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Item DRIVING DIGITAL MARKETING SUCCESS WITH GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GEN AI)(2024-12-18)Digital Marketing Evolution: Digital marketing has shifted from traditional fixed-cost strategies to dynamic, cost-efficient approaches. This evolution emphasizes personalization and adaptability, driven by metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). Gen AI Capabilities in Marketing: Generative AI tools, such as GPT-4 and DALL-E, enable businesses to craft personalized, scalable content. These tools enhance marketing by optimizing customer segmentation, content creation, and predictive analytics. Consumer Engagement: Gen AI improves engagement by tailoring marketing messages and recommendations to individual preferences. Companies with agile systems can deliver real-time personalized content, fostering stronger consumer connections. Conversion Rate Enhancement: Through hyper-personalized content, Gen AI boosts conversion rates by aligning marketing efforts with specific consumer needs. Tools like Sephora?s Virtual Artist demonstrate how personalized experiences increase sales. Case Studies: Amazon: Utilizes Gen AI for dynamic recommendations, product descriptions, and video ads, leading to increased customer interaction and sales. Sephora: Leverages Gen AI for virtual try-ons and tailored recommendations, significantly boosting conversion rates and customer loyalty. Key Metrics for Success: The research identifies conversion rates and engagement levels as critical indicators of Gen AI's effectiveness in digital marketing. Strategic Recommendations: Businesses should adopt Gen AI-powered tools for dynamic content generation, real-time customer interactions, and enhanced personalization to maintain competitiveness and improve customer loyalty.Item The Making of LiterAce: Combating Real-World Communication Problems by Building and Sustaining a Brand through Advertising and Public Relations Techniques(2024-12-18)This project details the development and sustainment of an anti-misinformation brand using a combination of classic and revolutionary advertising and public relations tactics. The brand, LiterAce, uses a form of artificial intelligence (AI) known as natural language processing (NLP) to calculate the reliability of media sources and prevent internet users from spreading misinformation. Several key campaigns have been designed for this brand's launch; some are designed to handle an array of controversies that could potentially arise from LiterAce's launch, while others are purely intended to build and maintain positive brand awareness both before and after the brand launches.Item THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE INVERTED YIELD CURVE AND RECESSION PROBABILITIES(2024-12-18)This study investigates whether the underlying factors of the yield curve, investor confidence (CBOE), consumer confidence (CSI), and money supply (M2), serve as key predictors of recession probabilities, and whether incorporating these factors enhances predictive accuracy compared to the yield spread alone. Using logistic regression models, the research evaluates these variables across three cases: no time lag, a 3-month lag, and a 6-month lag. The findings reveal that all four factors are significant predictors of recession probabilities, with their impacts varying by timing. Future research could refine this framework by optimizing time lags for individual variables, further enhancing its accuracy in predicting economic downturns.Item The Day the Presses Stop: Social Media is Overtaking Legacy Platforms(2024-12-18)Newspapers have dominated the journalism industry for decades, capturing audiences of all kinds. With the invention of the penny press, newspapers became more accessible and could be found on every household breakfast table. Despite the introduction of competing mediums like radio or cable television, newspapers still remained. That was until the invention of the internet, which disrupted the industry like no other. The internet and social media have forced traditional news organizations to change their business models to meet the demands associated with the popular short-form, sensationalized content found on online platforms.Item Ranking undergraduate nursing student perceived stress using Q-methodology(2024-12-18)Background: Stress in clinical settings creates unsafe patient conditions and causes poor nursing student performance. Stress during clinical experiences leads to unsafe conditions, negative learning outcomes, and mistakes. We know clinical causes stress, but a gap exists in how students rank various stressors. Purpose: This research aimed to describe what nursing students report most stressful during clinical experiences. Methods: Using Q-methodology, guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, 52 undergraduate nursing students sorted 46 statements. Statements described Perceived Stress Scale and Nursing Student Stress Scale stressors or focus group responses. Participants sorted statements from most to least stressful using quasi-normal distribution grids, scored from 6 to -6. We