Scholar Commons - Institutional Repository of the University of South Carolina
Not a member yet
34867 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring the Minuet: A Study in Piano Instruction Including Stylistic Concerns, Technical and Musical Challenges, and Pedagogical Analyses
No full textThe minuet, originating in 17th-century France, evolved from a courtly dance emblematic of aristocratic refinement into a significant form of instrumental music. Over the centuries, it has maintained its prominence in musical pedagogy and performance. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of the minuet’s historical development, tracing its Baroque significance in dance suites and individual keyboard repertoire to its transformation into a distinct movement during the Classical era. Furthermore, it examines the reinterpretation of the minuet within the contexts of Romantic and neoclassical compositions, including its enduring legacy in pedagogical collections, individual movements, and as a stylized dance form. This study focuses on the pedagogical value of the minuet by offering a progressive repertoire of solo piano minuets, annotated to guide students from elementary to advanced levels. These pieces are analyzed using established grading systems, including Jane Magrath’s Piano Literature for Teaching and Performance, the Celebration Series of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and notable publications such as Faber Piano Adventures and the FJH Music Corporation. The author of this study provides a leveling reference that approximates the Piano Literature and Celebration Series, offering detailed information on each selection’s publication, length and duration, meter, key, tempo, form, harmony, stylistic annotations, and technical challenges to assist readers in gaining performance insights. Additionally, the study highlights the integration of simplified dance steps into piano lessons, enhancing students’ stylistic understanding, v spatial awareness, and performance skills. By merging historical perspectives with practical applications, this resource equips educators to develop technical proficiency and stylistic appreciation in students, ensuring the minuet’s relevance place in piano education
Adolescent Sleep Health, Mental Health, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adulthood
No full textBackground: Insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality are major public health issues among adolescents in the United States (U.S.). Mental health and substance use challenges are also common among adolescents, particularly those with sleep problems. Although exposures in adolescence have been evidenced to significantly impact future health, little is known about how adolescent sleep health, mental health, and substance use influence future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We, therefore, examined the association between sleep health in adolescence and CVD risk in adulthood and assessed whether the association is mediated by depressive symptoms and substance use in adolescents. Further, we explored the association between parent-set bedtimes and future CVD risk. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis using Waves I, II, and IV of the Add Health dataset. Using survey logistic procedures in SAS, we examined 1) the associations between adolescent sleep health, individual sleep health dimensions, and CVD risk in adulthood and 2) the association between parent-set bedtimes and CVD risk in adulthood. Further, we used CAUSALMED procedures in SAS to investigate whether substance use and depressive symptoms in adolescence mediate the relationship between adolescent sleep health and CVD risk in adulthood. Results: Short sleep duration, bedtimes after 11 PM, and experiencing two or more sleep problems in adolescence were associated with high CVD risk in adulthood. The effect of adolescent sleep health on CVD risk in adulthood was partially mediated by depressive symptoms and fully mediated by substance use in adolescence. Adolescents with later parent-set bedtimes (by or after midnight) and those without a parent-set bedtime had a significantly higher CVD risk in adulthood, compared to adolescents with earlier parent-set bedtimes (by 10 PM). Sleep factors partially mediated the effect of parent-set bedtimes on future CVD risk. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and substance use in adolescence have far-reaching effects in adulthood. Hence, interventions to improve adolescent sleep health and mental health could have a positive impact on their cardiovascular health in adulthood. Additionally, encouraging parents to set early bedtimes for their teenagers may improve their sleep health and reduce their risk for CVD in adulthood
Approaches to Teaching Music Reading to Students with Dyslexia: A Guide for Piano Teachers
