bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancing soil-structure interaction (SSI): a comprehensive review of current practices, challenges, and future directions
Authors: Najar Imtiyaz Akbar , Ahmadi Raudhah , Amuda Akeem Gbenga , Mourad Raghad , Bendary Neveen El , Ismail Idawati , Bakar Nabilah Abu , Tang Shanshan
Published: January 2025

The safety, stability, and long-term performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures depend significantly on soil-structure interaction (SSI), a critical phenomenon governing the dynamic relationship between soil and structural behaviour. SSI plays a pivotal role in seismic design, influencing the stiffness, damping, and natural frequency of structures, yet its application in practical design remains underutilized due to challenges in modelling and integrating code provisions. This review synthesizes existing knowledge on SSI, emphasizing its impact on buildings, bridges, and foundations under static and dynamic loads. It highlights advancements in analytical, numerical, and experimental modelling methods, such as finite element analysis and discrete element methods, and evaluates their effectiveness in capturing the complex interactions between soil and structural systems. The review identifies key gaps, including a lack of unified guidelines in international codes, inadequate integration of SSI in real-world design processes, and limited exploration of its role in emerging engineering challenges like sustainability and climate resilience. Historical seismic events, such as the Kobe and Loma Prieta earthquakes, are analysed to underscore the detrimental consequences of neglecting SSI considerations. Additionally, the review discusses recent innovations, including the application of machine learning and advanced computational tools, and their potential to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of SSI analysis. This study offers actionable insights for improving design practices, such as adapting SSI frameworks for structures on soft soils and incorporating dynamic interactions in seismic design codes. It concludes with a call for interdisciplinary collaboration and future research into novel SSI applications, including its integration with smart sensing technologies and sustainable infrastructure design. This review bridges the gap between theoretical advancements and practical applications of soil-structure interaction (SSI) by synthesizing current knowledge, identifying critical research gaps, and proposing innovative solutions to enhance structural resilience, sustainability, and seismic safety.

Graphical Abstract
Infection with hepatitis C virus as a cause of cirrhosis – case study
Authors: Sierpińska Lidia , Januszek Małgorzata
Published: January 2025

Background and study aims. HCV may cause an acute or chronic hepatitis C and, when left untreated, may lead to cirrhosis and/or primary liver cancer. The aim of the study was analysis of personal medical records of a patient with cirrhosis from the aspect of its relation with HCV infection;
Materials and Method. A case of a 36-year old patient was presented diagnosed with cirrhosis, admitted to the emergency department due to haemorrhage from the upper gastrointestinal tract. Anti-HCV antibodies were present. The method was a case study, the technique – analysis of records the research tool – case history with the results of diagnostic tests, visual analogue scale (VAS) measuring pain intensity, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, fluid balance chart, and an author-constructed questionnaire to be completed by the patient;
Results. Based on internal documentation of the hospital and patient medical records a case of a patient was described with gastrointestinal bleeding and cirrhosis, diagnosed with HCV. Physical examination was presented, as well as epidemiological interview, medical history, course of diagnostics and treatment of the patient qualified for follow up ambulatory care in the outpatient hepatology department.
Conclusions. Screening tests are recommended in order to early diagnose the presence of anti-HCV antibodies. Early diagnosis of infection with HCV and implementation of anti-viral treatment may prevent cirrhosis of the liver. Health education of society is necessary from the aspect of risk factors of HCV infection in the medical environment, as well as in beauty salons and tattoo parlours.
A Genetic Assessment of the Mating System of a Suburban Red-Shouldered Hawk Population in Southwest Ohio
Authors:   , Wrona Anna Maria
Published: January 2025

Considering the high reproductive investment of the social male and the cost to the female of losing this benefit by soliciting copulations outside the social pair bond, it is expected that most raptor populations would exhibit low to no occurrence of extra-pair paternity (EPP). This holds true for the majority of raptor species studied to date with only one exception of an urban Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii) study which reported an unexpectedly high extra-pair young frequency of 19.29%. In our study we examined the frequency of EPP within a red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) population residing in the suburban/urban matrix of southwest Ohio. During the breeding seasons of 2018 and 2019, 181 breeding age and nestling individuals were color-banded and sampled for genetic analysis using nine microsatellite loci. After genotyping a total of 40 broods (with at least two nestlings per brood) and both presumptive parents of each brood, no clear evidence of EPP was detected. However, at one nest site, the entire brood of four chicks was not sired by the adult male observed during the courtship period, nor another adult male observed tending the chicks later in the season. We suspect that this particular nest represented two instances of rapid mate replacement rather than extra-pair fertilization by a third unsampled male, because none of the chicks were sired by either of the two adult males observed at the nest. We also reviewed potential factors contributing to our finding of overall genetic monogamy in our study population in comparison to other raptor taxa EPP studies. Our results suggested that factors other than habitat composition alone play an important role in determining the type of breeding strategy exhibited by different raptor populations.
Missed Opportunities: Strategies for Challenging Anti-Trans Stigma in Health Care
Authors:   , Jimenez Kathryn Nicole
Published: January 2025

