Digital Commons Network^™

Parenting Styles, Parenting Practices, And Dietary Intakes Of Preschoolers And Their Parents, Biyi Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging research efforts have focused on the role of parents in the development of dietary behaviors of their children. Parental influences play a particularly important role in determining the children’s weight and shaping children’s dietary behaviors, especially during early childhood. Parent-related determinants can be classified as two types—general parenting (parenting style) and specific parenting practices (e.g, food parenting practices). Examining the interactions between parental influences and preschoolers’ and their parental dietary behaviors and may reveal important insights into how parents influence children’s dietary behaviors. Therefore, the goal of this research is to examine the associations between parenting styles, food parenting …

Burning With Potential: Understanding The Relationship Between Biochar And Agriculture Of The Northern Glaciated Plains Ecoregion, Kaitlyn Abrahamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Achieving global sustainable agriculture is one of the most incredible challenges of this century, yet many continue to try to solve this problem through the development of precision technologies. Biotechnologies, such as biochar, can perform like a precision technology while protecting agricultural land from soil erosion and fertility loss. The Northern Glaciated Plains ecoregion of the United States is little researched in the benefits from the use of biochar through improved soil nutrient capture and water retention, crop health improvements, and yield increases. The study plot has four sections of corn stover biochar and eight sections of control sections. This …

Fishes Of The Dakotas, Kathryn Schlafke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological reference materials play a critical role in studies of species biodiversity, biology, distribution, and historic diversity. Since the publications Fishes of North Dakota (Hankinson, 1929) and Fishes of South Dakota (Bailey and Allum, 1962), no new books have attempted to update the knowledge gained from the past decades of fish surveys and incorporate georeferenced collections at the state level. The last published book with the most complete accounts of fishes from North Dakota and South Dakota is the Distribution of Fishes in North and South Dakota Basins affected by the Garrison Diversion Unit (Owen et al. 1981) which includes …

The Effect Of Neonicotinoid Clothianidin On Ring-Necked Pheasant Survival And Reproduction, Michael Sundall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) are economically important to the state of South Dakota bringing in over one hundred million dollars in revenue each season. The population is known to fluctuate temporally for many reasons, often weather related. Unfortunately, no research has been conducted involving ring-necked pheasants that evaluated the impact or interaction of neonicotinoids on the species. The objective of our study was to gain an understanding of how the neonicotinoid, Clothianidin, affects survival and breeding in pheasants. Our first experiment was to determine if there was a selection bias for seeds treated with neonicotinoids. In this experiment, eight ring-necked …

Biophysical And Socioeconomic Impacts Of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration In Burkina Faso, Basnewende Brice Fulgence Zoungrana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human actions such as overgrazing, the development of cities at the expense of forests, high intensity and poor agricultural management, and so forth, reduce the resources available for future generations. Because Earth has limited resources, it is important to judiciously use and manage natural resources. Human actions towards nature are the focus of my research in Africa. Increased demands for grazing, agriculture, and ecosystem services led some farmers in developing countries to use unsustainable practices, which may lead to low incomes and poor food nutrition for households. Farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) may be a solution to these issues. FMNR …

Satellite Constellation Deployment And Management, Joseph Ryan Kopacz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper will review results and discuss a new method to address the deployment and management of a satellite constellation. The first two chapters will explorer the use of small satellites, and some of the advances in technology that have enabled small spacecraft to maintain modern performance requirements in incredibly small packages.

