Digital Commons Network^™

Mapping Consumer Cognition And Emotions: A Neuroscientific Approach, Dongjun Rew

Theses and Dissertations

Although the rival theories for consumer decision making process, cognitive perspective and experiential perspective, have successfully contributed to the marketing discipline, there is an alternative point of view that cognition and emotions work together for a decision or even a behavior. However, the methodological limitation has been a big hurdle that interrupts insightfulness and fruitfulness of marketing research, especially in consumer research. This study thus aims to develop a brain map and functional connectivity of consumer decision making and emotions to show physiological and neurological evidence that emotional behaviors and cognitive behaviors are associated when consumers decide a behavior by …

Of Fire, Mammals, And Rain: Mechanisms Of Plant Invasions, Tara Boyce Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Biological invasions are driving environmental state changes on a global scale. Exotic plant species must be successful at passing several abiotic and biotic filters to establish and disrupt the native plant community assembly. Understanding where exotic plants are on a regional scale and being able to characterize how exotic plants are generally interacting with their environment is crucial information for exotic species management (chapter 1). In the western United States human-related activities are augmenting the spread of exotic plant species by increasing the ignitions of wildfire. Wildfire can lead to nutrient pulses through the removal of intact native communities and …

Characterizing Novel Pathways For Regulation And Function Of Ataxin-2, Elise Spencer Melhado

Theses and Dissertations

Ataxin-2 is an RNA-binding protein that is involved in many crucial cellular processes such as R-loop regulation, mRNA stability, TOR signaling regulation, and stress granule formation. Ataxin-2 is highly conserved, found in organisms ranging from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens. Recently, ataxin-2 has been linked to the neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a fatal disease that causes loss of motor neurons. In addition to ataxin-2 interacting with known ALS risk factor proteins, research into the relationship between ataxin-2 and ALS shows that polyglutamine expansions in ataxin-2 are gain-of-function mutations that lead to overactivity of …

3d Printed Microfluidic Devices For Bioanalysis, Michael J. Beauchamp

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the development of 3D printed microfluidic devices and their application to microchip analysis. Initial work was focused on the development of the printer resin as well as the development of the general rules for resolution that can be achieved with stereolithographic 3D printing. The next stage of this work involved the characterization of the printer with a variety of interior and exterior resolution features. I found that the minimum positive and negative feature sizes were about 20 μm in either case. Additionally, micropillar arrays were printed with pillar diameters as small as 16 μm. To demonstrate one …

Personality Inventory Dsm-5: A Spanish Translation For Hispanics In The United States, Jessica Abigail Carmona

Theses and Dissertations

The Personality Inventory DSM-5 (PID-5) was created to measure personality pathology and help in the development of a dimensional conceptualization of personality disorders (Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2012). It measures five maladaptive personality traits: Negative Affect, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition and Psychoticism. The PID-5 has also garnered significant support for its hierarchical structure, five-factor structure across samples and translations, and its ability to predict variance in internalizing and externalizing disorders (Krueger & Markon, 2014). The current study builds on this literature by translating the PID-5 into Spanish spoken in Latin America and testing the replicability of the five-factor structure, …

Use Of Plant Growth Regulators To Expand The Period Of Sagebrush Seed Germination And Reduce The Risk Of Restoration Failure: Laboratory Trials, Chelsea Elizabeth Keefer

Theses and Dissertations

Seed germination during unhospitable environmental conditions can be a major barrier to direct seeding efforts in dryland systems. In the sagebrush steppe, Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis and Artemisia arbuscula are important shrub species that are being used in restoration, but seeding success is highly sporadic due to inter-annual and intra-seasonal weather variability. Altering and expanding the period of germination, as a form of bet-hedging, may improve plant establishment. Our objective was to determine if we could expand the period of germination using plant growth regulators (PGRs) applied in a conglomerated seed coating treatment. In a laboratory study, the seed …

Landsat Collections Reveal Long-Term Algal Bloom Hot Spots Of Utah Lake, Rachel Shanae Tate

Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) and nuisance algal blooms (NABs) are a worldwide phenomenon with implications for human health and safety. HABs occur when algae or bacteria grow in high enough densities to harm animals and humans. A primary component of harmful algal blooms is cyanobacteria, which are aquatic, photosynthesizing microorganisms that produce toxins at high concentrations. Cyanobacterial biomass has increased worldwide in recent decades, raising concern about the future of fresh- and marine-water systems in a changing climate. Understanding the patterns and conditions of past algal blooms can provide useful insights for managing future blooms. Remote sensing can enhance our …

Isolation, Genetic Characterization And Clinical Application Of Bacteriophages Of Pathogenic Bacterial Species, Trever Leon Thurgood

