Digital Commons Network^™

Extended Days On Feed: Influences On Growth Performance, Efficiency, And Carcass Characteristics Of Steers And Heifers Of Different Proportions Of Angus And Limousin Genetics, Grace Henley Olinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, cattle feeders have extended days on feed (DOF) resulting in hot carcass weights (HCW) exceeding the limits of existing serial slaughter datasets. This study's goal was to determine the impact extended DOF exerts on growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics of steers and heifers with varying proportions of Angus (AN) and Limousin (LM) genetics. In 2022, commercial AN cows from two MT ranches were artificially inseminated to 9 sires from 3 breeds (AN, LM, and Limflex (LF)) with parentage confirmed by DNA. In 2023, 216 calves (sired by 72 AN, 73 LF, and 71 LM; 105 steers and …

No Neutral Ground: Sports Political Ideology In The 1936 Olympic Games, Lea Zeitler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

By using literary and cinematic narratives to explore changing cultural and ideological positions, my thesis demonstrates how the 1936 Berlin Olympics became a defining event of the intersection of sports and politics. Through analyzing Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia, Richard Mandell’s The Nazi Olympics, and Elise Hooper’s Fast Girls, I show how distinct historical circumstances inform understandings of race, gender, and nationalism. The Berlin Games, used by the Third Reich as a platform for Nazi propaganda, stand as an example of how international sporting events become battlegrounds for ideological struggles and political messaging. This thesis argues that these narratives are not just …

Essays On Entrepreneurial Funding In The Era Of Fintech Innovation, Robert S. Reardon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Equity crowdfunding introduces a contemporary framework for the longstanding practice of aggregating capital from diverse groups of investors, ranging from small individual contributors to large, accredited participants. Specialized digital platforms facilitate this capital assembly process by intermediating transactions between entrepreneurs seeking financing and investors, who receive financial securities in return for their contributions. This fundraising mechanism gained prominence in the United States following the implementation of Title III of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in 2016, which established regulatory frameworks permitting companies to publicly solicit investments online from diverse investor pools.

While equity crowdfunding has expanded capital accessibility, …

Exploring A Modern Deep Learning Technique For Wetland Mapping And Monitoring Using Worldview-2 Satellite Products, Mizanur Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands play a significant role in the world’s hydrology, climate, and biodiversity. Even with the benefits and values wetlands provide to the environment, they have been undergoing loss and degradation due to natural and anthropogenic processes. To protect wetlands from loss and degradation and to restore their function, it is essential to develop a sustainable wetland monitoring system. One of the key elements of a wetland monitoring system is wetland mapping. This dissertation research developed an object-based deep learning protocol for mapping heterogeneous wetlands with many communities from a high-resolution WV-2 satellite image. To test this developed protocol, an object-based …

Motherhood: An Orphan Of American Politics A Comparative Analysis Of State Actors As Institutions, Kristina Ramskyte-Juszczak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The political geography of America is relatively unique in the world: the United States is a powerful and wealthy country, but also consists of sub-national actors that retain significant legal powers within their own borders. The political actors in America, at both this smaller level and at the larger Federal level, have uniquely strong institutional power to shape the social and civic life of their citizens. Despite their absolute significance to the survival of their societies, mothers and mothers’ rights have largely been ignored or taken second place to other political issues. As many countries in Europe and other regions …

Mblac1 Knockout Mice: Behavioral Modeling Of A Novel Risk Factor In Alzheimer's Disease, Cara Melillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves progressive cognitive decline, with mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and copper (Cu) imbalance implicated in its pathogenesis. MBLAC1 has been identified as a risk factor for AD in individuals with comorbid cardiovascular disease (AD-CVD). Its C. elegans ortholog, swip-10, regulates Cu ion homeostasis and mitochondrial function. To investigate MBLAC1’s role, we examined behavioral phenotypes in Mblac1 knockout (KO) mice and tested the efficacy of the Cu chaperone elesclomol (ES). Male KO mice exhibited deficits in novel object recognition (NOR), which were rescued by ES treatment. Female KOs showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the Elevated Plus …