The third chapter will address the multiple-objective optimization problem for a global persistent coverage constellation of communications spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit. A genetic algorithm was implemented in MATLAB to explore the design space – 288 trillion possibilities – utilizing the Satellite Tool Kit (STK) software developers kit. …

Actin Regulation And Furrow Dynamics During Early Drosophila Embryogenesis, Yi Xie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drosophila embryogenesis starts with a single nucleus undergo 13 rounds of nuclear divisions called syncytial cycles. Staring at cycle 10 when nuclei migrate to the surface of the embryo, massive and dynamic cortical actin structures and cleavage furrow formations occur. How actin regulators coordinate into an organized network directing three-dimension actin structures in the developing organisms is an unsolved question. Here, I present an in-depth characterization of actin cap dynamics: the actin caps go through expansion, stabilization, elongation and fragmentation phases in each cycle. Arp2/3 is the major contributor to actin cap formation. The functions of 7 different actin and …

Effects On Initial Fixation Of Cementless Tibial Trays In Total Knee Arthroplasty, Brooke Fritts Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bone mineral density (BMD), among other factors, largely effect the initial stability of the cementless tibial tray component in a total knee replacement (TKR), where increased motion at the tray-bone interface hinders bony ingrowth. With a lack of bony ingrowth, the cementless implant will not experience long-term success. Understanding which factors influence initial stability yields insight into surgical technique considerations and help inform a surgeon’s implant choice. The objective of this study was to evaluate factors influencing the initial stability of cementless tibial trays using a 6-degree of freedom (6-DOF) robotic joint simulator, the AMTI VIVO, and combined loading scenarios …

College, At What Cost? African American/Black Women Undergraduate Students’ Perception Of Institutional Policy Levers, Tamara D. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is exploring how institutional policy levers impact retention for African American/Black women undergraduate students at a private four-year predominantly white institution in a mid-western state of the United States. Retention of African American/Black women undergraduate students is not a widely researched area. In this exploratory case study, eight African American/Black undergraduate junior and senior women, ten administrators and one focus group of six African American/Black women were interviewed. Artifacts were collected from the administrators. The data collected was analyzed using the culturally engaging campus environment model. The experiences of the African American/Black undergraduate women were examined in academic …

Relationships Between Education Track, Adverse Childhood Experience, And Recidivism Among Juveniles, Catherine Gammage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A high recidivism level, despite attempts by regulatory agencies and various institutions to decrease it, is currently a disturbing problem of the juvenile justice system. Adjudicated youth released from residential treatment centers are often reincarcerated within 3 years after their release. Residential treatment centers provide mandated educational and treatment services for all incarcerated youth. The educational programs offered by residential treatment centers should include academic and career technology programs which support community reintegration. The opportunity for students to receive a high school diploma and industry certifications for career readiness is an important way to decrease recidivism for juveniles. This study …

Design, Synthesis, & Biological Evaluation Of Novel Het-Aromatic/Aromatic Analogs For The Treatment Of Hiv, Cancer, & Cognitive Dysfunctions, Mohit Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyclophilin A are a class of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases that catalyzes isomerization of the proline residue within a protein. Cyclophilin A plays an instrumental role in the pathogenesis of HIV and HCV virus. Using structure-based drug we designed and synthesized small molecule inhibitors of cyclophilin A. These inhibitors were biologically evaluated for their ability to inhibit WT HIV-1 inhibition.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase signaling cascades plays a critical role in cancer cell survival, metastasis, and chemo-resistance. The MEK5/ERK5 pathway, which is a member of MAPK signaling cascade, is involved in cell survival, anti-apoptotic signaling, angiogenesis, and cell motility. It is found to …

Evaluating Perceptions Of Student Voice And School Membership Of 9th Grade Students And Teachers, Dan Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence marks a developmental period of rapid cognitive, emotional, and physical growth where teenagers are tasked with establishing an identity and strong sense of self. Students and parents often report that transition to ninth grade is a formidable social challenge amidst increased academic demands and stress, and some research suggests that females have a more difficult time in the transition to high school than males. Student voice is a range of student opportunities to interact, collaborate, and partner with adults in an exploration of ideas and perspectives. However, student voice opportunities are often only available to a select group of …