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteriophages (phages) are the smallest biological entity on the planet. They provide vast amounts of valuable knowledge to biologists. Phage genomes are relatively simple compared to the organisms they infect (prokaryotes) and yet continually point to the complexity surrounding molecular- and microbiological mechanisms of life. By studying phages we can learn of the systems of gene expression, protein interaction and DNA organization. Phages are useful not only from an academic perspective, but may also have useful clinical applications. In the face of the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial “super pathogens”, scientists and researchers turn to phages as alternative treatments to these …

Dna Capture Via Magnetic Beads In A Microfluidic Platformfor Rapid Detection Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes, David Hyrum Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistant infections are a growing health care concern, with many cases reported annually. Infections can cause irreversible bodily damage or death if they are not diagnosed in a timely matter. To rapidly diagnose antibiotic resistance in infections, it is important to be able to capture and isolate the DNA coding for the resistance genes. This is challenging because bacteria are present in blood in minute concentrations. To enrich the DNA to detectable levels, I modified magnetic microbeads with ssDNA sequences complementary to the target DNA to capture the DNA via hybridization. I compared DNA capture efficiency in three different …

Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Channels In Epithelial Morphogenesis In Chick Embryo, Trinity Q. Waddell

Theses and Dissertations

Transient Receptor Potential channels (TRP) are a superfamily of cationic specific ionchannels that are regulated by various stimuli such as temperature, pH, mechanical stress, ligandsand ion concentration. The role of TRP channels in disease states such as autosomal dominantpolycystic kidney disease, cancer metastasis, and developmental defects lend credence to thebelief that they play an important part in epithelial morphogenesis events. The development ofsomites, neural tube closure and migration of neural crest cells to form things such as the faceand heart is a good developmental model for the aforementioned cellular processes. We haveshown that TRP channels can be found in the …

Mechanism Of Positive, Non-Additive Litter Decomposition, Na Yin

Theses and Dissertations

Litter decomposition is a fundamental ecosystem process. It is responsible for nutrient cycling and influences carbon (C) sequestration, and soil physical and chemical properties. In nature, litter is usually heterogeneous and may not decompose the way homogeneous litter does. For example, heterogeneous litter decomposition is frequently non-additive. This makes the rate of nutrient cycling as well as fluxes of C into and out of soil C pools impossible to predict. The most frequently proposed mechanisms for positive, non-additive decomposition include the supply of limiting mineral nutrients, the supply of available C (priming), and the improvement of micro-environmental conditions. However, all …

Sequential Survival Analysis With Deep Learning, Seth William Glazier

Theses and Dissertations

Survival Analysis is the collection of statistical techniques used to model the time of occurrence, i.e. survival time, of an event of interest such as death, marriage, the lifespan of a consumer product or the onset of a disease. Traditional survival analysis methods rely on assumptions that make it difficult, if not impossible to learn complex non-linear relationships between the covariates and survival time that is inherent in many real world applications. We first demonstrate that a recurrent neural network (RNN) is better suited to model problems with non-linear dependencies in synthetic time-dependent and non-time-dependent experiments.

Investigating Factors Affecting Venture Growth Intention For Women Entrepreneurs, Beth Johanna Gitlin

Theses and Dissertations

During the past several years the number of women-owned firms increased by 45% from 2007-2016, a rate five times faster than the national average. However, their overall venture growth is far below the national average. The benefits of studying the internal and external context in which this phenomenon has occurred will help us to understand what types of interventions may contribute to enhancing venture growth intention for women entrepreneurs. In light of the scant research linking factors such as self-confidence, access to role models, perceived family support and risk-taking to venture growth intention for women entrepreneurs, this study examines a …

Controlling Co Dose From Corm-Loaded Electrospun Scaffolds With Diffusion-Based Modeling And Experimental Assessment Of Endothelial Cell Response, Kenyatta S. Washington

