Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of A Dialogic Pedagogy In A Hybrid Advanced Placement Environmental Science Course On Students’ Learning Experience, Blake Alspach

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study evolved from the sudden shift in schools and districts in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. Shifting from a traditional face-to-face AP Environmental Science classroom to a hybrid classroom required evaluating and revising the pedagogical choices made to create a positive learning experience. A hybrid classroom consists of face-to-face students in the classroom and online students attending the class simultaneously through video conferencing software. Teachers and students had little to no experience engaging in a hybrid learning model, thus creating a need to develop and implement effective instructional practices to support student learning. This qualitative action …

Towards Understanding Therapy Response In Chronic Aphasia, Sigfus Kristinsson

Theses and Dissertations

It remains largely unclear what factors determine who responds to aphasia therapy and to what degree. The current study sought to ameliorate this issue by addressing three aims: 1) To identify baseline predictors that dissociate between therapy responders and nonresponders, 2) to identify predictors of degree of treated recovery in therapy responders, and 3) to examine the generalizability of predictors identified under Aims 1 and 2 in randomly selected subsamples of study participants.

Method: Stroke survivors (N = 102; 43 females; age = 60.5y +/- 11.0y) with chronic aphasia (>12m post-stroke) were recruited as part of a multisite trial. …

An Action Based Approach To Analyze Factors That Impact Academic Major And Career Choice Of Low-Income First-Generation College Students, James Kerry Winfield

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study analyzed career and major choice perceptions among low-income first-generation college students or FGCS while using self-efficacy as the primary metric. This study instituted a mixed-methods methodology to understand further student-related challenges and factors that affected their career and major decisions. Using a pretest-posttest design, participants’ self-efficacy levels were assessed using the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Assessment - Short Form (CDSE-SF). After analyzing the student performance in the five sub-factors of this instrument, these data were used to inform the individual interviews and focus groups. All participants were first-year students enrolled in a federally funded TRIO program, which …

Regression Methods For Group Testing Data, Michael Stutz

Theses and Dissertations

Group testing is an efficient method of disease screening, whereby individual specimens (e.g., blood, urine, etc.) are pooled together and tested as a whole for the presence of disease. A common goal is to use data arising from these testing protocols to better understand the relationship between disease status and potential risk factors (e.g., age, symptom status, etc.). Numerous statistical methodologies have been developed for this purpose, most of which are built within the framework of a generalized linear model. Recent authors have suggested the inadequacy of such regression methods to capture the true functional relationships when nonlinear effects are …

Views Of Substance Use During Pregnancy: Social Responses To The Issue, Taylor Ruddy

Theses and Dissertations

Ever since the emergence of the crack cocaine epidemic and “crack babies”, our society has been concerned with women using substances during their pregnancy. The most appropriate response to this social issue has been heavily debated. Some think that the use of criminal justice initiatives and criminalization is the most effective method in deterring women from using while pregnant, and some promote utilizing public health methods to rehabilitate addicted women. There is a wealth of research and literature around this debate, however, there has not yet been any research examining public opinion on the most appropriate ways to handle this …

The Bmslss: Measurement Invariance And Latent Mean Differences Across Black And White Early Adolescents, Kimberly Gibson Sitter

Theses and Dissertations

The Brief Measure of Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS; Seligson, Huebner, & Valois, 2003) is a widely used brief self-report measure of child and adolescent Life Satisfaction (LS). Although acceptable reliability and validity have been demonstrated for the BMSLSS across various youth samples, few cross-cultural comparisons have been performed. Specifically, no studies to date have examined measurement invariance of the BMSLSS across diverse samples of racial groups in the US. The current study explored measurement invariance across Black and White middle school students (N = 1484) from four schools in a southeastern U.S. state through use of multi-group confirmatory factor …

The Development Of A Tractable System To Assess Caulobacter-Plant Interactions, Louis Berrios