The Interaction Of Temporal And Structural Abstractions And Their Influence On Behavior, Ryan Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a crucial role in complex behaviors such as planning, decision-making, and adaptive problem-solving, which require integrating new information over time. Research has shown that information related to these behaviors is organized along a hierarchical rostro-caudal abstraction gradient in PFC, with abstract information represented in rostral (anterior) regions and concrete relationships in caudal (posterior) regions. Abstraction involves generalizing information by emphasizing broader concepts over specific details and can be understood more specifically by the context its applied to. However, past studies often confound different forms of abstraction, making it unclear how these different types of abstraction …

The Rise And Resilience Of Women Of Color Executives In Nonprofit Organizations: A Phenomenological Study Of Systemic Barriers, Support Systems And Leadership Identity, Nicole Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of women of color executive leaders in nonprofit organizations, focusing on perceptions of systemic barriers, support systems, and leadership identity. Using a mixed-methods, phenomenological design, data were collected from 31 women of color (N = 31) through a Likert-type survey and from six women (n = 6) selected for semi-structured interviews.

Quantitative analysis revealed that perceived systemic barriers significantly predicted leadership identity (p = .013), while support systems did not. Further analysis uncovered a significant positive correlation between positional status and perceived support (r = .39, p = .050), indicating …

Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Use Of Mental Health Applications: A Phenomenological Study, Chelsea D. Fullilove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological dissertation explored undergraduate students' lived experiences of using mental health mobile apps, AI, and other technology to manage mental health symptoms. The research focused on exploring three research questions: (a) perceptions of app effectiveness, usability, and features; (b) barriers and integration into mental health care routines; and (c) influences of privacy, peer influence, cultural backgrounds, and personal beliefs on app use.

Data were collected via purposive sampling through semi-structured interviews (N=12), each consisting of 15 open-ended questions, with students using a mental health app to improve their mental health. The interpretive data analysis was conducted by …

Crowding Out Whistleblower Altruism: Examining The Impact Of Whistleblower Incentives And Recognition On Retaliatory Behaviors, Megan Nicole Hiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Whistleblowers play an instrumental role in exposing organizational wrongdoing and, thereby, helping to remedy the damage endured by stakeholders. However, whistleblower retaliation is rising, its personal impacts to the whistleblower are severe, and fears of retaliation serve as a strong deterrent to prospective whistleblowers. In this dissertation, I draw on motivation crowding theory, which posits that external interventions can crowd out or crowd in intrinsic motivations for engaging in a behavior. I employ a third-party perspective of motivation crowding theory and utilize a 2x3x2 between-participants experimental design to examine factors that impact employees’ perceptions of whistleblower intent and acts of …

Does Federal Funding Address Fundamentals? Examining The Equity Effects Of Title I On Student Achievement, Veda Hudge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the equity effects of Title I funding on student achievement in Broward County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the United States. Title I, established under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, aims to address educational disparities by providing financial resources to schools that serve economically disadvantaged students. Despite over five decades of federal intervention, significant achievement gaps persist, particularly among marginalized populations. This study investigates the effectiveness of Title I funding in improving student outcomes in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics during the period 2016–2020.

Using a quantitative research …

Exploring Mindfulness, Mindful Self-Care, And Perceived Burnout Among Professional Counselors: A Latent Profile Analysis, Sheria Kwok

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Promoting counselor well-being and burnout prevention through research efforts is necessary. This study explored the findings (emerging unobserved profiles) from a latent profile analysis (LPA) examining mindfulness, mindful self-care behaviors, and perceived burnout among licensed professional counselors and supervisors in Ohio (N = 328). The study evaluated the differences in individual demographic variables across the identified latent profile memberships derived from the LPA. As a result, we found two latent profile memberships: Low Mindfulness/Mindful Self-Care and High Burnout Group (n = 146; 44.5%), and High Mindfulness/Mindful Self-Care and Low Burnout Group (n = 182; 55.5%). Based …

