Digital Commons Network^™

Post-Translational Modification Of Proteins Via Ambient Air Pollutants And Endogenous Reactive Species, Rachel Lauren Davey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proteins can react with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) to form post-translational modifications (PTMs), which can affect protein structure and function. The formation of 3-nitrotyrosine (NTyr) and dityrosine (DiTyr) upon reaction of proteins with ROS/RNS are two common PTMs studied due to their stability and irreversibility, as well as their ability to enhance the allergenicity of pollen allergens upon formation. Many common techniques used to study the formation of these PTMs can reliably detect the PTMs but can only provide semi-quantitative information due to many assumptions and limitations. In Chapter 2 we present an analysis of …

Universal Basic Income (Ubi): A Cure-All Or Band-Aid?, Madison Beckner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the triple crisis of capitalism looming and, in the U.S., a poorly performing welfare state, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has returned to popular attention. To assess whether this is warranted and, more importantly, to provide answer on the extent to which a UBI can or should be considered a cure-all, this work, first, examines the historical development of UBI proposals including those stemming from European Social Democrats and Libertarians. Next, pilot programs at the local, state, and national level are critically examined for their methodologies and empirical results. Turning, then, to theory on de-commodification, unpaid labor, and the equality-jobs …

Water Literacy In Drought-Prone Regions: Case Studies From Aurora, Colorado, Usa And Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, Meghan Mccarroll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water managers around the world must reevaluate their approach to water security as challenges continue to grow. Supply-focused paradigms that aimed to capture, control, and commodify water resources are increasingly unreliable and often depend on environmentally and socially damaging practices. Of particular concern are regions experiencing climate shocks and aridification from rising global temperatures. In order to stretch limited water resources using equitable water policies, conservation programs, and alternative water sourcing, water managers must invest in a water literate citizenry. Water literacy is the culmination of water-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The benefits of a water literate citizenry abound, including …

Defining Business As Usual In Preschool Interventions For Challenging Behavior, Eleanor Bold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Challenging behavior (CB) is a major barrier to service delivery in preschool classrooms. Persistent CB has been found to significantly impact children’s academic and social success long-term, especially amongst children from historically minoritized populations and those with disabilities. Numerous evidence-based intervention strategies exist to prevent and reduce CB, yet preschool teachers continue to voice a desire to increase their capacity to do so in the classroom due to high rates of CB continuing to be observed. This dissertation seeks to address this research to practice gap by ascertaining the current baseline intervention practices utilized to manage CB in preschool classrooms …

The Not-So-Silent Period: Testimonios Of Recently Arrived Latinx Students, Teri M. Hutchinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and amplify the experiences of recently arrived Latinx¹ students as interpreted through their testimonios in educational borderlands. Through increasingly xenophobic discourses around immigrants and their children (Pérez Huber, 2015), U.S. public schools have become entrenched borderland spaces wherein the humanity of recently arrived students is voided through silencing them with labels of linguistic deficiency and cramming them into one-size-fits-all educational programming (Fine et al., 2007; Flores & Rosa, 2015). There is demand for research that explores the experiences of these children, especially in light of their continued marginalization through neoliberal programming …

Sorry Not Sorry: Microaggression Perpetrator Learning Readiness Factors, Kathryn Elaine Kelly Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microaggressions are commonplace slights perpetuated against out-group members that reinforce negative stereotypes, often inadvertently and unconsciously. Workplace mitigation efforts have traditionally been focused on raising awareness with the belief that perpetrators are simply unaware of their actions. While these efforts have done much to raise awareness—especially for victims of microaggressions, who may be more sensitive than ever of their occurrence—some perpetrators consciously persist through awareness, often with even more negative implications to the victim such as minimization, dismissal, and further stereotype reinforcement. For perpetrators to change their behavior, in addition to classic behavioral change models that require capability, opportunity, and …

Breaking Down Barriers: The Impact Of Segregation On Social Capital And Economic Outcomes, Donyetta A. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breaking Down Barriers. Does social capital indirectly affect black/white economic outcomes via entrepreneurial activities? Does the relationship between social capital, entrepreneurship, and black/white economic outcomes change when social capital interacts with segregation? Drawing from Bourdieu's (1986) and Coleman’s (1990) social capital theory and prior scholars' regressive view theories of segregation, I propose that 1) social capital improves entrepreneurial activities and black/white economic outcomes, and 2) segregation’s interaction with social capital has an adverse effect on entrepreneurial activities and black/white economic outcomes. To perform the analysis, data were collected at the county- level from multiple sources and aggregated into one file …