Despite advancements in research on sexual morphology as well as increasing interdisciplinary theory on gender, medicine continues to perpetuate anti-transgender stigma in health care. Research on this topic has typically lacked perspectives from health professionals, who operate in and contribute to the environments in which patients seek care. In collaboration with Dallas non-profit Trans Pride Initiative, this study seeks to begin filling this research gap, relying on a sexual stigma framework created by Gregory Herek and applying it to anti-transgender (or gender) stigma to examine its manifestations in health care environments through narrative inquiry. The data from narrative interviews with health care professionals revealed themes of inadequate schooling on transgender competency models and health needs, difficulties in resisting gatekeeper practices while addressing mental health needs, a patient-as-expert approach amongst trans-affirming providers, and understanding of patient family dynamics as a catalyst for understanding stigma. Exploration of sexual identity prior to claiming gender identity, lacking language to explain gender experiences until encountering other LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) people, and religious trauma as restrictive to gender exploration during childhood emerged as themes amongst transgender and gender diverse participant interviews. The practical implications of these themes present issues for institutional, social, and legal change due to the pervasiveness of sexual dimorphism (and subsequent gender binary) as a means of structuring medicine, social organization, and legal systems, respectively. Still, critical gender engagement with health professionals pre- and post- licensure has the potential for profound impacts beyond addressing anti-trans stigma in health care.
Crystallization and Lithium Ion Diffusion Mechanism in the Lithium-Aluminum-Germanium-Phosphate Glass-Ceramic Solid Electrolytes
Authors:   , Kuo Po Hsuen
Published: January 2025

NASCION-type lithium-aluminum-germanium-phosphate (LAGP) glass-ceramic is one of the most promising solid electrolyte (SEs) material for the next generation Li-ion battery. Based on the crystallization of glass-ceramic material, the two-step heat treatment was designed to control the crystallization of Li-ion conducting crystal in the glass matrix. The results show that the LAGP crystal is preferred to internally crystalize, Tg + 60%∆T is the nucleation temperature that provides the highest ion conductivity. The compositional investigation also found that, pure LAGP crystal phase can be synthesized by lowering the amount of GeO2. To fill gap of atomic structure in LAGP glass-ceramic, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was used to build the crystal, glass, and interfacial structure LAGP. The aliovalent ion substitution induced an simultaneously redistribution of Li to the 36f interstitial site, and the rapid cooperative motion between the Li-ions at 36f can drop the activation energy of LAGP crystal by decreasing the relaxation energy; furthermore, an energy model was built based on the time-based analysis of Li-ion diffusion to articulate the behavior. The glass and interfacial structure show and accumulation of AlO4, GeO4 and Li at the interface, which explains the Li-trapping on the intergranular glass phase. An in-situ synchrotron X-ray study found that, by using two-step heat treatment, the nucleation of Li-ion conducting crystal in the glass-matrix induced large strain from interfacial tension, which can also promote the incorporation of aliovalent ion substitution in the NASICON crystal and enhances the ion conductivity.
Community First: An Ethnographic Approach to Understanding Local Perceptions of Sustainability in the Age of Neoliberalism
Authors:   , LeMay Brittany Michelle
Published: January 2025

This work describes ethnographic research completed in order to understand how local community members in Denton, Texas define, conceptualize, and speak about sustainability. The goal of this research is to encourage a more representative approach to sustainability initiatives within the City of Denton by uniting community ideas with local governance. Data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews with residents, participant observation at community meetings, and quantitative survey analysis. Through the use of a Foucauldian framework for analysis, in conjunction with David Harvey's "entrepreneurial city," and work done in the field of environmental justice, this study highlights a potential link between neoliberal approaches to city governance and community perceptions of sustainability. This research concludes by calling for more representation of all community members within local sustainability initiatives, and provides several suggestions for how this can be achieved.
When They See Us: The Lived Experiences of Christian African American College Males at a Christian Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in the South
Authors:   , Bryant Lamar D.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to highlight the lived experiences of Christian African American college males attending a Christian predominately White institution (PWI) in the South. Through in-depth personal interviews, I offer insights into this specific student population's experience. Furthermore, I provide recommendations for key stakeholders at Christian PWIs in the South as they strive to create an inclusive campus environment. The ultimate goal of the research is to aid in the recruitment and retention of this particular student population.
Origin of Unusually Large Hall-Petch Strengthening Coefficients in High Entropy Alloys
Authors:   , Jagetia Abhinav
Published: January 2025

