Digital Commons Network^™

Inter-And Intra-Population Variability Across The Transcriptome Of Lake Baikal’S Endemic Copepod With Ramifications For Adapting To Climate Change, Larry L. Bowman Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The future of Lake Baikal’s biodiversity is uncertain in response to climate change. Unlike its diverse benthos, Lake Baikal’s zooplankton is species poor, with up to 96% of its biomass being composed of a single Calanoid copepod species, Epischura baikalensis. This study characterizes the genetic differentiation and differential gene expression of E. baikalensis. Using partial-transcriptome sequences obtained by 454 Rosche and Illumina sequencing technologies, the genetic differentiation at inferred single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites and differential gene expression in populations sampled from various parts of the lake were analyzed. The functional genomics of genes showed significant differential …

Butch, Femme, Or Neither? What Owning These Identities Means, Joey F. Cooter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite an increased awareness of the diversity of gender identities, butch and femme roles continue to be viewed as lesbian stereotypes that reinforce rather than challenge heteronormativity. This study explores how self-identified butch and femme lesbian women define themselves and how their identities influence their sexual/romantic relationships. Interviews were conducted with 20 lesbians who identified as butch, femme, or neither to learn what these identities meant to them. While the interviewees saw their identities as unique, a number of similarities emerged. This thesis analyzes the themes of conflict with a gender binary model, stereotypes of butch and femme, replication of …

Vitamin D Status Of College Students: Implications For Health Leaders, Eileen M. Cress

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vitamin D deficiency is considered to be a pandemic with implications for compromised bone health and other chronic diseases. Few studies have examined vitamin D status in college-aged individuals where prevention of future health consequences is still possible. Serum vitamin D 25(OH)D status and vitamin D intake were examined in 98 college students ages 18-29 years during winter. BMI was classified as < 25and 25 or greater. Race was categorized as Caucasian or other. Overall, 69.5% had suboptimal serum vitamin D levels, <30ng/mL. Only 8 students (8.2%) met the EAR (400 IU) per day for vitamin D intake. t tests were used to determine if there were significant differences in serum vitamin D level and dietary intake based on gender, race and BMI. Significant differences were found in serum vitamin D level when compared by gender and race. Females tended to have a higher serum vitamin D level than males. Those representing minorities had lower serum vitamin D levels than Caucasians; One hundred percent of the minority students had suboptimal serum vitamin D levels. Based on these findings, dietitians should increase efforts to target college-aged individuals in educational programming related to factors affecting vitamin D synthesis, vitamin D intake, and health consequences of suboptimal vitamin D status, particularly in winter. Consideration should be given to vitamin D fortification of foods that meet the preferences of today’s consumer.

Adolescent Religion And Parenthood Outcomes In Young Adulthood, Kelli K. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A multitude of research exists examining the relationship between religion and early marriage, yet little research has focused on the relationship between religion and early childbearing. Even less has examined the influence of adolescent religion on early parenthood. Using data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, I examined the relationship between religion in adolescence and parenthood outcomes in early adulthood. I focus on how religiosity in adolescence shapes whether an individual is more or less likely to be sexually active, become pregnant, and/or have and keep a child. Results suggest that those who are religious in adolescence are …

An Investigation Into The Shift In Lie Acceptability In Children From Grades 3-12, Marc S. Goosie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study the goal was to determine if there was a shift in the extent to which children’s attitudes toward deception change as they age. Participants (N=278) enrolled in grades 3-12 completed a survey assessing their lie acceptability and other factors as potential variables associated with a prodeception attitude. Results indicated that greater lie acceptability was correlated with male children who had self-reported acts of bad behavior. Results also suggest that nontraditional family environments may increase one’s perception of the acceptability of lying. These findings provide potential predictors of the acceptability of lying in children and adolescents that offer …

Traumatic Life Events And Symptoms Of Anxiety: Moderating Effects Of Adaptive Versus Maladaptive Coping Strategies, Alishia Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experience of trauma is prevalent among young adult college students and is often associated with poor mental health outcomes such as symptoms of anxiety. Not all individuals who have experienced trauma, however, develop anxiety, perhaps due to individual-level adaptive characteristics, such as use of adaptive rather than maladaptive coping strategies. Yet, little research has examined the interrelationships between the experience of trauma, specific types of coping strategies, and subclinical anxiety symptoms. A sample of 915 undergraduate students completed self-report measures of trauma, coping strategies, and anxiety symptoms. We hypothesized that traumatic life events would be associated with anxiety symptoms, …

Non-Anguimorph Lizards Of The Late Oligocene And Early Miocene Of Florida And Implications For The Reorganization Of The North American Herpetofauna, Kevin Chovanec

