolution thermal imaging sensors with a chessboard reading pattern, focusing on algorithm design issues and proposing solutions when detecting moving objects. Our proposed approach achieves about 99% accuracy in occupancy estimation, enabling many practical smart building applications. We also added additional sensors to our system using sensor fusion technology to boost its functionality and demonstrated the system's feasibility by deploying it in different real-time application scenarios.
Earth Abundant Transition Metal Catalysts for Activation and Functionalization of Light Hydrocarbons
Authors:   , Grumbles William M
Published: January 2025

Light hydrocarbons activations, functionalization, and reactions have been a subjects of catalysis research for decades but dominated by the rarer and more expensive noble metals. Switching over to using the more earth abundant third row transition metals could be more economical and less toxic but come with their own challenges. Their use as catalysts with light hydrocarbons could be employed better utilize and more efficiently use our hydrocarbon resources that the world still depends on.
Adjustments in Business Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Natural and Cultural Resource Sites in Texas
Authors:   , Tamima Salvesila
Published: January 2025

This research expands the theoretical concept of human adjustment to floods established by Gilbert F. White and incorporates his adjustment concept to examine the range of adjustments in business operations adopted by Texas' natural and/or cultural resources sites during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study consisted of an online survey with a follow-up semi-structured phone interview. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the interview data was inductively coded for thematic analysis as well as quantitative and qualitative content analyses. Specifically, this study identifies the adjustment measures undertaken by these entities to maintain business operations while reducing the virus spread; analyses the direct and indirect factors influencing adjustment measures; examines new business opportunities that emerged from these adjustments; and evaluates whether the impact of COVID-19 on these entities varied in terms of entity characteristics. Findings indicate that cultural and/or natural resource sites implemented adjustments to maintain their fiscal stability and/or to protect human health; these serve as direct underlying motivating factors for these entities. To support these direct measures, indirect factors influenced the operations thus required adjustments such as staffing, volunteers, technology, funding, and donations. Additionally, new opportunities in business practices emerged while implementing these adjustments such as networking, maintenance, and virtual options. Across all entity types, virtual programs was a key adjustment addressing both fiscal and health concerns. From these adjustments, this study provides recommendations for cultural and/or natural resource sites to implement to improve resilience to future extreme events.
Scaling, Power-Law First Return Times, and Non-Ergodicity
Authors:   , Lambert David Robert
Published: January 2025

This dissertation is a collection of papers on anomalous phenomena in physics, biology, and sociology. These phenomena are primarily analyzed in terms of their temporal and spatiotemporal statistical properties. The analysis is based on both numerical simulations and, in some cases, real-world physiological and sociological data. The primary methods of analysis are diffusion entropy analysis, power spectral analysis, multifractal analysis, and survival (or waiting-time) analysis.
The Effects of Voluntary and Involuntary Muscle Recruitment Training on the Strength of Isometric Muscle Contractions
Authors:   , Armshaw Gabriel Luke
Published: January 2025

Approximately 50% of individuals who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) fail to achieve a full functional recovery. Current physical therapy practices commonly utilize neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to passively activate quadriceps muscles. This passive approach does not directly reteach the lost response, but can strengthen the atrophied muscle. Study 1 compared surface electromyography with biofeedback (sEMGBF) with a changing criterion design to NMES alone. Study 2 compared static sEMGBF to NMES with feedback. Study 3 compared surface electromyography (sEMG) with instructions only to NMES. All other methods were constant across the three studies, where I compared the passive and active approach within-subject, across knees, and across groups while controlling for condition order and leg dominance. Each participant receives both NMES and the shaping procedure. Each condition lasts five minutes and consists of 30 muscle contractions. Each contraction lasts 5 seconds and was followed by a 5 second rest. I compared pre and post adapted maximal voluntary isometric contraction (A-MVIC) tests to determine the effectiveness of each condition. Results of the three studies demonstrated that actively teaching voluntary vastus medialis oblique (VMO) engagement using sEMG is more effective than NMES at increasing maximum voluntary isometric contractions of the VMO.
A Multi-Level Model for Perception Affect Asymmetry: Individual, Dyadic, and Group Affect Dynamics
Authors:   , Antwiler Brandon
Published: January 2025