Is Infant Fear Related To An Increase In Maternal Stress?, Janairis F. Munoz-Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The impact of infant fear responses on mother stress throughout the first year of life was investigated in this study. Between six and fourteen months, thirty mother-infant pairs were examined at three different time intervals. Maternal responses from the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) and behavioral observations made during standardized lab tasks were used to evaluate infant fear. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure maternal stress at all time points, and behavioral stress was coded during the first session. The findings showed no overall significant correlation between the mother's subjective stress and the behavioral fear of her infant. …

Materia Non Medica: Reading Disability And Medical Narratives In The Daughter Of Doctor Moreau, Jessica Elizabeth Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a close reading of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, engaging Indigenous studies and disability studies to illuminate how the novel interrogates embodiment, medical authority, and human difference. By situating the text within historical frameworks of medicine and corporeality in Mexico, and alongside speculative modes that seek to recuperate non-Western epistemologies, the analysis reveals how Moreno-Garcia reimagines the body as mutable, relational, and politically charged. The narrative’s hybrid characters and transgressive identities offer a generative lens through which to explore bodily variance, not as deviation, but as a site of possibility. Ultimately, this thesis argues …

Phosphorus Removal Using Novel Carbon Adsorbents Derived From Waste Algae: An Industrial Ecology Approach To Mitigate Algal Blooms, Vithulan Suthakaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High phosphate levels and warm temperatures in surface waters can stimulate the overgrowth of certain alga types, causing harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs may adversely affect public health and have negative economic impacts due to associated healthcare costs, required clean-up activities, and tourism revenue loss. The overarching objective of this study was to utilize an industrial ecology approach and convert algal biomass into chemically modified activated carbon adsorbent materials for phosphate removal. Cyanobacterial biomass was collected from Lake Okeechobee in Florida and processed before activation using fast and energy-efficient microwave heating. To improve phosphate removal, the surface of the adsorbents …

Extracting The Future: An Analysis Of Petroculture In Apocalyptic Works, Cailey Poirier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the critique of petroculture seen in mid- and post-apocalyptic literature. Chapter One, “Parable of the Sower: A Pre-Apocalyptic World Planting Petrocultures Destiny” argues Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower critiques American petroculture by demonstrating the destruction and devastation society is heading for under current societal structures. Chapter Two, “The Road: The Crumbling Remains of Petroculture” argues Cormac McCarthy’s The Road critiques American petroculture through its infrastructural collapse. Chapter Three, “‘Covehithe’: A Weird, Post-Apocalyptic Story Birthing the Future of Petroculture” explores how China Miéville’s “Covehithe” employs magical realism to communicate a different view …

Dual Language Programs: An Exploration, Amanda Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is an exploration into: 1) the utilization of programs that teach students English as a second language in the US, particularly Dual Language programs, 2) a history of research surrounding the formation of an individual or group identity, both overall and through an ESOL lens, and 3) how ESOL instruction in the US may be impacted by certain aspects of this identity construction.

After a review of research, this dissertation analyzes a cohort of students from the Palm Beach County School District who were enrolled in either a Dual Language program or in a “traditional” ESOL program from …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Integration In Counselor Education: Theory, Development, Implementation, And Efficacy Of A Dbt-Informed Supervision Protocol For Counselor Trainees, Clara Bossie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This multi-manuscript dissertation illustrates the progression from theoretical development to practical intervention research in counselor supervision, introducing innovative supervisory practices in counselor education that balance well-being with academic rigor, addressing counselor trainees' common challenges such as anxiety, burnout, and limited self-efficacy. Following a literature review, this dissertation bridges theory and practice by offering counselor educators and supervisors a comprehensive, evidence-informed approach to developing resilient, competent, and psychologically well counseling professionals. The research progresses through three interconnected phases using qualitative and quantitative methods. Constructivist grounded theory (CGT) explores counselor trainees' supervisory experiences, highlighting the significance of responsive supervisory relationships and validation. …

Can Servant Leadership Reinvigorate Communities Of Faith, Jonathan Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between servant leadership characteristics and church growth in Episcopal congregations. Using quantitative analysis, the research assessed whether leadership characteristics—such as emotional healing, creating value for the community, conceptual skills, empowering followers, helping followers succeed, putting followers first, and behaving ethically—were significant predictors of numerical growth. Data were collected from 40 churches (20 growing, 20 declining), with leadership perceptions measured through a validated servant leadership instrument.