High entropy alloys (HEAs), also referred to as complex concentrated alloys (CCAs), are a relatively new class of alloys that have gained significant attention since 2010 due to their unique balance of properties that include high strength, ductility and excellent corrosion resistance. HEAs are usually based on five or more elements alloyed in near equimolar concentrations, and exhibit simple microstructures by the formation of solid solution phases instead of complex compounds. HEAs have great potential in the design of new materials; for instance, for lightweight structural applications and elevated temperature applications. The relation between grain size and yield strength has been a topic of significant interest not only to researchers but also for industrial applications. Though some research papers have been published in this area, consensus among them is lacking, as the studies yielded different results. Al atom being a large atom causes significant lattice distortion. This work attempts to study the Hall-Petch relationship for Al0.3CoFeNi and Al0.3CoCrFeNi and to compare the data of friction stress σ0 and Hall-Petch coefficient K with published data. The base alloys for both these alloys are CoFeNi and CoCrFeNi respectively. It was observed by atom probe tomography (APT) that clustering of Al-Ni atoms in these two base CCAs was responsible for imparting such high values of K. Additionally the high value of K in the CoCrFeNi HEA can also be attributed to the presence of Co-Cr clusters.
Metal, Pedagogy, Women, Kuwait: An Autoethnographic Feminist Approach to Questioning Systems of Education
Authors:   , Alayar Moneerah
Published: January 2025

This research seeks to explore how the metal arts are taught to women in Kuwait in an undergraduate setting, making the call for the use of feminist pedagogy when teaching the metal arts to women in Kuwait. This research is achieved using the qualitative methodology of analytic autoethnography. The theoretical framework is a feminist lens bridging the social construction of gender with the gendering of objects and feminist standpoint theory. The data comes from the experiences of creating three of my own pieces of artwork as well as the pieces themselves in tandem with historical, political, and cultural contexts. The analysis from this research is then bridged with feminist pedagogy in order to begin to develop an inclusive metal arts curriculum for women in Kuwait.
Military-Focused Leadership Talent Development: An Examination of JROTC Participation and Postsecondary Plans
Authors:   , Meyer Melanie S.
Published: January 2025

Federal and state descriptions of gifted and talented services include identifying and developing leadership talent, but in many states, services are not mandated or funded. Consequently, leadership development is often left to extracurricular programs (e.g., student organizations, athletics). The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) provides school-based military-focused leadership education and opportunities to apply emergent leadership skills. This qualitative descriptive study examined leadership talent development in JROTC and the postsecondary paths participants chose. A self-report survey was distributed to graduating seniors enrolled in JROTC in Texas public high schools and semi-structured interviews were conducted with JROTC instructors across the state. The findings highlighted characteristics of students in the sample who chose to pursue military-focused education or careers after high school and themes about the experiences and key considerations related to choosing postsecondary paths. JROTC instructors supported students with differentiated development plans and information about flexible pathways to reach postsecondary goals. Students benefitted from broad definitions of success, exposure to career options, realistic self-assessment, and alignment between intentions and preparation.
The Perils of Poor Community-Police Relations: Exploring the Link Between Race, Police Perceptions, and Public Trust in Government
Authors:   , Ramirez Michelle
Published: January 2025

This research examines the political implications of community-police relations in the United States by exploring the link between race, perceptions of police performance, and trust in government. Relying on survey data, I examine these relationships for Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Whites. In addition to examining the broader relationship between community-police relations and institutional trust, this dissertation examines (1) how police perceptions influence individuals' comfort in contacting the police, (2) how police violence and police perceptions influence trust in government, and (3) the effectiveness of community-oriented policing in building community-police relations and increasing trust in government. First, I find that these relationships are conditional on race and ethnicity. Black respondents, who are more likely to experience negative interactions with the police and who are less likely to have positive perceptions of the police, are less comfortable contacting them. Second, while police violence does not have a significant effect on public trust in government, police perceptions and perceptions of discrimination do. Respondents that perceive the police to be performing well and who do not believe their own racial group is being discriminated against, are more likely to express trust in government. Finally, I find that community-oriented policing has the potential to both improve perceptions of the police and increase trust in government. The central goal of this dissertation is to highlight the role that community-police relations have in influencing American politics and to emphasize the importance of exploring potential solutions to declining trust in the police.
IoMT-Based Accurate Stress Monitoring for Smart Healthcare
Authors:   , Rachakonda Laavanya
Published: January 2025

