The main purpose of this dissertation is to offer a modern transcription and critical edition of François Campion's Sonatina in D Major, found in his Piéces de Guitare du S.r Campion from 1748. Since it is not a common practice for the modern classical guitarist to study the baroque guitar and all its idiosyncrasies, this transcription from French tablature into modern notation will make this piece accessible to all classical guitar players. Using his sonatina as an example, this dissertation covers the process of transcribing baroque guitar French tablature while emphasizing a practical performance approach that suits the classical guitar. This approach includes examining tuning differences, suggested transposed notes, ornamental interpretation, and the overall differences in performance practice between both instruments. Not much is known about Campion's life (c1685-1747), but his importance as a musician in France during the early eighteenth century is evidenced by his publications and his accounts as a theorbo and baroque guitar player for the orchestra of the opera company L'Académie Royale de Musique, for which he was employed from 1703 until 1719. Unfortunately, while this music is fairly known and usually performed by early music specialists, it is ignored by modern guitarists, mainly because of …

Positive affect, which has been broken down into four lower-level facets (i.e., joviality, attentiveness, self-assurance, serenity), has demonstrated numerous ties to physical and mental health. The experience of positive affect can be regulated by emotion regulation strategies. However, few studies have assessed their relationship, and no studies have examined the relationship using the lower level facets of positive affect. The link between positive affect and emotion regulation may be of particular importance for individuals at increased risk for bipolar disorder, as both are disrupted in individuals with the condition. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between positive affect and emotion regulation while also exploring whether risk for bipolar disorder moderated their relationship. Undergraduates (N = 155) completed measures of emotion regulation, affect, and bipolar disorder risk at baseline. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), participants completed surveys 3 times a day for 7 days. Hierarchical linear models were estimated and revealed significant effects between certain baseline emotion regulation tendencies (experiential avoidance/ psychological inflexibility, rumination, behavioral social avoidance) and daily positive affect facets as well as between daily emotion regulation use (i.e., reappraisal, acceptance, reflection, savoring, mindfulness social support, suppression, rumination, procrastination) and daily positive affect facets. …

This study investigated novice science and mathematics teachers' beliefs about planning and implementation of project-based instruction. Data for this qualitative study included two focus groups and a questionnaire. Items in the questionnaire were designed using preliminary findings from the analysis of the two focus groups, and from predefined items from the National Survey of Project Based Learning and High School Reform. The questionnaire was administered to 138 novice secondary mathematics and science teachers certified in their respective content areas. The respondent rate was 70% (n = 96). Of the 96 respondents only 28 participants utilized project-based instruction. Data analysis revealed that the 28 participants held two specific beliefs about project-based instruction. First, participants believed that the implementation and enactment of PBL: (a) made student learning more personalized by specifically meeting the individual interests or needs of students; (b) promoted students' international or cross-cultural understanding; (c) promoted students' civic engagement and contributions to the community or world; and (d) impacted high-achieving students ability levels. Second, participants believed that the implementation and enactment of PBL: (a) made teaching and learning more varied, challenging, or fun; (b) taught skills beyond academic content; and (c) taught academic content knowledge and skills more effectively. These …

This thesis includes three separate research projects focusing on computer vision principles and deep learning pattern recognition problems. Chapter 3 entails color quantization applications using traditional Kmeans clustering techniques and random selection of color techniques within the red, green, blue (RGB) color space to maintain a high-quality image while significantly reducing image file size. Chapter 4 consists of a handwriting character recognition algorithm using backpropagation to classify 70,000 handwritten values from US Census Bureau employees and high school students. Chapter 5 proposes a novel classification technique for 109,446 unique heartbeat samples to identify areas of interest and assist medical professionals in diagnosing heart problems.

