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The Effects of Consumer Perceptions on Retailers’ Brick-and-Mortar and E-Commerce Sales Segments
No full textResearch generally suggests brick-and-mortar retailers such as Walmart and Target experienced weak financial growth, while e-commerce retailers such as Amazon experienced significant economic growth over the same timeframe. For these brick-and-mortar retailers to reverse weak economic growth, these retailers must implement strategies that understand consumer perception's influence on an e-commerce sales channel. This study aimed to analyze how consumer perception influences the customer's decision-making process when using a brick-and-mortar retailer’s e-commerce sales channel. Research questions asked to what extent the variables of consumer perception and the perception of the e-commerce sales channel influence the decision-making process of a consumer purchasing from a brick-and-mortar retailer’s e-commerce sales channel. Based on the service quality theory, this study analyzed the variables of consumer perception, which includes consumer expectation, the salesperson, and the ease of use of the brick-and-mortar retailer’s e-commerce sales channel. Data collection occurred by finding participants over 18 years of age and located in the United States of America to complete a survey asking about consumer perceptions in the e-commerce environment. Analysis of the study results suggested that the variables of consumer expectations and salesperson influence the impression of a brick-and-mortar retailer’s e-commerce sales channel. The analysis results also indicated that further research into the effect of the ease of use variable has on consumer perception must occur. This study contributes to the academic body of knowledge by providing data on the consumer perception variables that affect an e-commerce sales channel's success. Additionally, this study contributes to the practitioner’s body of knowledge by providing insight into consumer perception when developing strategies to improve financial growth by implementing an e-commerce sales channel
Newcomer Multilingual Learners’ Experiences in High School: A Case Study of Communities of Practice and Sense of Belonging
No full textThis holistic, single-site case study elevated the voices of more than 400 multilingual learners (MLLs) from 34 countries, speaking 21 languages, and examined their experiences and feelings of belonging, arriving, and participating in a U.S. high school newcomer program community of practice. It was more important than ever to examine belonging in high school communities of practice for newly arrived immigrant students during a socio-political climate of xenophobia, racist rhetoric, Black Lives Matter social uprising, policy uncertainties for youth with deferred action on deportation, “Muslim bans,” and COVID-19 immigration and travel bans. Utilizing sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978), Wenger’s (1998b) community of practice framework, and Allen and Kern’s (2017) belonging framework to understand the distinctive newcomer MLL experience in high school, a large administration of a survey with 391 respondents, 14 online student interviews, and student documents served as data. Implications and recommendations critically examined structures, practices, climate, and actions to foster a sense of belonging for newcomers. This case study provided nine connective points where this bounded community of practice fostered a sense of belonging for newcomers. Schools are a safe haven for newly arrived students. This research also highlighted how language and translanguaging (García, 2009; Wei, 2018) bind together a newcomer’s experience and can support, or dismantle, feelings of belonging, connection, value, and acceptance
A Decision-Making Methodology to Aid in the Ranking of Brownfield Redevelopment Sites: Seeking Commonality of Interests Among Stakeholders
No full textThe problem of contamination on numerous properties across the United States continues to exist, even though there have been tremendous efforts by government, industry and individuals over the past forty years to address and remediate many of these contaminated sites (Brownfields). Many factors concerning the clean-up and reutilization of these Brownfields, including economic costs, legal liability and other known and unknown risks, continue to hamper the speed of clean up. The government has been attempting to address many of these concerns among the various stakeholders in the clean-up process in order to encourage more timely Brownfields revitalizations. Unfortunately, each of the various stakeholders in a Brownfields project has its own priorities and comfort levels concerning the various revitalization projects that it may consider. Often, one or more perceived issues may prevent interested parties from pursuing clean up. Even worse, a lack of understanding of other stakeholder interests and concerns may also prevent timely revitalization. This research project has documented the many issues and concerns that the various stakeholders have with Brownfields revitalization efforts. The author has established stakeholder groups for purposes of a decision model and developed a two-part questionnaire to enable an understanding of the needs and interests of the various stakeholder groups and those stakeholders’ interest level in specific parcels. The research has set the stage for various professionals or leaders in the many stakeholder groups to be surveyed and/or interviewed. Those survey results, by others, would enable the determination of commonality of issues of interest, as well as a ranking of the issues in determining any pursuit of revitalization of applicable properties. This project began with a complete literature review and analysis of decision making and decision-making tools. From this analysis of decision making and the benefits of understanding other stakeholders’ interests and goals in Brownfields revitalization, an expert tool can be developed that would aid in the ranking of various Brownfields according to each stakeholder group’s needs and desires. Of particular interest is a decision-aiding model (ranking tool) for redevelopment firms since it is often the developers’ interests, abilities, resources and knowledge of end-user needs (as well as other stakeholders’ needs) that drive revitalization efforts. This research has helped to move forward the process of uncovering the issues and concerns of the various stakeholder groups and will allow the development of tools for stakeholders to more accurately consider the clean-up of Brownfields. Any decision model, as implemented by the Brownfields community, could dramatically improve understanding and cooperation among stakeholder groups to achieve more timely revitalization of Brownfields