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paleokarst deposits from the Oligo-Miocene of northern Florida preserve undescribed herpetofaunal remains that fill important temporal and geographic gaps in our understanding of Cenozoic lizard evolution. Here I describe and discuss the non-anguimorph lizard diversity of the Brooksville 2 (Ar2) and Miller (He1) local faunas to test for patterns of regional and latitudinal provincialism in the contemporary North American record. Collectively, the sites are significant for documenting 1) extralimital occurrences of the tropical clades Anolis and Corytophaninae, 2) a substantial temporal range extension of the modern southeastern endemic Rhineuridae, 3) the earliest record of eublepharid gekkotans from North America, and …

When Women Kill, Giovanna C. Lima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The media is one of the strongest influences on how society views the criminal justice system and all actors therein. This is especially true for offenders of violent crime. Notably, women who kill are rare. However, when women do murder someone, the media tends to over expose them and portray them in different ways. The current study is intended to examine how the media portrays women murderers. In particular, this research is focused on how fictional and true crime programs portray female killers. Do they portray them in a positive or negative light? Do they portray them realistically? Are true …

Men In Nursing: Masculine Gender Role Stress And Job Satisfaction, Anita Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Men represent a minority in nursing who have until recently experienced limited scholarly interest. Existing studies indicate that men experience bias, discrimination based on sex, and disproportionate levels of discipline within the profession. In the face of a continuing nursing shortage, recruitment and retention of men, as well as the rates at which men leave the profession and factors associated with that turnover, are of concern. Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS) may play a part in men's responses to nursing culture and settings, and may influence job satisfaction in a manner that affects behavior and tenure. This descriptive correlational study …

Synthesis Of Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots For Fabrication Of Hybrid Light Emitting Diodes., Michael Mccreary 1991-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The synthesis of CdSe quantum dots was carried out using a variety of methods including co-precipitation method, reverse micellar method, and hot injection method. Of these three methods, only the hot injection method produced an immediately viable product for application in the hybrid light emitting diode proposed. The co-precipitation method did generate the ability to perform the reverse micellar method which produced ~30 nm diameter nanorods of mostly amorphous material. These rods were analyzed using XRD, and TEM. The hot injection method using octadecene as the solvent and various ligands, including oleic acid, benzene-1,4-dithiol, mercapto-benzoic acid and TOP, created quantum …

Photoassisted Access To New Polyheterocycles, Teresa M. Cowger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Photoassisted diversity-oriented synthesis holds great promise in its ability to provide rapid access to complex and diverse molecular scaffolds. As it stands, while photochemical techniques have this potential, their implementation in the field of synthetic organic chemistry is very limited. The main goal of this project was to utilize photochemically assisted techniques in the synthesis of a variety of novel polyheterocycles.

Initially, we explored the how the strain installed in these polycycles could be harnessed to trigger cationic rearrangements in the framework of the system. This was achieved via the high yield and rapid assembly of a highly strained system …

Foreign Investment In African Resources: The Ecological Aspect To Imperialism And Unequal Exchange, Mariko Frame

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the issue of foreign investment in African resources from the theoretical perspective of ecological imperialism and ecologically unequal exchange theory (EUE). Pulling from Marxist ecology, critical political ecology, and an environmental reading of Polanyi, this dissertation seeks to theoretically deepen and clarify the concept of `ecological imperialism.' It posits that the wave of neoliberal policies that swept through the developing world in the 1980s can be interpreted as a historically distinct moment of ecological imperialism, a `counter-countermovement' to the era of economic nationalism that sought to bring developing world resources under state control. Focusing on Africa and …

Technical Illustration: The Changes And Challenges Presented By Advancements In Technology, Cindy Caudill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the changes and challenges technology has created in the field of technical illustration. Technical illustration includes the fields of technical drawing as well as scientific and medical illustration. Previously, technical illustrators learned and used traditional illustration methods, without the aid of computers. However, technology has rapidly entered the field and has changed the education, work environment, skills, and role of the technical illustrator. I note both the benefits and disadvantages that current technical illustrators are facing in their work. I explore both sides of the digital media and traditional art debate while focusing on the technical illustrator's …

Last Kind Word, Dianne Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Last Kind Word is a novel that explores the ways people seek control and power in the face of the unknowable. Set in the fictional town of Thorpe, South Carolina, the story follows four main characters-Donna Neese, Melissa Burnside, Anthony Washington, and Jill McManus-struggling in the aftermath of biracial teenager Micah Burnside's disappearance. They search for a replacement for the lost connection to Micah and for a sense of control at a time when their lives seem to lack it, when other forces, be they people or circumstances or spirits, hold power over them. In the midst of this, the …

We Are The Asteroid, Sloane Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We Are the Asteroid is a collection of personal essays concerned with the power of erasure and manipulation of chronology that comes with writing. It both acknowledges and participates in the fact that nonfiction writers become unstuck in time, whether they want to or not, traveling between ages, rearranging the order of events into the stories they tell. The collection centers on a few traumatic events in the narrator's life, and it explores the ways in which she deals with those events through her writing. The writer utilizes various structural techniques, such as the segmented form, to play with the …

