cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-318886
title: In vitro examinations of retinal stimulation

description: Retinal prostheses aim to restore vision to blind individuals suffering from retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. These devices function by electrically stimulating surviving retinal neurons, whose activation is interpreted by the brain as a visual percept. Many prostheses are currently under development. They are categorized as epiretinal, subretinal, and suprachoroidal prostheses based on the placement of the stimulating microelectrode array. Each can activate retinal ganglion cells through direct or indirect stimulation. ❧ The majority of the information that we have regarding retinal stimulation has been obtained from ganglion cells. The activity of the inner retinal neurons has been inferred through ganglion cell activity because it is difficult to record from inner retinal neurons in a wholemount retina preparation. The alternative preparation is the vertical slice, but it does not accurately mimic the operational conditions of retinal prostheses. In order to directly record from inner retinal neurons, we developed a novel tissue preparation technique that facilitates direct patch clamp recording in wholemount retina. The technique has proven useful in recording bipolar cell responses to electrical stimulation and may also find utility in other facets of retinal research. ❧ Recording the response of bipolar cells to epiretinal electrical stimulation with patch clamp electrophysiology has revealed several findings. Bipolar cells respond directly to the cathodic phase of stimulation with a depolarizing voltage transient. The latency of the transient decreases with increasing stimulation amplitudes. Bipolar cell voltage response shows desensitization to high rates of repetitive electrical stimulation. We also detect distinct long latency inhibitory postsynaptic potentials that are likely mediated by reciprocal connections with postsynaptic amacrine cells.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-345154
title: The impact of globalization on Ireland's educational system in developing 21st-century skills, project-based learning, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education

description: This study explored globalization; 21st-century learning skills; project-based learning (PBL); science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education; and science fair competitions with respect to their collective role in preparing students for jobs in a global economy. The expansion of foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational corporations (MNCs) from the United States, Europe, and Asia has transformed less developed nations that are now well positioned is specific industry sectors. Ireland is an example of a nation that has benefited greatly from FDI and MNC in the STEM areas. ❧ The study explored the nexus between FDI and the presence of MNC and their impact on educational policies, instruction, and the role of science fair competitions in preparing students for college and career opportunities in the areas of STEM. The study also examined the perspectives of students, teachers, administrators, business leaders, and policymakers to determine how globalization is impacting education in the areas of STEM in schools within Ireland. ❧ Findings from the study indicated that there is a belief that globalization has influenced the availability of jobs in the STEM areas. Respondents in the study also felt that participation in science fair competitions is an important PBL component that prepares students for deeper exploration of concepts in the STEM fields. Respondents believed that participation in science fair competitions has resulted in students in furthering their education in STEM-related areas during their Senior Cycle of education, as well as their interest in college and career options as a result of their exposure in to PBL during their second level experience.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-363840
title: The diet the modern world has completely forgotten about

description: This paper examines the popularization of the Paleo Diet. More specifically, it analyzes how it became so popular in the CrossFit community. The purpose of this paper is also to examine if the Paleo Diet is beneficial to athletes. The key issues discussed in this paper are the origins and popularization of the Paleo Diet, its restrictions, benefits and whether or not athletes need to make modifications to the “strict” Paleo Diet in order to sustain their level of training. This paper also includes interviews with experts in the field. The main conclusion of this paper is that the Paleo Diet is beneficial to athletes because it encourages them to eat quality food, but in some cases, additional carbohydrates should be added in order to help drive athletic performance to an optimal shape.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-628545
title: Utilizing the articulated thoughts in simulated situations paradigm to examine the differential impacts of anti-gay verbal aggression and non-bias verbal aggression on heterosexual and sexual minority male college students

