Digital Commons Network^™

Probing Shielding Tensor Components Of Amino Acids Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Shiva Agarwal

Dissertations

Chirality is fundamental to terrestrial life. While most amino acids exist as nonsuperimposable mirror images, amino acids in terrestrial life are homochiral, with the L-enantiomer being ubiquitous. The detection of an excess of L-amino acids in carbonaceous meteorites suggests that extraterrestrial processes may have contributed to this enantiomeric excess (ee). One proposed mechanism, the magnetochiral model, provides a potential explanation for this phenomenon in stellar environments characterized by strong magnetic and electric fields and the presence of relativistic leptons. According to this model, subtle differences in the electronic environments of chiral amino acids under such conditions …

The Role Of Excitatory Neuromodulation In Managing Variability Of Neural System Output, Omar Itani

Dissertations

Neural systems can generate consistent outputs across a population despite substantial variability in the underlying components of individuals. This dissertation aims to identify mechanisms through which neuromodulation influences the relationship between parametric and output variability in neural systems. Through a combination of theoretical analysis, computational modeling, and data-driven approaches, the research addresses how excitatory neuromodulation can shape population-level activity variability and identifies key patterns that govern the production of consistent neural population output despite underlying parameter variability.

The theoretical foundation is established by considering how excitatory neuromodulation affects population variability in simplified neuronal models. Two fundamental patterns of variability reduction …

Modulation Of Cerebellar Cells By Transcranial Ac Stimulation In Anesthetized Rats, Qi Kang

Dissertations

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is increasingly utilized in clinical trials for the treatment of neurological disorders. Each NIBS technique offers distinct advantages. Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is easy to apply and requires only simple equipment, while transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can penetrate deeper than tES into the brain and it is more focal. Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS) is superior to both in terms of penetration and focal stimulation. This study focuses on the modulation of the cerebellum, traditionally believed to be associated with motor coordination but increasingly recognized for its role in cognition and emotion as well. While tES …

Through The Four Truth Lens: Exploring Climate Change Communication At Joshua Tree And Glacier Bay National Parks, Heather A. Waterman, Amanda Berlinski

Dissertations

The climate crisis threatens our global communities, cultures, and futures. Communication that brings climate change into everyday conversations and galvanizes the public to respond to it collectively is needed. However, political divides in the United States make climate change a contested heritage topic that is challenging to address. The purpose of this applied, basic qualitative research study was to use the Four Truth Framework, developed by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to investigate climate change communication at Joshua Tree National Park in California and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Climate change affects national parks more than other …

Parent’S Health Literacy And Stress Level In The Inpatient Pediatric Setting, Tina C. Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between parent health literacy and stress levels during their child’s inpatient hospitalization.

Background: In 2019, over five million pediatric hospitalizations occurred in the United States. Parents are central to their child’s care, but stress and sociodemographic factors may hinder their ability to understand and apply health information. This study explored how stress and other variables impact parent health literacy during hospitalization.

Methods: A cross-sectional design included a demographic survey, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Bivariate analyses (Chi-square, t-tests) and logistic regression were used to assess …

Exploring The Experience Of Embodiment Of Diverse Leaders, Susan Lynn Flaming Yeats

Dissertations

The experience of embodiment is a complex phenomenon that spans a range of feelings: a sense of connection to one's physical body, a sense of capability to accomplish certain physical acts, an attunement to self-care behaviors, a connection to desire, and inhabiting the body as a subjective site (Piran, 2016). This can be a complicated experience for leaders who hold multiple intersecting identities (Hill et al., 2016). As new medical therapies promise radical weight loss possibilities, the experience of embodiment has taken on a new layer of complexity (Giorgis, 2024). For fat leaders who are also women of color, sexual …

Reimagining Pedagogies Of The Prison Yard: Using Ethnotheatre To Embody Transcarceral Conocimiento, Mabelle Reynoso

