1925 research outputs found
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Middle-level professional leadership competency of innovation to become influencers in the academic enterprise
No full textToday’s challenging higher education environment, and the future of higher education, demands that we redefine the competencies needed of higher education leaders to meet the current challenges and those imminent on the higher education horizon. What is needed is an enhanced set of leadership competencies, specifically the competency of innovation to advance and influence the academic enterprise within the competitive and changing market of higher education. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to understand how middle-level professionals in higher education develop the leadership competency of innovation to become influencers in the academic enterprise at a two-year institution and a four-year institution in the Southwest U.S.
The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design using a web-based questionnaire to assess the leadership competency of innovation and professional development experiences of middle-level professionals to become influencers in the academic enterprise. Key findings from this study indicate middle-level professionals have the motivation to influence innovation; there is a correlation between motivation to influence innovation and ability to influence innovation; there is a correlation between the middle-level professionals’ direct supervisor’s influence on innovation and whether or not the culture is perceived to also influence innovation; there is a correlation between the middle-level professionals’ direct supervisor’s influence on innovation and the middle-level professionals’ ability to influence innovation; the middle-level professional did not perceive the organizational culture as positively influencing innovation; of the eleven innovative behaviors, either “taking risks” or “encouraging others to take risks” were consistently the lowest in agreement across all influence domains; of the eleven innovative behaviors, “working collaboratively” was the innovative behavior with the highest level of agreement across influence domains for both four-year and two-year institutions; and, mentors and coaches provided valuable professional leadership development experiences to enhance innovative behaviors across ages and experience levels of participants. This study informs current and future higher education leaders in numerous domains within the academic enterprise, from innovation, to professional development, to leadership praxis
Visualization of Magnetic Domains and Magnetization Vectors in Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys Under Magneto-Mechanical Loading
No full textNi2MnGa magnetic shape memory alloys have a microstructure consisting of marten-
site variants, and magnetic domains exist in each martensite variant. In the absence
of a magnetic �eld, the magnetic domains are equally distributed so that the net
magnetization of the material is zero. Application of a magnetic �eld or mechanical stress can rearrange the magnetic domains and martensite variants. This thesis
is focused on understanding the effects that magnetic �field, compressive stress and
magneto-mechanical loading have on the magnetic domains, by measuring and quantifying magnetic domain volume fraction and magnetization vector rotation, using
direct imaging. A loading device was designed and built in-house, to allow for the
application and measurement of magnetic fi�eld and compressive stress, either individually or simultaneously. A magneto-optical indicator fi�lm, in conjunction with
polarization microscopy, was used to visualize the evolution of the magnetic domains
and magnetization vector rotation of a Ni2MnGa sample, with the help of the loading device. The magnetic domain patterns exhibited by different faces of the MSMA
sample, in the absence of field or stress, were studied �first, followed by different loading cases, namely varying magnetic fi�eld at constant strain, and varying compressive
stress at a constant magnetic fi�eld. Our experiments revealed that the applied magnetic fi�eld causes change in domain volume fraction at different rates in each variant, and that domain wall motion is not always fully reversible in the presence of compressive stress. Magnetization vector rotation, however, was found to be reversible for all loading cases tested. Preliminary magneto-mechanical tests also showed the
presence of the third variant and formation of perpendicular twin boundary, which
appears to diminish with increase in magneto-mechanical loading cycles
A phenomenological study of happiness, mindfulness, and transformational leadership in schools.
No full textThe increasing internal and external socio-technical complexities confronting the workplace in the ‘information age’ have challenged organizational and leadership development theorists and practitioners to expand social, emotional, and relational/resonant frameworks. The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of K-12 superintendents who implemented The Orange Frog: Leading Positive Results™ program (Achor, ITLN, 2013b) as a transformational district-wide ‘happiness’ initiative grounded in the principles of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000b) and mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 1999). The study was a qualitative phenomenological case study including qualitative interviews (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The sample for this study was a purposive sample of seven K-12 superintendents in the United States who implemented the program and served as members of the ITLN educational advisory. Key themes mission, mindfulness, happiness, success, results-outcomes, transform-change, and leadership emerged and were often interwoven throughout the analysis of interview responses. All participants endorsed the program as a valuable piece of transformation and a strong complement to social-emotional learning efforts. All emphasized that the overall impact of the program was dependent on effective leadership and comprehensive systematic integration of redefined paradigms within existing practices centered on happiness-based practice as prerequisite to success.
