Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Aashto Seismic Design For Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns, Andrew Leroy Grismer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bridge failure can be catastrophic resulting in casualties and limiting the accessibility and emergency response efforts. Ensuring a high level of ductility for bridge columns through sufficient design methods and detailing is the most important aspect of the modern seismic codes. Reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns are widely used in multi-span bridges located in seismic regions of the nation due to their controlled ductility and durability. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the AASHTO seismic design requirements for RC bridge columns and to comment on whether current bridge code is sufficient and safe. An extensive literature review …

Longevity In Afrikaner Cattle: A Survival Analysis, Allison M. Bot Steffl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Afrikaner breed of cattle is indigenous to South Africa and due to their hardiness was once the most popular breed amongst farmers. The objectives for this study were to: (1) estimate environmental effects (age at first calving, season) and (2) genetic variance affecting longevity in Afrikaner cattle using survival analysis and a Weibull model and (3) evaluate the effect of the Infusion Project on longevity utilizing a Cox model. For the first objective, age at first calving impacted longevity as younger age at first calving was associated with decreased longevity. Season of birth and year of birth also impacted …

Understanding Angler Responses To Fish Stocking Programs Across South Dakota, Riley L. Mounsdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries management is a complex process that often requires consideration of many factors to be implemented effectively. Stocking is one of the most often used fisheries management techniques for addressing a myriad of issues in the fisheries field. Stocking is also one of the largest expenses for many fisheries management agencies. Due to license sale declines, management actions including stocking, are being evaluated by many agencies to determine if there are ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness to reduce costs and enhance angler participation. For my second chapter, I evaluated the current fish stocking decision-making process within South Dakota Game, …

Nutrient Intake, Performance, And Body Composition In Preseason Wrestlers, Gregory Coapstick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: College athletes, especially in weight class sports, often experience energy deficits. Weight class sports such as wrestling are at greatest risk for deficiencies, and little is known about the relationships between body composition, nutrient intake, and performance in these athletes.
OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to quantify macronutrient and micronutrient intake of pre-season male collegiate wrestlers and compare to recommendations, and examine relationships among nutritional intakes, body composition, and performance measurements of strength, anaerobic, and aerobic capacity.
METHODS: Male Division I wrestlers (n=11, mean ± SD age: 21.3±1.7 years, wrestling experience: 14.9±2.5 years) were recruited during preseason. …

Influence Of Reduced Salt In Fully Cooked Ham And Sausage Cured With Natural Celery Powder On The Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes At 4⁰C, Anne Sherod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research evaluated the influence of reducing salt on outgrowth of L. monocytogenes on ready to eat (RTE) deli-style sliced ham cured with natural celery powder, fully cooked sausage links cured with traditional sodium nitrite and sausage links cured with natural celery powder, vacuum packaged and stored at 4⁰C on the outgrowth of L. monocytogenes. Experiment 1 evaluated L. monocytogenes outgrowth on ham over 153 days on the following treatments, current retail ham (HC) 2.0% salt; reduced salt 1 (HRS1) 1.5% salt; reduced salt 2 (HSR2) 1.35% salt; and reduced salt 2 without antimicrobials (HRS2WA) 1.35% salt without potassium lactate …

Scaffold Hopping For The Lead Optimization Of The Orally Active Antileishmanial Pyrrolo-Quinazoline Alkaloid Natural Product Peganine, Sunitha Jada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease caused by the species Leishmania that affects millions of people around the world. It is a serious public health concern in the developing world with about 1 million cases and 70,000 fatalities occurring each year. It has several forms with visceral, and cutaneous leishmaniasis being the most common forms of the disease. Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by the Leishmania donovani occurs mainly in Brazil, Eastern Africa, and India, and is fatal if left untreated. The current treatments for leishmaniasis such as pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, pentamidine, and some azoles suffer from serious drawbacks. …

Contrastive Learning, With Application To Forensic Identification Of Source, Cole Ryan Patten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forensic identification of source problems often fall under the category of verification problems, where recent advances in deep learning have been made by contrastive learning methods. Many forensic identification of source problems deal with a scarcity of data, an issue addressed by few-shot learning. In this work, we make specific what makes a neural network a contrastive network. We then consider the use of contrastive neural networks for few-shot learning classification problems and compare them to other statistical and deep learning methods. Our findings indicate similar performance between models trained by contrastive loss and models trained by cross-entropy loss. We …

