Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating An Evidenced Based Program: Ruling Our Experiences (Rox) For 9/10-Year-Old Girls In The Yough School District, Lisa Mumau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During elementary school years, girls experience social, emotional, and physical changes that affect their abilities to manage relationships and establish positive images of themselves. Given the aforementioned issues, girls need effective elementary school programming to support positive self-esteem and the development of girls’ Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies. The purpose of this mixed-method study focused on evaluating the Ruling Our Experiences (ROX) program for 9/10-year-old girls. The methods used were designed to address the three research questions: Based on the implementation of the ROX program in Yough elementary schools, to what extent do participants exhibit a greater level of positive …

British Eugenics Failure And Success, Angela Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The historical narrative of eugenics often focuses on those eugenic societies and movements that ‘succeeded’ in part or in full in achieving a eugenic society. Less studied are those societies that failed, whether due to social backlash or internal incoherence. The British Eugenic Educational Society as the foundational point of eugenics, has therefore been overlooked as a result of it’s perceived lack of contribution to eugenic thought and its failure to pass eugenic legislation. Founded by Francis Galton, the originator of the philosophy of eugenics, the British Eugenic Educational Society should have been successful given it’s reputation and the numerous …

Friendship In The Digital Age: Implications From A Philosophy Of Communication Approach, Tiffany Petricini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Friendship is a central relationship-style that grounds us. Much of the literature on the effects of technology on our relationships, especially friendship, has taken a skeptical approach. The notion of friendship is historically-situated, thus, it requires attention in each era and has prompted questions throughout human history. Our time is no exception. Changing cultures and redefinitions of basic human institutions have led us to our current moment, in which we are experiencing a loud and continuing debate on the effect of technology on our lives. Advancements in science have allowed us to understand our past and present in new ways. …

The Appearance Of The Other Ego In Edmund Husserl’S Phenomenology, Paul Zipfel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work I investigate Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological analyses of the appearance of the other ego in order to elucidate the essential components of the sense of the other ego: co-constitution, inaccessibility, and a unique process of verification. I open with an example illustrating the way in which other egos appear to me as different from ordinary objects in the world. When one looks outside in a storm and sees a branch rapping on the window, it is not an alarming experience. However, were another person to be rapping at the window, the experience would be quite different. This is …

Coping Behaviors Of African Americans With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Focused Ethnography, Patricia Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Increasing numbers of African Americans are being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the United States (Dahlhamer, Zammitti, Ward, Wheaton, & Croft, 2016). Little is known about the influence of culture on coping with the disease. Method: Twelve African American adults with IBD were interviewed and observed using a focused ethnography. Results: Data analysis resulted in four major themes: (1) spending time living in the bathroom; (2) time and food restricted eating practices and cultural food avoidance; (3) dealing with a life full of stress; and (4) the practice of seclusion to promote health. Discussion: Participants described coping …

Caring For Victims Of Child Maltreatment: Pediatric Nurses’ Moral Distress And Burnout, Angela Karakachian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Moral distress is a significant concern for nurses as it can lead to burnout and intentions to leaving the profession. Pediatric nurses encounter stressful and ethically challenging situations when they care for victims of suspected child maltreatment. Data on pediatric nurses’ moral distress in this situation are lacking, as most research in this field has been done in adult inpatient and intensive care units.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe pediatric nurses’ moral distress and determine the impact of caring for victims of suspected child maltreatment on nurses’ moral distress, burnout, and intention to leave.