analyzed data using Spearman correlation and centroid factor analysis with varimax rotation to identify viewpoints. Watts and Stenner?s methodology was used to qualitatively analyze viewpoints. We compared demographics using Chi-square or Mann-Whitney U. Limitations include method generalizability and homogenous sampling. Results: Three main viewpoints emerged from the study, explaining 39% of study variance. Across the three distinct viewpoints, external, patient-related, and knowledge-based stressors were considered as the three biggest stress sources, respectively. All participants agreed nursing professionalism was moderately stressful in the clinical setting. External stressors included preceptor behaviors, instructor decisions, and nursing coursework. Difficult patient interactions and nursing roles characterized patient-related stress. Unfamiliarity with nursing skills and procedures created the most knowledge-based stress. There were significant degree entry and healthcare role experience differences. Implications: This paper provides nurse educators with knowledge about what students rank most stressful during clinical experiences and may help in the reduction of stress and the identification of at-risk situations.Item Women Invade Band: The History of Women in the Texas Christian University Marching Band(2024-12-18)This paper examines the role of women in the Texas Christian University marching band in its first one hundred years, 1904 to 2004. By analyzing primary sources such as yearbooks, newspapers, and other TCU archives to identify patterns inclusion and exclusion, this study informs a new perspective of the Horned Frog Band's (HFB) history. From its establishment as a male-only military band, the marching band has excluded women from participation as instrumentalists. Instead, the only women involved in marching band in the first forty years were band sweethearts. Band sweethearts, chosen by the bandsmen for their dedication, were highly scrutinized for their physical ability and appearance. It wasn't until World War II that women were able to participate in the HFB because of the lack of available bandsmen. Despite this, women were pushed out of the organization and forced to reside as spirit members rather than instrumentalists after the conclusion of the war. Only when the lack of instrumentalists rose as a problem in 1953 were women finally admitted as full members of the ensemble. While this is earlier than many other schools, who waited until Title IX, women were still not recognized as leaders or outstanding members. The TCU marching band's gender history continued to profoundly impact the structure and organization of the ensemble, as it continues to today.Item The Effect of American Intervention on Coup Occurrence in Latin America(2024-12-18)This project seeks to add a layer of analysis to the study of political instability in Latin America. In previous research, much attention has been paid to economic and political factors as a cause of presidential instability in Latin America. The current research is thorough and important, but it leaves out external intervention by the United States as a key cause of presidential instability. Additionally, much of the current work focuses on impeachments as a means of terminating a presidency early, while this piece focuses on coups. My theory is that countries that experienced a successful American backed coup would see more coups than countries without a successful American intervention. Additionally, I theorize that countries that experienced intervention will have more coups after the intervention than before. My theory is based on the idea that a successful coup creates a domino effect that makes future coups more likely. This is because successful coups undermine democratic institutions, legitimize future coup attempts, and send a signal to future coup plotters that there is a better chance they will be successful. In my qualitative analysis, I found that successful coups embolden future coup plotters and normalize coups as a transfer of power. My quantitative analysis found that from 1950-2021, countries experiencing American intervention averaged .76 more coups than countries that did not experience an American intervention. Additionally, my analysis found that every country that experienced American intervention experienced as many as or more coups after the intervention than before. In all, my research suggests that American interventions in the region inadvertently created additional coups which has created leadership crises and continues to influence the political instability of the region today.Item The Effect of Play and Socioeconomic Status on Hair Cortisol in Children(2024-12-18)Hair cortisol concentration can serve as a biomarker of an individual's chronic stress. High levels of cortisol in children have been found to reflect an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disease and depressive symptoms later in life. The purpose of my study is to evaluate the effect of unstructured play and socioeconomic status on hair cortisol in 3rd through 5th-grade children. The LiiNK project is working to improve