How Culture Influences English-Speaking Hispanic Millennial Volunteerism Motivation: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how the culture of English-speaking Hispanic millennials influences their motivation to volunteer in nonprofit organizations in the southwest United States. The self-determination theory provided the theoretical framework for understanding how culture influences English-speaking Hispanic millennial volunteerism motivation. The following research questions guided the study: How does culture influence English-speaking Hispanic Millennials' motivation to volunteer in nonprofit organizations? Seventeen English-speaking Hispanic millennial volunteers participated in the study. The study utilized purposive sampling and a qualitative descriptive data collection approach. The researcher conducted 11 one-on-one semi-structured interviews and a focus group consisting of 6 participants. The data were analyzed using manual coding. The data analysis process integrated several steps to identify patterns and themes in the research, including familiarization of data, coding, theme searching, theme review, theme naming and definition, and writing up. The researcher utilized this thematic analysis approach to identify common responses from participants. Two themes emerged from the study: upbringing and personal wellbeing. This study added to the existing body of knowledge on volunteerism motivation by demographic and generational cohort. The insights gained from interviews and the focus group contributed to strategies and programs that nonprofit professionals can develop to help a diverse community in need
Evaluating Perceived Barriers to Cognitive Aid Use Among Anesthesia Providers During Malignant Hyperthermia, Myocardial Ischemia, and Unanticipated Difficult Airway
No full textBackground: A cognitive aid is defined by the Stanford Anesthesia Cognitive Aid Group as a visual in any form intended to enhance cognition and improve adherence to medical best practices. While the efficacy of cognitive aid use during simulated, intraoperative emergencies is well supported in the current literature, their use in anesthesia practice remains limited. Aim: The aim of this doctoral capstone paper is to investigate perceived barriers to cognitive aid use in the operating room among anesthesia providers during various emergency situations. Methodology: An anonymous survey was disseminated to 149 certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists at two large academic institutions to explore actual and potential barriers that preclude cognitive aid use during three specific intraoperative emergencies: malignant hyperthermia, myocardial ischemia, and unanticipated difficult airway. Results: The survey was completed by 35 anesthesia providers. The three most frequently reported perceived barriers to cognitive aid use for all three emergency scenarios were: (a) would have distracted/delayed patient care, (b) did not know a cognitive aid was available, and (c) not enough help in the room (nobody available as the reader). Conclusion: While the current literature vastly supports the use of cognitive aids during simulated, intraoperative emergency scenarios, studies investigating their use in practice is limited. Our survey identified barriers to cognitive aid use in three specific emergency situations. Future research should focus on interdisciplinary cognitive aid training, access to cognitive aids, and use of a reader
Student Bullying of Teachers in California Public Schools: A Study on Bullying and Its Impact on Teachers' Burnout
No full textThe purpose of the study was, first, to document the prevalence of Study Bullying of Teachers (SBT) in the state of California. Second, the study investigated if the experience of SBT predicted an increase in burnout among teachers. This study utilized the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), a burnout scale with three dimensions (i.e., personal, work-related, and client-related). The study also used an SBT survey, which is a self-constructed survey based on previous studies. The SBT survey asked participants about their experience of SBT and how they reacted to being bullied. A total of 268 public school teachers in California participated in the study. The study found an 85.1% prevalence rate of SBT. Findings showed an increase in SBT predicted an increase in burnout across all three dimensions after controlling for the experiencing of being bullied by parents. The findings indicated verbal abuse and damaging teachers’ property had the most substantial effect on burnout. The results also showed in-person bullying predicted the increase in burnout but not online bullying
Investigating and Improving the Therapeutic Activity of Propranolol in Human Papillomavirus-Associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
