Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Grit, Perceived Social Support, And Educational Gains In The Adult Basic Education Classroom, Jennifer D. Shearon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adult Basic Education (ABE) is a critical part of the educational landscape in the United States; its aim is to improve the basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills of the very diverse population of adults in America who lack proficiency in these skills, and more often than not, a high school graduation credential (U.S. Department of Education, 2021a). Each program year, federal funding for ABE state administrated programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, 2014) is tied to percentages of participants who make measurable skills gains (MSGs). One type of MSG is Educational Functioning Level (EFL) gains, which …

Visible Light-Assisted Deconstruction/Refunctionalization Of Strained And Unstrained N-Cycloalkylanilines, Elvis Duah Boateng

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The exploitation of ring strain as a driving force to facilitate chemical reactions is a well-appreciated principle in organic chemistry. Of the strained carbocycles frequently explored in this respect, cyclopropane ring systems have drawn considerably more interest among synthetic chemists than their homolog, the cyclobutane ring systems, even though the strain energy of cyclobutane (26.7 kcal/mol) is similar to that of cyclopropane (27.5 kcal/mol). We have previously developed a [4+2] annulation reaction for the synthesis of aniline-substituted six-membered carbocycles under photoredox catalysis via the oxidative cleavage of N-cyclobutylanilines. The key reaction involved in this method is a ring-opening process of …

Disharmony Of The Soul: A Philosophical Analysis Of Psychological Trauma And Flourishing, Adam Blehm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I argue that psychological trauma hinders human flourishing by disrupting psychic harmony and hindering virtuous relationships. Given the negative symptomology of posttraumatic stress related disorders (i.e., PTSD) this conclusion may seem a bit obvious to some. However, making the case for trauma as a hindrance to human flourishing is more complicated than it may first appear.

First, in the extant literature, trauma as a concept tends to be unclear. In much of the empirical and philosophical literature, trauma can include a certain kind of event, experience, effect, or a combination of all three. Furthermore, because of practical …

Isolation Of Drug-Sensitive Eimeria Species From Wild Turkey Feces And Development Of A Model Bioshuttle Program For Eimeria Meleagrimitis For Domestic Turkeys, Maria Carolina Trujillo Peralta

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to determine the anticoccidial profile of Eimeria spp. derived from wild turkeys. These drug-sensitive Eimeria spp. have potential to be used as vaccine candidates to control coccidiosis in commercial turkeys. Chapter two consists of a brief literature review focused on coccidiosis in turkeys. Chapter three addresses the methodologies utilized to isolate, recover, and speciate Eimeria recovered from wild turkey feces in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. From this, we successfully obtained single oocyst-derived stocks for E. meleagrimitis, E. dispersa, E. meleagridis, E. gallopavonis, and E. adenoeides. Chapter four describes the experiment conducted …

Sustainability And Health Impacts Of Pulse Crops In The United States Using Life Cycle Assessment, Prathamesh A. Bandekar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental sustainability and human health impact of pulses produced and consumed in the United States was assessed using life cycle assessment (LCA). The study included three objectives 1) to estimate environmental impact of current production and consumption practices in the United States using attributional LCA; 2) to estimate environmental and human health impact of iso-caloric diets containing varying amounts of pulses using Hybrid-LCA and Combined Nutritional and Environmental-LCA (CONE-LCA); and 3) to estimate environmental impact of increased demand for pulses using consequential LCA. Scope of the study varied for each objective with system boundary encompassing cradle-to-grave activities for objective 1 …

Using Reinforcement Learning To Improve Network Reliability Through Optimal Resource Allocation, Henley Wells

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Networks provide a variety of critical services to society (e.g. power grid, telecommunication, water, transportation) but are prone to disruption. With this motivation, we study a sequential decision problem in which an initial network is improved over time (e.g., by adding or increasing the reliability of edges) and rewards are gained over time as a function of the network’s all-terminal reliability. The actions during each time period are limited due to availability of resources such as time, money, or labor. To solve this problem, we utilized a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approach implemented within OpenAI-Gym using Stable Baselines. A Proximal …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Influence Of Social And Structural Communication Variables On The Social Connectedness Of People Experiencing Homelessness, Shawn Michael Evans

