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Separate And Unequal: Latinx Access, Enrollment And Completion Of Ap Coursework In The State Of Virginia, Virginia Elizabeth Palencia

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the national problem of overrepresentation of Latinx students in general education classes, this study addresses Latinx access to Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, enrollment, and completion patterns in Virginia, a growing destination state for many Latinx families and students. Through a secondary data analysis of both the Civil Rights Data Collection (2015-6) and College Board data (2016), this quantitative study mapped patterns of disproportionality in AP access, enrollment, and completion for Latinx students, who comprise 13% of enrollment in Virginia public high schools. In addition, a case study of two diverse school districts provides evidence of segregation and …

Development And Validation Of Predictive Risk And Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis Models To Evaluate Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Cancer Patients, Purva N. Parab

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The objectives of our study were to characterize the study population with cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) both as compared to those without and to build a predictive model using machine learning (ML) algorithms that can predict the risk of CVD in cancer patients. In addition, our objective was also to evaluate characteristics associated with cardiotoxic adverse events of breast cancer therapies and develop a multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model to conduct benefit-risk assessment of breast cancer therapy regimens. Methods: We used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) 2005-2015 files along with …

Characterizing Patterns Of Cannabis Use And Related Health Effects Among Young Adults Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Alyssa Rudy

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rapid changes in cannabis use policy and prevalence, particularly among young adults, and the lack of information regarding cannabis harms warrant investigation regarding the daily use patterns of cannabis users. Little is known regarding how variability in cannabis use frequency and administration method use patterns may be associated with differential acute cannabis-related health effects (i.e., subjective intoxication and respiratory symptoms). The purpose of the study was to characterize daily and weekly cannabis use patterns and associated cannabis-related intoxication and respiratory symptoms and test the interactions of cannabis use frequency and cannabis administration method use on cannabis-related intoxication and respiratory …

Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type Ii (Camkii) Regulates Histone Methylation To Promote Zebrafish Hematopoietic Stem Cell Specification, Sanyam Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Ca²⁺/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is an important signaling molecule involved in many developmental processes. This project aims to understand the role of CaMKII in specification of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in zebrafish. HSCs undergo hematopoiesis to specify all cells that constitute blood. The process of hematopoiesis along with the specification of hematopoietic stem cells is conserved in vertebrates. CaMKII is expressed in tissues important for HSC specification, including the somites, notochord, and dorsal aorta. The dorsal aorta is the site of HSC specification in zebrafish. Injection of camk2g1 translational blocking antisense oligonucleotides (MO) or Cas9 guide …

The Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Interactome: Insights Into Srna-Mediated Regulatory Networks, Christine M. Van Duyn

Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium found in various environmental niches including soil, water, hospital environments, and within a broad range of hosts. It is well known for its metabolic versatility and intrinsic and acquired resistance to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Moreover, this bacterium has a remarkable ability to adapt and survive in suboptimal environments by altering its transcriptional profile in response to nutrient deprivation, changes in temperature and pH, osmotic stress, the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and exposure to antibiotics and host defenses. P. aeruginosa colonizes individuals with compromised immune systems and severe burn injuries and …

Interpersonal Competency Configurations And The School Adjustment Of Early Adolescents With Disabilities: A Person-Centered Approach, Brittany I. Sterrett

Theses and Dissertations

The transition to middle school is a critical time in adolescence. The more complex school environment provides opportunities for growth and challenges for students with disabilities. Although special education strives to provide individualized supports to students with disabilities through data-based decision-making, the tools used to understand and meet the needs of these students are often unresponsive to the dynamic nature of development and student adjustment as they age. Grounded in developmental science, this study sought to create a data collection framework through a person-centered approach to inform the individualization process. Specifically, this study: 1) explored a decision process that allows …

Mechanistic Study Of C-H Activation By Iridium Complexes, Rozalie S G Corea

Theses and Dissertations

C-H activation is considered the “holy grail” of chemistry. Remote, selective C-H activation has many applications such as modifying precursors, adding complexity to molecules, and modifying pre- existing structures in a reduced number of steps. Previous work by Swift and Gronert identified an iridium(III) phenanthroline complex that can activate C-H bonds of cyclohexane. The objective of this dissertation is to study the mechanism and regioselectivity of this complex in common precursors, namely 1-butanol, 1-methoxybutane and butyl acetate.

