Digital Commons Network^™

Head Start Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions Of Reggio Emilia Principles Practiced Within Their Own Setting: A Case Study, Tara Terry Voit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Reggio Emilia Approach (REA) and Head Start (HS) value high-quality early education, support for families, and community partnerships according to the literature. Exploring principles of REA in relation to the HS program model may reveal alignment that will inform high-quality developmentally appropriate practices that are meaningful and enhance learning outcomes. This multiple case study explores the REA in alignment within three Head Start programs in New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Participant groups include one education director, one education leader, and four teachers in each of the three locations. In New Mexico, the HS program was located on a Native …

Determining If Classroom Pets As Part Of An Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy, Randa Dunlap

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if consistent exposure to classroom pets in public elementary school classrooms affected children’s empathy. The sample included 44 students (females = 22; males = 22; mean age = 8.3 years) from four third-grade classrooms. A pre-test, post-test design was used to measure students’ empathy levels, and percentage changes in empathy scores were recorded for all groups. The sample was a convenience sample, and random assignment to treatment groups was not possible. Treatment included using classroom pet fish along with empathy-based lessons. Of the four participating classrooms, one classroom was the …

Congruence And Temporal Variation Of Floral Visitation And Pollen Transport Networks In Southern Appalachia, Daniel A. Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Observation of floral visitation is an accepted method to describe plant-pollinator interactions despite potential biases. Collecting pollen from pollinators offers new insights on the structure and function of plant-pollinator communities. Furthermore, the strength and frequency of plant-pollinator interactions can vary across temporal scales. However, within-season and within-day (morning vs. evening) variation in plant-pollinator networks has been little studied. By evaluating variation in network structure across these biologically relevant time scales, we will gain a better understanding of the factors that shape plant-pollinator communities. The objectives of this study are to 1) Compare the structure of plant-pollinator networks built on floral …

Potential Toxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles To Microbial Communities And Macroinvertebrates, Joseph Kusi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most common nanomaterials incorporated in commercial products due to their antimicrobial activity. Recently, AgNPs were detected in surface waters suggesting the potential for bioavailability in the aquatic receptor organisms. This dissertation research attempts to understand the potential toxicity of AgNPs on water quality indicators, focusing on the microbial community and amphipods. This study evaluated whether: (1) the antimicrobial properties of AgNPs pose potential risks to microbial communities in pathogen impaired streams; (2) AgNPs can cause a shift in functional diversity and metabolic fingerprinting of microbial communities; (3) survival and growth of Hyalella azteca (amphipods) could …

Bdnf-Related Gene Expression Of Laser Capture Microdissected Glutamate Neurons From The Anterior Cingulate Cortex In Mouse Models Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Misty Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting social behaviors. ASD affects 1 in 59 children with males affected more frequently. ASD is postulated to result from excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission imbalances. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling affects ASD by influencing synaptogenesis, plasticity, and survival. Studying early in-utero neuropathological changes within ASD requires the use of animal models. Expression of BDNF-associated genes were analyzed within laser capture microdissected pyramidal neurons from the anterior cingulate cortex of male and female BTBR and valproic acid mouse models. No expression differences were found in any gene comparing the three groups. Gender comparisons …

Implicit Bias And Voluntarily Childfree Adults, Virginia Elizabeth Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study aimed to determine if there is a negative bias towards voluntarily childfree adults or an association of negative views and attitudes with voluntarily childfree adults, controlling for other participant characteristics such as race, religion, or sexual orientation. At this stage in the research, voluntarily childfree adults are generally defined as legal adults who have the intention to remain childfree for the rest of their lives, due to reasons other than fertility issues. A negative view or bias is defined as any attitude which is not a desirable interpretation of behavior or lifestyle. A negative bias against voluntarily …

Protecting Healthcare Workers From Violence, Terry L. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growing violence in the community increases the risks of injuries to healthcare workers. This project assessed the levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and acknowledgment of professional accomplishments in healthcare workers in the community who were responsible for the care of confused and combative clients. The community healthcare workers were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey-Medical Personnel. An intervention was then presented, which focused on self-awareness, including mood assessments, soothing rhythmic breathing, compassionate focused imagery, and the creation of a safe place to process criticism compassionately. The participants were resurveyed after 30 days by repeating the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human …

An Eeg Study On Loneliness And Recognition Memory, Carmen Jia Wen Chek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Loneliness, the perception of unmet social needs, has been shown to relate to recollection-based recognition deficits, but the relationship between loneliness and recognition memory (i.e., recollection and familiarity) has not been thoroughly examined. The current study hypothesized that more lonely individuals would have lower recognition memory performance, specifically recollection, with smaller ERP parietal old-new effects than less lonely individuals. Forty participants, grouped into less (n = 13) and more (n = 9) lonely groups based on their R-UCLA responses, completed an associative memory task. EEG was used to assess recognition memory effects. Results showed no significant difference in …

