Digital Commons Network^™

Interrupting Holistic Processing May Improve The Detection Of Deceptive Emotional Facial Expressions, Christopher A. Gunderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although a growing body of evidence suggests that genuine and deceptive facial expressions differ, previous work is mixed as to whether observers can discern between them. One explanation is that cues to deception on the face are subtle and not readily perceived by observers. I argue that the way people process faces may obscure these cues, making them ‘unseen’ by observers. In the current work, I pit two hypotheses against each other to test whether interrupting holistic processing improves or impairs the ability to identify deceptive emotional expressions. Since people process faces holistically, one region of the face may interfere …

Organellar Zn2+ Homeostasis And The Role Of Trpml Channels In Neuronal Lysosome Physiology And Axonal Transport, Taylor Franklin Minckley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zinc (Zn²⁺) is crucial for proper cellular function, and as such it is important to measure and track Zn²⁺ dynamics in living cells. Fluorescent sensors have been used to estimate Zn²⁺ content of subcellular compartments, but little is known about endolysosomal Zn2+ homeostasis. Similarly, although numerous sensors have been reported, it is unclear whether and how Zn²⁺ can be released from intracellular compartments into the cytosol due to a lack of probes that can detect physiological dynamics of cytosolic Zn²⁺. My dissertation started with comparing and characterizing different Zn²⁺ sensors including the …

Historical Portrait Of Ann Fabe Isaacs: Founder Of The National Association For Gifted Children, Anna Armitage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The historical portrait of Ann Fabe Isaacs examines the life of the founder of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the Editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly from 1954-1974. Considering Isaacs’ personal and public work frames the founding of the NAGC, development of its mission, published essays, and advocacy work. Once the historical perspective has been considered, Isaacs’ work will be considered alongside the contemporary NAGC, its advocacy work, and its published writing. This portrait provides historical context for the founding of the NAGC and examines the influence of the founder on the contemporary organization.

Implications of the …

A Sense Of Trust: Somatic Spiritual Practices As A Path To Wholeness In Spiritually Integrated Trauma Care, Shyamaa Marie Creaven

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A traumatic event holds the power to rupture one’s world, generating lingering effects on embodied existence. Research has demonstrated that overwhelmingly stressful events often call into question deeply held values and beliefs and that spiritual struggles “tend to be partially responsible for the distress experienced" (Pomerleau et al., 2020, pp. 456–457). Similarly, research with veterans has demonstrated that religious and spiritual struggles mediate the relationship between a potentially morally injurious event and both anxiety and PTSD (Evans et al., 2018), often intensifying trauma and moral injury symptoms as well as opening a pathway for spiritual integration and growth (Pargament & …

Exploring Opportunities For Supporting Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: A Path Forward Through Expanding Graduate Training In School Psychology, Erica L. Gleason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School psychologists are equipped with a dynamic skill set and an ethical and moral responsibility to support the diverse needs of all youth. While juvenile justice-involved youth may not be a primary subpopulation served by all school psychologists, they are a high-needs group that requires special consideration and attention. As a professional entity, school psychologists’ knowledge and expertise are not optimally applied to serving these youth. Consequently, school psychologists may be forgoing an opportunity to improve rates of successful school and community reintegration and overall positive life outcomes for justice-involved youth. The first manuscript of this dissertation presents precipitating and …

Faculty Facilitation Of Help-Seeking On Campus: A Phenomenological Study, Lillian V. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An ever-increasing number of students on college campuses are experiencing distress, and not all students in need of care are being reached (Kitzrow, 2009, LeViness, et al., 2019). Faculty are one of the most valuable resources for identifying and connecting students to care (Kitzrow, 2009). Despite this, we know very little about the experiences of faculty working with students in distress. This study sought to understand those experiences, as well as identify the barriers to connecting students to care. A qualitative study using an Interpretive Phenomenology framework was conducted (Smith & Osborn, 2007, Moustakas, 1994). Four themes were interpreted from …