The studies were carried out in the gas phase on a modified mass spectrometer. Selectively deuterated alcohol, ether and ester were used to …

Comorbidity In Context: Identifying Patterns Of Depressive And Anxiety Symptoms In African American Early Adolescents, Kathryn Behrhorst

Theses and Dissertations

Depression and anxiety during adolescence includes symptoms of irritability, sleeplessness, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, worry, avoidance, and/or restlessness. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are often comorbid and are associated with impairments across academic, social, and emotional areas of functioning. No studies to date have examined patterns of depressive and anxiety symptoms together for African American adolescents using person-centered analyses. The current study examined patterns of symptoms and domains of anxiety and depression during early adolescence using latent profile analyses (LPA). A sample of 196 African American early adolescents in grades six through eight (M_age = 12.6; 50% female) were …

Improving Educational Experiences Of Students With Disabilities At A Private Postsecondary University, Levenle Jean-Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this research study was that students with disabilities were experiencing challenges at a private postsecondary university in the United States that were impacting their educational experience. The purpose of this research study was to discover the challenges individuals with disabilities experience at a private postsecondary university and to find possible resolutions to those challenges. It was anticipated that this research study may improve the education experiences of students with disabilities at a private postsecondary university in the United States. It was equally important to discover (a) challenges experienced by students with a disability in a private …

Measuring The Social And Emotional Skills Of Hispanic American Students In An Afterschool Karate Program, Noel Adrian Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The social and emotional learning skills of children play an important role in their development. These skills include persistence, self-control, and social competence. The lack of these skills can often be a predictor of future criminality and antisocial behavior. Aggressiveness in youth plays a key role in violence among juveniles. Violent crime committed by juvenile offenders has been a longstanding issue facing the United States criminal justice system. It lacks an effective prevention method, disproportionately affects minority youth, and is often cited as a future predictor of criminality.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, one-group, pretest–posttest design study, was twofold. First, …

Understanding Effective Orientation Practices From Orientation Professionals At Public Hbcus, Ronnie Mack Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation focused on understanding the perceptions of orientation professionals of the impact of orientation programming at public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This study illustrates the effective practices of orientation programming and their impact on the retention of first – year African American students.

The theoretical framework that supported this study focused on challenge & support, retention, involvement, transition, belonging, and Black identity theory. The research study looked to understand orientation professionals’ perceptions of the impact of orientation programming at a public HBCU on the successful transition and retention of first-year students.

The qualitative multiple case study …

Job Stress Effects On Job Satisfaction And Attrition In 9-1-1 Call Centers, Damarys Jaile Gilligan

Theses and Dissertations

In 9-1-1 call centers across the nation the personnel shortage has become a crisis. The nature of the job of a 9-1-1 telecommunicator is stressful due to the high volume of emergency calls. This applied dissertation was designed to learn if there is a relationship between job stress, burnout levels, and job satisfaction in 9-1-1 telecommunicators. This was a nonexperimental quantitative survey research with a correlational approach. The population was a nonprobability convenience sample recruited through the Survey Monkey Audience platform. Data was collected at one point in time. A total of 37 participants took part in the study. All …

Haitian Centenarians: An Undocumented Phenomenon, Erna Dasilma

Theses and Dissertations

A ceaselessly neglected phenomenon until recent years, especially in developing countries, centenarians bring unique wisdom, perspective, history and science to our society based on their lived experiences. Although there is a strong interest in the experiences of individuals who are over 100 years old, few formal research studies have been conducted concerning centenarians, principally in developing countries. One of the central goals of conducting this study was to bridge the gap in the literature when it comes to centenarians in less developed countries, given the lack of reported statistics, with emphasis given to those living on the battered, but resilient …

The Teacher’S Role In Increasing Student Engagement In High School Social Studies Courses, Quarnitra L. Price

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored (a) how teaching practices of high school teachers influence student engagement levels and performance in social studies classes, (b) how teachers might deliver more student relatable social studies content, (c) how teachers might help students relate to and become more engaged with important social studies concepts, and (d) how teachers can motivate students to become well-informed and fully engaged citizens. This study also examined existing barriers that prevent students from learning or engaging in social studies coursework.

Research findings suggest teachers play essential roles in how students perceive social studies content and respond to lessons …

Employers’ Attitudes Towards Individuals With A Physical Disability During The Hiring Process, Alix Jean-Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research in the field of disability and employment have recorded various negative and positive employer attitudes towards the disabled. In comparison to other disability categories, the physically disabled tend to evoke more negative stereotypes, attitudes, and misconceptions in employers. Physical appearance and physical deformities continue to be a barrier to full participation in employment. Thus, additional research is needed to understand and explore how these attitudes are impacting employment experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine employers’ attitudes towards individuals with a physical disability during the hiring process.

An online survey was completed with the collaboration …

The Experiences Of Minority Female Leaders In Educational Leadership: A Generic Qualitative Study, Gale Denise Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the underrepresentation of female minority leaders in the field of educational leadership, the scientific literature lacked evidence in understanding the experiences of those who, despite adversity, successfully secured administrative roles. The experiences of minority women who pursued and secured principal and/or assistant principalship appointments were examined using a generic qualitative approach.

