Digital Commons Network^™

Negative Psychology Of Anti-Semitism: Fear Of The Uncategorizable, Benjamin Strosberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anti-Semitism is a pervasive global issue, particularly prominent in the United States. Studying and defining anti-Semitism prove remarkably challenging for scholars, leading to inadequate understanding and exclusion from contemporary academic discourse and social justice initiatives. In this dissertation, I made the case that anti-Semitism is hard to categorize, stemming, in part, from the difficulty in categorizing what it is to be Jewish, which seems to be multi-form (a figure of thought, a race, an ethnicity, a religion, a nation, none of the above). In thinking about the difficulty in categorization, I constellated various instances of anti-Jewish practices across historical epochs …

A Demonstration Of Enactivist Personality Assessment Using The Five-Factor Model, Garri Hovhannisyan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to extend the intellectual and existential horizon of the enactive approach by bringing forth an enactivist understanding of human cognitive life as it is lived from the perspective of personality traits. The theoretical task of this dissertation is to review existing evidence in support of the Enactivist Big-5 Theory (EB5T) of personality and its potential for bridging the phenomenological gap between minimal and human cognition. As a phenomenologically grounded theory of personality, EB5T conceptualizes individual differences not merely as differences in trait measures within a person but as differences in styles of how individuals bring forth, experience, …

Changing The Face Of Reading Instruction: Do Culturally Relevant Passages Increase The Effects Of The Repeated Reading Intervention For Middle School Black Girls With Reading Difficulties (Bgrds)?, Olajumoke Edith Oshokoya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that fewer studies have focused on improving the reading abilities of middle school Black girls (Morris, 2007). As BGRDs progress through K – 12 grades, they increasingly rely on basic and advanced reading skills (i.e., oral reading fluency [ORF] and comprehension) to learn. Providing BGRDs with engaging reading passages that are relevant to their prior knowledge, background, interests, and experiences, is more likely to motivate them to read, and eventually improve their reading skills (Cartledge et al., 2015). While there is a growing body of literature focused on Black students’ experiences, currently no study has explored the …

Air-Jet Bioprinting Of Stem Cell-Encapsulated Alginate Micro-Droplets For Organoid Biomanufacturing, Mirabella B. Stump

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomanufactured 3D-organoids show promise for modeling and treating various conditions, particularly insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type-1 diabetes). Pancreatic islet organoids serve as sustainable sources of insulin-producing β-cells, potentially restoring insulin regulation in patients and providing a long-term solution for diabetes. Hydrogel droplet printing is an emerging technique in regenerative medicine due to its advantageous tunability and biocompatibility; however, challenges of consistency, quality control, and scalability persist. To address these issues, we developed a novel air-jetting based droplet bioprinting system for the generation of monodispersed alginate micro-droplets. The objective of this project was to incorporate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into …

Large - Scale Manufacturing Of Fluorescent Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsions For Oxygen Delivery, Anneliese Troidle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for a life – saving organ transplant, yet 17 patients die daily waiting for a transplant they will never receive [1]. Preservation of organs is an area that has seen innovation throughout the years and can improve rates of transplantation, yet vascularized composite allotransplantation preservation has not followed suit [2]. Current standard of care is use of electrolyte solutions such as Histidine – Tryptophan – Ketoglutarate (HTK) or University of Wisconsin (UW) Solution, yet these perfusates lack an oxygen carrying component [3]. Hemoglobin – based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) …

