cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-341787
title: Instructional coaching and teacher self-efficacy: the impact of coaching programs on teacher self-efficacy across elementary, middle, and high schools with educational technology in California public K-12 schools

description: The purpose of this case study was to understand the role that instructional coaches play in the development of teacher self-efficacy in the implementation of district-wide educational technology in California K-12 public schools. Specifically, this study sought to discover for elementary, middle and high school levels (1) how teachers perceive their professional growth with educational technology as a result of working alongside an instructional coach, (2) how teachers who work with an instructional coach share what they learned with colleagues, (3) how have instructional coaches been beneficial to teachers in increasing their self-efficacy with educational technology, (4) what measures K-12 school districts use to evaluate instructional coaches and technology integration, and (5) whether teachers who work with instructional coaches experience increased self-efficacy with educational technology. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach for a case study of one California K-12 school district using an instructional coach program for educational technology instruction and support. Interviews were conducted with eight K-12 instructional coaches and five K-12 classroom teachers who receive coaching in order to find information that cannot be observed and to provide answers to the research questions. Quantitative data was collected through a digital survey completed by 12 K-12 instructional coaches and 58 K-12 classroom teachers. Through triangulation of the data, this research suggests that a majority of K-12 teachers found that working with an instructional coach helped to increase their self-efficacy. Additionally, this study suggests that building self-efficacy in teachers encourages them to more effectively use educational technology and helps teachers share acquired knowledge with colleagues.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-352932
title: Nanoimprint-defined large-area nano-structures for light manipulation

description: Nanoimprint lithography is a high-resolution, high-throughput and low-cost patterning technology and it is an important fabrication technique to pattern nanoscale structures in nanophotonics efficiently and accurately. Since its invention in 1995, nanoimprint lithography has been opening up new opportunities for nanophotonics researches. ❧ My PhD study mainly focuses on the development of Nanoimprint lithography patterning technology and its applications on fabricating large-area devices with high resolution and great functionalities. The nanoimprint patterning process was improved for less defects during pattern transfer and better structural fidelity. In order to reduce the structural roughness as well as to improve the ability of critical dimension (C.D.) control, novel master mold preparation and pattern transfer processes were developed. In addition, researches on advanced reactive ion etching (RIE) were conducted to cope with the need of realizing more complicated device structures. To demonstrate the capability of nanoimprint lithography, I have implemented it on fabricating various large-area devices for light manipulation on different applications during my PhD study. ❧ In this thesis, all aspects of my PhD work will be covered with technological details. In the first part, my PhD work on nanoimprint lithography process development is reported, including nanoimprint lithography, interference lithography, grating edge smoothing and line width tuning. The fabrication technology enables the experimental demonstration of many great applications. ❧ Second, I present the work on fabricating 2D high contrast gratings (HCGs). The TiO₂-based 2D HCGs can behave as a broadband polarization-independent reflector whose reflection bandwidth can be tuned by grating pitch and line width. A large-area 2D HCG is fabricated with nanoimprint lithography and RIE etching. By stacking multiple layers of HCGs, a HCG-based spectrum splitting photovoltaic system is also proposed, as one of the potential applications of the 2D HCGs. ❧ Besides, the work on one-way optics is also presented. By discovering a loop hole in the Lorentz reciprocity theorem, a non-reciprocal device was demonstrated, both numerically and experimentally, with high optical isolation for anti-parallel incident light as well as good transparency. Nanoimprint patterning and RIE etching processes were developed for large-area device fabrication, with a high resolution and high yield. ❧ In addition, heterogeneous all-dielectric metasurface is proposed to overcome the challenges of conventional all-dielectric metasurfaces for visible light, where material selection becomes challenging and limits the design and applications. In the heterogeneous all-dielectric metasurfaces, the impact of the material loss can effectively mitigated by manipulating the optical resonances. As a proof-of-principle demonstration of this design philosophy, a broadband reflector was presented with both a broadband reflection as well as a great optical efficiency.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-619454
title: Systematic risk and accounting conservatism