the physical and mental health of children by implementing 60 minutes of outdoor unstructured play, or recess, in schools daily. The study plan was to work with the LiiNK project to evaluate if a significant difference exists in the hair cortisol of children who receive increased unstructured play at a LiiNK intervention school versus children who receive 30 minutes of unstructured play at a control school. Additionally, my study aimed to evaluate if there is a significant difference in hair cortisol levels according to socioeconomic status in children, with a student's free or reduced lunch status serving as an indicator of socioeconomic status. Hair samples from 100 students were included in this study and an EIA kit was used to measure the cortisol concentrations in the extracted hair samples. Due to a small sample size of participants from the intervention school, comparisons of unstructured play were unable to be determined. Analysis of socioeconomic status at the control school partially supported my hypothesis, with the hair cortisol of students on free or reduced lunch being significantly lower than students not on free or reduced lunch in the fall semester, but not the spring semester. There was a significant increase in the hair cortisol of students receiving free or reduced lunch from the fall to the spring semester.Item Mercury Transfer From Aquatic Insects to Arctic Food Webs: Assessing Insect Mediated Methyl Mercury Flux and Mercury Contamination Risks(2024-12-18)Mercury (Hg) is a global contaminant of significant ecological concern, particularly in aquatic systems. While inorganic mercury (IHg) is relatively nontoxic and does not bioaccumulate, microbial processes in aquatic environments convert IHg to methylmercury (MeHg), a highly toxic and bioavailable form that readily accumulates in organisms. Aquatic insects, which feed on primary producers such as algae during their larval stages, can accumulate substantial MeHg levels. Upon emerging as adults, these insects transport MeHg from aquatic ecosystems to adjacent terrestrial environments, facilitating cross-ecosystem mercury transfer. This study quantified dipteran-mediated Hg flux in five ponds and one lake in the high Arctic (NW Greenland) during the summer of 2023. Emergent dipterans were collected weekly, and Hg flux was calculated based on biomass and mercury concentrations. Results revealed that Hg flux varied significantly by location and insect taxon, influenced by variation in both biomass and Hg concentrations. Risk analyses for Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) and Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) chicks consuming emergent aquatic insects indicated no direct risk from this dietary exposure. However, previous research highlights the significant role of emerging insects in Hg bioaccumulation within riparian spiders, raising concerns about secondary risks to arachnivorous birds.Item The Impact of Rising Interest Rates on Multifamily Lending Patterns(2024-12-18)This study examines how interest rate increases from 2018 to 2023 influenced multifamily commercial real estate lending patterns in the United States. Through regression analyses of loan origination data across various lender categories and interest rate metrics, the research suggests inverse lending behaviors between government and investor-driven institutions. While government lenders appear to decrease origination quantity and increase average loan size amidst rising interest rates, investor-driven lenders exhibit increased origination quantity and decreased average loan size. The findings suggest a complementary lending environment that maintains debt availability across interest rate environments, which can inform future scholarly examination.Item Exploring the AI Adoption Challenges in Small Enterprises in Non-Technology Industries(2024-12-18)This study examines the challenges and strategies associated with adopting artificial intelligence (AI) in small enterprises within non-technology industries. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative analysis of datasets, including AI risk repositories and tools, with qualitative insights from case studies of GetTransfer, FC Beauty, and PhoenixFire. The findings reveal that while AI tools like productivity and chat applications dominate due to their accessibility and utility, small businesses face significant hurdles, including resource constraints, technical expertise deficits, and vague ethical standards. Case studies highlight contrasting approaches: internal AI development versus strategic partnerships with external experts. This study underscores the importance of resource allocation, leadership, and ethical frameworks in mitigating AI adoption barriers. The implications extend to providing actionable recommendations for small enterprises, while the study acknowledges limitations such as the narrow case study scope and reliance on secondary data. Future research opportunities include broader longitudinal studies and exploration of advanced AI applications across diverse non-technology sectors.Item Community-based clean-up schemes in urban parks can improve