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Perceptions, Attitudes, And Experiences Of A High-Performing High School Successful In Increasing Graduation Rates, Nikita Michelle Mccaskill

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation study was designed to assess a high-performing high school’s dropout prevention program that increased graduation rates and decreased dropout rates among high school students. The high-performing high school was chosen because the target site achieved a 90% or higher graduation rate over 5 school years. Four of 19 high schools within the target school district achieved less than a 90% graduation rate. The purpose of this case study was to describe the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of teachers, guidance counselors, and school-based administrators at a high-performing high school within the target school district—inclusive of a time frame …

An Examination Of The Sociocultural, Religious, And Racial Adjustment Experiences Of Jamaican Professionals In South Florida, Sharon R. Ritchie-Brown

Theses and Dissertations

An Examination of the Sociocultural, Religious, and Racial Adjustment Experiences of Jamaican Professionals in South Florida. Sharon Ritchie-Brown, 2020: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: immigrants, professional occupations, ethnic groups, culture, social adjustment

This transcendental phenomenological research was designed to advance an understanding of the adjustment experiences of Jamaican immigrant professionals in South Florida, United States. While the majority of present literature examines acculturation and adjustment experiences of other immigrant groups, there is not enough literature regarding the adjustment experiences of Jamaican immigrant professionals who have made significant contributions …

Exploring Behavioral Flexibility, Problem-Solving, And Innovation In Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus), Amanda Puitiza

Theses and Dissertations

Asian elephants encounter and adapt to changing environments by problem-solving and innovating. In this study, we assessed behavioral measures, such as persistence and motivation, to determine potential predictors of problem-solving success. This is the first examination of problem-solving in elephants with a multi-solution puzzle box.

Variation In Personality Among Semi-Wild Myanmar Timber Elephants, Sateesh Venkatesh

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines two personality traits: exploration and neophobia, which could influence human-elephant conflicts. Thirty-one semi-wild elephants were tested over two trials using a custom novel puzzle tube containing three tasks and three rewards. Our studies show that elephants do vary significantly between individuals in both exploration and neophobia.

A Molecular Toolset For The In Vivo Detection Of A Sulfolobus Islandicus Leucyl Trna Synthetase Paralog, Nicholas Michael Bretz

Theses and Dissertations

An ancient and ubiquitous set of enzymes known as the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are required for the viability of all organisms. The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the attachment of amino acids onto tRNA molecules. The aminoacylated, or charged, tRNA is then transported and utilized at the ribosome for the synthesis of proteins. The genome of the hyperthermophilic microorganism Sulfolobus islandicus (S. islandicus) harbors a unique leucyl-tRNA synthetase paralog, LeuRS-I, of unknown function. While its duplicate, LeuRS-F, carries out all the classical functions of LeuRS-family enzymes, LeuRS-I fails to charge leucine onto tRNALeu, despite its ability to activate this amino acid and bind …

Behavioral Differences Among Varyingly-Disturbed Populations Of Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus Giganteus) In New South Wales, Australia, Francesca A. Iacobucci

Theses and Dissertations

Despite their iconic status, kangaroo spp. are often treated as pests in Australia due to perceived abundance and extensive grazing behaviors. With growing suburbanization, animals such as kangaroo spp., are forced to inhabit human-dominated areas. Little research has been done examining how different aspects of human-induced disturbance can varyingly affect the behavior of wild animals. Specifically, this study examined how varyingly-disturbed areas affect behaviors such as vigilance, foraging, joey emergence during the in/out stage of pouch emergence, and play in three eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) populations. Results suggest that acute environmental disturbances (e.g., dogs barking or …

Tools For Thought: Artifacts From The History Of Comparative Psychology, Dylan Kerr

Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the history of comparative psychology through close readings of apparatuses used in seminal experiments on animal behavior, drawing connections between seemingly disparate areas of human culture—including art, architecture, mythology, and economics—and the development of the science, with a particular focus on behaviorist and cognitive approaches.

Body Snatching In Philadelphia: A Social And Cultural History, 1762-1883, Timothy R. Dewysockie

Theses and Dissertations

In 18th-century Philadelphia the first medical school in the thirteen British colonies was established. However, cadavers for dissection could only be obtained involuntarily, a posthumous punishment generally reserved for murderers and suicides. Body snatching, the disinterment of corpses for dissection, immediately became a problem because legal sources of "subjects" did not meet demand. Body snatching was resisted in popular representations and the actions of everyday citizens in riots, petitions, and other forms of protest. However, in the late 19th century the requisition of "unclaimed" bodies for dissection - that is, dead "paupers" - became enshrined in Pennsylvania's 1883 Anatomy Act, …

Morphological Assessment And Mitochondrial Dna Analysis Of Roadside-Skippers (Genus Amblyscirtes, Family Hesperiidae) Occurring In Arkansas, Sachith Srikanth