This research proposes Stress-Lysis, iLog and SaYoPillow to automatically detect and monitor the stress levels of a person. To self manage psychological stress in the framework of smart healthcare, a deep learning based novel system (Stress-Lysis) is proposed in this dissertation. The learning system is trained such that it monitors stress levels in a person through human body temperature, rate of motion and sweat during physical activity. The proposed deep learning system has been trained with a total of 26,000 samples per dataset and demonstrates accuracy as high as 99.7%. The collected data are transmitted and stored in the cloud, which can help in real time monitoring of a person's stress levels, thereby reducing the risk of death and expensive treatments. The proposed system has the ability to produce results with an overall accuracy of 98.3% to 99.7%, is simple to implement and its cost is moderate. Chronic stress, uncontrolled or unmonitored food consumption, and obesity are intricately connected, even involving certain neurological adaptations. In iLog we propose a system which can not only monitor but also create awareness for the user of how much food is too much. iLog provides information on the emotional state of a person along with the classification of eating behaviors to Normal-Eating or Stress-Eating. This research proposes a deep learning model for edge computing platforms which can automatically detect, classify and quantify the objects in the plate of the user. Three different paradigms where the idea of iLog can be performed are explored in this research. Two different edge platforms have been implemented in iLog. The platforms include mobile, as it is widely used, and a single board computer which can easily be a part of network for executing experiments, with iLog Glasses being the main wearable. The iLog model has produced an overall accuracy of 98% with an average precision of 85.8%. Smart-Yoga Pillow (SaYoPillow) is envisioned as a device that may help in recognizing the importance of a good quality sleep to alleviate stress while establishing a measurable relationship between stress and sleeping habits. A system that analyzes the sleeping habits by continuously monitoring the physiological changes that occur during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages of sleep is proposed in the current work. In addition to the physiological parameter changes, factors such as sleep duration, snoring range, eye movement, and limb movements are also monitored. The SaYoPillow system is processed at the edge level with the storage being at the cloud. SaYoPillow has 96% accuracy which is close to other existing research works. This research can not only help in keeping an individual self-aware by providing immediate feedback to change the lifestyle of the person in order to lead a healthier life, but can also play a significant role in the state-of-the-art by allowing computing on the edge devices.
Restore, Reform, React, Revolt: Leopold II and the Risorgimento in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, 1814-1859
Authors:   , Parkey Rachel E.
Published: January 2025

The Risorgimento or "resurrection" of Italy united a collection of independent Italian kingdoms, duchies, and principalities under the auspices of the Piedmontese House of Savoy. No longer was Italy a mere expression géographique, as Austrian Chancellor Klemens von Metternich snidely remarked in 1847, but a united nation state. Studies of the Risorgimento successfully highlight the role of famous Piedmontese and Italian nationalists in demonstrating the success of the movement. However, the smaller states of the peninsula have largely disappeared from these histories. Among these overlooked states is the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and Tuscany's last grand duke, Leopold II of Habsburg-Lorraine. Both are consistently omitted from broader surveys of the peninsula. In rare situations when Leopold II enters the historical narrative he is dismissed as a reactionary, although he maintained a reputation as an enlightened and relatively liberal ruler for the majority of his rule. Especially in anglophone literature, little to no discussion of his thirty-five-year reign is available. This omission creates an unfortunate lacuna in the historiography of the Risorgimento. It is in studies of these smaller Italian states that the intricacies of statecraft, nationalism, and localism are most visible. To understand the extent of the Risorgimento's success, it is imperative to delve deeper into the affairs of states like the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. This examination of Tuscan politics takes a top-down approach, emphasizing the role of Tuscany's highest officials and the influence that their equivalents in other European states had on the course of the Risorgimento in Tuscany. In particular, it seeks to provide a more accurate and fair assessment of Leopold II's actions and his impact on Tuscany's participation in the unification of Italy.
Chronicle of the Online Culture Wars: Reactionary Affective Publics in Neoliberal Postmodernity
Authors:   , Montalvo David Rafael
Published: January 2025

