cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-665197
title: Granular causality for learning by reading

description: It has long been the vision of AI researchers to build systems that are able to learn and understand causal patterns in discourse as they read input text, so that new inferences can be made on the input discourse, and numerous causal patterns can be extracted from texts that may be from relatively different domains. Discovering causal relations has proved to be a challenging research problem. One reason for this is that causal markers are dependent on the domains and genres of English discourse that they exist in. For instance, causal markers in football articles, are different from causal markers in bio-medical articles. In this thesis I prove the domain and genre dependence of causal markers. Most previous work for discovering causality has focused on either limited domains, or the top most frequent patterns representing causality in language. Both of these approaches have the shortcomings of being able to extract only a small set of causal relations. To have a wider coverage, there is an urgent need to develop systems  that are able to discover domain dependent causal markers as well as low frequency causal markers in text. This thesis aims at solving this problem. ❧ I introduce a Theory of Granular Causality as it exists in natural language discourse. Although the phenomenon of granular causality is very common in discourse, there has been very limited work for understanding it, and no work done to extract such relations from discourse. In this thesis, I propose a Theory of Granular Causality, and prove the features of this theory using a human annotation study. Next, elaborate on how this theory can be used to discover causal markers from small domains of discourse, addressing the problems raised by the domain dependent nature of causal markers. Additionally, I extend this theory to discover causal relations from discourse which are not marked by a causal marker, i.e., causality between two  sentences. Finally, I apply this theory for answering ”how” style causal questions, which are the second most popular questions on the web after factoid (when, when) questions. ❧ This dissertation is the first look at granular causality as a phenomenon in natural language, and applications of this theory for solving challenging problems.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-631000
title: Enkrasia, rationality, and commitment

description: In this dissertation I offer a novel characterization of the sense in which akrasia is irrational: it involves the violation of a 'rational commitment'. I analyze this notion of commitment and argue that it is intimately related to the moral sense of commitment that we commonly invoke when speaking of promises. The resulting view gives us resources for better understanding both the nature of promissory obligation and several other issues in normative theory.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-643780
title: Steroid hormones, hormone-related genes, reproductive factors and breast cancer in the California Teachers Study

description: The California Teachers Study (CTS) is a prospective cohort of 133,479 women.  The cohort was initiated in the fall of 1995 and participants were all current and former public school teachers or administrators that belonged to the California State Teachers Retirement System (STRS).  Each member joined the cohort when she completed the study baseline questionnaire assessing information on known breast cancer risk factors in addition to background, dietary, physical, reproductive, personal health, and family health histories.  Members meeting residency requirements and giving consent were followed and incident invasive breast cancer diagnoses were identified through annual linkages with the California Cancer Registry (CCR). ❧ This dissertation evaluates the role of postmenopausal hormone therapy as well as genetic variation in hormone-related genes for their respective and combined role in breast cancer risk in the CTS. ❧ Chapter 1, entitled “Menopausal hormone therapy and subsequent risk of specific invasive breast cancer subtypes in the California Teachers Study” is the study of use, recency, duration, and formulation of hormone therapy in its relation to breast cancer risk.  An abstract was published in the conference proceedings and a poster was accepted as part of the 2009 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.  The complete manuscript is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Sep;19(9):2366-78. Epub 2010 Aug 10.). ❧ Chapter 2, entitled “Hormone-related genes, body mass index, menopausal hormone therapy, and breast cancer risk in the California Teachers Study,” examines the risk of breast cancer associated with common variation in five candidate hormone binding genes.  Additionally, it evaluates how variation in these genes interacts with body mass index and menopausal hormone therapy in determining risk of invasive breast cancer.  This analysis was completed in a nested case-control study in the CTS.  Overall as well as breast cancer subtype specific results are presented for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AR, ESR1, ESR2, PGR, and SHBG.  The manuscript is currently under review by the CTS Steering Committee. ❧ Chapter 3, entitled “Genetic Variation in Hormone Metabolism Pathway Genes, Reproductive-Related Factors, and Breast Cancer Risk in the California Teachers Study,” is another analysis in the CTS nested case-control study.  It analyses 452 SNPs in 29 candidate genes in the hormone metabolism pathway for an interaction with reproductive breast cancer risk factors.  Age at menarche, parity, age at first full-term pregnancy and age at natural menopause are analyzed for interaction with these common SNPs separately for all invasive breast cancer as well as ER+/PR+ invasive breast tumors.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-647446
title: The whole truth and nothing but the truth: documentary film and the socio-politics of justice

