bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Small Rural District Principals on Their Superintendent's Effectiveness in Principal Leadership Development
Authors:   , Bartram Timothy Lynn
Published: February 2025

Empirical research has shown a relationship between the school principal's leadership ability as an instructional leader and student learning outcomes. It would be reasonable to assume that the school principal benefits greatly from his or her superintendent sharing his or her knowledge and experience. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of a sample of rural West Texas principals and the frequency and extent to which their superintendent provides them effective professional development and advice on a professional level or setting. Furthermore, the study focused on passive-avoidant, transactional, and transformational leadership styles. This was a mixed-method study utilizing 50 quantitative questions and 7 open-ended qualitative questions. Findings indicate that the principals'' perceptions of their superintendent's leadership style were on average, positive. Research supports that the behavior and actions superintendents used were both transformational and transactional forms of leadership and more often than not encouraged growth and positive outcomes among principals. The principals' perceptions regarding the impact of their superintendent's leadership style(s) on their own professional growth was positive, with results indicating that many superintendents would support and encourage professional and personal growth even where resources were limited.
Antimicrobial and Anti-Platelet Activity in Botanical Extracts of Plants Collected in Northern Thailand
Authors:   , Patcharapinyopong Thanasan
Published: February 2025

The purpose of my research work was to assess a variety of Northern Thailand plants tissue extracts for antibacterial and anti-platelet aggregation activity. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assay method was used to assess antimicrobial activity of plant extracts, while the Zebrafish Platelet Aggregation Assay and the in vitro Whole Human Blood Impedance Aggregation Assay were used to study anti-platelet activity. Forty one plant extracts harvested from the tissues of 26 plants collected from Northern Thailand were assessed. Thirty-four plant extracts were found to have antibacterial activity against the Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and/or Bacillus subtilis, while six plant extracts demonstrated activity against the Gram negative bacterium, Escherichia coli. Thirteen plant extracts exhibited anti-platelet aggregation activity better than the positive control. Two crude plant extracts, twigs from Garcinia sp. and twigs from Goniothalamus chilensis were selected for fractionation. Five of the 12 fractions showed anti-platelet activity. Four fractions (two from each plant extract) were selected for further sub-fractionation. Fourteen of 35 sub-fractions were selected for further testing of anti-platelet aggregation activity with 12 sub-fractions demonstrating positive antiplatelet activity. Positive sub-fractions were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine their chemical properties. Three compounds that possessed anti-platelet activity were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance. The compounds, all isolated from Garcinia sp., were identified as cambogin, isoxanthochymol and guttiferone F.
Practical Considerations for Euphonium Players Doubling on Tuba
Authors:   , Kenney Vince
Published: February 2025

There is currently a great deal of information available to euphonium players who double on trombone, but far less for euphonium players who double on tuba. This dissertation takes information gathered from many top euphonium/tuba doublers, including: Benjamin Pierce, D.M.A., Aaron Tindall, D.M.A., Gail Robertson, D.M.A., Gretchen Renshaw James, D.M.A., Matthew Murchison, D.M.A., Matthew Shipes, D.M.A., Matthew Tropman, D.M.A., and Keith Kile, and presents a synopsis of their thoughts/reflections on tuba doubling. This dissertation is designed to aide euphonium players in the process of learning tuba, enabling them to be as efficient as possible with both their time and money throughout the process. Topics covered include: difficulties unique to the euphonium/tuba double and approaches to overcome them, similarities and differences between euphonium and tuba playing (from the perspective of euphonium/tuba doublers), "reverse" benefits of euphonium/tuba doubling on the primary instrument, literature recommendations for euphonium/tuba doublers, and equipment considerations for euphonium/tuba doublers.
Poor Things: Objects, Ownership, and the Underclasses in American Literature, 1868-1935
Authors:   , Johnson Meghan Taylor
Published: February 2025

This dissertation explores both the production of underclass literature and the vibrancy of material between 1868-1935. During an era of rampant materialism, consumer capitalism, unchecked industrialism, and economic inequality in the United States, poor, working class Americans confronted their socioeconomic status by abandoning the linear framework of capitalism that draws only a straight line between market and consumer, and engaging in a more intimate relationship with local, material things – found, won, or inherited – that offered a sense of autonomy, belonging, and success. The physical seizure of property/power facilitated both men and women with the ability to recognize their own empowerment (both as individuals and as a community) and ultimately resist their marginalization by leveling access to opportunity and acquiring or creating personal assets that could be generationally transferred as affirmation of their family's power and control over circumstance. Reading into these personal possessions helps us understand the physical and psychological conflicts present amongst the underclasses as represented in American literature, and these conflicts give rise to new dynamics of belonging as invested in the transformative experience of ownership and exchange. If we can understand these discarded, poor, and foreign things and people as possessing dynamic and vibrant agency, then we will change the ethics of objectifying and ostracizing discarded, poor, and foreign humans, then and now.
Denim Fiberboard Fabricated from MUF and pMDI Hybrid Resin System
Authors:   , Cui Zhiying
Published: February 2025

