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Comprehensive Structural, Thermal And Toxicological Characterization Of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Alkylbenzenesulfonate Ionic Liquids, Hiranmayee Kandala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Synthesis and characterization of 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium alkylbenzenesulfonate ionic liquids for extraction of lignin from prairie cord grass have been studied. The ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium benzenesulfonate (EBS), 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium toluenesulfonate (ETS) and 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium xylenesulfonate (EXS) have been synthesized in this research. An extensive structural, physical, thermal and toxicological characterization has been performed to understand the behavior of these ionic liquids. The reaction yield for the synthesis of EBS, ETS, and EXS ionic liquids was determined to be 91.2 ± 1.5 %, 96.1 ± 0.7 %, 99.0 ± 0.5 % respectively. Spectral analysis using NMR and FTIR confirms the …

Intranasal Immunization Of Pigs With Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Like Particles Plus 2’, 3’ –Cgamp Vaccigrade™ Adjuvant Exacerbates Viremia After Virus Challenge, Alexandria Marie Van Noort

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an economically devastating virus that causes a persistent infection and spreads quickly. The virus causes abortions in sows and respiratory diseases in young piglets. Current PRRSV vaccines appear to provide limited cross-protection. A virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccine is made up of key PRRSV structural proteins, which could be cross protective among the different strains. We tested PRRSV VLPs as a vaccine candidate with a 2’, 3’-cGAMP VacciGradeTM adjuvant against pigs infected with PRRSV after intranasal immunization to evaluate the immune response and protective efficacy by the VLPs and adjuvant. The VLPs contain …

The Relationship Between Relative Strength Levels To Sprinting Performance In Collegiate 100-400m Sprinters, Philip Reuer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between relative maximal (1RM) strength (i.e. back squat and power clean) to sprinting performance in 60-400m collegiate sprinters. A secondary purpose was to determine the distribution of athletes within the theoretical relationship between relative squat strength and performance capabilities. Fifty-six (n = 56) male and sixty-four (n = 64) female collegiate track and field sprinters were observed from DI (n = 88) and DII schools (n = 32) that participated in a year round strength and conditioning program. Maximal strength was divided by body weight to calculate relative strength and …

Activated Carbon Preparation And Modification For Adsorption, Yuhe Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Butanol is considered a promising, infrastructure-compatible biofuel. Butanol has a higher energy content than ethanol and can be used in conventional gas engines without modifications. Unfortunately, the fermentation pathway for butanol production is restricted by its toxicity to the microbial strains used in the process. Butanol is toxic to the microbes, and this can slow fermentation rates and reduce butanol yields. Gas stripping technology can efficiently remove butanol from the fermentation broth as it is produced, thereby decreasing its inhibitory effects. Traditional butanol separation heavily depends on the energy intensive distillation method. One of the main issues in acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation …

Associations Between Child Weight Status And The Home Environment: An Analysis Of Parental Eating Policies, Emily Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Childhood obesity is a complex issue common in the U.S. today as it not only is associated with health-threatening comorbidities, but also increases a child’s likelihood of becoming overweight or obese during adulthood. Because of its complexity, several factors, including parents and the home environment, must be considered when assessing child weight status and also when aiming to prevent or treat childhood obesity.
Objective: To investigate specific food rules practiced within the home environment that are influencing child weight status and to identify if these rules contrast among children who are normal weight and those who are overweight/obese. Methods: …

Effectiveness Of A Shoulder Strengthening Intervention On The Incidence Rate Of Glenohumeral Joint Instability Injuries, Michael Aderman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Shoulder injuries are frequently sustained in American football due to the contact and collision aspect of the sport. Injuries to the shoulder account for about 10% to 20% of all musculoskeletal injuries that occur in football and the shoulder is the fourth most commonly injured joint behind the hand, knee and ankle. The effectiveness of the dynamic stabilizers of the glenohumeral joint is a factor that could affect the rate of injuries that occur at the joint. The CKCUEST has been shown to be an effective test for assessing the dynamic stability of the glenohumeral joint.
Objective: The purpose …

Surveillance Of Emerging Livestock Viruses, Faten A. Okda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate and rapid diagnostic tests are essential for the management and control of emerging infectious diseases. Therefore, the overall goals of studies presented in this dissertation were to provide improved diagnostic and surveillance capabilities for several emerging viral diseases impacting the livestock industry and to provide insight into appropriate control strategies. Recent, severe outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in Asia and North America highlighted the need for well-validated diagnostic tests for identification of PEDV infected animals and evaluation of their immune status. PEDV was first detected in the U.S. in May 2013 and another swine coronavirus, porcine deltacoronavirus …