The Age of Trump witnessed the visible rise of intense culture wars and polarization in the United States. While culture wars are not new phenomena, the current iteration has digital media acting as new discursive structures and mediating battlegrounds for all sides of the cultural conflict. This project chronicles these online culture wars, demonstrating how within a neoliberal and postmodern socio-cultural condition, the rise of ambivalent, profit-driven digital technologies and platforms structure affect and mediate newly networked neo-reactionary populist (sub)cultural ideologies and discourses. The resulting online ecosystems afforded the digital formations of obscure reactionary subcultures (trolls, antifeminists, the alt-right, etc.) with particular personalized and affectively driven memetic communicative logics. These reactionary affective publics eventually began converging under perceived common ideological and social interests as online actions and reactionary discursive (re)formations and (re)networkings were catalyzed by (sub/cross)cultural conflicts and moments of sentimental activation. This led to the emergence of affectively charged and informally networked reactionary publics which began spilling out into the offline world alongside Trump's ascendancy to the White House. The increasing progressive reactions during the Trump Era also faced limitations in combatting reactionary politics due to structural dynamics of digital media and the larger culture war filtering of politics. The overall macro function of these new online culture wars is the bipartisan obfuscation and undermining of a collectivist and materialist reality and engagement with politics in the favor of a more personalized, symbolic and affective engagement that is indicative of the neoliberalized postmodern era.
The Ends of Smaller Worlds
Authors:   , Armes Brett
Published: January 2025

The Ends of Smaller Worlds is a collection of short stories set in Indiana. The preface is about the representation of the information age using elements of dirty realism and Gothic fiction.
Deep Minima and Vortices for Positronium Formation in Positron-Hydrogen and Positron-Helium Collisions
Authors:   , Alrowaily Albandari Wanes
Published: January 2025

This dissertation work is a study of positronium formation for positron-hydrogen and positron-helium collisions in the Ore gap (the energy region between the threshold for ground-state positronium formation and the first excitation level of the target atom) using variational K-matrices. We have fitted the K-matrices using multichannel effective range theories and using polynomials. Using the variational K-matrices and their fits, we have located zeros in the positronium-formation scattering amplitude and corresponding deep minima in the positronium-formation differential cross section. The zeros are related to the vortices in the extended velocity field associated with the positronium-formation scattering amplitude. For positron-hydrogen collisions, we have found two zeros in the positronium-formation scattering amplitude, and corresponding deep minima in the positronium-formation differential cross section, while we have obtained a zero in the positronium-formation scattering amplitude for positron-helium collisions. We have connected the zeros in the positronium-formation scattering amplitude to vortices in the extended velocity fields. Our work shows that vortices can occur for charge exchange in atomic collisions.
Saudi Mothers' Experiences Maintaining Their Young Children's Arabic Language and Islamic-Saudi Identity
Authors:   , Albakr Ashwaq Mohammed
Published: January 2025

As more Saudi individuals temporarily settle in the United States to pursue higher education, it becomes increasingly important to understand the impact this experience has on their families. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to examine Saudi mothers' experiences and motivations after transitioning to life in the United States. The main research question was: What are Saudi mothers' experiences of supporting their children maintaining and developing Arabic language skills and Islamic-Saudi identities while they are learning English and Western culture in U.S. schools? The sub-questions of the study were: Why do Saudi mothers in this study want their children to learn the Arabic language and culture? What are their concerns? What are the challenges Saudi mothers face in socializing their children to develop their Islamic-Saudi identity? What practices do mothers use to help their children preserve their Arabic language and develop the Islamic Saudi-identity while growing up in the United States? This study was conceptually framed within the theories of parenting style and acculturation. Participants in the study were five Saudi mothers pursuing higher education in Texas. Data were collected through three semi-structured interviews and four audio journals with each participant, and a focus group with the five mothers. Data were analyzed through a thematic analysis. The results of this study provide insights into the experiences, motivations, practices and challenges Saudi mothers face while raising their children in two cultures. This study contributes to the growing research in an era of increased population mobility, specifically by providing awareness of the needs and values of Saudi families who have been understudied in the field of early childhood education.
Parkinson's Disease and UPDRS-III Prediction Using Quiet Standing Data and Applied Machine Learning
Authors:   , Exley Trevor Wayne
Published: January 2025

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor abilities with increasing severity as the disease progresses. Traditional methods for diagnosing PD require specialists scoring qualitative symptoms using the motor subscale of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III). Using force-plate data during quiet standing (QS), this study uses machine learning to target the characterization and prediction of PD and UPDRS-III. The purpose of predicting different subscores of the UPDRS-III is to give specialists more tools to help make an informed diagnosis and prognosis. The classification models employed classified PD with a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 83.1%. Stepwise forward regression indicated that features correlated with base of support were most useful in the prediction of head rigidity (r-square = .753). Although there is limited data, this thesis can be used as an exploratory study that evaluates the predictability of UPDRS-III subscores using QS data. Similar prediction models can be implemented to a home setting using low-cost force plates as a novel telemedicine technique to track disease progression.
Using Machine Learning to Develop a Calibration Model for Low-Cost Air Quality Sensors Deployed during a Dust Event
Authors:   , Hickey Sean
Published: January 2025