Dissertations

Latinxs make up 40% of California's population but account for 45% of the prison population and 47% of the jail population (Sawyer, 2023). Their overrepresentation in carceral custody not only impacts the individual but also affects families and communities by limiting access to social, political, and educational capital and agency. In response to gaps in research specific to the collateral impact, this interdisciplinary arts-based qualitative study highlights the experiences of five formerly incarcerated Latino men who participated in an Arts in Corrections playwriting class during their time in a California state prison. This study foregrounds their knowledge as cuentistas (storytellers), …

Perspectives On Using Multimedia In Social Studies For Student Engagement In Marginalized Youth: A Case Study, Dorrian Swinger

Dissertations

Abstract

Marginalized youth are currently facing an academic crisis in schools. Research has shown that marginalized youth are statistically more likely to drop out of school and not graduate from high school (defined as the academic crisis in this study). One reason for these high drop-out rates is disengagement in what is taught and how content is delivered in school. When students cannot relate or connect to their studies, it causes disengagement and uninterest in school. The disengagement can lead to a lack of academic success, which creates negative motivation to drop out of school. The more marginalized youth are …

Unraveling The Antiviral Mechanisms Of Bat Cells: Processing Of Genomic Rnas By Dicer In Bat Cells Limits Sars-Cov-2 Replication, Iyanuoluwani Owolabi

Dissertations

Bats are reservoirs for numerous viruses that cause serious diseases in other animals and humans. Several mechanisms are proposed to contribute to the tolerance of bats to these pathogens. This study investigates the response of bat cells to double-stranded RNA generated by SARS-CoV-2 replication. Here, we found the involvement of Dicer in the processing of viral genomic RNAs during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Examining RNA sequencing of infected cells, small-interfering RNA (siRNA)-like fragments were found derived from viral RNAs. Depletion of Dicer showed a reduction in these RNAs and an increase in viral loads suggesting unlike other mammals, bats may use Dicer …

A New Approach: Supporting Traditional Jazz Pedagogy Through Neuroscience, Christopher John Navarrete

Dissertations

Jazz musicians face a considerable learning curve in their performance endeavors. Numerous factors must be taken into account, including performance anxiety, memorization, active listening, ear training, mastery of musical techniques, and improvisation. Through the effective preparation of these skills, musicians tend to achieve success; however, this success fundamentally relies on the practice habits of the jazz musician.

A common approach in jazz pedagogy emphasizes the development of musical techniques such as scales and chords, modulating across various harmonic progressions. I will define this as a “traditional approach” used in jazz pedagogy. This method has been widely embraced by jazz musicians …

Examining The Effects Of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation On Gut Immune Responses, Aspen Elizabeth King

Dissertations

Previous studies conducted in our laboratory suggest that activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation with the prototypical ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) initially suppresses both fecal and serum antigen-specific IgA responses, but fecal antigen-specific IgA levels recover from suppression while serum IgA levels do not. The purpose of the research detailed in this dissertation was to explore two potential mechanisms allowing for the more rapid recovery of antigen-specific IgA in the feces relative to the serum: (1) an increase in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that enhance IgA antibody responses in intestinal tissues, and (2) an increase in the migration of …

Here Be Dragons: The Barriers Of Korean American Female Leaders In Secondary Schools, Joyce A. Kim

Dissertations

In K-12 public schools, there is a shortage of Korean American women in school leadership roles at the secondary level. This phenomenological study explores the contributing factors to this lack of representation, how institutions can recruit and retain Korean American female leaders, and how school systems can better support them. This study examines the leadership experiences of eight Korean American women. It utilizes the socio-political contexts of Korean patriarchy, the Model Minority Myth, and mentorship to help frame the problem of existing barriers. This study explores the following questions: What factors hinder Korean American women in school leadership? What structural …

Useful Measures Of Adult Attachment And Object Relations In Psychotherapy, Matilde A. Torallas Huerta

