Digital Commons Network^™

Cognitive Ecology Of Color Vision In Orchid Bees, Andreia Queiroz Santos A Figueiredo

Dissertations

Animals interact with their environment and acquire information from it. Information can be processed by their sensory systems and influence behavior, often mediated through mechanisms of decision-making and learning. Animal pollinators acquire information from flowers and use this information to make decisions about the flowers they visit. My research aimed to understand the role of color vision in a tropical pollinator, the orchid bee Euglossa dilemma. Chapter 1 is a review exploring pollination through the lens of prepared learning. Prepared learning proposes that animals learn some associations better than others due to an evolved match with the environment. I …

The Formation Of Proxy Force And External State Relationships: Prospect Theory And Proxy Force Decision Making, Brandon Temple

Dissertations

Proxy war is a common tactic employed by great powers as a safer alternative to direct conflict, especially in the era of nuclear weapons. While proxy war is common, there is a lack of research on the formation of proxy-external state relationships. Previous research has typically examined the phenomena of proxy war through the perspective of the external state power, leaving a gap in the literature. This dissertation fills that gap by assessing the conditions under which armed groups enter into proxy relationships with external states. Using prospect theory as a framework for understanding more clearly armed group decision making …

White Voters And Minority Animus In The Era Of Trump, Zachary Schwartz

Dissertations

Overt and blatant racism of the type that was once used to justify Jim Crow laws and other forms of de facto segregation against Blacks has largely been forced into the margins of society. However, the reduction of overt racism that casts whites as biologically superior to Blacks can be easily confused with a reduction of racism in totality. The election and continued popularity of Donald Trump demonstrates that the conversation on race in the United States needs much more analysis. On multiple occasions during his campaign and presidency, Trump made inflammatory remarks on race and immigration, and yet suffered …

The Role Of Zingiberales Shared Evolutionary History And Leaf Traits In Structuring Rolled-Leaf Beetle Assemblages In A Tropical Forest, José Miguel Chaves Fallas

Dissertations

Understanding how local assemblages of plants and animals are structured is a central challenge for evolutionary ecology. Tropical assemblages are high in species numbers and in variety of ecological interactions, providing unique multispecies biological systems to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about community assembly. The objective of this dissertation was to understand the role of Zingiberales shared evolutionary history and plant traits for structuring the rolled-leaf beetle (Cephaloleia and Chelobasis, Chrysomelidae) assemblage in a lowland wet forest (La Selva Biological Station) of Costa Rica.

In chapter I studied the evolution of physical, nutritional, and chemical leaf traits, how …

Elementary Educator Perceptions Of The Impact Breaks Have On Student Engagement, Sarah-Bo Kirchhoff

Dissertations

According to the US. Department of Labor, 1991, the United States education has shifted the focused to student performance and academic success (NCEE, 2006). School districts across the nation have increased students’ academic demands, including increased academic instruction time, while the allotted time for recess and academic breaks continuously decrease, significantly impacting the school day’s structure (Brusseau & Hannon, 2015; Ginsburg et al., 2007; Stonehill et al., 2011). However, research asserted that instructional time increase does not significantly impact student achievement. In contrast, the increase of academic instruction time could stimulate behavioral problems and sedentary behaviors, while the continuous decrease …

Role Of Ebv In Neuroinflammation: Implications For Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis, Asma Hassani

Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the CNS with unknown cause. Individuals who are genetically predisposed and exposed to specific environmental factors have an increased risk of developing MS. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is linked to MS development, according to a large body of seroepidemiological and pathological evidence. EBV is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus that typically produces silent infection but can also cause a wide range of illnesses. A large cohort of MS and non-MS control cases has been previously examined and revealed the prevalent presence of EBV in MS. However, the role of the virus in the …

Factors That Affect Customer Intention To Revisit Green Hotels: The Case Of Abu Dhabi, Abdulaziz Faisal Ali Alremeithi

Dissertations

Given the Abu Dhabi 2008 Estidama sustainability initiative and the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, hospitality is one of the sectors that can contribute most significantly to the long-term economic growth of Abu Dhabi and have the greatest impact on its environmental and natural resources. The results of this study will enable decision-makers to understand why consumers choose green hotels over conventional hotels. The purpose is to expand existing knowledge by investigating the factors that influence customer intention to revisit green hotels from four perspectives: the self-perspective, the prosocial perspective, the business-to-business marketing perspective, and the consumer-to-consumer marketing perspective. The …

Characterization Of The Lining Epithelium Of Normal And Precancerous Uterine Cervix In Mice, Reem Mamoun Shouk