Voices On The Horizon: A Theory Of Ludic Rhetoric, Jeff Lohr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Voices on the horizon: A theory of ludic rhetoric begins with the assumption that rhetoric and play offer hope for cooperation and community in a fragmented and divided world. Rhetoric and play share an intellectual trajectory in the history of ideas. The earliest use of the terms rhetor and rhetoric in the Western tradition encouraged playful cooperation. The move toward reason and science during the Enlightenment relegated rhetoric to mere techniques for persuasion and silenced alternative avenues for seeking truth. Reclaiming traditional rhetoric as a meeting place for potential negotiation and cooperation encourages constructive civic discourse. The conclusion of this …

A Study Of Chloride Levels In Pine Creek, Allegheny County, Pa, Selina Prettner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pine Creek is a 22.8-mile long tributary to the Allegheny River draining over 67 square miles of northern Allegheny County, PA. The main stem runs along Route 8 and receives extensive runoff from road salt from deicing. A site near Etna, PA sampled biweekly in 2013 consistently showed elevated conductivity that correlated with increased chloride levels. Winter road deicing runoff produced acute chloride concentrations up to 678 mg/L. Chloride fluctuated in the summer and autumn months but did not exceed the USEPA Secondary Drinking Water Standard (250 mg/L) or the aquatic life criterion for chronic concentrations (230 mg/L). Sampling throughout …

Mission As Virtuous Practice: A Theology Of Mission Through The Lens Of Virtue Ethics, Michael Niebauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work uses theological virtue ethics as a guide both for critiquing various models of Christian mission and for constructing a model of mission that adequately addresses these criticisms. The first section of the dissertation (chapters one, two, and three) is devoted to an assessment of three major models of mission, which I have labeled mission as the missio Dei, mission as growth, and mission as dialogue. This assessment generates three recurring issues within the field of missiology that have remained largely unresolved: the problems of distinction, agency, and persuasion. The second half of the dissertation (chapters four, five, …

Transcription Regulation Of Human Il1b Gene In Monocytes And Lymphoid Cd4 T Cells, Sree H. Pulugulla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cytokines are key regulators of the inflammatory response and play an important role in facilitating intercellular communication between various immune cell types. Interleukin‑1β (IL‑1β) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that is required for robust initiation of innate immune response and subsequent development of adaptive immunity. IL-1β is first synthesized as an inactive cytoplasmic, non‑glycosylated, precursor molecule (proIL‑1β) by monocytes and macrophages in response to invading pathogenic microbes. The activation of caspase‑1 by inflammasomes cleaves proIL-1β into mature biologically active IL-1β that is released from cells via a non-classical, endoplasmic reticulum‑independent secretory pathway directly from the cytoplasm via Gasdermin D membrane …

Genetic And Biochemical Analysis Of A Conserved, Multi-Gene System Regulation Spore-Associated Proteins In Streptomyces Coelicolor, Joseph Sallmen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Streptomyces coelicolor is a Gram positive, filamentous soil dwelling bacterium that exhibits a complex life cycle including the transition from a vegetative mycelium to a sporulating, aerial mycelium. Early genetic studies identified two classes of genes that resulted in developmental blocks, bald and white. The bald (bld) phenotype occurs when colonies cannot produce aerial hyphae. White (whi) colonies exhibit incomplete sporulation and/or loss of production of the concurrently produced grey pigment. While some of the original mutants have been explored, the developmental functions of many of the identified genes are not well understood. Of particular interest …

State-Dependent Mapping Of Glyr-Cholesterol Interactions By Coupling Crosslinking With Mass Spectrometry, Nicholas Ferraro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The glycine receptor (GlyR) belongs to a superfamily of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) that mediate fast neurotransmission. GlyR typically modulates inhibitory transmission by antagonizing membrane depolarization through anion influx. Allosteric interactions between the receptor and its lipid surroundings affect receptor function, and cholesterol is essential for pLGIC activity. Human α1 GlyR was purified from baculovirus infected insect cells and reconstituted in unilamellar vesicles at cholesterol: lipid ratios below and above the cholesterol activity threshold with aliquots of azi-cholesterol. State-dependent crosslinking studies of receptors primarily in its resting (no glycine), desensitized (10mM glycine) and open (F207A/A288G, 30nM ivermectin) states were …

