Digital Commons Network^™

From Non-Reaching To Reaching: A Micro-Analysis Of Group Differences In Movement Behavior Around Reach Onset., John Paul Connell

Doctoral Dissertations

The onset of reaching during infancy, a critical milestone influenced by developmental experiences, is the focal point of this research study. The individual differences in these experiences may significantly impact when infants achieve this milestone. Traditionally, the study of reaching onset has focused on the interplay between the visual and motor systems, with researchers often overlooking the motor system. However, a detailed analysis of motor behaviors is warranted, given the extensive research on the visual-motor system. This study, therefore, not only fills a gap in the existing research but also makes a significant contribution to the developmental psychology field and …

The Student-Athlete Leadership Academy Experience: A Case Study, Hannah M. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to advance the understanding of how leadership education affects student-athletes interpersonally, as athletes, and as students while providing insight into the importance of leadership development for institutions and athletic departments for student-athletes who participate in a yearlong leadership program. The purpose of this study is to explore how a yearlong leadership development program influenced the personal and leadership growth and development of student-athletes during the 2020-2021 academic year. Two research questions guided the present study: How does the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy curriculum and experience contribute to student-athletes’ progress through the theory on leadership identity development and understanding …

“Give Them A Firm Handshake, Look Them In The Eye, Try To Make A Connection”: Critical Graduate Perspectives On School Advancement Practices Of De Marillac Academy, Alicia M. Tapia

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation engages graduates of De Marillac Academy, a NativityMiguel school in San Francisco, in critical inquiry regarding school advancement practices. Graduates were asked how they participated in school advancement practices face-to-face with guests and donors, through media, on-campus and off-campus at their Annual Scholarship Benefit. Graduates engaged in photo and video elicitation interviews, in which photos and videos were used to spark commentary regarding their thoughts and experiences in advancement settings. As Catholic school educators, we are called to investigate the effects of a student’s formal and hidden curriculum in all aspects of their educational experience. This study found …

A Tale Of Two Symbioses: Development And Maintenance Of Bacterial Partnerships With The Hawaiian Bobtail Squid, Sarah J. Mcanulty

Doctoral Dissertations

Beneficial associations with microorganisms are widespread in the animal kingdom. The Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) has two symbiotic organs with bacteria. The light organ symbiosis contains one species of bioluminescent bacteria, Vibrio fischeri, which produces light allowing the squid to camouflage itself against down-welling moonlight. The second organ, the accessory nidamental gland (ANG), is found only in female squid and houses a consortium of bacteria¹. Bacteria from the ANG are deposited into the squid’s egg jelly coat ², where they play a defensive role against biofouling ^{3 1,4}.

This dissertation characterizes the …

The Effects Of Deepwater Horizon Oil, Dispersants, And Environmental Stressors On The Health Of Two Important Gulf Of Mexico Species, Eastern Oysters And Sheepshead Minnows, Lindsay Jasperse

Doctoral Dissertations

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform on April 20, 2010 initiated the release of 640 million liters of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In efforts to prevent the oiling of coastlines, response officials applied nearly 7.5 million liters of the oil dispersant Corexit. Despite these efforts, oil reached over 2100 km of coastline along the northern GOM, including estuaries that serve as important habitats and nurseries. These estuaries are dynamic ecosystems, with constant fluctuations in salinity and dissolved oxygen. While it is well-established that oil is toxic to marine species, gaps remain in the understanding of …

The Developmental Evolution Of The Novel Treehopper Helmet, Cera Fisher

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding morphological diversity requires understanding the developmental basis for the origin of novelty. In my dissertation, I use the treehopper helmet to investigate the origin of novelty. This 3-dimensional outgrowth of the prothoracic dorsal body wall has been molded by natural selection into myriad elaborate forms and differentiates treehoppers from their closest relatives. The helmet is hypothesized to have originated by modulation of the ancestral body wall patterning network, or alternatively by co-option of the wing or leg patterning network. I tested these hypotheses using a comparative approach in three species from the order Hemiptera: Entylia carinata, an emerging …

Microchannel Plates In Mass Spectrometer Instruments For Spacecraft, Nicholas Kenneth Lubinsky

Doctoral Dissertations

Earth's magnetosphere contains plasma originating both from the solar wind and from

the ionosphere. While H+ is the dominant ion from both sources, the solar wind contains

high charge state ions such as He++, and O6+, while the ionosphere contributes singly ionized

heavy ions including He+, N+ and O+. Measuring the composition gives information on

the source and mass dependent entry, heating and acceleration mechanisms. However, most

ion composition instruments are not able to clearly distinguish between some of the heavy

ions involved in these processes, particularly N+ and O+. This thesis aims to test a new

design of a …

Breakups And Betrayals In Emerging Adulthood: A Developmental Perspective Of Relationship Dissolution And Infidelity, Jerika C. Norona

