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Developing Cation-Tunable Phenoxyimine-Ni Complexes for Polymerization of Ethylene
No full textThis research involves the design and synthesis of novel cation-tunable nickel phenoxyimine complexes, with a focus on their applications in olefin polymerization. The study aims to explore the potential for bimetallic cooperativity, where alkali metals (Li+, Na+, K+ and Cs+) can enhance incorporation of polar monomers relative to monometallic Ni complexes. Previously, our group has shown that our Ni-phenoxyimine complexes containing a polyethylene glycol (PEG) motif can interact with alkali metals in solution to form 1:1 Ni:M+ complexes selectively and enhance ethylene polymerization activity. We hypothesize that the addition of alkali metal ions can increase catalytic activity, polymer chain length, and incorporation of polar monomers. Bimetallic systems, where two metals work cooperatively, are of growing interest due to their potential to unlock new reactivity patterns that are not achievable with monometallic catalysts. The initial phase of the project involved the synthesis and characterization of a NiCF3 complex, which contains a sterically bulky phenoxyimine ligand that might allow polymerizations to be performed at high temperatures (>80 °C). Polymerizations at higher temperatures are advantageous because any potential kinetic barriers to monomer insertion are more likely to be overcome.Chemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
Teacher Perceives Efficacy when using Multiliteracy Pedagogies and Multimodal Texts in a Middle School English Language Arts (ELA) Classroom
No full textBackground: The concept of literacy in the 21st century has expanded beyond traditional print-based paradigms to embrace multiliteracy frameworks and multimodal texts. These approaches recognize that meaning is constructed through diverse communicative modes—linguistic, visual, auditory, spatial, and gestural. Despite this shift, many classroom practices remain rooted in conventional, text-centric instruction, leaving students underprepared for the demands of contemporary communication. Purpose: The purpose of this self-study was to examine the impact of Multiliteracy Pedagogies and Multimodal Texts (MPMT) on both teacher efficacy and student engagement in an 8th-grade ELA classroom. Specifically, the study examined how offering students choice in text access and engagement impacted their performance, motivation, and participation, while also supporting the researcher’s professional and pedagogical growth. The guiding research question was: How does the integration of Multiliteracy Pedagogies and Multimodal Texts impact students’ performance in an ELA classroom for middle school students, particularly in relation to providing students with choice, and teacher efficacy? Method: This qualitative self-study was conducted over one academic year in a diverse middle school setting. Data collection methods included bi-weekly reflective journaling, structured classroom observations, and self-prompted teacher reflections. Quantitative student performance data from Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), District Checkpoints, and the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) were also collected and analyzed. Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis process was used to identify emergent patterns and themes. Results: Three key themes emerged from the data: (1) Student engagement and academic performance increased when students were provided with multimodal learning options and choice; (2) Teacher efficacy improved as instructional practices shifted toward more responsive, and student-centered approaches aligned with 21st-century literacy demands; and (3) Curriculum rigidity and district-mandated instructional pacing presented challenges, often limiting the full implementation of MPMT and constraining teacher autonomy. Quantitative data indicated upward trends in student performance following the integration of MPMT strategies. Conclusion: The study highlights the positive relationship between multiliteracy-based instruction and both student engagement and teacher efficacy. Integrating MPMT within middle school ELA classrooms offers promising pathways for fostering critical thinking, creativity, and motivation among students while also enhancing professional growth for educators
Contextual Factors in Drinking Likelihood Among College Students with ASD Symptomatology