Design, Synthesis And Biological Screening Of Novel Cucsinspired Estrone Analogues Towards Treatment Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Mater Hussen Mahnashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cucurbitacins (CUCS) are natural products with highly oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenes produced mostly by Cucurbitaceae family plant. They are known for their therapeutic efficiency with different biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and anti-cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Previous reports have shown the ability of CUCS to inhibit the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG-2) significantly. Structural activity relationship studies suggested the potential of the 23, 24 enone side chain of CUCS to bind to the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). Due to the limited quantities of CUCS upon isolation and the challenges …

Design, Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Estradiol-Triazole Analogs Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors In Colorectal Cancer, Faez Alotaibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer is a life threatening and second cause of death from cancer in the United States. Several proteins (molecular targets) are highly expressed in Colorectal cancer (CRC). Among these molecular targets is Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs) which are overexpressed in cancer cells. Targeting and blocking the downstream signaling could lead to cease cell proliferation and division and hence control the spread of the disease. Molecular modeling is a powerful tool in drug discovery, which has been utilized to design many drug candidates that exhibit biological effect in many disease including cancer. Additionally, pharmacophores such as 1,2,3-triazole showed potency …

Diaporthe, Soybean Cyst Nematode, And Soybean Aphid: An Evaluation Of Potential Interactions Occurring Among Pests On Soybean In South Dakota, John Philip Posch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr., is an important crop grown in South Dakota, with an estimated production of $2.33 billion in 2015. However, soybean production in South Dakota is compromised by four pests, the fungal pathogens Diaporthe longicolla (Hobbs) Santos, Vrandecic, and Phillips and Diaporthe caulivora (Athow and Caldwell) Santos, Vrandecic, and Phillips, the soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines Ichinohe (SCN), and the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Additionally, these pest can co-occur in fields within South Dakota and the implications associated with interactions among these pests are unknown. We hypothesized that both Diaporthe species would interact with …

Funding Of Higher Education: Variations In State Funding, Impacts Of State Funding On Differential Tuition, And Variables Impacting Differential Tuition, Michael Holbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public higher education in the United States has seen many changes since the Morrill Act of 1862. Specifically, the funding of higher education has changed greatly over the last half century, from very low tuition and relatively high state subsidies to an increased reliance on tuition to fund higher education. While this funding change has been the national trend, the impact on specific states and universities has varied greatly. This study examines the funding variation between university peers, normalized using state general funds per resident student FTE, to analyze the variation of state funding between states as well as the …

Phytophthora Sojae Infecting Soybean: Pathotype Diversity, New Sources Of Resistance And Interaction With The Soybean Cyst Nematode, Rawnaq Nazneen Chowdhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phytophthora root and stem rot, caused by Phytophthora sojae Kaufmann and Gerdemann, is an important disease of soybean (Glycine max L.) in South Dakota. To gain a better understanding of the importance of P. sojae in South Dakota, specifically pathotype diversity, identification of new resistance sources and the interaction with the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, SCN), this research was undertaken with the following objectives - 1) to characterize the pathotype diversity of P. sojae causing Phytophthora root and stem rot on soybean in commercial fields in South Dakota; 2) to compare inoculation methods to evaluate for …

An Ethical Framework For Global Governance For Health Research, Kiarash Aramesh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global Governance is the way by which various affairs of human social life at the global scale are governed in the absence of a global governance. This field is composed of complex networks of role players. Global Health Governance is a branch of Global Governance that governs the health-related affairs. An important branch of this huge complex of networks that has not been analyzed sufficiently in the scholarly literature yet is Global Governance for Health Research. Global health research, although it is a part of global health affairs, has its own features and conditions that bring about its specific issues …

A Cacrep-Informed Counselor Educator Developmental Model: Identifying Counselor Skills And Supports Needed For Neophyte Counselor Educators, Ryan Bowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of counseling has been undergoing radical change for the past 40 years as it changes with the demands of the population and as new problems arise with changes in societal needs. Groups such as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs are working to create a program of counselor education that is singular and comprehensive to meet the needs of these changes. This mixed-methods study explored skills and supports that are needed to help counseling education students become effective future counselor educators. The researcher introduces a model of counselor educator development that will help to …

An Ethical Argument For A Specific Model Of Palliative Care In Nigeria, Dozie Egbe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The need for palliative care in Nigeria is huge. But Nigeria has minimal palliative care activity that does not correspond to the great palliative care needs in the country. The great needs are heightened by poverty and poverty induced conditions. However, Nigeria has untapped sociocultural values that can boast palliative care in the country. Such values can be activated and constructively integrated in the practice of palliative care in Nigeria.