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation includes two studies that focus on romantic experiences in emerging adulthood (ages 18-25), romantic dissolution (Study 1) and extradyadic intimacy (Study 2), and their relationship with developmental and individual factors. Each study uses two unique community samples of emerging adults who have attended college as well as those who have not attended college in the past. Importantly, both studies examine romantic dissolution and extradyadic intimacy from a developmental perspective, taking into account the salient developmental tasks of independence and interdependence faced by young people. Additionally, individual factors, including perceptions of emerging adulthood (Study 1), attachment style (Study 2), …

Stability, Development, And Function Of A Symbiotic Bacterial Community Associated With The Reproductive System Of The Hawaiian Bobtail Squid, Euprymna Scolopes, Allison H. Kerwin

Doctoral Dissertations

Many aquatic organisms deposit their eggs into an environment where successful embryogenesis depends on minimizing biofouling. The female Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, harbors a diverse bacterial community within the accessory nidamental gland (ANG), a symbiotic reproductive organ. This community is hypothesized to be environmentally transmitted, and to be deposited from the ANG into the egg jelly coat (JC). Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 gene region demonstrated that the ANG bacterial community (n=29) and that of the JC (n=35) were composed primarily of members of the Rhodobacteraceae and Verrucomicrobia, which together comprised on average 86% of …

Factors And Characteristics Of Alumni Role Identity: Implications For Practice In Higher Education Fundraising And Alumni Relations, Jay Le Roux Dillon

Doctoral Dissertations

Now more than ever, colleges and universities are relying on funds raised from alumni to support their operations. At the same time, the percentage of alumni donors is in decline and new research suggests that higher education fundraising strategies are overly reliant on alumni behaviors and demographics as predictors of giving. A 2011 study by McDearmon addressed this issue by establishing a psychometric measure of a graduate’s self-identification with his or her role as an alumnus/a, dubbed “alumni role identity.” Based in role identity theory (Stryker 1968, 1980; Callero, 1985), McDearmon’s research demonstrated that alumni role identity was associated positively …

Ecological Effects Of Development On American Black Bear, Michael J. Evans

Doctoral Dissertations

Global patterns of human land use have shifted towards increasingly sprawled development intermixed with natural land cover, creating coupled human and natural systems. To understand how these patterns may affect the persistence of wildlife populations, I studied changes in American black bear (Ursus americanus) population density, dispersal, movement behavior, and conflicts with humans across a gradient of development in Connecticut. Forest fragmentation, and intermixture with housing promoted conflicts between bears and people. Median census tract household income was associated with spatial autocorrelation in reported conflict locations, illustrating the importance of accounting for social carrying capacity in managing human-wildlife …

How Technology Interacts With Emerging Adulthood Psychosocial Developmental Tasks: An Examination Of Online Self-Presentation And Cell Phone Usage, Samantha Lynn Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation outlines three distinct, yet interrelated, projects aimed at understanding the role of technology in relation to emerging adulthood developmental tasks: individuation & identity development. The first paper provides a context for understanding the developmental tasks of emerging adulthood, and the role that technology may serve in relation to those developmental tasks. This brief review of the literature on emerging adulthood developmental tasks provides a solid theoretical background and history for the theoretical premises proposed for the respective studies included in this dissertation. The second project is an empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the task of identity …

Early Predictors Of Executive Function Abilities In School-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kelley Knoch

Doctoral Dissertations

Executive Functions (EF) are a set of cognitive processes that direct and regulate behavior for the purpose of future goal attainment. These processes include working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning, and fluency. Previous research has delineated impairments in individual processes of EF that may be related to the core social and communicative deficits typically found in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). This line of research thus far has yielded mixed results, and further clarification is needed to determine if EF are directly related to clinical measures of ASD symptoms. Understanding the development of EF is critical, as …

Perspectives On Disability And Community Engagement In Albania: Developing Mutual Understanding Through The Sharing Of Individual Narratives, Lucia Murillo

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores current perspectives on disability in Albania by bringing into discourse the voice of families and community members in order to learn how history, tradition, and family values influence individual or community response to having or being in community alongside children with special needs.

Research Theory and Protocol

I carried out this research using critical hermeneutic theory. The protocol followed an interpretive approach as outlined by Ellen Herda (1999). This orientation brought the researcher and participants together and used narratives as a medium for participatory inquiry.