Simulated Mine Land Reclamation Impact On Biomass Partitioning And Nutrient Contents In Loblolly Pine, Osarumen Egharevba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forest productivity on reclaimed mine land is hindered by soil compaction. Different techniques have been used to alleviate the effect of compaction to various degrees of success. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) was developed in the Appalachians and has been used to improve forest productivity on reclaimed mines in this region. The FRA provides a step by step method designed to reduce compaction, control erosion, provide land stabilization and accelerate forest succession. This method had not been evaluated in the Gulf Coastal Plain, where the pan scraper reclamation method is commonly used. However, using pan scrapers increases mine soil compaction …

The Effects Of Different Amino Acid Concentrations, With Or Without Chromium Supplementation, On The Performance And Yield Of Commercial Broiler Chickens Fed Two Different Feeding Programs., Ian Brock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate performance parameters and meat yield of commercial broiler chickens fed diets with different amino acid concentrations, with or without chromium supplementation, and delivered through two different feeding programs over 54 days. The experimental study was completed as a randomized-block design with 4,800, Ross 708 X Ross 708 commercial broiler chickens, picked at random, and evenly divided into six treatment groups (800 birds per group). Treatments 1 and 4 where placed under feeding program (FP1). Treatments 2, 3, 5, and 6 where placed under a different feeding program (FP2). Three different feed …

A Rhetoric And Philosophy Of Gifts, Mary Eberhardinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project synthesizes a selected scope of rhetorical and philosophical perspectives of the gift. The research question is what the relationship between gifts and rhetoric might be. In order to approach this question, this project offers a review of related literature on the topic of gifts. It then provides analysis and discussion that contextualize the question. The project finally concludes by offering implications. The implications address why the question concerning the relationship between gifts and rhetoric matters for the larger landscape of international relations.

British Eugenics Failure And Success, Angela Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The historical narrative of eugenics often focuses on those eugenic societies and movements that ‘succeeded’ in part or in full in achieving a eugenic society. Less studied are those societies that failed, whether due to social backlash or internal incoherence. The British Eugenic Educational Society as the foundational point of eugenics, has therefore been overlooked as a result of it’s perceived lack of contribution to eugenic thought and its failure to pass eugenic legislation. Founded by Francis Galton, the originator of the philosophy of eugenics, the British Eugenic Educational Society should have been successful given it’s reputation and the numerous …

The Appearance Of The Other Ego In Edmund Husserl’S Phenomenology, Paul Zipfel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work I investigate Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological analyses of the appearance of the other ego in order to elucidate the essential components of the sense of the other ego: co-constitution, inaccessibility, and a unique process of verification. I open with an example illustrating the way in which other egos appear to me as different from ordinary objects in the world. When one looks outside in a storm and sees a branch rapping on the window, it is not an alarming experience. However, were another person to be rapping at the window, the experience would be quite different. This is …

An Investigation Of Technology Implementation Through The Lens Of Student Centered Learning And The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Paradigm, Adam Wasilko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

National statistics show that there are increases in access and availability of computers, and technology, in both the classroom and students’ personal lives (Culp et al. 2005, Hoffman & Ramirez, 2018). However, Tas (2017) and Wachira and Kenngwee (2010) posit that there is stagnation, even declines in certain cases, of the integration of instructional technologies in delivering student center learning in the classroom. This decline is even more prevalent in the science classroom (Vickrey, Golick, & Stains, 2018). Teachers face many challenges in the classroom; especially when technology integration is considered (Blackburn, 2016). This study seeks to determine which conditions …

The In/Authentic Subject: Kierkegaard, Heidegger, And Selfhood, Joseph Tighe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation represents an attempt to understand the self, what it is, what it means, and how it provides subjective identity. These concerns are situated within a personal narrative that describes the loss of self and its rediscovery subsequent to that loss. In critically examining the work of both Soren Kierkegaard and Martin Heidegger on the concept of authenticity, I have attempted to come to terms with my experience of the loss of selfhood as well as the conditions of possibility for its return. I argue that Kierkegaard’s construction of the self, while problematically religious, convincingly describes the experience of …

The Problem Of Nature In The Phenomenology Of Merleau-Ponty, Alessio Rotundo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation, I show that Merleau-Ponty’s idea of nature yields a double meaning: nature as ensemble of genetic and productive processes that are attainable in experience (phenomenal nature) and nature as that which enables this experience (transcendental nature). My thesis is that the two meanings of nature, when taken together, offer a guide to Merleau-Ponty’s final philosophical formulations about “flesh” and the “visible” and the “invisible.” The aim of the dissertation is to trace the salient conceptual and methodological complications entailed by this conception. I argue that the bivalence of the problem of nature in Merleau-Ponty receives a methodological …

