Digital Commons Network^™

Personality In California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus) And Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina): Methodological Convergence And Species-Specific Emotional Repertoires, Amber De Vere

Dissertations

Despite the wide acceptance of animal personality as a valid area of study, research on marine mammal personality remains remarkably scarce. What literature does exist predominantly focuses on bottlenose dolphins (Frick, 2016; Highfill & Kuczaj, 2007; Kuczaj, Highfill & Byerly, 2012; Lilley, de Vere, Yeatre & Kuczaj, 2018; Moreno, Highfill & Kuczaj, 2017). There is also strong evidence for individual differences in grey seals (Robinson et al., 2015; Twiss & Franklin, 2010; Twiss, Culloch & Pomeroy, 2011; Twiss, Cairns, Culloch, Richards & Pomeroy, 2012), and preliminary research has provided evidence of broad personality factors in pinniped species using behavioral coding …

Teachers' Confidence And Preparedness For Teaching Mobile Learners, Kelley Kirk Gonzales

Dissertations

Mobile devices, such as tablets, laptops, and Smart phones have changed the landscape of education requiring teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. The integration of mobile devices in the classroom is referred to as mobile learning, and requires teachers to be confident and prepared in their ability to teach mobile learners. This study was an attempt to explore and examine teachers’ confidence and preparedness in teaching mobile learners and close some of the gaps in the research. A quantitative method of investigation and analysis was used for this study to draw conclusions relative not only to teachers’ confidence and …

Systems Of Quantity Judgment In Various Species: A Meta-Analysis, Tiffany A. Woodard Baker

Dissertations

An abundance of behavioral and neuroimaging literature supports the presence of two cognitive systems for quantity judgments (Agrillo & Bisazza, 2014). In particular, small quantities are thought to be guided by the object-file system, a precise system that uses mental files to map onto real world objects, and large quantities by the approximate number system, an imprecise, estimation system (Dehaene, 1997). Evidence supporting both systems exists in a variety of species including nonhuman primates (Boysen & Hallberg, 2000), birds (Garland, Low, & Burns, 2012), amphibians (Uller, Jaeger, Guidry, & Martin, 2003), and fish (Agrillo, Dadda, Serena, Bisazza, 2009), but support …

Identifying The Social Contexts Present For Mouthing Behaviors In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Erin E. Frick

Dissertations

Much of the research on dolphin communication has focused on the acoustic signals produced in a variety of social contexts. Although acoustic signals are undoubtedly an important aspect of dolphin communication systems, dolphin communication is multifaceted and multimodal (e.g., postural, visual and tactile signals, acoustic cues). The present study examined behaviors that involve the mouth (i.e., mouthing behaviors) in a group of captive dolphins using 2,696 minutes of underwater acoustic and video recordings collected from 2010 – 2014. Target behaviors are described as primarily visual (e.g., open-mouth display), both visual and acoustic (e.g., jaw claps), and tactile (e.g., mouthing, biting). …

Characterization Of Swine Production Using Measurements Collected Via Indoor Positioning System, Shaun Perisho

Dissertations

Legislative and market initiatives are requiring that gestating sows move from individual housing to group settings. Little information is known about coping styles of individual sows in these more socially complex environments and thus the impact of different behavioral strategies on sow reproductive success and efficiency was investigated. The movements of 70 sows during periods of reintroduction into large pen gestational housing following insemination was measured with a commercially available system that tracked animal location and accelerations. Principle component analysis (PCA) was used to establish composite variables characterizing each animal’s behavioral response to social reintroduction and revealed the presence of …

Material Realism: A Systems Theory Of International Politics, Paul Burton

Dissertations

Traditionally power has played a dominant role in all realist theories of international politics and little if any room was left for actor agency. Systemic outcomes were a function of system structure. System structure was the result of the positioning of states in the system according to their power. Conflict resulted from system structure. Actor agency was not a relevant consideration because system structure was deterministic. This paper presents a new theorization of realism that it calls material realism. Material realism hypothesizes globalization as a second independent variable alongside power. A longitudinal network model using all conflict events since 1992 …

The Influence Of Conservation Tillage And Conventional Tillage On Soil Bacterial Diversity In Southern Illinois, Nasser Syed

Dissertations

Agriculture in the Midwest United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) is a critically important component of the United States economy and also for world exports of food grain. This is well reflected in the 2012 Census of Agriculture which showed that these states had a market value of crop and livestock products sold in excess of $80,000,000,000 (USDA, 2012). Within the U.S. the three Midwest states, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota are ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th for the economic value of crops sold. This economic value of agriculture in the Midwest encompasses not only corn, soybeans, …