Bureaucratic Modernity And The Erosion Of Practical Reason: A Rhetorical Education As An Antidote, David Impellizzeri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To what extent and in what ways does modernity reveal itself through the bureaucratic? This project aims at an interpretive understanding of bureaucratic modernity. The rationalization of society and action in the (late) modern world requires that an increasing number of human activities and domains be explained in allegedly neutral, ‘rational’ terms and without reference to morally substantive ends. Ultimately, this entails a form of epistemic reductionism that elevates instrumental rationality to the exclusion of practical reason and probabilistic ways of knowing. Bureaucratic modernity signifies a decrease in choices that can be legitimized in public on some basis other …

Nanomedicine-Driven Neuropathic Pain Relief In Rat Model Is Associated With Macrophage Polarity And Mast Cell Activation, Muzamil Saleem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We explored the immune neuropathology underlying multi-day relief from neuropathic pain in a rat model initiated at the sciatic nerve by using a nanoemulsion-based nanomedicine as a biological probe. The nanomedicine is theranostic: both therapeutic (containing celecoxib drug) and diagnostic (containing near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) dye) and is small enough to be phagocytosed by circulating monocytes. A model of neuropathic pain is initiated by tying four 1mm spaced knots around the sciatic nerve with chromic gut suture, which results in neuroinflammation, and a resultant pain-like behavior manifests. We show that pain-like behavior reaches a plateau of maximum hypersensitivity 8 days post-surgery, …

Characterization Of The Effect Of Exercise Dose And Integrative Nonpharmacological Therapies In The Treatment Of Chronic Pain, Anna M. Polaski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain includes debilitating conditions affecting large populations of people throughout the world. These diseases are further complicated by comorbid psychological disorders which make chronic pain conditions difficult to treat. Nonpharmacological treatment options have more recently become an important mainstay of effective therapies and are currently being used to supplement or replace traditional pharmacological treatment methods. Exercise-based therapies in particular are of interest due to their demonstrated success in reducing pain symptoms as well as improving psychological outcomes. Dose is an important factor in being able to effectively prescribe treatments in the context of specific exercise interventions and specific pain …

Natural Law, The Object Of The Act, And Double Effect: Moral Methodology For Catholic Health Care Ethics, Travis Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical Veritatis Splendor is the first and only magisterial document that systematically articulates a moral methodology for Catholic moral theology. This dissertation makes explicit the methodological connection between Vatican teaching and the United States Bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. The thesis of the dissertation explains the systematic connection between Natural Law, the Moral Object of the Act, and the Principle of Double Effect and by extension the ethical Principle of Cooperation. Second, the thesis applies this complex moral method of official teaching to health care ethics.

Following the introduction, chapter …

Females In Stem: Self-Efficacy Within Women Who Pursue Stem Majors, Lori Grata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While many efforts have been made within the United States, women are still underrepresented within STEM. Research within this document shows that women and men score similarly on STEM-related standardized tests. The question remains, why are there still large quantities of men outnumbering women in college majors and career fields of STEM? Looking at female STEM self-efficacy and gender role in culture could provide insight to the problem at hand. A survey was given to investigate self-efficacy and students’ STEM backgrounds of undergraduate female students who are currently in a 4-year STEM-related major within one university.

The Ethical Justification Of Increasing Awareness Of Preventive Medicine Among Healthcare Professionals, Patients And The General Public In The United States, Karishma Ether Moazzam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While practiced for centuries, preventive medicine has received increased attention during the recent times. Preventive medicine has a distinct mission to protect, promote, and maintain health as well as to prevent diseases, disabilities, and premature deaths. It aims to fulfill its mission through the combined form of clinical intervention and health promotion. In the recent years, preventive medicine has begun to lean more towards the clinical interventions, taking away from the health promotion. This imbalance has caused preventive medicine to lose its effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. One of the leading causes for such imbalance is the lack of proper …