The Contribution Of Principlism To Foster Ethical And Clinical Reciprocity In Resolving Healthcare Dilemmas, Dominic Glorioso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principlism is an ethical method that uses an analytical framework based on a set of principles that can function as guidelines for healthcare professionals. The term was made

famous by the work of two bioethicists, Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. Their book, Principles of Biomedical Ethics and its multiple editions described a set of norms that are basic

for biomedical ethics. The first edition of their book was published in 1979, and the ninth edition in 2019. Its persistence and durability speak for themselves. In addition, their writings made

famous the four bioethical principles of respect for Autonomy, …

Development, Fabrication, And In Vitro Characterization Of Coconut Oil Lipidic Nanoparticles, Suneera Adlakha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nano-delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are being actively explored. Drug encapsulation in SLNs helps in improving the drug’s bioavailability and can be used for targeted delivery. We hypothesize that the production of stable SLNs can be achieved using low melting point lipids such as coconut oil (CO). The safety of CO has been demonstrated, and its capacity to dissolve drug molecules has been established. Drug-free solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were formulated through the utilization of sonication and magnetic stirring as production techniques. Different compositions and process variables that directly influence SLN manufacturing were evaluated with the target …

The Normative Requirement For Shared Decision Making (Sdm) In Healthcare Ethics, Margaret Nornor-Quadjie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medicine and medical technology started to advance after World War II. During that period, the practice of medicine became technical. A lot began to happen in the biomedical world during the period after WWII that attracted comments, criticisms, and analyses from scholars. Perhaps, the 1947 Doctors’ Trial at the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Nuremberg Code may be said to be the defining moment for bioethics. These events eventually led to, in the United States, the passage of the National Research Act of 1974 that established the Institutional Review Board system and the National Commission for Protection of Human Subjects of …

Comparative Functional And Genomic Analysis Of Protein Targets Of Sexual Selection In Primates, Brianna Ports

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual selection is driven by the differential reproductive success of individuals, which is influenced by competition for mates and mate choice. In primates, this selective pressure has been attributed to the development of distinct anatomical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics. By employing comparative functional and genomic methodologies, this study aimed to assess the repercussions of primate sexual selection. To better understand the mechanisms driving sexually selected traits, an unbiased genome-wide analysis was used to associate rates of protein evolution with relative testes size and sexual size dimorphism. While previous research focused on the rapid evolution of male reproductive proteins in response …

Interactive Effects Of Sublethal Concentrations Of Fracking Biocides And Abandoned Mine Drainage On Amphipod Behavior, Kelly Lenhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the sublethal effects of three pollutants, namely glutaraldehyde, 4,4-dimethyloxazolidine (DMO), and abandoned mine drainage (AMD), on amphipods. The primary objective was to investigate their combined effects on amphipods. The three pollutants, despite having the potential to combine in the environment, have not been studied to determine their potential for detrimental interactive effects which could result in unexpected environmental damage.

The research employed a series of experimental setups involving controlled exposure of amphipods to varying, putatively sublethal, concentrations of the chemicals of interest. Subsequently, effects were assessed via both behavioral and feeding assessments. To facilitate this analysis, novel …

Understanding The Cultural Perceptions And Beliefs Of Law Enforcement About Officer Wellness: A Focused Ethnography, Carrie Hintz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement is recognized as one of the most stressful and high-risk occupations in the world. This study explored the cultural perceptions, beliefs, and values of law enforcement officers (LEOs) about their wellness. Methodology: This focused ethnography included observations and individual interviews of LEOs in the state of Nevada, USA. Leininger’s four phases of qualitative data analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: Thirty-one LEOs participated, representing 7 law enforcement agencies. Three themes were identified: 1) the badge is omnipresent in officers' lives, affecting every aspect of their world; 2) a balanced approach to officer health is important; …

Population Trends And Trophic Ecology Of The Invasive Peacock Eel (Macrognathus Siamensis) In The Florida Everglades, Grace Kahmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species threaten the ecological integrity of ecosystems worldwide, including the Florida Coastal Everglades. This study investigated the ecological role of the peacock eel (Macrognathus siamensis) within this ecosystem, emphasizing its population trends and the environmental factors that affect its population performance, and the potential for interactions with native fish assemblages and coastal food webs. I used 19 years of electrofishing data to investigate the population trends of peacock eels at the marsh-mangrove ecotone of the Shark River Estuary, Everglades National Park (Florida, USA). I found that peacock eel populations have increased since their first detection in 2002, and their …

A History Of Complex Simple Lie Algebras, Avrila Frazier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1869, prompted by his work in differential equations, Sophus Lie wondered about categorizing what he called “closed systems of commutative transformations,” while around the same time, Wilhelm Killing’s work on non-Euclidean geometry encountered related topics. As mathematicians recognized this as a division of abstract algebra, the area became known as “continuous transformation groups," but we now refer to them as Lie groups.