Dissertations

This is a literature review of objective and projective measures of attachment and object relations in adults, with the objective of reviewing outstanding research to identify the key factors for adult attachment assessment considered within attachment and object relations theories, what measures of adult attachment styles and dysfunction work best, and to provide key themes of assistance in the measurement of attachment and object relations in adult clients in psychotherapy. Theoretical foundations of attachment and object relations theory are reviewed as well as objective and projective instruments grouped by format. The 10 themes found to be useful in the assessment …

The Shifting Landscape Of Harm: Investigating The Phenomenon Of Concept Creep In Harm Perception, Jefferson Sherwood

Dissertations

Concept creep, the gradual semantic expansion of harm-related concepts (Haslam et al., 2020), is a phenomenon garnering increasing attention in the field of psychology and is examined in the context of shifting perceptions of what is considered harmful. While what is considered harmful has shifted throughout generations, why these shifts happen and what motivates society to accept these broadening definitions has yet to be explained. Up to this point individual differences such as activism, risk, empathy, stressful life events, and dark triad personality have yet to be investigated as potential contributors to the expansion of harm-related concepts. Thus, this group …

A Randomized Clinical Trial Exploring Two Doses Of Cannabidiol Daily For Eight Weeks On Health And Stress, Ryland Emery Townsend

Dissertations

This study’s purpose was to explore whether a 60 or 30 mg dose of cannabidiol (CBD) consumed in a beverage further supplemented with L-theanine, vitamin E, and vitamin C would alter various measures on subjective measures of stress, health and fitness related outcomes, and objective measures of stress. This double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial recruited healthy, college-aged subjects for randomization into one of four treatment groups where they consumed daily a single 12 ounce beverage for eight weeks containing 1) 60 mg CBD (CBD60) plus L-theanine; 2) 30 mg CBD (CBD30) plus L-theanine; 3) no CBD (CBD0), L-theanine alone, and 4) …

The Role Of A Web-Based Collaborative Cloud Application As A Tool For Spanish Acquisition: College Students’ Attitudes And Perceptions In Language Courses, Gloria Mercedes Monzon

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine college students’ attitudes and perceptions toward using a web-based collaborative cloud application (Padlet) for aquiring the Spanish language. Conducted during the Fall 2024 semester, the study involved 53 college students from the Colorado Rocky Mountain region who engaged with Padlet in their Spanish language courses. A quantitative method was employed to address the following three research questions related to students’ perceptions of Padlet’s effectiveness in developing four essential skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; their attitudes toward Padlet’s features; and their overall evaluation of Padlet as a language-learning tool.

Q1 What are …

Warriors And Guardians: Police Recruit Role Orientation And Heterogeneity, Robert Boxerman

Dissertations

American police have experienced an expansion of duties over the last century, and their function has become increasingly diverse. As a result, researchers have developed role orientation typologies to understand how officers view themselves, their attitudes toward their work, and their responsibilities. One such typology is the warrior/guardian framework, where warrior-oriented officers see themselves as crime-fighting soldiers in conflict with criminals, while guardian-oriented officers view themselves as protectors of the community and providers of broader public services. Despite its popularity, there is limited empirical evidence supporting this framework. Further, little research examines how police recruits differentially view their role as …

Utilizing Drainage Induced Pfas Enrichment In Cascade Generated Foam For Efficient Removal At Wastewater Treatment Plants, Ethan Samuel Coffin

Dissertations

Observed trends in municipal solid waste landfills reveal a distinct disparity between per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) composition entering in waste, mostly as diPAP and FTOH, and leaching out as FTCA and PFCA. These patterns are elucidated by compiling PFAS compositions in paper, textiles, and carpet, with known precursor transformations that generate FTCA and PFCA in leachate. Landfill leachate is commonly discharged to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), which are ineffective at degrading PFAS and only serve as key conduits and discharge points for PFAS to the environment. Foam fractionation has been identified as a promising technology for concentrating and …

Techniques For Enabling Advanced Adas Features: Operation In Inclement Weather And Use Of Infrastructure Information, Parth Kadav