Keywords: administration, change, happiness, leadership, management, metaphor, mindfulness, mission, Orange Frog, organizational development, outcomes, outliers, positive psychology, results, success, transformational, workplac
Lack of seasonal change in hydraulic conductivity points to short-term embolism repair in redwood treetop branches
No full textThe coastal California climate is getting warmer and drier, leading to decreased soil and atmospheric moisture, and increased water stress on redwoods. We have a poor basis, however, for predicting the influence of such stress on branch hydraulic conductivity, a key physiological characteristic that, in turn, can limit growth and lead to dieback at the treetop. Treetop branches are of particular interest both because they are subject to the greatest stress (due to the influence gravity and position in the hydraulic pathway) and because branches in general support the foliage responsible for virtually all photosynthesis. This study investigates the questions: 1) How does redwood treetop branch Ks change throughout the year as periods of low water potential repeatedly occur? and 2) Does new xylem production in redwood treetop branches restore Ks by replacing dysfunctional conduits? We combine time-series measurements of water potential, conductivity, and xylem growth in treetop branches of stand-dominating redwoods at Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve on the central California coast. On numerous occasions during the study, water potential surpassed the previously-determined threshold for decreasing conductivity, but no seasonal or accumulating loss of conductivity was observed. Branch diameter measurements and cell-level inspection of branch samples showed little to no growth occurring in treetop branches even during the expected growing season, eliminating the possibility that loss of conductivity was simply masked by the production of new xylem cells. Water potential on the day of branch harvest was a much stronger predictor of hydraulic conductivity than longer-term water potential history of a branch, suggesting that changes in hydraulic conductivity can be short term, perhaps the result of day-to-day embolism formation and repair. Overall, we have found redwood treetop branches to be surprisingly resistant to hydraulic dysfunction. Despite previous studies’ finding that redwood treetop branches experience decreasing hydraulic conductivity at stress levels that we observed, there was no accumulating loss of hydraulic conductivity occurring over time. These results emphasize the importance of conducting field studies to supplement vulnerability data obtained through traditional laboratory methods
Inundation effects on the ecology of the northern Mexican Gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops)
No full textUnderstanding spatial ecology and habitat use of threatened and endangered species is imperative to effective conservation planning and species recovery. I used radio-telemetry to examine the spatial ecology and habitat selection of Northern Mexican Gartersnakes (Thamnophis eques megalops) in relation to water level fluctuations at lower Tonto Creek, Arizona, over three years, 2015–2017. Many aquatic habitats are subjected to flooding, either regularly through seasonal floods, or irregularly by periodic floods, but how animals respond to flooding has been rarely studied. I tracked 31 adult T. e. megalops to determine habitat use and movements under different water levels during their active season in 2016 and 2017. I found little evidence that microhabitat use changed during inundation; rather, macrohabitat selection, as measured by size of their activity range, increased to encompass areas with microhabitat features selected during non-inundation. I also found that T. e. megalops activity range sizes were larger at lower Tonto Creek than previous studies, and my results suggest that increasing water levels that covers more area can positively correlate with activity range size. This is the first study addressing how fluctuating water levels affect the habitat selection and spatial ecology of T. e. megalops, and helps to guide the species habitat requirements in inundation-prone streams
An analysis of occupant normalized energy consumption as a benchmark for residential energy and emissions mitigation
No full textABSTRACT
AN ANALYSIS OF OCCUPANT NORMALIZED ENERGY CONSUMPTION
AS A BENCHMARK FOR RESIDENTIAL ENERGY AND EMISSIONS MITIGATION
KYLE PEASE
Residential energy demand has a major influence on electricity generation and emissions, and therefore must be mitigated. Energy usage intensity (EUI), commonly measured in kBTU per square foot of building space, as a benchmark within the residential energy sector allows only narrow comparisons, penalizes high occupant density, and is not intuitive for broad audiences. While EUI was initially developed for energy analysis of commercial building designs, by precedent within building energy science, EUI is working its way into residential building energy applications and may cause problems in the future as the metric is built into new energy policies. Energy usage per person (EUP) could provide a solution to these problems and help progress residential energy efficiency efforts, however the differences between EUP and EUI in the context of residential building energy data are not well understood. This study evaluates EUI and EUP in terms of occupancy, floor space, and climate within the context of Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) data as well as eQuest simulations. To generate a building energy modeling (BEM) dataset for comparison with RECS data, 660 households were simulated in eQuest