description: This dissertation argues that nonfiction films whose primary discursive focus is on judicial proceedings or the administration of the law -– or juridical documentaries -– are an important site for analyzing the political, ideological, and epistemological stakes of documentary representation as well as for revealing truths about the legal process and the ordering of a just society.  Juridical documentaries highlight an ontological similarity between documentary and the legal system that makes them a particularly rich space for exploring many of the key issues that concern both the law and documentary: the relationship between evidence and truth construction, the tension between performance and authenticity, the ethics of witnessing and confession, and the politics of representing social subjects. Combining critical theory, archival research, textual analysis, and interviews with filmmakers, this dissertation explores juridical documentaries as sites of narrative contestation, epistemological inquiry, ideological challenge, performative engagement, and social activism.  By drawing attention to the sometimes-slippery relationship between evidence, knowledge and truth, it looks at how juridical documentaries mediate the construction and circulation of non-fiction legal narratives and condition their subsequent interpretation in the social world.  By focusing on documentaries that challenge, resist, confront, and intervene in the legal system’s power to control these narratives, the following pages explore how juridical documentaries force us to reflect on the nature of partisan political power, the law’s moral authority, and our own responsibility for the maintenance of a just and democratic society.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-659193
title: The social and cultural significance of a different world

description: This thesis examines the social and cultural significance of A Different World, an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1987-1993. A Different World began as a mainstreamed spin-off of The Cosby Show (1984-1992), but developed into the first television show to authentically expose the realities of Historically Black College campus life and the pride of heritage-based higher education experiences. Furthermore, A Different World unapologetically explored social issues of its day from a young black perspective that both reflected the concerns of the emerging hip-hop generation and brought centuries-old conversations about black identity to the mainstream. Through episode analysis and cultural criticism, this work evaluates A Different World’s message-driven approach to primetime television, concluding that while this approach was sometimes successful and sometimes a failure, A Different World was a watershed moment in black sitcom history and in television history as a whole.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-633057
title: Essays on user-generated content and firm performance

description: User-Generated Content (UGC) in online platforms provides a valuable source of consumer feedback on market performance of firms. This dissertation examines how User- Generated Content (UGC) in form of product reviews influence financial performance of firms and how managers could use UGC for getting feedback on performance of the brands. ❧ Chapter 1 examines whether UGC is related to stock market performance, which metric of UGC has the strongest relationship, and what the dynamics of the relationship are. I aggregate UGC (in the form of product reviews) from multiple websites over a four year period across six markets and fifteen firms. I derive multiple metrics of UGC and use multivariate time series models to assess the short and long term relationship between the metrics of UGC and stock market performance (abnormal returns, risk, and trading volume). The findings reveal that UGC is moderately correlated with abnormal returns, risk, and trading volume. Of all the metrics of UGC, chatter (volume) shows the strongest relationship with abnormal returns and trading volume. The effect of negative and positive metrics of UGC on abnormal returns is asymmetric. Whereas negative UGC has a strong effect on abnormal returns and trading volume with a short “wearin” and long “wearout,” positive UGC has no effect on these metrics. Idiosyncratic risk increases with negative information in UGC. These results have important implications for managers and investors. ❧ Chapter 2 investigates how to derive dimensions of product quality from UGC, how these dimensions vary dynamically over time and how these metrics are good predictor of financial performance. Perceived quality of a product or service is one of the most important drivers of consumer satisfaction, competition, and the long term success of a brand. Identifying the right dimensions of perceived quality is central to devising positioning strategies, creating advertising content, improving current products, or designing new products. Consumer expressions about products and services in UGC constitute an excellent source of feedback. In this paper, I analyze the rich data in product reviews to get the dimensions of perceived quality using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. I validate the method using different techniques. I further examine the value of these dimensions by assessing which of the dimensions best predict the stock market returns and earnings of a firm. Deriving the key dimensions of quality and brands’ positions on these dimensions can help to design advertising content, re-design current products, and design new products.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-640372
title: The puzzle of harmless torts and a reconsideration of corrective justice