Patterns and structures emerged from their work, such as describing Lie groups in connection with their associated Lie algebras, which can be categorized in many important ways. In this paper, we focus on Lie algebras over the …

Using A Toxic Aging Coin To Assess Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Neurotoxicity., Samuel Thomas Vielee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are facing an aging crisis, with 20% of the U.S. population projected to be geriatric (65+) by 2030 and live another 40+ years. Age-related diseases accompany a growing geriatric population, emphasizing the need to understand their etiology. Environmental pollutants compound this crisis by: 1) geriatrics are more susceptible, exacerbating age-related diseases and comorbidities, and 2) they accelerate biological aging, inducing age-related diseases at younger ages. We address this crisis using a ‘toxic aging coin’ approach; heads examines how age impacts toxicity, tails examines how chemicals accelerate aging. This thesis applies the heads side for Cr(VI)-induced neurotoxicity across ages. We …

Breaking Virulent: The Coincidental Evolution Of Virulence Factors In Bacteria., Rhiannon Emmanuelle Cecil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how innocuous organisms can evolve to be pathogenic to humans is of increasing global concern. Further, understanding how existing pathogens may evolved to be more virulent is also vital to our ability to provide healthcare to people afflicted with diseases that promote chronic bacterial infections, such as cystic fibrosis. With the rise of antibiotic resistance in both bacteria and fungi it is paramount that new therapeutics are identified. Understanding what mutations occur that result in increased virulence in microbes can potentially provide new targets for antimicrobial drugs to combat antibiotic resistance. The Coincidental Evolution Hypothesis is a fundamental hypothesis …

A Study Of Group Effectiveness In A Virtual Reality Environment., Dalton Clay Sparks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has revolutionized the study of team effectiveness, yet many studies in this domain lack a comprehensive approach, focusing narrowly on performance metrics. This thesis investigates VR team effectiveness by integrating traditional Team Effectiveness frameworks with VR-specific dynamics. Utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Group Style Inventory (GSI), this study assesses teams within a VR environment, specifically a multiplayer submarine simulation game, IronWolfVR. Fifteen groups, totaling 45 participants, were observed for their collaborative gameplay, incorporating physiological measures (Heart Rate and Electrodermal Activity), team coordination dynamics, and various survey-based assessments (demographics, System Usability Scale, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, and …

From "Smart Talk" To "Living Well": Commonplaces And Their Role In Narratives Of Rare Disease., Caitlin E. Ray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As healthcare becomes more complex, automated, and bureaucratic, patients often suffer from a lack of resources, agency, and visibility when seeking medical care. Rhetoric and Composition, specifically the subfield of Rhetoric of Health and Medicine (RHM), is interested in studying and intervening into such issues. One way to challenge our current understanding of healthcare is to consider how the rare disease patient experience reveals the gaps, limitations, and assumptions of illness and health. I argue here that through rare diseases, rhetoricians of health and medicine can better understand the representation, advocacy, and patient experience within healthcare, and potentially lead to …

Computational Investigations Of Bond Breaking Processes Using Dft And Td-Dft Approaches., Saurav Parmar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The efficient application of DFT and TD-DFT has been harnessed to study bond-breaking processes in some molecules which play a prominent role in enzymatic reactions. The first application includes Radical S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) enzymes which are fundamentally important sources of organic radicals to initiate diverse radical reactions. Recently a bio-organometallic intermediate (Ω) that contains an Fe‒C bond has been characterized and shown to be a common feature of radical SAM enzymes. The strength of Fe‒C bond in Ω has been computed using broken-symmetry density functional theory (BS‒DFT). Additionally, Fe‒C bond dissociation energy (BDE) in Ω has been compared to that …