In this study, a series of denim fiberboards are fabricated using two different resins, malamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) and polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI). Two experimental design factors (1) adhesive content and (2) MUF-pMDI weight ratio, were studied. All the denim fiberboard samples were fabricated following the same resin blending, cold-press and hot-press procedures. The physical and mechanical tests were conducted on the fiberboard following the procedures described in ASTM D1037 to obtain such as modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond (IB), thickness swell (TS), and water absorption (WA). The results indicated that the MOE was significantly affected by both factors. IB was affected significantly by weight ratio of different glue types, with 17 wt% more MDI resin portion in the core layer of the denim boards, the IB for total adhesive content 15% fiberboard was enhanced by 306%, while for total adhesive content 25% fiberboard, enhanced by 205%. TS and WA, with higher adhesive content used in denim boards' fabrication, and more pMDI portion in the core layer of the boards, the boards' TS and WA was reduced by up to 64.2% and 78.8%, respectively.
Diverse Learners in the Classroom: Students with Special Needs Enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Texas Public Classrooms
Authors:   , Briones San Juanita G
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study was to determine if students with special needs participating in an inclusive classroom can learn the skills related to a STEM career as compared to the general student population. The study involved seventh grade students from two rural middle schools in north central Texas and was framed through a constructivist lens using a quasi-experimental design with a convenience sample. The Solenoid Invention Kit Assessment and the STEM Semantics Survey used in this study were used from a previously large existing dataset from a grant funded by the National Science Foundation for Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers. Findings suggested that there were no significant differences between the general student population and students with special needs. However, STEM coursework in an inclusive classroom may impact students' decision to pursue STEM careers.
Transatlantic Crossings: Nadia Boulanger and Marion Bauer
Authors:   , Brubaker Blaine
Published: February 2025

In the summer of 1906, Marion Bauer (1882-1955) boarded a ship to Paris to meet with Raoul Pugno, a French pianist and composer. Juliette Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) was also close with Pugno around the same time. Living with the Pugno family in Gargenville during the summer, Bauer was able to travel to Paris, where she met several important musicians of the time and also nineteen-year-old Boulanger. Pugno, who worked closely with Boulanger, asked her to teach counterpoint and harmony to Bauer. Boulanger agreed and reportedly asked Bauer for English lessons in payment. Both women went on to become important music pedagogues, teaching hundreds of students. Their meeting allowed Bauer and Boulanger to share their ideas on teaching and music with each other. As time passed, the relationship between the two women fade from collective memory, but Boulanger's teaching principles of harmony, hearing, la grande ligne, and music history and literature live on through her students and fellow teachers and composers. Bauer's writings demonstrate similarities to these four key principles. Using Kimberly Francis and Emily Green's understanding of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural production and an analysis of Boulanger's pedagogical principles, I believe that Boulanger's early accumulation of cultural capital and experience was shared with Bauer, assisting Bauer in her future role as American music pedagogue.
Asian and Asian Indian American Immigrant Students: Factors Influencing Their Academic Performance
Authors:   , Mathew Subhas
Published: February 2025

Asian American students have done well in school; they have had higher academic achievements, higher academic scores, lower dropout rates and higher college entrance rates as compared to other minorities and generally other students in the United States (U.S.). A possible explanation to the higher academic performance and achievement of the Asian American students is that they are more likely to have experienced an environment that is conducive to learning at home; their parents were involved and held higher expectations. Immigrant minorities have been found to do well in schools in many parts of the world. Similarly, here in the U.S. there has been increasing evidence that students of Asian ancestry, both immigrants and U.S. born, complete more years of education than most of the other ethnicities. Current research and data on the academic performance of Asian immigrants includes most Asian countries. This study reviewed the current literature regarding the factors that influence the academic performance of "Asian Indian Americans" who attended high schools in the U. S. This correlational study examined the relationship between various factors, such as parental participation, parental expectations and involvement, discipline, cultural beliefs, personal identity and values, language spoken at home, and the academic performance of the Asian Indian Americans.
The Current State of Professional Development for Higher Education Faculty: An Examination of Four-Year, State Supported Universities in Texas
Authors:   , Boudreaux Kyle
Published: February 2025