Design …

Delineating Subsurface Karst Potential Using Electrical Resistivity In The Shell Mountain Province, Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas, Annie Robison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fort Hood Military Installation is located within the Lampasas Cut Plain in Bell and Coryell counties, Texas, and is characterized by exposures of Lower Cretaceous Trinity and Fredericksburg Group carbonates. The Shell Mountain Province is an elevated plateau located in western Fort Hood utilized by the military for heavy mechanical (troop and wheeled) maneuver training and hosts significant surficial and subsurface karst. Ongoing karst inventories in western Fort Hood conducted by range managers have documented over 100 individual karst features. Recent studies utilizing LiDAR and remote sensing techniques delineated karst potential in this area and identified over 13,909 discrete depressions. …

An Investigation Of Technology Implementation Through The Lens Of Student Centered Learning And The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Paradigm, Adam Wasilko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

National statistics show that there are increases in access and availability of computers, and technology, in both the classroom and students’ personal lives (Culp et al. 2005, Hoffman & Ramirez, 2018). However, Tas (2017) and Wachira and Kenngwee (2010) posit that there is stagnation, even declines in certain cases, of the integration of instructional technologies in delivering student center learning in the classroom. This decline is even more prevalent in the science classroom (Vickrey, Golick, & Stains, 2018). Teachers face many challenges in the classroom; especially when technology integration is considered (Blackburn, 2016). This study seeks to determine which conditions …

The Problem Of Nature In The Phenomenology Of Merleau-Ponty, Alessio Rotundo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation, I show that Merleau-Ponty’s idea of nature yields a double meaning: nature as ensemble of genetic and productive processes that are attainable in experience (phenomenal nature) and nature as that which enables this experience (transcendental nature). My thesis is that the two meanings of nature, when taken together, offer a guide to Merleau-Ponty’s final philosophical formulations about “flesh” and the “visible” and the “invisible.” The aim of the dissertation is to trace the salient conceptual and methodological complications entailed by this conception. I argue that the bivalence of the problem of nature in Merleau-Ponty receives a methodological …

The Physiology And Evolution Of Selenite Respiration In Bacteria, Michael Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The selenium oxyanions selenate (Se(VI)) and selenite (Se(IV)) can be utilized by some bacteria and archaea as terminal electron acceptors in anaerobic respiration. Se(VI) and Se(IV) respiration is mediated by a phylogenetically and ecologically diverse array of organisms, suggesting that selenium respiration is ubiquitous in natural environments. Several respiratory Se(VI) reductases have been characterized in bacteria, revealing that Se(VI) respiration has evolved independently several times in this domain. Se(IV) respiration, in contrast, has yet to be characterized. I have purified and characterized the first respiratory Se(IV) reductase from Bacillus selenitireducens MLS10. The Se(IV) reductase appeared to purify as a single …

Mental Boundaries As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Social Support And Self-Esteem, John Mathe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to explore the relationship between mental boundaries, self-esteem, and social support. With a sample of 295 participants, correlations and a moderation analysis were conducted to examine the relationships between mental boundaries, self-esteem, and social support. The study found that mental boundaries have a significant relationship with self-esteem and social support; however, mental boundaries do not moderate the relationship between self-esteem and social support. This study also examined the structure of the Boundary Questionnaire 18 (BQ18), utilizing an exploratory factor analysis. Suggestions for future research and implications for clinical work are offered, as well as …

Gene Delivery To The Blood-Brain Barrier For Ischemic Stroke Therapy, Wanzhu Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is a major cause of death in the United States. We aim to develop safe and efficient approaches for the treatment of stroke. Regenerative therapies have been identified as the major need for curing stroke [1]. We explored two different carriers (poly (ethylene glycol)_5k-poly (L-aspartate-diethylenetriamine)₄₈ (PEG-DET) / Pluronic P84 (P84) and exosomes (EXOs) / microvesicles (MVs)) to deliver brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasmid DNA (pDNA), a functional gene encoding a neurotrophin. In the first project, our data showed that DNA nanoparticles (NPs) with 0.03% P84 was a promising formulation to deliver Luciferase pDNA into immortalized human …