This project looks back to what palliative care has been in history and in developed nations to argue for a constructive and positive manner palliative care can evolve in Nigeria …

Predicting Bankruptcy And Catastrophic Loss: A Portfolio Approach, Michael Mckibben

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper uses logistic regression to assign risk of catastrophic loss (defined as a loss of 80% or more of market cap value) to companies, and analyzes the subsequent returns of high risk and low risk portfolios. In the final model, the low risk portfolio had a three-year mean return of approximately 47%, with a catastrophic loss rate of 1.1%. The high-risk portfolio had a three-year mean return of approximately .5%, with a catastrophic loss rate of 29%. The paper expands upon a model developed by Dr. Abhay Gaur and Dr. Leo Rebholz in Rebholz’s 2002 thesis, Bankruptcy as Cusp …

Toward A Theory Of Action: Opportunities Embedded In Counseling Theory For School Counselors To Improve Their Perceptions Of And Approaches Toward Their Relationship With Their School Principals, Stephanie A. Mchugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study employed perceptions of school counselors relative to their relationships with their principals in order to investigate a theory of action that employs the skills and strategies embedded in counseling theory to identify courses of action that counselors can use to improve the principal-counselor relationship. School counselors attending national and state counselor conferences (N=31) responded to a prompt asking for the perceived strengths and weaknesses of their principal-counselor relationship, and the barriers they perceived to improving the relationship. Responses were analyzed using a close reading process that applied a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) framework to the responses and identified emergent themes …

Truth Telling Beyond Borders: An African Perspective, John Twinomujuni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation focuses on answering the question of how can patient’s autonomy, privacy and liberty be safeguarded especially within cultures that do not regard them as primordial principles? In some communities, truth-telling is one of the moral principles unquestioningly inherited from the West. The dissertation will try to compare African and Western perspectives. The African perspective has been chosen to explore through this search hoping that such venture would help in showing how the issue of truth-telling may be approached from such perspective. For instance in the African communalism based on the cardinal point that “I am because we are; …

The Experiences Of Registered Nurses Injured By Interpersonal Violence While On Duty In An Emergency Department, Salena Wright-Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies and reports identify the concerning incidence of work place violence directed toward healthcare workers (Centers for Disease Control, 2013; Gerberich et al., 2004; Government Accountability Office, 2016; U.S. Department of Labor, 2016). Despite efforts over the past few years to reduce workplace violence in healthcare facilities and specifically in emergency departments, the incidence of violence has not substantially lessened (Government Accountability Office, 2016). In March, 2016, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report that was prepared by congressional request. The GAO found that workers in in-patient healthcare facilities experienced work-place violence that resulted in lost time from …

The Utility Of A Theoretical Framework Of A Culture Of Leadership, James E. Wortman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the utility of a Culture of Leadership Framework for both evaluating and contributing to the formation of a dynamic school culture that infuses leadership up, down, and throughout the membership of the school learning community with students as a central figure. The Culture of Leadership Framework emerged from an extensive review of the literature and includes four distinct dimensions (indicators) that become critical to analyzing the data: Leadership Orientation, Leveraging Leadership, Leadership for Learning, and Leadership Growth. The researcher used a general interpretive process of close reading to develop themes from extant …

Youth Bear Witness To Mentoring Of The Black Church For College Readiness, Mary Louise Buckley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in practice examines the college readiness of five African American high school male students in urban schools in Pittsburgh, PA based on their participation in a middle school mentoring program sponsored by an urban Black church. Situated within Michael Dantley’s critical spirituality theory and critical race theory, the author analyzed youths’ counter-narrative experiences of being mentored for college readiness in the Black church. The students had informal conversations with the researcher using a grounded theory approach to the semi-structured interview format. Students found mentors to be relatable advocates to their lived experiences in schools. In addition, the mentoring …

Perceptions And Predictions With School Climate: Analyzing The Comprehensive School Climate Inventory, Danielle Cimorelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through multiple regression and analysis of variance, data from the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory was used to understand the following: 1.) the predictive ability of student perceptions of safety on overall school climate; 2.) the relationship between geographic location and school climate; and 3.) the predictive ability of geographic location and school type on overall school climate. Participants were elementary school students, grades PreK through 8, from 30 elementary schools across the country, with approximately 4,500 student responses. Results showed that students’ perceptions of school safety predicted 80% of the variances in connection to ratings of school climate. There was …

Quality Of Care In Patients With Cirrhosis And Ascites, Hepatic Encephalopathy Or Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis, Ankur Dashputre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To analyze concordance with evidence-based clinical care guidelines in real world clinical practice in patients with cirrhosis and ascites, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of the UPMC EMR database (2009-2014) with access to full outpatient and limited inpatient data was conducted to identify patients with cirrhosis and ascites, HE or SBP. Data regarding patient demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory values and medication utilization were extracted. Analyses included examination of patient demographic and clinical characteristics, change in disease severity (via MELDNa scoring) from cirrhosis to complication development and outpatient/inpatient healthcare utilization patterns. Additionally, …

The Lived Experience Of Trauma Counselor Supervisors, Nancy N. Fair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma is ubiquitous in our society, taking a costly toll on the physical and psychological well-being of individuals across all social strata, and creating an ever-increasing need for better understanding of how to help the victim survivors.