How Practices Drive Persistence: The Transformational Consumption Journey Of Native Americans In Higher Education, Gwen Locklear Almodovar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an academic environment where many higher education institutions tout their diversity and inclusion statistics, there is a decline in the enrollment of Native American students and a decrease in Native American scholars. The President of the United States, in an October 2021 briefing and with the issuance of an executive order named The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities, saw the immediate urgency to understand the systematic causes and implement evidence-based strategies that will improve and increase student enrollment and academic advancement. This research takes …

Optimal Management And Sizing For Battery Energy Storage Systems For Grid Applications, Abdullah Muslih Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) play a dominant role in the reliability, resiliency, economics, and operational flexibility of the power grid. As such, the BESS is a promising and reliable green technology for supporting power grid facilities. However, the integration of BESS technology into power projects can be expensive and challenging, both technologically and in terms of regulation compliance. Thus, it is necessary to examine best practices for fully optimizing BESS sizing, operation, and scheduling in the context of benefiting BESS operators and investors by fully exploiting the valuable economic and technical benefits of BESSs. In this research, we identify …

Process Depletion In Emotion Regulation, Christian Capistrano Boeckner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability to regulate emotions via reappraisal is considered an important skill that is associated with greater well-being. However, the effectiveness of emotion regulation is impacted by individual differences, and its adaptiveness may vary depending on context. For example individuals from vulnerable populations such as children and mothers in the context of poverty often demonstrate less optimal reappraisal, that is in turn associated with maladaptive behaviors. Given its consequence on mental health, it is critical to understand mechanisms that influence reappraisal to maximize its adaptive consequences. The current study explored conditions that could either facilitate or impair reappraisal success. We …

Adversarial Explanations For Text-Based Local Surrogate Models, Christopher Burger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

LIME has emerged as one of the most commonly referenced tools in explainable AI (XAI) frameworks that is integrated into critical machine learning applications–e.g., healthcare and finance. However, its stability remains little explored, especially in the context of text data, due to the unique challenges when it comes to perturbing the underlying data, data that requires a stricter measure of semantic and syntactic consistency. To address these challenges, we first evaluate the inherent instability of LIME on text data to establish a baseline, and then propose a novel algorithm XAIFOOLER to perturb text inputs and manipulate explanations that casts investigation …

Leveling Up: Implementing Supportive Practices To Address The Needs Of Students Impacted By Trauma In An Urban Charter School, Altovise Boyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood trauma is a worldwide issue impacting children as young as toddlers and infants. Children exposed to traumatic events are at a greater risk of having cognitive and academic concerns. Additionally, children impacted by trauma are more likely to exhibit internalizing and externalizing behaviors than their peers who have not been exposed to a traumatic event. The purpose of this mixed-methods applied research study was to support the social-emotional needs of students impacted by trauma by implementing trauma-informed practices. An action plan was developed and implemented to address the three elements of the action plan. The first element was the …

Construction Of A Restaurant Service Quality Scale In The Front-Of-House, Hayeon Hailey Choi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to develop a measurement scale for restaurant service quality by integrating newly adopted restaurant service attributes (i.e., hygiene and safety practices, technology service, and sustainable practices) and exploring the dimensionality of restaurant service quality, specifically applied to the front-of-house in full-service restaurants. Based on data collected from 403 respondents through surveys, 84 items were subjected to a Principal Confirmatory Analysis, resulting in 34 items distributed among 8 dimensions, including (1) environmentally sustainable practices, (2) hygiene and safety practices, (3) technology service, (4) employee service, (5) physical environment, and (6) food-related sustainable practices, (7) price perceptions, and (8) …

Baby, Ocd, And Me: Psychoeducation Intervention On Perinatal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Alexandra Marie Gilbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Awareness towards maternal mental health conditions (MMHC) has recently increased, especially during the perinatal period (pregnancy and the first postpartum year [Kucherer & Byatt, 2020]). However, perinatal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), continues to face unique challenges. Perinatal OCD is found to be insufficiently recognized, diagnosed, and treated compared to other MMHC (Mulcahy et al., 2020). Researchers have identified a general lack of awareness and/or stigmatization of the disorder as complicating factors (Cooke et al., 2020; McCarty et al., 2017). One promising avenue for addressing such barriers to accessing care is psychoeducation intervention (PEI) focusing on perinatal OCD (Timpano et al., 2011). …

Free Speech And Students' Rights In Mississippi Public Schools: Exploring Off-Campus Speech, Diala Husni Chaney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study uses qualitative interviews with building-level principals in Mississippi public high schools along with document analysis to construct standardized policy language for Mississippi School Districts to adopt in order to aid administrators when handling issues involving student off-campus speech. This study rests upon the idea that free speech, and what constitutes free speech, has been and always will be a problem within society, especially with regard to speech used within public schools.

