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Item Open Access Portrait of a Town Called Penny Hill(1988-05) Fecho, Susan B.; Sexauer, Donald R.; School of Art and DesignThis written report of creative thesis is an account of the development of a body of work based on the town of Penny Hill, North Carolina. This report conveys a poetical impression of the intimate spaces of the structures at Penny Hill and focuses on the effects that time and the aging process has had on the buildings. Excerpts from Emily Dickinson’s poetry are included as supportive material. This thesis explores the possibilities of using traditional collograph techniques with collage for the purpose of embellishing and enriching the surfaces. it recounts the problems and questions involved in the working process as well as their solutions and answers.Item Open Access The Unwelcoming Home: Telecommuting and its Influence on Workplace Incivility(East Carolina University, 2024-01-19) Nobles, Matthew; Bowler, Mark; PsychologyWith the occurrence of recent events, the workplaces of many corporations have experienced a major shift into the virtual realm. The formation of online meetings and increased email communication has created an exemplary environment for incivility to run rampant (Liu, 2020; Park, Fritz, & Jex, 2018; Liu, 2020). From, ranging from the lack of context given by emails to the ease of ignoring co-workers in virtual meetings with a multitude of members (Liu, 2020; Park et al., 2018; Pearson, Andersson, & Porath, 2000; Park, Fritz, & Jex, 2018; Liu, 2020). This Subsequently, this paper study soughteeks to draw attention to the importance of considering incivility experienced by telecommuting employees. Specifically, data waswere collected from 341 N participants who were fully employed full-time. Overall, incivility was found to be positively related to burnout, withholding of effort, and work-family conflict [main effect results]. Perceived supervisor support was also foundshown to be negatively related to burnout, withholding of effort, and work-family conflict. Additionally, perceived supervisor support was found to significantly moderated these relationships whereby perceived supervisor support strengthened the relationships between incivility and its’ outcomes [moderator results]. Telecommuting was only foundshown to significantly moderate the relationship between incivility and work-family conflict for those who were telecommuting, whereby the relationship between incivility and work-family conflict was strengthened for those telecommuting.Item Embargo DEFINING THE ABILITY OF SNAT NANOTHERAPEUTIC TO INHIBIT SARS-COV-2 INFECTION AND ALTER THE HOST MICRONOME TO INDUCE AN ANTIVIRAL CELLULAR ENVIRONMENT(East Carolina University, 2023-12-07) Bauer, Anais; Akula, Shaw M.; Biomedical ScienceMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory elements that canonically bind to target mRNAs, reducing translation and protein output. They are non-coding strands of RNA, roughly 18-25 nucleotides long, and are found in plants, animals, and some viruses. During viral infection, they can be helpful or harmful to the host, affecting the cellular environment, immunity, and viral life cycle. Understanding miRNA interactions within the host and how they impact viral infections can inform therapeutic and diagnostic innovation. Nanomedicines have broad applications in the treatment of viral infections. They are less than 100 nm, and formulations include base materials such as metals, liposomes, or polymers. The nanoparticle alone may have therapeutic properties or be a carrier for therapeutic agents. Compared to traditional antivirals, nanodrugs are designed for greater bioavailability, specificity, stability, and safety. Smart Nano-enabled Antiviral Therapeutic (SNAT) is a nanodrug that alleviated SARS-CoV-2 pathology in a preclinical study using a hamster model. It is comprised of taxoid (Tx)-decorated amino (NH2)-functionalized near-atomic size positively charged silver nanoparticles (Tx–[NH2-AgNPs]) and is delivered in aerosolized form. Herein, the molecular mechanism by which SNAT exerts antiviral effects in hamsters is determined. Results from molecular biology and virology techniques suggest SNAT binds to the S2 subunit of the viral spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 to interfere with viral infectivity. Next generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics data reveal SNAT-induced changes in miRNA expression with antiviral implications in vivo. In addition, infected hamsters given SNAT treatment express interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine upregulated during SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the same level as uninfected controls. These findings illustrate the potential use of next-generation sequencing in the evaluation of nanotherapeutics and provide valuable insights into the antiviral molecular mechanism of SNAT. The results demonstrate the two-pronged approach by which SNAT induces antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2; directly binding SARS-CoV-2 and neutralizing viral infection, and indirectly orchestrating a cellular environment capable of thwarting viral infection. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SNAT may serve as a novel antiviral therapeutic against SARS-CoV-2 infection.Item Embargo Characterizing the Binding of Toxic and Essential Metals to EF-Hand Peptides III and IV of Human Cardiac Troponin C Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry(East Carolina University, 2023-12-05) Harrison, Mac; Spuches, Anne M; ChemistryCadmium is one of the most toxic natural and anthropogenic metals found in our environment. Exposure to cadmium is associated with several cardiovascular conditions, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancers. Cadmium’s toxicity is attributed to its ability to mimic and displace essential metals, such as calcium. This is due to their shared charge state, coordination geometry, and similar ionic radii (0.97 Å and 0.99 Å for calcium and cadmium respectively). Calcium-binding proteins are ubiquitous in the cell and are responsible for biological functions such as cell-signaling, muscle contraction, and metal-ion homeostasis. In this study, the thermodynamics of Ca2+ and Cd2+ binding to EF-hand peptides from the C-domain of human cardiac troponin C (hcTnC), a calcium binding protein responsible for heart muscle contraction, have been determined. Specifically, spectrofluorometric titrations were performed on individual peptides EF-hand III and EF-hand IV to determine metal binding constants. Similarly, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments and spectrofluorometric titrations were performed on EF-hand III and EF-hand IV mixed-species peptides to determine metal binding constants as well as thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, ΔH, and TΔS. Binding parameters were obtained by fitting data to a modified two-step model that assumes the formation of 1:2 metal-peptide complex followed by the addition of a second metal to form the 2:2 dimer species. The best fit association constants, Ka, of data obtained from both instrumental techniques were consistent with one another thus providing a high level of confidence in our model. The Ka for the formation of the 1:2 metal-peptide complex was 106 M for all dimer species, while binding of the second metal ion to form the 2:2 species was approximately 104 M for all dimer species. ITC studies of heterodimer peptides show that entropy is the driving force for metal-binding for both the 1:2 and 2:2 species and that binding occurs with negative cooperativity. Binding of Cd2+ to the C-domain of hcTnC also occurs with negative cooperativity while it is commonly known that Ca2+ binds to EF-hand proteins with positive cooperativity. The results of these studies provide a fundamental thermodynamic framework for understanding essential and heavy metal interactions with EF-hand peptides.Item Embargo BOREOUT, EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING, AND THE POTENTIAL MODERATION BY PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL(East Carolina University, 2023-12-04) Schoner, Morgan Elizabeth; Bowler, Jennifer L.; PsychologyEmployee well-being is an important determining factor that contributes to employee resilience (Tonkin, Malinen, Naswall, & Kuntz, 2018) and productivity (Baptiste, 2008), which ultimately plays a vital role in an organization’s success (Tonkin et al., 2018). Established positive organizational psychological behaviors and characteristics, such as psychological capital (PsyCap), have been shown to increase employee well-being (Avey, Luthans, Smith, & Palmer, 2010). However, as the workplace continues to change, new threats to employee well-being are constantly emerging (Pradhan & Hati, 2022). A new threat to employee well-being known as “boreout” has not yet been extensively studied, and the potential for boreout to affect employee well-being while employees are experiencing differing levels of PsyCap warrants further study. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among boreout, PsyCap, and employee well-being and to assess the potential role of PsyCap as a moderator of the relationship between boreout and employee well-being. Overall, the results of this study indicated that PsyCap was positively associated with employee well-being and negatively associated with boreout. In addition, boreout was inversely associated with employee well-being. The relationship between boreout and employee well-being was not moderated by PsyCap. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.Item Embargo Genetic deletion of skeletal muscle Cox6a2 (Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit 6a polypeptide 2) delays regeneration in preclinical model of Peripheral Artery Disease(East Carolina University, 2023-12-04) Kolasa, Makenzie; McClung, Joseph; PhysiologyChronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) is the most severe clinical manifestation of peripheral artery disease (PAD). There are no current therapeutic options for CLTI outside of surgical intervention and it remains the leading cause of limb amputation. There is a dire need for therapeutic innovation for these patients. Mitochondrial insufficiency is a hallmark of the clinical CLTI presentation and an exciting avenue for therapeutic development. Previously, we identified unique CLTI patient deficits in Cox6a2 protein abundance, a muscle specific binding subunit in Cytochrome C Oxidase. We hypothesize that skeletal muscle Cox6a2 is necessary for tissue regeneration after hindlimb ischemia (HLI) due to its integral role in the bioenergetics of skeletal muscle. To test this hypothesis, we generated Pax7-Cre+;Cox6a2fl/fl mice, which genetically possess a non-inducible (lifelong) deletion of Cox6a2 in the muscle progenitor cells and mature skeletal muscle myofibers. At baseline, we observed similar oxygen consumption rates under physiologically relevant ranges of ATP free energy yet severe reductions in Complex IV-linked respiration under maximal energetic demand in the Cox6a2 knockout (KO; n=10) group compared to the wildtype control group (Pax7-Cre-;Cox6a2fl/fl or fl/- (WT); n=13). Proteomics profiling of mitochondria isolated from KO animals indicated significant decreases in the complex IV proteome. We then subjected these mice to hindlimb ischemia (HLI; n= 35 KO, n=31 WT). We observed similar blood flow and vascular recovery and no differences in muscle contractility between KO and WT ischemic limbs 7 days post-HLI. Decreased mitochondrial Complex IV-specific maximal respiration was observed in KO ischemic limbs, though no differences in respiration in a physiologically relevant range of ATP free energy occurred between groups. At d7, the KO ischemic mitochondrial proteome revealed major downregulations of complex IV proteins and upregulations of complex I and V, indicating a compensatory shift in expression due to the loss of cox6a2 in ischemic conditions. Extended (28-day) HLI (n=16 KO, n=19 WT) revealed delays in regeneration indicated by increased centrally located nuclei and decreased myofiber size in KO limbs. Fiber type, density of total and perfused vessels, and muscle contractility remained similar between KO and WT groups. Together, these data indicate that Cox6a2 is involved in efficient muscle regeneration during prolonged ischemic events.Item Embargo A Small Sentiment and Other Stories(East Carolina University, 2023-12-06) Overton, Alyssa R; Whisnant, Luke; EnglishHerein lies a collection of three short stories. They are thematically connected by an over-arching exploration of the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. The final two stories are also thematically similar in their use of magical realism to help highlight the successes and pitfalls of human behavior.Item Embargo Development of Engaging Whiteboard Videos to Support Head Start Teachers’ Understanding of Evidence-based Strategies for Teaching Preschool Children (3-5 years) Science in the Context of Healthy Eating(East Carolina University, 2023-12-07) Lewis, Amy Grace; Hines, Ian; Nutrition ScienceLearning Objective: Identify Head Start teachers’ and relevant professionals’ perceptions of whiteboard videos designed to support understanding evidence-based strategies for teaching preschool children (3-5 years) science in the context of healthy eating. Background: Preschool children, especially those from low-income households, do not consume adequate amounts of vegetables. It is critical to address this low consumption of vegetables in childhood, as it is associated with an increased risk of disease later in life. There is evidence that incorporating food-based learning into STEAM activities in the classroom can improve both learning and vegetable consumption. This project used educational videos to engage and educate Head Start teachers on evidence-based strategies for integrating science and nutrition concepts in their classrooms through STEAM learning activities that incorporate food. Methods: A series of 5 3-7-minute-long videos were developed, each focused upon an evidence-based strategy for incorporating healthy eating into science education in Head Start classrooms. Participants included 5 Head Start teachers working in Eastern NC as well as 5 professionals in fields relevant to video topics, including a pediatric dietitian, food safety expert, child care health consultant, health department policy expert, and an occupational therapist trained in feeding. Participants were asked to fill out pre-interview reflection sheets describing their perceptions of each video and participated in approx. 