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of social and structural communication variables on the perceived social connectedness of people experiencing homelessness in the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) and Joplin, Missouri areas. This study employed the ecological perspective of communication infrastructure theory (CIT; Ball-Rokeach et al., 2001) and a communication perspective which envisions communicative interaction as constitutive of social experience. Using survey data from 166 participants, this study examined 11 research questions and hypotheses drawn from extant literature on homelessness, social connectedness, and CIT. ANOVAs, t-tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a complex relationship between individuals and the communicative environment. This study …

Streaming Gender, Masculinity, And Race: Luke Cage's Impact On The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Samual Madison Mcmillen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Streaming Gender, Masculinity, and Race: Luke Cage’s Impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe analyzes gender, masculinity, and race in Marvel’s transmedia universe. The analysis examines streaming television’s role in confronting social issues related to gender, masculinity, and race, such as systemic racism, white supremacy, and toxic masculinity. This study examines the impact of three Netflix series on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and The Defenders, as these series were Marvel’s initial use of streaming television. The character, Luke Cage, appears in each of these Netflix series, and while each series tells a story of its own, the …

A Method For Exploring The Habitability Of Earth-Like Exoplanets: Applications To Tess Objects Of Interest 203 B, 256 B, And 700 D, Paul Bonney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has and is continuing to discover a multitude of potentially habitable planet candidates. As more planets are detected and confirmed, it becomes increasingly important to strategically search for signs of habitability with which to differentiate and prioritize them for further observation, in particular with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). To facilitate this, I have created a method for prioritizing TESS planet candidates based on parameters derived from their light curves and have applied the method to the TESS Candidate Target List (CTL). This data set uses preliminary fits to transit modeling which can …

Investigating Quality Attributes And Wine Production Methods Of Arkansas-Grown Grapes, Amanda Fleming

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Grapevines (Vitis species) are grown worldwide to produce table grapes, juice grapes, dried grapes, and wine with the United States as one of the world’s largest wine and grape producers. Though not a large contributor to the U.S. grape and wine industry, Arkansas’ industry plays an important role in the state’s agritourism and economy. Most grapes grown in Arkansas’ warm climate include native species, such as muscadines (V. rotundifolia) and hybrids (crosses of Vitis species). Two important hybrid red wine grapes grown in Arkansas are Chambourcin, grown commercially for its positive viticulture and enological quality, and Enchantment, a newer cultivar …

Enhancing Human Schwann Cells Reparative Behavior Using Heparin/Collagen Layer-By-Layer Coatings, Luis Carlos Pinzon-Herrera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When a peripheral nerve injury (PNI) occurs, the gold standard for tissue regeneration is the use of autografts. However, due to the secondary effects produced by multiple surgeries involved in the removal and implantation of autografts for very small lesions, it is possible to replace them with the use of Nerve Guide Conduits (NGCs). However, NGCs are limited to short lesions (less than 1 cm). This limitation is caused by the absence of compounds in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that autografts can provide. Since much of the regenerative process takes place on the NGC surface, our work aims to modify …

The Role Of Microbiota-Biotransformed Bile Acid Metabolites On Campylobacter Jejuni- And Clostridium Perfringens-Infection, Ying Fu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) are two leading pathogenic bacteria responsible for both human and animal diseases. In chapters Ⅱ to Ⅳ, I presented an overview of current knowledge on the role of immune response, microbiota, bile acids and their microbial metabolites on campylobacteriosis, and C. perfringens induced necrotic diseases.In chapter Ⅴ, I investigated effects of deoxycholic acid-modulated anaerobes (DCA-Anaero) on attenuating chicken transmission-exacerbated campylobacteriosis. SPF Il10-/- mice were gavaged with clindamycin for 7 days followed by infected with three C. jejuni strains, Cj-P0 (C. jejuni AR101), Cj-P1 (from chicken pre-infected with C. jejuni AR101), and …