Female Bias In Technical Communication And An Exploration Of Pedagogical Strategies For Reversing The Bias, Rebecca Beeson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores technical communication and seeks to establish that females outnumber males in the field while also holder more high-level positions. It further seeks to show why a field does not benefit from having one sex outnumber the other. The benefits of having an equal number of females and males contributing to the growth and expansion of the field are discussed. Finally, this thesis discusses potential pedagogical strategies which could be employed at the college level as a means of attracting more young men to the field and allowing for maximum growth of technical communication as a field of …

Character Evolution And Microbial Community Structure In A Host-Associated Grasshopper, Tyler Raszick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The spotted bird grasshopper, Schistocerca lineata Scudder (Orthoptera: Acrididae), is a widely distributed species found throughout most of the continental United States and southern Canada. This species is known to be highly variable in morphology, with many distinct ecotypes across its native range. These ecotypes display high levels of association with type-specific host plants. Understanding the evolutionary relationships among different ecotypes is crucial groundwork for studying the process of ecological differentiation. I examine four ecotypes from morphological and phylogeographic perspectives, and look for evidence of distinct evolutionary lineages within the species. I also begin to explore the potential role of …

Activity-Regulated Micrornas: Modulators Of Synaptic Growth At The Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction, Katherine Ruth Nesler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that long-term changes in synaptic structure and function are mediated by rapid activity-dependent gene transcription and new protein synthesis. A growing body of evidence supports the involvement of the microRNA (miRNA) pathway in these processes. We have used the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) as a model synapse to characterize activity-regulated miRNAs and their important mRNA targets. Here, we have identified five neuronal miRNAs (miRs-1, -8, -289, -314, and -958) that are significantly downregulated in response to neuronal activity. Furthermore we have discovered that neuronal misexpression of three of these miRNAs (miR-8, -289, and -958) is capable …

Language And Museums: Supporting Alaska Native Languages Through Collaborative Networking, Heather J. Mcclain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the ever-increasing risk of language loss and possible extinction of the world's Indigenous languages, museums are quickly becoming active supporters and valuable resources for communities engaged in revitalization initiatives. Although working with language material is inherently difficult for museums because of their traditionally object based nature, it is imperative for museums to focus on the documentation and preservation of language as intangible cultural heritage (ICH) because of the vital connection between language and culture. This thesis examines how museums in Alaska, particularly the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, Alaska Office, are supporting Alaska Native language and cultural revitalization through collaborative …

Resource Sovereignty: The Indigenous Value Of Mount Rainier Within Activities Of Traditional Resource Harvesting, Samantha Joan Nemecek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Nisqually, Puyallup, Muckleshoot, Cowlitz, and Yakama Indian Tribes historically utilized the plant resources of Mount Rainier until the National Park Service established Mount Rainier National Park in 1899. Since 1992 there have been formal, written requests by these Tribes to revitalize the harvest of these culturally significant plant resources in their original collection location. Through archival analysis, participant observation, and interviews with Indigenous consultants, I investigated the impetus for these requests and furthermore the role of Mount Rainier in tribally relevant plant harvesting. Data indicates a lack of plant resource monitoring in the United States Forest Service has resulted …

Rala And Rab8 Regulate Drosophila Embryogenesis, Zhongyuan Zuo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudocleavage furrow dynamics initiate at cycle 10 to help with mitotic divisions that lack cytokinesis. Permanent furrows then form at the beginning of cellularization (cycle 14). Cytoskeletal networks such as F-actin and non-muscle Myosin II have been demonstrated to be required for furrow formation and provide anchor points for chromosomal segregation. However, what drives the onset of furrow formation and membrane addition remains largely unclear. In my thesis, I have explored RalA and Rab8 function during furrow formation at metaphase and cellularization stages. These furrows are critical for correct chromosomal segregation, while disruption of furrow formation results in severe developmental …

Bankruptcy Stigma: A Socio-Legal Study, Michael D. Sousa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For as long as the institution of bankruptcy has existed, legal commentators have debated whether it is appropriate for debtors to experience some social stigma upon filing for personal bankruptcy--that is, whether it serves the goals of bankruptcy law for debtors to feel shame. While this issue has been extensively discussed as a theoretical matter, to date no legal commentator or scholar has examined the question as an empirical matter: do debtors in fact associate feelings of shame with filing for bankruptcy, and, if so, why (or why not)? This article, for the first time, undertakes precisely this inquiry. Specifically, …