Human Trafficking: Flying Under The Radar, Amber L. Hulsey

Dissertations

The global hegemon, the United States encompasses roughly 57,000 to 63,000 of the roughly 45.8 million slaves present across the world today (Walk Free Foundation 2016a). This dissertation research uses the theoretical lens of Human Security as a unique approach in that it is people-centered, focusing on the individual, rather than the more traditional theories in international relations that emphasize the state as the central actor. This dissertation focuses on the understudied area of human trafficking into and within the United States. More specifically, the objective of this research examines the movement of trafficked persons via air and details actions …

A Qualitative Case Study In Augmented Reality Applications In Education: Dimensions Of Strategic Implementation, Abrar S. Almoosa

Dissertations

The main purpose behind technology integration is to improve the teaching and learning process. Augmented reality (AR) is a new instructional tool in the educational field. Current literature showed AR integration is successful in the United States. However, it does not exist for Kuwait. Despite the time and money invested to integrate different instructional tools, teachers in Kuwait have been unaware of the existence of the AR application and its potential use in the classroom. There is a need to help teacher educators in Kuwait use AR applications and maximize the benefits of this technology for students’ best interests. This …

On The Small Count Inflated Poisson Distribution, Michael Floren

Dissertations

Inflated count distributions are used in situations where counts of an underlying distribution of a population are larger than expected by traditional count distributions. One of the most commonly used inflated count distributions is the zero-inflated Poisson distribution. This work demonstrates the construction of a small count inflated Poisson distribution, of which the zero-inflated Poisson distribution is a special case. Model construction and parameter estimation are shown. Simulations analyzing asymptotic properties, group prediction, and count prediction are presented. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Teachers’ Executive Functioning Abilities And Levels Of Occupational Stress, Niraj Mukesh Patrawala

Dissertations

The current study examined the relationship between levels of occupational stress and executive functioning abilities among 62 teachers working in K-12 public schools. The impact of moderator variables such as years of service and educational setting on the relationship between teacher stress and executive functioning were also explored. Participants’ levels of stress were measured via self-report using the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) and executive functioning abilities were assessed using the Dimensional Change Card Sorting Task (DCCS) and the Flanker Test of Attention (Flanker) subtests of the National Institutes of Health Toolbox. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was used to analyze the …

Altered Expression Of Metabolic Proteins Contributes To Neuropathological Disease, Chelsea M. Griffith

Dissertations

Recent epidemiological data have shown that metabolic disease is known to increase the propensity for developing cognitive decline and dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While this interaction is not completely understood, clinical studies suggest that both hyper- and hypoinsulinemia are associated with an increased risk for developing AD. Indeed, insulin signaling is altered in post-mortem brain tissue from AD patients and insulin and treatments known to enhance insulin signaling, can improve cognitive function. Furthermore, clinical evidence has shown that AD patients and mouse models of AD often display alterations in peripheral metabolism. Since insulin is primarily derived from the periphery …

Creating Digital Stories With Saudi Arabian Pre-Service Teachers: Using The Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Model To Promote Lesson Plan Development, Yosra Mohammed Bugis

Dissertations

In this digital age, teachers need to incorporate advanced technology into their classrooms. Digital storytelling (DST) is one such skill that has been shown to be effective for learners. However, not enough teachers have adequate training to implement this strategy and interventions are focused mainly on current teachers. There is a need to train teachers before they finish their teacher training programs. However, to do this effectively, the field of teacher education needs more knowledge and understanding of pre-service teachers’ perceptions, needs, and experiences in using DST as a structured teaching model. This qualitative study examined 38 Saudi Arabian pre-service …

Roles Of Phospholipases And Ribosomal S6 Kinase In Lipid Remodeling And Growth In Arabidopsis Response To Phosphate Deprivation, Yuan Su

Dissertations

Phosphate (Pi) is one of three macronutrients for plants, which is vital for plant growth and development. Understanding the mechanism by which plants respond and adapt to Pi deficiency not only unveils functions of genes and pathways involved, but also provides potential tools to manipulate crops to better stand Pi stress in low Pi-containing lands. One of the significant metabolic changes in plants under Pi starvation is the membrane lipid remodeling that converts Pi-containing lipids such as phospholipids to Pi-free lipids, such as glycolipids. To elucidate the metabolism and regulation of lipid remodeling, this dissertation characterizes the role of two …

The Ecology Of Nest Cavity Use By Arboreal Ants In The Brazilian Cerrado: Resource Availability, Nest Modification, And Trophic Interactions, Galen Priest