This mixed methods study examined professional development for higher education faculty members at four-year, state supported universities in Texas and the perceptions of professional development leaders at these institutions. The quantitative data was generated through an electronic survey aligned to the second iteration of the technology acceptance model while the qualitative data was generated through semi structured interviews with those that participated with the survey. Univariate analysis was performed on the survey data and the qualitative data was categorized using pattern coding. Limitations and future recommendations were also discussed.
Negotiated Meanings on the Landscape: Culture, Perseverance and a Shift in Paradigms in Klawock, Alaska
Authors:   , Sopow Catherine Ruby
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of Klawock's Tribal Citizens' relationship to harvesting what is colloquially known as customary and traditional foods and/or native foods. The state and federal governments categorize these culturally specific goods as subsistence foods. An unearthed, 5,360-year-old basket potentially links modern day Klawock Tribal Citizens with their ancestral ties to the region. Throughout this time, families in this region of Southeast Alaska have been participating in a form of indigenous fishery. Despite access to multiple grocery stores and fish canneries, tribal citizens choose to expend their family's efforts to harvest their own sockeye out of the Klawock watershed. Oral history and ethnography and methodologies were employed to record personal relationships with the harvest of these resources while also documenting a context in which these relationships exist. Klawock Cooperative Association's staff worked alongside the student researcher and participants to analyze the data and produce findings. Engaging in customary and traditional activities rewards participants with intrinsic facets of their identity. Alongside reinforcing identities, these activities teach participants about family dynamics and working as a team, as well as the responsibilities that come with. These responsibilities are formed through the assignment of roles and provide people with purpose. The roles of individuals within their family dynamic parallel their understanding of their place within the larger society. Having a purpose and knowing their place shapes participant's accomplishments in the food system and honors them with feelings of pride. Based on these findings, KCA interprets customary and traditional activities as an epistemology in which increased access and participation provides an upwards trajectory of community health.
Linking Enhanced Fatigue Life to Design by Modifying the Microstructure
Authors:   , Liu Kaimiao
Published: February 2025

Structural material fatigue is a leading cause of failure and has motivated fatigue-resistant design to eliminate risks to human lives. Intrinsic microstructural features alter fatigue deformation mechanisms so profoundly that, essentially, fatigue properties of structural materials become deviant. With this in mind, we initiated this project to investigate the microstructural effect on fatigue behavior of potential structural high entropy alloys. With a better understanding of the effect of microstructure features on fatigue properties, the ultimate goal was to engineer the microstructure to enhance the fatigue life of structural materials. The effects of two major deformation mechanisms presented here are twinning-induced fatigue crack retardation, and transformation-induced fatigue crack retardation. The fundamental principle of both mechanisms is to delay the fatigue crack propagation rate by altering the work hardening ability locally within the crack plastic zone. In ultrafine grained triplex Al0.3CoCrFeNi, nano-sized deformation twins were observed during cyclic loading in FCC matrix due to low stacking fault energy (SFE). The work-hardening ability of the material near the crack was sustained with the formation of twins according to Considere's criteria. Further, due to the ultrafine-grained (UFG) nature of the material, fatigue runout stress was enhanced. In a coarse-grained, dual-phase high entropy alloy, persistent slip bands formed in FCC matrix during cyclic loading due mainly to the slight composition change that affects the SFE in the FCC matrix and eventually alters the deformation mechanism. Another way known to alter an alloy's work hardening (WH) ability is transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP). In some alloys, phase transformation happens due to strain localization, which alters the work-hardening ability. iii In a fine-grained, dual-phase metastable high entropy alloy, gamma (f.c.c.) to epsilon (h.c.p.) transformation occurred in the plastic zone that was induced from cracks. Thus, we designed a Cu-containing FeMnCoCrSi high entropy alloy that exhibited a normalized fatigue ratio of ~ 0.62 UTS (ultimate tensile strength). Our design approach was based on (a) engineering the gamma phase stability to attain sustained work hardening through delayed gamma (f.c.c.) to epsilon (h.c.p.) transformation to hinder fatigue crack propagation, (b) incorporating an ultrafine-grained microstructure to delay crack initiation, and (c) forming deformation twins to reduce the crack propagation rate. We verified that a UFG gamma dominant microstructure could provide opportunities for exceptional fatigue resistance, as sustained WH activity strengthened the material locally in the crack plastic zone, thereby validating our expectation that the combination of UFG and TRIP is a path to design the next generation of fatigue-resistant alloys.
A Behavioral Analysis of the Stroop Effect
Authors:   , Luc Oanh
Published: February 2025

