Digital Commons Network^™

Behavioral Ecology And Physiological Health Of Managed Populations Of Juvenile Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea Blandingii) In Urban Wetlands, Armand Andre' Cann

Master's Theses

Substantial threats to reptile species biodiversity have become apparent in the last few decades. This is partly caused by significant losses in grasslands and their associate prairie-wetland ecosystems. One Midwestern prairie-wetland species, Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii), are at risk of extirpation due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and increased predator populations. Consequently, significant head-starting efforts, a form of reintroduction conservation using captive-reared and then released turtles, have been conducted to recover populations of E. blandingii in northeastern Illinois. However, the success of these programs both locally and range-wide have not been fully quantified. Unfortunately, many approaches to guaging success involve long-term …

A Study Of Inactive Enzyme-Homologues: The Biochemical And Biological Function Of Ecm14 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Robert Christian Mcdonald

Master's Theses

Like most major enzyme families, the M14 family of metallocarboxypeptidases (MCPs) contains several pseudoenzymes predicted to lack enzyme activity and with unknown molecular function. The genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes only one member of the M14 MCP family, a pseudoenzyme named Ecm14 proposed to function in the extracellular matrix. Ecm14 is found throughout ascomycete fungi, with a group of related pseudoenzymes found in basidiomycetes. Although the prodomain of Ecm14 can be cleaved in vivo and in vitro by endopeptidases, suggesting an activation mechanism, no activity has been detected using standard carboxypeptidase substrates.

In order to examine the function …

Disordered Eating In Collegiate Athletes: Prevalence And Relationships With Body Composition, Sofia Apsey

Master's Theses

Performance pressures and emphasis on body weight and shape put collegiate athletes at risk for disordered eating. If not identified early, disordered eating behaviors could develop into a clinical eating disorder. While such behaviors are a known problem, prevalence rates are not well established in collegiate athletes. Disordered eating may also relate to physiological changes in athletes, such as body composition and performance, although this relationship is not well understood. The aims of this research were to 1) determine the prevalence of disordered eating risk in NCAA Division I student-athletes and 2) determine if such behaviors are related to baseline …

Expression And Purification Of Snake Antivenom Peptide In Pichia Pastoris, Israel Juarez Contreras

Master's Theses

It has been shown that a peptide of the first 10-15 N-terminal amino acids of the lethal toxin neutralizing factor (LTNF) protein found in opossums (Didelphis spp.) holds promise as a low-cost therapy for snake envenomation. To date, the 11-mer has been expressed in E. coli and shown to neutralize snake venoms. However, possible endotoxin concerns warrant an investigation into other microbial hosts. The methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, shows promise as an alternative host. Active LTNF peptide was expressed and purified in P. pastoris. This was accomplished by subcloning a tandem repeat of the first 15 N-terminal amino acids of …

Using Blockchain Technology For The Organ Procurement And Transplant Network, Utsav Jain

Master's Theses

The organ donation system in the United States is centralized and difficult to audit by the general public. This centralized approach may lead to data integrity issues in the future. The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) was built and maintained by a non-governmental organization called the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) under its proprietary UNet(SM) umbrella platform. This platform is made up of proprietary closed source software and does not provide the general public easy access to the organ transplant data for auditing. This study investigates the feasibility, challenges, and advantages of a blockchain-based OPTN.

A prototype of …

Relationship Between Habitat Variables And Leopard Shark (Triakis Semifasciata) Population Trends In The South San Francisco Estuary, Patrice Frazier

Master's Theses

The San Francisco Estuary (the Estuary) supports a diversity of native marine species, including the leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata). As the human population has increased in the Bay Area, elasmobranchs have simultaneously been subjected to habitat loss and changes in hydrology. On a large scale, global climate change is also affecting the Estuary's water quality. There is little research on the long-term population size of leopard sharks in the Estuary. Leopard shark catch data collected by the Marine Science Institute (MSI) and water quality data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from 1998 to 2017 were analyzed to assess …

The Deformability Of Red Blood Cells In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Me/Cfs), Brendan Robert Schmidt

Master's Theses

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease that causes profound fatigue in its sufferers as well as loss of concentration, headaches, and sleep abnormalities. Unfortunately, the disease is poorly diagnosed, and etiology is not known. Although the ME/CFS patients do not show anemic readings, and their arterial partial pressure is normal, it is possible that their extreme post-exertional malaise stems from poor microvascular perfusion and oxygenation. Previous studies have indicated that the red blood cells (RBCs) in ME/CFS patients show evidence of oxidative damage. We hypothesized that the RBC deformability metrics can serve as a reliable biomarker of ME/CFS …