water sources for bats(2024-12-18)Bats are essential to ecosystems, providing services like pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control, yet their populations are declining globally due to human-driven habitat loss. To counter these effects, conservationists promote strategies like enhancing habitats, even in urban areas. Yet to support healthy bat communities, they need to offer suitable resources such as water. Water access for bats depends on both availability and accessibility. Accessibility is often limited by "clutter"--physical obstructions such as vegetation, rocks, or debris that restrict bats ability to drink in flight. Urban litter, primarily non-biodegradable items, degrades aquatic habitats, potentially restricting access for wildlife. Targeted litter removal, therefore, has the potential to reduce habitat degradation and improve access for species like bats. To investigate this, we implemented a community-based cleanup at select water sources in Fort Worth, Texas, from 2021 to 2024, recording bat activity with thermal and acoustic tools before and after cleanup to assess the impact of litter removal on bat drinking activity. Post-clean up, overall bat presence increased significantly at both sites, with drinking activity increasing for hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), These findings reveal that litter does act as clutter, thereby limiting access to water for certain bat species with open-space flight patterns. Overall, our results highlight the value of litter-free water sources in urban environments for promoting bat species diversity and resource use. By demonstrating the positive impact of community clean-ups on bat activity, this project underscores the role of citizen-led conservation initiatives in fostering urban biodiversity, improving ecosystem health, and supporting local conservation strategies.Item A STUDY AND HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX WITH A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LENS(2024-12-18)This study performed in-depth analysis on the factors that caused the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to grow and become an area ripe for commercial real estate development and expansion, beginning at the conception and construction of the DFW International Airport through to present day. The focus of the study is mainly on the tangible, qualitative factors that are present, and while statistical data is included to support the claims made in the study, the main point is to research, analyze, and discuss the influences and factors that played, and continue to play, a role in the DFW commercial real estate market that cannot necessarily be quantified. Results of the study concluded that the main factors that contributed to the expansion of DFW were the construction and opening of the DFW International Airport, the major industries that expanded their operations to the metroplex, influential entrepreneurs and investors with vision who decided to invest in the area, and certain key events and advantages unique to Dallas and Fort Worth.Item Innocence and its Impact on the Public(2024-12-18)The "Innocence Movement" has sparked a debate regarding the efficacy and reliability of the American justice system. In recent years, exonerations of death row inmates and incarcerated persons has become more frequent and more heavily publicized. During the same time frame, public opinion regarding capital punishment has become more negative. Previous scholarly literature focusing on the relationship between exonerations and public support of capital punishment has largely established that exonerations decrease public opinion for the practice. However, the literature diverges when discussing causal factors such as framing effects and the way information is presented. Thus, this research explores how the type of information delivery regarding exonerations, being informal or formal, impacts public support for the death penalty. Additionally, this research focuses on the type of exoneration, based on DNA evidence or procedural concerns, and how that impacts public opinion on capital punishment. It is hypothesized that article style delivery and DNA based evidence, compared to meme style delivery and procedural based evidence, will cause the most pronounced decrease in public support for the death penalty. This study was performed using an experimental survey, employing one control group and four treatment groups; an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression statistical test was performed to analyze the data gathered. The findings of this research show that article style delivery does result in a more pronounced decrease in public support for capital punishment than the more informal, meme style delivery. However, the implications of this study indicate that the type of exoneration, DNA based or procedural based, does not have a statistically significant impact on public opinion regarding the death penalty. Contributing to the development of scholarly research surrounding capital punishment and public sentiment, this research illuminates the impact of information delivery on public