Participants demonstrate the Stroop effect when, in naming the color in which a word appears, reaction times are longer when the color and word are incongruent (e.g., "yellow" printed in blue) compared to when they are congruent (e.g., "yellow" printed in yellow). The literature commonly refers to the difference in reaction times as a measure of the interference of word stimuli upon color stimuli, and is taken as support for the theory of automaticity. This study asks whether the Stroop effect can be analyzed as interactions within and across stimulus classes. Adult participants learned three 3-member classes (color, word, and pattern) in a serialized order of training. In the testing phase, participants were presented with compound stimuli formed from combinations of members within and across classes (e.g., word and color), and reaction times were recorded in similar fashion to the Stroop task. Results show that averaged participants' reaction times are faster to compound stimuli comprised of members within the same class, compared to compound stimuli formed with members from different classes. These group-level data are consistent with the Stroop literature in that congruent compounds produce faster reaction times relative to incongruent compounds. However, individual participant data do not consistently reflect the Stroop effect. Further considerations for future research in this area are discussed.
The Role of Male Fashion in Protests against the Majority Culture: An Exploratory Study
Authors:   , Greenidge Giselle C. M.
Published: February 2025

Throughout history, the Black Diaspora has used fashion as a form of protest. The element of fashion is often overlooked when considering the history and struggle for Black equality, because it is less tangible or definable in terms of its influence and effect, but it is still important because Black males resist the dominant culture via dress by dressing in military uniforms, creating their own style, and using different colors in their dress. Studying the Black struggle in American history during specific periods is one way to better understand opposition to the majority culture through fashion. We should also consider the mood of a social system when examining the dress of a particular group during conflicts. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of fashion as a protest tool against the majority culture, and the social mood that affects the fashion choices of Black males. The study focuses on Black fashion from 1910 to 2015. Text data were collected and analyzed from articles published in The Crisis magazine, and men's fashion was specially examined. Additionally, images were studied via visual ethnography and images were coded based on color choice, fit, and accessories. For conducting sentiment analysis, lexicons were used, and the text was examined for negative sentiment. The overall negative sentiment of the document was obtained. Graphical analyses are included to present the findings. The findings, conclusions, limitations, and future research are discussed.
Universal Suicide Risk Screening in the Parkland Health and Hospital System: Evaluation of the Parkland Algorithm for Suicide Screening
Authors:   , Goans Christian
Published: February 2025

Suicide is a significant public health issue in the US. Despite national and international prioritization since 1996, little definitive progress has been made in terms of identification and intervention in cases of elevated suicide risk. Forty percent of those who died by suicide attended an emergency department within a year of death. Therefore, universal suicide risk screening in emergency departments could prove a vital component to a national suicide prevention strategy. The present study empirically evaluated the universal suicide risk screening program recently implemented at Parkland Health and Hospital System. The sample consisted of patients over 18 years of age (N=333,855; Mage=42.7, 32% male) screened as part of routine clinical care from May 4th, 2015, through November 3rd, 2015. The Parkland Algorithm for Suicide Screening (PASS) is part of a clinical decision support system for responses to Columbia - Suicide Severity Rating Scale Clinical Practice Screener (C-SSRS) items, leading to an automated clinical response via three suicide risk stratification levels: no action for no risk identified, psychiatric social worker assessment for moderate risk identified, and psychiatrist/psychologist interview for high risk identified. The present study used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, which found the PASS predicted disposition (z=30.46, p<.001, AUC=.78, CI95=.77, .81). This study also evaluated the cutpoints separating suicide risk stratification and levels of clinical response. The results supported the first cutpoint and highlighted a need for additional data to address the second cutpoint. The results of the present study suggest that the universal suicide risk screening program at Parkland Health and Hospital System is an important step toward addressing suicide prevalence in the US.
Foundations of the Spanish Language Self-Efficacy of Bilingual Education Pre-Service Teachers
Authors:   , Szwed Amanda Rose
Published: February 2025

The study of self-efficacy in pre-service bilingual education teachers is not a thoroughly researched topic. This dissertation provides qualitative research about the inception of Spanish language self-efficacy of pre-service bilingual education teachers from a large university in Texas. By juxtaposing the experiences of two students with high levels of Spanish self-efficacy with two students who have low levels of Spanish self-efficacy, data gives insight to what influenced varying perceptions of self-efficacy amongst students who are in their last semester of coursework prior to student teaching. An extensive literature review provided the foundation for the conceptual framework. The framework includes individual backgrounds, societal influences, personal interactions, and modeling by others to note the evolution of each individuals' perception of self-efficacy in the Spanish language. Explicit instances of what experiences have had an impact on participants' Spanish language self-efficacy are highlighted. The resulting impacts to bilingual education and self-efficacy are discussed. Finally, the conclusion focuses on how this research can assist in promoting language equity for bilingual and multilingual students at varying academic levels.
Who Does Online Dating Benefit? Association of Adult Attachment with Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction for Online Daters
Authors:   , Woolford Brittany
Published: February 2025

