Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Metformin Hydrochloride Oral Taste-Masked Sprinkle Formulation For Pediatric Use, Hawra Alhusaini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to develop a child-centered metformin hydrochloride (HCL) oral formulation by successfully masking its bitter taste and facilitating ease of administration. Hot-Melt Extrusion (HME) technology was used to extrude filaments containing metformin HCL with varying ratios of Eudragit® Polymers. Eudragit® E PO was used as a main excipient for its pH-dependency. Since it is only soluble in acidic pH up to pH 5.0, it would not release the drug in the saliva environment, which has a pH of approximately 6.8. Eudragit® RL PO and RS PO were added later on in order to further control …

Anharmonic Vibrational Frequencies Of Large Hydrocarbons, Brent Robertson Westbrook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the proposed carriers of the unidentified infrared bands (UIRs) observed in widely varied astronomical environments. However, experimental investigation of PAHs has proven difficult as a result of their large size. As such, our knowledge of PAH vibrational spectra, and by extension the molecular carriers of UIRs, is limited to computed spectra. Despite the vast quantity of such data available, most of it has been generated using methods of relatively low quality, again due to the size of the systems in question. This work presents methods for extending the application of highly-accurate theoretical spectroscopic techniques to …

A Study Of Electron Energy Response Measurement In The Nova Test Beam Detector, Devesh Bhattarai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The NuMI Off-axis electron-neutrino Appearance (NOvA) experiment at Fermilab is a long-baseline accelerator neutrino experiment designed to study and understand neutrinos through their flavor oscillations between two functionally-identical detectors; a 300-ton Near Detector and a 14 kton Far Detector separated by 809 km and placed 14 mrad off-axis to the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) neutrino beam produced at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). NOvA has key physics goals to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, probe CP violation in the leptonic sector, and conduct precise measurements of the neutrino mixing parameters. To help further NOvA’s physics reach, the NOvA …

Full Bridge Modeling To Evaluate Effectiveness Of A Seismic Bearing On A Newly Constructed Bridge On I-55, Sandip Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infrastructure constructed should be safe and reliable. Bridges are essential infra structure used by large mass of people on a daily basis. Out of 617,000 bridges across the United States, 42% are at least 50 years old, and 7.5% are considered structurally deficient as per Infrastructure report card. 178 million trips are made on these structurally deficient bridges every day in the US. Thus, a bridge should be designed, not only for Strength and Service limit states, but also for Extreme limit states which includes earthquake. New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), located in southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, western …

Livestock Wastewater And Air Quality Management Using Microalgae, Capacitive Deionization, And Biofilters, Augustina Kwesie Osabutey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wastewaters play a significant role in the negative impact of phosphorus on the environment, such as eutrophication. However, phosphorus is a limiting nutrient essential for life which has gained global attention on productive technologies for phosphorus recovery. Several technologies have been developed for phosphorus removal and recovery from wastewater to help alleviate phosphorus loss to the environment. Capacitive deionization technology, which was earlier developed for water desalination and ion removal, is actively being explored for its ability to remove phosphorus from wastewater. This review describes capacitive deionization technology (CDI) and its various types. Significant attention is given to the use …

Assessing The Economic Feasibility Of Capturing And Utilizing Carbon Dioxide From Ethanol Production In South Dakota, Makiah Stukel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the Industrial Revolution, anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have spiked dramatically, prompting discussions on climate change. Mitigating climate change requires significant reductions in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as CO2 is the most abundant anthropogenic GHG. A process that assists in offsetting the exponential growth in CO2 emissions is carbon capture and storage (CCS). Integrating carbon capture technology into the ethanol industry can provide an economically feasible way to achieve net reductions in CO2 emissions. The proposed work investigates the economic viability of applying CCS technologies to the 16 ethanol facilities in South Dakota (SD) and quantifies the potential …

Beliefs And Factors That Influence Intentions To Initiate Antihypertensive Medications, Omokhodion Alfred Eriakha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Primary nonadherence (PMN) to antihypertensives constitutes a problem for all stakeholders regardless of whose perspective is taken. Understanding patient beliefs and utilizing a theory could help move the needle in favor of antihypertensive medications initiation.