Various Surfactant Soil Conditioner Effect On Plant Nutrient Concentration, Soil Nutrient Depletion, Soil Volumetric Water Content, Plant Biomass And Yield In Corn, Timothy Veldkamp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soil conditioners help improve soil structure by increasing aeration, water infiltration and water holding capacity leading to nutrient availability and reduced irrigation needs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of multiple soil conditioners (SC1, SC2, SC3, SC4, and SC5) on corn (Zea mays L.) and their ability to reduce irrigation by 30%. This was evaluated in the field in 2022 and 2023 by Aurora, SD using a Randomized Complete Block Design with six replications. Conditioners were applied as broadcast pre-emergence treatments with 70% irrigation. Control treatments of 70% and 100% irrigation, respectively were included. SC1 application …

Impact Of Varying Molecular Weights Of Hyaluronic Acid On The Functional Properties Of Process Cheese Product, Rutvi Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is being accepted for use as a food ingredient and/or food supplement. It is available in a wide range of molecular weights (MW) and represents unique moisture retention properties depending on the MW. The moisture retention property of HA would be of great economic potential for the dairy industry. HA is a natural polysaccharide and holds the potential as a functional ingredient in dairy and food applications to modify viscosity and textural properties. The first research objective of the study was to determine the impact of very low to high MW of HA - 8kDa, 320kDa, 980kDa, …

Role Of Production Systems On Carcass And Palatability Attributes Of Bison, Lydia Margaret Hite O'Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this dissertation was to determine the impact of finishing systems on carcass and palatability attributes of bison. The specific objectives were 1) determine the influence of finishing system (grain-finished vs. grass-finished) on the mechanisms of tenderness formation in the longissimus lumborum of bison bulls, 2) determine the influence of diverse finishing systems on carcass characteristics and proximate composition of bison heifers, and 3) determine the influence of diverse finishing systems on palatability of striploin steaks from bison heifers. Results indicate that finishing systems differentially influence carcass characteristics, tenderness, and flavor attributes of bison. Specifically, this is …

The Relationship Between Soil Test Phosphorus And Soil Biology - A Natural Management Of Soil Phosphorus Through Conservation Practices, Clarence Frederick Winter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) management is an ongoing challenge in modern agriculture. Due to the importance of P in agriculture, P fertilizer additions are made throughout the U.S. to avoid nutrient-depleted soil. However, the application of P is problematic, as an excess of P in an agricultural system elevates the risk of environmental degradation, and current synthetic P sources are a fleeting resource. Additionally, a majority of P found in agricultural soils are insoluble, in the form of secondary and primary P minerals, making this large pool of P unavailable to plants. Fortunately, soil fungi organisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) …

Optimizing Large Language Models And Multimodal Approaches For Biomedical Publication And Satellite Imagery, Youngsun Jang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises two main sections: the first focuses on natural language processing (NLP) for extracting key information from scientific literature using large language models (LLMs), and the second addresses remote sensing for detecting natural disasters, such as floods, from satellite imagery using a multimodal approach. The first section investigates methods to enhance Transformer-based models in classifying and extracting information from biomedical scientific publications. Key contributions include the development of a custom dataset for classification and Question and Answering (Q&A) tasks, fine-tuning Transformer models like the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and addressing multi-span answer issues with the TAg-based …

Genetic And Ecologic Effects Of Seed Dormancy Genes On Seed Aging, Soil Seedbank Longevity, And Microbiome In An Isogenic Background Of Rice ( Oryza Sativa L.), Bhupinder Singh Batth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Whole Genome Crispr-Cas9 Screens Identify Genes Contributing To Viral Entry And Phagocytosis, Md Saddam Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technique for genome editing where Cas9 nucleases can be targeted to specific genomic sites by single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) containing roughly 20-nucleotide sequences that are complementary to the target region. Double strand breaks created by Cas9 are repaired through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in most cells, resulting in insertions and deletions leading to frame shift mutations in coding regions. Thus, the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be exploited for systematic evaluation of gene function relationships by whole genome screening. We also developed a CRISPR whole‐genome screen and counter‐screen strategy based on a pseudoviral platform that allowed identification of genes specific …

Impacts Of Starter Fertilizer On Corn Development, Nutrient Uptake And Grain Yield In Eastern South Dakota, Larousse Dorissant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cold and wet spring conditions during planting in the Northern Corn Belt can limit nutrient mobility, especially phosphorus (P) due to reduced mineralization. This often triggers the use of starter fertilizers to enhance nutrient availability within the root zone, and as a result improve nutrient uptake and the overall plant growth. Albeit research has shown that starter fertilizer applications can significantly boost corn grain yield potential, the most substantial yield responses from starter fertilization are typically observed in fields where soil test P levels fall below the critical soil test P threshold. This dissertation explores i) the effects of starter …