Electrical Characterization Of Blood Clots, William Mcgrath

Master's Theses

This work reports the use of dielectric spectroscopy to study blood and blood clots. A test setup was developed and electrode behavior was characterized with water and salt solutions. By measuring changes in electrical permittivity, trends differentiating clotting and non-clotting blood were identified. Non-clotting blood exhibited an increase in normalized permittivity at high frequencies that is credited to the sedimentation of red blood cells (RBCs) in static blood samples. Clotting blood was found to show a decrease in permittivity after some time at high frequencies. This is associated with the aggregation of red blood cells. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) and …

Non-Invasive Hyperglycemia Detection Using Ecg And Deep Learning, Renato Silveira Cordeiro

Master's Theses

Hyperglycemia is characterized by an elevated level of glucose in the blood. It is normally asymptomatic, except for an extremely high level, and thus a person can live in that state for years before the negative - sometimes irreversible - health impacts appear. Unexpected hyperglycemia can also be an indication of diabetes, a chronic disease that, when not treated, can lead to serious consequences, including limb amputations and even death. Therefore, identifying hyperglycemic state is important. The most common and direct way to measure a person’s glucose level is by directly assessing it from a blood sample by pricking a …

Association Of Food Pharmacy Participation With Type Ii Diabetes Risk Factors, Breanne Vinogradoff

Master's Theses

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle and has been found to lead to higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In recognition of this relationship, many safety-net clinics and food banks have introduced “food pharmacies.” The term “food pharmacy” may be used to describe a treatment model that focuses on provision of disease-specific, medically appropriate food. This observational study examined data from a food pharmacy in the San Francisco Bay Area to determine if program participation improved clinical measures of T2DM status or risk, namely glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood …

The Effects Of A 6-Week Group Meal Prep Program On The Frequency Of Consumption Of Home-Cooked Meals, Shannon Mendez

Master's Theses

Consumption of food away from home is associated with higher caloric intake and poorer diet quality compared to home-cooked food. The advance quantity meal prep (AQMP) program is a group-based program developed to increase the frequency of consumption of home-cooked meals. The AQMP pilot study was a pre-experimental 6-week intervention aimed at analyzing the effects of the program on frequency of consumption of home-cooked meals, cooking attitudes, cooking self-efficacy, and anthropometric measures. Ten study participants met once a week at a commercial kitchen to prepare and package lunches, dinners, and snacks for the work week. A survey was administered and …

Comparing Levels Of Environmental Literacy Between Stars- And Non-Stars-Rated Universities, Analisa Kathleen Campos

Master's Theses

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) is a program that measures university sustainability levels. STARS ranks university campuses based on the number of points received from individual specifications such as green buildings, access to mass transit, number of environmental courses, and more. Therefore, the rank a school receives translates directly to its level of sustainability as an institution. Currently, it is unknown if there is a relationship between a campus’s STARS-rating and individual students’ environmental literacy (EL). The purpose of this project was to analyze the impacts of university’s sustainable features on student EL. Surveys were administered to …

Atrial Fibrillation Detection From Smartwatch Based Photoplethysmography Signals, Syed Khairul Bashar

Master's Theses

Detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) from a wrist watch photoplethysmography (PPG) signal is important because the wrist watch form factor enables long term continuous monitoring of arrhythmia in an easy and non-invasive manner. We have developed a novel method not only to detect AF from a smart wrist watch PPG signal, but also to determine whether the recorded PPG signal is corrupted by motion artifacts or not. In order to detect the motion and noise artifacts from PPG signal, we have used both the accelerometer signal and variable frequency complex demodulation based time-frequency analysis of the PPG signal. After the …

Conceptualizing The Promise Of Life Skills Education For Adolescent Girls In The Global South: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Olivia Casey

Master's Theses

In recent years, international development organizations have increasingly championed life skills education as a crucial tool for empowering girls in the global South. However, while life skills education continues to gain momentum and popularity within the international development landscape, the heterogeneity of life skills interventions remains significant. In this study, I aimed to uncover how key global actors differently conceptualize life skills and the promises they are understood to hold for adolescent girls in the global South at the current moment. Utilizing the methodology of critical discourse analysis, I examined key documents on girls’ life skills education published by central …

The Workability Of Dominican University Of California (Duoc) Transitioning To A Community Choice Aggregation (Cca) Program Energy Supply, Alexandra Fuentes

