Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Relatedness In Youth Athlete Burnout, Megan Wittenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Aspen Institute’s 2016 State of Play report projects a decline in youth sport participation that is more pronounced in adolescent athletes. Although there are numerous potential benefits for youth sport participation, there are also potential consequences including burnout (chronic psychological syndrome consisting of emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishments, and sport devaluation (Raedeke, 1997). Approximately 1% to 9% of adolescent athletes experienced elevated levels of burnout, with current research suggesting that relatedness could have an influence on athlete burnout. In this instance, relatedness was defined as the extent to which individuals perceives significant others are genuinely invested …

The Role Of Psychosocial Factors In The Non-Medical Use Of Prescription Stimulants Among Undergraduate Greek-Life Members, Kathleen May

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The non-medical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is a growing concern across U.S. college campuses. Amphetamine misuse increased from 7.7% to 11.1% among undergraduate students over the past decade. Research has identified Greek-life members are twice as likely to report NMUPS in comparison to non-Greek-life members; however, little is known about social and psychological factors contributing to this discrepancy. While researchers have identified specific personality characteristics significantly correlated with higher levels of reported NMUPS, including sensation seeking and internal restlessness, currently little is known about social factors related to NMUPS. It is important to examine psychosocial variables motivating NMUPS in …

Characterizing The Complex Relationship Between The Brown Widow Spider And Its Bacterial Endosymbiont, Wolbachia, Emily Knight

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus (C. L. Koch 1841), has been found to harbor the maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis (Hertig and Wolbach 1924), but endosymbiont infection frequency varies widely among Southeastern US populations. Wolbachia is known to manipulate the reproduction of its hosts through male feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. In brown widows, Wolbachia does not alter sex ratios, but any other effects the symbiont has on the spider are unknown. In my first chapter, I assess if there is linkage between Wolbachia infection and maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in three brown widow populations. …

Factors Associated With Continuous Improvement By Local Boards Of Health, Tran Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: The continuous improvement as applied to a local board of health (LBoH) is one of the six governance functions and focuses on activities that target LBoH’s self-improvement and improvement of local health department (LHD) it governs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the engagement level of LBoHs in continuous improvement efforts and to identify factors associated with this function. The goal was to provide insights that will inspire LBoHs to improve their continuous improvement governance function for better practices, and in turn, enhance the performance of local health departments (LHDs) for which the LBoHs serve as …

Investigation Of The Performance And Emissions Characteristics Of Dual Fuel Combustion In A Single Cylinder Idi Diesel Engine, Johnnie L. Williams Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restrictions in the allowable exhaust gas emissions of diesel engines has become a driving factor in the design, development, and implementation of internal combustion (IC) engines. A dual fuel research engine concept was developed and implemented in an indirect injected engine in order to research combustion characteristics and emissions for non-road applications. The experimental engine was operated at a constant speed and load 2400 rpm and 5.5 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP). n-Butanol was port fuel injected at 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% by mass fraction with neat ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD#2). Peak pressure, maximum pressure rise rates, and …

Deviating From The Standard: The Relationship Between Archaeology And Public Education, Rhianna M. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies of the public perception of archaeology shows that while it is a popular and valued discipline, it is still greatly misunderstood. Over the last few decades, archaeologists have sought new and innovative ways to establish archaeological literacy, promote community engagement, and conduct outreach, with the K-12 classroom being one such avenue of focus. Archaeology’s mysterious and exciting reputation among the general public, along with its interdisciplinary applicability, allows educators to draw interest in students and teach a variety of lessons through the lens of archaeology. This thesis outlines survey results of educators and archaeologists on their method, frequency, …