30-minute cognitive interviews. Interview questions gauged participant perceptions of the videos’ quality, relevance, and applicability. Transcribed interviews underwent thematic analysis by the research team using basic coding techniques. Results: Participants shared their perspectives on diversity and representation within the videos, relevant video audiences, their experiences and perspectives regarding representation in video content and general audiences, video strategy implementation, video content, suggestions for the addition, removal, or changing of video elements, and general video characteristics. Conclusion: Head Start teachers and professionals in relevant fields were able to provide a breadth of unique perspectives regarding a series of 5 professional development videos created in order to empower Head Start teachers to implement Food-Based Learning activities into their own STEAM curriculum. These perspectives will help to inform the future development of these videos as well as any other educational nutrition videos for early childhood educators in the future.Item Embargo Examining Visual Processing Reaction Time As A Predictor For Driving Fitness(East Carolina University, 2023-12-04) Denny, Meagan; Dickerson, Anne E; Occupational TherapyRationale: As a complex IADL, driving is essential for social participation and quality of life. As such, it should be addressed by occupational therapy practitioners. Visual processing speed is a critical component of driving ability. Advanced age and medical conditions impact visual processing speed, therefore affecting driving risk. Although assessments of visual processing speed are limited, it can be isolated as a discrete ability when using a tool such as the Vision CoachTM. Purpose: This research examined visual processing speed reaction times between medically-at-risk drivers and healthy controls with the purpose of determining its relationship with the outcomes of a comprehensive driving evaluation. Three research questions were specifically targeted: (1) is there a statistically significant difference of reaction times on the Vision CoachTM between the age groups of the healthy controls, (2) is there a statistically significant difference in visual processing speed reaction times across age groups between the healthy controls and medically-at-risk, (3) does the Vision CoachTM demonstrate adequate sensitivity and specificity to predict driving fitness outcomes? Design: Data collection consisted of a comprehensive driving evaluation including an on-road component for medically-at-risk adults with a fitness to drive outcome designated as “pass” or “fail.” The Vision CoachTM Full Field 60 task collected visual processing speed reaction times of the medically-at-risk adults as well as healthy controls to compare between the two groups, between age groups, and determine predictability between driving fitness outcome. Results: One-factor ANOVA showed a significant (p < .001) difference in visual processing speed reaction times between all age groups of the healthy controls. Two-factor ANOVA showed a significant (p < .001) difference between age groups of the healthy controls and medically-at-risk as well as between the two groups as whole. Using the default cut point of 0.5, a logistic regression model determined the Vision CoachTM accurately predicted 86.4 percent of the driving fitness outcomes. The AUC was significant (p = .001) at .905 for outstanding diagnostic performance. Conclusion: Results of this study show that medical risk for driving impacts visual processing speed reaction times, regardless of age. The Vision CoachTM is a reliable and valid tool to assess and improve this discrete ability and can be used by generalists and specialists to help determine driving fitness.Item Embargo EXAMINING MULTI-TASKING ABILITY ON AN INTERACTIVE DRIVING SIMULATOR TASK TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN FIT AND UNFIT DRIVERS(East Carolina University, 2023-12-05) Ducharme, Alec; Dickerson, Anne E; Occupational TherapyRationale: Driving is an important, complex instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) with one of the most important skills being able to multitask. Multitasking is a skill assessed by few standardized assessments. The most well-established measures, while there is some literature linking them to fitness to drive, have no resemblance to driving. Interactive driving simulators present an opportunity to function as an alternative assessment of multitasking that bears a greater resemblance to driving. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the DriveSafety™ interactive simulator and a functional object detection (FOD) protocol as an assessment of multitasking. The goal was to answer the questions: 1) is the performance of individuals on a driving-simulator assessment of multitasking correlated with their fitness-to-drive, and 2) does the performance of individuals on a driving-simulator assessment of multitasking differ between medically at-risk and healthy controls? Methods: Data were collected from a group of medically at-risk adults (N=124) and a group of healthy control adults (N=131) from the DriveSafety™ simulator. These data were used as a measure of participants’ multitasking abilities. Data on fitness to drive classification for the medically at-risk adults was determined with a comprehensive driving evaluation. Simulator outcomes were compared both between medically at-risk and healthy control participants and between fit to drive and unfit to drive participants. Results: Chi-square analyses found a significant difference (p<0.0001) in simulator performance between fit to drive and unfit to drive individuals. Chi-square analyses also found that there was a significant difference (p<0.0001) in simulator performance between medically at-risk and healthy control individuals. Conclusions: Differences in simulator performance between the medically at-risk and healthy control groups were consistent with the available literature, helping to validate the driving simulator protocol as an assessment of multitasking ability. Furthermore, the simulator results being closely linked to fitness to drive means that occupational therapists could use this assessment to inform their recommendations regarding fitness to drive and/or whether it may be appropriate to see a more skilled occupational therapist driving rehabilitation specialist.Item Embargo EXPLORING HEAD START TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION(East Carolina University, 2023-12-07) Brown, Taylor Marie; Hegde, Archana V; Human Development and Family SciThe lowest-performing learning domain, particularly among low-income families, has been identified as science education. Preschool science education has advantages that are well known, but more research is needed to understand how Head Start (HS) teachers use and view preschool science and how this impacts their teaching methods. Utilizing the constructs of phenomenology, thirty-five in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with HS teachers from 16 counties across the three regions of North Carolina. Researchers identified significant statements through open coding which were categorized into themes informed by Expectancy Value Theory. Teachers reported several motivators (personal values, previous experiences, child engagement, etc.) and barriers (limited resources, perceived lack of support, competing domains, etc.) as they relate to science education. Most teachers expressed value for science in early years but many expressed hesitancies when approaching the subject. Implications of the findings for HS and the field of early childhood care and education have been discussed in greater detail.Item Open Access INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY IN MORPHOMETRIC CONDITION OF LARVAL FISH AS A FUNCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES IN BEAUFORT, NC(East Carolina University, 2024-01-05) Warfel, reece; Asch, Rebecca G.; BiologyRecruitment can vary by several orders of magnitude and can be unpredictable from year-to-year, with its variability influenced by oceanic conditions experienced by fish larvae. Variations in larval abundance and condition have not been consistently related to juvenile abundance and recruitment for many fisheries species. By studying how environmental factors affect larval fish condition, we may be able to better anticipate when a high or low recruitment year occurs since condition affects larval fish growth and survival. This project aims to expand our understanding of the relationship between morphometric condition, environmental conditions, and prey abundance among four North Carolinian fishes: Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), Mojarra (Eucinostomus sp.), White Mullet (Mugil curema), and Broad Striped Anchovy (Anchoa hepsetus). All species had some aspect of their morphometric condition influenced by an environmental or ecological variable. Temperature and density dependent effects were fairly widespread, affecting the condition of 3 out of 4 species. Zooplankton effects were less widespread, affecting 2 out of 4 species. Interactions between temperature and zooplankton, while individually important, were less widespread, affecting only one species. The relationship between environmental variables and morphometric condition can lead to insight about the species dynamics that was not previously known. Future findings like these can lead to the development of better recruitment models.Item Embargo Population Dynamics in a Mid-Atlantic Breeding Population of King Rails (Rallus elegans) and