Dissertations

Modern vehicles have undergone a transformation with the widespread integration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology becoming the new standard and are set to be mandated by the by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for all passenger vehicles and light trucks. ADAS features have proven to prevent or mitigate crashes by either alerting or assisting the driver. ADAS typically utilizes a forward-facing camera, which comes standard in modern vehicles to provide limited automation features such as Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), and Lane Centering Assist (LCA) to improve driver safety. These systems rely on the assumption that vehicle …

Turbulence And Energetic Ion Production In The Partially Magnetized Hollow Cathode Plume, Margaret Mary Mooney

Dissertations

Hall effect thrusters (HETs) are the most widely used electric propulsion (EP) device for in-space satellite propulsion. EP devices provide high efficiencies for extended mission lifetimes and low thrust for precision maneuvers. The hollow cathode is a critical HET component and undergoes extensive lifetime testing in addition to the lifetime testing of the full HET. Significant density gradients, non-Maxwellian electron behavior, and magnetic fields sufficiently strong enough to magnetize electrons in hollow cathode plumes create favorable conditions for the formation of plasma instabilities, which have an impact on cathode lifetime. Cathode qualification testing is typically conducted independently and includes a …

Exploring Date Pomace As A Functional Ingredient In Bread: Nutritional And Functional Properties, Alaa Almoumen

Dissertations

This study investigated the incorporation of desugared date fruit pomace into wheat bread rolls and evaluated its effects on dough handling, bread quality, staling behavior, sensory acceptability, and nutritional composition. The research was conducted in three experimental phases: (i) development and characterization of a high-fiber dietary ingredient (HFDI) from date pomace, including its physicochemical and functional properties; (ii) bread fortification and quality assessment, where wheat flour was partially replaced with 0–20% HFDI to evaluate its effects on dough rheology, bread texture, color, moisture retention, shelf life, and consumer acceptance; and (iii) nutritional and physiological evaluation of the fortified breads, including …

Counseling In The Space Between: Counselor Perceptions Of Empathy And Therapeutic Alliance During Videoconferencing-Based Teleplay Therapy Sessions, Robert M. Lima Jr

Dissertations

Children and adolescents experienced a significant increase in mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic (Czeisler et al., 2020; Hertz et al., 2022; Mpofu, 2023; Oberg et al., 2022; Wilkins et al., 2023). With health facilities closed for non-emergent patients, telemental health therapy offered the possibility of support for those experiencing mental health challenges (Chiauzzi et al., 2020; Cooke et al., 2020; Karimi et al., 2022; E. C. Lee et al., 2023; Racine et al., 2020). While numerous past studies conducted over several years confirmed the efficacy of telemental health counseling (e.g., Feijt et al., 2020; Gloff et al., 2015; …

The Cellular Trafficking And Targeting Of Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme-2 (Ace2) And Neutral-Amino-Acid-Transporter (B0at1) Variants: Implications For The Pathogenesis Of Associated Diseases And Therapy, Nesreen Fayyad Alkhofash

Dissertations

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1, encoded by SLC6A19, are membrane proteins with pivotal roles in human physiology. ACE2 is involved in regulating blood pressure and serves as the cellular entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2, while B0AT1 facilitates amino acid absorption in the intestine. The interplay between ACE2 and B0AT1, particularly their physical interaction and co-expression in the intestine, underscores their relevance in both normal physiology and disease. Dysregulation of these proteins has been implicated in conditions such as hypertension, and Hartnup disease and they have been usurped by SARS-CoV-2 to cause COVID-19. Despite their …

From Microplastic Impact To Biodegradation Solutions: Investigating Microplastic Pollution, Microbial Responses, And Efficacy Of Synthetic Microbial Consortia In Plastic Degradation, Rener Sahot De Jesus