Low-cost sensors have the potential to create dense air monitoring networks that help enhance our understanding of pollution exposure and variability at the individual and neighborhood-level; however, sensors can be easily influenced by environmental conditions, resulting in performance inconsistencies across monitoring settings. During summer 2020, 20 low-cost particulate sensors were deployed with a reference PM2.5 monitor in Denton, Texas in preparation for calibration. However, from mid to late-summer, dust transported by the Saharan Air Layer moved through the North Texas region periodically, influencing the typical monitoring pattern exhibited between low-cost sensors and reference instruments. Traditional modeling strategies were adapted to develop a new approach to calibrating low-cost particulate sensors. In this study, data collected by sensors was split according to a novel dust filter into dust and non-dust subsets prior to modeling. This approach was compared with building a single model from the data, as is typically done in other studies. Random forest and multiple linear regression algorithms were used to train models for both strategies. The best performing split-model strategy, the multiple linear regression models split according to dust and non-dust subsets (combined R2 = 0.65), outperformed the best performing single-model strategy, a random forest model (R2 = 0.49). The results from this study indicate that low-cost sensor performance can be greatly influenced by the presence of dust, and that adaptive strategies, like the ones presented in this paper, are necessary when calibrating sensors in environments that may experience pollution from inconsistent sources throughout the year.
Validation of a survey instrument: team creativity and innovation (C/I) processes as complex adaptive systems (CAS)
Authors:   , Schroeder Jae Warren
Published: January 2025

Companies are becoming increasingly dependent on teams to drive creativity and innovation, which usually involves multiple teams working together to solve complex problems However, the first problem is that work teams do not always manage creativity and innovation well, especially when partnering with other work teams on highly complex projects that demand greater interdependence and collaboration, which can constitute as much as 90% of today's organizational projects. The second problem is that researchers struggle to define and measure creativity and innovation for the past decade resulting in significant variation both within and between creativity and innovation scales that have restricted meaningful theoretical discoveries and advances. The current study is significant because it introduces a novel instrument derived by John Turner that measures team creativity and innovation processes as a single unit, thereby raising the level of theoretical sophistication and leading to better practical applications. After conducting factor analysis, the current study validates six factors, including 36 indicators, and measures team creativity and innovation processes as complex adaptive systems (CAS). The current study recommends deploying the new instrument in other sectors beyond the IT sector and using multilevel techniques that include the individual and executive/organization levels of analysis.
Breeding Ecology and Migratory Connectivity of Passerines in the World's Southernmost Forests
Authors:   , Jara Millar Rocio Fernanda
Published: January 2025

In the extensive and remote sub-Antarctic forests of South America, birds are the dominant terrestrial vertebrates. Despite considerable efforts to understand the ecology of birds breeding in these forests, our current knowledge for many species is still incomplete. During three breeding seasons (2014 – 2017), I studied the breeding ecology of the five most abundant open-cup forest-dwelling passerines in the sub-Antarctic forest of Navarino Island, Chile (55°04′S, 67°40′W). There were differences in some of the breeding strategies used by birds breeding on Navarino Island versus conspecific populations breeding at lower latitudes. Milvago chimango was the main nest predator of open-cup nesting forest passerines, and the main cause of nest failure. In addition, I found that species built their nests in sites with higher density and taller understory; however, these two factors decreased their nest survival. This mismatch could be due to a change in depredation risk on Navarino Island, and thus, passerines breeding there may be in an ecological trap. In addition, using light-level geolocators, I determined that the migratory connectivity of Elaenia albiceps is weak as a result of the large spatial spread of individuals on the wintering ground, and that the distances among individuals on the breeding grounds are not maintained in the wintering grounds. My study opens further questions about the mechanisms driving differences in breeding strategies among populations. In addition, further research is needed to assess hypotheses that could explain the mismatch between nest-site selection and nest survival and to understand what drives elaenias' movements, not only during winter but throughout their annual cycle.
Stimulus Equivalence and Competing Behavior: Individual Differences in Accuracy and Reaction Time
Authors:   , Lovitz Elizabeth
Published: January 2025

The present study investigated how engaging in a behavior that is potentially incompatible with covert verbal behavior, singing aloud, affected the percent of correct responses and reaction time during equivalence tests as compared to engaging in a behavior considered compatible with covert verbal behavior, alternating foot tapping, during testing. Results varied between participants with some participants showing higher accuracies in the incompatible condition and some in the compatible condition. Performance in terms of accuracy and reaction time were correlated, with higher accuracies in the compatible condition being correlated with faster reaction times in the compatible condition. Limitations discussed include a low number of participants due to COVID-19, the covert nature of the behavior of interest, the length of time required to complete the experiment, and the challenges to monitoring the incompatible behavior due to social distancing requirements. Potential future research is discussed in light of these limitations.
An Artificial Intelligence-Driven Model-Based Analysis of System Requirements for Exposing Off-Nominal Behaviors
Authors:   , Madala Kaushik
Published: January 2025