Objectives: To determine the predictive ability of an integrated model of the theory of planned behavior and health belief model on intention to initiate an antihypertensive medication and to rank the identified factors of intentions to initiate antihypertensive medications in order of relative importance.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate beliefs and factors that determine intention to initiate antihypertensive medications. The sample …

The Role Of Carbon Credits On Farmers’ Adoption Of Climate-Smart Practices In South Dakota, Stephen Cheye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Net-zero pledges and carbon credit systems have gained momentum due to the growing urgency to address climate change and limit global warming to below 2°C above preindustrial levels. Agricultural carbon credits can be a potentially win-win mechanism by providing extra income for farmers while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of understanding about farmers’ willingness to accept carbon credit incentives and adopt climate-smart practices that sequester carbon. To address this, we analyzed 309 responses from a South Dakota producer survey conducted in 2021. We estimated probit and interval regression models to ascertain the level of …

Queer Community In Charlottesville, Virginia: Contradictions, Ambivalence, And Fragmentation, Cecelia Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Charlottesville, Virginia, is a small city full of contradictions, especially with regard to queer community. In this article, I explore those contradictions by examining five queer Charlottesville residents’ experiences of queer community through oral history interviews. Specifically, I try to understand how narrators’ ambivalence about the existence of queer community in Charlottesville and the necessity of such community has changed since the 1970s. These five narrators see and feel some aspects of queer community in Charlottesville but feel disconnected from queer community in others; for example, they highlight the well-attended Pride festival but do not feel like they know many …

The Champion Of "The Permanent Things:" The Imaginative Conservatism Of Russell Kirk, Robert Nisbet, And Richard Weaver, Xiang Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation deals with the intellectual thought of Russell Kirk, Robert Nisbet, and Richard Weaver. Renowned today as the prominent thinkers who inaugurated the postwar American conservative intellectual movement, these three thinkers by far have not received enough attention among historians as they deserved.

In my dissertation, by unpacking the central tenets of the conservative thought of the three thinkers, I try to demonstrate that their ideas were not just pertinent to the nascent American conservative movement emerging after the postwar decade, but their intellectual thought are in many ways enduring and timeless, transcending the barren limitations of their own …

Physically Adjusted Neutral Detergent Fiber System: Effects Of Dextrose And Non-Forage Fiber On Performance, Feeding Behavior, Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation And Rumen Bacterial Abundance In Dairy Cattle, Jorge Luis Bonilla Urbina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The newly proposed physically adjusted NDF system (paNDF) system aims to maintain a favorable rumen environment (e.g., pH) by taking into account both the physical and chemical composition of diet. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and non-forage NDF inclusion in a paNDF system on production performance, rumen pH and fermentation profile, rumen bacterial abundance, feeding behavior and nutrient digestibility in late-lactating Holstein cows. Nine fistulated multiparous Holstein cows (2nd and 3rd parity) were used in a triplicated 3×3 Latin Square experiment. Each period lasted for 21 d with 14 d …

Evaluation Of Yeast Postbiotic In Sow Diets On Sow And Offspring Performance And Microbial Succession, Joel Kieser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Litter size and the resulting nutritional demand on the sow continue to increase while sow mortality and culling rate are also increasing. Non-nutritive feed additives may enhance sow health and thereby improve offspring growth and productivity after weaning. Development of the gut microbiome in piglets via microbial succession is critical for maximizing their productivity and providing stability for overcoming weaning stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of yeast-based postbiotic supplementation in gestation and lactation diets on offspring performance through the nursery period and on whether a yeast postbiotic could impact the sow fecal microbiome as …

Effect Of Genotypes On Rancidity Development During Storage Of Naked Oats, Aastha Gautam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oats, rich in lipids, lipase, and unsaturated fatty acids, can develop bitterness from triglyceride hydrolysis and unpleasant aromas through unsaturated fatty acid oxidation. To counteract these effects, the processing of hulled oats includes kilning, a step aimed at inactivating the enzymes responsible for lipid degradation. Kilning plays a crucial role in preserving the quality of oats by preventing undesirable flavors development linked to lipid breakdown. Despite the benefits of free threshing and absence of a dehulling requirement in naked oats, assessing lack of enzyme inactivation during processing is crucial for potential storage rancidity issues. Our aim was to determine the …

Factors Influencing Mortality Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis), Emily Moberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reintroduced bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Nebraska faced a devastating pneumonia epizootic resulting in variable ewe reproductive success and poor lamb recruitment in many of the herds. From 2015-2017, no lamb recruitment was observed in the northern Pine Ridge subpopulation and as many as 60% of adults died. This was in stark contrast to the healthier Wildcat Hills herds to the south, where lamb recruitment was estimated to be between 50-70% during the same years. From 2018-2020, we radio-collared and recaptured 76 adult female bighorn sheep from 2 of 3 Pine Ridge herds and 1 of 2 Wildcat Hills herds. …