Research on associations between online dating and later relationship and sexual satisfaction is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between meeting a romantic partner online or in person and later relationship and sexual satisfaction for heterosexual males and females. Main analysis results suggest that men report higher relationship satisfaction when they met their partner online and women with a preoccupied and dismissing attachment style reported higher sexual satisfaction when they met their partner online. Overall, there were few differences in relationship and sexual satisfaction for heterosexual men and women who met their partner online or in person.
Disasters, Smart Growth and Economic Resilience: An Empirical Analysis of Florida Cities
Authors:   , Chatterjee Vaswati
Published: February 2025

This dissertation examines the relationship between economic resilience, disaster experience, and smart growth policies at the local government level. The study is based upon three research questions that examine spatial distribution of economic resilience in Florida cities, and examines the impact of disaster experience, and smart growth policies adopted by local governments on economic resilience. Based upon the bounce-forward approach (Cowell, 2013; Klein et al. 2003), economic resilience is defined using three dimensions—economic stability, economic equity, and economic diversity. The spatial analysis is conducted by mapping economic resilience scores across 780 Census Designated Places in Florida through standard deviation method of classification, and conducting cluster-outlier analysis. Results suggest difference in economic resilience within coastal and inland communities—with higher scores mostly situated inland. East Central Florida, Tampa Bay, and South Florida were identified as high economic resilience clusters, and Northwest Florida was identified as low resilience cluster. Impact of disaster experience, and smart growth policies on economic resilience was examined based upon logic of focusing events by Birkland (1997, 2010). Data was collected from the U.S. Census, the National Climatic Data Center, and the Energy Sustainable Florida Communities Survey conducted by Florida State University in 2009. Results suggest significant association between disaster experience of communities and their level of economic resilience, highlighting the importance of community learning in building capacity for resilience after disasters. The results also highlight the need of balancing mitigation and adaptation strategies. Mixed-use development policies, green building certification, and energy savings policies were found to have a significant positive impact on economic resilience.
Addressing Technical and Musical Demands of Contemporary Music for Horn through Newly-Composed Etudes
Authors:   , Hessel Eric
Published: February 2025

Contemporary music for horn often requires techniques and musical or notational considerations that are unconventional with respect to the standard pedagogy of the instrument. As such, these considerations often represent a level of challenge to which the average-intermediate to advanced-hornist is unprepared to approach or altogether unfamiliar. The most prominent of these demands arising in the last few decades of the twentieth century through today include microtonality (such as extended just intonation and quarter tones), extended techniques in combination or juxtaposition (such as multiphonics and right hand technique), rhythmic complexity (including metric modulation, non-dyadic meters, additive rhythms, and nested tuplets), and unconventional notations (graphic, spatial, and other temporal notations). This document first surveys the challenges of the repertoire in question, which includes works by György Ligeti, Thea Musgrave, Milton Babbitt, Brian Ferneyhough, Iannis Xenakis, Heinz Holliger, and Douglas Hill, among others. After considering the merits and limitations of existing pedagogical materials that work towards these ends, the document then underlines a strategic pedagogical goal for understanding and approaching unconventional contemporary repertoire through newly-composed etudes. This document is written in conjunction with and justification for the author's 24 Unconventional Etudes for Horn, and includes examples therefrom.
Social Class and Consumer Choice
Authors:   , Mas Erick M
Published: February 2025

Marketing research is lacking in the study of how SES influences consumption choices beyond access to purely economic resources, which merely represent purchasing power without explaining consumer preference. The first essay of this dissertation addresses this gap by examining an understudied social resource known as cultural capital—internalized knowledge, skills and behaviors reflecting cultural competence—that can influence the types of products consumers choose. The second essay examines low SES politically conservative consumers' desire to use consumption choices as signals to attain more status. Together, this dissertation extends our understanding of how SES influences consumer preferences for hedonic (vs. utilitarian) products, as well as their preference for product acquisition via access-based consumption (vs. ownership). Furthermore, the psychological processes underlying these effects and the conditions and personality differences moderating these effects are uncovered. Managerial and theoretical implications are provided.
Therapeutic Assessment as Preparation for Psychotherapy
Authors:   , Vance Jeffrey Michael
Published: February 2025