In collective affect research, an assumption is often made that through processes such as emotional contagion and attraction-selection-attrition members will converge unto a shared group affective tone. While this assumption is not without warrant, a limitation of previous work on interpersonal emotional processes of individuals, individuals within dyadic relationships, or members within teams is the lack of examination into the varying perceptions individuals may form regarding these affective experiences. To examine the development and influence of these affective perceptions, we extend recent works from work group conflict literature to examine the influence of perception asymmetry when applied to affective interactions. Wherein, we describe a novel construct of Perception Asymmetry of Affect (PAA). PAA refers to the congruence (e.g.; low level of PAA) or incongruence (e.g.; high level) of perceptions of positive and negative affective experiences between two or more individuals. This paper explores the following questions: 1) does perception asymmetry of affect exist; 2) if so, what causes perception asymmetry between individuals and their groups, within dyads, and within groups. This article contributes to literature on collective affect by offering a detailed framework for an understudied phenomenon of diverging or asymmetric perceptions.
An Extension of a Peer-Mentoring Training Program for College-Aged Students
Authors:   , Luna Rodriguez Araceli
Published: January 2025

An important predictor of the success of a peer-mentoring program is the quality of the relationship between the peer mentor and the mentee. A previous study identified target outcomes, operationally defined target behaviors, and developed a computer-based instruction (CBI) training module to teach peer mentors relationship skills. The previous study suggested that the CBI training module increased target behaviors in pre-and post-tests that were typed. The current study replicated and extended the previous study with additional participants and analyzed responding during a video-chat generalization assessment. We observed an increase in target behaviors during the CBI post-test for 7 out of 8 modules across two participants and an increase in target behaviors for 5 out of 12 target behaviors across three participants for the generalization assessment. Results suggest that the CBI training modules may be an effective way to teach behaviors that contribute to a high-quality relationship when participants engage in typed responses. However, the extent to which these behaviors generalize to a video-chat generalization assessment may need further research.
Electrophysiological Auditory Measures to Identify Potential Cortical Markers of Tinnitus
Authors:   , Caldwell Joshua
Published: January 2025

Tinnitus, or the perception of sound in the absence of external acoustic stimuli, is a common condition that impacts approximately 10-15% of the United States population, with similar prevalence rates reported in other countries. Current diagnosis of tinnitus relies on case history and audiometric testing, which depend on responses provided by the patient. To date, there is no objective test that can be used for tinnitus diagnosis, despite the high prevalence and significant financial impacts of this condition. Cortical auditory evoked potentials have shown promise in their ability to assess not only the integrity of the auditory system, but also higher level preattentional and cognitive processing. For this study, the pitch-matched tinnitus frequency was used to evoke an auditory late response. Double oddball paradigms with the tinnitus frequency as the deviant stimuli were also used to evoke a mismatch negativity and P300 to determine where along the auditory pathway biomarkers of tinnitus may exist. The results of this study suggest that when the tinnitus frequency is incorporated into paradigms designed to produce cortical auditory evoked potentials, differences exist between participants with tinnitus and matched controls without tinnitus. Individuals with tinnitus exhibit smaller MMN amplitudes and area under the curve and have a more parietal distribution in their P300 responses on topographic maps compared to non-tinnitus participants. Evaluation of relationships between perceived tinnitus severity and electrophysiological measures also revealed that P2 latency was a significant predictor of tinnitus severity, with longer latencies indicating greater severity. Findings of this study have clinical implications for test paradigms that may be used in an objective tinnitus test battery and for measures that can predict tinnitus severity.