God, Land, Identity: Divine Fluidity And A Spatial Ecclesiology In West Africa, Clement Kanu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African theology is burdened with a major problem of identity, which stems from the lack of African history and memory in African theology. African theologians in the face of the delicate dilemma of creating a theology that is both African and Christian, have fallen into the epistemological compulsion to impose western Christian theological categories as foundational to African theology. Inculturation thus presupposes the already alien space on which the structures of the present ecclesiology is anchored. The result is a peripheral inculturation, a consumer ecclesiology, always seeking to solve its local pastoral problems in accordance with alien incongruous codes and …

The Mediating Role Of Differentiation In The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Working Alliance, Caleb P. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study involved a mediation analysis exploring the relationship of counselor’s perceptions of mindfulness and working alliance through differentiation of self. Sample data (N=80) was collected and analyzed using the PROCESS mediation model to quantitatively determine the indirect effect of counselor’s perceptions of mindfulness and their perceptions of working alliance through the variable of differentiation of self. This indirect effect was not statistically significant, b = .08, 95% CI [-.11, .25], therefore no mediating effect was demonstrated for differentiation. A follow-up moderation analysis was also conducted on these same three variables. Results revealed that at low levels of …

Genetic Analysis Of A Novel Ftsk Homolog, Hfka, In Streptomyces Coelicolor Development-Associated Chromosome Segregation, Sumedha Sethi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quintessential phenomenon occurring during prokaryotic development is accurate segregation of the replicated genomes into the daughter cells. Key energy-dependent processes like chromosome condensation and subcellular partitioning of the genomes are driven by conserved proteins like SMC, ParB, FtsK. During its complex developmental cycle, Streptomyces coelicolor segregates its genomes into chains of unicellular spores when its multigenomic syncytial aerial hyphae undergo division.

A novel ftsK-like gene, hfkA (Homolog of FtsK protein A), was examined for function and localization during development-associated chromosome segregation. Individual deletions did not affect segregation, but a ΔhfkA ΔftsK mutant exhibited 8% anucleate …

Influence Of Biosolids Upon The Uptake Of Mn And Cd By Radish (Raphanus Sativus L.), Oluwadamilola O. Fateru

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The influence of biosolids upon the uptake of Mn and Cd by radish (Raphanus sativus L.) was investigated through the characterization of biosolids, sequential extraction of the biosolids, and the determination of the metal content in the root, shoot and leaves of radish (Raphanus sativus L.).The biosolid samples from Nacogdoches Wastewater Sludge (NWWS), Lufkin Wastewater Sludge (LWWS), Soil Therapy Compost (STC) had pHs between 5.33 – 6.74. The elemental compositions of the biosolid samples were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and SEM/EDX. Major elements (K, Mg, Mn, P) needed for plant growth …

A Case Study Of Teachers In An Innovative Professional Collaborative And The Evolution Of Their Curricular Conceptions, Practices, And Agency., Alysse Christine Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explore the curricular conceptions and practices of seven diverse secondary teachers in an urban, public school district who were involved in a year-long innovative professional collaborative. I also examine the types of ecological influences, including the influence of the collaborative, that played a role in the development of their sense of agency, or lack thereof, focusing especially on their exercise of structurally transformative, or innovative, agency. I examine the following questions in this study: 1. How do teachers perceive curriculum and their roles in curriculum? In what ways do they perceive their curricular conceptions and practices …

Coordination Of Airway Protective Behaviors And Swallow: Effects Of Afferent Feedback And Sex., Alyssa D. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation represents a series of studies describing mechanisms related to breathing, upper airway behaviors and their coordination in man and animal. Chapter two transformed the cough swallow aspiration protocol from the cat (previous work) to the human introducing a new strategy, volume targeting, in swallow breathing coordination. Chapter three evaluated swallow breathing coordination at increasing altitudes. As respiratory drive altered due to hypoxia and hypocapnia, swallow breathing coordination shifted toward inspiration occurring during the transition from inspiration and expiration. The collection of the two previous studies led to development of an animal model to evaluate volume targeting and …