No full textDyslexia is the most common learning disability in the United States, affecting approximately one in five individuals. According to the DSM-V-TR, the ICD-11, and the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disorder that causes issues with phonological processing, sequencing of information and information processing, word recognition, reading fluency, and other issues. Due to its prevalence, the chances of piano teachers encountering a student with dyslexia in their teaching studios is highly likely. However, there is relatively little research available for piano teachers of students with dyslexia. In the music lesson, common areas of struggle for students with dyslexia include but are not limited to music reading, rhythm, visual-tracking of lines and systems, confusion between the right and left hemispheres of the body, weaknesses in short-term memory (i.e. remembering the accidentals within the key signature) and memorization. The purpose of this study is to provide a much-needed guide to teaching music reading to students with dyslexia from the perspective of a dyslexic pianist and teacher of dyslexic pianists. Included is an explanation of the neurological processes within the brain of a dyslexic individual and how they differ from the neurotypical brain when reading. This document addresses practical strategies for teaching music reading to pianists with dyslexia, and includes adaptive teaching solutions to some of the most commonly encountered challenges. The author’s personal experience, as well as information from student vignettes are both important resources
Perinatal Maternal Attachment in Bangladesh: Understanding Determinants and Impacts of Enhanced Nutrition and Cash Transfers
No full textBackground The caregiver-newborn attachment is vital for children\u27s cognitive and socio-emotional development. Social protection programs, such as cash and food transfers, may enhance maternal attachment by reducing financial stress and strengthening marital relationships. However, causal evidence on the impact of these interventions on attachment and its correlates is lacking in low- and middle-income countries. This study examined 1) whether adding fortified food baskets or top-up cash to Bangladesh government’s Mother and Child Benefit Programme (MCBP) improves maternal-fetal and maternal-infant attachment, 2) whether the interventions\u27 impact on attachment was mediated by changes in food insecurity, maternal stress, intimate partner violence, and women’s attachment to their husbands, and 3) the concurrent and lagged correlates of perinatal attachment. Methods Using the longitudinal data of a cluster-randomized trial in six rural subdistricts in Bangladesh, we recruited 4,609 MCBP-eligible pregnant women (second trimester) aged 20–35, from poor households, and in their first or second pregnancy. Study clusters (N=144) were randomly assigned to one of three arms: 1) Standard MCBP (~7.40 USD monthly cash transfer and nutrition education), 2) Standard MCBP + fortified foods (during pregnancy), or 3) Standard MCBP + top-up cash of ~9.25 USD (during pregnancy). Data were collected during the second trimester (at study enrollment), the third trimester, 72 hours after birth, and two months postpartum. Maternal-fetal attachment was assessed in the third trimester using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory. Maternal-infant attachment was assessed at two months postpartum using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. Intervention impact was estimated as the difference in mean scores between arms using cluster-adjusted mixed-effects regression. All analyses were intent to treat. Sobel’s test assessed mediation, and multivariable regression examined attachment correlates. Results Enrollment characteristics were similar across study arms. Neither intervention affected maternal-fetal attachment scores. Maternal-infant attachment, however, was better in women who received food transfers during pregnancy than women in the comparison arm (geometric mean ratio:1.36, 95% CI: 1.07-1.71, p=0.01), with positive effects on the subscales impaired bonding, infant-focused anxiety, and rejection. No effect was found in the top-up cash arm. Mediation analysis found no indirect effects of the interventions on attachment outcomes through the selected mediators. Multivariable regression showed food security, adequate mobility, and avoidance from the husband were linked to stronger prenatal and postpartum attachment (both concurrently and when experienced earlier in pregnancy). Better household wealth, higher education, and internal locus of control were associated with stronger prenatal attachment. Maternal stress had contrasting effects—higher stress strengthened prenatal attachment but weakened postpartum attachment. Conclusions Fortified foods with a base cash transfer during pregnancy improved maternal-infant attachment. The lack of effect in the top-up cash arm could be related to cash being used by others and for purposes unrelated to maternal and infant health, warranting further research. The correlates underscore the need to provide supportive resources to women in low- and middle-income countries while addressing socioeconomic and psychosocial challenges to enhance maternal attachment and foster children\u27s socio-emotional development
Examining Second-Grade Music Students’ Creativity and Agency During Game-Like Music Activities in Music Learning Centers