The analysis of the data presented the challenges, barriers, and constraints that minority women were confronted with during the development and establishment of their careers as educational leaders. As a result of the complex intersectionality of race and gender, these leaders found themselves as the subjects of …

Perceived Enablers And Barriers To The Implementation Of Pbis In A Rural Elementary School, Katherine Mechele Woodall

Theses and Dissertations

Embedded within the 1990 amendment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was a mandate stipulating all school systems incorporate some form of PBIS. Elected officials thought it was necessary to implement positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) into school systems behavior plans due to the ever-increasing number of students with mild to severe behavioral issues. Behavior issues include truancy, verbal and physical abuse of teachers and peers, and depression, to name a few. These behavior issues negatively impact a student’s ability to make satisfactory academic progress as well as negatively impacting the learning of their peers.

Yet, despite …

Gangs, Victim/Offender Overlap And Informal Settlements: Their Role In The Portmore Homicide Crisis, Jason Andre Mckay

Theses and Dissertations

Escalating murder rates have been a pervasive reality in Jamaican inner cities and slums since the early 1970’s; however the post independence housing development of Portmore was never envisaged to be classified as an inner city community, nor slum. This qualitative study seeks to explain the uncharacteristic cycle of murder that has afflicted this community by employing the approach of examining the victims of homicide, with an aim to determining the possible reasons that could explain the consistently high rate of murders that have been committed.

During the period January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2018, 381 souls were lost …

Investigating Student Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A First-Year Experience Online Program On Student Retention, Jennifer P. Bowman-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation is a mixed-methods study designed to collect student perspectives of an online First-Year Experience (FE) course and to determine the overall value of the FE course. The researcher sought to identify what is the value of the FE course to the students enrolled in this online course. In the study’s survey, students will be asked a series of questions designed to determine the overall value of the FE course. For this study, the online FE course survey addressed the following theme areas: Course Content, Overall Satisfaction, Transfer Perceptions, and the participants are the new incoming students (first-year …

Status Of Women’S Leadership In The Instructional Technology Field, 2014-2018, Kerrian A. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the leadership status of women in the instructional technology field during the period 2014-2018. Five areas of leadership were examined (a) faculty rank in instructional technology programs, (b) positions on editorial boards of leading instructional technology journals, (c) publications in leading instructional technology journals, (d) presentations at leading conferences in the instructional technology field, and (e) leadership of four leading professional organizations in the field.

The study utilized a quantitative content analysis research method. A code sheet was developed for the five areas of leadership. Research Question 1: What was the leadership …

Diversity In School Leadership: Re-Conceptualizing The Narrative Of Black Male School Principals And Assistant Principals For Recruitment And Retention, James Avery

Theses and Dissertations

Educational leadership is one of the most vastly explored topics in education. School principals and assistant principals make up a substantial portion of those in leadership positions. Experiences in educational leadership have been chronicled for a number of years; however, the diversity in the recorded lived experiences is lacking. To that end, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature by developing an understanding of and recording the essence of Black males’ experiences working in K-12 school leadership positions.

The intersection of race and gender has been proven to create dynamics which impact the enactment of leadership …

Using Nano- And Micro- Structural Materials For Concrete Environmental Applications, Hala Nabeel Elia

Theses and Dissertations

Utilized globally in the construction industry, concrete is an integral component of homes, roads, airports, skyscrapers, and tunnels. Traditional concrete components are cement, fine aggregate (sand), coarse aggregate (gravel or crushed stone), and water. When cement and water compound together they will make a paste which binds all the aggregates together to make the concrete. Unfortunately, every one ton of cement manufactured emits 0.9 ton of CO2into the air. The goal of this two-part work was to obtain an environmentally friendly concrete. The first part used supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), fly ash and silica fume, to create concrete with high …

Novel Magnetic Delivery Systems For Platinum Anticancer Drugs, Lamis Alaa Eldin Refaat

Theses and Dissertations

Carboplatin's success in the treatment of major types of cancer has been attributed to its ease of administration and its high therapeutic index. However, despite its superior toxicity profile, myelosuppression remains to be its dose-limiting side effect. Liposomes have been researched extensively as carrier systems for therapeutic agents; their high biocompatibility, their ability to escape the immune system and most importantly their ability to incorporate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs led to numerous liposomal formulations being designed for cancer therapy. Magnetic nanoparticles have been gaining attention as their properties enable them to be used in various therapeutic and diagnostic applications, …

Evaluation And Development Of Effective Tank Cleanout Procedures Following Dicamba Use, Zachary Carpenter