description: This paper will challenge the leading corrective justice theories of tort law to account for liability and remedy in harmless intentional torts.  The courts hold defendants liable for trespasses and batteries that do not leave the plaintiff worse off.  In the absence of compensable harm the courts award nominal damages.  Any theory of tort law which cannot explain this established and important part of tort practice is defective. ❧ After developing this challenge I will pose a question: is there a unified account of tort law that explains its concern with both harm-based and harmless torts?  This paper will explore various possible answers to that question.  One option is to argue for substantive unity – unity of values or interests that tort law recognizes and protects.  As we will see, there are two substantive unity accounts available: a harm-centered view and an autonomy-based view of the interests at stake.  It might be that neither of these alternatives is plausible and tort law lacks substantive unity. ❧ Another option is to think of tort law as unified in its aim or purpose.  For instance, if all torts could be shown to be achieving corrective justice then that would be a kind of teleological or functional unity.  Functional unity is a possibility when the object of repair is interpreted to be the normative relationship between the parties to a case.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-648587
title: Minimal string theories and integrable hierarchies

description: Well-defined, non-perturbative formulations of the physics of string theories in specific minimal or superminimal model backgrounds can be obtained by solving matrix models in the double scaling limit. They provide us with the first examples of completely solvable string theories. Despite being relatively simple compared to higher-dimensional critical string theories, they furnish non-perturbative descriptions of interesting physical phenomena such as geometrical transitions between D-branes and fluxes, tachyon condensation and holography. ❧ The physics of these theories in the minimal model backgrounds is succinctly encoded in a non-linear differential equation known as the string equation, along with an associated hierarchy of integrable partial differential equations (PDEs). The bosonic string in (2, 2m - 1) conformal minimal model backgrounds and the type 0A string in (2, 4m) superconformal minimal model backgrounds have the Korteweg-de Vries system, while type 0B in (2, 4m) backgrounds has the Zakharov-Shabat system. The integrable PDE hierarchy governs flows between backgrounds with different m. ❧ In this thesis, we explore this interesting connection between minimal string theories and integrable hierarchies further. We uncover the remarkable role that an infinite hierarchy of non-linear differential equations plays in organizing and connecting certain minimal string theories non-perturbatively. We are able to embed the type 0A and 0B (A,A) minimal string theories into this single framework. The string theories arise as special limits of a rich system of equations underpinned by an integrable system known as the dispersive water wave hierarchy. We find that there are several other string–like limits of the system, and conjecture that some of them are type IIA and IIB (A,D) minimal string backgrounds. We explain how these and several other string–like special points arise and are connected. In some cases, the framework endows the theories with a non–perturbative definition for the first time. Notably, we discover that the Painleve IV equation plays a key role in organizing the string theory physics, joining its siblings, Painleve I and II, whose roles have previously been identified in this minimal string context. ❧ We then present evidence that the conjectured type II theories have smooth nonperturbative solutions, connecting two perturbative asymptotic regimes, in a ’t Hooft limit. Our technique also demonstrates evidence for new minimal string theories that are not apparent in a perturbative analysis.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-637292
title: Poor, overweight, and sick

description: Global obesity constitutes, undoubtedly, one of the major epidemics at the beginning of the 21st century. Traditionally regarded as a problem limited to high-income countries, international organizations such as the WHO have only recently started to recognize the trend toward obesity in poor nations. In 2005, approximately 1.6 billion adults worldwide were overweight, and at least 400 million of them were obese. At least 20 million children younger than five years are estimated to be overweight. In the past twenty years, the rates of obesity have tripled in low-income countries. This dissertation analyzes the causes of the tremendous increase in obesity rates in developing countries, using Mexico as an example. It also explores the programs the Mexican government has launched to halt the epidemic. The Latin American country has the highest percentage of overweight people among developing countries in the world.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-648004
title: Customization of education through online learning

