Digital Commons Network^™

But At What Cost? A Rhetorical Analysis Of Capitalism, Whiteness, And Their Intersection In Boots Riley's 2018 Sorry To Bother You, Kara A. Brummel

Theses and Dissertations

This study expands upon previous analyses of Boots Riley’s 2018 film satire, Sorry to Bother You. Gramscian concepts are applied as a theoretical framework to analyze the representations of capitalism, Whiteness, and how these systems of power intersect and reinforce one another in modern US culture. The research aims to understand the film’s messages about the mutual influence of material and ideological conditions. The film is analyzed for portrayals of capitalism, Whiteness, and Gramscian concepts by evaluating the plot, themes and tones, visual details, character portrayals, and dialogue. Results indicated that critiques of capitalism and Whiteness are present in the …

Investigation Of The Antimicrobial Activity And Secondary Metabolites Of Leaf Extracts From Vachellia Rigidula, Vachellia Farnesiana, Senegalia Berlandiery, And Senegalia Gregii, Hector Benjamin Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of antibiotic resistance is pressuring scientists to investigate natural products for novel antimicrobial agents. Plants are widely used as an ethnomedicine and are thought to have been used therapeutically since the middle paleolithic age. These medicinal plants contain secondary metabolites, such as phenols, that may confer antimicrobial properties. Studies have reported antimicrobial activity of plant species within the Vachellia and Senegalia genera. The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity and secondary metabolites of the following South Texas plant species: Vachellia rigidula, Vachellia farnesiana, Senegalia berlandieri, and Senegalia greggii. The disc diffusion test was performed …

A Study Of Social Modernization And Gender Roles In “Their Eyes Were Watching God” And “The Great Gatsby”, Rebecca Renne Soto

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on a study of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Scott F. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The research explores the idea expressed within the opening lines of Hurston’s novel; men wait for their dreams to come to them, while women work towards making them reality. Marshall Berman’s All That is Solid Melts into Air: the Experience of Modernity serves as the foundation upon which the central argument of this paper is built. This study applies Berman’s theory to argue that analyzing Gatsby and Their Eyes through the lens of modernity brings the reader to …

Internal And External Oblique Muscle Asymmetry In Sprinters And Sprint Hurdlers: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lauren Ashley Renee Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The abdominal muscles are vital in providing core stability for proper function in most activities. There is a correlation between side asymmetry of theses muscles and dysfunction. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare trunk muscle morphology and trunk rotational strength between sprinters, a symmetrical sport and sprint hurdlers, an asymmetrical sport. Methods: Twenty-one trained collegiate sprinters and sprint hurdlers were recruited for the study (12 M, 9 F), average age (years) 20.2   1.5, height (cm) 176.9   9.1, and weight (kg) 70.6   9.8. Using real-time ultrasound, panoramic images of the internal oblique (IO) and external …

Proposing Alternative Methods For Testing Heterogeneity Of Studies In A Meta-Analysis, Teagen Smith

Theses and Dissertations

A meta-analysis is a tool commonly used to try and gain an understanding of a given topic by using multiple studies conducted on the topic. A key element of properly interpreting the results of a meta-analysis is the test to check for heterogeneity within the studies included. This is currently done using Cochrane’s Q-statistic to test a null hypothesis that the studies included share a common effect size. However, this method has been scrutinized for some of its downsides such as its low power in cases with small sample sizes. This can often create issues because meta-analysis is commonly used …

Parameter Estimation For The Logistic Regression Model With Errors In Covariate, Huyen Dieu Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

In a logistic regression model, when the covariate is measured with error, the estimators of the regression coefficient parameters can be biased. We propose a method for estimating parameters of a logistic regression with case-control data, when the covariate is subject to measurement error. The density of the covariate is estimated by using the deconvolution kernel density estimation. The parameters of the regression are estimated by the integrated squared distance based on the log ratio of the estimated density. We show the consistency and the asymptotic normality of the proposed estimators. Simulation study shows the superiority of the proposed method …

