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Exploring the Career Aspirations of China���s Generation Z (Gen Z): A Basic Qualitative Study
No full textThe topic of career aspirations has attracted increasing attention from scholars and practitioners given its crucial role as one of the most useful predictors of eventual career. While ample studies were conducted to explore the career aspirations of Gen Z living in the West, few were situated in the context of the non-Western world. This critical group outnumbers Gen Z in the West. However, we have limited understanding of attracting, engaging, and retaining the emerging workforce in the non-Western world. For human resource development (HRD) field, whose core mission is developing people, limited research attention has been given to Gen Z in the non-Western world. With jobs changing and the workforce shrinking, talent competition will be fierce, employers need to prepare differently to win the global talent market. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the career aspirations of China's Gen Z members. Specifically, three research questions guided this inquiry: First, what are the career aspirations of China's Gen Z? Second, what influences the career aspirations of China's Gen Z? Third, what do China's Gen Z expect from their prospective employers?
To address these questions, I used a basic qualitative research approach. Informed by this design, I recruited 27 Gen Z participants from a comprehensive university in Eastern China. I conducted in-depth, face-to-face interviews. I analyzed 520 pages of interview data using the thematic analysis (TA) method.
This study revealed three major findings. First, the career aspirations of China's Gen Z participants could be categorized into three types: talent-based, needs-based, and value-based. Second, the shaping factors include contextual factors and personal factors. Lastly, China's Gen Z expects to work with tolerant leaders who are tolerant of mistakes in a positive environment. They favor face-to-face communication and individual tasks.
This study provided significant implications for HRD practice and research. For organizational leaders and HRD professionals, this study proposed actionable strategies that can effectively attract, engage, and retain China's Gen Z. For HRD scholars, this study opened the door to an almost uncharted territory (China's Gen Z) and outlined a new research agenda
Beyond Victimhood: An Analysis of Rape Culture Rhetoric on Sexual Assault Survivors
No full textThis thesis delves into pivotal moments and movements within recent cultural histories of sexual assault, focusing on Chanel Miller's rape by Brock Turner and the evolution of Tarana Burke's "me too" movement into #MeToo. Through an analysis of media coverage and literary works such as Miller's memoir, Know My Name, and Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's, She Said, this study explores the embedded dynamics of rape culture and sexual assault tolerance within American society and institutions. Emphasizing survivors' voices, this research contends that their narratives are vital in challenging societal perceptions and fostering empathy towards survivors. Drawing on insights of fellow feminist scholars, this thesis investigates the role of survivors in dismantling patriarchal structures that perpetuate rape and sexual assault. Methodologically, this thesis examines the concepts of the good survivor, ideal victim, and naming and shaming, dissecting the societal frameworks that influence survivors' reporting behaviors and perceptions. By scrutinizing government-funded programs' methodologies and limitations in gathering accurate statistics on sexual violence, the research underscores the complexities and challenges in understanding the prevalence of rape and sexual assault. Ultimately, this work advocates for a nuanced understanding of survivor experiences and calls for a societal shift towards empathy and support for survivors, challenging entrenched rape culture mentalities
Unveiling the Persistence of Residual Microislands of Calculus After Periodontal Procedures Using a Videoscope: An Initial Investigation into Clinical and Microbiological Associations
No full textPeriodontitis is a chronic disease which is addressed in cases with probing depths of more than 6mm with surgical intervention. In this study, our objective is to use an additional visualization tool, the videoscope, to understand the persistence of microislands of calculus and their clinical and microbial manifestations in human patients.
The videoscope was used to visualize residual calculus in patients after periodontal procedures, and three examiners identified the calculus in 25 micrographs. For the second part of the study, six patients underwent open flap debridement procedure, and clinical and microbiological parameters were compared.
92% of cases had residual calculus present after flapped periodontal procedures performed by multiple periodontics residents. The consensus between trained and untrained examiners on identifying residual microislands of calculus was not statistically different. Probing depths were significantly reduced prior to and after the procedure in both control and test groups; however, one patient with AA showed significantly better clinical results at 3 months in the test quadrant compared to the control.
