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Colonization History And Origin Of The Galapagos Flycatcher (Myiarchus Magnirostris) And Its Parasites, Eloisa Helena Reis Sari

Dissertations

The Galápagos flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris) is an endemic species to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and is among the least studied Galápagos terrestrial birds. In this work I unveiled the origin and colonization history of the Galápagos flycatcher, and also the origin of the parasites that are currently found in/on this bird species. To determine the origin of the Galápagos flycatcher, I rebuilt the phylogeny of the Myiarchus genus using cytb and ND2, and applied a Bayesian approach to estimate its colonization time. I discovered that the closest living relative of the Galápagos flycatcher is Myiarchus tyrannulus (Brown-crested flycatcher) …

The Journey Of A Science Teacher: Preparing Female Students In The Training Future Scientists After School Program, Rona Marie Robinson-Hill

Dissertations

Abstract What affect does female participation in the Training Future Scientist (TFS) program based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Maslow’s Hierarchies of Needs have on female adolescents’ achievement levels in science and their attitude toward science and interest in science-based careers? The theoretical framework for this study was developed through a constructivist perspective, using dialogic engagement, coinciding with Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory. This action research project used mixed methods research design, targeted urban adolescent females who were members of Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis (BGCGSTL) after-school program. The data collection measures were three qualitative instruments (semi-structured …

Life, Love, And Hegemony On Daytime Tv: A Critical Analysis Of Three Popular Soap Operas, Elizabeth Ann Worden

Dissertations

This study examined the worlds of three popular soap operas: Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless. Someone who has not watched the three soap operas examined for this study might think that soap operas are all alike. Yet this study has demonstrated how different they really are. These soap operas are created by different teams of writers, producers, and editors—different real authors. Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless are really distinct and different from each other in a number of ways. These programs depict different classes of people with different …

Ecological Psychology And Media Consumption Among Young Adults: A New Framework, Alice Diana Cade Ferguson

Dissertations

The Pew Research Center (2010, March 1) identified three crucial “new metrics of news” (p. 2) that help to explain the appeal of new, interactive media forms among young adult news consumers. These metrics of Portability, Personalizability and Participation (Pew, 2010) highlight the rapid transformations in technology and user interests that have helped create a new manifestation of what McLuhan called an “age of anxiety” (1967/2001, pp. 8-9) in mass media industries and in mass communication education and scholarship. The purpose of this research is to investigate this very shift in how news is delivered and consumed, with particular attention …

Racial Microaggressions, Stress, And Depression In African Americans: Test Of A Model, Jessica Ra'chel Roberts

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships between daily hassle stressors (i.e., racial microaggressions and college hassle stress), racial identity, perceived stress, and depression among Black/African American college students. It was hypothesized that perceived stress would partially mediate the relationships between daily hassle stressors and depression. Racial identity was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between racial microaggressions and perceived stress. Data were analyzed from a sample of 142 Black/African American college students from a medium sized university in the Midwest. Utilizing EQS, a path analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model. Findings from the analysis revealed …

A Case Study Of Information Searching Experiences Of High School Students With Visual Impairments In Taiwan, Hui-Fen Chen

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

In Situ Quenching And Post-Polymerization Modification Of Telechelic Polyisobutylene, Todd Raymond Hartlage

Dissertations

Polyisobutylene (PIB) is a saturated hydrocarbon elastomer that can only be produced by cationic polymerization. The water-initiated, chain transfer controlled synthesis conducted on an industrial scale produces monofunctional PIB with mixed olefin end groups. Living cationic techniques produce mono- and di-functional telechelic PIB. In situ quenching is the process of adding functional molecules to the polymerization reactor after all monomer is consumed. These quencher species bond to the chain ends, installing their latent functionality onto the polymer chain. To date, all quenchers utilized have been soft π-nucleophiles.