Dangerous Or Misunderstood? : Attributes Ascribed To Individuals With Mental Illness And Their Effects On Perceived Dangerousness, Sydni Lee Neal

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness within the United States is fairly common; as of 2017 roughly 1 in 5 U.S. adults experienced a mental illness and 1 in 25 experienced a severe mental illness (NAMI, 2019). Despite these prevalence rates, there are many misconceptions about individuals with a mental illness. For example individuals with mental illness are perceived as dangerous (Angermeyer & Matschinger, 2003; Marie & Miles, 2008), unpredictable (Magliano et al., 2004; Wu et al., 2020), and aggressive (Adewuya & Makanjuola, 2008; Ozmen et al., 2004), despite research that suggests they are not more likely to be violent and/or dangerous (Hochstedler Steury, …

Queering Genre And Joy: Reclaiming And Navigating Queerness Through Hybridity, Rebecca Meier

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout my experience in English education, queer texts and queer interpretations of texts have often been denied to me in favor of upholding more canonical and more cis-heteronormative works and analyses. This delayed my ability to write through my gender, sexuality, and overall queer identity, because I had no literary references to take inspiration from. The ways in which I played with genre and form in my work were discouraged because I was taught that my writing would not be taken seriously in academia if it did not represent the “official” literary canon. By melding together memoir, theory, poetry, and …

Investigation And Application Of Oxidopyrylium-Based [ 5 +2 ] Cycloadditions And The Development Of Novel Synthetic Strategies, Jake Grabowski

Theses and Dissertations

Cycloaddition reactions are valuable synthetic tools, providing efficient reaction pathways toward the formation of complex three-dimensional polycyclic structures from planar precursors, often in a regio- and stereoselective fashion.1 Previously, the Mitchell research group has reported differing reactivity of acetoxypyranones and silyloxypyrones in the exploration of base- and thermal-mediated oxidopyrylium-alkene [5+2] cycloadditions.2 Oxidopyrylium-based [5+2] cycloadditions allow efficient access toward bridged polycyclic ethers and related seven-membered ring systems via dipolar, aromatic oxidopyrylium intermediates, affording common structural motifs present in biologically active compounds.3 Through our investigation of these and related systems, our group aims to garner mechanistic insight to allow for further development …

Phosphorus And Zinc Effects On Soybean [ Glycine Max ( L. ) Merrill ] Yield And Agronomic Efficiency, Godfred Ankomah

Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) are required for the growth and development of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill). However, their interactions may affect the uptake of each nutrient and soybean growth, development, and yield. The objective of this research study was to identify possible interactions of P and Zn and determine the effect upon soybean nutrient status, yield, and agronomic efficiency. This study was conducted at the Illinois State University Farm at Lexington and Normal in 2020. The experimental design was a 4 × 4 factorial arranged in a randomized complete block design with four blocks at each location. Phosphorus …

Postcapitalist Desert Visions From Earth To Anarres, David J. Goff

Theses and Dissertations

Human industrial and economic activity around the world—happening either directly in the global North (recall the coal-choked London of Dickens) or, increasingly, in (un)developing nations of the global South because of the North’s demand— has burned and pumped so much CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that climate has noticeably changed even over the span of a single generation. As long as the world and its people are held in the clutches of the hegemonic capitalist politico-economic system, the environment will continue to degrade, and so will life for all the people of Earth, especially those most vulnerable. …

The Impact Of Using An Online Learning Management System On Student Biology Achievement In A Hispanic Rural High School, Brent J. Burkott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for this study was to determine the effect of using online Learning Management Systems with a Blended Learning pedagogy on state assessment achievement of high school biology students with interactions analyzed based on teaching method (Face-to-Face/Blended Learning), course type (Honors/Regular) biological sex (Male/Female), risk factor (At-Risk/Not At-Risk), and socioeconomic status (High/Low). The research questions were: (1) What is the difference in achievement scores between students taught in a Blended Learning environment with a Learning Management System verses a traditional Face-to-Face learning environment, and (2) What differences in achievement exist on the Texas assessment based on teaching method, course …