This study examined the impact therapeutic assessment (TA) had on participants recruited from the UNT Psychology Clinic's waiting list. Using a pretest-posttest design, participants completed measures prior to and following their assessment. UNT Psychology Clinic archive data was used to compare this sample to clients who received traditional information gathering assessments with implicit measures, those receiving assessments relying on only self-report measures, and those who did not receive an assessment before beginning psychotherapy. The findings of this study vary based on the criteria being examined. Due to the small sample in the experimental group, no statistical significance was found through null hypothesis testing. However, the TA group's scores on the Outcome Questionnaire – 45 (OQ) and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) indicated better outcomes than those without a TA, with large effect sizes. Furthermore, those who received a TA were more likely than those without a TA to score below the clinically significant cutoff levels on the OQ. The study raises issues for consideration in what is deemed "effective" in therapeutic efficacy research.
Beyond Nothingness: A Broader Nihilism in Cinema Paradiso by Stephen Goss
Authors:   , Kyzer Dan
Published: February 2025

Stephen Goss composed Cinema Paradiso, a six-movement suite for solo guitar, as an homage to films and film directors. Goss cites nihilism as a theme in Dogville, the film that inspires the fourth movement, "Mandalay," but I assert that all the films and many musical devices throughout the piece can be read through the lens of nihilism. The first movement, "Paris, Texas," depicts the stark landscape of the opening scene of the 1984 Wim Wenders film of the same name. "Modern Times" chronicles Charlie Chaplin's slapstick-laden descent from the factory to the insane asylum in the opening sequence of his 1936 Modern Times. "Noir" is a tribute to the procedures of film noir: violent storylines that depict the harshness of life, dim lighting, and anti-hero characters, all accompanied by jazz. Lars von Trier's Dogville provides the movement "Mandalay" with its nihilistic meaning, but Goss writes that he invokes the musical style of Kurt Weill's opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Just as the book people of François Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 had to pass on books orally, Goss has burned the score for his "451," forcing guitarists to learn it by watching a video and listening to a recording. Finally, the chaotic tarantella, "Tarantino" depicts Uma Thurman's heroin overdose scene in Quinten Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. By analyzing Fredrich Nietzsche's writings to form a broader definition of nihilism and applying that definition first to each film and then to corresponding musical elements in each movement, this paper argues that nihilism acts as a connecting theme throughout Cinema Paradiso.
Lookouts
Authors:   , Dejarnett Claire
Published: February 2025

Lookouts follows Matt and Joann, two fire tower lookouts for the United States Forest Service, as they discuss their happiness living in seclusion as well as the decline of fire towers due to technological advances.
Extrinsic Doping of Few Layered Tungsten Disulfide Films by Pulsed Laser Deposition
Authors:   , Rathod Urmilaben Pradipsinh P
Published: February 2025

This dissertation tested the hypothesis that pulsed laser deposition (PLD) could be used to create targeted dopant profiles in few layered WS2 films based on congruent evaporation of the target. At the growth temperatures used, 3D Volmer-Weber growth was observed. Increased energy transfer from the PLD plume to the growing films degraded stoichiometry (desorption of sulfur) and mobility. Sulfur vacancies act as donors and produce intrinsic n-type conductivity. Post deposition annealing significantly improved the crystallinity, which was accompanied by a mobility increase from 6.5 to 19.5 cm2/Vs. Preparation conditions that resulted in excess sulfur, possibly in the form of interstitials, resulted in p-type conductivity. Current-voltage studies indicated that Ohmic contacts were governed by surface properties and tunneling. Extrinsic p-type doping of few layered WS2 films with Nb via pulsed laser deposition using ablation targets fabricated from WS2, S and Nb powders is demonstrated. The undoped controls were n-type, and exhibited a Hall mobility of 0.4 cm2/Vs. Films doped at 0.5 and 1.1 atomic percentages niobium were p-type, and characterized by Fermi levels at 0.31 eV and 0.18 eV from the valence band edge. That is, the Fermi level moved closer to the valence band edge with increased doping. With increased Nb doping, the hole concentrations increased from 3.9 x1012 to 8.6 x1013 cm-2, while the mobility decreased from 7.2 to 2.6 cm2/Vs, presumably due to increased ionized impurity scattering. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that Nb substitutes on W lattice sites, and the measured peak shifts toward lower binding energy observed corresponded well with the UPS data. Throughout, a clear correlation between degraded stoichiometry and decreased mobility was observed, which indicates that point defect and ionized impurity scattering is a dominant influence on carrier transport in PLD few-layered WS2 films. The approach demonstrates the potential of PLD for targeted doping of transition metal dichalcogenides.
Mathematics Teacher Motivation in the Context of Lesson Study with Open Approach
Authors:   , Petty Clinton Scott
Published: February 2025