Analysis Of Toxic Chemical Agents And Therapeutics For Toxic Inhaled Agents’ Exposure, Khadija Bilkis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When inhaled, toxic inhalation agents (TIAs) such as cyanide (CN), ammonia and sulfur compounds (e.g. methanethiol (MeSH)) can be fatal. Many TIAs cause cellular hypoxia, cytotoxic anoxia, apnea, respiratory failure, neurodegenerative disorder, circulatory collapse, seizures, and potential death by blocking mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. All TIA’s have the potential to be employed as chemical warfare agents, terrorist weapons, or dangerous occupational gases. Although many TIAs are potential threats, there are minimal FDA-approved treatments for these substances useful in a mass-casualty situation. Recently, cobinamide (Cbi) has come to light as a potential antidote for MeSH poisoning. However, methods for analyzing MeSH …

Development Of Bed Shear Stress In Open Channel Flow In Smooth-To-Rough And Rough-To-Smooth Transitions, Linet Chietunda Paul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of flows over sudden change in bed roughness in open channels is important in understanding the flow dynamics of a developing boundary layer. Parameters such as shear velocity, mean flow velocity, turbulence intensity and the Reynolds stress distribution are critical in channel design optimization and predicting sediment transport. In this thesis, a detailed examination of the distribution of these parameters is undertaken in a rough-to-smooth and smooth-to-rough transition. Laboratory experiments were conducted on rough-to-smooth transition (Case A) and smooth-to-rough transition (Case B) in an open channel flume. Measurements of the fluid velocity fields at the centerline of the …

Perceived Linguistic And Non-Linguistic Barriers Facing Saudi Female Partners Learning English, Samah Mohamad Dulli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The partners of the Saudi students who come to the United States on scholarships to earn a degree (Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D.) are eligible for full scholarships as well. However, most of them fail to proceed in earning a degree or fulfill the language proficiency requirement needed to join an academic degree program. This study surveys between 10 to 20 adult female partners of Saudi university students to elicit their opinions on how much English they think they will learn during their partner scholarship time in academic and non-academic settings. This study investigates the female partners of the Saudi degree …

Measurements Of Charge Parity Asymmetry In Λc+ → P+H+H−, Dinura Udayana Hetiiarachchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents direct Charge-Parity asymmetry measurements in singly Cabibbo suppressed...

Punishing Poverty: An Examination Of Financial Disadvantage And Out-Of-School Suspension, Joshua Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School suspension is often a response by officials to address deviant behavior within the school setting. While studies have examined various causes and consequences of school suspension, there is a dearth of literature focusing on the effects of financial disadvantage on school discipline (i.e., school suspension). Given that out-of-school suspension is a reliable predictor of juvenile justice involvement later in life, it serves as an important outcome variable in preventative criminology. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), the purpose of the current study is to analyze the relationship between financial disadvantage and …

An Evaluation Of Comprehensive Professional Development Program To Improve Teacher Quality And Student Engagement, Elois R. Nicholson-Booker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied research study, using program evaluation, was to improve professional development for teachers to build their capacity in student engagement. This applied research study used three elements: professional development, professional learning communities, and observation-feedback, to improve teacher quality and to increase student engagement. The goal of the professional development element was to increase teacher capacity in student engagement by equipping teachers with research-based strategies to implement in individual classrooms. The goals of the professional learning communities (PLCs) was to support teachers in implementing research-based strategies to increase student engagement and to increase the level of collaboration …

Ftir Microspectroscopy For The Investigation Of Microplastic Pollution, Automotive Paint Layers, And Prehistoric Rock Paint With An Emphasis On Analytical Method Development, Kendall Wontor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research detailed in this dissertation centers on the development of new analytical methods using chemical imaging microspectroscopy, primarily μ[micro]-FTIR, for applications in environmental, forensic, and archeological chemistry. The state-of-the-art instrument (LUMOS II) used in this research combines optical microscopy with IR spectroscopy, allowing sample visualization during FTIR imaging and micro-analysis.

Chapter 1 serves as an introduction and provides background detail on the instrumentation and technique. Chapter 2 describes the use of fluorescent microscopy to quantify microplastics (MPs) in oysters from the Mississippi Sound. High concentrations of putative MPs were found, with sites inside bays near population centers displaying higher …

The Higher Ed Forgotten: Experiences And Perceptions Of Face-To-Face Bipoc Administrators During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Dana Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of academic administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the impact of institutional racism on their professional lives. The study specifically investigates the challenges faced by administrators from diverse racial backgrounds in navigating institutional responses to the crisis. The research aims to develop a comprehensive plan that can be implemented at the local level in educational institutions and subsequently modeled and implemented nationally, a plan that can uphold sustainable structures, processes, and best practices for administrators during crises.