Theses and Dissertations

Amblyscirtes linda is a candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (1973). The present study, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, aims to gather data that will enable a decision regarding federal listing to be made. It is understood that the conservation status of Amblyscirtes linda cannot be accurately assessed without examining other congeneric species with which it cooccurs and can be easily confused. This confusion is due to morphological characteristics being very similar in the genus. We therefore studied morphological and molecular means of identification, as well as …

Comprehensive Molecular Characterization Of Pan-Cancer Biomarkers, Yifan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US. Enormous efforts have been devoted to understanding and treat the disease. Overall cancer mortality rate declines in recent years. Meanwhile, the common biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of the general development of cancer remain to be elucidated. Here, we developed computational approaches to integrate multilayer genomic data for better understanding and characterizing cancer. First, utilizing high-through whole-exome sequencing and RNA sequencing data, we developed a systems biology method that combined somatic mutations and gene expression to uncover biomarkers for breast cancer survival prediction. Our method overlaid somatic mutations on …

Evidence Of Incipient Song Divergence In A Hawaiian Population Of Warbling White-Eyes, Jesse D. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Natural or human-mediated founder events can lead to changes in avian communication signals, potentially impacting the trajectory of evolution. Warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) was introduced from Japan to the Hawaiian Islands between 1929 – ca. 1937. I recorded primary songs in Hawai‘i (O‘ahu, Big Island) and collected archival recordings, then conducted a comparative analysis between introduced and native song types which revealed significant differences in the O‘ahu and Big Island populations. To test for behavioral responses that corresponded to these differences, I presented conspecific playback stimuli (intra-island, inter-island, native) to individuals in Hawai‘i (O‘ahu, Big Island). Big Island individuals increased …

Nanoscale Material Interaction With Multicellular 3d Cancer Culture, Emilie Darrigues

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common form of pancreatic cancer, it is difficult to diagnose, often recurs, has high resistance to chemotherapies, and can be marked by advanced metastatic stages. There is an urgent need to fill the knowledge on nanoparticle penetration, diffusion, and cellular interaction in the context of adaptive PDAC tumor microenvironment to allow the development of new imaging and therapeutic supports. Traditionally, cancer-treating nanoparticles have been engineered and tested on 2D cell cultures, but several studies indicate that this in vitro model does not mimic tumor features closely enough. In contrast, 3D culture models offer …

Penetrating Dissonance, Miguel A. Payano Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempts to provide insight into the cultural and linguistic influences that form and inform my artistic practice. Inspired by my tri-cultural life journey, my research focuses on the effects of socialization and linguistics on the thought processes at the center of my creative pursuits.

Experimental And Modeling Of Biomass Char Gasification, Ruochen Wu

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation provides a comprehensive experimental dataset and kinetic model for biomass gasification, over a wide temperature range (1150-1350 °Ï¹) in CO2, H2O and the combination of these two reactant gases over the mole fraction ranges of 0 to 0.5 for H2O and 0 to 0.9 for CO2. The data come from a unique experimental facility that tracks continuous mass loss rates for poplar wood, corn stover and switchgrass over the size range of 6-12.5 mm. In addition, the data include char size, shape, surface and internal temperature and discrete measurements of porosity, total surface area, pore size distribution and …

Experienced Esl Teachers' Attitudes Towards Using Phonetic Symbols In Teaching English Pronunciation To Adult Esl Students, Oxana Kodirova

Theses and Dissertations

Different opinions exist about the use of phonetic alphabet symbols in teaching English pronunciation to second language learners. Some authors and researchers believe phonetic symbols can benefit students in many ways; others consider this tool hardly recommendable. However, little empirical research has been done to find out what ESL teachers think about the use of this linguistic tool. Thus, via an online survey this study sought to identify ESL teachers' attitudes towards the use of phonetic symbols in teaching ESL pronunciation. A total of 120 teachers took the survey and most of them were experienced in teaching pronunciation to adult …

Identification Of Genes That Determine Fitness, Virulence, And Disease Outcomes In Mastitis Associated Eschericia Coli, Michael Andrew Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Escherichia coli is an incredibly diverse group of bacteria that consist of both commensal and pathogenic strains that cause disease in a wide variety of tissues in many different animals. The current dogma, based on years of extensive molecular and genetic studies, is that individual strains have adapted to specific environments through acquisition of specific genes or come from lineages that are particularly suited to a unique tissue or host. However, mastitis-associated E. coli (MAEC) have thus far resisted such descriptions. The fitness and virulence factors of MAEC are poorly understood and molecular tools are rarely applied. This dissertation reports …

Applying Web Technologies For Data Mining Of Models Of Advancement Over Time In Space Exploration Technology, Peng-Hung Tsai