Voice teachers can train versatile singers by infusing musical theatre technique within bel canto evidence-based pedagogy. Seeing these two genres as possessing similarities instead of as unrelated fields allows teachers to not only match academic knowledge with the current entertainment job market, but most importantly, possess a versatile technique allowing them to train singers to perform fluently in multiple styles: the hybrid singer. An area of confusion in both bel canto and musical theatre training is mixed registration. This dissertation uses historic pedagogical texts and contemporary writings on mixed registration to understand laryngeal and acoustical events of the treble voice. The relationship between the two modes of voice production and musical theatre timbral acoustics ("legit" head voice, traditional belt, contemporary chest-mix, contemporary head-mix) is discussed with applicable tools for voice teachers training versatile singers.

This study explores students' and their families' experiences during the pandemic response to COVID-19 by the higher education community. Using the hermeneutic phenomenological approach, we employed two open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews of 16 parent-college student dyads (N = 34). The study draws on students' and parents' retrospective accounts beginning Spring 2020 through the Fall 2020 semesters. Families experienced a disruptive event initialized by the ebb and flow of information. Students' experiences varied based on their expectations and academic classification. The most consistent family challenges were the displacement of students and parents from their physical education and work locations while having to maintain student and occupation responsibilities. The educational experience was inconsistent and dependent on each professors' capacity to engage the students in the online environment. Students expressed feelings of loss of their student and educational experiences, but most students felt the spring courses prepared them to continue their education. Assignments due at random times and poor communication about expectations inhibit students from having dedicated time to interact and make memories. Most families adapted to the new normal by supporting the family members' identities as students and employees and ensuring everyone had the resource needed to succeed. Families experienced monotony …

Local government in the United States have been collaborating across institutional boundaries, collaborating with other local government to share their resources in the delivery of goods and services in their communities. Although local governments have collaborated for a long time, mixed analysis resulted on which form of government is most effective in the delivery of goods and services based on structure and stability of their financial conditions. This dissertation introduces technology as a key component in the collaborative process in implementing smart initiatives among communities. This dissertation uses surveys conducted from ICMA and Smart City Council, 2016, and a case study comparing two smart cities to test the hypotheses; which structure of government is more effective and whether an increase in financial condition encourages more collaborative efforts. The data reveals that the council-manager form of government is more efficient, however, in contrast, to the case study which indicated that both forms of government were efficient in implementing smart initiatives, however, differences in collaborative efforts were seen based on structure. The results of this analysis provide significant new information for both scholars and practitioners.

The underrepresentation of Mexican art song has left classical singers with few Spanish-language repertoire options. Currently, the music of Spain dominates this scene and Mexican art song has yet to earn a place in academic curricula and concert halls. Manuel María Ponce (1882-1948) retains an important position in Mexican music. However, Ponce's vocal repertoire—consisting of over 150 songs—remained dormant for many decades after his death due to its misclassification by music aristocrats in Mexico that greatly affected their diffusion. Consequently, few copies were published during Ponce's life, making them difficult to find. The need in the singing community for repertoire of this kind has raised many questions not only about its existence and availability, but also about its origins and relationship to the established Art Song canon. To promote the diffusion of this underrepresented repertoire, a style analysis of Ponce's Romantic Mexican Art Song is offered through the lens of his writings about Mexican Song. The analysis includes vital information about the origins, form, style, and subjects of these songs. Tangible examples of these traits are provided from Ponce's Doce Canciones Mexicanas along with historically-informed suggestions for singers and translations of the text with IPA transcriptions.

Hispanic American Catholics are a growing immigrant population in the United States, with Hispanic cultures and Catholicism woven together in unique ways. This situation presents a window through which can be examined the dynamic between individualism and religiosity. Four logistic regression models were estimated utilizing data from the Pew Research Center 2013 Survey of U.S. Latinos, in order to investigate the correlates of Hispanic American Catholic support for women in the Catholic priesthood. Religious individualism (self-determination) was measured in two dimensions, while cultural individualism (acculturation) was measured in one dimension. The first three regression models test three hypotheses related to religious and cultural individualism, while the fourth model factors in all of the variables used. Findings generally supported the saliency of religious individualism over against the hierarchal dogma of the Catholic Church, but not the saliency of cultural individualism. However, findings also exposed the complexities inherent in both Catholic religiosity and acculturation among Hispanic American Catholics.