Supporting Biracial Students Through An Equity Lens: Multicultural Literature And Advocacy In School Libraries, Jacqueline Ahlborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biracial students make up a substantial allocation of the school population, and their demographics are only expected to increase within the coming years. With this emergence of a larger Biracial community, schools need to consider how they will implement equitable resources and practices to meet the needs for this unique population. School librarians, serving as instructional leaders, can provide the necessary materials and strategies to support their students who are Biracial in order to foster positive racial identity. The purpose of this study is to explore school librarians’ perspectives on the influence of multicultural literature on students’ acceptance and understanding …

Pierre Hadot's Holistic Philosophy Of Communication, Jonathan Crist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pierre Hadot’s holistic philosophy of communication attends to the health of the self and community through practice of spiritual exercises for the transformation of one’s entire being, working at the nexus of mind, body, soul, and cosmos. The task is ever-incomplete, works in an understanding of “human being as essentially an exposure that lacks a closed identity” and “keep[s] sight of the opening, wound, or lack that remains at the heart of any community and all communication” (Butchart 136). This is responsive to the present moment experiencing disjointed experience of time and space, increased anxiety, underdeveloped capacity for attention, and …

A Genomic Analysis Of Bobcat Populations In North America With A Comparison To The Canada Lynx: An Assessment Of Local Adaptation To Unique Ecoregions And Phylogeography, Jennifer C. Broderick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are an ecologically and genetically diverse species with a large contiguous range throughout North America. The species not only has a wide array of phenotypic variation compared to other mammals, but shows marked adaptability across ecozones with differing ecological influences. It is these various selective pressures in distinctive parts of the continent that have likely led to localized adaptations within the bobcat metapopulations. The species is also marked by its ability to maintain connectivity and populations in anthropogenically developed areas, an advantage it has over other felids, including its close relative the Canada lynx ( …

Pilot Study Exploring The Effect Of Targeted Cox-2 Inhibition In Macrophages Responding To Neuronal Injury; Promoting Enhanced Axonal Regeneration, Alyssa Brauckmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Celecoxib nanoemulsion (CXB-NE) has been developed as a macrophage targeted analgesics by Dr. Janjic and her team at Duquesne University, (Janjic et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2020; Saleem et al, 2019b; Vasudeva et al, 2014). The CXB-NE nanoemulsion carrying a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory (NSAID) inhibitor of COX-2 activity result in a reduction in PGE2 expression in macrophages. Using CXB-NE in rats that have peripheral nerve injury constricting the sciatic nerve relieves hypersensitivity, a pain-like behavior. The treatment also decreases inflammation associated with this chronic constriction injury (Janjic et al, 2018; Saleem et al, 2019b; Stevens et al, 2019). In this …

Identification Of Human Adrenal Carcinoma Cells Using Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry, Alexis Stahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With consistently high mortality rates in patients with adrenal cancer, lack of early detection and diagnosis are an ever increasing problem in fighting the deadly disease. Currently, very few patients are diagnosed with adrenal cancer within the early stages due to the absence of symptoms until large tumors are formed, which is in most cases is fatal. Because of this, early detection equipment is crucial to optimizing the survival rate in patients. We studied the absorbance wavelength of human adrenal carcinoma cells, as well as the minimum cell concentration needed in samples using photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC). PAFC generates ultrasonic …

N-Terminal Imine Derivatization For Enhanced De Novo Peptide Sequencing: A Study Of The Fragmentation Pattern Generated From Cid Of Peptide-Imines, Khiry L. Patterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the fragmentation pattern derived from model peptides derivatized to create N-terminal imines (Schiff bases) were evaluated. Collision-induced dissociation of the protonated peptide-imines ([M+H]⁺) generally produced complete series of the sequence informative a_n and b_n ions, now undoubtedly characteristic of the peptide ion species. A novel product ion was also observed, denoted the y^ǂ ion, determined by IRMPD spectroscopy and density functional theory to be generated from the elimination of the N-terminal amino acid residue despite the N-terminal modification. It was concluded the pathway involved a nucleophilic attack by an amide nitrogen and …