Providing professional development to in-service teachers remains a high priority when attempting to meet state and federal school accountability requirements, yet principals may neglect teacher motivation and the teacher change process when facilitating teacher learning. Drawing on self-determination theory, this research examined social and environmental factors shaping teacher motivation in the context of lesson study with open approach. This descriptive case study included the perceptions of eight secondary mathematics teachers who engaged lesson study as a form of professional development. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews suggested the following contextual factors improve motivation: emerging proficiency, synergy, interpersonal dynamics, volition, and internalization. Additionally, apprehension, minor barriers, and contentious interpersonal dynamics may reduce intrinsic-like motivation. As teachers encountered supportive contextual factors, they satisfied their need to experience competence, relatedness, and autonomy which encouraged value internalization of new learning manifesting as an epistemological shift in teaching paradigm. By internalizing the value of new learning, teachers may become more likely to authentically enact new pedagogy in their classrooms. The results of this study indicated lesson study with open approach may provide a robust form of learning capable of changing prior instructional beliefs. These findings suggest principals create and maintain contextual factors (with deliberate intent) that promote intrinsic-like motivation and the teacher change process to enhance the healthy development of teacher learning.
Phase Transformation and Elastic Constants in Binary Titanium Alloys: An Atomistic Study
Authors:   , Salloom Riyadh Farooq
Published: February 2025

The current understanding of the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of some individual phases in titanium alloys is limited due to the fine scale at which these phases precipitate within the β-phase matrix. The α and ω phases represent the most widely observed phases in titanium alloys depending on the alloy composition and also the heat treatment procedure adopted during processing. The possibility of precipitating ω-phase depends on the content of the β-stabilizers within the system. Although a significant compositional partitioning occurs within ω-phase upon aging treatment, the knowledge of ω-phase mechanical properties as a function of composition is very limited. The initial part of the current work focuses on the effect of common β-stabilizers elements on the phase stability and mechanical properties of the ω-phase using first-principles calculations. A relation between the bonding nature, the phase stability, and elastic properties was proposed. Thereafter αʺ martensitic phase was investigated in Ti-Nb and Ti-Nb-O alloys. The phase stability and martensitic start temperature of αʺ-phase was studied as a function of Nb and oxygen content. Also, the effect of the lattice shear distortion induced by oxygen atom on stabilizing β-phase was investigated. Subsequently the effect of the β-stabilizers' elements on stacking faults energy and ductility in α-Ti alloys was studied. Both prismatic and basal slip system were investigated with different concentration of β-stabilizers at the slip plane. Lastly, while the Tadmor and Bernstein model was employed to predict the partial dislocation emission and twinning propensity, the Rice criterion was used to estimate the effect of different β-stabilizers on the ductility of α-Ti alloys.
A Smart Tale: An Examination of the Smart City Phenomena through the Lens of a Case Study
Authors:   , Habib Abdulrahman
Published: February 2025

This dissertation addresses research questions related to defining a smart city and the associated activities. The general research question is explored in the dissertation via the conduct of three related studies. The finding from these three investigations are presented in the results section as 3 essays that collectively examine the smart city phenomena as it has emerged within the City. Essay 1 assesses building municipal open data capability. The study proposed an Opendata Roadmap Framework to enhance the organization's dynamic capability. The results provide a valuable practical framework to help cities develop open data capability. The results also provide a comparative study or benchmark for similar initiatives with other regional cities and within the nation. Essay 2 measures the residents' understanding and beliefs about smart cities. This portion of the research used a qualitative method that included interviewing residents and city officials to understand their definition of a smart city and what they believe makes a city smart. The interviews focused on understanding resident engagement because it is an important characteristic of a smart city. The gap between the city officials and residents understanding was examined. In addition, the interviews help identify essential factors associated with smart cities like trust in government, perceived security, perceived privacy, trust in technology, and perceived monetary value. Essay 3 examines the acceptance of smart city technologies and factors that affect the adoption of such technologies. This essay uses the insights from the other two essays to propose a smart city Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) extension labelled Smart City UTAUT (SC-UTAUT). The new proposed model was tested using a survey method. The 1,786 valid responses were used to test the proposed structural equation model using Smart PLS. Results show a significant relationship between trust in technology, trust in government, perceived monetary value, effort expectancy, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention. The dissertation concludes with a summary of how the three essays make a cumulative contribution to the literature as well as providing practical guidance for becoming a smart city.
An Examination of Risk and Resilience Factors Predicting Executive Functioning in Women following Psychological Trauma
Authors:   , Sullivan Erin
Published: February 2025