Residual microislands of calculus are frequently observed when using conventional visualization tools such as surgical loupes. In addition, there is a trend indicating a potential advantage in incorporating additional visualization tools like videoscopes during open flap periodontal procedures
Supplementation of Oral Probiotics to Freshly Weaned Lambs When Transitioning to a High Concentrate Diet in Conjunction with Parasite Resiliency to Copper Wire Boluses
No full textRumen health is vital to post weaning health and performance in all ruminant species. Sheep are fed high concentrate diets to improve growth rate, however, these high concentrate diets can lead to acidosis, or even mortality, if not fed correctly. Acidosis is caused by the increased consumption of grain and a drop in pH. The hypothesis that administering a probiotic supplement to lambs prior to and during the feeding period would improve the post-weaning gain as well as decrease mortality. For this study, 93 finewool lambs (n=93; females, n=45, males, n=48) were weaned at approximately 90 days of age and had an average body weight (BW) of 24.7 Kg. Each lamb was assigned randomly to one of the three treatment groups: Control (CON), Treatment 1 (TRT 1), and Treatment 2 (TRT 2). Lambs assigned to TRT 1 and TRT 2 received an oral dose of probiotics (ProBios, Menomonie, WI), which contained four lactic acid producing bacteria: Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Lambs in CON received 0g of Probios (n=31, females, n=15; males, n=16), lambs in TRT 1 were administered 10g of Probios on Day 0 (n=31, females, n=15; males, n=16), and lambs in TRT 2 were administered 10g of Probios on Day 0 and Day 7 (n=31, females, n=15; males, n=16). Lambs were housed in groups of three in a fully covered barn with automatic waters. Lambs were sorted into groups by treatment, sex, and initial weight. Lambs were limit fed for 12 days with hay to aid in transition to the high concentrate diet; after the 12 days, they were then fed ad libitum. For six weeks, body weight (BW) and FAMANCHA (FAM) scores were collected. Blood was also collected for the first four weeks and fecal egg counts (FEC) were collected on weeks 1, 4, 5, and 6. There was no interaction between treatment group and weight gain, however, female lambs were statistically lighter when compared to male lambs. Female lambs had a lower FAM score when compared to males.
An additional study of Copper Oxide Wire Particle Boluses (COPWs) was conducted to determine the effectiveness when compared to regularly used anthelmintics. Lambs received an oral drench of Valbazen, Cydectin, and Prohibit (n=44) or a COWP Bolus (n=41). After week one lambs who received oral anthelmintics had a statistically lower FEC when compared to lambs who received COPWs. There was not a significant difference between COPWs and dewormer by Week 2
Biogas Processing and Safety Challenges: Improving Process Components Functionality Through Reliability Engineering Approach
No full textTo achieve the objectives of carbon neutrality, energy security, and sustainability, biogas is increasingly used as fuel in the transportation and power generation sectors. Due to the support strategies for the reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution implemented by several governments around the world, biogas production has tripled recently, leading to an increase in the number of related facilities. The forecast indicates a further increase in biogas facilities up to 2035. The number of incidents in the biogas industry has increased more than five times from 2001-2012; this trend outpaces the number of biogas facilities. The following categories of causes can be categorized (in order of quantitative relevance) in the analysis of accident causes and consequences: Failures of the entire piece of equipment, component failures, operational errors, design flaws, and maintenance errors.
The aim of this study is to address safety issues of biogas processing activities based on the process components��� failure analysis and reliability studies. Because of the scarce number of documented biogas processing components��� failure rates and the limited details available, biogas processing plants can benefit from the technologies already used for the processing of conventional natural gas, but due to the modest amounts of biogas produced by production and upgrading plants, the size of biogas processing plants must be substantially smaller. On this basis, this work sourced the existing reliability data from conventional natural gas components��� failure rates databases such as: Industrial database (e.g., Offshore and Onshore Reliability Equipment Database-OREDA), manufacturer���s field failure studies and end-user field failure studies. Selected biogas processing components��� unit(s) from active biogas piping and instrumentation diagram P&ID were utilized and data sourced from industrial database was used to perform series of failure analysis and reliability studies; results obtained from this study can be used to analyze the reliability of biogas processing units.