description: The significance of verbal aggression has traditionally been underappreciated by society and scholars alike, as has the fact that, in addition to sexual minorities, heterosexuals can be and are targets of anti-gay aggression.  This study examines whether the experience of being the target of anti-gay verbal aggression differs from that of non-bias verbal aggression and whether the impacts of these two forms differ for heterosexual and sexual minority males.  Through the use of the ATSS paradigm, 48 sexual minority and 51 heterosexual males were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: an anti-gay or a non-bias verbal aggression scenario.  While initial comparisons indicated that the impacts of the two forms of aggression did not significantly differ from one another, the impacts of these two forms of aggression were found to differ once sexual identity was considered.  These results suggest that anti-gay verbal aggression, as compared to non-bias verbal aggression, leads to increased anger, hostility, and aggression amongst heterosexual male targets and increased avoidance amongst sexual minority targets.  Factors associated with anti-gay attitudes were not found to explain these differential effects.  Compared to less rigid beliefs regarding masculinity, more rigid masculine beliefs, in combination with being the target of anti-gay verbal aggression, were found to be associated with increases in aggressive thought for heterosexual male targets.  This effect was reversed for sexual minority males.  Findings are discussed in relation to theory and social and institutional policy.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-657553
title: Quantity and quality: architects working for developers in southern California, 1960-1973

description: This thesis looks at three prolific modern architects in Southern California who worked with developers and merchant builders with an emphasis on the period 1960-1973. The architects are Edward H. Fickett, Richard L. Dorman and William Krisel. It closely examines selected projects by these architects such as Living Conditioned Homes, La Costa Resort and Spa, Grossmont Hills, Huntington Harbour, Sherman Park and Meadowlark Park. The findings challenge the conventional wisdom that tract houses are simplified versions of custom homes and demonstrates a strong linkage between tract house design and commercial architecture. The implications for architectural historians and preservationists are outlined.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-659657
title: Integrating gang and school violence theoretical paradigms within California schools: a statewide quantitative examination of school variables associated with gang membership

description: To date, there is no empirical evidence that examines the associations between gang membership and school violence behaviors. Additionally, only a handful of convenient sample studies explore how school dynamics contribute to gang membership, school violence perpetration, and school victimization. Using a statewide representative sample of students from middle schools (7th grade) and high schools (9th and 11th grades) in California, this dissertation explores gang membership and its relationship to school violence perpetration and victimization. The first study focuses on the prevalence of gang membership by county, region, and grade level. It also examines predictors of gang membership from the individual, peer, and school domains. The second study examines a theoretical model of how school risk and school protective factors for middle school students mediate the effects of gang membership on school violence behaviors. The third study replicates the second study for high school students. The prevalence of gang membership is roughly 8.4% in California schools. Findings of the structural analyses suggest that the theoretical models were a good fit for the middle and high school samples. The structural models explain a large amount of the variance for school violence perpetration. Overall, the findings indicate that school risk factors mediate the association between gang membership and school violence behaviors. However, a multi-group test for measurement invariance reveals the latent school variables have different meanings for male and female students. Implications for gang and school violence theory, policy and practice, as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-668836
title: Unfaded echoes of slavery: the sublime language of violence in Jamaican literature and music

description: This dissertation takes an interdisciplinary approach in order to understand the dynamics and representation of (post)colonial violence in the Caribbean, Jamaica in particular.  Utilizing theories from psychology, linguistics, philosophy, performance studies, and literature, I situate the contemporary violence in the larger contexts of slavery, colonialism, and globalization throughout the Americas.  I argue that (post)colonial violence as represented in the literary and musical texts is a learned nonverbal language that builds upon the unrepresentable experience of slavery that I term the slave sublime.  Slavery is thus the real of freedom, in the sense that, as Jacques Lacan remarks, the real always returns to its place of origin—in this case, the originary violence of conquest and slavery.  I argue that slavery is ever-present in the language of violence, whether expressed in psychic, physical, linguistic, or economic domains. As I contend, certain aesthetic forms inherited from the West, the realist novel for instance, demand a certain kind of representativity and resolution that cannot accommodate the colonial and postcolonial violence of the Caribbean.  Dancehall music, on the other hand, assumes the dissonant material of contemporary violence into its form, which it signifies by its very refusal of resolution; it is not merely mimetic, however, as it involves a reflection on form and history.  Certainly, what has been absent until now is a reading of dancehall as a form of mediation and metalanguage, that is, language in relation to its cultural context in which structures and form are imperative. Of specific interest are the questions regarding how a violent past is socially articulated and rendered meaningful as I explore the connections between speech and writing, silence and speech, and writing and performance, and the ways in which art can mediate and mitigate violence.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-670924
title: Yours is mine, but is mine yours? Examining social exchange relationships in transactive memory systems