Psychological trauma may affect higher-order executive functions, which include selective attention, inhibition, and task-switching processes. Difficulty in these executive processes can in turn influence individuals' daily functioning and may also negatively affect the psychological treatment of post-trauma symptoms. Women may be most at risk for developing problems with executive functioning following trauma, consistent with their overall greater risk of developing post-trauma symptoms. Yet, little is understood about the influence of psychological variables, premorbid functioning, and specific trauma factors in determining post-trauma cognitive functioning in women. Additionally, individual variability in susceptibility to psychological distress and neuropsychological deficits following trauma remains an open area of study. The present study investigated the relationship between psychological and trauma factors with neuropsychological outcomes in women with trauma histories as well as individual variability in risk for poor neuropsychological outcomes. In total, 60 participants' data (age M = 29.73, SD = 10.91) were included in analyses. The final sample consisted of 33 community members recruited from the UNT Psychology Clinic and the UNT student body and 27 veterans recruited from the Veterans Affairs North Texas Healthcare System (VANTHCS). Regression and path analysis identified premorbid intellectual functioning as a predictor of better neuropsychological outcomes and anxiety and depression symptoms as risk factors for worse neuropsychological functioning. Person-centered cluster analyses focused on individual differences in outcomes identified three groups differing in psychological distress and neuropsychological functioning. Additional analyses identified differences in trauma exposure, psychological functioning, and neuropsychological performance between subgroups of civilians and veterans and those with and without a history of PTSD.
Impact of Early Childhood Education on Later Academic Achievement
Authors:   , Weems Amy
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of participation in the district's early childhood program on later academic achievement as measured by the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) mathematics and reading assessments in Grades 3, 4, and 5. The studied district opened a centralized early childhood school in 2009 and implemented the Texas Pre-K Guidelines. The STAAR test results were available for five cohorts of students who attended the early childhood school and took the STAAR mathematics and reading assessments in the years 2014-2018. A quasi-experimental design was used to analyze differences in STAAR mathematics and reading scores for students who attended the district's early childhood program and students who did not attend. A two-way factorial ANOVA was used to examine the effect on test scores of attending the district's early childhood school and other demographic categories, Latinx, African American, socio-economic status, and English language learners (ELL). The results show that attending the early childhood program did not have a statistically significant effect for Latinx or African American students. However, the mean mathematics scores for economically-disadvantaged students who attended the early childhood program were higher than their peers who did not attend. ELL students who attended the program also had higher mathematics scores but the differences were usually not statistically significant. The same impact on economically-disadvantaged students and ELLs was not found on reading tests.
An Evaluation of Problem Behavior during a Preference Assessment
Authors:   , Tinney Ashton Corinne
Published: February 2025

There is a limited amount of research that has evaluated all three types of modalities and consequences during stimulus preference assessments (SPA) or examined problem behavior during preference assessments with individuals with tangible maintained problem behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to extend this line of research in two ways: (a) compare results of SPAs across three modalities and two consequence, (b) evaluate problem behavior during these SPAs with individuals with problem behavior maintained by access to tangible items. The results indicated that for all participants, there was preference stability across modalities and conditions. For all participants, problem behavior occurred during the no access condition or removal regardless of modality.
The Geography of Retail Clinics Post Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
Authors:   , Portillo Ethan
Published: February 2025

Retail clinics are walk-in clinics designed for convenience and for servicing minor health issues and certain acute conditions. The model began as a way of bringing both convenience and care to areas that have lower levels of access to primary care resources. With the implementation of Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010, populations that were previously uninsured were now required to have access to some level of health insurance. These populations presented a potential new market for retail clinics. This research shows that post implementation of the ACA, retail clinics tend to locate in areas with higher incomes and, generally, greater access to primary care.
Reaping the Seeds of Leadership: Evaluating a Proposed Model of Lifespan Leadership Development
Authors:   , Mitchell Mary E.
Published: February 2025

Though research suggests that several factors are related to the onset of leadership, few researchers have endeavored to determine how these factors may interact to bring about early leadership development. A descriptive discriminant analysis was conducted to test the validity of early factors cited by Murphy and Johnson; namely, lower scores on measures of temperamental negative affect, higher scores of temperamental extraversion, effortful control, orienting sensitivity, authoritative parenting style, secure adult attachment, older relative age, and more reported team sports and extracurricular activities experiences were hypothesized to predict current and past leaders versus never leaders. Additional analyses investigated possible gender differences in how these early factors may predict leader occupancy. The results indicate that early factors are able to predict leadership status for male students, though a majority of the variance in leader status is still left unaccounted. Implications for future leadership development research and training are discussed.