Undergraduate cellists from diverse pedagogical backgrounds with various levels of technical proficiency often struggle to adapt to the demanding performance standards of the university environment. Frequently, these challenges are caused by technical concepts that have been incorrectly learned or unaddressed in the cellist's previous educational experience. Designed for university cello professors and undergraduate cello students, this study is a remedial and enhancement technical method for developing efficient performance habits; it presents a synthesis of cello performing ideologies, comprehensive technical analysis, physical conformation solutions, original sequential exercises, practice models, and recommendations for supporting literature. The method provides a structured path to expressive mastery and artistic freedom in performing advanced cello repertoire.

Work-based and employee-driven informal learning, training and development have been increasing in importance in the last few decades. Concurrently, organizations seek to measure the extent to which they develop a culture and structure that supports individual learning and organizational learning. This study develops and validates a scale that can measure the extent to which an organization is perceived to provide online learning that is personalized for its employees and perceived to recognize skills and competencies acquired through non-degree and other pathways. This research can provide organizations with the ability to measure and benchmark attributes of their learning culture that are important to work-based and lifelong learning as well as talent recruitment and management.

Presentation for the IIPC General Assembly and Web Archiving Conference virtually held on May 23-25, 2022. This presentation, part of the panel on Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online, covers how the project started, traces its development, reflects on key decisions made by organizers, and considers the roles volunteers and institutions play in emergency web archiving.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

This presentation discusses challenges, approaches, and examples related to the decision to manage titles and place names in a more robust way in the UNT Libraries’ Digital Collections. It was given as part of the Texas Conference on Digital Libraries on May 24, 2022.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

Biweekly, comprehensive compilation of decisions, reports, public notices, and other documents of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Some people experience cumulative advantages or disadvantages at birth and during their lifespan that determine future life course outcomes. Health disparities and systemic inequity can define a negative trajectory for some minority and underserved communities. Without intervention, such inequity can spiral and eventually affect more and more areas of an older person's life, much like cumulative disadvantages. This research proposes that older adults can improve their situation through targeted support factors that systematically improve lifespan areas. Eventually, more adults can experience the cumulative advantage effect as life progresses. The dissertation consists of a systematic literature review to evaluate literature that isolates degree-level education as a predictor of successful retirement transition planning. This foundational information is used as a basis for identifying constructs in two follow-on studies of the longitudinal National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Wave 9 public dataset. We explore factors supporting readiness for retirement and retirement transition in later life using data of older adults aged 65+. Multiple regression, exploratory factor analysis, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) are used to gain a multi-angle view. The results showed that degree-level education influences higher salaries, improved healthcare access, and financial literacy. In addition, old age has …

With the technological improvements, the number of Internet connected devices is increasing tremendously. We also observe an increase in cyberattacks since the attackers want to use all these interconnected devices for malicious intention. Even though there exist many proactive security solutions, it is not practical to run all the security solutions on them as they have limited computational resources and even battery operated. As an alternative, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) has become popular is because it defines boundaries and requires to monitor all events, configurations, and connections and evaluate them to enforce rejecting by default and accepting only if they are known and accepted as well as applies a continuous trust evaluation. In addition, we need to be able to respond as quickly as possible, which cannot be managed by human interaction but through autonomous computing paradigm. Therefore, in this work, we propose a framework that would implement ZTA using autonomous computing paradigm. The proposed solution, Autonomic ZTA Management Engine (AZME) framework, focusing on enforcing ZTA on network, uses a set of sensors to monitor a network, a set of user-defined policies to define which actions to be taken (through controller). We have implemented a Python prototype as a proof-of-concept …

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of using AR in the Computer Architecture unit for male 11th grade students in a school in the eastern area of Arar City in Saudi Arabia through monitoring its impact on student achievement and students' perceptions of the learning environment. Two research questions are explored: What is the effect of using AR on student achievement, and what are students' perceptions of the learning environment when they use AR? Two instruments were used to collect the data in this study: an achievement test taken from the official teacher book issued by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia and the Technology-Rich Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI) modified questionnaire "actual form." Statistical analyses employed to answer the first research question included an independent-samples t-test and descriptive statistics. To investigate the second research question, descriptive statistics and a paired t-test were used. These results from the first question indicate a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two groups' mean values: the students who used AR achieved a higher level of learning compared to the students who learned in the traditional way. The study found that using AR helped the students to …

The purpose of this research is to measure the social shifts that take place in a home where artificial intelligent (AI) devices like Echo Dot and Google Home are fully integrated into their everyday life. Research is currently limited, being that the widespread use of these devices is roughly seven years old. Three main outcomes of this study were related to how often Alexa is being used in homes to solve everyday problems, the lack of overall privacy and security concerns users had, and the level of integration into the home as a member of the family. Some limitations and challenges are my ability to compare the households before and after installing these devices in the home; pinpointing when and where the device is used (i.e., room placement); collecting data on whether the device is used often or sparingly; and the depth of interactions these families actually have with the device on a whole. The broader implications behind the increased integration of AI devices is centered around health, labor, social inequality and ethics.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