Survival Kinetics And Antimicrobial Interventions To Mitigate Foodborne Pathogen Contamination Of Low-Moisture Foods, Rajat Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Contamination of low-moisture foods (LMFs) with foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been rising over the last couple of years. Commodity groups such as peanuts, tree nuts, and their products are frequently recalled when associated with illness outbreaks resulting from these pathogens. In this project, two major challenges related to understanding the survival kinetics of pathogens and the efficacy of novel antimicrobial treatments in mitigating their risk in LMFs were systematically investigated. Studies were conducted for determining the survival kinetics of three Salmonella spp. strains in three different tree nut flours (i.e., almond, chestnut, …

Exploring Teacher Agency And Literacy Practices In A Border-Region Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Monica Sifuentes

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers in the 21st century public school classroom are often faced with systemic pressures—from the state and district level—that may influence their instructional practice. With the increasingly globalized country and exponential increase in emergent bilingual students, it has become imperative that teachers reflect on the types of literacy pedagogy employed with their students, especially those teaching in border regions. Teachers must begin to view themselves as agents of change and as facilitators of learning.

This case study takes place in two high school settings that are in the same district and are located roughly 10 minutes from the US Mexico …

Taking The Pulse Of Undergraduate Introductory Geographic Information Systems Courses, Christopher Krause

Theses and Dissertations

As colleges and universities expand their geographic information systems (GIS) course offerings, the pedagogies involved in teaching such courses ought to be critically evaluated. Existing research concerning the teaching of geospatial technologies has been characterized as “sparse, inconsistent, and overly anecdotal” (Baker et al., 2015, p. 118). Answering the call for “more systematic and replicable” (p. 118) GIS education research, this study adopted a suite of mixed methods used within other discipline-based education research (DBER) and deployed them in introductory GIS courses. These methods included classroom observation protocols, interview protocols, focus group protocols, and student questionnaires.

This research had three …

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, Green Space, And Walkability And Risk For Falls And Fracture Among Postmenopausal Women: The Women’S Health Initiative, Marilyn Elizabeth Wende

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), walkability, and green space impacts fall and fracture incidence among postmenopausal women, and to assess important modifiers for these relationships, such as fall history, physical activity, physical impairment, race/ethnicity, and rurality. Data from the Women’s Health Initiative study from 1993 to 2012 (N=161,808) was used.

SES had a significant relationship with falling after adjustment (intermediate vs low SES OR=0.99, p=0.0309; high vs low SES OR=0.99, p=0.1192). Study arm participation and fall frequency at baseline significantly modified this relationship. Walkability had a significant relationship with falling incidence after …

The Effects Of Ultraviolet Radiation On Aircraft Crewmember Health, Erin Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and its effects on crewmember health will be evaluated by examining the variables that impact the intensity of UV radiation and the health concerns associated with this exposure. The purpose of this study was to (a) identify how Ultraviolet A (UVA) exposure is different in an aircraft cockpit when compared to the exposure at sea-level and (b) expose the adverse health impacts associated with an increased exposure of UVA radiation. This was accomplished through an examination of UV radiation and the variables that impact its effectiveness. After this analysis, the adverse health impacts experienced from UV radiation …

Teaching Individuals To Tact The Intensity Of Sensations, Sandhya Rajagopal

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare professionals frequently ask individuals to use numerical rating scales to rate their pain intensity; therefore, reporting the intensity of private sensations is an important skill. Yet individuals with autism often have difficulty reporting sensations. Using a multiple baseline design across stimulus sets in the pilot experiment and Experiment 1, a multiple probe design across participants in Experiment 2, and a multiple probe design across stimulus sets in Experiment 3, the present study investigated a method of teaching typically developing adults and children and one child with autism to report the intensity of tactile sensations rough, tight, heavy, and temperature. …