Evaluation Of Extended Aging Type And Cooking Practices On Palatability Of Beef Steaks, Katharine Anne Bugenhagen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to determine if sous vide was a viable way to improve palatability of various beef cuts, and to determine whether extended aging duration and the presence of a bone impacts the consumer ratings of beef short loins.When evaluating the impact of sous vide cooking (SVG) on multiple beef muscles, there was a muscle × method interaction for overall liking (P = 0.04). The traditionally cooked (TRAD) Longisimus lumborum (LL) was rated the highest (P < 0.05). The Chuckeye steak (CHE) was rated next, both TRAD and SVG, with the traditional ranked higher, this was followed by the Triceps brachii (TB) also for both TRAD and SVG, however for the TB the SVG ranked higher (P < 0.05). The TRAD Biceps femoris (BF) rated the lowest (P < 0.05) of all of the muscles. Shear force did no differ between the cooking treatments (P > 0.05), or was there an interaction between muscle × method for shear force measurements (P < 0.05). The LL was rated the highest for tenderness (P < 0.05) while the BF was rated the lowest (P < 0.05). The second study compared subprimals aged over three aging periods (21, 42 63 days), then split into bone-in or boneless steaks, there were no interactions observed within the consumer data (P ≥ 0.05). BI steaks were rated higher (P < 0.05) for juiciness and overall liking by consumers, however BI and BL were rated similarly by consumers for tenderness and flavor (P > 0.05). When evaluated by consumers, aging did …

In-Field And Greenhouse Assessments Of A Selection Of Preemergent Herbicides On Newly Planted Blackberries, Kayla Knepp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This field trial assesses some of the preemergence herbicide options available to growers and their effect on newly transplanted blackberries (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson). Weed control has recently been surveyed as a top priority for blackberry growers; however, limited preemergence herbicides are registered for new blackberry plantings. Weed control is an ongoing component of blackberry production and with few in-season postemergence herbicide options available, growers rely on preemergence herbicides to maintain clean fields. The preemergent herbicides assessed in this trial were chosen with the intention to broaden the chemical control options available to growers in new plantings. A two-year …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Novel Electrochemical Struvite Recovery In Municipal Wastewater Treatment At The Plant And U.S. Watershed Scales, Karla Morrissey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the supply of phosphorus decreases, nutrient recovery in municipal wastewater treatment has become an important area of research. Recovery methods for phosphorus-containing fertilizers, such as struvite, and other products are currently being developed and assessed for their efficiency and economic feasibility. Potential environmental impacts from nutrient recovery are also being assessed as design for the environment is important, especially with regards to the eutrophying potential of phosphorus in phosphorus-limited freshwater aquatic systems. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that can be used to estimate potential environmental impacts of a product or service focusing on its entire life cycle. …

Surface-Driven Instabilities At Oil-Water Interfaces, Anelisse Claros Mendieta

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fluid-fluid interactions are such a wide area and can be observed in different scenarios such as geothermal systems, waterflooding of reservoirs, oil recovery, and water treatment processes. This thesis aims to deepen the understanding of fluid-fluid interactions which include Marangoni flows, charge related instabilities, and surface activity. This thesis studied the interactions of micrometer-sized droplets of an oil (toluene) with surfactant Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) in the aqueous phase. One of the main goals is to understand several surface-driven instabilities and how those can be manipulated for future applications.Furthermore, this thesis aims to use these oil-surfactant droplets as a medium …

Hierarchical Structure And Material Integration For Electrocatalytic Co2 Reduction, Hamed Mehrabi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CO2 released by the combustion of fossil fuels is driving significant changes to the earth’sclimate. The natural cycle for removing CO2 from the atmosphere, namely photosynthesis, cannot keep up with the rate at which it is being added. Developing engineering approaches to remove CO2 from the atmosphere is becoming essential to reduce these effects. Removal leads to further issues of carbon sequestration and favorable CO2 reuse strategies, including the electrochemical transformation of recovered CO2 to useful products such as fuels and materials. Copper is an important electrocatalyst for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) because of its unique capability for producing …