With the advent of autonomous systems and deep learning systems, safety pertaining to these systems has become a major concern. The existing failure analysis techniques are not enough to thoroughly analyze the safety in these systems. Moreover, because these systems are created to operate in various conditions, they are susceptible to unknown safety issues. Hence, we need mechanisms which can take into account the complexity of operational design domains, identify safety issues other than failures, and expose unknown safety issues. Moreover, existing safety analysis approaches require a lot of effort and time for analysis and do not consider machine learning (ML) safety. To address these limitations, in this dissertation, we discuss an artificial-intelligence driven model-based methodology that aids in identifying unknown safety issues and analyzing ML safety. Our methodology consists of 4 major tasks: 1) automated model generation, 2) automated analysis of component state transition model specification, 3) undesired states analysis, and 4) causal factor analysis. In our methodology we identify unknown safety issues by finding undesired combinations of components' states and environmental entities' states as well as causes resulting in these undesired combinations. In our methodology, we refer to the behaviors that occur because of undesired combinations as off-nominal behaviors (ONBs). To identify undesired combinations and ONBs that aid in exposing unknown safety issues with less effort and time we proposed various approaches for each of the task and performed corresponding empirical studies. We also discussed machine learning safety analysis from the perspective of machine learning engineers as well as system and software safety engineers. The results of studies conducted as part of our research shows that our proposed methodology helps in identifying unknown safety issues effectively. Our results also show that combinatorial methods are effective in reducing effort and time for analysis of off-nominal behaviors without overlooking any dependencies among components and environmental entities of a system. We also found that safety analysis of machine learning components is different from analysis of conventional software components and detail the aspects we need to consider for ML safety.
Accommodating People Safety Curriculum for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Authors:   , Johnson Jennifer A. L.
Published: January 2025

Children with disabilities are three to four times more likely to be abused than their non-disabled peers due to the impact of challenges related to behavior, cognition, language, social skills, and communication skills. In September of 2018, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) specifically noted the need to establish maltreatment prevention and response curricula and promote research and advocacy surrounding maltreatment of children with disabilities. One common curriculum recommended is Kidpower®. While Kidpower® shows promise in increasing people safety skills and offers some basic accommodations for use with disabled populations, a complete accommodation plan for deaf or hard of hearing students has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to explore how Kidpower® curriculum could be accommodated to meet the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing students from the perspective of the deaf education community, including deaf adults, deaf education teachers, deaf education teacher preparation faculty, and parents with deaf or hard of hearing children. A combination of focus groups and interviews were utilized to review lessons and homework from the Kidpower® curriculum. Participants gave feedback on obstacles and ideas for accommodations and modifications that would mediate the challenges. Data were inductively coded and analyzed for themes. Findings indicated the deaf education community believes the curriculum needs media components, language modifications and teaching strategies, enhanced visual information, and representation of people and situations related to the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children to be an effective curriculum for this population.
Switchable and Memorable Adhesion of Gold-Coated Microspheres with Electrochemical Modulation
Authors:   , Wang Jie
Published: January 2025

Switchable adhesives using stimuli-responsive systems have many applications, including transfer printing, climbing robots, and gripping in pick and place processes. Among these adhesives, electroadhesive surface can spontaneously adjust their adhesion in response to an external electric field. However, electroadhesives usually need high voltage (e.g. kV) and the adhesion disappears upon turning off the signal. These limitations make them complicated and costly. In this research, we demonstrated a gold-coated silica microsphere (GCSM) with highly switchable and memorable adhesion triggered by a relatively small voltage (<30 V). In the experiment, a silica microsphere with a diameter of 15 μm was glued to a tipless atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever. The nanoscale thick gold coating was sprayed on the surface of the microsphere by a sputter coater. AFM was used to explore the tunable adhesion with an external voltage at different relative humidity (RH). The results revealed that when applying a positive electrical bias at high RH, the adhesive force increased dramatically while it decreased to almost zero after applying a negative potential. Even if the bias was turned off, the adhesive force state could still be kept and erased on demand by simply applying a negative voltage. The adhesive force can be altered repeatedly by an alternative electrical bias. This adhesion modulated by the external electrical signals is attributed to the electrochemical effect of the nanoscale-thick gold coating, where an oxide layer can be formed and thus becomes positively charged when applying a positive voltage, and counter electric field cancel out the applied negative voltage to decrease the adhesion force.
Revolutionaries and Prophets: Post-Oppositionality in Kathleen Alcalá's Sonoran Desert Trilogy
Authors:   , VonTress Aurelia Ann
Published: January 2025