Comparative Genomic Diversity Across Their Range(East Carolina University, 2024-01-05) Gause, Carol A.; McRae, Susan B; Balakrishnan, Christopher N.; BiologyKing rail (Rallus elegans) populations have experienced severe declines throughout their range over the past half a century. As an obligate freshwater marsh bird, the king rail relies upon extensive, high-quality wetlands for survival and reproduction. Due to anthropogenic activities such as urban and agricultural development, the extent of suitable freshwater emergent marsh habitat has dramatically decreased— most notably in inland regions of the eastern United States. Additionally, sea level rise and an increase in frequency and intensity of storms due to climate change have led to more instances of saltwater inundation in coastal freshwater marshes, which can render these habitats unusable for king rails. The king rail remains relatively understudied compared to other more conspicuous threatened species, and it is becoming increasingly urgent to better understand this cryptic bird. This thesis presents findings from a regional survey of a mid-Atlantic source population of king rails and a comparison of population-level genetic diversity and structure across four distinct geographic populations using whole-genome sequencing. In Chapter 1, I discuss the findings of a regional census encompassing a suspected mid-Atlantic source population at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) that was last surveyed over 10 years ago. During the breeding season within this region, I conducted surveys of king rails and dominant wetland vegetation cover types in both managed and unmanaged coastal marshes. I compared occupancy and abundance between managed and unmanaged sites and employed model selection techniques to identify predictive factors. The analysis revealed positive correlations of king rail occupancy and abundance with land management practices. Occupancy and abundance were negatively correlated with the percentage of survey plot cover by Schoenoplectus sp. and by woody vegetation (trees and shrubs). The effect size of Schoenoplectus sp. as a model covariate was driven by three specific survey points. Temporarily removing these points as an exploratory measure resulted in Schoenoplectus sp. no longer being a covariate in the top models. Using a Royle-Nichols Abundance-Induced Heterogeneity Model, I estimated the number of breeding individuals within the surveyed area to be 437 ± 218. In Chapter 2, I compare genetic variation among migrant and resident king rail populations across the species range: two from the Atlantic flyway (a breeding population in coastal North Carolina and a population from Florida), and two breeding populations from the Mississippi flyway (northern Ohio and southeastern Arkansas). Samples from inland populations were provided by collaborators, and those from Florida were archived museum specimens. Whole genomes of 56 individual king rails were sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Population-level genetic diversity was investigated using pairwise fixation index (FST) comparison, nucleotide diversity (π), and Watterson’s estimator (θ). Population structure was analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), and population admixture. The results uncover substantial gene flow and minimal population structure among king rail populations, with consistent genetic diversity estimates falling within the intermediate range. While these analyses show no clear geographic relevance in range-wide population structure, the DAPC reveals evidence of weak structure with geographic correlation. Caution is advised in interpreting these findings, as the sampled populations represent strongholds for the species in the face of significant loss of freshwater wetland habitat. These results emphasize the critical role of remaining king rail population strongholds within managed freshwater wetlands and underscore the importance of ongoing king rail conservation research.Item Open Access What's Wrong with a Rumor? Workplace Undermining and Customer-Oriented Outcomes(East Carolina University, 2023-12-05) McAdams, Ellen Elizabeth; Bowler, Mark C; PsychologyThe purpose of this study was to examine the customer-oriented outcomes of supervisor and co-worker undermining, specifically, examining the differential impact of supervisor and co-worker undermining on customer- and service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and customer-directed counterproductive workplace behavior (CWB). Positive and negative affectivity were assessed, the latter being a commonly utilized control variable within social undermining literature, to identify their moderating impact. Results indicate that supervisor and coworker undermining do not share a significant relationship with customer and service-oriented OCB, and were not