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria play an integral role in regulating plant growth and development. However, many of the mechanisms encompassing bacteria-plant interactions are poorly understood and thus require detailed assessments (see CHAPTER 1). To this end, I coupled bacterial (Caulobacter sp.) and plant model organisms (Arabidopsis) to determine 1) the degree to which select bacteria can enhance the growth and development of plants, and 2) what functions these bacteria possess that enable them to aid plant development. Employing bacterial isolation techniques, monoculture inoculum-based plant growth assays, biochemical assays, comparative genomics, functional genetics, and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), I determined that …

Trans-Axonal Signaling And Activity-Dependent Mechanisms Of Topographic Mapping And Refinement In Vivo, Olivia Marie Spead

Theses and Dissertations

Brain connectivity and function depend on the precise formation of neuronal connections during development. In the central nervous system, most axonal projections are organized into topographic maps according to the spatial organization of the neurons they originate from or the type of stimulus they respond to. Topographic mapping is in large part established by interactions between axons and their target as well as by activity-dependent pruning of mistargeted or excessive arbors. Another important mechanism contributing to topographic map formation is pre-target axon sorting, where axons become pre-ordered en route to their destination. Both topographic mapping and pre-target sorting involve the …

John Laurens: An Artist Rediscovered In The Ethelind Pope Brown Collection, Nicole Alexandra Gerth

Theses and Dissertations

The Ethelind Pope Brown collection at the Irvin Department of Rare Books & Special Collections at the University of South Carolina contains thirty-two gouache paintings of south-eastern North American flora and fauna from the eighteenth century. Colonel John Laurens, a native South Carolinian from the eighteenth century, is the decided artist for the collection after appraisers and scholars confirmed that the works were painted by a local amateur artist. Historians respect Laurens for his abolitionist ideologies and his status as an officer under George Washington’s service, but his accomplishment as an amateur naturalist artist is not as well documented. From …

Computational Study Of Drug Interactions Of Receptors, Specifically Glycoprotein D Of Human Herpes Virus 1 And Dopamine D4 Receptor, Griffin Fountain

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces computer-aided drug design methods in Chapter 1 and discuss their applications on two receptors in Chapters 2 and 3: Glycoprotein D (gD) of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) and Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4). The Herpes Simplex Virus is a human pathogen that develops unpleasant cold sores around the body, most commonly around the mouth, neck or genitals area. Currently there is no cure or vaccine that can eliminate this virus. Glycoprotein D (gD) is a viral ligand for host cell receptors such as nectin -1. This interaction mediates the entry of HSV-1. In chapter 2, we used …

The Work Of Their Hands: Black Women And Critical Visionary Pragmatism, Natoya D. Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the leadership principles, practices, and perspectives of Black women principals serving schools that are populated by primarily Black students. A portraiture of the participants' description of their racial and gender identities was conducted using kitchen table talks, to understand how identity development informed their leadership choices. Through the lens of Critical Race Feminism, Black Feminist Pedagogy, and Visionary Pragmatism, I highlight practices that lend to the development of a theoretical focus that speaks directly to the leadership practices of these Black women working in schools that serve Black student populations: Critical Visionary Pragmatism. Findings illuminate the ways …

Perceived Discrimination And Emotional Distress Experienced By Queer Vs Heterosexual People Of Color, Moderated By Perceived Distal Or Proximal Social Support, Sanjana Satishkumar

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined QPOC experiences of discrimination and emotional distress and buffering roles of proximal social support and distal social support. Specifically, we hypothesized (a) QPOC would experience more discrimination and higher distress than straight people of color (SPOC) due to their double minoritized status; (b) QPOC would have similar proximal but (b-2) lower distal support compared to SPOC; and (c) social support would moderate the relationship between discrimination and distress among QPOC, such that this link will be weakened when social support is higher. 206 participants of color (156 straight, 50 queer) completed the online survey of this study. …

Relations Between Ptsd Symptoms And Pain Interference Among Older Adults, Laura E. Travers