description: In this paper I examine the relationship between systematic risk and accounting conservatism. I argue that in firms with higher systematic risk, managers have higher incentives to delay the recognition of bad news in the hope of future good news. They also face less demand for conservatism from investors and auditors. Consistent with my hypothesis, I find a significant and negative association between systematic risk and accounting conservatism, robust to the effects of various known determinants of conservatism. Results from a lead-lag test suggest that the direction of causality flows from systematic risk to conservatism, and not vice versa. Unsystematic risk, however, is not significantly related to conservatism. Furthermore, the effect of systematic risk on conservatism is likely to originate from downside systematic risk, rather than upside risk. My findings highlight the important role that systematic risk may play in shaping managers’ reporting behavior.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-619729
title: Online communities and older adults: the potential of social networks formed in the online community in enhancing social support, social connectedness and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults

description: The dramatic social and economic changes in China, in addition to age-related factors, have increasingly eroded the social networks among Chinese older adults. New technologies have been proven useful in helping older adults maintain social contacts with distant family members and friends. The major purpose of this dissertation was to explore the potential of online communities in helping the older population expand social networks, obtain social support, enhance feelings of social connectedness, and engage in more social activities. Another aim of this project was to test a research model that explains how online community networks benefit the subjective well-being of older participants by applying the theoretical model proposed by Berkmen and Glass (2000) regarding social networks and health. The dissertation explored this issue through the investigation of OldKids (www.oldkids.cn), one of the most active senior-oriented online communities in China. The study collected 196 valid responses through an online survey posted on the OldKids website. Results indicated that online community involvement was a significantly positive predictor for older participants’ network size, perception of social support, feelings of social connectedness and attendance at volunteer activities. The study also found a very good fit of the research model. In conclusion, the results of the dissertation enabled us to have clearer understanding of how online communities hold promise for broadening social networks and improving the subjective well-being of this population.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-626773
title: Residual trapping of CO₂ in aquifers during counter-current flow

description: Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the earth’s atmosphere has initiated a wide range of efforts to mitigate emissions and to capture and sequester CO₂. Carbon sequestration in deep saline aquifers provides a potential site for long-term storing large amount of CO₂ without significant leakage back to surface. However, the time-scales that characterize the immobilization of CO₂ in an aquifer, by mechanisms such as capillary trapping, dissolution and chemical reaction, are not yet fully understood. The key contributions and findings from this research effort are: • A new dimensionless time-scale is proposed to describe residual entrapment of the non-wetting phase during counter-current flow. The new time-scale is demonstrated to outperform existing time-scales for a full range of relevant aquifer settings. • By combining experimental observations with numerical calculations, we demonstrate that the use of co-current relative permeability functions is insufficient to capture the migration dynamics of a non-wetting phase plume in counter-current flow settings. ❧ In this research project, we focus on the time-scale that describes the rate of entrapment of a well-defined CO₂ plume during counter-current flow. We use numerical calculations to study the interplay between capillary and gravity forces on migration dynamics. Based on numerical calculations, we propose a scaling analysis that allows us to estimate the rate and amount of entrapment over a range of relevant aquifer settings. ❧ In addition, current simulations models are commonly based on sequential displacements experiments (co-current flow) whereas any CO₂ that is injected into an aquifer will migrate upwards due to buoyancy in a counter-current flow setting. We test the use of the co-current saturation functions to predict the migration of CO₂ plume in an aquifer in the context of the counter-current flow settings. To test the accuracy of numerical calculations, a series of dynamic segregation experiments is performed with an analog brine/isooctane fluid system in a well-defined porous media to observe the changes in non-wetting phase saturation as a function of time. A comparison of the experimental observations with numerical calculations demonstrates that co-current relative permeability is inadequate to represent the migration dynamics and that counter-current relative permeability must be integrated in the simulation of aquifer storage processes.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-638572
title: Artists' game mods and the new public sphere

description: As of 2010, there are 183 million active gamers in the United States, each of whom plays at an average of 13 hours a week. Forty-nine percent of these players are between the ages of 18 and 49, and two out of every five of them are female. Following in a tradition of tactical interventions in mainstream media, contemporary North American artists are working with videogames as a means to engage the public in a discussion of the repercussions and possibilities of an increasingly digitized world. Artists’ games like Anne-Marie Schleiner, Brody Condon and Joan Leandre’s Velvet-Strike (2002) and Zach Gage’s Lose/Lose (2009) confront these issues by creating “mods,” or alterations of popular games. These artists use familiar reference points as catalysts for engaging new publics in conversations about contemporary art and the culture industry.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-648746
title: Gathering, processing and sharing data in a sensor-internet