Master's Theses

For almost 10 years Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), or community based energy programs, have been developing and or providing clean energy resources to both commercial and residential customers in various regions around the United States. Although there are several programs in communities in the surrounding regions of California, this study focuses on a specific California program known as MCE. This research examines the feasibility of Dominican University of California (DUoC) transitioning from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to becoming a client of MCE in the future. Out of the 19 community energy programs currently available in the state, MCE is …

Investigating The Relationship Between Hormone Receptors Dax-1 And Estrogen Receptor Within Prostate Cancer Cell Lines, Meghana G. Vijayraghavan

Master's Theses

Prostate cancer (PCa) is estimated to be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States in 2019. While most prostate tumors rely on androgens for growth signaling, there are subsets of tumors that become androgen-resistant, therefore resisting conventional androgen-depravation therapy. Consequently, research has focused on targeting different hormone receptors for novel therapeutics. One such receptor is Dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia critical region, on chromosome X, gene 1 (DAX-1). DAX-1 is known to interact with other hormone receptors, such as androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptors (ERs) to suppress the proliferative effects …

Sooting Propensities Of Face Gasolines In Counterflow Diffusion Flames, Peter Vannorsdall

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning Applications To Predict Road Crash And Soccer Game Outcomes, Lu Bai

Master's Theses

Machine learning has become a cutting-edge and widely studied data science field of study in recent years across many industries and disciplines. In this thesis, two problems (1- crash severity prediction, 2- soccer game outcome prediction.) were investigated by using a set of machine learning approaches, namely: Ridge regression, Lasso Regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Network (NN), Random Forest (RF).

The first study is focused on investigating the critical factors affecting crash severity on a comprehensive time-series state-wide traffic crash data. The dataset covers crashes occurred in the state of Connecticut between 1995 and 2014. Traffic crashes are an …

Tectonic Setting And Timing Of Deformation In The Big Thompson Canyon, Northern Colorado Front Range, Simone Muller

Master's Theses

The 1.8-1.6 Ga rocks of the western United States were formed through accretionary tectonics either by collision of juvenile island-arcs or by cycles of extension-accretion. For the juvenile island-arc model, basins between the arcs are expected to be older than the arcs and long periods of time (>10-20 Myr) may exist between basin formation, arc formation, and the deformation caused by their accretion. In contrast, the extension-accretion model predicts sedimentation within extensional basins must be younger than the earliest arcs and may be deformed by accretion shortly (~10-20 Myr) after formation. The Big Thompson Canyon area, between Loveland and …

Nurses' Level Of Comfort, Familiarity, And Knowledge About Diabetes Management In Vinmec Central Park International Hospital, Nguyen Thi Xuan Mai

Master's Theses

Clinical nurses have a key role in supporting and management of diabetes patients during hospitalization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate nurses’ level of comfort, familiarity, and knowledge in diabetes management. In this study, 30 full-time nurses working in Vinmec Central Park International Hospital completed a 34-question assessment that included eight questions on comfort, six questions on familiarity, and 20 questions on nursing knowledge. The findings indicated the level of nursing knowledge regarding diabetes management in the hospital was low. The comfort, familiarity, and knowledge scores were not directly proportional to the age, education, and years of clinical …

Preparing Future Dance Educators For Diverse Student Populations, Kaylee Anne Morrison

Master's Theses

The purposes of this study were to create a curriculum map for a potential Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education for a four-year university, promote quality dance education, and find ways to advocate for dance programs in rural communities. To determine the data, the researcher created an electronic survey, met with participants in person, and recorded interviews to collect the evidence. Thirty-six electronic survey participants were current and former dance educators. The participants for the interviews were ten current and former K-12 administrators, seven university faculty, and six general education teachers/curriculum specialist from diverse K-12 campuses. The researcher designed the …

Alternative Conceptions, Initial Knowledge, And Self-Efficacy Of The Novice And Expert Geologist Regarding Mineral Identification, Amanda Manzanares

Master's Theses

Research shows the novice geologist begins an introductory geology course with alternative conceptions about minerals and other geoscience concepts. Students use their prior understanding of these concepts as the basis for future learning. If students’ frameworks include alternative conceptions about foundational geoscience concepts, these could hinder their ability to learn more factual and complicated ideas and facts in the future. It takes time to change these alternative conceptions. For this reason, instructors need to understand their students’ prior understandings of geoscience concepts at the beginning of the courses to move students to a better understanding of the material. Moreover, the …

Evaluation Of Resuscitation Cardiopulmonary Training For The New Nurse, Nhan Thi Yen Nguyen