Researchers have reported that a variety of socio-cultural interventions can be used to increase positive attitudes toward reading for secondary students. A socially constructed reading intervention could add learning growth for a reluctant reading population. This study examines whether secondary students experience a measurable increase in positive attitudes toward reading after engaging in modeling and mentoring sessions with a much younger student and whether there is a perceivable difference in the secondary students' attitude following this mentoring activity. A variation of the one-way ANOVA, the Mann-Whitney U test, was completed to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between these groups of students after participating in the reading intervention plan. It was determined that a small increase was found in one of the domains. The measurement survey is divided into four measured components that align with Albert Bandura's model for self- efficacy. The results from this study indicated growth in only one of the measures, however, some of the outcomes in the other measures suggested potential growth in attitudes with a relaxation of these necessary experimental strictures. A limitation of this research was the change from face-to-face tutoring completed by the secondary student with elementary students in an afterschool …

Charlotte Moorman (1933–1991) was a Juilliard-trained cellist whose life and work made an indelible mark on the development of the American avant-garde. In her career, Moorman acted as a performer, collaborator, composer, administrator and muse. She solely founded the inaugural New York Avant Garde Festival, and subsequently directed fifteen of these festivals between 1963 and 1980, the feat for which she is most widely acknowledged today. Yet, her revolutionary performance practice, which blurred the lines between her life, her body, and her work, and brought into focus the dynamics of corporeality, the feminine body, female nudity and sexuality, and gendered politics within the contexts of musical performance, has so far escaped serious consideration in the written histories of the American avant-garde. This dissertation describes the nature of Moorman's practice as one that evolved to become inherently and irrevocably embodied, explores how this approach fell at odds with the pervasive avant-garde philosophies of music, and illustrates how her work troubles even a feminist musicological analysis. Further, through a contemporary critique of Moorman's oeuvre which centralizes the social, cultural, and political implications of her body in performance as integral to the work, this project offers a retrospective visibility to the artist which …

Sergei Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto is one of the most frequently performed and beloved works. It is ironic that, however, despite its huge popularity, there are not many in-depth studies of this concerto, offering pianists few opportunities to examine the work from an analytical perspective. The detailed analysis presented in this study reveals that the main structure of this concerto is directly related to a motto comprising three-notes, designated the 6-5-1 motto. In his use of this motto in the Second Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff was profoundly influenced by the German-born composer Adolf von Henselt. Indeed, while von Henselt's importance for Russian music has been generally recognized, his impact, especially upon Rachmaninoff, has received insufficient attention in the scholarly literature. This study also examines Henselt's Piano Concerto Op. 16 in depth in order to demonstrate how Rachmaninoff's masterwork relates to its precursor. Additional studies of the 6-5-1 motto in European compositions from the nineteenth century trace the motto's origins.

Using spectacle to alienate people from each other and life, President Snow's Panem from Collins' Hunger Games trilogy is Guy Debord's Society of Spectacle. As Debord predicts, the spectacle of the Annual Hunger Games causes a degradation of life for citizens in the Districts and the Capitol, leading to a society where nobody truly lives and citizens accept the narrative that President Snow and his regime promote about the Games. Using Luis Althusser to understand how President Snow links his power to that of the Games, we understand how the dictator brainwashed his citizens into compliance through his narrative, and also, how this narrative is constantly delivered through the various ISAs and SAs in Panem to degrade life into false unity and false consciousness, socially coercing citizens to fall in line with the narrative around spectacle. Katniss Everdeen is unique as she is too authentic to use her celebrity status in promotion of the Games; instead, she accidentally performs Debord's true critiques, sparking a rebellion through love. Katniss' acts of love translate into true critiques of the spectacle that is Panem and the Games, and because Snow has spent decades brainwashing his populace into a blind acceptance of celebrity and …