No full textAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed by social communication difficulties and restricted behaviors. Alcohol use has been considered rare among individuals with autism. However, recent literature identifies risk factors like social facilitation and coping motives, comfort in repetitive behaviors, and comorbid psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression). Although college students with autism report struggles with living away from home, loneliness, and changes in routine, little is known about whether the unstructured college environment triggers their drinking, despite extensive research on drinking initiation in the general student body. To address this knowledge gap, the present work reports on a secondary analysis of 583 ethnically diverse undergraduate students who participated in a study of attributions in social situations. Five measures were considered: (1) the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" assessed an ASD trait of difficulty reading emotional expression, (2) the UCLA Loneliness scale, (3) a demographic questionnaire that included living location (off-campus, on-campus, at home) as a proxy for structured living environment, and (4) the daily drinking questionnaire. We hypothesized that students who struggled with reading emotional expression (a common trait among those with ASD) and experienced greater social isolation (i.e., loneliness) while living in an unstructured college environment were more likely to report alcohol consumption. Analysis partially supported this, particularly among students who exhibited the greatest difficulty on the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test, reported low loneliness, and lived on campus.Psychology, Department ofHonors Colleg
Essays on Trade and China’s Economy
No full textThis dissertation consists of two essays on trade and China’s economy. In the first essay, motivated by China’s recent economic slowdown, the relocation of labor-intensive industries, and an aging population, this paper examines how demographic forces shape China’s economic growth and trade patterns. Empirical analysis indicates that countries with a larger working-age population share experience higher productivity growth and a higher investment share of GDP. Building on these findings, I develop and calibrate an overlapping generations trade model with three key features: age-varying abilities to generate ideas that drive knowledge accumulation, age-varying saving behaviors affecting capital accumulation, and an Eaton-Kortum trade framework that includes both Heckscher-Ohlin and Ricardian comparative advantage. By comparing the baseline stationary equilibrium to a hypothetical one where China’s fertility and survival rates align with those of the rest of the world, I find that a higher fertility rate leads to higher productivity levels in the final year and results in greater consumption, as more workers generate more ideas. In contrast, a lower survival rate results in reduced productivity while also increasing consumption, driven by a decrease in desired savings due to the shorter lifespan. Overall, productivity is primarily driven by fertility, while capital per person is largely driven by the survival rate, as it affects desired savings. In the second essay, I investigate the decline in China’s trade share of GDP since 2007. To understand the underlying causes, I develop a multi-sector, multi-region Ricardian trade model to quantify the forces driving changes in China’s trade share of GDP from 2002 to 2015. The model features three main types of time-varying shocks: productivity shocks, trade cost shocks, and labor mobility cost shocks. These shocks affect China’s trade through comparative advantage and specialization. I calibrate the model and conduct structural accounting decompositions. The results indicate that changes in productivity and trade costs for both China and foreign regions together account for about 87% of the change in China’s trade share of GDP. From 2002 to 2007, the decrease in China’s international trade costs and the growth in foreign productivity were the main factors driving the increase in trade share. From 2007 to 2015, China’s productivity growth became the primary factor reducing the trade share. Moreover, in contrast to the earlier period, China’s international trade cost changes also contributed to the decline in its trade share
A Poor Soldier Deserves No Less to be Remembered: Motivation, Radicalization, and the Parliamentarian Soldier in the English Civil Wars
No full textThis thesis analyzes the factors that drove common soldiers to enlist in the Parliamentary Army during the period of the English Civil Wars of 1642-1648, what bound them to the army throughout that period, and how these soldiers were radicalized to the point of overthrowing Parliament and executing the King. This is accomplished through an examination of both the material and ideological inducements made to Parliamentary and New Model Army soldiers throughout both wars and the intermittent peace that divided them. This is accompanied by a comparative look at the Parliamentary Navy during the same period that contrasts the less radical navy with the more radical army, culminating in the Naval Mutiny of June, 1647. The common soldier fighting for Parliament is analyzed in this thesis primarily through an investigation of the petitions for injured soldiers or their estates in the event of a soldier’s death. Studying petitions for maimed and killed soldiers allows their subjects to be viewed in as close scrutiny as possible in a period when common people did not record memoirs and little correspondence survives. This thesis finds that the common soldier of Parliament went to war with a strong desire to protect Protestant religion and Parliamentary privilege. Soldiers then refined those beliefs in the face of military hardship and political machinations. By the end of 1648 the men of the New Model Army were forged into a political unit that advocated for drastic reform in Parliament and Religion and was willing to make the unprecedented step of putting the King on trial