Art And Interdisciplinary Opportunities For Literacy Instruction: A Qualitative Study To Examine Educator Perceptions In The Rural Setting, Courtney Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine educator perceptions of teaching art and implementing literacy and interdisciplinary strategies in rural northeast Tennessee school districts. This study explored interdisciplinary connections and opportunities to expand access to literacy acquisition in the art room. Participants included twelve educators who served as art instructors, literacy specialists, and district supervisors in rural public-school systems in Tennessee's First Congressional District. Data were collected through virtual interviews using a semi-structured format. To qualify for the study participants held positions as elementary or secondary art teachers, literacy specialists, or district supervisors in rural northeast Tennessee …

Isotopic Ecology Of Bison And Bootherium At Big Bone Lick, Kentucky, Frances Stephenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Big Bone Lick (BBL) is a late Pleistocene and Holocene fossil locality in the Ohio River valley of Kentucky. This study utilized stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) in tooth enamel to reconstruct mobility and diet in Bison, as well as diet in Bootherium bombifrons. Isotopic results from seven Bison and two B. bombifrons are reported. Results suggest Pleistocene Bison and Bootherium occupied different dietary niches. Although both had C3-dominated diets, Bison occupied more open environments than B. bombifrons. Two bison from the late Holocene deposit had diets that consisted …

Perceptions Of Educators On Motivational Strategies Influencing Middle School Students In Mathematics Courses, Amy Rigsby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined educators' perceptions of motivational strategies influencing and motivating middle school students to comprehend and perform in mathematics courses. This study used interview data from 15 participants with 2 to 30 years of teaching experience. Educators may utilize this information in multiple settings within the classroom to influence and motivate students in mathematics courses.

Data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-structured middle school educator interviews. Analysis of data occurred in three phases: (a) categorization of data under the five organizational factors, (b) building the explanation in narrative form, and (c) re-examination of the data. The analysis of the …

Quantifying Impacts Of Climate Change On Headwater Streamflow Regime In Robinson Forest: Insights From 35-Years Of Data Collection., Lauren Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change may shift patterns of streamflow permanence in headwater systems by altering the frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, and rate of change of surface streamflow, impacting both local ecosystems as well as regional water budgets and availability. While much uncertainty surrounds modeling-based methods to quantify the impacts of climate change on water budgets, long-term hydrologic data collected from headwaters in experimental research forests serve as critical evidence to reduce such uncertainty. The objective of this study is to quantify shifts in frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, and rate of change of streamflow in two headwater catchments with relatively little recent disturbance …

Publication Of Undergraduate Experiments, Development Of Additional X-Ray Crystallography Experiments, And Proof-Of-Concept Cyclopropanation Reactions, Alain Beauparlant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Single crystal X-ray crystallography instructional materials were developed using a variety of compounds including sugar, Epsom salt, pyrite, copper(II) acetate, and rhodium(II) acetate. Rhodium(II) acetate was reacted with a variety of functionalized benzonitriles, and when crystals were obtained, characterized using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Rhodium(II) acetate with adducts of 4-nitrobenzonitrile and 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile were also characterized using proton NMR spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Rhodium(II) acetate with adducts of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile was used as a catalyst in a proof-ofconcept reaction to determine if it acts as a catalyst in cyclopropanation reactions. Further, the new rhodium(II) acetate dinitrile compounds were investigated to …

Synthesis Of Bacterial Glycerophospholipids For Biomembrane Model Studies: A Means To Advanced Biofuels, Felix Adulley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To reduce reliance on fossil fuels, sustainable biofuels are being pursued, especially advanced biofuels like 1-butanol that have higher energy content and greater compatibility with existing infrastructure than ethanol. A persistent challenge is the yield-limiting toxicity of biofuels and process solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran, to the microbes that ferment biomass into biofuel. The cell membrane is a focal point of toxicity, and understanding how it interacts with fuels and solvents is key to improving yield. Phospholipid bilayers are the core of biomembranes, and model biomembranes of defined composition provide the ideal platform for biophysical studies. To this end, glycerophospholipids characteristic …