Dissertations

Despite the fact that cervical cancer is a common health issue among women worldwide, little is known regarding the epithelial lining of the uterine cervix where cancer originates. Cancer development involves alterations in carbohydrate expression and changes in the dynamics of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to define carbohydrate moieties and cellular dynamics of the epithelial lining of the uterine cervix in normal mice and then in mice developing cervical precancerous lesions. Since the uterus undergoes cyclic changes, mice in each of the four stages of the estrus cycle were first identified using both …

Impact Of Date-Pit Activated Carbon In Different Applications: Biomedical And Environment, Betty Titus Mathew

Dissertations

Activated carbon (AC) or activated charcoal are black carbonaceous porous solid material with prominent physico-chemical properties such as low volume pore size distribution, high specific surface area, and high-degree of surface reactivity for adsorption and other chemicals reactions. AC as strong and reliable adsorbent have been reported to be employed in diverse applications stretching from water/air purification, medical, sewage treatment, energy storage devices, catalyst, supercapacitor electrodes fabrication, and as biosensors component. In this current work, AC was produced from date pits, which is a common biological waste product in UAE, and used for biomedical and environmental applications instead of using …

Livestock Ticks In The Uae: Prevalence, Distribution, Population Dynamics, And Associated Microorganisms, Nighat Perveen

Dissertations

Ticks are important vectors of an array of viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens resulting in a wide range of animal and human diseases in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In this study, ticks were collected from camels, cows, sheep, and goats in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objectives of the study were to (1) identify tick species of livestock through taxonomic keys and using molecular markers, and determine their prevalence and distribution in the UAE, (2) assess Hyalomma dromedarii seasonal population fluctuation over a year under common camel breeding and management …

Molecular Mechanism Of Action Of The Natural Polyphenolic Compound And The P300 Inhibitor “Carnosol” Against The Triple Negative Breast Cance, Halima Ali Mohammed Salem Alsamri

Dissertations

Carnosol, a naturally occurring Phyto polyphenol found in sage, oregano, and rosemary, has been extensively studied by our laboratory for its anticancer effects in various types of cancer. In human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), carnosol was shown to inhibit cellular viability, colony growth, induced cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and apoptosis. Nonetheless, very little is known about the molecular mechanism of action. In the current study, the ability of carnosol to inhibit metastasis and tumour growth was examined. Wound healing and invasion assays revealed that carnosol inhibited migration and invasion at non-cytotoxic concentrations of MDA-MB-231 cells. Also, carnosol was found to …

Essays On The Impacts Of Extreme Natural Events On Health, Moumita Ghorai

Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three chapters that examine how extreme events impact health outcomes such as short-term illness, body mass index, probability of pre-term birth, and mortality. The study reveals the severe consequences of these events and shows that certain groups within a particular country are affected disproportionately.

The first chapter examines whether National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), India’s flagship workfare program, mitigates adverse health outcomes of a drought. This paper contributes to a growing area of research on adaptations to climate change. Using Indian Human Development Survey (2004-2005 and 2010-2011), a nationally representative panel data set, and high resolution …

Family Nurse Practitioners' Use Of Mhealth Apps For Health Promotion With Patients, Rebecca Coyle Mueller

Dissertations

Due to the significant prevalence of chronic illnesses in the United States, engaging patients in health promotion activities is imperative. mHealth apps have the ability to complement the family nurse practitioner's (FNP) prescribed care plan, and offer a user friendly, convenient method to promote healthy behaviors and lessen the prevalence of chronic disease. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to describe FNPs' intent to use and use of mHealth apps for health promotion with their patients using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and to determine the types and frequencies of apps recommended by …

The Lived Experience Of Nurse Practitioners In Independent Practice, Annmarie Waite

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Nurse Practitioners in independent practice. The aim was to give NPs a voice to express their individual experience, provide an inductive description of the lived experience, and gain understanding of the essence of being an independent practitioner. Philosophical Underpinning: This qualitative study was guided by the hermeneutic phenomenological approach of Max van Manen (1990).

The Self-Directed Goal Theory Experiment: A Mixed Methods Study Of Personal Development Goal-Setting Programs And Self-Efficacy, Tara N. Strickland

Dissertations

Andragogy is not dead; it may be simply lying dormant until its essential component, self-directed learning, revives it again. The fact is that self-directed learning can be formal or informal. This mixed methods study explored the informal side of self-directed learning, concentrating on self-help (a popularized form of personal development goalsetting). Despite a thriving self-help market, several personal development goal-setting programs focus more on goal achievement, little on goal planning, and even less on the individual. A comparative analysis of autonomous, guided, and self-directed personal goal-setting programs determined if self-directedness maximizes self-efficacy. Additionally, the researcher’s original Self-Directed Goal Theory and …