Role of Pain and Cognition in Functional Outcomes Among Individuals with Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (Pnes) and Chronic Pain
No full textWithin the US, about one in three individuals seen in an epilepsy monitoring unit for suspected epilepsy or seizures are ultimately diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). Chronic pain is reported by 47-70% of individuals with PNES and is the most common reason for emergency department visits and hospitalizations among individuals with PNES and chronic pain. However, there is a paucity of research on pain among people with PNES. Chronic pain and PNES, separately, are associated with emotional, cognitive, and functional difficulties. Prior literature has demonstrated possible links between psychological experiences, cognitive abilities, and functional outcomes within various clinical populations, but it appears that no study to date has evaluated these concepts, together, among individuals with both PNES and chronic pain. Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize the sample in terms of demographics, pain experiences, psychological factors, and cognition as well as explore these factors in relation to functional outcomes (physical functioning and participation). Methods: This study used an online survey and telephone-based neuropsychological assessment with individuals recruited from epilepsy- and PNES-focused clinics. The sample included 19 individuals with PNES and chronic pain. Results: Individuals in the sample reported moderately reduced physical functioning and mildly to moderately reduced participation relative to normative samples. Participants reported an average pain intensity of moderate to severe with pain interference in the moderate range. Most participants reported pain every day or nearly every day. Emotional distress symptoms were common in this study with average depression and anxiety symptoms in the moderate range. Average resilience was below the 25th normative percentile. Pain catastrophizing and alexithymia were elevated in about one-third of participants. All participants reported at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Global cognition and domain scores of executive functioning and attention were within the Average range with memory in the Low Average range. Conclusion: Continued research to understand the complex interplay between pain, cognition, and psychological factors among individuals experiencing both chronic pain and PNES will guide clinical conceptualization, encourage targeted treatment development, and improve outcomes for these individuals
Photocyclization of Alkenes and Arenes: Penetrating Through Aromatic Armor with the Help of Excited State Antiaromaticity
No full textThis review focuses on photocyclization reactions involving alkenes and arenes. Photochemistry opens up synthetic opportunities difficult for thermal methods, using light as a versatile tool to convert stable ground-state molecules into their reactive excited counterparts. This difference can be particularly striking for aromatic molecules, which, according to Baird’s rule, transform from highly stable entities into their antiaromatic “evil twins”. We highlight classical reactions, such as the photocyclization of stilbenes, to show how alkenes and aromatic rings can undergo intramolecular cyclizations to form complex structures. When possible, we explain how antiaromaticity develops in excited states and how this can expand synthetic possibilities. The review also examines how factors such as oxidants, substituents, and reaction conditions influence product selectivity, providing useful insights for improving reaction outcomes and demonstrating how photochemical methods can drive the development of new synthetic strategies
Preparation of Copper(I) Complexes for Developing Earth-Abundant Transition Metal-Based Photosensitizers
No full textPhotoredox catalysis has played a prominent role in various applications ranging from energy-related fields to organic synthesis. Traditionally, precious metal-based coordination complexes have been the focus of study as photosensitizers. However, due to cost considerations, there has been a search for cheaper alternatives that are more suitable for large scale applications. Among many candidates, copper(I) complexes have garnered attention since copper(I) lacks low-lying ligand-field (d–d) excited states, which can deactivate the desired charge-transfer excited states. This dissertation presents a series of copper(I) complexes employing electron-rich anionic β-diketiminate ligands, also known as NacNac. The first part of this dissertation (Chapter 1) overviews the general features of photosensitizers and the copper(I) complexes that have been researched so far. The subsequent chapters (Chapters 2–4) describe four-coordinate heteroleptic copper(I) complexes featuring β-diketiminate ligands paired with bidentate chelating diimine ligands. With this heteroleptic design, the frontier orbitals are spatially separated, enabling