Theses and Dissertations

The development of web technologies has progressed rapidly in the past few decades. As a result, these technologies have increasingly gained popularity among researchers as an instrument for data analysis and visualization to aid their work. The purpose of this project is to pursue a new method for mining time-based data to perform curve fitting, using web client technology. This requires comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different JavaScript software designs to determine which is best. Based on the results, we emphasize developing a client-side web application and demonstrate its use through fitting a curve for a new metric to …

Instrumentation And Application Of Image-Charge Detection Of Electrospray-Charged Microparticles And Microdroplets, Jiuzhi Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Image-charge detection is emerging as an important tool to analyze heavy and heterogeneous samples because of its unique advantages in measuring highly charged microparticles. Conventional image-charge detection instruments include at least three fundamental components: an ionization source, an aerodynamic particle delivery system, and an image-charge detector. Here I report research efforts that investigated the mechanisms of image-charge detection and proposed some instrumental developments of these components to suit specific research purposes. In Chapter 2, I report an investigation of the electrospray ionization (ESI) mechanism based on an observation that a certain portion of charged particles generated with an ESI source …

Methods For Generative Adversarial Output Enhancement, Michael B. Brodie

Theses and Dissertations

Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) learn to synthesize novel samples for a given data distribution. While GANs can train on diverse data of various modalities, the most successful use cases to date apply GANs to computer vision tasks. Despite significant advances in training algorithms and network architectures, GANs still struggle to consistently generate high-quality outputs after training. We present a series of papers that improve GAN output inference qualitatively and quantitatively. The first chapter, Alpha Model Domination, addresses a related subfield of Multiple Choice Learning, which -- like GANs -- aims to generate diverse sets of outputs. The next chapter, CoachGAN, …

Antimicrobial Peptide Development: From Massively Parallel Peptide Sequencing To Bioinformatic Motif Identification, Alexander K. Erikson

Theses and Dissertations

The isolation, purification, and clinical deployment of antibiotics is one of the major drivers of decrease in morbidity and mortality from infectious bacteria in the 20th century. The rapid, ubiquitous deployment of antibiotics encouraged swift development and distribution of antibiotic resistance. New, novel techniques, technologies, and ultimately therapeutic antimicrobial compounds will be required to counter the rise of antibiotic resistant microbes. Historically, mimicking naturally occurring compounds has been the most fruitful method for discovering new antibiotics; unsurprisingly, many recent efforts have focused on expanding the cultivation and detection of previously unknown microbes and compounds, respectively. Other techniques explore developing compounds …

A Morphological Phylogeny Of Odonatoptera: Examining Missing Data In A Group With A Lot Of "Naturally" Missing Data, Robert James Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

Odonatopera exhibit a wide diversity of morphologies for an ancient group of winged insects. A morphological matrix of 463 characters is compiled for 347 extant and fossil representatives used in parsimony analyses, implemented in TNT, to document arrangements of taxonomic groups above the family level. Missing data and other challenges approaches implemented and interpretation of the results. We employ a novel approach to testing monophyly relative to quantities of missing data for each taxon. Phylogenetic reconstructions recover patterns of monophyly and trends based on missing data. We discuss the implications of our findings on missing data as well as limitations …

Profiling Genome-Wide Dna Methylation Patterns In Human Aortic And Mitral Valves, Sarah Halawa

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac valve structure and function are complex and include dynamic interactions between cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) and their hemodynamic environment. Valvular gene expression is tightly regulated by a variety of mechanisms including epigenetic factors such as histone modifications, RNA-based mechanisms and DNA methylation. To date, methylation fingerprints of non-diseased human aortic and mitral valves have not been studied. In this work I analyzed the differential methylation profiles of 12 non-diseased aortic and mitral valve tissue samples (in matched pairs). Methylation data were acquired via reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). Of 1601 promoters analyzed genome-wide, my analysis revealed 584 differentially methylated …

Structures And Characteristics Of Macromolecular Interactions In Gas Phase Using Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Jiewen Shen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates non-covalent macromolecular chemistry using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) based techniques. The included studies reveal the impact of molecular structure on conformation and binding energetics. Supramolecules that might be too heavy to be dissociated in single collision-induced dissociation (CID) were dissociated using sustained off-resonance collision induced dissociation (SORI-CID) techniques. Relative binding energies and thresholds were evaluated for various macromolecular host-guest systems. Besides the non-covalent binding energies, conformation characterization was undertaken by a novel method to determine collision cross sectional areas using FTICR (CRAFTI, and multi-CRAFTI), initially developed by the Dearden lab. The systems chosen …

A Rapid Spectrophotometric Assay For Quantifying Seed Coat Saponins In Quinoa, Sydney Diver Szabo