Dissertations

Arboreal ants in the Brazilian Cerrado rely on cavities in living trees as nest sites. These cavities are created by a community of, wood-boring beetles, which act as ecosystem engineers. Despite the importance of these cavities as a resource, little is known about their natural abundance and heterogeneity, how ants use and modify them as nest sites, and how this interaction between cavities and their ant occupants influences trophic interactions on cerrado trees. Here I use natural history observations and manipulative experiments to address these questions. In the first chapter I quantified the occurrence, heterogeneity, and use of beetle-created cavities …

Cultural Identity Silencing Of Native American Identity In Education: A Descriptive Phenomenological Investigation, Katheryne Leigh

Dissertations

Native American Nations have been subjected to colonialism for centuries the impact of which led to further traumatic events and disparities. Although recent scholarship has investigated possible relationships between traumas experienced in education and issues such as depression, substance use, poor academic achievement, and suicide, there remained a need for qualitative studies exploring the phenomenon from the voice of the experiencer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of cultural identity silencing of Native American identity in education. Eight young adult self-identified Native American/Alaskan college students between the ages of 18-25 who experienced cultural identity silencing in …

The Ecology And Feeding Behavior Of Mosquitoes In The Galapagos Islands, Samoa S. Asigau

Dissertations

Mosquitoes remain important vectors in transmitting wildlife diseases. This dissertation aims to understand the role that mosquitoes play in transmitting wildlife diseases such as avian malaria, a protozoan parasite belonging to the genus Plasmodium. Using data from wild-caught mosquitoes captured in multiple years and across multiple islands on the Galapagos Archipelago, we describe distributional patterns of mosquitoes, their range limits and assess whether there exists a disease-free refuge as occurs in Hawaii. We show that altitudinal ranges for disease transmission of avian malaria may not be bounded by a stable disease-free refuge, since mosquitoes are found at all elevations, …

Exploring The Relationship Between Family Social Capital And Utilization Of Well Child Preventative Health Care Services, Kristi K. Westphaln

Dissertations

Background: Passage of the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 increased insurance coverage for children, however possession of health care insurance doesn’t always equate to effective use of health care services. Misuse and underutilization of health care homes is associated with higher costs, fragmentation of health care, and poor health outcomes across the lifespan. Along with reliance upon the health care system, child health and well-being are dependent upon social factors such as interactions with caregivers and communities. Family social capital (FSC) addresses the interrelated nature of child health and family interaction while also promoting family cohesion as currency …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Interactions And Pathogen Transmission Between Carnivores In Madagascar, Fidisoa Rasambainarivo

Dissertations

Introduced carnivores exert considerable pressure on native predators through predation, competition and disease transmission. Improved understanding of determinant factors of interactions and pathogen transmission between introduced and endemic wildlife may help to predict disease emergence, avoid pathogen spillover and help control outbreaks. Using non-invasive camera traps, I identified areas where transmission of pathogens might happen through records of shared space-use within a protected area in Eastern Madagascar. I showed that indirect interactions between animals were more likely to occur near the research station which may constitute a disease transmission hotspot for carnivores in the landscape. Secondly, I investigated the associations …

The Unsung Heroes And Silent Partners Of The Educational World, Gillian Schneider

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to identify and describe what paraeducators perceive as factors that lead to effective and sustainable engagement in special education special day classes, and identify what strategies are effective for encouraging discretionary effort as perceived by paraeducators.

Methodology: The participants in the study were 69 paraeducators employed by a Southern California County Office of Education. Participants partook in two research instruments: (a) a 37-question survey and (b) a semi-structured interview.

Findings: Data based on the mixed method analysis revealed that paraeducators are highly committed employees who want to know that they are …

The Beliefs Of Secondary Teachers On Personalized Learning For Students Through The Use Of Instructional Technology, Christopher Jay Ford

Dissertations

Personalized learning for students has been an emerging trend which seeks to support teaching and learning in the 21st century (Netoch, 2017). This study identified beliefs of secondary educators on the different aspects of personalized learning for students. Areas covered in this study included teacher professional development on the personalized learning process, amount or quality of teacher support for the implementation of personalized learning, the impact of technology on personalized learning with classroom instruction, and any obstacles to the personalized learning process. Findings from this study were compared to identify connections between responses as they related to the research questions. …

Further Development Of A Supervision System For Behavior Analysts To Support Evidence-Based Supervision Practices, Katie Lynn Garza

Dissertations

Effective supervision for individuals seeking certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB) has been a recent focus in the field of behavior analysis (BACB, 2012). While the organizational behavior management (OBM) literature is rich with evidence for specific performance-improvement techniques, there is a lack of research on supervision systems specifically for supervising individuals seeking to obtain the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential. Furthermore, studies to date have not examined what it takes for systems to meet their missional objectives while simultaneously providing training and supervision to trainees. This descriptive, process-oriented study sought to analyze the disconnects within a …