No full textThe purpose of this research was to develop an understanding of my second-grade students’ creativity and agency in game-like music activities during peer-to-peer social interactions in music learning centers. Following were the guiding research questions for this study. During music learning centers: 1) How did students create game-like music activities, 2) What types of play did they demonstrate, 3) How did they describe their experiences, and 4) What music characteristics did they demonstrate? I collected data during three 50-minute second-grade music classes over the course of two weeks at St. Peter’s Catholic School (SPCS). I used the following data collection sources to achieve triangulation: video-recorded, whole class opening discussions; video- and voice-recorded, music learning centers; moderate participant observer field notes; video-recorded, whole class game demonstrations; and video-recorded, whole class closing discussions. Following my data analysis, I identified five emergent themes regarding the second-grade music students’ creativity and agency: Students created game-like music activities using a variety of organizational music structures and peer-to-peer interaction strategies; students engaged in different developmental stages of social and cognitive play; students incorporated their lived experiences into their game-like music activities; students valued their music learning center experiences for various reasons, and they transferred their game-like music activities to scenarios outside of music class; students incorporated ostinati in triple v meter, rhythm patterns in duple meter, and tonal patterns in major tonality into their game-like music activities. Through those findings, I gained insights regarding my second-grade music students’ creativity and agency. Based on those findings, I present personal pedagogical implications regarding the second-grade students’ use of organizational music structures and peer-to-peer interaction strategies, rule creation capabilities, and music vocabularies. I conclude by suggesting recommendations for future research
Supercritical Water Oxidation for Removing Pfas Contaminants: A Numerical Study
No full textPer – and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of stable pollutants known for their long lifetimes and resistance to treatment methods used traditionally to remove other contaminants. PFAS and their ability to accumulate in both aquatic and terrestrial environments present threats such as detrimental effects to people and ecosystems due to their ability to penetrate entire systems. Though many methods are being explored to treat PFAS contamination in different systems, Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) is a promising method for both removing and decomposing PFAS, with the ability to completely oxidize these persistent contaminants. This study is a numerical investigation into the effectiveness of SCWO for PFAS decomposition. Kinetic models were used to simulate the thermodynamic behavior and reaction kinetics of PFAS under supercritical conditions. The analysis conducted focused on the conditions that are most efficient for removing PFAS entirely in short times. The findings provide valuable insight into how PFAS can be irradicated from systems to help control the contamination threat they pose. This research will help further the understanding the scientific community has on PFAS and their oxidation behavior and can provide guidance for future applications in removing PFAS from our environment
Multiscale Modeling Techniques for Electrodynamic Systems
No full textIn order to rapidly develop better electromagnetic and electrochemical systems, approaching these complicated topics from multiple perspectives is necessary. The use of mathematical models and numerical simulation offers the ability to evaluate and predict the performance of these systems based off the principles of electrodynamics in an ideal setting. Through the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), representative geometries of scales can be created and evaluated to provide insight into the behavior of these systems. Simulation offers a modifiable environment that can approach the relevant physics from both the microscale and macroscale. Conclusions, results, boundary conditions, or other information from micro and macroscale models can also be combined into multiscale simulations. In this work, investigation into the performance of two electrodynamic systems will be carried out via simulation. Radio Frequency (RF) heated reactors utilize an excitation coil to generate heat locally inside of reactors at susceptive sites. This behavior is governed by the principle of inductive heating, well defined by Faraday’s Law of induction. Simulation can be utilized to visualize the applied electromagnetic fields and how the electromagnetic energy is consumed in the system at a macroscale, while relevant reactions- in this case dehydrogenation from ethane to ethylene- can be simulated at a microscale. Battery systems also include electromagnetic and electrochemical behavior, due to the movement of ions and transport of charge. Transport of these charges across the cell is modified by the other electrical behaviors occurring during operation, altering the diffusion rate of these species. Understanding this behavior at both the microscale (single layer) and macroscale (full cell) is critical to drive the design of these devices
Digital Twins for Flexible Manufacturing