Theses and Dissertations

Background and objectives: The commonly used afrosimetric foam-height method for quantifying saponins in quinoa is rapid but imprecise. A rapid UV/Vis method, utilizing the Liebermann-Burchard (LB) color reaction, was compared to the foam method across a range of saponin levels in washed and unwashed seed. Findings: A 6 min UV/Vis method provided greater precision and accuracy than the afrosimetric method at the lower saponin levels found in washed quinoa. The afrosimetric method did not differentiate saponin levels below 0.6 mg/mL but allows for useful relative comparisons of saponin content in unwashed quinoa where the foam height is large. Conclusions: The …

Damsel In Distress Or Princess In Power? Traditional Masculinity And Femininity In Young Adult Novelizations Of Cinderella And The Effects On Agency, Rylee Carling

Theses and Dissertations

Retellings of classic fairy tales have become increasingly popular in the past decade, but little research has been done on the novelizations written for a young adult (YA) audience. Critical multicultural analysis determining the effect of race, gender, disability, and more has been completed for both original fairy tale retellings and fairy tale retellings for children, but scholars have neglected popular YA novelizations. This study aims to determine how traditional masculinity and femininity affect agency in both male and female characters in YA novelizations of Cinderella. To examine the role of traditional masculinity and femininity in young adult novelizations of …

Novel Αvβ6 Inhibitor Reduces Fibrotic Progression In Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Murine Model, Rebecca C. Viazzo Winegar

Theses and Dissertations

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of the most aggressive and severe interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) for which there is no cure. IPF is characterized by an excessive accumulation of fibroblasts which secrete an abundance of extracellular proteins such as collagen. These processes lead to repetitive tissue scarring and fibrosis in the lung parenchyma. As a result, lungs become rigid limiting oxygen intake and gas exchange. Once diagnosed, IPF is fatal within 2-3 years. There is no known cause or proven treatment that significantly improves outcomes. Although the cause is unknown, the current model of IPF suggests that an overactive …

Climate Change, Increased Wildfire Frequency, And Rodent-Exclusion Create Opportunities For Exotic Grass Invasion And Alter The Timing And Availability Of Soil Water, Joshua Clark Gilman

Theses and Dissertations

In deserts, global environmental changes, plant community structure, and soil water availability form a complex relationship characterized by direct and indirect relationships and feedbacks. Plant community structure is affected by the establishment and spread of invasive grasses, which form a positive feedback with wildfire. Plant community structure is also controlled by top-down trophic interactions by small-mammals and climate change, which alters the timing and amount of soil water. In deserts, soil water availability mediates the effects of global environmental changes and trophic interactions on plant community structure because it is the limiting resource for plant growth. In order to predict …

Building A Predictive Model For Stratigraphic Transitions And Lateral Facies Changes In The Cretaceous Almond Formation, Wyoming, Joseph E. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

The Cretaceous Almond Formation, located in the Greater Green River Basin, records deposition of coastal plain fluvial sandstones and shallow marginal-marine sandstones in a net-transgressive sequence along the western margin of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway (CIS) from the late Campanian to early Maastrichtian. The Almond Formation is an important hydrocarbon reservoir, with development mainly along the Wamsutter Arch and the northeast margins of the Washakie Basin. Previous studies have primarily focused on outcrops along the eastern flank of the Rock Springs Uplift and subsurface data targeting the Wamsutter Arch. Further development of the Almond petroleum system requires extending our understanding …

The Impact Of Experiential Virtual Dinosaur Excavation Assignments On Exam Preparation And Performance Inâ An Introductory, University-Level Geology Course, Nicole Elizabeth Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

Advocates assert that experiential/applicational learning facilitates deep understanding but there is a dearth of empirical research testing the effectiveness of experiential learning in university geology courses. Domack (1999) and Moecher (2004) document applicational assignments within geology courses. These evaluations, however, are based solely on instructor opinion and informal student comments. To evaluate the effectiveness of experiential assignments this study utilizes empirical data from control and test groups in each of two semesters of Geology 100, a general education course on dinosaurs. Control groups completed traditional research papers which were replaced by experiential assignments in the test groups. The first semester …

Gurethyesit Dhe Ndikimi I Tyre Ne Mjedis, Valmir Hazrolli

Theses and Dissertations

Edhe pse guroret dhe industritë e gurit përfaqësojnë një sektor të rëndësishëm industrial në Kosovë për sa i përket prodhimit dhe eksportet dhe duke përmirësuar kështu situatën ekonomike, këto operacione kanë ndikim të kundërt në mjedis dhe në njerëz shëndetin. Studimi i tanishëm zbuloi se grimcat e imëta (pluhuri) të prodhuara si rezultat i aktiviteteve të ndryshme që lidhen me të këto industri i shkaktojnë disa probleme mjedisit dhe njerëzve që jetojnë në zonë. Matjet e cilësisë së ajrit treguan se përqendrime të larta të grimcave të ndryshme janë në zonën e studimit. Në këtë drejtim, shumica e njerëzve konfirmuan …