independent control of the HOMO and LUMO energy levels and the HOMO–LUMO gap. These complexes exhibit panchromatic absorption across a wide range of visible regions and even into near-IR which is crucial for effective solar light harvesting. The next two chapters (Chapters 5 and 6) introduce three-coordinate copper(I) complexes formed by replacing bidentate diimine ligands with monodentate isocyanide ligands. In Chapter 5, a “bichromophore” strategy is presented using pyrene-decorated isocyanide ligands. The incorporation of the pyrene moiety facilitates triplet–triplet energy transfer (TTET) processes, resulting in long-lived excited-state lifetimes in copper(I) complexes. Chapter 6 proposes a complementary sterically-driven approach to increasing the excited-state lifetime while maintaining an excited-state oxidation potential. The improved photophysical properties and potent excited state reducing power lead to enhanced performance in photoredox reactions. Lastly, Chapter 7 provides general experimental methods including characterization methods, and the Appendices contain supporting information such as NMR and IR spectra of copper(I) complexes. Overall, this dissertation provides overarching insights into the design of copper(I) complexes aimed at improving photophysical properties, suggesting significant potential for the development of next generation photosensitizer in energy-related areas and organic synthesis
The Racialization of COVID-19 with Asian Bodies: How Newspapers Discussed the Topic in 2020
No full textThis research examined the rhetorical/editorial choices of the Houston Chronicle, New York (NY) Daily News, and San Francisco (SF) Chronicle addressing the racialization of COVID-19 with East and Southeast Asian bodies during 2020. Archival editions of physically published articles were used to determine the volume at which each paper mentioned/examined COVID-19 and its attachment to Asian bodies. Components examined include mention/discussion of anti-Asian violence/hate crimes, political racialization of COVID-19, input from Asian American leaders and individuals, and the pandemic's effect on Asian American neighborhoods and businesses. Rhetoric analyzed was sourced from politicians, Asian American leaders/civilians, academic/public health figures, and the articles themselves. While a paper such as the NY Daily News provided extensive 'boots on the ground' reporting on local anti-Asian hate crimes, it lacked a conversation rooted in the wave of racism's effect on individuals and communities. Both the Houston and SF Chronicles contained a more nuanced discussion of anti-Asian racism in conjunction with COVID-19, including mention of psychosocial ramifications, notable input from Asian American civilians and leaders, and examination of political rhetoric in conjunction with anti-Asian violence. Nuance of discussion correlated positively with each paper's East and Southeast Asian American authorship. Volume of each paper's discussion of anti-Asian violence correlated with reported incidence rates in each paper's respective state.English, Department ofHonors Colleg
Caregiver and Birth Parent Influences on Depression and Anxiety in African American Children in Kinship Care
No full text<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Depression and anxiety in children pose a significant public health concern, with long-term implications for well-being. Over 10% of children and adolescents are affected by emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety. African American youth face disproportionate exposure to mental health risk factors, including poverty, adverse childhood events, community violence, and racial discrimination, which elevate their vulnerability to these disorders. A particularly at-risk subgroup includes African American children in kinship care arrangements (e.g., grandparents raising grandchildren), who may face additional factors such as family disruption and separation from birth parents. <b>Methods</b>: This mixed-methods sequential study examined how caregiver stress and birth mother&ndash;child relationship quality relate to depression and anxiety symptoms in African American children in kinship care. Phase I included survey data from 58 caregivers of children aged 5 to 12; Phase II involved interviews with 16 of these caregivers. <b>Results</b>: Results indicated that lower caregiver stress was associated with reduced child depression and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, findings suggest that a high quality of the birth mother&ndash;child relationship serves as a promotive factor, particularly for depressive symptoms. Qualitative findings highlighted two themes: (1) the weight of kinship care, marked by factors such as ongoing grief and financial strain; and (2) birth parent relationships, defined by a mix of connection, conflict, and loss that affects children&rsquo;s mental health. <b>Conclusions</b>: These findings underscore the need for greater understanding of the strengths and resources within kinship families that support positive mental health outcomes and highlight the importance of targeted interventions to reduce caregiver stress and foster supportive parent&ndash;child relationships