Theses and Dissertations

Both the older adult population and the frequency of natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes) increase in the U.S. each year. Consequently, understanding the health experiences that affect older adults specifically following a natural disaster is important for providing effective healthcare and promoting health expectancy. For example, the extent to which PTSD symptoms following a natural disaster contribute to pain severity (beyond the contributions of other psychosocial experiences such as depression) among older adults is not yet clear, and whether this contribution differs by gender or age has yet to be established. The aims of this study were (1) to determine whether …

Sequence Specific Concentration And Labeling Of Bacterial Plasmids For Future Use In Detection Of Drug-Resistant Sepsis Cases Without Amplification, Robert L. Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Rapidly diagnosing the precise drug resistance present in sepsis-inducing bacteria is a continuing need to maintain the efficacy of our medical systems. Diagnostics currently being developed for such scenarios are either sensitive or rapid, but not both. Sequence-specific single DNA molecule analysis could fill this gap if it could be adapted to work on smaller targets, similar to those produced by classical biological methods. In this work, I demonstrate that immobilized ssDNA in the appropriate hybridization buffer can rapidly pull its complementary sequence out of solution. I also demonstrate that such systems in a microfluidic chip can be used to …

Defining Effective Parenting And Teaching Practices Among Head Start Caregivers And Educators: A Qualitative Approach, Ellen C. Wing

Theses and Dissertations

Past research on parenting practices among families living with low socioeconomic resources has often been conducted without attempts to understand the strengths of this population. In addition, much literature on parenting and teaching practices during early childhood has studied each entity individually. Using interview data and practices consistent with grounded theory, this study sought to understand how the parents, teachers, and family resource advocates of Head Start children conceptualize effective parenting, teaching, and home-school connections. The themes that emerged evoke discussion on the meaning of relationships, the value of education, and how personal experiences shape perspectives.

Investigating Intersubjectivity Between Preschool Teachers And Children During Instruction: A Case Study, Andrianna Eleni Smyrniotis

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood teachers attend professional development sessions, take college-level courses, or read articles, and will, at some point, be exposed to some concepts found in Vygotsky’s (1986) cultural-historical theory of cognitive development as they are deeply embedded in education standards, professional standards, texts, and journals throughout the country. And yet, some concepts, including scaffolding (Wood et al., 1976), are the result of misinterpretations and the assignment of a label over the years (Gonzales Rey (2008). A largely overlooked concept accurately relating to Vygotsky’s work is intersubjectivity (Trevarthen, 2008), defined as mutual understanding, among teachers and children, for concept development. Intersubjectivity …

Effects Of Stiffness And Cell Shape On Cellular Mechanosensing, Sarah Lynn Furman

Theses and Dissertations

Cellular mechanosensing is the process of converting mechanical signals into biological responses. Stem cells are self-renewing cells with the potential to transform into specialized cell types - this differentiation process is influenced by cellular mechanosensing. Cells sense material stiffness, and stiffer environments result in increased cellular mechanosensing and preferential differentiation into bone-producing osteoblasts. Cell shape also plays an important role due to its influence on cytoskeletal contractility, and photopatterning can be used to study the effects of cell shape on cellular mechanosensing. Although the effects of material stiffness and cell shape have been studied, little is known about the joint …

Estimation Of Able-Bodied Humans Elbow Joint Actions Using Semg And Ann-Based Softmax Classifier, Abdullah Al-Maliki

Theses and Dissertations

The upper limb is a complex part of the human body, and it is necessary to carry on daily tasks and maintain self-dependence. As a result, the daily life of people with upper limb amputation could not be as easy or as free as the more fortunate people without amputation. This work focuses on estimating the upper limb’s angular displacement, speed, acceleration, and torque at the elbow joint, it does so regardless of arm’s orientation and effort level. We do so to enable better control of the myoelectric prosthesis. This work complements the related existing literature, which usually does not …

Limbic Morphometry In Individuals With Schizophrenia And Their Nonpsychotic Siblings, Rachael Olivia Slate