The purpose of this current study addresses an aspect of that need for understanding by examining the lived experiences of clinicians who have learned about trauma and who are addressing trauma survivors’ needs by acting as supervisors for other clinicians. This qualitative, phenomenologically oriented study used van Manen’s (1990) four lived existentials, Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 2005) bio-ecological model of human development, and existing trauma …

An Examination Of Different Motivational Orientations That Drive Graduate Students To Continue/Complete Their Education In The U.S, Cebrail Karayigit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Different types and levels of motivation can play an important role for graduate students to continue their studies. The current research study was one of the few studies that examined if domestic and international graduate students differ on their level of different motivational orientations to continue their education. This study employs a quantitative research design intended to investigate different types of psychologically based motivational factors that contribute to international graduate students’ motivation toward completing their programs, in particular in relation to domestic students. More specifically, this study is guided by two prominent theories of motivation, Self Determination Theory (SDT; Deci …

Drawing Conclusions About Aphasia: An Examination Of The Relationship Between Word Retrieval, Drawing, And Semantics, Joanne Kinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The hallmark characteristic of aphasia, word retrieval impairment, can significantly affect a person’s ability to communicate their needs and ideas. Treatment for these deficits typically focuses on either restorative or compensatory strategies. In aphasia therapy, clinicians have predominately used drawing as a compensatory strategy. Emerging evidence suggests that drawing may also have restorative effects on word retrieval impairments by providing an alternate route to accessing the semantic system (Farias, Davis, & Harrington, 2006). However, the current understanding of this theoretical relationship between the semantic system, drawing, and word retrieval abilities is limited. This study examined that relationship to further develop …

Examining The Moderating Effects Of Racial Socialization On Teacher Discrimination For The Psychological Outcomes Of Black Middle School Girls, Kayla Nichols

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A hierarchical multiple regression was used to understand the 1) the predictive ability of teacher discrimination on racial identity, 2) the predictive ability of teacher discrimination and racial identity on the educational beliefs and psychological outcomes of early adolescent Black girls, and 3) if egalitarian messages of racial socialization moderate the risk of teacher discrimination on the psychological outcomes for early adolescent Black girls. Participants were 8th grade Black girls from Wave 3 of the MADICS dataset (Eccles, 2010). Results showed that teacher discrimination had a negative relationship and predicted 5% of the variance in connection to heritage, educational beliefs, …

Effects Of Anxiety Treatment Using Coping Cat On Problem Behaviors In The Classroom, Kristen Elise Pearson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with comorbid anxiety disorders and externalizing problem behaviors and disorders pose an interesting challenge for clinicians. These children are at the greatest risk for the poorest outcomes in several areas of functioning including academics, interpersonal relationships, and emotional regulation. The current single subject research study was implemented to evaluate the effect of an anxiety reduction intervention, Coping Cat, on participants’ anxiety symptoms and behavior problems. The design included a baseline phase, an intervention phase, and a maintenance phase following the implementation of the intervention. Across all three phases, one or more trained research assistants collected behavioral observation data twice …

Improving Metacognitive Awareness And Authentic Teaching Practices Through Scaffolding Goal Setting And Reflective Practices With Ecd Majors At The Community College Level, Melanie Renee Yeschenko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research set out to enhance instruction for early education and child development majors in a community college setting in a manner that allows them to gain content knowledge while becoming more prepared to practice effective pedagogy in early learning classrooms. This study examined how metacognitive awareness changes throughout a semester with scaffolded goal setting and reflective practices. It investigated the types of goals students set for a specific learning task, as well as investigated their ability to apply reflective practice to their own learning and teaching practices. This research used a mixed method design to data collection with quantitative …

A Bioethics Tool For The Implementation Of Global Principles By The Pharmaceutical Industry, Daniel J. Hurst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to scandals of scientific misconduct, a climate of mistrust of science exists amongst the general public. This becomes of concern when we acknowledge that it is difficult for science and technology to flourish without broad societal trust. The pharmaceutical industry has often felt the brunt of such mistrust and has suffered many reputational setbacks over the past several years. Such reputational decline has a strong moral dimension, as it stems from issues such as the questionable conduct of clinical trials, pricing schemas, and access to medicines for low- or middle-income countries. The end product of such issues is the …