Mitigating Weight Stigma In The Medical System: Self-Compassion For Nursing Students, Ellen C. Joseph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight stigma is a form of oppression that has been shown to have a detrimental impact on the well-being of people with higher weight. Healthcare providers are one of the most common sources of weight stigma, and their stigmatizing beliefs have been found to be associated with differential care for patients with “obesity”. The current study aimed to explore the feasibility of the loving-kindness meditation (LKM) as a brief intervention that reduces weight bias in nursing students by increasing self-compassion, positive, other-focused emotions, and cognitive flexibility, in order to improve compassionate care for patients with higher weight. Participants (189 nursing …

Regardless, ‘I’ And ‘You’: Lessons From Black Feminist Literature, Jasmine Veronica Sauceda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple from a Black feminist perspective to demonstrate oneness as capacious being. This project explores an I-You dialogue that works toward future-making through the notion of regardless, an idea from Walker’s definition of Womanist, deployed through sustained engagement with Kevin Quashie’s notion of oneness. Thus, this work extrapolates lessons found in the selected texts to demonstrate what it means to embody a capaciousness of being and how this then fosters healing in the face of trauma. In so doing, …

Soil Resilience And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: How Fungi Can Inform Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation In Maya Milpa Management, Courtney Mathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Mexico’s state of Yucatán, climate change impacts like prolonged and less predictable dry season length are manifesting as threats to agricultural production and food security. Nearly two thirds of Yucatán’s population is indigenous, many of whom live in rural communities that rely on rainfed subsistence agriculture (INEGI 2015). Ensuring sufficient food production in the face of climate change relies on the quality of agricultural soils. With both mismanagement of agricultural soils and climate change posing as threats to food production in Mexico, soil management practices that increase a soil quality should be identified and promoted. The primary objective of …

Investigating Spatiotemporal Kinetics, Dynamics, And Mechanism Of Exosome Release, Anarkali Mahmood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exosomes are small lipid-based vesicles that can carry biomolecules from one cell to another. While exosomes are crucial to maintain homeostasis in healthy cells, they are exploited by unhealthy cells to aid disease progression. Exosomes likely facilitate disease progression via the transfer of disease-causing biomolecules from unhealthy to healthy cells. Exosomes are generated in Multivesicular endosomes (MVEs) and are then secreted into the extracellular space to travel to other cells. Despite being a crucial step, very little is known about exosomes release mechanism and dynamics. To further our understanding of exosomes, specifically their secretion, my work has focused on investigating …

Memorable Messages Received By Bereaved Parents: Using Attribution Theory To Understand Hurt And Compassion, April Samaras

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The communication bereaved parents have with family members, friends, colleagues, and healthcare providers following the death of a child can serve as a great comfort or exacerbate their grief. In order to understand this communication and why bereaved parents find it helpful or harmful, this study examines bereaved parents' experiences of compassionate and hurtful communication using the frameworks of memorable messages (Stohl & Reardon, 1981) and attribution theory (Jones & Davis, 1965; Kelley, 1967). Fifty bereaved parents who lost a child between birth and 25-years-old completed an online survey. Tracy’s (2018) iterative analysis method revealed four types of compassionate messages: …

Phosphatidylserine Externalization On Non-Apoptotic Cells And Lipid Scramblases In C. Elegans, Julia Frondoni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cell corpse clearance is key for animals to avoid inflammation and autoimmune disease. To better understand the “eat me” signal of phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure for non-apoptotic corpse clearance, we attempted to disrupt the externalization of PS on C. elegans polar bodies. The second polar body undergoes a non-apoptotic form of cell death, loses membrane integrity, externalizes PS and is cleared by embryonic cells during early development. During apoptotic and necrotic cell death, PS asymmetry is disrupted by lipid scramblases, which translocate phospholipids between the leaflets of the lipid bilayer. We found neither apoptotic nor necrotic scramblases are required for PS …