No full textHuman papillomavirus-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HPV[+] HNSCC) is rapidly increasing in incidence and, in this regard, the effects of preventative HPV vaccines have yet to be realized. While HPV(+) HNSCC carries a more favorable prognosis than many other tumor types, a significant number of patients still experience treatment failure. Disease recurrence and metastasis are often fatal. Thus, factors that promote disease progression and underlie aggressive tumor phenotypes must be identified, and, most importantly, novel therapeutic approaches must be developed. Interestingly, β-adrenergic signaling plays a tumorigenic role in several cancer types and β-adrenergic antagonists (β-blockers) have recently garnered interest as anti-cancer agents. Herein, we identify increased β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) expression in an aggressive, recurrent/metastatic model of HPV(+) HNSCC as compared to the primary tumor model from which it was derived. This led us to hypothesize that β2AR contributes to an aggressive disease phenotype in HPV(+) HNSCC and that β-blockers would serve as an effective therapeutic tool in this setting. Here, we show that propranolol, a non-selective β-blocker, significantly delays primary tumor growth and decreases metastatic burden in mice implanted with this aggressive tumor model. Additionally, genetic deletion studies indicate that the model’s aggressive phenotype is critically dependent on expression of β2AR. Importantly, we identify that these effects are associated with inhibition of tumor cell mitochondrial metabolism and show that propranolol-mediated perturbations in mitochondrial respiration render tumor cells more sensitive to glucose starvation. Thus, we further hypothesized that concurrent glycolytic inhibition would enhance the anti-cancer activity of propranolol. To this end, we have developed a novel, metabolism-targeting treatment combination in propranolol and dichloroacetate (DCA), a glycolytic inhibitor. This combination dramatically attenuates tumor cell metabolism, displays significant anti-cancer effects in vitro, and delays tumor growth in vivo. Together, these data provide support for further investigation into the therapeutic potential of propranolol in the setting of HPV(+) HNSCC, and suggest that its effectiveness may be improved through combination with other metabolism-targeting drugs. Importantly, as a clinically-available agent, propranolol has the potential for swift translation from the bench to the bedside
Advances in the Capillary Assembly of Colloids
No full textSince the early 20th century, colloidal particles have been recognized as materials with fascinating thermodynamic and photonic properties. In modern times, their implementations in cosmetics, emulsions, food, plastics, and more are indispensible, with groundbreaking technologies continuously emerging in the field of bioinspired materials design. Academic research in this area primarily focuses on theoretical and experimental colloidal structures for catalysis, sensing, structural color, and optical devices. In the absence of building block anisotropy or intervening forces, colloids self-assemble into energetically favored closed-packed lattices with materials properties that are limited by this underlying structure. The large-scale production of useful solid-phase colloidal materials with uniform gradations, precise hierarchical construction, and long-range periodicity remains a challenge. Achieving disruptive photonic materials relies on the invention of both novel anisotropic building blocks and robust assembly strategies. One such strategy is capillary assembly, which involves the evaporation-induced deposition of colloidal particles onto patterned substrates. Throughout the past two decades, this method has produced plethora planar and 3D nano/microarrays comprising polymer, metallic, and metal oxide colloids, with few examples of biomaterial deposition as well. The goals of capillary assembly are two-fold: clustering of colloids within discrete periodic cavities on a surface and directing crystallization of colloidal monolayers. In the former case, the clusters are often bound and then released from the template intact to give anisotropic colloidal clusters. In the latter case, colloidal lattices may be invoked as sensing microarrays, tamper-evident devices, electrical circuits, or templates for epitaxial growth for open-packed 3D structures. The work herein describes several advancements to the field of capillary colloidal assembly, and addresses needs both for anisotropic building block fabrication and directed assembly of non-trivial lattice architecture. Chapter 1 describes the latest in colloidal science and provides a background of colloids, the forces that act upon them, categories and fabrication methods for non-spherical colloids, directed assembly strategies, and applications of colloidal structures. Capillary assembly is the fulcrum of subsequent chapters; therefore, its theoretical aspects and several exploratory experiments are detailed. Chapter 2 chronicles the extension of capillary assembly to include that of liquid particles, comprising highly stable organosilica emulsion droplets. Upon assembly of liquid particles, coalescence and space-filling of arbitrarily shaped templates occurs, resulting in periodic pools of oil that are polymerized with heat. The hardened organosilica material was removed from the template to give faceted anisotropic colloids in the shapes of square prisms, trapezoids, and ellipsoids, with any conceivable geometry attainable. Given the capacity to accurately govern the quantity and architecture of the deposited material, this work provides a robust bottom-up and top-down method for engineering uniquely shaped colloids up to 14 µm that are not accessible using wet chemical methods. Chapter 3 demonstrates the aforementioned structural control of liquid particle assembly by engineering chemically heterogeneous colloids through the sequential assembly and co-assembly of different materials. Janus, patchy, and multicomponent particles result, with incorporated materials including organosilica polymers, poly(styrene), and iron oxide colloids. This diversity of compositionally complex colloidal building blocks, derived using an unprecedented assembly strategy, will enable the construction of yet-unforeseen colloidal