The findings indicate that while growing churches exhibited slightly higher mean scores across several servant leadership characteristics, none of the differences were statistically significant. Logistic regression analysis further demonstrated that …

The Impact Of The Imsd Mentorship Program On Stem Doctoral Graduation Rates: An Application Of Elite Theory, Kristen Alexandria Walden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disparities in doctoral STEM completion rates among underrepresented groups raise questions about institutional power and access in higher education. This dissertation investigates graduation rates among minority doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, comparing results at public and private universities through the lens of elite theory. Elite theory asserts that power is concentrated within small groups or institutions that influence national and institutional outcomes. Although public administration literature addresses elite power structures in universities, less research has examined how these dynamics influence graduation for underrepresented groups in doctoral STEM disciplines.

This study applies elite theory to explore …

Does Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration And Quality Affect Maternal Sensitivity: Fear Vs. Normative Situations, Camila Herrera Zamora

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined whether exclusive breastfeeding duration and perceived breastfeeding quality predict maternal sensitivity across emotionally challenging versus normative caregiving contexts in infancy. Twenty-four mother–infant dyads participated in three laboratory visits during which maternal sensitivity was assessed across interaction conditions. It was hypothesized that (1) longer breastfeeding duration would be associated with greater sensitivity during fear-inducing contexts, (2) breastfeeding duration and quality would interact to predict sensitivity, and (3) sensitivity would be higher during fear-inducing situations. Contrary to expectations, maternal sensitivity was highest in the normative/free-play condition and increased over time, peaking at 14 to 16 months. Exclusive breastfeeding …

Psychometric Properties Of A New Acculturation Scale For Latinos/Hispanics, Alicia Goytizolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the newly developed Multi-Ethnic Acculturation Scale (MAS), a multidimensional instrument designed to assess behavioral and cognitive aspects of cultural adaptation among Hispanic/Latino individuals in the United States. A sample of 208 adults from diverse Hispanic backgrounds completed the MAS alongside two validated acculturation measures: the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a partially distinct but moderately correlated factor structure for both American and Latino cultural orientation subscales, supporting a bidimensional conceptualization of acculturation. Internal consistency was high across both subscales (Cronbach’s α > .90), …

Age-Group Differences In Friend Influence Over Academic Achievement And Physical Activity, Laury-Ann Bedard Leclerc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Speculation about the developmental shifts in the magnitude of peer influence has outstripped empirical research. Friends are assumed to be particularly influential at the onset of adolescence, as adult oversight declines and the salience of peers increases. Few studies, however, have explored age-group differences in the magnitude of friend influence over academic achievement and physical activity. The present longitudinal study compares friendship dyads in late childhood (grades 4-5) versus early adolescence (grades 6-7), describing the strength of their mutual influence across peer- and self-reports of academic achievement and physical activity. Participants included 170 adolescents (99 girls, 71 boys) in 85 …

The Impact Of College And Career Student Success Curriculum And Xello On High School Students’ Self-Efficacy, Academic Motivation, And Academic Performance, Rosemyrtle J. Louis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study aimed to determine whether the school counselor-led CCSS program (Brigman & Villares, 2015), a curriculum designed to foster cognitive and social-emotional skills, combined with the technological college and career exploration platform, Xello (2019), enhances participating students’ self-efficacy, academic motivation, and academic performance. The CCSS and Xello program consisted of five 45-minute lessons delivered in the classroom by school counselors once a week for five weeks. A quasi-experimental design was utilized with 115 high school students from Southeast Florida assigned to either a treatment group (n = 71) or a control group (n = 44). Pretest and …