St. Ignatius' Quill Pen: Exploring The Orality-Literacy Difficulty In The Spiritual Exercises, Hongchao Qian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Informed by the work of Walter Ong, in the first prelude of the First Week in the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola used an emblematical image, the “prison-cage”, to provide phenomenological accounts for the exercitants to examine the existential situation within. This dissertation explores into the difficulty of being rhetorical in mediating on the existential situation emblematically. I try to understand the orality-literacy dynamic within the Exercises through the theoretical framework of semiotic phenomenology. The Ignatian emblematics can be understood as phenomenological descriptions that asked the exercitants to provide the parts of moral-phenomenological reductions and phenomenological interpretations within …

The Physiology And Evolution Of Selenite Respiration In Bacteria, Michael Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The selenium oxyanions selenate (Se(VI)) and selenite (Se(IV)) can be utilized by some bacteria and archaea as terminal electron acceptors in anaerobic respiration. Se(VI) and Se(IV) respiration is mediated by a phylogenetically and ecologically diverse array of organisms, suggesting that selenium respiration is ubiquitous in natural environments. Several respiratory Se(VI) reductases have been characterized in bacteria, revealing that Se(VI) respiration has evolved independently several times in this domain. Se(IV) respiration, in contrast, has yet to be characterized. I have purified and characterized the first respiratory Se(IV) reductase from Bacillus selenitireducens MLS10. The Se(IV) reductase appeared to purify as a single …

Gene Delivery To The Blood-Brain Barrier For Ischemic Stroke Therapy, Wanzhu Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is a major cause of death in the United States. We aim to develop safe and efficient approaches for the treatment of stroke. Regenerative therapies have been identified as the major need for curing stroke [1]. We explored two different carriers (poly (ethylene glycol)_5k-poly (L-aspartate-diethylenetriamine)₄₈ (PEG-DET) / Pluronic P84 (P84) and exosomes (EXOs) / microvesicles (MVs)) to deliver brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasmid DNA (pDNA), a functional gene encoding a neurotrophin. In the first project, our data showed that DNA nanoparticles (NPs) with 0.03% P84 was a promising formulation to deliver Luciferase pDNA into immortalized human …

Characterization Of Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry Signals, Craig Benzinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Photoacoustic flow cytometry has been utilized to clinically determine the presence of melanoma circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Further investigation was conducted into the morphology of detection signals and how they could be manipulated to allow for further classification. Novel features were extracted from waveforms that appear to have strong classification ability. Neural networks were also used to determine classification potential and the creation of feature mapping for future unsupervised classification. Detections were expanded from single waves to a time dependent multiwave event. Waveforms were also determined to be of non-parametric distribution, allowing for classification by neural network but not allowing …

A Genomic Analysis Of Bobcat Populations In North America With A Comparison To The Canada Lynx: An Assessment Of Local Adaptation To Unique Ecoregions And Phylogeography, Jennifer C. Broderick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are an ecologically and genetically diverse species with a large contiguous range throughout North America. The species not only has a wide array of phenotypic variation compared to other mammals, but shows marked adaptability across ecozones with differing ecological influences. It is these various selective pressures in distinctive parts of the continent that have likely led to localized adaptations within the bobcat metapopulations. The species is also marked by its ability to maintain connectivity and populations in anthropogenically developed areas, an advantage it has over other felids, including its close relative the Canada lynx ( …

Pilot Study Exploring The Effect Of Targeted Cox-2 Inhibition In Macrophages Responding To Neuronal Injury; Promoting Enhanced Axonal Regeneration, Alyssa Brauckmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Celecoxib nanoemulsion (CXB-NE) has been developed as a macrophage targeted analgesics by Dr. Janjic and her team at Duquesne University, (Janjic et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2020; Saleem et al, 2019b; Vasudeva et al, 2014). The CXB-NE nanoemulsion carrying a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory (NSAID) inhibitor of COX-2 activity result in a reduction in PGE2 expression in macrophages. Using CXB-NE in rats that have peripheral nerve injury constricting the sciatic nerve relieves hypersensitivity, a pain-like behavior. The treatment also decreases inflammation associated with this chronic constriction injury (Janjic et al, 2018; Saleem et al, 2019b; Stevens et al, 2019). In this …