Divergent Regulatory Roles Of Nurd Chromatin Remodeling Complex Subunits Gatad2 And Chd4 In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nicole Lynn Golden

Theses and Dissertations

During stress, a protective cellular network known as the heat shock response (HSR) is induced to maintain protein-folding homeostasis, or proteostasis. While the HSR is essential for stress resistance, its misregulation is associated with neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Using the nematode model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, we have identified the chromatin remodeling complex NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase) as a novel regulator of the HSR. Here, we begin with a brief introduction of the HSR and chromatin remodeling complexes in C. elegans, prior to presenting our findings in a series of two chapters. In chapter one, we outline a set of …

Endothelial Response In 2d And 3d To Doses Of Photosensitive Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecules With Improved Activation, Nicholas Duc Huynh

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide in large part due to atherosclerotic obstruction of blood vessels. Limitations with current treatment approaches include restenosis in stenting and viable donor-tissue for bypass grafts, and this has motivated research combining the fields of drug delivery and tissue engineering for alternative approaches. The use of carbon monoxide as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of CVD has shown potential impacts on vasodilation and anti-inflammation. The goal of this study was to develop a system to elucidate the response of endothelial cells post-exposure to different concentrations of carbon monoxide releasing …

Stress Analysis Based On Ecg And Eeg, Eyad Talal Attar

Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a significant risk factor for various diseases such as hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and even sudden death. In many studies, stress is linked to decision making, performance, and learning. The heart rate variability (HRV) can be measured from the Electrocardiogram (ECG) and is defined as the variation of the interval between two consecutive heartbeats (heart rate). Heart rate variability is also an indicator of the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. HRV refers to variations of heart rate in a certain amount of time. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a relatively new …

The Potential Of Indian River Lagoon Muck To Act As A Reservoir For Emerging Organic Contaminants, Gregory David Belson

Theses and Dissertations

Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and personal care products are frequently found in sediments and waterways around the world. These chemicals, collectively known as Emerging Organic Contaminants (EOCs) can harm the environments in which they are deposited by killing or stressing the local flora and fauna. These EOCs also can be released back into the water column when these substrates are disturbed. Such sediments and their associated EOCs are particularly problematic in urbanized areas. However, the particular composition of urbanization-associated sediments as well as their potential to harbor EOCs needs to be evaluated in the context of their environment, to ensure proper mitigation …

Transcriptomic And Proteomic Identification Of Signaling Molecules Involved In Egg Activation In The Sea Star, Patiria Miniata, Lauren Shea Bates

Theses and Dissertations

During egg activation in all species, the critical mechanism to restart the zygote metabolism and prevent polyspermy is an intracellular Ca2+ increase. The signaling molecules, including the receptors on the sperm and egg, leading to the Ca2+ rise are not fully known. In the sea star, Patiria miniata, SFK1, SFK3, and PLCγ are known signaling molecules who are responsible for causing the internal Ca2+ rise from the endoplasmic reticulum. These three proteins share common features including signaling through SH2 domains and their activity is controlled by tyrosine phosphorylation. Using transcriptomics and phospho-proteomics to search for more molecules with these same …

Spatial Ecology And Stable Isotope Composition Of Cetaceans In The Bohol Sea, Edna Sabater

Theses and Dissertations

Studies on Philippine cetaceans (i.e., whales and dolphins) began in the early 1980s, and have resulted in the location and identification of species in Philippine waters. However, the population estimates of most of the cetacean species are uncertain, which is important in evaluating whether the populations are stable, decreasing, or increasing in relation to potential threats and conservation measures. I conducted line-transect surveys between 2010 and 2019 in the Bohol Sea, Philippines. A total of 2009.5 km survey efforts were made, which covered an area of 8041 km2 throughout the 5-year survey period. Distance sampling methods estimated the total abundance …