for a range of occupancy from zero to five persons, with floor spaces ranging from 1000 to 5000 ft^2 across 21 locations in the United States including all Building America Climate Regions (BACR). Key predictor variables are distilled down to floor space per person (FSP) and degree days (DD). Multiple regression models predicting EUP and EUI for both RECS and eQuest simulation datasets are developed. EUP is found to have greater correlation than EUI in both datasets through power regression models with FSP and DD as covariates. Interpretation of a power regression model predicting EUP based on 2009 RECS data shows that with a 10% reduction in FSP there is estimated to be a 6.5% reduction in EUP. Combining hourly energy demand in eQuest simulations with New York independent system operator (NYISO) and California independent system operator (CAISO) hourly generation mixes, as well as eGrid emissions factors, annual emissions per person estimations are made for a range of FSP. Occupant normalized missions are observed to be proportional to FSP to varying degrees depending on climate, generation mix, and appliance fuel type, with eQuest simulations of all electric appliances in NYISO showing over double the emissions per FSP than CAISO. Considering EUP and focusing on reductions in FSP may be an effective strategy for residential building energy policy. In the past 120 years the US population has increased nearly fivefold, while the number of homes has increased by a factor of ten according to research by Moura et al. According to the 2015 RECS there are 237 billion square feet of residential housing with single family housing averaging at 918 sf per household member. For mitigation of energy and emissions within the residential sector, an information-based policy is recommended as a low cost and quickly implemented first step. Occupant normalizations may help residential energy consumers, analysts, and policymakers alike to better understand energy performance and resulting emissions
An investigation of the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Glossopetalon (Crossosomataceae)
No full textGlossopetalon (Gray, 1853) inhabits arid, limestone regions in the American west and northern Mexico. The genus comprises four species: G. clokeyi; G. pungens; G. texense; and G. spinescens. Three of the species are narrow endemics. The fourth, G. spinescens, is a widespread species with six recognized varieties. All six varieties are intricately branched shrubs that have been difficult to identify due to a lack of clearly distinguishable morphological characters. Characters typically used to differentiate the varieties of G. spinescens, such as stem coloration, blade size, and presence of stipules, are highly variable among populations. To date the phylogeny of this genus has not been resolved; therefore, the species relationships and validity of the six varieties of G. spinescens are unknown. A custom protocol of double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD) was used to resolve the phylogeny of Glossopetalon and address if molecular data corroborates the recognition of six varieties of G. spinescens. Glossopetalon was fully supported as monophyletic and G. pungens was resolved to be sister to the remaining species of the genus. The varieties of G. spinescens were resolved as two distinct lineages corresponding to their biogeography – one to the northwest (lineage 1) and one to southeast (lineage 2). Glossopetalon clokeyi was resolved as embedded within lineage 1 of G. spinescens. Glossopetalon texense was also found to be embedded with G. spinescens; except its placement was within lineage 2. Taxonomic recommendations of this study are to treat G. texense and G. clokeyi as a varieties of G. spinescens, describe a unique population from northern Arizona as a new variety of G. spinescens, and retain the rest of the current classification.
Keywords: Glossopetalon, Crossosomataceae, ddRAD, RADseq, Systematic
A case study in an urban low-SES public school of the contextual complexities of early childhood Spanish-English emergent literacy
No full textABSTRACT
A CASE STUDY IN AN URBAN LOW-SES PUBLIC SCHOOL OF THE CONTEXTUAL COMPLEXITIES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SPANISH-ENGLISH EMERGENT LITERACY
JENNIFER L. SPRING
The purpose of this study was to examine the language and literacy experiences, in a public school, of young readers and writers from Spanish-speaking families. Typically called English Language Learners (ELLs), these children are in schools in increasing numbers in the USA, and in Arizona, are consistently documented as at-risk for academic struggles in literacy. There is an extensive literature base in emergent literacy and language acquisition. With a strong base of research, it is discouraging to see low academic achievement for ELLs. The primary research question was (1) What contextual factors influence and impact young Spanish-speaking emergent readers’ language and literacy development in English? Secondary research questions were (1)How are emergent literacy practices enacted by the teachers in the preschool and kindergarten classroom settings? (2) What are the experiences of a young, Spanish-speaking, emerging reader in a preschool program and in a kindergarten program? (3) How do the Spanish-speaking families describe their goals and expectations for their child’s education and for their Spanish and English development? This study was grounded in Vygotsky’s (1987) Sociocultural Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s (1977, 1979) Ecological Systems Theory. Findings from this study may provide insight into what may impede ELLs academic success in literacy in public school.