In the first project, free thiols, both aromatic and aliphatic, are shown to …

Assessing The Generality Of A Bout Analysis In The Description Of Operant Behavior, J. Adam Bennett

Dissertations

Operant psychologists typically use response rate as a primary measure of behavior. Although response rate has proven a useful dependent measure resulting in the identification of many important behavioral regularities, many researchers have argued that the measure has significant limitations. Primarily, response rate treats all responses in the measured response class as functionally equivalent and distributed uniformly across time. This conceptualization of behavior is useful as long as all responses are affected similarly by different experimental manipulations. Research has shown, however, that certain manipulations differentially affect responses with relatively short or long interresponse times. This has led to a new …

The Characterization Of Algae Grown On Nutrient Removal Systems And Evaluation Of Potential Uses For The Resulting Biomass, Kristin Hampel

Dissertations

Eutrophication resulting from excess nutrient loads is a major environmental issue that affects surface water quality and causes surplus primary production, thereby reducing dissolved oxygen concentrations. A method for managing nutrients in surface waters involves absorption of excess nutrients by deliberately cultivating benthic algal turf biomass, then harvesting it for a variety of uses, including biofuels, soil amendments, or feed supplements, thus coupling nutrient removal to additional economic drivers.

The goals of this work are to (1) evaluate the composition of algal biomass grown to remove surface water nutrients, (2) compare biomass grown at different geographic locations and in dissimilar …

Population Demographics And Genetics Of Spix's Disk-Winged Bat: Insights Regarding Survival, Mate Choice, Gene Flow And Effective Population Size, Michael Buchalski

Dissertations

Simultaneous study of the demographics and genetics of populations are relatively rare within the literature, despite insights their combined use offers regarding the life history, ecology, and evolution of species. Here I take a comprehensive approach, using capture-recapture data, polymorphic microsatellite markers, and various modeling techniques to examine the demographics and genetics of multiple local populations of Spix’s disk-winged bat (Thyroptera tricolor) in southwestern Costa Rica. T. tricolor is a highly gregarious, neotropical bat species known to form kin-based social groups with high retention of offspring of both sexes. The implications of this highly unusual social structure for …

Multimedia Instructional Tools And Student Learning In Computer Applications Courses, Debra Laier Chapman

Dissertations

Advances in technology and changes in educational strategies have resulted in the integration of technology into the classroom. Multimedia instructional tools (MMIT) have been identified as a way to provide student-centered active-learning instructional material to students. MMITs are common in introductory computer applications courses based on the theory that this type of educational tool should be effective in increasing student knowledge and result in positive changes to motivation and the learning strategies used in the course.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the MMIT in an introductory computer applications course to determine if there was …

Science Fair: Is It Worth The Work? A Qualitative Study On Deaf Students' Perceptions And Experiences Regarding Science Fair In Primary And Secondary School, Vivian Lee Smith

Dissertations

Science fairs have a long history in American education. They play an important role for establishing inquiry-based experiences in a science classroom. Students may be more motivated to learn science content when they are allowed to choose their own science fair topics. The purpose of this study was to examine Deaf college students’ perceptions and experiences regarding science fair participation during primary and/or secondary school and determine the influence of science fair involvement on the development of language skills, writing skills, and higher order thinking skills as well as its impact on choice of a STEM major.

This study examined …

Effects Of Check In/Checkout With A Fading Procedure On The Academic Engagement And Problem Behavior Of Elementary School Students, Leila Mullooly Miller

Dissertations

Though preliminary research indicates Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is an effective intervention for improving problematic behavior in a variety of populations, the literature is limited in several ways. Several studies have relied on indirect measures of behavior, such as office discipline referrals (ODRs) and teacher ratings, to determine the effectiveness of CICO. However, indirect measures are not always reliable indicators of student behavior change, whereas direct observation is known to be an accurate tool for behavioral measurement. Therefore, the current study evaluated the effects of CICO on levels of problem behavior and academic engagement for a group of four elementary school students …