The consensus among researchers is certain types of speech are protected by the First Amendment, while other types of speech are not. By further delving into …

Social Anxiety And Engagement In Risky Behaviors: Exploring The Role Of Emotion Regulation, Carey J. Sevier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a chronic, prevalent disorder that is characterized by persistent and marked fear of social situations when there is potential for negative evaluation from others. Although SAD is typically characterized by inhibition and escape behaviors, some research suggests some individuals with SAD display approach-oriented behaviors wherein individuals engage in greater risky behaviors (e.g., aggression, sexual impulsivity, substance use). This approach-oriented presentation appears to have an earlier onset, greater symptoms severity and greater functional impairment. Emotion regulation (ER) is the ability to use strategies to engage in goal directed behavior. ER difficulties have been shown to be …

Project Grit: An Applied Research Study Conducted In An Alternative School Program To Promote Alternative Behaviors To Violence, James Ray Howington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students in the Anniston School District are placed in the alternative setting (i.e., the Avery Alternative Center) for fighting and violence more than any other disciplinary infraction. The disproportionality of students of color and minority groups enrolled in the alternative setting for fighting is also alarming. Why is this happening? Why does student conflict often end in physical aggression and violence, especially disputes involving minorities? What can stop the violence? Stakeholders in the Avery Alternative Center created Project GRIT to help answer these questions by incorporating research-based practices and interventions designed to strengthen conflict resolution skills in participants and support …

Harness Therapeutic Potential Of Immune Responses: Molecular Characterization And Targeted Delivery, Nan Ji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The immune system plays a crucial role in protecting the body from harmful pathogens and cancer cells and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Immunotherapy has shown significant potential in treating various diseases by harnessing the therapeutic potential of immune responses through the targeting of different immune cells, receptors, and signaling pathways. This dissertation investigated two immune modulators for their immune-enhancing potential.In the first chapter, the components of innate immunity are introduced. In the second chapter, Immulina, a commercially available extract of Arthrospira platensis enriched with Braun-type proteins, was studied for its immunostimulatory effect in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and macrophages. The …

Understanding Financial Toxicity Among Adult Cancer Survivors In The Us, Siddhi Korgaonkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term ‘financial toxicity’ (FT) has been used to describe cancer-related financial hardship and psychological distress experienced by cancer survivors. FT can be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of cancer survivors due to its multifarious adverse effects.

This dissertation strives to advance extant knowledge on cancer-related FT research by investigating three key questions: 1. How have the trends in the direct total and out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditures, and OOP financial burden of US cancer survivors aged 18-64 years evolved between 2008 – 2019? 2. What are the self-reported HIL levels among adult cancer survivors aged 27-64 years in the …

Evaluation Of Quality Ratings In Healthcare: Is There Evidence Of Disparities In Their Applications?, Irene B. Nsiah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined racial and ethnic disparities in: (1) the impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) policy and payment changes to the Medicare Part D Star Ratings Program on adherence to diabetes, renin-angiotensin system antagonists (RASA) and statin medications, (2) the spillover effect of this program onto nontargeted therapies used to treat hypertension (calcium channel blockers and beta blockers), and (3) insulin non-persistence among Medicare beneficiaries, and quantified the contribution of sociodemographic, clinical and cost factors associated with the racial and ethnic disparities.

For objectives 1 and 2, interrupted time series (ITS) analyses were conducted using …

Exploration Of Student Success Programs For Freshmen Students On Academic Warning/Academic Probation At The University Of Mississippi, Jeremy Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nearly ten percent of the first-year class at the University of Mississippi go on Academic Warning or Academic Probation each semester after their first-full semester at the University. During this time, the student's GPA is below a 2.0, which requires them to take the EDHE 101: Academic Skills for College course, if they plan to return to the University that following Spring or Fall semester (depending on which was their first-full semester). Academic Support Programs, under the Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience oversees this course and several other programs to assist students as they look to return to …

Entrepreneurs Want More Than Just Money: The Role Of Subjective Entrepreneurial Success In Predicting Entrepreneur’S Grief Following Venture Failure, Joseph Richard Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focal topics of this dissertation are subjective entrepreneurial success (SES) and grief. Over the past three decades, the budding SES literature has seen accelerating growth since its conceptual inception in 1987, with 2016 marking a key event in the literature – the formal naming and definition of the SES construct. Research on the SES construct is of interest to scholars because it complements the objective economic conceptualizations of success often seen in the entrepreneurship literature, highlighting the idiosyncratic ways that entrepreneurs conceptualize and evaluate their success.