Surficial Geologic Mapping Of The Tocowa 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Tallahatchie, And Panola Counties In Northwestern Mississippi: Geologic Framework Of Alluvial Fans With Implications For Aquifer Recharge, Anisha Dahal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVA) within the Mississippi Embayment (ME) is a crucial freshwater resource in the southern United States, supporting agricultural, municipal, and industrial demands. However, excessive groundwater extraction has led to significant declines in water levels across the region over recent decades. Mississippi River alluvial fans, which emanate from valley walls and overlay the MRVA, are composed of coarse-grained sediments and could be significant groundwater recharge areas for the MRVA. This study focuses on the geology of the Tocowa 7.5-minute quadrangle in northwestern Mississippi, encompassing parts of Panola and Tallahatchie counties, with a goal of understanding …

Breaking Old: Trends And Adverse Events Of Prescription Stimulant Use In Older Adults, Saumil Jadhav

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined prescription stimulant medication (PSM) use among older adults in the United States from 2012-2020 by (1) assessing annual prevalence and describing clinical characteristics and treatment patterns among new PSM users, (2) evaluating the association between PSM initiation and risk of adverse events such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality, and (3) analyzing trends in the concomitant use of PSMs and antidepressants. The study utilized 5% national sample of Medicare administrative claims from 2012-2020.

First, the study identified an increase in the annual prevalence of PSM use from 0.44% in 2012 to 0.63% in 2020 among older …

Addressing Teacher Stress Levels To Implement A Social Emotional Learning Program For Teachers, Kourtney Mcdowell-Bush

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers have endured work-related stressors daily to provide the best educational experience to students. This applied research study addressed teacher stress levels to implement a teacher centered social emotional learning (SEL) program. This study was collaborative and involved teachers, administrators, and district staff who worked together to develop, implement, and evaluate the action plan. There was a teacher team which included teachers from different grade levels who also completed the teacher stress survey. This teacher team met to provide an in-depth insight into teacher stressors. The teacher team with the assistance of the administrators worked to develop an SEL professional …

Essays On State Lotteries, Adedayo James Ogunniran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how two major factors—gasoline prices and inflation—may influence state lottery revenues, with each factor examined in a separate essay. The first essay investigates the relationship between gasoline prices and lottery ticket revenues at gas stations. As the largest retailers of lottery tickets, gas stations play a crucial role in the lottery market. However, the relationship between gasoline prices and lottery ticket revenue has received very little attention. To address this gap, the essay analyzes weekly gas station-level data from four states—Texas, Florida, Illinois, and New York—over a 52-week period. The structural panel vector autoregression (PSVAR) approach yields …

Formulation Development Of Cannabidiol Using Various Technologies As An Approach To Enhance Its Solubility And Oral Bioavailability, Iman Taha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a crystalline compound extracted from a high-CBD variety of the Cannabis sativa plant. It has various pharmacological effects, including antipsychotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-seizure, and anxiolytic properties. However, developing CBD formulations presents several challenges due to its high lipophilicity (log P of 6.3), poor water solubility (0.1 μg/mL), and significant first-pass metabolism, which results in low oral bioavailability, estimated at just 6%. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that CBD is susceptible to degradation from exposure to light, temperature, and oxidation during formulation. Currently, Epidiolex is the only commercially available preparation containing CBD that has been approved by the US-FDA for …

Supervisory Alliance And Counselor Self-Efficacy Trends Within The Internship Experience: A Single-Case Research Design, Dylan Wren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supervision provides one of the primary avenues for fostering growth and development within counselors-in-training. This supervision also impacts the evolution of counselor self-efficacy, allowing supervisors to influence supervisee’s belief in themselves and their abilities. As such, counselor education programs and state licensing boards require supervised experiences for counselors-in-training. How effective are such experiences, as measured by counselor self-efficacy and supervisory alliance? A single-case research design was employed with three participants, tracking their responses over six weeks on the Counselor Self-Efficacy Inventory and Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory - Trainee measures. Results indicated that the experience had been effective in increasing counselor …

Formulation And Characterization Of Quetiapine Fumarate Floating Bioadhesive Tablets, Ajay Reddy Kolipaka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quetiapine fumarate (QF) is an antipsychotic drug, and it has a plasma half-life of 6 hours. The chemical structure of QF has nitrogen groups making it highly soluble in acidic pH and slightly soluble in alkaline pH. This study aimed to develop the QF gastroretentive tablets by TSMG technology comprising floating and mucoadhesive approach by using different viscosity grades of HPMC to improve absorption by prolonging its gastric residence time. The floating tablets were prepared using the Twin screw melt granulation (TSMG) technology, and the impact of polymer concentration and viscosity grades of HPMC on the floating ability and drug …