Role Of Msa In Immune Evasion, Persistence, And Protease Regulation In The Human Pathogenic Strains Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Maria Deepa Basco

Dissertations

Opportunistic pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus on entering the host can stay colonized at the foci of infection or evade the immune system to disseminate to other sites. In this study we investigated the regulatory influence of the modulator of sarA (msa) on immune evasion and host persistence, employing the hospital-acquired strain S. aureus UAMS-1 and community-acquired strain S. aureus USA300 LAC. In the murine sepsis model, mutation of the msa gene in LAC showed no change in dissemination of infection; however, in UAMS-1 a decrease in microbial load was observed in the lungs. Differential regulation by the msa gene was …

Trayvon Martin And Election 2012 Social Media Messaging: An Analysis Of Framing, Rhetoric, And Media Types In Online Messages By Civil Rights Organizations, Riva Renee Brown

Dissertations

This content analysis study explored framing, rhetoric, and media types used by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, National Action Network, and ColorOfChange.org in website and social media messages posted during the Trayvon Martin case and Election 2012. It also examined the mainstream print news media coverage these civil rights organizations generated.

On February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman, a 28 year old White and Hispanic male, fatally shot Martin, a 17 year old Black male, in Florida. After authorities did not charge Zimmerman with the teenager’s murder, these organizations drafted petitions and staged rallies …

Biophysical Understanding Of Novel Synthetic Amyloid-Β (Aβ) Prions In Alzheimer's Disease, Amit Kumar

Dissertations

Oligomers of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide are the primary toxic agents that play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Oligomers are the intermediates formed during the Aβ aggregation process leading up to insoluble fibrils. It is important to know that oligomers can also be formed via pathways that do not lead to fibril formation. Such ‘off-pathway’ oligomers would have significantly longer half-lives than the ‘on-pathway’ ones, which may result in prolonged toxicity to neuronal cells. Furthermore, neither the mechanism of neurotoxicity nor the potential mechanisms of propagation and proliferation to neighboring cells are well understood. Moreover, recent …

The Predictors Of Calling And The Role Of Career Satisfaction In Working Adults, Kari Ann Leavell

Dissertations

A significant amount of time in adult life is spent working. Individuals enter into their world of work by many circumstances, including feeling called to a given career or viewing their work as a calling. The psychological construct of calling has been shown to have considerable implications for career-related outcomes, including career satisfaction. Further, satisfaction with work has demonstrated a considerable impact on more global areas such as satisfaction with and quality of life, meaning in life, and religiousness. Increased understanding of the construct of calling and its contribution to career development and career-related outcomes can clarify how individuals’ experiences …

The Effect Of Asian Origin, Culture And Learning Beliefs On High School Students' Physical Science Learning Beliefs, Xiaolan Li

Dissertations

Asian Americans have been recognized as the model minority in the United States since the 1960s. Students from Asian countries are winning in international competitions, especially in science and mathematics. Modern Western scholars working within the constructivist learning theory advocate malleable intelligence and effort, which actually corresponds to Asian learning beliefs and learning behaviors. This research is designed to test if American high school students and Chinese students from the mainland of China who are motivated to attend American universities are different in their learning beliefs of physical science and what accounts for the difference if there is any.

The Role Of Distress Tolerance In Aggressive Behavior, Anne Winston Mcintyre

Dissertations

Berkowitz (1989) proposed that the degree of negative affect experienced following a frustrating event determines whether one will respond aggressively, suggesting that one possesses a certain amount of tolerance for distressing emotions. However, little research has been conducted on the relation between distress tolerance and aggression. Moreover, no published study has examined the relation between distress tolerance and behavioral aggression using a multi-modal assessment approach, nor examined the potential mediating role of negative affect in the relation between distress tolerance and aggression. To address this gap in the literature, college students (N = 87) aged 18 to 49 years (M …