opinion.Item MICROSCOPIC AND GEOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF ANCIENT, POTENTIALLY RIFT-RELATED PLUTONIC IGNEOUS ROCKS IN COLORADO(2024-12-18)The regional geological framework of the area I am studying involves a possible major northwest-trending Cambrian to Ordovician rift zone with abundant igneous rocks in parts of Colorado. These igneous rocks may be related to large volumes of Cambrian igneous rocks located along the same trend in Southern Oklahoma and nearby parts of Texas within the large-scale Southern Oklahoma rift zone. My project focuses on plutonic igneous intrusions located in the Wet Mountains in the southern part of the Front Range in Colorado and the Powderhorn District farther west. This thesis reports the results of microscopic and geochemical studies carried out on three main intrusions in the Wet Mountains as well as important rock units within the Powderhorn District. Samples of gabbro and pyroxenite from the McClure Mountain Complex show evidence of the accumulation of crystals on the floor of the magma chamber. Trace element contents in younger nepheline-bearing syenites suggest these rocks were partly derived from more than one batch of magma injected into a single magma chamber. Nepheline syenites also present in the Powderhorn Complex have somewhat different geochemical contents from those in the McClure Mountain Complex indicating they are not directly related. A large body of carbonatite in the Powderhorn Complex formed by an intrusion of an entirely separate magma that was injected in pulses. The presence of nepheline syenites in the Colorado intrusions requires the production of silica-undersaturated magmas, which could not have been directly related to silica-oversaturated igneous rocks in the Southern Oklahoma rift zone. The Colorado intrusions may have formed in a continuation of the Southern Oklahoma rift zone but were produced by different igneous processes.Publication The Coin Collector - Short Film(2024-05-19)The Coin Collector is a short film that follows the story of a handful of people discussing the mystery behind a strange man who wanders around town carrying a giant canister of coins on his back. Everyone has a unique tale about him, but as the story unfolds, we get to uncover just who The Coin Collector truly is. It is ultimately a story about humanizing people we deem as outcasts. The project was designed to give myself and other film majors experience in taking a movie from script to screen. This process included budgeting, auditioning, filming, and editing. As director and producer of the project, I had to oversee every step of pre-production, production, and post-production. A proof of concept for one scene was shot and edited in October of 2023. The rest of the film was shot in February of 2024, with a final edit completed in April of 2024.Publication The Consequences of Trump's Refugee Narratives on the Social and Political World(2024-05-19)In recent years, the United States has undergone a shift in both societal cohesion, and political normalcy, at large an effect by a previously unprecedented style of political cohesion. Beginning with Donald Trump?s presidential campaign, and following presidency, he spoke about refugees, immigrants, and displaced people in astonishingly generalizing, and disparaging terms. The president had a unique style of communication not only for the publicly overwhelming way he negatively spoke about groups of people who were seeking entrance in the country, but for the manner in which he persuaded millions of people that he was an immigration panacea and was able to form such a loyal base of followers. Through this study I am to analyze how Trump?s usage of alt-resilience and storytelling helped shape the social world in the United States from the years 2015-2020, as well as how the communicative creation of a sense of ?others? prove advantageous to Trump?s political career. Trump?s communication is known to be disparaging and informal, but it has not been studied through the communication theory of resilience and the theory of narrative paradigm. It is crucial to understand both the construction and implications of Trump?s communication between the years of 2015 and 2020, for there have been significant social and political effects as a result. I gathered a sample of Trump?s political speeches through C-SPAN and analyzed them to understand more about what tactics he used to make his speech as persuasive as possible. I found time and time again that he told inflammatory stories about those seeking entrance into the United States that lacked in detail and fact, generated a sense of ?us versus them? and victim mentality within American society, which encouraged attitudes of nativism and proved extremely device within the nation?s society.Publication INVESTIGATING AND CONCEPTUALIZING LARCENY THEFT IN SAN FRANCISCO(2024-05-19)Larceny theft is the ?unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another? (FBI, 2018). Crime in San Francisco, specifically larceny theft, has made headlines in both California and the nation. In the past decade, the city has seen more and more businesses