Enhancing the quality of failure data is critical to decreasing the uncertainties associated with biogas processing system reliability estimates to improve the system availability and maintainability and reduce the increasing number of accidents related to biogas processing. Consequentially, improve system availability and maintainability substantially, hence leading to improved productivit
John Bickham field notebook: AK10001-AK10500.pdf
No full textBound book, each page corresponds to a karyotype slide data.Data pages for AK10501-AK11000 corresponding to unique identifiers of specimens/samples examined for biological research. Specimens are primarily housed at Texas A&M University; Biodiverstiy Research and Teaching Collection
EMF Shielding of Stepper Motors as a Means of Improving the Security of CNC Operations
No full textThis paper is a documentation on a study conducted exploring possible shield samples that can be used on standardized stepper motors. The cause for this study is the existence of a security vulnerability in computer numerical control (CNC) operations in which the stepper motors that are used in this operation emit a distinctive electromagnetic field (EMF). This distinctive EMF can be captured by an EMF reader and recorded by an outside party to reproduce the operation. For private CNC operators, this is a source for an unwanted leak of data and needs to be addressed. As a preventative measure, it was proposed to explore ways to passively shield the motors in operations. Therefore, twenty-seven different shields of varying degrees of freedom were used as candidates to test the effectiveness of these degrees of freedom. The degrees of freedom include the material, infill geometry, and overall thickness. Additionally, measurements were made at two different distances from the motor to observe the shielding effects in both close range and long range. Aside from the degrees of freedom, the experiment was thoroughly controlled for accuracy. Measurements from the experiments were then collected and compiled for visual and statistical analysis. During statistical analysis, it was discovered that the data collected failed to meet the requirements of a parametric analysis leading to the use of a nonparametric means instead. The statistical analysis concluded the degrees of freedom that were specifically explored were statistically not significant. The results in this study lead to other possible factors that may prove to be more effective in shielding EMF. These other possible factors may lead to further work to be conducted outside of the scope of this thesis
The Effects of a Structured Literacy Computer Program Implemented at Home on the Early Literacy Skills of Preschool Children
No full textThe purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a computer program on the early literacy skills of preschool children, the relationship between fidelity to the intervention and improvement in literacy skills, and the reported satisfaction with the program. Forty-two four- and five-year-old children were randomly assigned to an intervention group, which used the OgStar Reading Early Reader iPad computer program/app, or a control group, which used the IXL Math computer program/app. The recommendation was to engage with the program for 15- 20 minutes per day for five days a week over a period of eight weeks in the summer prior to kindergarten. Three DIBELS measures were used to assess early literacy skills: Letter Naming Fluency (LNF), Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF), and Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF). Parents submitted fidelity data about the number of lessons completed and completed a survey to assess their opinions regarding the use of the program. A total of 33 children completed posttests. Using linear regression and controlling for pretest score, students in the intervention group scored statistically significantly higher on LNF posttests (g = 0.41, p = .025) and NWF- correct letter sounds posttests (g = 0.52, p = .009) over the control group. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups for PSF (g = 0.19, p = .458) or NWF- words recoded correctly (g = 0.61, p = .057). Overall, fidelity to the planned intervention varied across participants. The number of lessons completed was moderately related to participant gains in LNF (r = 0.38), NWF- correct letter sounds (r = 0.31), and NWF- words recoded correctly (r = 0.36). Parent reported level of satisfaction with the app was generally positive. Parents reported they thought their child learned new skills (4.8/6.0) and would recommend it to other parents (4.5/6.0). These findings provide some initial support that the use of the OgStar Early Reader app may improve alphabetic knowledge for preschool children. Further study of the program and its effectiveness for a variety of participants and contexts is needed
Shaping Human Capital and Socioeconomic Outcomes: The Impacts of Grade Retention, Lead Exposure, and Social Media Rhetoric
No full textMy dissertation consists of three essays on the topics of grade retention, lead exposure, and social media rhetoric. In the first chapter, I provide the first causal evidence of the effects of grade retention on the labor market outcomes using Texas��� policy of retaining third graders who fail a reading test. The fuzzy regression discontinuity design estimates show that third-grade retention significantly reduces adult earnings. Although the policy aims to improve academic achievement, the results demonstrate that third-grade retention lowers high school graduation rates without improving college outcomes and aggravates absenteeism and violent behavior.