The Pine Effect, Andrea Kay Spofford

Dissertations

This dissertation includes original poems written during my time at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Adjusted Variance Components For Unbalanced Clustered Binary Data Models, Intesar N. Abdoslam

Dissertations

In practice, it is very common to have clustered binary responses, where binary data are naturally grouped by sampling technique or some property of the sampling units. Often these clusters are unbalanced. The preferred class of models for clustered binary data is the Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model (HGLM), where random effects are used to account for the overdispersion known to exist for clustered binary data. There are many methods to estimate the parameters in Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models, but none of the current methods allowed the overdispersion to vary from cluster to cluster. As clustered binary data led to overdispersion, …

Effect Of Endurance Exercise On The Combination Of Streptoxotocin Induced Diabetes And Doxorubicin, Stephanie Erin Greufe

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Interrelationships Among Attachment Style, Personality Traits, Interpersonal Competency, And Facebook Use, Michael A. Jenkins-Guarnieri

Dissertations

Online social media has become a popular way to communicate and develop interpersonal relationships. Facebook use in particular has become an important topic for researchers and clinicians, as young adults are increasingly integrating this use into their daily lives and social behavior. As empirical work on the personality traits and interpersonal competency associated with use and the potential consequences of use on social behavior is still emerging, the present study sought to investigate the interrelationships among constructs relevant to the developmental tasks associated with emerging adulthood, including adult attachment style, Five Factor Model personality traits, interpersonal competency, and Facebook use. …

Malaria Kinase Inhibition: A Tool For Antimalarial Drug Discovery And Elucidation Of Cell Cycle Protein Expression Patterns, Kristen M. Bullard

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Bayesian Estimation Of The Fractal Dimension Index Of Fractional Brownian Motion, Chen-Yueh Chen

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Teachers' Report Of Strategies Used To Facilitate Language Development In Students With Hearing Loss, Candace Michele Handley

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Korean Traditional Elements In Young-Jo Lee's Choral Works, Taehyun Kim

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Counseling Religious African Americans: Implications For A Social Justice Model Of Intervention, Rachelle Delorse Smith

Dissertations

Due to a complex history of unethical societal and medical practices towards African Americans from U.S. institutions such as the U.S. Public Health Services and Johns Hopkins Hospital, a consistent lack of collaborative relationships between the African American religious community and the professional counseling community has emerged. Thus, some religious African Americans who may have needed counseling services did not receive them, as Black churches commonly dismiss the relevancy and necessity of professional counseling. The purpose of this theory-building study was to examine the perceptions that lead to such dismissals and, inspired by action research approaches, derive the best methods …

The Effects Of Religious Fundamentalism And Threat On Prejudice, Theta P. Gribbins

Dissertations

The study investigated the relation of religious fundamentalism (RF) and prejudice in the presence of two threat conditions: epistemic uncertainty, introduced via threat to beliefs, and existential threat, presented through mortality salience induction. A model of RF as a belief system adopted to manage uncertainty and threat was also presented. Participants were 396 undergraduates, 192 of whom met inclusion requirements. RF was significantly related to prejudice toward women, toward homosexual individuals, and toward other religions, the latter relationship being strongest. No significant effects for threat condition were found. Results indicate that the uncertainty and/or threat introduced by the target groups …

Motivating Operations In Drug-Discrimination, Amin Duff Lotfizadeh

Dissertations

Motivating operations (MO) play an important role in learning and performance. According to the behavior analytic conceptualization, MOs alter the probability of responses that lead to relevant reinforcers and alter the reinforcing “value” of those reinforcers (e.g., Michael, 1982, 1993). Recent research suggests that one way in which MOs influence stimulus control is by influencing the control of behavior by discriminative stimuli. Interestingly, in studies with nonhumans, such an effect is commonly observed when lights and tones are used as discriminative stimuli, but not when drugs are used. Procedural differences across studies involving the species studied, the measurement system used …