Theses and Dissertations

The limbic system is hypothesized to play a critical role in pathophysiology of schizophrenia, with abnormalities thought to contribute to the expression of various aspects of the cognitive deficits and clinical symptoms. Psychosis is understood as highly heritable and family members, specifically non-affected siblings, while not displaying overt signs of the disorder, often exhibit features similar to those observed in patients, though to a lesser degree. The overarching aim of this project was to investigate the integrity of limbic circuitry in a sample of patients with schizophrenia and their non-affected siblings and examine its potential relationship with various clinical features …

Characterizing Self-Inserting Carbon-Fiber Microelectrode Arrays For Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry, Brad M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to monitor brain neurotransmitters with high fidelity is critical for establishing the neural underpinnings of behavior and pathology. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is an electroanalytical technique that relies on sweeping electrical potentials to drive rapid oxidation and reduction of electroactive neurochemicals. FSCV applications are typically limited by their ability to measure from one to two recording sites using a well-established microsensor, the carbon-fiber microelectrode (CFM). When coupled to FSCV, the CFM provides exquisite spatial, temporal, and chemical resolution in vivo. Recent advances have led to the development of self-inserting (i.e., without the requirement for a shuttle) carbon-fiber microelectrode …

Relationship Between Early Childhood Environment In Ecers Preschools And Nwea Student Performance, Tasha R. Hines

Theses and Dissertations

Statistics show that if a child is a low reader at the end of first grade, they are more likely to be a low reader by the end of fourth grade. The United States has enacted multiple educational initiatives to combat shortfalls that many children demonstrate in literacy, but the number of children reading on grade level in the elementary grades are extremely below average. Therefore, this study investigated if the gap in reading readiness could be irradiated by universal preschool attendance. To test the hypothesis that children who attend an ECERS-Evaluated preschool are more likely to enter kindergarten with …

Quantifying The Impact Of Urbanization On The Fourche Creek Watershed, Little Rock, Arkansas, Zachary Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The Fourche Creek Watershed is an urban watershed in Central Arkansas, serving as the primary drainage basin for most of metropolitan Little Rock. As land surrounding streams is developed, the risk of negatively impacting water quality through the addition of contaminants like metals, sewage, and pesticides increases. The objective of this project is to introduce a novel method of quantifying the impact of urbanization on streams using a multi-pronged approach including mixing and spatial analyses, dissolved loads, and 87Sr/86Sr ratios throughout the Fourche Creek Watershed to discern specific contributions of baseflow and urban materials into the drainage basin. Generally, Coleman …

Active Targeting Of Her2-Positive Breast Cancer Cells With Rapamycin-Functionalized Gold Nanorods, Bryan Edgar White

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a significant cause of cancer-associated deaths, with over 13% of women in the U.S. estimated to develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2/neu) is a growth-promoting protein that is overexpressed in 15-20% of breast cancers (HER2-positive breast cancer). HER2- positive breast cancer generally grows and spreads more quickly than other breast cancers but can be targeted therapeutically. Drug targeting methods have been developed to stop the growth and spread of cancer. These methods include using specific antibodies to target overexpressed cancer cell surface antigens and delivering drugs via nanoparticles. However, …

Porous Scaffold And Soft Hydrogel Composite For Biomedical Applications, Matthew Dicerbo

Theses and Dissertations

Biophysical signals including stiffness and dimensionality influence a myriad of stem cell behaviors including morphology, mechanosensing, and differentiation. 2D stiff environments cause increased cellular spreading and induce osteogenic differentiation whereas 3D soft environments favor rounder cell morphologies attributed to a chondrogenic phenotype. The goal of this study is to create a composite that integrates these divergent biophysical signals within one system. This composite consists of a stiff and porous polycaprolactone (PCL) backbone that provides mechanical stiffness and a 2D environment. The PCL backbone is then perfused with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a soft methacrylated gelatin (GelMe) hydrogel to provide …

Behavioral Analysis Of Conditions And Treatments Affecting Movement And Nociception, Indu Mithra Madhuranthakam