Mle And Eap Methods For Estimating Ability Scores For Data Of Varying Sample Size And Item Length, Sahar Taji

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this research, the performance of two popular estimators, Maximum Likelihood Estimator(MLE) and Bayesian Expected a Posteriori (EAP) is studied and compared in estimating the latent ability score in an Item Response Theory (IRT) model. The 2-Parameter Logistic (2PL) IRT model which is characterized by difficulty and discrimination item parameters is used to estimate the latent ability scores. Several datasets are generated for variety of sample size and item length values. The Monte-Carlo simulation is used to analyze the performance of the estimators. Results show that MLE produces reliable results with low root mean square error (RMSE) across all datasets. …

Differential Impacts Of Hhv-6a Versus Hhv-6b Infection In Differentiated Human Neural Stem Cells, Elham Bahramian

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the family Herpesviridae, sub-family β-herpesvirinae, and genus Roseolovirus, there areonly three human herpesviruses that have been described: HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7. Initially, HHV-6A and HHV-6B were considered as two variants of the same virus (i.e., HHV6). Despite high overall genetic sequence identity (~90%), HHV-6A and HHV-6B are now recognized as two distinct viruses. Sequence divergence (e.g., >30%) in key coding regions and significant differences in physiological and biochemical profiles (e.g., use of different receptors for viral entry) underscores the conclusion that HHV-6A and HHV-6B are distinct viruses of the β-herpesvirinae. Despite these viruses being implicated as causative agents in …

A Study On Interactions Between Metal-Organic Frameworks And Biological Materials, Josh Phipps

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-organic frameworks or MOFs are an extremely useful tool in many areas of applications. Their popularity in recent years has arisen from their high efficiency in catalytic chemical reactions. This is made possible due to their porous interior and the ability of the MOFs components to be functionalized. These same traits make MOFs excellent for use in protein encapsulation or immobilization and have the potential to become excellent drug carriers. Their development in this utilization has been limited dramatically compared to MOFs chemical applications. This is due in part to the nature of biological processes taking longer to study, but …

A Comparison Of Student Final Grades In College Algebra Based On Face-To-Face And Online Course Modalities, Christopher Michael Lafata

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As community colleges emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic there may be a tendency to rely on technology to facilitate more online coursework. Online education has been a fixture of higher education since the mid-1990s, but there’s always been a question as to whether it is effective as traditional, face-to-face coursework. This is especially important in College Algebra, already viewed as a barrier course for many students. If more students take College Algebra online, will the results be as good as students taking the course in a classroom? The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study is to identify the relationship between …

The Antimicrobial Resistance Plasmid Mobilome Of Salmonella Enterica And Related Enteric Species And Factors That Influence The Transfer Efficiency., Suad Algarni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dynamic distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes in Salmonella enterica is considered a public health risk. S. enterica is one of the most important etiological agents of foodborne illness and has a critical impact on global human health. In S. enterica and related species, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) serve as primary vehicles for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in the bacterial evolution. This dissemination can be impacted by different selective pressures that leads to diverse antibiotic response phenotypes. This project focusses on the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance genes, particularly exploring the transfer efficiency of multidrug resistance plasmids in S. …

A Case Study Examining Women In Leadership At A College Of Osteopathic Medicine, Sloane Gibson Kelley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, actively promoted gender parity in the field from its inception, at a time when few medical schools accepted women into their programs, and even fewer all-female medical schools existed (Quinn, 2017; Simpson & Weiser, 1996). Although an almost equal number of male and female students are enrolled in osteopathic medical schools, men far outnumber women in positions of leadership. While the data for the number of women deans and department chairs at osteopathic medical schools does not exist, research by the Association of American Medical Colleges (2021) showed that 24% of …