To contribute to the SES literature, Essay One of my three-essay dissertation, I …

Electrode And Electrolyte Design To Develop Advanced Battery Technologies For Large Scale Energy Storage, Wei He

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large-scale energy storage devices play a key role in regulating the renewable energy to build a carbon-free sustainable future, but the widely used lithium-ion batteries cannot meet the demands because of the limited lithium resource and high cost. Thus, it is urgent to develop next-generation battery technologies with low cost and high safety. Sodium-ion battery is considered as a promising candidate due to the abundant sodium resources and low cost. Its practical application, however, is hindered by the absence of the advanced electrode materials. The tin-based anodes deliver high theoretical capacities and show great promise for the sodium-ion batteries, but …

Quantifying The Effects Of Hvac Operation To Mitigate Aerosol Concentration In A Classroom Using Cfd, Scott Deprez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is a complex mechanical system for the transition of air between outdoor and indoor areas. These systems are directly responsible for temperature, humidity, and air flow into any given space, thereby providing a level of comfort to those who live indoors. These systems account for 52 percent of U.S. energy consumption. When designing HVAC systems, indoor air quality (IAQ) is the main focus for achieving safe and clean air, such as in the case of airborne diseases. HVAC systems are responsible for the flow of air in indoor spaces and thereby expand the transmissible …

Electrospun Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Microfibers As An Asphalt Mix Additive, Debbrata Datta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, the use of different types of fibers in asphalt has become increasingly popular. Fibers are used in an asphalt mix to improve its durability and resistance against distresses such as rutting and cracking due to repetitive vehicle loading at high temperatures, and low-temperature contraction. Consequently, accurate rheological and performance characterization of asphalt binders and mixes containing fibers is of vital importance. With increased concerns over the environmental disruptions as a result of disposing end-of-life plastics in landfills and the need for improving sustainability of the construction materials, incorporating plastic in construction materials has always been an important …

The Impact Of Increasing Dietary Levels Of Hybrid Rye On Growing-Finishing Pig Performance, Carcass Characteristics, And Meat Quality, Caitlyn Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this trial was to determine the effects of increasing dietary levels of hybrid rye on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and product quality of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 2,400 barrows and gilts (FAST x PIC 800, initial wt. 44.9 kg) were utilized, as pigs were randomly assigned to one of the four dietary treatments. Diets were corn-soybean based and hybrid rye replaced corn at 0, 40, 70, or 100%. All diets were formulated to meet or exceed the 2012 NRC requirements for all nutrients and fed through a five-phase feeding program (44.9 to 125 kg, respectively). Pigs …

Feeding Strategies To Improve Gastrointestinal Health And Growth Performance Of Confinement Fed Ruminants, Forest Laine Francis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to investigate how feed additives, orally administered direct fed microbials, and dietary management strategies may be beneficial in improving gastrointestinal health and growth performance of confinement fed ruminants. Four studies were conducted using confinement fed steers (n = 3) and wether lambs (n = 1) to determine the effects of the products and management strategies used. The first study was conducted on finishing steers to investigate the effects of increasing doses of an encapsulated butyric acid and zinc supplement (BZ) on growth performance, efficiency of dietary net energy utilization, carcass characteristics, and gastrointestinal health. …

Genome-Wide Association Studies And Advanced Genomic Selection Strategies: Towards The Optimization Of Oat (Avena Sativa L) Breeding, Girma Ayana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oats are important cereal crops worldwide, primarily valued for their nutritional and health benefits. The primary goal of oat breeding programs is to accelerate genetic gain to develop oat varieties with the desired product profiles, with the aim of meeting the needs and expectations of growers, processors, and consumers. Achieving this goal involves conducting extensive and resource-intensive field trials, particularly for traits such as crop yield and grain quality, which are strongly influenced by environmental factors. The availability of cost-effective molecular markers and tools like genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection have the potential to accelerate the oat breeding …

Develop Biochar-Based Control Release Nitogen Fertilizers Using Biodegradable Polypropylene, Abdulkarim Aldekhail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) is an indispensable key nutrient for crop plant growth, health, and yield, which significantly affects crop productivity. N fertilizers are wildly utilized in agriculture. Managing N application stands as a necessity to achieve optimal crop yield. Urea is one of the most common N fertilizers in agricultural practices due to its high N content and cost-effectiveness. Due to its commercial scale, feasibility, and reliability, it is demonstrating potential as a medium to improve agricultural sustainability. However, economic challenges, and environmental pollution remain as setbacks. This research focuses on selecting cost-effective and environmentally friendly coating materials for the fabrication …

Seroprevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibodies Among Rural Healthcare Workers, Jordan Neises

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this longitudinal cohort study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV- 2) in healthcare workers employed at healthcare clinics in three rural counties in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota from May 13, 2020 through December 22, 2020. Three blood draws were performed at five clinical sites and tested for the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies using a fluorescent microsphere immunoassay (FMIA), neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-pseudotyped particles (SARS-CoV-2pp) assay, and serum virus neutralization (SVN) assay. The seroprevalence was determined …