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis work includes three projects. First part deals with the investigation of novel D2 receptor ligands in Prepulse inhibition. The goal of this study is to establish a relationship between dopamine receptor antagonists and agonists and prepulse inhibition which can then serve as a working model for an in-vivo efficacy of novel dopamine D2 drugs. The second part of the thesis work deals with Niemann pick disease type C. Niemann pick disease type C is a progressive genetic disorder that is characterized by the lysosomal accumulation of lipids which causes neurodegeneration, dementia, ataxia, and death. NPC1_nmf164 mutant mice …

Localized Anthropogenic And Geogenic Groundwater Contamination In The Structurally Complex Carbonate-Hosted East Tintic Mining District, Eureka, Ut, Usa, Cameron Patrick Cordner

Theses and Dissertations

Legacy mining areas throughout the world contain widespread contaminated surface and groundwater from both anthropogenic and geogenic sources. Abandoned mine waste can contribute harmful solutes to groundwater and surface water, as metals mobilize through oxidation of sulfide minerals. Geogenic contaminant sources, such as geothermal water and mineralization, may also contribute to groundwater pollution in mining areas. To investigate the relationship between various groundwater contamination sources in legacy mining areas we sampled ~30 cold springs in the East Tintic Mountains of Utah and 8 regional hot springs as a proxy for geothermal water during fall 2019 and spring/summer 2020. Water chemistry …

Bottom-Up Fabrication And Characterization Of Dna Origami-Templated Electronic Nanomaterials, Basu Ram Aryal

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the bottom-up fabrication of DNA origami-assembled metal nanowires and metal-semiconductor junctions, and their electrical characterization. Integration of metal and semiconductor nanomaterials into prescribed sites on self-assembled DNA origami has facilitated the fabrication of electronic nanomaterials, whereas use of conventional tools in their characterization combines bottom-up and top-down technologies. To expand the contemporary DNA-based nanofabrication into nanoelectronics, I performed site-specific metallization of DNA origami to create arbitrarily arranged gold nanostructures. I reported improved yields and conductivity measurements for Au nanowires created on DNA origami tile substrates. I measured the conductivity of C-shaped Au nanowires created on DNA tiles …

Development And Optimization Of Chitosan/ Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanocomposite Films For Oil Removal Using Box-Behnken Design, Haidy Mikhael

Theses and Dissertations

The solvent casting method was used to prepare nanocomposite membranes made of Chitosan matrix (CS) and Poly(ethylene glycol) Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PEG-POSS). The effects of varying PEG-POSS percentage (0-10%) and preparation conditions (homogenization speed (2000-20,000 rpm) and time (5-25 mins)) were studied. The analysis included the change in surface topography and morphology, chemical properties, thermal degradation, tensile strength, porosity, and adsorption capacity of the membranes. The experimental work was designed using Design-Expert software. The responses monitoring and analysis were done using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphological appearance …

Navigating Glucosinolate Biosynthesis And High Oleic Acid Seed Oil Production In Pennycress ( Thlaspi Arvense L. ) Utilizing Crispr / Cas9 Genome Editing, Brice Jarvis

Theses and Dissertations

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is being domesticated as an oilseed cash cover crop to be grown in the offseason throughout temperate regions of the world. With its diploid genome and ease of molecular mutagenesis, pennycress seed oil composition can be rapidly tailored for a plethora of food, feed, oleochemical and fuel uses. The first part of my research has utilized Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology to produce knockout mutations throughout the lipid biosynthetic pathway, with an emphasis to increase oleic acid (C18:1) content specifically within the seed. Oleic acid (18:1) is valued for its oxidative stability that …

Determining Predictors Of Peer Relations: A Study On Youth Inethiopia, India, Peru, And Vietnam, Susanna Fullmer

Theses and Dissertations

Across the world countries are currently striving to eliminate poverty, improve the quality of education, optimize well-being, among other areas of improvement. In an effort to help such improvements, a group called Young Lives ran a longitudinal study on youth in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam that studied the many facets of poverty. The purpose of this study is to utilize the Young Lives dataset to determine how countries can more readily improve social-emotional skills by looking at important experiences in adolescents' lives. Specifically, this study examines what factors increase a child's ability to socialize with peers, which is shown …