A Glint Contaminated Pixel Correction Algorithm And Potential Application For Estimating Water Visibility, Andrea Taggart

Theses and Dissertations

Glint in satellite reflectance images contaminates pixels making it difficult to ascertain what lies beneath the water surface. An algorithm was created to correct glint contaminated pixels using a nearest neighbor non-glint pixel search algorithm written in Python. The results of the glint corrected pixels were then analyzed using an algorithm to estimate water visibility using light attenuation depths and second derivative estimators based upon glint corrected satellite reflectance using channels from a WorldView-3 (WV-3) image. The above was accomplished for sand, mud, and seagrass bottom types. The results suggest that estimated attenuation depths (a measure of water visibility) is …

Late Quaternary Vegetation And Climate History From The Lake Junín Plateau, Jacob Daniel Schiferl

Theses and Dissertations

Whether the Andean ecosystem is resilient against future climate change remains unclear. A 2018 IPCC special report identified that warming more than 1.5ºC above pre-industrial temperatures by the year 2100 would be a major disrupter to natural systems, by causing more frequent extreme heatwaves, prolonged droughts, extreme precipitation events, and biome shifts. The tropical Andes will likely exceed this 1.5ºC threshold within the next century, threatening the diverse and endemic biota found in one of the world’s largest biodiversity hot spots. Yet few studies have examined the response of the Andean system through past interglacial periods when the temperatures were …

A Computational Model Of Arterial Thrombus Mechanics In Stenotic Channels, Elise Kole Aspray

Theses and Dissertations

Platelet aggregation is one of the major components of blood clotting. The proximal cause of most heart attacks and many strokes is the rapid formation of a blood clot (thrombus) in response to the rupture or erosion of an arterial atherosclerotic plaque. In the context of a stenotic artery (i.e., an artery whose lumen is partially blocked by the plaque) understanding how the thrombus forms presents additional challenges because of the extremely high shear rates and stresses present as a consequence of the constriction. In this dissertation, we use a two-phase continuum model to investigate the stability of an existing …

Characterization Of Ph – Responsive Nanocage Based On The Ferritin Iron Storage Protein, Satyam Singh

Theses and Dissertations

The iron-storage protein ferritin (Ftn) assembles into a protein cage structure with 24 subunits and octahedral (4-fold, 3-fold, 2-fold) symmetry. Each monomeric subunit contains a robust four-helix bundle fold. The fully assembled Ftn structure has a high degree of thermal stability (up to 100°C), a mono dispersed size (12 nm in diameter), and a large central cavity (7-8 nm in diameter). The central cavity stores ferric iron in phylogenetically diverse group of organisms, including humans. The central cavity has been used for encapsulation of cargoes such as other metals, contrast agents for imaging, small molecule drugs for therapy, …

Simulation Of Pituitary Organogenesis In Two Dimensions, Chace E. Covington

Theses and Dissertations

The pituitary gland is a vital part of the endocrine system found in all vertebrates and is responsible for the production of hormones that influence many physiological processes in the organism’s body. Although much has been learned of pituitary organogenesis, studying the dynamics of the cells in the developing pituitary gland is difficult. Pituitary organogenesis has been studied through “snapshots” of a developing pituitary gland by removing and viewing the pituitary glands of different specimens. Thus, how the individual cells in the developing pituitary gland behave and interact with one another is not fully understood. To aid in understanding pituitary …

Experiences Of Five Women Presidents In Higher Education: A Narrative Study, Mary Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has demonstrated that leaders aspiring to become women college presidents encounter many barriers, including gender-based leadership barriers. In higher education, women hold more degrees than men; however, women account for only 30 percent of all college and university presidencies. As the total number of women earning doctoral degrees and hired into faculty positions within the academy increases, the overall gap of the genders begins to narrow (Flaherty, 2016), and women are hired into lower status instructor positions compared to their male counterparts who are in tenured or tenure track position.

Even in presidential positions, women leaders face challenges …