Human 5’-Tailed Mirtrons Are Processed By Rnasep, Mohammad Farid Zia

Dissertations

Approximately a thousand microRNAs (miRNAs) are documented from human cells. A third appear to transit non-canonical pathways that typically bypass processing by Drosha, the dedicated nuclear miRNA producing enzyme. The largest class of non-canonical miRNAs are mirtrons which eschew Drosha to mature through spliceosome activity. While mirtrons are found in several configurations, the vast majority of human mirtron species are 5’-tailed. For these mirtrons, a 3’ splice site defines the 3’ end of their hairpin precursor while a “tail” of variable length separates the 5’ base of the hairpin from the nearest splice site. How this tail is removed is …

The Motive To Work: Assessing Organizational Motivation Within The Federal Probation System, Aleda M. Thomas

Dissertations

Competition within the United States workforce is growing at an unprecedented rate. Turnover rates of all organizations and businesses have reached an all-time high. According to the U.S. Labor Department, 4.3 million Americans quit their job in the month of August alone. Times have shifted to where the ball no longer resides on the side of employers, but now it resides with employees. As such, it is vital to ensure workplaces are enjoyable and encompass cultures that produce high levels of motivation, satisfaction, and engagement. As such, the retention of skilled and qualified employees must be at the forefront of …

Sirencide: The Impact Of Acute Stress On Emergency Vehicle Crashes, Dustin Lambert

Dissertations

Emergency services provide an invaluable service to communities and cities around the world. Research has shown these professionals encounter significant acute psychological stress throughout their work shifts. Acute stress has been shown to impact human performance in various realms, from increased risk-taking to cognitive decline. While the actual work varies between firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency medical services, a shared commonality is the operation of emergency vehicles. Emergency vehicle crashes are recognized as a serious issue by FEMA. The current work aimed to measure the impact of acute stress on emergency responders as measured by fatal emergency vehicle crashes in …

Infrastructure Risk Reduction: The Case Of Drinking Water Emergencies, Mark Paine

Dissertations

Public water systems are an integral part of community infrastructure. Drinking water contamination or service disruptions have the potential to cause economic losses, limit fire suppression capability, and result in human illnesses. Until 2016, the United States federal government had not issued a disaster declaration due to contaminated water. The first federal drinking water disaster declaration due to contaminated water serves as a sentinel event demonstrating the need to increase focus on public water systems during all phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery. Previous studies evaluating risks to vulnerable populations associated with drinking water primarily utilized qualitative …

The Utility Of The Test Of Everyday Attention For Children (Tea-Ch) For Attention-Related Referrals, Ewelina Lakomy

Dissertations

The Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) is a commonly used, UK-normed test to assess diverse attentional capacities in children and adolescents. Currently, there is insufficient evidence for the diagnostic utility of the TEA-Ch with ADHD in a U.S. population. The focus in this study was to investigate the relationship between the TEA-Ch scores test authors found to be most sensitive to ADHD in UK samples as well as the relationship of TEA-Ch scores to other measures typically used in the diagnosis of ADHD, including rating scales. Archival and prospective analyses of 121 subjects with mixed-clinical/ADHD diagnoses (ages 6–16; …

Adult Postoperative Open-Heart Patients: Anemia And 30-Day Hospital Readmission, Lindsey J. Ryan

Dissertations

In 2013 alone, more than 4% (3.9 million) of patients discharged from a hospital were readmitted. Anemia following a surgical procedure is associated with early hospital readmission.

The following specific aims were addressed:

• Aim 1. To develop an operational definition of the term condition-based maintenance as applied to health care and discuss the applicability and effectiveness of condition-based maintenance within health care.
• Aim 2. To identify the number of adult patients undergoing elective open-heart surgery with preoperative anemia.
• Aim 3. To examine the relationship between preoperative anemia, sociodemographics, and 30-day hospital readmission rates among postoperative open-heart adult patients.
• Aim 4. …

Following The Yellow Brick Road: The Lived Journey Of Nurses Becoming Nurse Practitioners, Kathleen Theresa Ogle

Dissertations

In this phenomenological study, I explore the lived experiences of registered nurses who become nurse practitioners. Text for this study comes from narrative sources such as reflective writings, one-on-one conversations, and group conversations with seven new nurse practitioners.

The guiding question for this inquiry is: "What is the lived journey of nurses who become nurse practitioners?" Phenomenological philosophers such as Heidegger, Gadamer, and Casey guide this work. Other authors are drawn upon for grounding the study and to draw out the phenomenon for examination. The six research activities of van Manen (2003) provide the methodological framework for the research.