lattices with desired properties that cannot be achieved with isotropic spheres. Chapter 4 describes the use of capillary assembly for directed crystallization of open-packed lattices with four-fold particle coordination. Templated square fences were used as guidelines to influence packing and restructuring during monolayer formation. Image recognition algorithms were deployed to track the colloidal deposition process as a function of time, revealing key mechanistic understanding of the crystallization process. The dynamic analysis elucidates that colloids undergo periodic coordination number oscillations before settling into their equilibrium structure as a result of confinement-driven nucleation and osmotic pressure-induced reconfiguration. Both the assembly strategy and insights derived from computational particle tracking will inform the use of capillary assembly as a tool for disrupting closed-packed lattice formation and enable fabrication of open-packed 3D structures. Chapter 5 describes the impact and outlook for the advancements in capillary assembly described herein. Developing a broad library of hybrid chemically and geometrically anisotropic colloids with internally complex construction permits future engineering of open-packed photonic bandgap materials. Colloidal cages, frameworks, and superstructures that are analogous to supramolecular counterparts on the colloidal scale are envisioned, with potential uses as micron-scale heterogeneous catalysts, active particles, optical devices, and electronics. Colloidal-scale emulation of important molecular crystals is possible by fabricating shapes that mimic molecular contours. Furthermore, hybrid colloids imparted with stimuli responsive moieties such as those with dielectric and magnetic dipoles are promising as micromotors, controlled-release particles, and anti-tampering devices. Future work in the Weck research group will include electrophoretic and programmable assembly into such structures; computational modeling thereof is already in progress. The potential for incorporation of the methods herein into meaningful colloidal research is inevitable and exciting
Development and Proposed Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based Therapy Group for Trauma
No full textWhile effective in a number of contexts, exposure therapies for PTSD have significant limitations. Treatments such as Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) produce high dropout rates, struggle to treat the full sequelae of PTSD and may be inappropriate for more complex or severe manifestations of the disorder (Najavits, 2015; Talkovsky & Lang, 2017; Vujanovic et al., 2011). In response to these issues, there is considerable research interest in alternative or adjunctive mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) that are more tolerable than exposure therapy, prepare clients for more intensive trauma treatment, and treat the residual symptoms exposure often struggles to address (e.g. guilt/shame, depression, and attachment disturbances). The nascent literature on this topic does not yet include more contemporary MBIs, which more explicitly emphasize how mindfulness helps cultivate self-compassion, positive affective experiences and interpersonal connections. This is a non-trivial gap in the literature, as these features of more contemporary MBIs may be uniquely well suited for trauma survivors with more complex and severe manifestations of PTSD who most need alternatives to exposure therapy. With the needs of this population in mind, this dissertation offers a novel MBI for trauma survivors which will integrate Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), a third-wave behavior therapy, and the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, a contemporary MBI. This is a relatively novel contribution to the literature as the vast majority of MBIs adapted for PTSD and other clinical disorders integrate first and second-wave behavioral principles to form their theoretical basis. There will be a discussion on the way the principles of CFT encourage a more holistic treatment philosophy to trauma when compared to the ‘front-line’ or ‘gold-standard’ exposure therapies that dominate the literature today. This dissertation will also suggest an alternative class of trauma treatments to be used alongside the proposed curriculum including compassionately augmented exposure therapy. Concerns regarding the dissemination and implementation of this package of treatments into an integrated care setting will be discussed as well. Lastly, this dissertation will offer quantitative and qualitative research methods for a hypothetical pilot study of the proposed curriculum
Adversarial Analysis and Molecular Coarse-Graining
No full textModels are common in chemistry. When these models can be described mathematically, their real world implications can often be simulated using computers, enabling the use of more complex models in hopes of improving scientific predictions. Prior to providing useful results these models must often be calibrated against existing scientific data. Separately, machine learning has recently gained significant traction in many applications. The algorithms underpinning machine learning often similarly require calibration prior to application. This work provides mathematical and numerical results connecting these two areas. Specifically, we consider novel applications of classification when creating molecular models such as those used in coarse-grained molecular dynamics. We focus on the concept of adversaries, a tactic that has recently gained traction in the machine learning community, and use this framework to analyze the difference between various coarse-grained ensembles and to parameterize new coarse-grained force-fields. Collectively, we show that classification is an effective tool for understanding the differences between high dimensional free energy surfaces and that adversarial parameterization strategies are theoretically and numerically feasible for coarse-grained models