No full textWith the establishment of Digital Twins as an enabling technology for Industry 4.0, it is time to transition from the previous foundations to works that implement and highlight the capabilities Digital Twins present. The Industry 4.0 paradigm has recentered the focus on customizability, leading to reemerging goals of flexibility within manufacturing. Empowered through new cyber-physical systems, new enabling technologies are driving the revolution. To identify how Digital Twins as an enabling technology contribute to flexibility within manufacturing, a comprehensive investigation is conducted along with a detailed case study. A systematic literature review is conducted to analyze quality Digital Twin implementations through the lens of manufacturing flexibility research. Key Digital Twin capabilities of environmental evaluation, anomaly detection, and process adaptation are identified to improve manufacturing flexibility. Following the review, the Future Factories lab and its Digital Twin are presented. Here the desired Digital Twin capabilities, highlighted in the review, are implemented. By introducing improved object tracking capabilities with a Motion Capture system, augmenting the ability to interface with the physical cell, and developing autonomous robotic path correction capabilities, the Future Factories Digital Twin serves as a demonstrator to enhancing manufacturing flexibility
Unveiling Hidden Voices: A Guide for Expanding Collegiate Coursework to Include Female Opera Composers and Their Works
No full textOpera, often viewed as a prestigious and elite art form, has been predominantly shaped by male composers throughout its history. The contributions of women composers in opera have been largely overlooked, however, despite their significant impact on the genre. This dissertation explores the role of female composers in opera, from pioneers like Francesca Caccini to contemporary figures such as Missy Mazzoli, arguing for the creation of a curriculum focused on their works. Such a course would fill a critical gap in higher education, offering a more inclusive understanding of opera’s history and evolution. Through an examination of women’s compositions, historical contexts, and the societal challenges they faced, this study highlights the unique innovations these composers brought to the operatic form. It also addresses the barriers women encountered, including systemic biases and limited opportunities, which often hindered their recognition. The dissertation proposes a comprehensive educational resource that not only showcases the music of female composers but also encourages discussion about the broader societal and gender issues surrounding their careers. The study further addresses the systemic inequities present in the opera industry, particularly the underrepresentation of women in both performance roles and leadership positions. By promoting the inclusion of women in academic curricula and opera programming, this work advocates for gender parity within the field. The proposed curriculum aims to inspire future generations of musicians, educators, and opera administrators to embrace a broader, more inclusive vision of the operatic tradition. This dissertation contributes to ongoing efforts to revise and expand the operatic canon, providing a roadmap for recognizing the diverse voices that have shaped the genre. It calls for a cultural shift toward greater inclusivity, reflecting the contributions of all composers, regardless of gender, in the education, performance, and appreciation of opera
Separate but Not Equal: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study of Adjunct Structural Empowerment, Experiences, and Perceived Needs in a Midwestern Community College
No full textHigher education institutions are increasingly reliant on contingent or gig-based labor in the form of adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty make up the majority of community college faculty, yet they tend to receive the least support, resources, and training investments from colleges. This is no different at Metro Community College, a large, urban college in the Midwest. The problem of practice for this study revolves around Metro Community College social sciences adjunct faculty’s needs for support, resources, and training to do their jobs effectively. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study examined these adjuncts’ structural empowerment, experiences, and perceived needs for support and training.
Findings from this study revealed that adjunct faculty experience moderate levels of structural empowerment and perceive the department culture as invisible, neutral, or inclusive, depending on the context. The adjunct faculty explained their experiences as lacking opportunities for professional development, collegial interaction, and adequate pay and benefits. They also reported feeling isolated by a lack of institutional information, leading to a sense of marginalization. Despite these working conditions, adjuncts noted that they did have access to a support network consisting of lead instructors and fellow adjuncts, which allowed them to access needed information and resources related to teaching. Finally, adjunct faculty in the study expressed their commitment to their students and their well-being. They stressed that despite the separate but not equal world they find themselves in, they take tremendous satisfaction from their work. The findings of this study helped develop an adjunct support and development plan for the department. This plan includes trainings, adjunct-specific events and activities, brown bag seminars on teaching strategies and faculty research, and whole department social events