description: Research to date has determined that a well-developed transactive memory system (TMS) is characterized by communication and information exchange between individuals. The types of exchange norms that most facilitate this process, however, have remained unclear. Using ideas from social exchange theory (Homans, 1958; Blau, 1964; Ekeh, 1974), this dissertation examined how different norms of exchange influence the development of a group’s connective and communal transactive memory system. In addition, the relationship between the heterogeneity of norms in teams and TMS usage was examined. Hypotheses creating two multilevel models – one for connective information exchange and one for communal information exchange – were presented. In order to test these models, new scales measuring generalized and restricted exchange norms were first developed and validated through analyzing data from 124 students working on group projects. Then, data from 144 students in 25 teams were analyzed through the use of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and network analysis. There were four key findings from this study. First, the results confirmed the importance of task interdependence and directory development in transactive memory systems. Second, generalized exchange norms were significantly related to connective, but not communal, information exchange. Third, generalized exchange norm heterogeneity in teams, as predicted, was negatively related to connective information exchange but also positively related to communal information exchange. Fourth, a post-hoc analysis indicated that individuals who held both generalized and restricted exchange norms were the most likely to use the communal database, while those who reported low generalized exchange norms but high restricted exchange norms used the database the least. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of the findings and directions for future research in the area of transactive memory theory and social exchange theory.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-673621
title: Joint analysis of two related studies of different data types and different study designs using hierarchical modeling in detecting gene-environment interactions

description: Identifying causal susceptibility alleles for asthma poses many challenges. These include the multigenic nature of the disease, the lack of reliable assessment of individual exposures, and complex interactions with environmental factors. The completion of the Human Genome Project has greatly accelerated the technology development for linkage analysis, candidate gene association studies, and, more recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS). At the same time, high-throughput technologies for profiling gene expression, DNA methylation, and protein abundances have advanced our understanding of the molecular basis of disease etiology, disease heterogeneity and classification. Accordingly, the best statistical method to use for elucidating the genetic basis of a complex disease depends on the questions of interest, the design of the study, assumptions made about genetic models (i.e. recessive, additive, dominant), how a disease is defined, and the type of genetic markers under investigation. Conventional analyses of gene-environment (G × E) interaction require much larger sample size than for studying main effects. This can lead to false discoveries or false negatives due to lack of power. Hence, there is a need to develop statistical methods aimed at detecting interactions between factors. The observational epidemiology Southern California Children’s Health Study (CHS) and the experimental UCLA Challenge Study together offer a unique opportunity to investigate the interactions between genetic variation and exposure to particulates on the risk of asthma through joint modeling of effects attributable to differential responses of asthma-related immune phenotypes.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-327239
title: Twenty-first century leadership: a case study of a high-performing TK-12 districts’ commitment to the implementation of 21st century skills

description: The purpose of the study was to understand how a high-performing California TK-12 unified school district demonstrated a commitment to implementation of 21st century skills. By understanding how a school district with high levels of student achievement on the SBAC implements 21st century skills, current and aspiring district and site leaders can develop a framework for future student success. Using Wagner’s (2008) theoretical framework of 21st century skills and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills’ (2007) theoretical framework of 21st century support systems, this study examined how the school district defined 21st century skills and expected learning outcomes. Specifically, the study set out to examine (1) How has a high-performing school district defined 21st century skills, learning goals, and outcomes? (2) How has a high-performing school district implemented the development of 21st century skill? (3) What district organizational systems and structures were used to support professional learning of 21st century skills? (4) How has district leadership demonstrated commitment to the fidelity of a 21st century implementation plan? This case study and comparative analysis utilized semi-structured interviews with eight educational leaders and document review to identify how the district leadership demonstrated a commitment to the implementation of 21st century skills districtwide. The study’s finding indicated that professional learning communities from the P21 (2007) professional development domain were the linchpin for success. This case study concluded that districts’ collective clarity of purpose in combination with the founding principles of decentralized leadership, empowered accountability, and continuous improvement pervaded the district and site leaderships’ commitment to creating the professional learning systems and structures necessary to prepare students for the rapidly changing world of the 21st century.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-356890
title: Expanding study abroad at the community college: understanding the processes for the participation of Latino students who study abroad in the Spanish-speaking world