Relations Between Parent Coping With The Stress Of Parenting And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression, Maxwell Jared Luber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is important to refine understanding of the impact of adolescent behaviors on parents. In particular there is a need to improve understanding of the potential increase in parental distress caused by challenging youth behaviors. Parenting stress may play a critical role in these processes. Various coping strategies have been associated with different psychosocial outcomes, including anxiety and depression. In contrast, less effective coping strategies are linked to a higher likelihood of meeting criteria for mood or anxiety disorders. Gender differences in stress coping between women and men may contribute to women reporting higher levels of psychological distress, depression, and …

Who, What, And How Much: Understanding The Profiles, Preferences, And Valuations Of Individuals Likely To Participate In Food As Medicine Programs, Austin Dean Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Initial research on food as medicine programs has shown encouraging evidence, but more evidence is needed to identify the most effective models, services, delivery methods, and funding mechanisms. Previously studied programs were designed by the researchers, providers, and public health advocates without input from patients on their preferences. Patient engagement is essential to develop successful programs.

Study Aims: 1) To explore the presence latent classes among individuals with diet-related chronic diseases likely to participate in food as medicine programs; 2) To explore preferences for attributes of food as medicine programs among individuals with diet-related chronic diseases likely to participate; …

Assembled Authorship: American Women Writers And The Culture Of Commonplacing, Seth Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Assembled Authorship: American Women Writers and the Culture of Commonplacing” interrogates monolithic conceptions of authorship in the nineteenth century by exploring the expressive capacity of commonplace bookmaking practices for authors marginalized by race and/or gender. “Assembled Authorship” examines the influence of commonplace book culture on the novels of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Hannah Crafts, and Fanny Fern—authors who intervene in debates on religious reform, abolition, and antebellum periodical culture. Utilizing research grants from Penn State University and the University of New England, “Assembled Authorship” places high-resolution scans of commonplace books recovered from archives in conversation with the intertextual works of Phelps, …

“To Save My Own Life:” The Revisionary And Sustaining Practice Of Autotheory, Margaret Zee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autotheory, a hybrid of autobiography and literary theory, is the term Paul B. Preciado used to describe his book Testo Junkie (2008), a term Maggie Nelson then borrowed as a label for her book The Argonauts (2015). Though the term autotheory is relatively new, such hybrid writing has a rich literary history which I trace to intersectional feminist writers like Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa, and bell hooks in chapter 1’s genealogy. I argue that autotheory participates in theory’s work even as it revises certain Theoretical assumptions that hold sway in the academy today. This dissertation names three contemporary American books …

A Demand-Side Theory Of Labor Informality: Workers' Trust And States' Credible Commitment, Julian Alfonso Acevedo Pardo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Labor informality is a vexing issue across Latin America, with negative implications for policy areas from economic growth to social safety nets. Despite decades of efforts by national governments and international organizations, informality levels remain stubbornly high across the region. Insights from the extant literature suggest informality arises because creating formal sector jobs is too costly or the costs of formality for workers are too high. In contrast to most previous works on informality, this project steps back from standard materialistic assumptions and aims to uncover how the overall relationship between states and citizens impacts workers' incentives to work formally. …

A Storyteller's Remove: Place-Noticing In Welty's Disturbed Landscapes, Lucy Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi author Eudora Welty’s particular attunement to her characters’ place and time earned her canonization among southern authors bound by a peculiar sense of place. Our understanding of place, though, is rapidly evolving, spreading theoretical roots across disciplines and striving to keep up with global environmental change. Adopting frameworks from ecology, sociology, and comparative literature, this work seeks out the common denominators between Welty’s sense of place and our present perspectives, training our eye to notice relationships previously unconsidered. Unmistakable throughlines in Welty’s writing and photography offer fertile grounds for tracing place theory through visual and critical analysis, and find …

How Prepared Are They? Mississippi Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness For English Learners In Content Area Classrooms, Michelle Turonek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for English learners in Mississippi content area classrooms. Specifically, the study examined the feelings and experiences teachers had on their preparedness for English learners. While researching teacher perceptions, the study also attempted to discover the reasoning behind their preparedness through pre-service coursework, professional development, and strategies of second language acquisition. A qualitative approach was used through interviews and a survey to investigate how teachers perceived their preparedness and expressed their experiences. Data was collected from ten Mississippi teachers throughout the state and analyzed by the researcher to identify …

The Mississippi School Funding Formula: A Study Of Adequacy, Marcus E. Cheeks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this was to examine the relationship between Mississippi public school district per pupil funding disaggregated by funding source (total, federal, state, and local) and student academic achievement gaps within districts based on poverty and race. Pearson's correlational coefficient was used to assess the relationship across 139 Mississippi school districts during fiscal year 2019. State Special Schools, Charter Schools, and Agriculture Schools were excluded from the analysis. School districts lacking a sufficient number of African American and Economically Disadvantaged children to calculate a school proficiency score in ELA and Math were also removed. Thus, the analysis consisted of …