description: The educational opportunities provided through connectivity to the internet that did not previously exist make way for many opportunities to expand curricular options. Through the use of technology and the internet students are able to receive education through a tailored learning approach delivered via online resources.  The purpose of this study is to examine customization of education through online learning.  Included are the characteristics and goals of students enrolled and the effects of online learning at one virtual school site serving grades 6-12 from 5 different counties in southern California. ❧ The research questions used to guide this study are (1) Why are students at LVS in grades 6-12 enrolling online; (2) How are the customized paths meeting the needs of the students in the program; and (3) Do the characteristics of students vary with their purpose in enrolling? Data collection was completed through an online self-reporting student survey using fixed choice questions and an open-ended question.  These data were analyzed along with faculty interviews and a comprehensive district profile.  Out of 219 students surveys submitted, four trends emerged: Online course fits within the desired schedule, attainment of individual educational goals, better use of time; and flexibility of taking an online course.  Moreover, data revealed that students who reported having a positive experience in online learning correlated with specific demographic variables, grade level and types of online students. ❧ To be successful, district and school personnel must have a common vision for the online school including: defining a target audience (grade levels), clear outcomes, and identifying someone to maintain the vision.  The final online school plan should be developed collaboratively to ensure that all members of the school district community can assess desired outcomes of the virtual school and be supported by school district stakeholders. ❧ A duplicate study is recommended at a later date to see if enrollment continues to rise at Lakeside Virtual School.  While the focus of this study was on customization of education through online learning, future studies might yield more information regarding the overall effectiveness of the individual student experience through a customized online path.  Another potential study could include determining whether the district’s design model for Lakeside Virtual School is equally effective for middle or high school levels, rather than a singular focus on grades 6-12 levels.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-658572
title: Energy balance in the core of the Saturn plasma sheet

description: This dissertation presents a gas phase water chemistry model of the inner Saturn magnetosphere.  Detailed calculations of the plasma sheet electron energy balance establish, for the first time, a direct relation between the forcing energy deposition into the plasma sheet and the state of the ambient plasma sheet electrons. ❧ The two-part model comprises a chemistry code and an energy balance calculation.  The chemistry code, coreqg.f90, iteratively solves chemistry rate equations for the thirteen ion and neutral species (H₂O, H₂O⁺, H, H⁺, O, O+, H₂, H₂⁺, O₂, O₂⁺, OH, OH⁺, and H3O+) included in the system. The water chemistry architecture file used by coreqg.f90 completely describes each reaction by specifying the reactant and product species and supplying the collision strength data used to calculate rate coefficients for the chemistry.  The input parameter space for the code consists of the number densities and temperatures for the plasma sheet electrons, the heterogeneous electrons, and the selected source species, H₂O and H. ❧ The energy balance calculation operates on the chemistry code outputs and determines the net energy rate for the plasma sheet electrons.  Curves for the net plasma sheet electron energy rate vs. input plasma sheet electron temperature, as a function of heterogeneous electron density, are presented.  Energy equilibrated plasma sheet electron temperature and gas species partitioning are determined at net zero plasma sheet electron energy rate. ❧ The role played by the Saturn atmospheric heterogeneous hydrogen in maintaining the observed neutral-dominated magnetospheric gas is investigated. The water source rate and energy deposition rate required to maintain the gas at the location of Enceladus (4 Saturn radii (Rs) from Saturn center) are evaluated.  Energy relaxation lifetimes for neutral and ion gas species are also determined. Comparison of the model against observation shows basic agreement for the core of the plasma sheet. ❧ The chemistry code input and output files used in the data analysis and plots in this dissertation (plasma sheet electron densities = 50.0, 75.0, and 100.0 cm⁻³) are archived as supplementary files.
DOI: 10.25549/usctheses-c127-671919
title: Past behavior as friend or foe?  Harnessing existing consumer habits in new product adoption

description: Why do consumers adopt some new products and abandon others? Successfully adopting a new product, especially in domains where consumers have established habits, involves more than just positive product experiences and good intentions. Consumers can adopt new products when armed with reminder cues that leverage their existing habits. In support, an initial survey showed that consumers remember to use novel products not only when they like the product but also when they use strategies that link the product to existing routines. In a four week experiment to test these strategies, some participants formed habit-cued intentions by tying new product use to their typical laundry habits, thereby establishing automatic reminder cues whenever their old behaviors were triggered. These intentions were more successful than standard implementation intentions, especially with participants who gave little thought to their laundry, presumably because these participants were most at risk for falling back into established habits.