Master's Theses

This study aimed to define effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for new nurses. Nurses who respond to emergency situations are required to have the sensitivity and professional skills to respond effectively. Thus, improving resuscitation knowledge and technique for nurses is critical in order to enhance the quality and safety of patient care. This study used a pretest and posttest research design with convenience sampling; the sample consisted of 30 nurses who worked at the study hospital. As a result, new nurses’ knowledge improved from 7% to 73% after training. The psychomotor development of skills after the cardiopulmonary resuscitation training improved to …

Using Self-Compassionate Focused Writing Prompts By Middle School Students In The Dance Classroom: Shaping How Students Respond To Their Art And View Themselves As Artists, Kathleen Stein

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using self-compassionate focused journal writing as a way to induce a more self-compassionate and less self-critical view in students of themselves and their art. This study examinedthe connection between the use of self-compassionate focused journal writing prompts and an increase in the levels of self-compassion that a student feltfor him or herself. The purpose of this study was to provide students with the self-compassion tools, strategies, and skills necessary to deal with perceived setbacks in their choreographic process and performance. This quantitative and qualitative study was designed to answer …

The Effects Of Dance On Gross Motor Skills And Strength In Students With Down Syndrome, Jennifer Canfield

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if weekly participation in a ballet class improved upon the gross motor skills of students with Down Syndrome. This study is important because the student participants all showed growth in their gross motor abilities as well as overall strength and physical functioning. When students with special needs are regularly exposed to dance, certain physical skills that are normally more challenging for them, improve, including gross motor functioning, increased strength, better coordination, and an increased ability to balance. This research can be used to justify the expansion of inclusive and adaptive dance opportunities …

Sagebrush Seeds Of Success: A Genetic Analysis Of Bureau Of Land Management Seeds Of Success Seeds And Of Eriogonum Umbellatum, Emily Katherine Schumacher

Master's Theses

Due to the increasing frequency of anthropogenic disturbances, greater effort needs to be put into identifying appropriate seed material for large scale restoration projects. The Bureau of Land Management created the Seeds of Success (SOS) project to increase stocks of native seeds for restoration projects following worsening disturbances. However, there is little known about the genetic composition of these seeds, so it is unclear if these seed accessions will be able to establish healthy and persistent native plant communities. This thesis identified that in 20 accessions of SOS seeds, inbreeding was low to moderate in 17 accessions, allelic richness was …

The Quiet Classroom Game With An Indiscriminable Contingency In A High School, Stefanie Schrieber

Master's Theses

The Quiet Classroom Game (QCG) is an interdependent group contingency utilized to decrease classroom noise levels, increase student engagement, and decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom setting. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of the QCG in three high school classrooms in the Southeastern United States. Classrooms were recruited based on teacher reports of excessive noise and high rates of disruptive behavior. A multiple baseline design with two intervention phases was utilized to examine the effects of the intervention. The first phase was the QCG alone, and the second phase was the QCG with an …

Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss

Master's Theses

Species conservation and management is influenced by the quality of monitoring methods employed, especially when targeting elusive, but ecologically significant species, like elasmobranchs. Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are highly mobile predators that rely on estuaries and freshwater rivers for maturation, resources, and refuge; their ability to withstand changing environmental conditions may mean they are linking ecosystems through their habitat usage and movements. Rather than setting nets or attaching acoustic monitoring devices, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and invasive, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) for tracing species presence was used to target C. leucasDNA. The present research …

Early Recruitment Of Crassostrea Virginica To Restored And Natural Oyster Reefs In The Western Mississippi Sound: Larval Supply And Post-Settlement Success, Leah Morgan

Master's Theses

The eastern oyster (C. virginica) is a foundation species that improves water quality, protects shorelines, provides refuge for other organisms, and contributes to commercial fisheries. Successful early recruitment of eastern oyster is vital for resupplying adult populations in the face of habitat loss. Coastal oyster populations are challenged by freshwater input, hypoxia, predation and overfishing. Consequently, substantial efforts have been dedicated toward oyster restoration within the northern Gulf of Mexico. The overall objective of this study was to consider the role and importance of early recruitment to oyster restoration in western Mississippi Sound. During the summer 2018 recruitment period, we …

Distribution, Abundance, And Trophic Ecology Of Anguilliform Leptocephali In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Lillian Collins

Master's Theses

All species of anguilliform eels have pelagic leptocephalus larval stages, which provides a means of monitoring the population dynamics of these otherwise cryptic and hard to study species. The goals of this study were to: 1) describe the distribution and abundance of anguilliform eel leptocephali across the northern Gulf of Mexico, and 2) examine the trophic ecology of leptocephali using stable isotope values of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N). A 25-year (1990-2014) ichthyoplankton dataset provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) was used to examine interannual variations in leptocephalus distribution, …