Intestinal Microbiome, Fecal Fermentation Profile, And Health Indices In Hiv Infected Men Versus Non-Infected Controls, Mary Andreae, Mary C. Andreae Mrs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many HIV-positive (HIV+) males on Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) experience metabolic abnormalities, including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and lipodystrophy. The intestinal microbiota and short chain fatty acids (SCFA), participate in bidirectional communication with their host. Dysbiosis in HIV+ males on HAART demonstrate a Prevotella-rich enterotype shaped by multiple factors including, medications, adiposity, diet, intestinal permeability, and lifestyle; our objective was to investigate these factors. 19 HIV+ and 21 HIV- males were enrolled. BMI and hip-to-waist ratio (H:W) were obtained, and FibroScan for liver health. Intestinal permeability markers Claudin-21, flagellin, and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) in …

Electrodeposition Studies Of Gold Nanoparticles And Alginate Hydrogel Films., Harikrishnan Nambiathan Nambiar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the electrochemical deposition (ECD) and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) processes involving citrate (cit)-stabilized Au nanoparticles (NPs) and calcium alginate (Ca-Alg-Au NP) hydrogel films. The first part of the dissertation investigates the influence of NP size, surface area (SA) coverage, and ligand stabilizers on the electrochemical growth of Au on Au NPs, aiming to enhance our understanding of the growth process during the nucleation and growth of metal NPs. The growth kinetics depend on Au NP size (4 nm > 15 nm > 50 nm) for a constant SA coverage, as determined by the overpotentials for ECD. The growth rate increases …

Computational Quantum Chemistry Studies Of The Stabilities Of Radical Adducts Formed During The Oxidation Of Melatonin Derivatives, James Horne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Melatonin is a natural antioxidant that has been investigated for properties as a potential spin trap to identify short-lived free radicals. Computational quantum chemistry studies have been performed for the oxidation of melatonin to N¹-acetyl-N²-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine. This research focused on modification of melatonin into derivatives and analyzing the change in total molecular energy from melatonin to its oxidation product, as well as the corresponding derivatives. Each of the molecular geometries were optimized at the DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d), DFT/B3LYP/cc-pVXZ (X = D, T), HF/6-31G(d), HF/cc-PVXZ (X = D, T), MP2/6-31G(d), and MP2/cc-PVXZ (X = D, T) levels of theory. …

Papa Was A Missing Stone: An Exploration Into The Lived Experiences Of Father-Absent African American Women, Jamila Jordan Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of adult father-absent African American women to extrapolate from their stories the meaning they attached to the experience and to hear in their own words how they perceived the absence of their father shaped their lives and affected them socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and educationally. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom audio-conferencing with adult African American women who ranged in age from 20-62 years of age living in various parts of the U.S. The findings of this study revealed that father-daughter relationship bonds held a special meaning to each participant as most …

College Commute Distance And Retention For First-Time, Community College Freshmen, Michael O'Hagan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative correlational study was to investigate whether any significant relationships existed between one-way student commute distance and retention for first-time, community college freshmen. Additional student success metrics such as three-year graduation rates, enrollment status, credit hours attempted and completed, and GPA were also analyzed for any possible relationship with commute distance.

Archival student data were collected from the participating institution, a public community college in the southeastern United States with four separate instructional site locations. This study followed the incoming class of 2016, entering in the fall semester, through the end of their third year, …

Convolution And Autoencoders Applied To Nonlinear Differential Equations, Noah Borquaye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autoencoders, a type of artificial neural network, have gained recognition by researchers in various fields, especially machine learning due to their vast applications in data representations from inputs. Recently researchers have explored the possibility to extend the application of autoencoders to solve nonlinear differential equations. Algorithms and methods employed in an autoencoder framework include sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics (SINDy), dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), Koopman operator theory and singular value decomposition (SVD). These approaches use matrix multiplication to represent linear transformation. However, machine learning algorithms often use convolution to represent linear transformations. In our work, we modify these approaches to …