In the second chapter, coauthored with Andy Cao and Jason Lindo, we investigate whether Donald Trump���s "Chinese Virus" tweets contributed to the rise of anti-Asian incidents. We find that the number of incidents spiked following Trump���s initial ���Chinese Virus��� tweets and the subsequent dramatic rise in internet search activity for the phrase. Difference-in-differences and event-study analyses leveraging spatial variation indicate that this spike in anti-Asian incidents was significantly more pronounced in counties that supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election relative to those that supported Hillary Clinton. We estimate that anti-Asian incidents spiked by 4000 percent in Trump-supporting counties, over and above the spike observed in Clinton-supporting counties.
In the third chapter, coauthored with Thao Duong, we analyze the long-term effects of low-level lead exposure during early childhood from Kindergarten through grade three on educational achievement and earnings. Utilizing the unexpected decline in lead emissions following the reduced operation of piston-engine aircraft after the 9/11 attacks as a natural experiment, combined with detailed individual-level administrative data from Texas ERC, we employ both difference-in-differences and instrumental variable techniques to identify the causal impact of lead exposure on various student outcomes. Our findings reveal that even minimal increases in lead exposure, measured in micrograms per cubic meter, are associated with significantly decreased probabilities of high school graduation and post-secondary enrollment in public universities or community colleges. Moreover, we observe that lead exposure adversely affects children by diminishing their future earnings in the labor market
The BAZ Family of Chromatin Remodelers in Colorectal Cancer: Insights into Oncogenesis, Alternative Splicing and Chemosensitization
No full textColorectal cancer (CRC) poses a significant healthcare challenge worldwide, necessitating a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis for improved therapeutic interventions. This thesis investigates the BAZ (Bromodomain Adjacent to Zinc finger) family of chromatin remodelers and their intricate involvement in CRC. The BAZ family members, including BAZ1A, BAZ1B, BAZ2A, and BAZ2B, exert critical regulatory functions in chromatin architecture and transcription, impacting various cellular processes from development to disease.
In colorectal cancer, BAZ1A is overexpressed, and its depletion resulted in diminished cell viability, increased apoptosis, augmented DNA damage, and cellular senescence, concomitant with the downregulation of components within the Wnt/��-catenin signaling pathway. In vivo studies corroborated these findings, revealing that knockdown of BAZ1A leads to diminished tumor growth and alterations in chromatin regulation. Interestingly, BAZ1A undergoes alternative splicing, which is promoted by treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors, thereby highlighting its therapeutic potential. Remarkably, the full-length form of BAZ1A is implicated in DNA repair mechanisms, while its alternatively spliced counterpart is susceptible to increased DNA damage and sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. These observations underscored the oncogenic role of BAZ1A in colorectal cancer and the importance of considering an oncogene���s alternative splicing patterns.
Similar to BAZ1A, BAZ2A is also upregulated in CRC and associated with reduced patient survival. Functional studies demonstrated their roles in inhibiting cell viability, colony formation, and modulating Wnt/��-catenin signaling. Inhibition of BAZ2A led to reduced tumor growth rates in mouse models, where it also affected histone modification patterns, favoring a less repressive chromatin state, and influencing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) regulation.
In contrast to BAZ1A and BAZ2A, BAZ1B knockdown enhanced cell viability, colony formation, and altered cell cycle progression, suggesting a tumor-suppressive role in metastatic CRC. BAZ1B impacted c-MYC expression independently of the Wnt/��-catenin pathway, and influenced p53 and p21 levels, implicating its involvement in tumor suppressive pathways.
Overall, the study underscores the potential of BAZ family members as therapeutic targets in CRC. Future research should focus on elucidating their molecular mechanisms, translating findings into clinical applications, and exploring combination therapies to improve treatment outcomes for CRC patients, thus advancing more personalized therapeutic approaches for CRC