description: Sensor networks have been proposed and deployed for study of scientific phenomena with levels of detail that was previously impossible. Recently urban sensing, participating sensing emerge as an effort to sensors in our daily life. To date, these deployments are isolated patches, each with different mechanisms to deliver data to their users, and often have no method to share data with others. We propose a Sensor-Internet architecture to interconnect isolated sensornets focusing on reprocessing existing data and sharing them conveniently among different organizations. ❧ The thesis of this  dissertation is that simple design and easy-to-use of gathering, processing and sharing sensor data enables people to observe current status of physical phenomena and add value to the shared data. We substantiate this thesis through the following three approaches. First, we provide easy-to-use abstractions to enable a sensor data sharing system, so that many people can participate sharing sensor data. Second, we explore an efficient design of sensor data sharing system. Third, we present prototype systems and practical sensor applications to show our easy-to-use and efficiency in gathering, processing, and sharing sensor data.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-652969
title: Refractive index matching technique for applications to the study of wakes in stratified fluids

description: Due to their prevalence in both nature and practical engineering applications, the mechanics of wakes in stratified fluids is of particular interest.  The strong influence of buoyancy forces causes unique wake structures to emerge that are not present in non-stratified wakes.  The flow properties and wake structures are well documented at intermediate and late times, but little information is known at early times when properties characteristic of stratified wakes first begin to appear.  Optical measurement techniques, such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), have been successful thus far, but do not perform well at early times when the flow is turbulent and large density variations are prevalent.  This paper investigates whether a refractive index matching (RIM) technique can be used to make accurate optical measurements in early wakes. ❧ A procedure for creating a RIM linear stratification using 100% ethanol and salt (NaCl) solutions is presented.  The success of the procedure is verified by measuring perceived disturbances caused by RI differences through the wake of a towed mesh in three fluid environments: a RIM stratified fluid, a non-RIM stratified fluid, and pure water.  For both stratified cases, N ≈ 0.86, Fr ≈ 10.5, and Re ≈ 22 x103.  By comparing the three environments, the RIM procedure was found to improve resolution by reducing horizontal and vertical velocity RMS values by ≥80% and ≥75%, respectively.  Furthermore, RIM perceived disturbances were reduced to levels characteristic of the single RI, pure water environment.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-670578
title: How Hollywood became the new American dream

description: The American Dream is being Subjugated by The Nation’s Growing Celebrity Worship and Replaced by the Hollywood Dream. ❧ Almost everywhere one looks, celebrities now dominate the American culture. From television shows to household products, Hollywood has burrowed itself into nearly every aspect of people's lives. Many people not only want to emulate celebrities, but more and more want to actually become celebrities, too. This growing trend has impacted the attitudes and aspirations of the nation's youth, shifting from the once-revered hard-working American Dream to the ego-driven Hollywood Dream. This change did not happen overnight; it has been hundreds of years in the making, but has accelerated with a series of events in the last two decades. ❧ History shows that societal and cultural attitudes tend to shift over time. While humans all share the same basic biology needs, major occurrences like wars, economic conditions and technological advancements shape each generation's view of the world. This is now evident as many of the Baby Boomers (age forty-seven to sixty-five), who lived the American Dream, share a vastly different view of success than the majority of their children, the Millennials (age fifteen to thirty-one) do now. Many of the Millennials find it difficult to associate with their parents' aspirational views of America, where hard work brought prosperity, and have therefore sought a convenient shortcut: The Hollywood Dream. ❧ From the burgeoning middle class to the invention of movies to the Internet, much of society's ambitions have move from the family to the individual and the ego. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the different attitudes and motivational drivers for two of the nation's largest and most influential age groups: The Baby Boomers and the Millennials. Because of their enormous presence and buying power, and vast attitudinal differences, knowing how to craft messages and “speak” to these groups will be highly beneficial for public relations practitioners. ❧ This paper will compare celebrity fascination across generations and determine the underlining causes of how the Hollywood Dream replaced the American Dream. Additionally, it will identify key messages and tools that public relations professionals can use to effectively connect with this group.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-671876
title: Addressing working poverty through local hiring in publicly funded construction projects in Los Angeles