adequate in predicting their presence alone. After adding positive and negative affect, the relationship was significant, with positive affect predicting both engagement in service-oriented OCB, as well as customer-oriented OCB. Supervisor and coworker undermining, were, however, significant and positive indicators of engagement in customer-directed CWB, with negative affect also emerging as a strong predictor. Results suggest that, although customer- and service-oriented OCB were not associated to supervisor or coworker undermining, customer-directed CWB was significantly associated and should be investigated further to unravel the temporal relationship between undermining and engagement in customer-directed CWB, and also to isolate the presence of negative affect in this relationship.Item Open Access “Stripped Clean by Wind and Water”: Historical and Archaeological Investigation of a Provincetown Plum-Pudding Whaling Company and its Reaction to a Dimming Industry(East Carolina University, 2023-12-07) Wentzel, Lindsay Myers; Raupp, Jason T; HistoryIndustry decline after the 1859 discovery of petroleum prompted American whalers to adopt innovative strategies for survival, such as plum-pudding whaling. Characterized by short, Atlantic expeditions, it minimized risk and proved effective during periods of uncertainty. This thesis employs social risk theory to analyze the operational history of E. & E.K. Cook & Company and the 1879 collapse of their industrial, fishing, and whaling "empire" in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Highlighting the company’s strategic shift to plum-pudding whaling in the 1860s, this study examines distinct features of plum-pudding schooners, discusses internal and external factors contributing to the company's 1879 dissolution, and establishes a theoretical framework for evaluating discrete maritime risk. Through extensive historical research and archaeological surveys of suspected Cook vessel remains, this thesis serves as a case study in understanding the impact of strategic response to crisis and risk during the whaling industry's decline.Item Open Access EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES IN SUPERCRITICAL HEAT EXCHANGERS(East Carolina University, 2023-12-07) Trapani, Michael J; Duba, Kura S; EngineeringAn ECU team designed, built, and is testing a pilot-scale supercritical water desalination (SWD) system that processed brine discharge from conventional desalination systems. The system completely separates the solid salts from brine wastes. However, SWD is energy intensive. This work presents the design and testing of two heat exchangers (HEXs) used to recover and reuse the waste heat produced during the SWD process to minimize the overall energy requirement. The HEXs have been instrumented with temperature, pressure and flow control components. The collected data is then used to estimate dimensionless numbers (such as Prandtl, Reynolds and Nusselt) using thermophysical properties from the NIST REFPROP database. The dimensionless numbers are useful for HEXs design and are scarce in the literature for supercritical fluids. Brine was also used as a cooling fluid to simulate three different concentrations (3.5%, 7.5% and 14%) of salt which simulate sea water and double the brine waste discharge concentration from conventional desalination processes. The dimensionless numbers are then used to calculate the convective heat transfer coefficients, thermal resistance, and the overall heat transfer coefficient (OHTC). The results show that the Nusselt number for a supercritical HEX in laminar flow conditions is 20 to 30 times greater than that of a conventional counterpart which translates to an order of magnitude higher rate of heat transfer. The heat recovery system saves significant energy with a payback period of around 5 years.Item Open Access Solutions of an Inhomogeneous MADE using an Analysis of Wavelet Coefficients(East Carolina University, 2023-12-08) Faircloth, Dallas Ali; Spurr, Micheal J; Pravica, David W; MathematicsIn this paper solutions to an Inhomogeneous Multiplicatively Advanced Differential Equation (MADE) of the form $y^\prime(t) - Ay(qt)=f(t)$, for $q>1$ and certain functions $f(t)\in \L^2(\R)$, are provided. Such solutions are obtained with the help of wavelet frames generated by two special functions called $_qCos(t)$ and $_qSin(t)$. The introduction provides basic definitions and useful tools. Then a specific solution of our main MADE above is obtained, where $f(t)$ is equal to either $_qCos(\alpha t+\beta)$ or $_qSin(\alpha t+\beta)$. After obtaining the solutions for these specific MADE's, we will prove that the solutions are actually Schwartz wavelets whose series expansion converge uniformly and absolutely with all moments vanishing. The general MADE is then solved by obtaining a series expansion for $f(t)$ in terms of $_qCos(t)$ or $_qSin(t)$. A series solution, $y(t)$, of the general MADE then follows by linearity. Assumptions on the wavelet coefficients will be obtained sufficient for the series solution $y(t)$ to converge uniformly and absolutely. Finally, pictures of these solutions are provided along with questions about confluence between the solutions of these MADE's and their non-advanced differential equation counterparts.Item Open Access Pedagogical Approaches to the Instruction of Ethics in Lower-Level Undergraduate Professional Writing Courses(East Carolina University, 2023-12-04) Melton, Meghan Jessica; Cox, Matthew B.; EnglishThe following report centers on ethics instructional methods in undergraduate professional writing courses. The literature review covers the instructional practices favored by professors of upper-level and graduate professional writing courses, such as interspersing ethics throughout the semester and implementing service-learning projects. The primary research, however, focuses on the ethics instructional methods used in lower-level (freshman and sophomore) professional writing courses. This study’s primary research consists of four instructor interviews and a content analysis of two professors’ course materials. The courses featured in this study are East Carolina University’s ENGL 2201: Writing about the Disciplines, ENGL 3040: Introduction to Professional Writing, and ENGL 3880: Writing for Business and Industry. Though many of the pedagogical approaches used in upper-level professional writing courses translated to those of lower-level courses, nuances emerged for the instruction of ethics when utilized with younger students. Following a discussion of these nuances, suggestions for ethics instructional practices for professors of lower-level professional writing courses and recommendations for future research are discussed.Item Open Access ¿Por Qué Esperar?: Examining COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Hispanic Gender Roles in Eastern North Carolina(East Carolina University, 2023-12-04) Ruiz, Jessica Christine; Brooks, Benjamin B; AnthropologyThe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted members of different communities in the United States at varying rates. Despite displaying strong adherence to safety behavior guidelines, the Hispanic-American community was affected by COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate. The present study examined a traditional gender role for Hispanic women, marianismo, and its impact on the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 safety guideline adherence among Hispanic women living in eastern North Carolina. Hispanic female participants over the age of eighteen who reside in eastern North Carolina (N=14) completed a three-part online survey, one section being the Marianismo Beliefs Scale (MBS), which measures adherence to marianismo. Although none of the results were statistically significant, there were notable differences in marianismo adherence among different demographic groups.Item Open Access Perspectives on Flow: Using the Flow State Scale-2 to Compare Climbers With and Without Disabilities(East Carolina University, 2023-12-07) Warner, Emily G; Autry, Cari E; Recreation and Leisure StudiesParticipation in adventure as a recreational therapy intervention is well-recognized for its physical, psychological, and social benefits for people with disabilities. Advances in technology and adaptive equipment have increased accessibility to outdoor and adventure-based activities for those with physical disabilities. Notably, adaptive climbing has drastically increased in popularity in the past decade. Climbing, as an adventure activity, has long been established to facilitate the psychological state of flow; however, there is a lack of research on the experience and effects of flow in individuals with physical disabilities and specifically, adaptive climbing and flow. The purpose of this study was to investigate if flow is experienced differently between individuals with and without physical disabilities who participate in climbing programs and to determine if there is a relationship between the flow state and intention in future participation for individuals with physical disabilities. The Flow State Scale-2 was used to assess flow and additional questions measured participation. Results showed that climbers without disabilities (M=4.3, SD=0.5) reported a statistically significant higher level of a sense of control than climbers with disabilities (M=3.8, SD=0.8), t(43)=2.24, p=.045, d=0.65. Results also showed a statistically significant positive, linear relationship between the global flow score and participation score for all climbers (R2=0.14, F(1,43)=6.74, p=.013). Implications of findings and suggestions for future research in adventure as a recreational therapy intervention are discussed.