The transcriptions of Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) on Beethoven's "Marcia alla turca" serve as unique examples within the area of transcription since each of these important virtuosos transcribed the movement with drastically different results. Liszt's Capriccio alla turca (1846) is built on Beethoven's thematic materials although it is presented with a greatly embellished accompaniment providing countermelodies, expanded passages, and vigorous rhythmic features. In contrast, Rubinstein's Turkish March (1848) attempts to capture Beethoven's original (1811) as closely as possible adhering to the form and harmonies. Each composer's approach served to showcase new pianistic innovations capturing orchestral sonorities at the piano previously unimagined. This dissertation offers musical insight for two less well-known works from significant pianist-composers which should receive further attention. Additionally, this research provides greater documentation for the compositions of Rubinstein, supplementing the historical accounts of his abilities as a performer. Examination and comparative analysis of each transcription not only illuminates the creative approaches each composer employed in creating his transcription, but also serves pianists wishing to perform these neglected works.

This study produced and analyzed shaped tungsten wire tips formed through electrochemical etching. Specifically, the cone length and the radius of curvature of the tip were analyzed. Having the tips move dynamically through an electrolytic solution, such as potassium hydroxide, and tuning the initial starting depth of the tungsten wire along with the dynamic speed of the tungsten wire as it passed throughout the solution allowed various types of tip profiles to be produced. The tip's radius of curvature was able to be reproduced with an accuracy between 88 - 92 %. The method provided would be applicable for the production of various styles of liquid-metal ion source (LMIS) probes and scanning probe microscope (SPM) tips.

Elevated social anxiety is a well-documented risk factor for developing problematic alcohol use behaviors. Adolescents with high social anxiety often report drinking for coping-related reasons, and drinking to cope has been linked to both acute and chronic alcohol use problems. Research further suggests that parenting is a primary socialization domain in terms of adolescent alcohol use onset and trajectory; however, no work has yet examined the role of parenting factors in the relation between social anxiety and coping motives for drinking. The current study investigated the role of two parenting dimensions, rejection/warmth and psychological control, on the link between social anxiety and problematic drinking motives. Drawing from an ongoing assessment of an inpatient program, the sample consisted of 94 girls and boys (ages 11-17 years). Regression analyses evaluated main effects of social anxiety, rejection, psychological control, the interactive effects of the parenting dimensions, and the three-way interaction of both parenting dimensions with social anxiety on coping motives for alcohol use. As expected, social anxiety was positively and statistically significantly related to coping motives when examined via raw scores, proportional values, and in the final model. Further, zero-order correlations indicated a positive, statistically significant relation between proportional coping motives and both …

Anthropology is an underrepresented subject in precollegiate education. Despite concerted institutional efforts through organizations such as the American Anthropological Association (AAA), there has not been significant growth in the field. Although the field of anthropology has not shown significant growth at the precollegiate level, there does exist a presence of precollegiate anthropology, especially through the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and standalone courses at schools at the elementary through high school level. Many of these standalone courses were created by an individual teacher. This applied thesis used anthropological methods to identify if a social network exists among precollegiate anthropology teachers while also examining how the AAA can create and/or facilitate a stronger community of precollegiate anthropology teachers. Linking to institutions such as the Advanced Placement program in addition to IB may create the critical mass to encourage a positive feedback loop which produces more anthropology students at the college level and more individuals who create standalone courses. With a growth in precollegiate programs, the existing social networks within and outside the AAA will grow.

This dissertation is divided into six chapters. The first chapter explains the purpose and significance of the study. The second chapter presents an analysis about Wanderer Fantasy, D.760 composed by Schubert, employing Schenker analysis to elucidate important motives. Chapter 3 provides an analysis of Schubert-Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, S. 366 and shows how Liszt transcribed the original to emphasize certain motives, and further, describes the development of the piano history. Chapter 4 delves into an analysis of Schubert-Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Two Pianos, S. 653a transcribed by Franz Liszt and further explains the historic development of piano, in particular Érard's grand piano. Chapter 5 explains the analysis of Schubert-Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano Solo, S.565a and expands upon Érard's grand piano. Finally, Chapter 6 leads to this paper's summary and conclusion.