description: In Los Angeles County, 1 in 6 people struggles with poverty.  A significant part of that is working poverty.  Despite working fulltime jobs many families remain in poverty and face food and housing insecurity, low wages and little or no benefits such as health insurance.  Maria Funes and Reyes Gutierrez live in a one-bedroom apartment with Funes’ three children.  They’re not making ends meet and struggle to put food on the table and provide for the family. ❧ To begin to address this growing issue, Los Angeles’ has local hire mandates that require publically funded construction projects to hire at least 30 percent of its workforce from the local population.  Alim Washington, a single parent of two, is benefiting from this program.  He not only has a job in an area where unemployment reaches 25 percent, but he has a union job, which pays 25 percent more than a non-union equivalent would and provides him with benefits like health insurance.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-120783
title: An exploratory study of aggressive seventh graders' rationale for their behavior
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-144572
title: The quality of intergenerational relationship and psychological well-being: An exploratory study of aged parents' perceptions of their relationships with their adult children among three ethnic groups
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-314220
title: Latina/o pre-service teachers: a community's cultural wealth overlooked

description: Despite persistent calls for the recruitment of teachers of color, few empirical studies explore the cultural knowledge that these future teachers bring to teacher education (Tellez, 1999). The current study focused on Chicana/o Latina/o pre-service teachers (PSTs) who enter teacher preparation programs with unique and varied resources, but who are sometimes marginalized both in the literature (Rios & Montecinos, 1999; Brown, 2013) and in teacher education classrooms (Irizarry, 2011). Through this case study of Latina/o PSTs, the researcher aimed to: (a) investigate and document Latina/o PSTs’ funds of knowledge (Moll, Neff, Amanti, & Gonzalez, 1992) and forms of community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), and (b) gain an understanding of how one teacher education program recognized and developed Latina/o PSTs’ cultural and linguistic knowledge. Accordingly, critical race theory, Latina/o critical theory, and sociocultural learning theory guided the study design and analysis. Central to this research was the idea that teacher preparation programs, as well as teacher educators (TEs), play an essential role in guiding candidates of color to develop and draw from their cultural and linguistic resources (Au & Blake, 2003). True to case study methodology, data was drawn from multiple sources including, course observations, document analysis, focus group interviews, and individual interviews with 11 Latina/o PSTs, as well as 4 TEs, and the program director. Data revealed that participants held rich knowledge(s) that could be leveraged to support Latina/o students. Specifically, findings demonstrated that TEs were committed to preparing PSTs for equity-minded teaching, though the program generally overlooked PSTs’ diversity and their cultural resources. Additionally, PSTs had a developing awareness of their cultural resources, yet they needed guidance to work through some internalized deficit thinking. This work has implications for the preparation of Latina/o teacher candidates especially in regards to their work in schools serving Latina/o K-12 students.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-331596
title: Site selection for higher density affordable rental housing development: applying the weighted linear combination (WLC) method in the City of Los Angeles, California

description: With an estimated 3,862,210 people currently residing in Los Angeles, this city is the second most populous metropolis in the United States. Like most major cities in the nation, Los Angeles faces an affordable housing crisis. Given the challenge, local government officials seek the best practices that will ensure that residents at all income levels have access to fair, safe, and affordable rental housing. However, existing land use and zoning regulations and location and availability of qualifying site amenities make it difficult for the City to achieve this goal. ❧ This research investigates suitable sites for the construction of higher density affordable rental housing developments (55-218 dwelling units/acre) in the City of Los Angeles. It identifies and examines factors such as land use, zoning, cost of land, fair share, employment, and site amenities meant to maximize the effectiveness of affordable rental housing developments—defined as providing housing to very low-income, low-income, and moderate-income households. Furthermore, it explores how these variables limit the policymakers’ abilities to move forward with these types of projects. Accordingly, a fair share analysis, service area analysis, and site suitability analysis of Los Angeles are performed to identify suitable sites for the construction of higher density affordable rental housing developments. ❧ The site suitability analysis consists of six iterations that simulate the different perspectives that play a role in the production of higher density affordable rental housing developments. Results of the analysis indicate that existing land use and zoning regulations and the established criteria for qualifying California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) site amenities impact the production and location of these types of developments in the City of Los Angeles. The weighted linear combination method is applied to this analysis to show how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and techniques best support housing policy.