The Female Overactive Bladder In Our Beverage-Centered Society: An Evolutionary Perspective, Sarah Becker Hortsch

Dissertations

Over recent decades, chronic disease has trended upwards, associated with the mismatch between our modern nutritional environment and our paleolithic genome. The beverage industry has exploded in sync with chronic conditions, including bladder symptomatology. This dissertation uses the logic and paradigm of evolutionary medicine to examine the modern beverage culture as a cause of the current high overactive bladder prevalence rates (17-31%, age dependent). A natural experiment exemplar concludes the dissertation with proof of concept that societal-wide influences to hyper-hydrate by drinking beyond thirst influences non-pathological changes to bladder state. The study is a secondary analysis with main outcome measure …

How Do Faculty Foster The Development Of Nursing Student Empathy In The Clinical Learning Environment?, Caroline E. Rae

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how faculty foster the development of nursing student empathy in the clinical learning environment. While much of nursing education focuses on building technical knowledge and skills, the literature supports a growing need to focus on developing an empathetic practice. It is important to support the development of empathic skills to better prepare future nurses to provide high-quality patient-centered care.

Measuring Knowledge And Behavior After An Educational Program On Air Pollution As A Health Risk Reduction Strategy, Mary Eileen Guerin Kloster

Dissertations

Potential exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution must be considered as part of an overall health risk reduction strategy. Toxicants identified in outdoor air pollution, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and photochemical ozone cause a systemic inflammatory response to the heart and lungs after exposure. Inside the home, health issues from exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are intensified when the home is sealed with the windows and doors closed. This explanatory study sought to promote health by teaching participants about strategies to reduce risks related to indoor and outdoor effects of …

Celiac Disease: Examination Of Executive Function And Social Phobia Among Female College-Aged Students, Jacqueline M. Arnone

Dissertations

This study compares traditional age female college students (18-25) diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) to age matched controls on measurements of executive function (EF) and social phobia (SP). Although previous research in this area has been mixed, a preponderance of the evidence from these studies suggests that CD impacts cognitive functioning as a whole; executive functioning in particular. However, most of the literature in this area focuses on age groups outside of the normal traditional college age range. No research to date has examined executive functioning or social phobia among 18-25-year-old female college students with CD. Bronfenbrenner's Bio-Ecological Systems Theory …

The Effects Of Nursing Program Simulation Experience Level And Type Of Advanced Organizer On Clinical Judgment Performance, Satisfaction, Self-Confidence, And Perceived Cognitive Load Of Pre-Licensure Nursing Students In Simulation Based Learning, Tina D. Barbour-Taylor

Dissertations

Nursing education programs face many challenges with training students to become professional nurses who will practice safely in an evolving and complex healthcare system. Nurse educators are obliged to prepare students to meet these challenges, with clinical experience being a key aspect of training. However, limited availability of clinical sites restricts adequate training. Simulation based learning (SBL) activities that mimic real world environments are now transforming the clinical experience, however, research is limited and additional research is needed.

Healthcare Providers' And Community Leaders' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Neurocysticercosis In Rural Bolivia, Amy J. Alberts

Dissertations

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a preventable infectious disease that is considered a major cause of epilepsy in developing nations. Bolivia is one of the least developed nations in Latin America and in rural Bolivia persons with epilepsy (PWE) go largely without treatment. Epilepsy is a devastating disease that has the capacity to significantly decrease the quality of life, not only for PWE, but for their families as well. The development and implementation of a self-sustainable program for the prevention and treatment of NCC and the consistent treatment of epilepsy is essential. However, research on epilepsy and NCC in Bolivia, whether in …

An Evaluation Of Equity And Access For All Students In A School District's Career And Technical Education Programs, Cynthia M. Jaime

Dissertations

There is a great deal of research regarding the need for equity and access in Career and Technical Education (CTE); however, very little research exists acknowledging strategies to achieve it. The purpose of this study was to evaluate equity and access in CTE programs, as well as to determine any barriers to CTE program enrollment, participation, and completion faced by students identified as economically challenged, students with disabilities, or English language learners. The context of this inquiry was high school CTE programs in one school district in the United States of America. My study demonstrates both qualitative and quantitative data …

Tasting Tea, Tasting China: Tearooms And The Everyday Culture In Dalian, Yingkun Hou

Dissertations

Tea is a beverage that has long been taken to symbolize a key aspect of Chinese tradition and history. However, it is one of many beverages drunk in contemporary China, where in recent times knowledge of wine has come to stand for the West and as a much-desired cultural capital. This dissertation examines everyday tea drinking and tea tasting in Dalian—a northeastern city in Liaoning Province, China. Through ethnography of practices, processes, and interactions taking place in daily events of tea drinking and tasting, this dissertation provides a window into social conflicts, ideas and desires, historical consciousness, and national identity, …