Keywords: emergent literacy, ELL, context, bilingualism
Exogenous metabolic stimulators mitigate the negative effects of glycemia on fibroblast metabolism and proliferation
No full textDiabetes Mellitus currently affects 30.3 million people in the United States and 422 million worldwide. When diabetes is uncontrolled there are a host of accompanying systemic diseases and complications, one common complication is the development of chronic non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. Many therapies are currently available to aid in the healing of these chronic wounds; however, not all therapies are successful for all wounds. Growth factor and cytokine injections are a commercially available and novel therapy, which are used to treat non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. The use of growth factor and cytokine injections has shown promise in some patients clinically, however the results of a few clinical studies have demonstrated variable effects. Therefore, further investigation into the effects that exogenous metabolic stimulators (e.g. growth factors and cytokines) have on specific aspects of wound healing may provide new insights into the usefulness of these compounds in this clinical context.
This study demonstrated that exposing human dermal fibroblast neonatal (hDFn) cells to hyperglycemic conditions to mimic diabetic conditions results in altered cell morphology, decreased proliferation, and decreased metabolic activity compared to hDFn cells grown in hypoglycemic and normal glycemic conditions. Addition of an exogenous metabolic stimulator (EMS) which contains growth factors such as receptor tyrosine kinase erbb2 (Erbb2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) demonstrated the ability to mitigate the negative effects caused by hyperglycemia. The positive effects observed from the addition of exogenous metabolic stimulators may be due to the signaling of proliferation cascades from Erbb2 and EGFR. We found that the exogenous metabolic stimulator (Axolotl Ambient, AA05) used in this study has the ability to increase proliferation, increase metabolic activity, and alter cell morphology for hDFn cells grown in hyperglycemic conditions towards morphology similar to that of a myofibroblast. The results observed in this study suggest that in an uncontrolled hyperglycemic diabetic patient, the use of an exogenous metabolic stimulator may help to aid in wound healing by stimulating an increase in proliferation and metabolic activity of hDFn cells to help facilitate wound closure
Musical form in Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Get PDFHymn singing is an integral part of both congregational and private worship for millions across the globe. While hymns have been the subject of research regarding history, origins, and cultural influence, there has been very little research regarding musical forms and harmonic structures found in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Protestant hymns. In discussing form, many theory texts describe the bulk of modern hymn music as “strophic.”
Using William Caplin’s text Classical Form (1998) as a model of analytical techniques and principles, this thesis examines the Mormon collection Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985) and reveals that “strophic” is too narrow a label for an entire hymnal. Four formal models and one harmonic structure emerge. Each is identified by specific musical characteristics (illustrated using hymn examples), and together these five structures encompass a majority of the 341 hymns in the hymnal. Chapter 1 gives a brief historical review of Protestant hymn development and of the LDS hymnal. Chapter 2 discusses the analytical methods used in this study. Chapter 3 introduces the two smaller multi-phrase models: the “small-scale model” that manifests as any of several variations of an aaba phrase structure; and the “two-phrase model” that manifests as an extremely compact binary structure. Chapter 3 also introduces the “standard harmonic structure” that circumscribes expository, transitional, developmental, and closing/cadential harmonic functions across a single hymn. Chapter 4 introduces the two larger sectional models (made up of phrase groups): the “verse-chorus model” that manifests as a sectional binary form with distinctive musical characteristics in each half; and the “large-scale model” that encompasses all other sectional hymns. There are dozens of ways individual hymns can manifest the characteristics of one model or another, and much of the interest of studying hymns is found in discovering that within these five structures the hymns exhibit an abundance of structural variety, creativity, and interest. Chapter 5 examines ways that many hymns stretch the model boundaries, exhibit formal trends outside the model boundaries, or largely defy formal categorization based on the four models and the standard harmonic structure outlined in this study