leaving the area, the greatest outflow of residents in decades, and a completely changed culture. Despite this, city officials claim that the media has exaggerated this issue of theft in San Francisco. The author gathers and conceptualizes violent and property crime data in recent decades, in both San Francisco and other comparable California cities, to understand the severity of theft in the city, as well as potential factors that may explain these trends (such as changed legislation and changed policing priorities). By examining existing reports and new crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, the author found unique trends in the data. San Francisco is rather nonviolent compared to other cities, but larceny theft provides a completely different pattern in the data. San Francisco larceny rates began its exponential increase in 2011, as clearance rates for these crimes began to decrease. The data provides support for the deterrence theory, used in the authors discussion, calling direct attention to changed policing priorities. Amidst the San Francisco Police Department staffing crisis, statewide legislation changes, and the changing social realities of San Franciscans, the author attempts to put the pieces together, identifying what is truly going on in the city of San Francisco, and what has caused this larceny phenomenon.Publication Breaking the Silence: Unveiling the World of Sex Trafficking in the Lone Star State(2024-05-19)In this project, I delve into the complex and often misunderstood world of sex trafficking within the Texas Triangle. Through meticulous research and firsthand accounts from law enforcement, this story challenges prevalent myths and misconceptions surrounding the issue. By debunking common narratives, I hope to shed light on the true nature of sex trafficking and its distinctive features within this region. The Texas Triangle, comprising Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio, presents a unique landscape for trafficking operations, shaped by a convergence of demographic, economic, and geographic factors. Through an exploration of these dynamics, I uncover the mechanisms through which trafficking manifests in the area, revealing a stark differentiation from societal misconceptions. Through various examples and insights, I present the intricate workings of sex trafficking, dispelling prevalent misconceptions about its methods and scope. Central to my narrative is of the distinction between sensationalized portrayals and the harsh realities faced by victims of trafficking. From the exploitation of vulnerable individuals to the complicity of trafficking tactics, I confront the realities of this crime in a raw, authentic way. By amplifying voices and challenging prevailing narratives, I emphasize the urgency of understanding and addressing this multifaceted issue. Ultimately, "Breaking the Silence" serves as a poignant call to action, compelling readers to confront the uncomfortable truths of sex trafficking in the Texas Triangle and beyond. Through knowledge and awareness, we empower ourselves to combat exploitation and advocate for justice in our communities.Publication AI Induced Anxiety: Analyzing the Effects of Prompt Engineering on Anxiety Levels(2024-05-19)This study focused on AI induced anxiety, specifically how anxiety levels are affected when interacting with AI that employs prompt engineering techniques. Most of the research being done with AI is conducted to determine what prompt engineering techniques produce more accurate results, reduce hallucinations, and minimize misinformation. For that reason, it is necessary to study the effects of prompt engineering on users. This research examined how prompt engineering, neuroticism, and contextual setting influence the user's anxiety levels in each AI interaction. I studied different prompt engineering techniques and language that affects interactions with neurotic individuals to determine the methods that would be most impactful in altering anxiety levels of neurotic individuals. To employ the prompt engineering techniques described in my hypotheses, I wrote custom code to assist with the generation of different prompts: each with different personas, contexts, and instructions that were then fed into an LLM to produce responses. Responses were then used in a survey of 996 TCU students to determine if anxiety levels changed based on the AI interaction. Most of the hypotheses concerning the effects of different prompt engineering techniques on anxiety levels were supported; however, the vast majority of respondents, regardless of neuroticism levels, felt more anxious when faced with responses from bad prompt engineering techniques. This study concluded that neuroticism does not solely affect users' anxiety levels when interacting with AI, it revealed that prompt engineering techniques and contextual settings have a stronger influence over AI-anxiety than neuroticism. The next step would be to conduct research on the levels of anxiety normally felt with a human interaction in the same contexts as were used in this study's AI interaction to determine how influential AI is over anxiety levels.