The purpose of this study is to examine the acoustic implications of using aspirated, well-coordinated, coup de la glotte, and hard glottal onset methods, in order to compare and contrast the radiated acoustic spectra. Twenty-five singers trained in bel canto singing style were asked to sing 5-second samples on three pre-determined pitches comprising the low, middle, and high range in male and female voices. Each participant was instructed and trained to sing the three pitches with the four methods. EGG was used with audio perception to verify onset type, and VoceVista Video Pro was used to analyze power spectra. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (rMANOVA) was performed with the SPSS General Linear Model function, with onset type as the within-subjects variable to determine main effects and interaction effects on harmonic amplitude (up to 5000Hz) from the independent variables. A significant main effect was found for onset type and more specifically, a significant acoustic difference was found between the well-coordinated and coup de la glotte onsets. Substantial inconsistencies were found in the execution of the well-coordinated onset, as well as in participants' reported preferred onset compared to their baseline measurement of executed onset type. Intentional study of the phonatory …

The flute music of Anna Bon di Venezia (1738–ca. 1767) belongs to the group of long-overlooked compositions by women composers throughout history worthy of rediscovery. This dissertation includes a discussion of Bon's life and music, as well as the artistic, historical, and theoretical significance of her compositions. It also presents biographical research on Bon, including Michaela Krucsay's dissertation, which provides new evidence of Bon's birth date, which had been uncertain up until 2015. Bon's Sonata in F Major for flute and basso continuo is analyzed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the work. A table is provided explaining specific ornaments and articulations added to the performance edition. In addition, this dissertation includes analyses of sonatas by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788) and Johann Joachim Quantz (1697–1773) to contextualize Bon's sonatas within the standard flute repertoire. This dissertation expands the music scholarship on this distinguished composer and performer and provides a historically informed performance edition of the Sonata in F Major, op. 1, no. 2, for flute and piano, to serve as a model to modern flutists for historically informed performances of Bon's entire opus 1.

Polyamory is an identity that describes the ability to experience romantic love with more than one romantic partner at a time. Polyamory is often perceived as being perverse, amoral, and relationally broken or deficient; however, people who identify as polyamorous are found to be as mentally healthy and happy as people who are monogamous. Clients who identify as polyamorous may experience their counselor as lacking familiarity with and knowledge of polyamory or as actively working against their identity. This study was a phenomenological inquiry designed to illuminate the counseling experiences of polyamorous people. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight participants and analyzed with a modified van Kaam method with relational-cultural theory as the framework. The three major findings that constitute the essence of this inquiry were: (a) participants experienced disappointment and disrespect in the counselor's ignorance of their vital identities, (b) the necessities of trust and connection between participant and counselor for empowerment and growth, and (c) the complementary nature of relationality in polyamory and counseling. These findings indicated counselors should seek a baseline of education on polyamory. The implications for counselor educators were to strive to envelope counselors-in-training in a culture that supports developing multicultural competency and …

Although digital equity is a recognized challenge in our K-12 school system, there is little research in using a holistic framework to investigate pre-conditions necessary for K-12 students to participate in digital learning and online processes. A conceptual framework of students' digital opportunity (SDO) is developed to represent the essential components of digital connectivity. The four key components are broadband internet availability, broadband usage, digital device ownership, and speed quality. A composite measure of SDO was created to quantitatively represent and measure the differences across 3,138 counties in the United States. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation was applied to evaluate if the distribution of the SDO score is associated with geographical characteristics at the county level. The result showed the presence of significant county-level clusters with concentrations of high or low SDO scores. While the spatial analysis provided evidence of where the gaps in digital opportunities are located, there are underlying factors at the micro level that would need further investigation. This study suggests a collective approach between private and public entities to address the K-12 digital equity issue. The necessary conditions presented in the SDO model must be addressed first in order to bring change to K-12 students and schools in …

The key requirements of a reliable neural signal recording system include low power to support long-term monitoring, low noise, minimum tissue damage, and wireless transmission. The neural spikes are also detected and sorted on-chip/off-chip to implement closed-loop neuromodulation in a high channel count setup. All these features together constitute an empirical neural recording system for neuroscience research. In this prospectus, we propose to develop a neural signal acquisition system with wireless transmission and feature extraction. We start by designing a prototype entirely built with commercial-off-the-shelf components, which includes recording and wireless transmission of synthetic neural data and feature extraction. We then conduct the CMOS implementation of the low-power multi-channel neural signal recording read-out circuit, which enables the in-vivo recording with a small form factor. Another direction of this thesis is to design a self-powered motion tracking read-out circuit for wearable sensors. As the wearable industry continues to advance, the need for self-powered medical devices is growing significantly. In this line of research, we propose a self-powered motion sensor based on reverse electrowetting-on-dielectric (REWOD) with low-power integrated electronics for remotely monitoring health conditions. We design the low-power read-out circuit for a wide range of input charges, which is generated from the …