Theses and Dissertations

Sprayer hygiene and concerns of off-target injury from auxin herbicides have increased in recent years. New auxin tolerant crops have broadened the use patterns of these herbicides. Therefore, experiments were conducted across two locations in Mississippi in 2016, 2017, and 2018 to evaluate sprayer cleanout procedures to aid in dicamba removal. Standard sprayer cleanout consisted of a triple rinse of 10% tank volume, with either a tank cleaner or ammonia added in the second rinse. Samples collected in each rinse step for all treatments were applied to actively growing soybean and dicamba concentration quantified with HPLC. Experiments were conducted to …

Attributes Affecting Adoption Of Pollinator Conservation Practices, Shannon M. Westlake

Theses and Dissertations

Pollinator conservation has recently become a topic of greater interest and research around the world as native insect pollinator species increasingly face population declines. In the United States, growing concerns regarding food security and decreased biodiversity have led to the creation of programmatic and best management practices (BMPs) promotional efforts among governmental and non-governmental organizations. These efforts seek to support pollinators on public and private lands by addressing the primary causes of decline (e.g., habitat loss and increased chemical use). Although these organizations have worked diligently to increase awareness and applicability of programs to private landholders, there is still a …

Biochemical Characterization And Regulatory Mechanisms Of Plant Thimet Oligopeptidases Under Oxidative And Reductive Stress, Thualfeqar Almohanna

Theses and Dissertations

Two main Arabidopsis thimet oligopeptidases (AtTOP) involved in stress responses are: (1) thimet metalloendopeptidase 1 (TOP1), found in the mitochondria and chloroplasts, annotated as At5g65620, and (2) thimet metalloendopeptidase 2 (TOP2), found in the cytosol annotated as At5g10540. Both AtTOP1 and AtTOP2 are located on chromosome 5 and share high homology. AtTOP1 and AtTOP2 are zincin-like metalloendopeptidases with the characteristic HEXXH active motif of the M3 clan. Their peptidase activity is related to the oxidative stress triggered by plant immune responses. AtTOPs are involved in plant immune responses through a mechanism regulated by Salicylic Acid (SA); both AtTOP1 and AtTOP2 …

Finite Element Analysis Of The Mechanisms Of Impact Mitigation Inherent To The North American Bison (Bison Bison) Skull, Andrea Karen Persons

Theses and Dissertations

North American bison (Bovidae: Bison bison) incur blunt impacts to the interparietal and frontal bones when they engage in head-to-head fights. To investigate the impact mitigation of these bones, a finite element analysis of the skull under loading conditions was performed. Based on anatomical and histological studies, the interparietal and frontal bones are both comprised of a combination of haversian and plexiform bone, and are both underlain by bony septa. Additionally, the interparietal bone is thicker than the frontal. Data regarding the mechanical properties of bison bone are scarce, but the results of a phylogenetic analysis infer that the material …

The Effects Of Impure Water Sources On The Early-Age Properties Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements, Wendy Long

Theses and Dissertations

One of the benefits of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements is that these materials gain strength rapidly, where strength development is often measured in hours instead of days. This property makes these materials desirable for use in temporary, non-reinforced repairs of roadways, airfields, and navigable locks. The rapid repair of these infrastructure elements is critical to transporting supplies into regions devastated by disaster. In these austere environments, potable water may not be available in sufficient quantities to make vital repairs, and the use of impure water in the production of CSA cement-based concrete would be advantageous. However, the hydration products formed …

Engineering Pathological Microenvironments For Cardiovascular Disease Studies, Ojaswee Adhikari

Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity is a growing issue in the United States. Iron deficiency is the most common form of nutritional deficiency in patients with endothelial dysfunction and vascular-related diseases. This preliminary study lays the groundwork for the “Nutrient deficiency-on-a-chip” model. Endothelial cells are cultured on mechanically tunable, enzymatically cross-linked gelatin and treated with deferoxamine, an iron chelator, or angiotensin II were used to simulate a nutrient deficient and diseased environment, respectively. As oxidative stress and disturbed barrier function are the most prevailing mechanism of angiotensin II and iron deficiency induced endothelial dysfunction, to test our model we investigated the changes in …

Evaluating Effects Of Southern Yellow Pine Biochar And Wood Vinegar On Poultry Litter, Maryam Mohammadi-Aragh

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to investigate nutrient retention, intI1 prevalence, and compost maturity rates for poultry litter co-composted with 5, 10, and 20% southern yellow pine biochar and with or without 2% wood vinegar (WV). Samples were collected at 0, 57, and 112 days to measure nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, K) concentrations, microbial counts, pH, moisture content, carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio, and intI1 abundance. Composts were aerated once a week and the temperature was also recorded once a week. There was sufficient rainfall so no additional water was added. The results showed that N and …