Through The Media's Eyes: The Media Coverage Of The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike And The Assassination Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ashton Brooks Logan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this professional project, the researcher aims to uncover media bias presented in two publications, The New York Times and The Commercial Appeal in the coverage of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike and the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The researcher gathered fifteen articles spanning a date range from February 13, 1968 to June 9, 1968 in order to successfully gain perspective on the various events that took place. Five research questions were presented to investigate the diversity of direct quotes, writing style, story placement and length of stories. Three individuals assisted in interpreting the articles using …

Assessing The Accuracy Of Dental Age Estimation Methods In A Native American Pediatric Sample, Cal Matthew Mcgehee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dental age estimation is a common method used to determine the age of juvenile individuals in forensics, medicine, and bio-archaeology. This thesis examines how accurate three dental development methods are in estimating the ages of two Native American sample groups. Further, it will explore how different variables like sex, age, secular (temporal) change, and an individual’s body mass index (BMI) affect dental development rates in the two groups of individuals. The first group consists of 60 Native Americans between the ages of 7 and 21 years of age who received dental work between 1970-1990 by Dr. James Economides of Albuquerque, …

Fabrication And Evaluation Of A Dual-Drug Loaded Immediate And Sustained Release Ophthalmic Inserts For The Management Of Keratitis; Moxifloxacin And Voriconazole, Jui Pendse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microbial keratitis, if not treated in time, can exacerbate critical conditions and ultimately lead to loss of vision. Incidences of bacterial and fungal keratitis in developing countries are far more compared to developed nations due to socioeconomic and environmental factors. Many regions of these developing countries might have limited resources to identify the causative agent in time, and accurately, before choosing appropriate treatment. In cases of such infections, empiric therapy is typically commenced with topical antibacterial for bacterial infections and antifungal for fungal keratitis. Moxifloxacin (MOX) is a fourth-generation antibacterial drug effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Voriconazole (VORI), …

Lack Of Institutional Control: An Analysis Of Ncaa Football Bowl Subdivision Public Infractions Case Decisions, Julie K. Owen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Division I college athletics is a billion-dollar industry where success or scandal can impact the entire university. This research endeavored to identify the characteristics of infractions cases at the Division I, Football Bowl Subdivision level resulting in lack of institutional control violations and how those have changed over time. Lack of institutional control is the most serious NCAA violation for an institution; therefore this finding can have the most detrimental impact on a university. Despite that, lack of institutional control is not defined and there is no safe harbor for universities seeking to demonstrate sufficient control over their athletics programs. …

Developing A Natural Bio-Sanitizer For The Effective Removal Of Resilient Biofilms From Dairy Separation Membranes, Sheetal Jha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Removal Of Disinfection Byproducts In Drinking Water Using Biological Filtration, Peng Dai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drinking water disinfection is essential to protecting public health from waterborne diseases. However, the reaction of disinfectants with natural organic matter (NOM) can form carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Drinking water treatment facilities employ precursor control and alternative disinfectants to minimize regulated DBPs formation to comply with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Despite their efficacy, some limitations have been observed during the application, such as increased cost of enhanced coagulation, high demand for sludge disposal, inconsistency in precursor removal, and formation of more toxic unregulated and unknown DBPs. Therefore, it is important to develop more efficient and safe strategies for DBPs …

Walleye Feeding, Movements, And Energetics Reveal The Importance Of Connected Wetlands In Glacial Lakes, Logan M. Cutler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fish require a variety of resources including prey, thermal refugia, and different physical habitat characteristics to grow and reproduce. All necessary resources are rarely provided by a single habitat, resulting in tradeoffs between occupying different habitats; therefore, the ability to move among heterogenous habitats is critical. These tradeoffs may occur in lakes with connected wetlands where the main lake habitats tend to be more thermally stable, but wetlands often provide more diverse and abundant prey. For my second chapter, I compared prey diversity and abundance as well as Walleye (Sander vitreus) diets and condition in a large glacial lake (Lake …

Teachers’ Perceptions About The Transition To English (T2e) Program In Bridging The Literacy Gap At The Elementary Level, Hilda Sarfo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study delves into the perceptions of Ghanaian teachers regarding the effectiveness of the bilingual literacy program – Transition to English (T2E) – in addressing the literacy gap at the elementary level. Recognizing the significance of second language acquisition for early-grade learners in multilingual communities, the research focuses on investigating the expectations and sustainability of the program. The study involved in-depth interviews with 11 Ghanaian teachers from three public basic schools who have experience with the T2E and one private school who has no experience. The findings of the study confirmed the pivotal role of the T2E in supporting young …