Quality In All Levels: A Model Defining And Measuring Quality In Bioethics Education, Ercan Avci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the lack of academic studies in the quality assessment of bioethics education, this dissertation aimed to propose a normative model, Quality in All Levels (QAL), to define and measure quality in bioethics education. The QAL model described quality in bioethics education as conformance to the goals and determined these goals as (1) increasing ethical knowledge, (2) improving ethical skills to strengthen ethical sensitivity, awareness, and judgment, (3) developing ethicalbehavior, and (4) promoting cultural competence. The dissertation utilized Avedis Donabedian’s three approaches: structure, process, and outcome to formulate quality standards and indicators in bioethics education. In respect of …

Testing The Potential Of Environmental Dna: Genetic Monitoring Of Estuarine And Coastal Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Stocks In South Carolina, Kathryn Greiner-Ferris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a non-invasive monitoring technique that can detect and potentially monitor elusive marine mammals. To date, the majority of eDNA studies have been performed in freshwater environments, partially due to methodological challenges posed by higher salinities and increased dilution effects of large water masses in marine environments. The objective of this study was to design and optimize species-specific oligonucleotide PCR primers to accurately detect and quantify common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) eDNA collected from the marine environment and to evaluate potential trends between eDNA concentration and dolphin abundance and seasonality. Primer pairs were designed to target …

Effects Of Warming On Decomposition Of Submerged Plant Litter And Associated Microorganisms In Streamside Channels, Kaity Ackerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface air temperatures are predicted to increase in the near future, which will likely affect microbial activity and carbon flow in stream ecosystems. I performed an experiment in streamside channels at Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory, NC to assess responses of litter-associated microorganisms to moderate increases in water temperature (5 levels, ambient to +4°C). The objectives of the experiment were to determine: (1) if there are differences in the magnitude of responses to temperature among various microbial parameters and (2) whether microbial responses to temperature vary among plant litter of different carbon quality. Thus, I measured litter decomposition rate, fungal biomass (ergosterol), …

Using Active Learning Techniques To Improve Oral Health Literacy Among Children In Vulnerable Populations., Sarah Maria Downes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the effectiveness of an active learning approach in improving oral health literacy and attitude about science among at-risk students in the age range of third to sixth grades. This is done by designing and implementing a novel Oral Health Outreach module and video. Active learning components include engaging PowerPoint, oral hygiene discussion and demonstration, and finally a biofilm simulation, which utilizes glow-in-the-dark paint, dentoform models, and black lights that allow students to visualize the importance of plaque removal. Student comprehension of oral health concepts increased by an average of 52.4% on post-tests (n=61, p

Soil Nutrient And Contaminant Assessment In Community Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky., Jessica Lynne Eggleston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban population impact on environmental warming has inspired interest in vegetative coverage to mitigate human influence. Community gardens are proposed to increase green space and access to fresh food, improve health, and quality of life. The potential for soil contamination in post-industrial cities is high presenting a health risk for gardeners. Three Louisville, Kentucky community gardens were chosen for analysis of soil texture, pH, concentration of trace nutrients and metals using Mehlich 1 Extraction. In two community gardens, relative absence of heavy metals suggest they are currently safe for gardening. One garden had a concentration of copper and zinc over …

Assessing Predictors Of Harmful Algal Blooms In The Western Lake Erie Basin., Katherine M. Weigle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been a recurring issue in the Western Lake Erie Basin for more than a decade, despite policies implemented to improve the water quality of the Great Lakes. HABs describe algae that can be harmful to both ecosystem function and human health. The Western Lake Erie Basin, in particular, experiences Microcystis aeruginosa blooms in the summer months due to a multitude of factors leading to increased phosphorus and nitrogen loads in the contributing watersheds. In this study, lake water surface temperature, land cover, river discharge, and precipitation were examined as potential triggers for the occurrence and …