Does The Contraction History Of The Muscle Dictate Changes In Strength Following Resistance Training?, Zachary William Bell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within-subject training models, whereby researchers apply an exercise condition to one limb, and a separate exercise condition to the opposing limb, have become routine amongst the exercise literature. However, no study has directly tested whether exercising one limb with a high-load condition will influence strength adaptations within the opposing limb, even when the opposite limb is training. Furthermore, muscle post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is representing local level changes, however, more research is warranted to understand if this can be differentially impacted with different types (e.g. low load vs. high load) of resistance training. The purpose of this study was to …

"How It Was Made", Bethany Fitts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a meta-autoethnography describing the researcher’s unfocused, rhizomatic research process throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Themes explored are the COVID19 pandemic, family, death, climate change, queer love, represenation, academia, genre, and religion. The study shows how multiple scales of grief arise during the research process. I locate this method within postcolonial theory of autoethnography that seeks to diversify structures within the academic genre.

Memoria, Historia Y El Feminismo Decolonial: Un Análisis De La Poesía De Cristina Rodríguez Cabral Y Otras Poetas Afrolatinas, Margaree Gabrielle Obioha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the poetic works of Afro-Uruguayan poet Cristina Rodríguez Cabral and other Afro-Uruguayan and Afro-Latina poets and identifies how their works contribute to the body of decolonized feminist literature. The investigation includes the historical context of Black women and Black women poets in Uruguay to set the stage for analyzing the main themes of Rodríguez Cabral’s poetry which include questioning the presentation of Afro-Uruguayan women from a European perspective, the construction of a firm and resilient Afro-Uruguayan woman and the embracing of sisterhood within the African Diaspora. These themes are strongly connected to decolonized feminism in that they …

Electrochemistry, Spectroscopy, And Mass Transport Of Lanthanide Solutes In Bis(Trifluoromethylsulfonyl)Amide-Based Ionic Liquids, Heather Danielle Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the characterization of lanthanide elements (Dy, Er, Gd, Ho, Tb, Tm, Yb) in various RTIL solvents based on the ubiquitous bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide anion (Tf2N-) was investigated. The effect of cation structure on the mass transport and electron transfer properties of Yb3+ in [X]-Tf2N RTILs is considered, where [X] is one of six quaternary ammonium cations with varying structure and chemical properties. Cyclic staircase voltammetry (CSV), rotating disk electrode voltammetry (RDEV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments are used for this purpose. For each RTIL, the dependence of the redox reaction is examined at each of the working electrodes: …

Preparation, Characterization And In-Vitro Release Studies Of Icg-Encapsulated Liposomes, Prateek Uttreja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to create Indocyanine Green (ICG) loaded liposomal formulations that were efficient and had controlled drug release. During the Second World War, the photographic dye indocyanine green (ICG) was created. ICG was developed as a medical diagnostic tool for cardiac output tests and for monitoring liver function after receiving FDA approval. The preparation of ICG-encapsulated conventional and PEGylated liposomes containing different types of phosphatidylcholine (PC) such as HSPC, DSPC, DPPC and cholesterol (CH) in the molar ratios of 55:45 and PC:CH: DSPE-PEG2K (polyethylene glycol) in the molar ratio of 55:40:5 respectively was done using …

Regenerative Agriculture Effects On Invertebrate And Bird Communities And Insect-Provided Ecosystem Services, Alex Michels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conventional agricultural practices can have unintended consequences on the environment and wildlife. Insects and birds are declining at rapid rates around the world, and the current conventional agricultural paradigm is a major driver through habitat loss and the intensification of production. Invertebrates in agroecosystems provide services to both farmers and the rest of society. Regenerative systems may promote the functioning of an agroecosystem by influencing invertebrate abundance, diversity, and ecosystem services and mitigate bird and insect declines through conservation practices that increase soil health, reduce disturbances, and increase biological diversity. Here I address knowledge gaps of the effects of regenerative …