Dominant narratives in western historical museums often evoke a nostalgia for a Western Frontier that did not actually exist in the United States. Many Western historical museums, in particular, preserve nostalgia of an imagined Western Frontier through narratives of white masculine heroism, by featuring objects and artifacts symbolizing American exceptionalism and conquest, and by developing a sensory experience in exhibits to recreate an idealized time in history. As our understandings of history evolve, it is increasingly more evident that there is a significant need for Western historical museums as knowledge producers to shift narratives in exhibits from the dominant white-settler perspective. An integration of different value systems, cultures, practices, and beliefs in exhibits is possible by incorporating a diversity of thought in the frameworks used to interpret history, through the inclusion of diverse stories, and through creating accessible exhibits to reach a broader public audience.

Article presents a study that reveals the dynamics of transcriptomic responses to age- and dark-induced senescence in M. truncatula and identifies senescence-associated TFs that are attractive targets for future work to control senescence in forage legumes.

In this research the focus is on data-centric AI with a specific concentration on data quality evaluation and improvement for machine learning. We first present a practical framework for data quality evaluation and improvement, using a legal domain as a case study and build a corpus for legal argument mining. We first created an initial corpus with 4,937 instances that were manually labeled. We define five data quality evaluation dimensions: comprehensiveness, correctness, variety, class imbalance, and duplication, and conducted a quantitative evaluation on these dimensions for the legal dataset and two existing datasets in the medical domain for medical concept normalization. The first group of experiments showed that class imbalance and insufficient training data are the two major data quality issues that negatively impacted the quality of the system that was built on the legal corpus. The second group of experiments showed that the overlap between the test datasets and the training datasets, which we defined as "duplication," is the major data quality issue for the two medical corpora. We explore several widely used machine learning methods for data quality improvement. Compared to pseudo-labeling, co-training, and expectation-maximization (EM), generative adversarial network (GAN) is more effective for automated data augmentation, especially …

At a time where technology is easily accessible, emotions are high, and students are dealing with more and more as they earn a basic education, in-person and cyberbullying add to students' stress. As 21st century students have easy access to technology, adolescents have multiple ways to encounter bullying and cyberbullying. The purpose of this study was three-fold: (a) to identify the relationship between bullying and cyberbullying and student engagement; (b) to identify the impact of school culture and climate on the incidences of bullying and cyberbullying; and (c) to identify how the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) skills into the curriculum could mitigate the negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying. The five SEL core competencies are self-regulation, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. In this mixed methods study, district discipline data, a culture and climate survey, and focus groups were utilized to examine how each SEL competency impacted classroom engagement and school climate and culture and mitigated any negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying. Findings showed that a positive school culture and SEL can increase student engagement. In addition, SEL was shown to improve classroom engagement as well as mitigate the negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying …

This study aimed to explore supervisee and supervisor experiences of relational depth (RD) within the supervisory relationship and its association with supervisee level of counselor self-efficacy (CSE). Participants in the study were master's level counseling students and their doctoral supervisors in a practicum course. A total of 52 supervisees (aged 22-57; 19.2% male, 80.8% female) and 18 supervisors (aged 25-46; 16.7% male, 83.3% female) participated in the study. Results demonstrated that supervisee perception of the relationship explained approximately 15% of the variance in supervisee CSE. Specifically, supervisee perception of supervisory working alliance (SWA; β = .406, rs2=.997, p = .025) was found to be a significant predictor of CSE while supervisee RD was not a significant unique predictor (β = -.033, rs2=.370, p = .850), with most of the variance explained by RD being shared with SWA. Results also demonstrated that the supervisor perception of the relationship did not significantly explain variance in supervisee CSE. From these results, one may tentatively conclude that the supervisory relationship contributes to CSE, and that RD, as it is currently being measured, may not able to account for variance above or beyond that of the SWA. Extended results are described and summarized using text, …

This dissertation is organized in a traditional format while including three essays that address specific research questions. Essay 1 examined the relationship between physical activity and community engagement and their effect on mental well-being among older men and women. Data from National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) from 2018 to 2020 were explored and the posited relationships were tested. This essay provides empirical support that older adults who are reasonably active and involved in the community have greater mental well-being than those who isolate themselves. Essay 2 provides insight into older adults' motivation to improve their physical activity through the use of a fitness tracker. The key finding from this study is that wearables, especially fitness trackers, can significantly facilitate increased physical activity. Essay 3 is a mixed-methods study to understand older adults' perception of the usefulness of fitness trackers and interaction with such devices. Findings suggest that to increase the adoption of fitness trackers among older adults, makers could improve the esthetics and quality of the wristband in addition to the battery life of the tracker.

This article analyzes the historical spatiotemporal behavior of the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), an endangered deer endemic to Patagonia. Losing migratory traditions is a major threat, and may explain their presently prevalent skeletal diseases, reduced longevity, and lacking recolonizations for most remaining huemul subpopulations.