description: The purpose of this study was to present the context, significance, research questions, and literature reviewed for a focused examination of the participation gap in terms of Latinos who study abroad at the community college level. Its specific focus on Latino students who study abroad in Spanish-speaking countries contributes to a growing body of literature on non-traditional study abroad programming and to developing a better understanding of the place of Latino identity vis-à-vis the Spanish-speaking world. The study specifically addressed (1) the qualities community college stakeholders perceive as necessary to engage Latino students in study abroad, (2) the characteristics that effectively sustain study abroad programming in Spanish-speaking countries, and (3) the motivators and deterrents faculty and Latino students identify in the decision-making processes that lead to their participation in study abroad. This study applied a mixed-methods approach in that six students who responded to a demographics questionnaire were interviewed. For each student interview, one faculty member was interviewed as well. Interview findings from were triangulated with prior case studies on the topic of Latinos in study abroad as well as study abroad programming at the community college level. Findings indicate that Latino students are generally curious about exploring their identities through a study abroad opportunity in a Spanish-speaking country. Moreover, several qualities affect the students’ decision-making process: study abroad personnel, interdepartmental collaboration, and study abroad literacy. Overall, this research provides a comparative analysis about the interplay of institutional and personal qualities both faculty and Latino students identify as necessary for the sustainability of these programs and the participation of nontraditional students in study abroad.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-359132
title: Improved reliability of orbital rendezvous operations by using small satellites for reconnaissance

description: This research explores the use of cubesats as an alternative to fixed radar platforms when performing rendezvous operations between spacecraft in orbit. In order to be a viable alternative, this system needs to be at least as reliable as current systems in use, less costly, and most importantly it must be safe. The main goal of this research is to investigate the application of this system architecture in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), however it can also be applied in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) as will be shown later on. To do this, reliability, safety, and orbit simulations were created in Matlab and run for various formations of cubesats. The system reliability was modeled using an aggregation of the reliabilities of the individual components, with the reliability decreasing exponentially over time. The orbital dynamics of the rendezvous motion was modeled using the Clohessy- Wiltshire linearized approximations for relative motion. Safety analysis was performed by analyzing the orbital characteristics of the system given small perturbations at critical points in the mission, observing how this changes the dynamics of the system and whether or not these changes could make the system unsafe, or dangerous to other spacecraft. ❧ The results of these simulations yielded interesting results, demonstrating that such a system architecture can in fact be cheaper, more reliable, and safer than current systems in use, so long as a minimum number of cubesats are employed. Not only can the system be more reliable than current systems, it also has the ability to gather much more accurate data due to the multiple vantage points available. ❧ This research also investigates a potential design for the cubesat to be used for this mission. It has been designed in order to acquire targets and function even in the case when the target spacecraft is damaged and unresponsive, or sending bad data to operators on the ground. This ability to rendezvous with a non-cooperative spacecraft is not possible using current methods, as most rendezvous systems rely on fixed visual targets on the target spacecraft and active navigational beacons to determine relative position, both of which will likely be unavailable if the spacecraft is non-responsive.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c40-44874
title: In our footsteps: Israeli migration to the U.S. and Los Angeles
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-622991
title: Dear Center Point

description: Considering Hollis Frampton’s theoretical writings on film and the plans, drafts, and fragments for his massive, unfinished film cycle Magellan, this paper will demonstrate how an historical perspective influences the operational, structural, and compositional decisions of a practice.