Teaching Eye Contact And Responding To Name To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amelia M. Fonger

Dissertations

Eye contact and responding to name may be described as behavioral cusps because acquiring these skills extends contact with the environment, can allow behavior to come under the control of new contingencies, and may facilitate the acquisition of new behavior (Bloom & Lahey, 1978; Carbone, O’Brien, Sweeney-Kerwin, & Albert, 2013; Cook et al., 2017; Hanley, Heal, Tiger, & Ingvarsson, 2007; Rosales-Ruiz & Baer, 1997; Tiegerman & Primavera, 1984; Weiss & Zane, 2010). Eye contact and responding to name are commonly cited as targets for early intensive behavioral intervention; however, the existing literature is limited in its ability to guide a …

Examining The Impact Of A Criminal Background In Social Work Education, Amy S. Vliek

Dissertations

Many returning citizens want to access higher educational institutions (HEIs) to access desired professions and increase employability. However, many HEIs and profession education programs have restrictions in place for returning citizens. An MSW is the most sought-after degree for returning citizens. However, social work education has restrictions in place for returning citizens. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the lived experiences of MSW returning citizen students considering these restrictions. The dissertation attempts to answer the following research questions: How did applicants who disclosed a criminal background at the time of application experience the MSW application process? Did the …

Investigating Generalization Of Motorist Yielding To The Gateway Prompt From The Treated Leg Of The Intersection To The Untreated Adjacent Leg, Brian J. Crowley-Koch

Dissertations

Pedestrian safety continues to be an important research topic, especially since recent data show a small increase in pedestrian fatalities (USGAO, 2015). There have been several interventions that prompt pedestrians, but especially motorists, to yield properly at uncontrolled crosswalks (Van Houten, 1988; Van Houten & Malenfant, 1992; Nasar, 2003; Crowley-Koch, Van Houten & Lim, 2008). One low-cost intervention that has been successful is the R1-6 in road yielding sign (Kannel, Souleyrette, & Tenges, 2003). When this sign is laid out purposefully across a crosswalk (called a gateway), it has resulted in substantial increases in yielding compared to baseline conditions. In …

Elucidation Of The Toxicity Of Anthropogenic Nanoparticles In Environments Containing Heavy Metals, Chartanay Bonner

Dissertations

The design, synthesis, and applications of anthropogenic nanoparticles continue to rise as technologies utilizing the unique chemical and physical properties of materials with nanoscale dimensions emerge. Engineered silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) possess antimicrobial properties toward several strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The manufacturing and use of Ag NPs have led to their increased presence in the environment as pollutants. The interaction of Ag NPs with other pollutants influence their surface properties, aggregation state, stability and consequently, their toxic response toward microbial pathogens. In the present study, we examined the interaction of heavy metal ions (Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, and …

Sacrificial Dynamite: The Convergence Of Developed Empathy And Ongoing Relational Experience With God: A Grounded Theory, Toran Scott

Dissertations

This grounded theory study examined how participants described and reflected on their lives and what led them to choose sacrifice. The study was grounded in a Christian understanding of sacrifice, defined as the willful giving up of one’s positions or possessions for the sake of serving others. Using in-depth, open-ended interviews and follow-up interviews to co-construct meaning, participants were asked to reflect on their childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood to reflect on and describe any messages, relationships, or experiences that they thought contributed to their eventual choice to sacrifice. The interviews were free-flowing and filled with beautiful and engaging stories. …

Utilizing Parent Support Groups To Improve Parenting Efficacy And Relationships For Parents Of Inattentive, Hyperactive, Or Non-Compliant Children, Deborah Rickman Hake

Dissertations

School age children with ADHD suffer functional impairment in social development, show signs of emotional dysregulation, and have learning difficulties. Other psychological disorders may present, and some children may have one or more comorbid disorders. Studies demonstrated that the best practice was combined treatment. It was recommended that a pharmacological and behavioral approach be utilized. ADHD also affects the family. Parents of children with ADHD often neglect their own health caring and advocating for their child. The amount of parent involvement raising a child with ADHD can lead to reactive parenting, strained relationships with spouses, social and emotional isolation, depression, …

Biochemical And Biological Effects Of Irisin In A Model Of Diabetes Mellitus, Mohamed Omer Sirelkhatim Mahgoub

Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent health problem affecting more than 425 million people worldwide. It is associated with several detrimental complications such as neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases. Irisin is a novel hormone that plays a role in metabolism by stimulating the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) into beige adipose tissue which acquires properties that are similar to those of brown adipose tissue (BAT). Several studies have attempted to characterize the roles of irisin in DM and obesity, however, contradictory results have been reported and physiological roles of irisin have been questioned by several researchers. In …