Veterans In Times Of Crisis: The Impact Of Veteran Status On Unemployment, Lubor Olsovsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of veteran status on unemployment in times of crisis. Driven by the social identity theory, we argue that people’s identity deriving from his or her military background makes them more valuable assets in the work environment, specifically in times of crisis, because of their human capital. We utilize the coronavirus pandemic as the exogenous shock in the labor marketplace, capturing the crisis environment. Due to the veterans’ human capital driven by their leadership and entrepreneurial characteristics from their military experience, we argue that individuals with veteran backgrounds have stronger labor …

The Effect Of Political Ideology On The Persuasiveness Of Gainvs. Loss-Framed Climate Change Messages: Testing Competing Hypotheses, Sada Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivating climate change mitigation is a critical priority. This study examined how message framing (gain vs. loss) interacts with political ideology to influence persuasion. Two competing hypotheses were tested. The Regulatory Focus Fit Hypothesis predicted that liberals (promotion-oriented) would prefer gain-framed messages, while conservatives (prevention-oriented) would prefer loss-framed ones. The Differential Context Hypothesis predicted the opposite: liberals would respond better to loss frames due to alignment with threat-based media narratives, while conservatives would prefer gain frames due to lower reactance and perceived novelty. Messages were also tailored to match individual regulatory focus or the broader political context. Results did not …

The Meaning Of Spiritual Practices For Caregivers Of Children With Cancer In Thailand: A Heideggerian Phenomenological Study, Wipawee Ponkaew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caring for children with cancer may bring short and long-term challenges to families due to added healthcare activities focused on the ill child or adolescent. Among available resources and support strategies, religiosity/ spirituality (R/S) have been increasingly identified as a source of comfort.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience and interpret the findings of spiritual practices for caregivers of children with cancer in Thailand. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants, with semi-structured interviews. Swanson’s Theory of Caring provided the theoretical underpinning of the study, and Deikelmann’s seven-stage process was adapted for …

Hurricane Damage In The Bahamas: Leveraging Spatial Analysis To Inform Adaptive Measures For Housing Resiliency, Chia Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the transition from disaster recovery to adaptation planning in the wake of extreme climatic events, with a specific focus on housing resilience. It examines the key factors influencing successful adaptation planning and how innovative strategies can contribute to sustainable and equitable communities. The study focuses on Abaco, The Bahamas, a region devastated by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, where recovery remains ongoing, and hurricane threats persist. Given the vulnerability of The Bahamas’ low-lying geography, it is crucial to implement adaptive planning measures that consider both the physical impact of hurricanes and the need for strategic housing allocation. By …

Making Hot Chocolate: Connecting Hypersexuality And Violence Against Black American Women In 20th And 21st Century Literature, Ashlan Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American literature in the early 20th and 21st centuries have been employed as a method of protest against the deleterious stereotyping of Ebonic (read: Black American) people in the United States, addressing and challenging the monolithic notions that define Ebonic people in life and media. In the process of expressing these protests, challengers to racist social norms utilize the Ebonic female body and image for the benefit of their personal interests through a combination of hypersexuality and violence. This thesis addresses the lack of accountability in these political lenses and assesses the ways in which authors objectify and abuse …

Investigating The Portrayal Of Native Americans In Florida’S K-12 Social Studies/History Textbooks: A Critical Content Analysis, Marisa Miceli Schnirman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Textbook bias is an enduring and contentious issue in the United States. U.S. textbooks have long been criticized for perpetuating bias and reinforcing dominant narratives that marginalize minority groups, such as members of Indigenous nations. This study confirms that biases continue to exist in textbooks and promote the harmful narrative that Indigenous peoples are people of the past. This narrative undermines the survivance (Vizenor, 1998), contributions, and very existence of Indigenous peoples. Using a critical lens, this content analysis examines the portrayal of Indigenous peoples in select fourth-grade, eighth-grade, and high school social studies and history texts used in Florida …