Identification Of Human Adrenal Carcinoma Cells Using Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry, Alexis Stahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With consistently high mortality rates in patients with adrenal cancer, lack of early detection and diagnosis are an ever increasing problem in fighting the deadly disease. Currently, very few patients are diagnosed with adrenal cancer within the early stages due to the absence of symptoms until large tumors are formed, which is in most cases is fatal. Because of this, early detection equipment is crucial to optimizing the survival rate in patients. We studied the absorbance wavelength of human adrenal carcinoma cells, as well as the minimum cell concentration needed in samples using photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC). PAFC generates ultrasonic …

Exploring And Re-Envisioning The Significance Of Agrarian Consciousness In Theology With Specific Reference To Kerala, Jinto George

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globalization has a great impact on present-day society. Everything and everyone relates to each other based on market value. The commodification of agriculture and food has led the world into a situation where one lacks intimacy and bond in the relationship. The impact of globalization has influenced the present Kerala community. The monocultural systems of globalization have influenced the community which has led the Kerala society into a commodified society. The commodification of agriculture and food has influenced the patterns of relationships in the Kerala society, especially in their ecological, human, and spiritual relationship.

God did not create a world …

Using Active Learning Techniques To Improve Oral Health Literacy Among Children In Vulnerable Populations., Sarah Maria Downes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the effectiveness of an active learning approach in improving oral health literacy and attitude about science among at-risk students in the age range of third to sixth grades. This is done by designing and implementing a novel Oral Health Outreach module and video. Active learning components include engaging PowerPoint, oral hygiene discussion and demonstration, and finally a biofilm simulation, which utilizes glow-in-the-dark paint, dentoform models, and black lights that allow students to visualize the importance of plaque removal. Student comprehension of oral health concepts increased by an average of 52.4% on post-tests (n=61, p

Soil Nutrient And Contaminant Assessment In Community Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky., Jessica Lynne Eggleston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban population impact on environmental warming has inspired interest in vegetative coverage to mitigate human influence. Community gardens are proposed to increase green space and access to fresh food, improve health, and quality of life. The potential for soil contamination in post-industrial cities is high presenting a health risk for gardeners. Three Louisville, Kentucky community gardens were chosen for analysis of soil texture, pH, concentration of trace nutrients and metals using Mehlich 1 Extraction. In two community gardens, relative absence of heavy metals suggest they are currently safe for gardening. One garden had a concentration of copper and zinc over …

Assessing Predictors Of Harmful Algal Blooms In The Western Lake Erie Basin., Katherine M. Weigle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been a recurring issue in the Western Lake Erie Basin for more than a decade, despite policies implemented to improve the water quality of the Great Lakes. HABs describe algae that can be harmful to both ecosystem function and human health. The Western Lake Erie Basin, in particular, experiences Microcystis aeruginosa blooms in the summer months due to a multitude of factors leading to increased phosphorus and nitrogen loads in the contributing watersheds. In this study, lake water surface temperature, land cover, river discharge, and precipitation were examined as potential triggers for the occurrence and …

An Analysis Of The Role Of Reality Television In The Representation Of Immigrants On Tlc's Show, 90 Day Fiancé., Morohunfolu Jimade Seton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A larger number of people reside outside their country of birth today than in any other time in history, and these levels are expected to continue to rise in the future (International Organization for Migration, 2011). The United States is currently the most popular immigrant destination in the world, with more immigrants than any other country. Immigrants statistics indicate that the immigrant population in the United States reached a record of 44.4 million in 2017 (Pew Research Centre, 2019). Correspondingly, the percentage of immigrants who were admitted into the U.S. as spouses of citizens has increased over of the last …

Louisville's Dark Tourist: Liminality, Legend, And The Macabre., Montgomery Quaid Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a historical and theoretical analysis of touristic motivations behind visiting dark tourist attractions that uses two Louisville, Kentucky attractions as case-studies. It begins by providing an overview of concepts relevant to the analysis of these motivations including liminality, dark tourism, and legend studies, thereby drawing connections between these concepts to develop a framework for the analysis of these liminal spaces and the legends that surround them. It uses these theories to build a framework that argues for the inclusion of legend studies in the conversation of dark tourism and providing a new lens for viewing touristic motivation …

We've Got The 'Hots' For Changing Teacher Misconceptions Of Learning Styles: A Mixed-Methods Approach., Allison Paige Fowler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I added to the literature surrounding the myth that teachers should cater to students’ learning styles to improve learning outcomes. I operated from the “hot” paradigm for conceptual change, through the use of the Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model (CRKM) as the theoretical framework to examine teachers’ conceptual change about learning styles. More specifically, I considered teachers’ existing conceptions as related to their essentialist beliefs, as well as how their motivation and the content of the message contribute to conceptual change. I also responded to the literature on teacher perceptions of researchers by examining the use of …