Foster care alumni are a unique subset of college students who enter post-secondary education having faced significant socio-economic challenges and emotional trauma. These students often understand how attending post-secondary education can help create a more stable life. However, the graduation of this population is extremely low. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand formerly fostered youths' perspectives of the needs and stressors students face while attending post-secondary education. Specifically, the researcher wanted to understand what characteristics influence former foster care youth to enroll in college and what characteristics help former foster care youth persist in higher education until graduation. The study utilized both student departure theory and resilience theory to frame each research question conceptually. The results illuminated the resilience of former fostered youth attending post-secondary education and their characteristics for continued enrollment.

Group testing is all about identifying properties of a set of elements by testing them.

As administrators start to hire more alternative certified teachers in Texas who pursue a career in K–12 education, it becomes important to understand the impact this experience has on teacher quality. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore administrators' beliefs and experiences when hiring alternative certified teachers. The primary research question was: What are alternative certified teachers' strengths? The additional questions of the study were: What are alternative certified teachers' weaknesses? Are administrators satisfied with the alternative certified teachers' performance? This study was conceptually framed within the theory of instruction. Participants in the study were seven secondary administrators in a Texas urban school district. Data were collected through seven qualitative surveys, semi-structured interviews, and short narrative inquiry responses. Data were analyzed through a thematic analysis. The results of this study provide insights into the experiences secondary administrators face when hiring alternative certified teachers. This study contributes to the growing research in the area of alternative certified teachers, specifically by secondary administrators who hire them to be a high-quality teacher in the field of education.

What causes a teacher to leave and move to another district or campus? Many times, teachers leave because they are unsatisfied, overwhelmed, or unprepared for the demands of the job. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the contextual factors that may explain why teachers decide to transfer to another campus or leave their current district to pursue a position at another district. The following factors, as told from the teachers' perspective, were examined: (a) campus culture, (b) campus leadership, (c) working conditions, and (d) other contributing factors. This study focused on the types of experiences teachers reported encountering, whether positive or negative, that contributed to teacher turnover. Data for this qualitative study included a survey and focus group. Participants selected to participate in this study were teachers who either exited from a public-school district or transferred from one campus to another campus within the same school district. An analysis of the qualitative responses from the teacher survey and a focus group interview provided answers and insight into the research questions. The data were collected and analyzed to further understand the types of experiences or factors that contribute to teacher turnover within one school district. …

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is a program that manages all firm risks in an integrated framework to control and coordinate offsetting risks. In this study, I provide the first archival evidence on how ERM affects firms' day-to-day, routine operations. Using hand-collected ERM adoption data and inventory information, I examine whether firms with an ERM program experience an improvement in their inventory management. My findings suggest that ERM adoption is associated with greater inventory turnover ratios and lower inventory impairments. These results are robust to a range of models in addressing endogeneity concerns. Additionally, I find that ERM's effect on inventory management is stronger among firms with greater financial distress, with less investments in innovation, or with higher information asymmetries, and when firms' ERM program grows more mature. My study documents ERM's real economic benefits to firms' operations and highlights how ERM contributes to operating performance.

Betrayal trauma theory (BTT) explains the relationship between a victim and perpetrator to be an especially critical factor for predicting adverse trauma outcomes; however, to date, there is no adequate measure to assess this relationship. We aimed to create a measure of reliance, here defined as dependence on another for food, clothing, finances, emotional support, and more. We utilized a new scale, the Reliance on Perpetrator Scale, to measure this construct. 397 participants completed a battery of questionnaires to measure reliance and 4 primary outcomes of interpersonal trauma exposure: PTSD symptoms, depression, event centrality, and dissociation. A series of exploratory principal components factor analyses provided evidence for a 3 factor solution for this scale, though visual examinations of scree plots and a parallel analysis indicated 2 factors. We ultimately chose to retain 2 factors: practical reliance and emotional dependence. We expected and achieved predictive validity such that practical reliance and emotional dependence were both highly positively correlated with all outcomes. We expected and achieved convergent validity such that positive affect and secure attachment were highly positively correlated with emotional dependence as measured by an existing scale. The current study replicated previous findings that high betrayal events—as opposed to low betrayal …