Factors Of Dysphagia In The Overdose Population Post Extubation., Renee Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post-extubation dysphagia (PED) has been studied in depth in a variety of populations including elective heart surgeries, trauma, critical illness, traumatic brain injury, and those requiring mechanical ventilation, but has not been researched in the overdose population (OD). This study aims to research factors of PED in the OD population. A retrospective study was conducted and found 24 participants who fit the inclusionary requirements. Correlation statistics were run between age and duration of intubation, age or duration of intubation and gender, and between intubation duration, age, and scores on Penetration-Aspiration Scale (P/A) (thin by cup and thin by straw). The …

Novel Inference Methods For Generalized Linear Models Using Shrinkage Priors And Data Augmentation., Arinjita Bhattacharyya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Generalized linear models have broad applications in biostatistics and sociology. In a regression setup, the main target is to find a relevant set of predictors out of a large collection of covariates. Sparsity is the assumption that only a few of these covariates in a regression setup have a meaningful correlation with an outcome variate of interest. Sparsity is incorporated by regularizing the irrelevant slopes towards zero without changing the relevant predictors and keeping the resulting inferences intact. Frequentist variable selection and sparsity are addressed by popular techniques like Lasso, Elastic Net. Bayesian penalized regression can tackle the curse of …

We've Got The 'Hots' For Changing Teacher Misconceptions Of Learning Styles: A Mixed-Methods Approach., Allison Paige Fowler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I added to the literature surrounding the myth that teachers should cater to students’ learning styles to improve learning outcomes. I operated from the “hot” paradigm for conceptual change, through the use of the Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model (CRKM) as the theoretical framework to examine teachers’ conceptual change about learning styles. More specifically, I considered teachers’ existing conceptions as related to their essentialist beliefs, as well as how their motivation and the content of the message contribute to conceptual change. I also responded to the literature on teacher perceptions of researchers by examining the use of …

Microrobots For Wafer Scale Microfactory: Design Fabrication Integration And Control., Ruoshi Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Future assembly technologies will involve higher automation levels, in order to satisfy increased micro scale or nano scale precision requirements. Traditionally, assembly using a top-down robotic approach has been well-studied and applied to micro-electronics and MEMS industries, but less so in nanotechnology. With the bloom of nanotechnology ever since the 1990s, newly designed products with new materials, coatings and nanoparticles are gradually entering everyone’s life, while the industry has grown into a billion-dollar volume worldwide. Traditionally, nanotechnology products are assembled using bottom-up methods, such as self-assembly, rather than with top-down robotic assembly. This is due to considerations of volume handling …

A King's Royal Scars., Xavier Mikal Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This monograph is divided into five chapters covering my exploration of black male identity in America and the scars that come with it. Through a character study of the black male protagonist I portrayed in August Wilson’s King Hedley II, I will discuss the racial stigmas and circumstances that are tied to black male identity. Chapter one will consist of analyzing the prison system in America and how its unfair system targets black men. Chapter two will discuss the plight of poverty that largely affects black communities. Chapters three and four will discuss King Hedley’s dual identities created by …

Functional Nanomaterials By Combining Aminooxy Chemistry And Iodine Activation At Momolayer Protected Clusters., Tirtha Raj Sibakoti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aminooxy (-ONH₂) groups are most commonly known for their chemoselective reaction with carbonyl compounds (aldehydes/ketones) under mild reaction conditions. Aminooxy-based click chemistry is a versatile means of ligation as evidenced by broad application in material science, biology, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and nanoscience. Our work exploits the facile reaction of aminooxy groups presented on the surface of gold (Au) or palladium (Pd) monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) with various aldehydes via oximation reactions, which form the robust oxime ether adducts. The functionalization of hexanethiolate-stabilized Au MPCs with a newly developed trifunctional amine-containing aminooxy alkanethiol ligand by thiol place-exchange affords aminooxylated …