Using Copper Oxide And Zwitterions To Prevent Membrane Fouling And Optimizing Ultrafiltration Membrane Fabrication With Green Solvents, Cannon Hackett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Membrane fouling and sustainable production of membranes are two of the most important challenges in membrane science. Chapter 1 of this dissertation introduces these challenges and covers previous research that has been done in those areas. Additionally, the objectives of this dissertation are stated. In chapter 2, a study was done in which polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes were functionalized with copper oxide nanoparticles and zwitterions for the purpose of reducing fouling on the membrane surface. Characterization confirmed the attachment of each component to the membranes. Dead-end filtration was performed with water and bovine serum albumin solution and showed that the functionalization …

Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Decipher Mechanistic Details Of Biomolecular Processes Of Biology And Biotechnology Oriented Applications, Adithya Polasa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers in chemistry and biology often utilize computer simulations, in conjunction with experimental data, to model and predict the structures, energies, kinetics, processes, and functions of the systems that are their focus of study, ranging from single molecules to whole viruses. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) techniques to gain a deeper understanding of biomolecular processes in biology and biotechnology-oriented applications. Using a mixture of equilibrium and non-equilibrium MD simulations, this work describes the insertion process of YidC at the atomic level. In order to better comprehend the insertion process, several docking models of YidC-Pf3 in the lipid bilayer were …

How Faculty Perceive Their Role In Student Learning Assessment And Program Improvement, Mary Elizabeth Spence

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student success is inextricably linked with the assessment of student learning, and the literature cites the need for faculty engagement in the assessment process. However, many issues related to the assessment process may be considered demotivators by faculty. The purpose of this study is to examine whether faculty motivation to participate in student assessment was influenced by the accreditation status of the faculty member’s academic field. Data collection for this qualitative case study included individual interviews with participants and a review of documents related to the assessment process.

Machine Learning For Early Detection Of Pediatric Sepsis, Glory Manson-Endeboh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a host response to infection in both adults and children. It contributes to approximately 1.7 million cases annually with nearly 270,000 annual deaths in the United States. In the United States, the financial burden of sepsis on survivors and their families including the hospitals is over $4.8 billion, at approximately $64,280 per hospitalization. The first goal of this thesis research is to develop efficient machine learning models to predict pediatric sepsis accurately for inpatients. The second objective is to develop machine learning methods to determine how early sepsis can be detected to mitigate mortality. We examine data collected …

Schools Of Rivals: Physicians, Fights, And Reform In Nineteenth-Century, Southern Medical Education, Laura Elizabeth Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the professionalization of medicine in the nineteenth century hinged on community trust, faculty at Southern medical schools hurt their own reputations with their proprietary schools, their public rivalries, and their competition for clinical material and cadavers. Attempts to regulate medical schools also became fodder for doctors to slander each other, all arguing that their methodologies and their schools were superior. This fierce competition resulted from the constant need to lure in more students to ensure these schools’ survival, but it hurt the reputation of doctors as a whole, convincing the public that one doctor seemed just as incompetent and …

Prediction Of Radiography Certification Examination Scores Using Astin’S Input-Environment-Output Model, Deanna Barymon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous health profession fields, including radiology, have attempted to identify predictors of success on their respective credentialing exams. This preregistered study seeks to determine if available academic performance measures may predict radiography national certification examination scores and help educators identify students for remediation and support. The study will use the Astin Input-Environment-Output Model, which ascertains that student outcomes are a result of what they bring into an academic program and the environment experienced during the program. The non-experimental retrospective study will look at the 2018 to 2021 Arkansas State University radiography cohorts. Multiple regression will be used to determine if …

Short-Term Changes Within An Agroforestry System Managed At Three Basal Areas With Fescue Compared To Orchardgrass, Matthew Janorschke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silvopasture practices incorporate forages and woody perennials in the same system in order to create a sustainable system. The main objective of this study was to determine if one of two forage species can be successfully established in order to investigate agroforestry as a management system to promote soil health. Within a bottomland mixed hardwood forest in the Arkansas River Valley, an agroforestry system was established to evaluate three basal areas (determined as the cross-sectional area of trees at breast height) (7, 11.5, and 16 m2/ha) with mounded areas and two forages, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] Darbysh) and orchardgrass …