Research Categories

The critical hermeneutic concepts of narrative identity, mimesis, and communicative …

Individual Differences In Toddlers' Temper Tantrums: The Role Of Language And Self-Regulation, Lauren Broder

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current research was to investigate temper tantrums in toddlers using a short-term longitudinal design. We sought to examine individual differences across time in tantrum behavior and explore possible predictors, specifically: expressive language, self-regulation skills, and parental behavior. Previous literature has implicated both expressive language and self-regulatory skills as playing an influential role in tantrum behavior, but there has been little empirical support. Parents of children between 24 and 27 months (n = 100) completed surveys on their child’s tantrum behavior, self-regulation skills, and expressive language. They were also asked to report on their own strategies during …

The Tva Coal Ash Disaster And The Coal Calamity Continuum In Southern Appalachia, Erin Rae Eldridge

Doctoral Dissertations

Coal was once hailed as a means through which humans could free themselves from nature and enter a world of unending progress and growth. As a fuel for economic development, it has long been central to projects of capitalist modernity in the Appalachian South. It is also a resource that connects the central mining areas of the region to the development agendas of the Tennessee Valley. The 2008 disaster at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee represents one of numerous calamities along the life cycle of coal in the region. The deluge of coal ash …

Investigating The Academic Vocabulary Development Of Spanish-English Bilingual Students In Middle School, Eileen Mercedes Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the vocabulary development of Spanish-English bilingual adolescents (n= 98) from the end of 6^th through the end of 7^th grade in a dual language setting by looking at the patterns of growth in English and Spanish vocabulary post intervention and adding to the body of research on vocabulary development. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM).

At the first level (TIME), the analysis helped to describe the shape of each person’s individual growth trajectory and to examine within person variability. The analysis at the second level (STUDENTS) considered inter-individual differences in …

Phenotypic Characterization Of Peripheral Osteoclast Precursors Their Lineage Relation To Macrophages And Dendritic Cells And Their Population Dynamics Influenced By Parathyroid Hormone And Inflammatory Signals., Christian E. Jacome-Galarza

Doctoral Dissertations

Osteoclasts are unique multinuclear cells that are highly specialized for resorbing bone tissue and therefore play crucial roles in bone remodeling. The identification of bona fide populations of osteoclast precursors (OCPs) is crucial to understand their biology in homeostatic and pathological conditions. We identified a bone marrow precursor with high osteoclastogenic activity (Jacquin et al., 2006) and extended these findings to test their clonogenic potential and bone resorptive capacity at the single cell level. We also identified the phenotype of peripheral blood and spleen OCPs. In chapter III, we showed that bone marrow and peripheral OCPs gave rise to macrophages …

The Re-Imagining Of Rapa Nui Traditional Healing Arts: Explorations Of Narrative Identity, Mimesis, And The Public Sphere, James Joves

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

In Rapa Nui is undergoing a cultural development crisis. This transition mixed with the ever-increasing popularity of tourism and global media has raised awareness of identity and culture within the Rapa Nui society. The present inquiry explores one aspect of their societal healing arts that is in the midst of re-exploration and re-imagination: their traditional medicinal practices or hervias tradicionales and the potential for the findings to help shape the lives of the Rapa Nui in their society.

Theory and Protocol

This research is grounded in critical hermeneutics and follows an interpretive approach to field research and data …

Sustainability With An Ethical Aim: Lessons From An American Nun In Amazonia, Stephanie Denise Demaree

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

Human imagination, an ethical aim and action are the progenitors for reconciliation between humans and their environment. Two examples of such reconciliation are found in Brazil and are the result of the tireless work of an American Nun, Sister Dorothy Stang and the staff of the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research and Conservation Center. The present inquiry portrays the history, current programs, and the potential for the findings to shape the lives of those committed to work toward creating a balance between human endeavors and sustainable environments.

Theory and Protocol

This research is grounded in critical hermeneutics and follows …

Translational Regulation In Arabidopsis Thaliana: Genetic And Functional Characterization Of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 3, Bijoyita Roy

Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular functions of eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3) in translation are manifold, encompassing events from initiation complex assembly to translation termination. The contribution of the individual subunits of eIF3 to its multiple activities is quite unclear. It has been hypothesized that several of its 13 subunits contribute to mRNA specific regulation. Prior research had established that the h subunit of eIF3 in Arabidopsis was required for translation of specific mRNAs as well as for organ formation and meristem development. This study aims towards understanding the functions of individual subunits of eIF3 in the context of plant development and to further …

Gay Male Identity In The Context Of College: Implications For Development, Support, And Campus Climate, James M. Devita

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation includes three articles that explore the relationship between gay identity and the college environment. The college environment has been shown to affect students’ attitudes, beliefs, and personal development in various ways, including aspects of individuals’ identity and attitudes towards social and political issues in society. D’Augelli’s (1994) lesbian-gay-bisexual (LGB) identity development framework provides both a priori knowledge of issues associated with gay identity and a lens through which findings are analyzed in each of the articles included in this dissertation. The first article examines the relationship between first-year college students’ personal characteristics and their attitudes towards same-sex relationships. …

The Assumption Of Non-Coerciveness And The Total Food Market, Harwood Schaffer

Doctoral Dissertations

For the last 46 years, the countries of the world have tried to reduce the number of chronically hungry people. Despite all the efforts, the numbers have barely budged from the over 850 million people who were chronically hungry in 1974 until the 2007-2009 food price crisis, when the numbers increased to over 1.02 billion. The blame for this situation has variously been put on bad governance, the lack of adequate market reforms, the market reforms that were imposed on developing nations, and globalization. Food, like other products in this globalized world, is allocated using the market system. One likely …