Leveraging Queueing Theory To Develop Advanced Synthetic Biological Circuits, Prajakta K. Jadhav

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The complexity and redundancy in the network topology of the cell hinder our understanding of the natural system, making it challenging to engineer living organisms with the desired functionality. The long-term goal of synthetic biology and bioengineering is to engineer cells to perform specific functions with increased robustness. The robust engineered systems can be easily applied to different species with the same outcome. An effective approach is a bottom-up approach where we tease apart the biological pathways and study them independently. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of biological pathways can be further applied to construct complex biological circuits that function similarly …

Learning By Doing: Student Group Fitness Instructors Gain Leadership, Communication, And Relationship Building Skills In Campus Recreation, Morgyn Felty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student employee positions in campus recreation allow students to gain transferrable skills. Previous studies show that students employed in specialized program areas have different experiences that are beneficial for their development. Addressing the gap in research, the purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between leadership, communication, and relationship building skills among student group fitness instructors. Additionally, to investigate if transferrable skill development varies based on an instructor’s work experience and demographics. A total of 112 student group fitness instructors from 17 different NIRSA institutions completed an electronic questionnaire in the fall of 2021. Recreation directors were invited …

Response Of Soil Biochemical And Physical Properties To Long Term Prairie Cordgrass And Kura Clover Intercropping System, Vaishnavi Varikuti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) (PCG) is a warm-season perennial grass that can be used as a biofuel feedstock and can be grown on marginal lands. Previous studies on intercropping of a perennial legume i.e., kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum) (KC) with PCG can improve soil biochemical properties, increase biomass production, mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while reducing the chemical fertilizer requirement. However, there is a lack of evidence about the effects of PCG production on soil biochemical and physical properties during the cropping season and at deeper soil depths in reference to support plant growth, environmental implications and enhance the soil …

Impact Of Storage Conditions And Varieties On The Composition, Physical Properties, And Functionality Of Dry Peas, Sushmita Karki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dry peas are sustainable, healthy, and nutritious pulse crop and are excellent source of protein and complex carbohydrates as well as micronutrients. The effects of storage conditions on composition of beans and cereals have been widely reported. The information gained contributed significantly to better storage practices for these commodities. However, literature addressing the chemical composition, functionality, and physical characteristics of dry pea seeds upon storage is scarce. This study was designed to address the impact of storage conditions and varieties on the nutrient profile, functionality, and physical properties of dry pea seeds. Six different varieties of dry peas were stored …

It's Not Just No-Till: Crop Rotations Are Key To Improving Soil Quality And Grain Yields At Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Natalie Sturm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No-till is increasingly promoted as a vital agricultural practice to address the challenge of improving soil quality while maintaining the ability to produce food, feed, fuel, and fiber. However, questions remain regarding 1) how different crop rotations impact soil quality under no-till management specifically and 2) whether significant improvements in soil quality can be made without negatively impacted crop yields. In this study, we demonstrate that even under the same long-term no-till management, differences in grain yields and soil biological, chemical, and physical properties exist between crop rotations at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in central South Dakota. We propose that …

Combining Soil Health And Fertility Measurements To Improve The Accuracy Of Predicting Corn Grain Yield Responses To P And K Fertilization, Benjamin Groebner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have pointed to changes in climate and land management practices to justify the need to reevaluate the accuracy of current South Dakota (SD) corn (Zea mays L.) P and K fertilizer recommendations. Also, an increase in soil health understanding has created the potential for soil health measurements to be used to improve the accuracy of these recommendations. The objectives for this study were to 1) evaluate the current P and K critical values and 2) determine the effect of including soil health indicators on improving fertilizer recommendation accuracy. This project was conducted throughout central and eastern SD from 2019-2021 …