In this dissertation, I examine the Sonoran Desert trilogy by Kathleen Alcalá through the lens of post-oppositional theory as developed by AnaLouise Keating. Moving beyond the use of post-oppositional theory to analyze non-fiction works, I apply this theory instead to the fiction of Kathleen Alcalá—whose work appears in such anthologies as The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature. Alcalá, though well published, is underrepresented in contemporary literary criticism, as can be seen by the only eight entries under her name in the MLA International Bibliography. Therefore, I have chosen her most significant fiction work, her trilogy about the Sonoran Desert, as the perfect text upon which to map post-oppositional theory. Through analysis of her three novels, I show that her work is an ideal example of post-oppositionality in action and that her characters act as post-oppositional revolutionaries and prophets within the pages of the text. The first chapter outlines the parameters of the project. In Chapter 2, I argue that post-oppositionality can be seen in Alcalá through gender bending, looking at the characters of Membrillo and Manzana, Corey, and Rosalinda. In Chapter 3, I argue that the characters of Estela, La Señorita, and Magdalena are enacting post-oppositionality through their transcendence of traditional women's roles in sexuality. In Chapter 4, I argue that the female characters of the novels act as revolutionaries through their political and social agency—reaching out to other characters through such work as educating and writing. In Chapters 5 and 6, I feature my interviews with Alcalá and Keating, who were generous enough to speak with me over Zoom during lockdown. Finally, in the conclusion chapter, Chapter 7, I examine how post-oppositionality in the novels prepares the reader for post-oppositional action in reality. Throughout all of these chapters, I rely on other theories and historiographies such as gender theory (Judith Butler, Foucault, West and Zimmerman, etc.), the history of women's sexuality, and the roles of women in nineteenth century Mexico (looking especially at the works of Nancy LaGreca and Anna Macías).
"The Other Half is Mine": Charlotte Moorman as an Architect of the Avant-Garde
Authors:   , Balkcom Brittney M.
Published: January 2025

Charlotte Moorman (1933–1991) was a Juilliard-trained cellist whose life and work made an indelible mark on the development of the American avant-garde. In her career, Moorman acted as a performer, collaborator, composer, administrator and muse. She solely founded the inaugural New York Avant Garde Festival, and subsequently directed fifteen of these festivals between 1963 and 1980, the feat for which she is most widely acknowledged today. Yet, her revolutionary performance practice, which blurred the lines between her life, her body, and her work, and brought into focus the dynamics of corporeality, the feminine body, female nudity and sexuality, and gendered politics within the contexts of musical performance, has so far escaped serious consideration in the written histories of the American avant-garde. This dissertation describes the nature of Moorman's practice as one that evolved to become inherently and irrevocably embodied, explores how this approach fell at odds with the pervasive avant-garde philosophies of music, and illustrates how her work troubles even a feminist musicological analysis. Further, through a contemporary critique of Moorman's oeuvre which centralizes the social, cultural, and political implications of her body in performance as integral to the work, this project offers a retrospective visibility to the artist which allows for a reframing of her practice as foundational to the aesthetic development of the postwar musical avant-garde. By way of these efforts, Moorman's legacy is presented as one that is both historically significant and vital to current and future musicological discourse.
Environmental Philosophy after Standing Rock
Authors:   , Gessas William Jeffrey
Published: January 2025

In 2016, An estimated 15,000 people representing 400 Indigenous Nations and non-indigenous allies gathered at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in solidarity against the Dakota Access Pipeline to protect Mni Sose, the Missouri River. They became known as the Water Protectors. This dissertation analyzes the response in environmental philosophy journals to the #noDAPL protest at Standing Rock. Even though the Stand at Standing Rock became one of the most important and monumental environmental protests of the last decade, neither Standing Rock nor the Water Protectors appear in environmental philosophy journals at all--not once. Why? I suggest a possible answer by exploring the Stand of the Water Protectors as a moment in a much longer continuous history of resistance to settler colonialism. Settler colonialism attempts to facilitate the erasure of Indigenous populations by colonial ones, in order to gain access to territory—to land. The omission of Standing Rock from environmental philosophy journals represents the ease with which environmental philosophy can become complicit in the project of settler colonial erasure and replacement through absence. Drawing on Indigenous land-based philosophies of kinship, Latin American decolonial philosophy, settler colonial theory, and frameworks of Indigenous environmental justice, I show how the geo-politics of colonialism have come to produce environmental injustice and planetary ruin. I work to break the silence on Standing Rock in environmental philosophy and allow the Water Protectors example to guide the project toward an environmental philosophy which centers colonialism and Indigenous resurgence as core concerns.