Dissertations

Plastics, including microplastics, pose significant environmental threats due to their widespread presence and harmful ecological effects. This dissertation present three distinct, yet interconnected studies. First, a study on microplastic contamination in urban recreational parks was conducted in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Results showed that low-density microplastics were present in 87% of soil samples, with spectroscopic analysis identifying synthetic polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Additionally, these microplastics were found to negatively affect soil pH and moisture levels, emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring and management strategies. Second, the effects of ground microplastics on Photobacterium leiognathi strains, a marine luminous …

Therapeutic Role Of Bioactive Peptides Derived From Hemoglobin, Priya Antony Pereppadan

Dissertations

Bioactive peptides are peptide fragments derived from the proteolytic cleavage or maturation of functional proteins that have shown promising therapeutic potential in addressing major health challenges, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and pain management. Diabetes is characterized by high blood glucose levels due to insufficient insulin production or utilization. There are several therapeutic targets for managing diabetes, and one key target is dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) due to its role in glucose metabolism. In hypertension, angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 (ACE1) is critical for regulating blood pressure by forming angiotensin II, and its inhibition represents an established treatment strategy. Additionally, the …

Investigating The Proviral And Immunogenic Effects Of Sars-Cov-2 Accessory Protein 7a, Grant Michael Hawkins

Dissertations

SARS-CoV-2 and related sarbecoviruses encode a set of accessory proteins (3a, 3b, 6, 7a, 7b, 8, 9b, and 10) that control host responses to infection and promote virus growth. Of these accessory proteins, 7a is set apart by its intracellular localization near coronavirus (CoV) budding sites and its incorporation into secreted virions. Initial studies utilizing a virus-like particle (VLP) system identified significant proviral effects mediated by 7a, but the system lacked the context of an actual CoV infection. To investigate 7a functions during CoV infections, we constructed recombinant Mouse Hepatitis Viruses (rMHV strain A59) that express 7a genes. Comparative infections …

Refinement Of Megakaryocyte Lineage Commitment In Hematopoietic Stem And Progenitor Cells During Postnatal And Adult Hematopoiesis, Ryan Michael Mack

Dissertations

Mammalian hematopoiesis ensures the continuous production of specialized blood cells, yet the mechanisms that govern megakaryocyte/erythroid (MK/E) bifurcation remain incompletely understood. While HSPCs sustain all blood lineages, how transient waves of progenitors arise and adapt from fetal to adult stages is less clear. This gap in knowledge limits our capacity to precisely manipulate platelet and red blood cell outputs in both developmental and therapeutic contexts. Using refined gating strategies and various bulk- and single-cell transcriptomics, we dissected the traditional “common myeloid progenitor” and Multipotent Progenitor (MPP) compartment into multiple functionally distinct subsets (C1, C2, C3). Within C1, an ESAM⁺ fraction …

Primal Leadership In Healthcare: A Phenomenological Study Of Emergency Medicine Physicians And Their Perspective On Effective Leadership, Zoe Zaidi

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how emergency medicine (EM) physicians in leadership roles use the six EI leadership competencies related to relationship management (inspiration, influence, developing others, change catalyst, conflict management, and teamwork and collaboration) to lead teams and accomplish effective results. Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of emergency medicine (EM) physician leaders in San Bernadino, Riverside, and Orange counties in Southern California. The participants were selected through nonprobability purposeful sampling and met the criteria “as leaders” for achieving effective results. Data were collected through semistructured interview questions and analysis …

Earthing Practice For Mental Health Among Adults In The United States: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Natalie Greenberg

Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the lived experience of adults in the United States who practice earthing for mental health.

The Impact Of Race And Gender On Benevolent Sexism Endorsement, Kelsey Berryman

Dissertations

Research investigating the influence of race and gender conjointly on sexism endorsement is limited. Much of this existing research exclusively focuses on difference between Black and White women and men or have focused on race and gender as separate entities. The goal of this study is to investigate gender and race difference in benevolent sexism (BS) endorsement while considering relevant cultural factors for each race-gender group. A mixed-method design examined differences in endorsement of BS for Asian, Black, Latina/o, and White women and men. A meditational model using each race-gender group as independent variables examined difference in BS as mediated …