Genistein-Enriched Pig Gut Microbiota Library As A Potential Probiotic Consortium, Theresah Amponsah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plant-based diets contain numerous flavonoid compounds that produce antibacterial effects and gut health improvement. Genistein is among the most abundant isoflavones present in a plant-based diet and can be found in high amounts in soy products (up to 1g Kg-1). We describe here a robust method to identify genistein tolerant and metabolizing bacteria in swine gut microbiota and to screen the strains that have antibacterial and immunestimulatory properties. Such strains could be developed as non-antibiotic alternatives to prevent enteric infections in pigs and improve gut immunity. To this end, a mini bioreactorbased system was used to enrich genistein metabolizing bacteria …

Disentangling The Complex Evolutionary History Of Invasive Russian Thistle: Phylogenetic Relationships, The Role Of Hybridization, And Public Engagement, Deva Raj Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are forces of environmental, economic, and social change with detrimental impacts on ecosystems, commerce, agriculture, and human health. However, we still have a poor understanding of the processes that could be driving invasive potential. Hybridization may contribute to the establishment and spread of invasive lineages, as it may enhance genetic variation and facilitate rapid adaptation. Focusing on Russian thistle (Salsola tragus s.l., family Amaranthaceae) and closely related species, my thesis aims to clarify phylogenetic relationships and investigate how hybridization has shaped the invasion dynamics of these lineages. Known as one of the fastest plant invasions in the United …

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana L.) Encroachment On South-Central South Dakota Rangelands: Impact On Plant Communities, Austin K. Domeier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grasslands historically covered 46 million km2 of Earth’s surface representing nearly 42% of the living vegetation. Encroachment of woody species onto grasslands and savannas is a widely researched global phenomenon, with eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) trees being the most prominent woody encroacher in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) due to the lack of prescribed fire and planted ERC escaping from shelterbelts. This encroachment poses a threat to native plant communities in terms of their reproduction, regeneration, and diversity. ERC are fierce competitors and can establish in most soil types, are drought tolerant, and prolific seed reproducers. These qualities …

Prairie Cordgrass Cellulose: A Sustainable Resource To Develop Biodegradable Films, Mominul Hoque

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plastics are versatile and cost-effective materials with a wide variety of functionalities. Their non-biodegradability, however, is an environmental concern. Plastic waste accumulation in landfills and natural habitats results in health issues, mainly due to the leaching of chemicals from plastic products that further transfer to humans and wildlife. Many countries around the globe have imposed restrictions on plastic use. Despite these concerted efforts, a pressing scientific need exists to find an alternative to plastics. Cellulose from abundant agricultural biomass stands out as a viable alternative due to its robust structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability, low density, and non-toxicity. This research aims to …

Characterizing The Lir Domain Of Abin1 And Identifying Its Role As A Regulator Of Mitophagy, Andrew Rhiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A20 Inhibitor of NF-κB (ABIN1/TNIP1) is a known regulator of TNFα signaling induced cell death and inflammation. The regulatory activity has been attributed to ABIN1’s recruitment of the ubiquitin editing enzyme TNF-α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3/A20) to Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1). The regulation of RIPK1 by ABIN1 and A20 relies on a third player, linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), which is involved in the recruitment of ABIN1 to RIPK1. Loss of LUBAC or ABIN1 is embryonic lethal, but loss of A20 is not embryonic lethal. The embryonic lethality due to loss of ABIN1, paired with the lack of lethality …

Effect Of Finishing System And Animal Age On Carcass Traits And Nutritional Profile Of Bison Bulls, Clay Newton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this thesis project were to 1) evaluate the influence of grain- and grass-finishing systems on carcass characteristics, proximate composition, nutritional profile, and fatty acid composition of bison bull meat, and 2) evaluate the influence of animal age on carcass characteristics of bison bulls. For objective 1, bison bulls were allowed to graze native range in north-central Nebraska until approximately 26 mo of age, when they were randomly assigned to either grain-finishing (n = 98; in an open lot with ad libitum access to prairie hay, alfalfa hay and corn for 95 d prior to slaughter) or grass-finishing …