Beyond Donors And Dollars: An Ethnographic Case Study Of International Aid And Its Agents In Mozambique, Carly Amanda Santoro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Mozambique, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) work mainly in Mozambique's rural areas, with programs dedicated to the prevention of infectious diseases, education, access to food and clean water, gender equity, and many other concerns. Yet despite these efforts, Mozambican populations are critical of NGOs' missions and practices, and Mozambique remains one of the poorest countries in the world. To explore these issues concerning contradictions in aid in Mozambique, I employ the concept of cultural capital, which refers to cultural practices, perspectives, and beliefs in relation to one's ability to access symbolic and material goods. My thesis examines the degree to …

Validation Of The Item-Attribute Matrix In Timss-Mathematics Using Multiple Regression And The Lsdm, Lin Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many cognitive diagnostic models, the item-attribute matrix (or Q-matrix) is an essential component which displays the relationship between items and their latent attributes or skills in knowledge and cognitive processes. However, it is a challenge to develop an effective Q-matrix.The purposes of this study were (1) to validate of the item-attribute matrix using two levels of attributes (Level 1 attributes and Level 2 sub-attributes), and (2) through retrofitting the diagnostic models to the mathematics test of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), to evaluate the construct validity of TIMSS mathematics assessment by comparing the results of …

The Definition Of Insanity: Dialectically Communicating Student Athlete Identity And Structure In Collegiate Sport Culture, Marissa Metala Yandall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Albert Einstein famously stated that the definition of insanity is to continue to go about a process in a similar manner while expecting different results. This is the current state of collegiate athletics. Reformers and community members have high hopes for meaningful change in light of the numerous and ongoing issues of impropriety and scandal that continue to grace the sports page in daily current events. Yet, in spite of nearly one hundred years of reform efforts, the structure of collegiate sport has changed very little. How can we expect a change in the culture without making concentrated effort to …

Assessing The Perceptions Of Giftedness In Parents Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students, Amber Waheed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound scale to investigate the perception differences of giftedness between parents of various culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Historically, schools adopt the early definition of giftedness that is presented, too narrowly focusing only on intelligence and achievement tests (Baldwin, 2005). This phenomenon has led to minority students, particularly Black and Hispanic, being significantly underrepresented in gifted programs (Naglieri & Ford, 2003). Environmental factors, such as socio-economic status and parent education levels, significantly impact these marginalized populations. The Parent Perception of Giftedness Scale (PPGS), grounded in Spearman and Gardner's theory …

Applications Of Epr With An Emphasis On Tau Fibril Structure, Virginia Meyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substances containing unpaired electrons have been studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) for nearly 70 years. With continual development and enhancement of EPR techniques, questions have arisen regarding optimum method selection for a given sample based on its properties. In this work, radiation defects, natural lattice defects, solid organic radicals, radicals in solution, and spin-labeled proteins were analyzed using CW, pulse, and rapid scan EPR to compare methods. Studies of solid BDPA, E' in quartz, N_s⁰ in diamond, and a-Si:H, showed that rapid scan could overcome many obstacles presented by other techniques, cementing rapid scan as an effective …

A Young Child's Anxiety And Math Performance: Enhancing Cognitive Behavioral Intervention With Conjoint Behavioral Consultation, Kirsten L. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Partnering with families, school personnel, and community resources is an important step to supporting the child and family, especially when children might suffer from debilitating anxiety concerns. However, little research examines the impact of anxiety on math performance for young children participating in school-based interventions enhanced by family components. The following research questions were addressed in the study: 1a) Will a young child with elevated levels of anxiety show a decrease in anxiety symptoms with a Cognitive Behavioral framework intervention program for children? 1b) Will anxiety be reduced with the addition of a Conjoint Behavioral Consultation with the family and …

School Of Rock: The Curricular Dimensions Of An All-Ages Venue, Lesley Nora Siegel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools are only one of many sites for pedagogy and curricula. Youth encounter educative experiences at many sites and in many forms. For many youth, the all-ages music scene is their most meaningful classroom with the music and the ethos of the movement serving as their teachers and other young punks their classmates.

This study examined the learning experiences and the dimensions of received curricula at an established all-ages music venue in a large urban city. The Vera Project in Seattle, Washington was the subject of this qualitative study, which utilized the methodology of educational connoisseurship and criticism to describe …

Probing Structure For Photophysical Properties Through Synthesis Of Novel Nucleosides, Brittney Jean Rodgers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A brief history of nucleosides and their photophysics provides the background information for the discussion of synthesis, photophysics and incorporation of fluorescent nucleotide analogs during enzymatic DNA synthesis. Through the use of nucleoside starting material, it is possible to synthesize a number of modified nucleotides for use as fluorescent probes in biochemical research. Synthetic endeavors into the synthesis of these and related molecules from nucleobase starting materials are also presented. The synthesis of these molecules involved re-development of the synthetic routes to broaden substrate scope by overcoming the changed reactivity resulting from the presence of additional functionality.

While many highly …