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for one in every five deaths in the United States alone due to occlusion in small diameter (< 6 mm) vessels. The current treatment options includes bypass grafting; however, more than 30 percent of patients do not have viable saphenous veins for autologous grafting [1]. Therefore, tissue engineering is being considered as an alternative approach. The overall goals of this project were to develop a tissue engineered vascular graft with the incorporation of carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs) and to determine the impacts of carbon monoxide (CO) on endothelial cells (ECs) with the goal of promoting a functional endothelium within the graft. This was accomplished through two complementary studies: investigating the impacts of CO-loaded electrospun scaffolds on ECs for cardiovascular applications and diffusion-based modeling of drug delivery of gasotransmitters from tissue engineered scaffolds. In the first study, we extended the maximum in vitro incubation time to permit better cellular attachment and proliferation with a newly-synthesized, more hydrophobic CORM (DK3) and established the impact of CORMs on EC viability and function (e.g. reactive oxygen species (ROS) products, and ROS levels). We further investigated toxicity and biocompatibility of a newly synthesized CORM (DK4) loaded within PCL thin films and nanoparticles. We concluded that the DK4 and other compounds are not toxic at doses ranging from 0 – 50 μg/mL to the ECs both within nanoparticles that can be internalized within cells. We also conducted an in vivo pilot study to determine graft biocompatibility and preliminary results showed that CORM implants maintain mechanical integrity, support blood flow, and do not show toxicity for up to six weeks. In the second study, we validated a computational model and analyzed the output of CO delivery to better understand and control local dose. For CO release, this model is necessary because of the limitations with real-time experimental analysis and the need to better understand the dose available to the cells. We demonstrated that the validated model can be used to predict drug availability to cells for a variety of scaffolds and drug molecules. Our simulated results suggest that only a fraction of the initial concentration of gasotransmitters released from fibers that enters the interstitial fluid in vivo, or culture media in vitro, will be available to cells. We also demonstrated that fiber orientation and fiber diameter are important for drug delivery, but fiber density provides even more important information. The more contact area within the fiber scaffolds is equivalent to experimental conditions with more cell attachment and spreading. These parameters are not only important for traditional tissue engineering, but also for drug delivery. Overall, these results demonstrate the feasibility of making a tissue engineered vascular graft with the incorporation of CORMs and validating he importance of computational modeling of diffusion-based transport of CO. Future work will involve performing surface modifications to enhance cell attachment and proliferation, using the developed computational model to better predict dose available to cells, and experimentally determining impact of CO dose on ECs.

Investigating The Potential Of Weeds As Host Reservoir For Plant Parasitic Nematodes In South Texas, Habraham F. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Presence and geographical distributions of three damaging nematode pest (R. reniformis, M. incognita, T. semipentrans) have been recorded in the LRGV. With year-round growing seasons, weed pest are a real problem for many LRGV growers. With some growers leaving the field fallow until planting season, these places can serve as potential host reservoirs for plant parasitic nematodes (PPN). This study examined the potential of weeds as host reservoirs for plant parasitic nematodes in the LRGV. Results demonstrated the presence of 5 of the 12 economically important plant parasitic nematode genus and demonstrated a difference in distribution of nematodes …

Engineered Porous Media For Groundwater Contaminant Remediation: Applications Of Nano-Tio2, Sheng Yin

Theses and Dissertations

Nonmetallic Arsenic and hydrocarbon BTEX are the most common and harmful contaminants in groundwater. Many oxide, biological and metal based adsorbent materials have been investigated in the laboratory and in the field environment. These materials, especially for nano-TiO2, have been extensively studied in the laboratory due to its high efficiency and remediation outcomes. This research compared two different synthetic nano-TiO2, aggregated dendritic nano-scale anatase TiO2 and the polymorphed rutile nano-TiO2 attached to the surface of SiO2, to study the feasibility of nano-TiO2 in geoenvironmental engineering applications. Characterization of crystal structure, purity, and morphologic, microscopic features of the materials were examed …

Isolation, Characterization, And Genomic Comparison Of Bacteriophages Of Enterobacteriales Order, Ruchira Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

According to CDC, every year at least 2 million people are affected and 23,000 dies as a result of antibiotic resistance in U.S. It is considered one of the biggest threats to global health. More and more bacterial infections are becoming harder to treat. One such infection is fire blight, one of the most destructive disease of apple and pear trees. It is caused by bacteria Erwinia amylovora and its outbreaks have been known to destroy entire orchards in a single season. The conventional method of treatments includes use of antibiotics like streptomycin and oxytetracycline but the incidences like presence …

The Relationship Between Vascular Endothelial Function Andpeak Exercise Blood Flow, Brady Edward Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose The vascular endothelium is an influential contributor to vasodilation at rest, yet its role during peak exercise is relatively unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if exercise leg blood flow during dynamic submaximal and maximal exercise is related to resting vascular endothelial function. Methods Nineteen subjects (aged 23 ± 0.57 yr) completed multiple assessments of vascular endothelial function including passive leg movement (PLM), rapid onset vasodilation, (ROV) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Peak muscle blood flow was assessed during single leg knee extension (KE) exercise. Doppler ultrasound of the femoral artery was utilized to assess muscle blood …

Disinfection By-Products: Method Optimization For Quantification, Unknown Analysis, And Calculated Toxicity, Amy A. Cuthbertson

Theses and Dissertations

Disinfected drinking water contains hundreds of disinfection by-products (DBPs) that are formed by the reaction of disinfectants with natural and anthropogenic organic matter, bromide, and iodide. Understanding what these DBPs are is important because millions of people worldwide consume drinking water every day, and human epidemiologic studies have reported cancer, miscarriage, and birth defects from consuming such waters. While more than 700 DBPs are reported in the literature, very few studies quantify complete classes of chlorinated, brominated, and iodinated DBPs. The following document contains five chapters in the format designated for specific scientific journals on this subject. Chapter 1 describes …

Glia Responsivity In Nicotine Dependence, Adewale Oluwamuyiwa Adeluyi

Theses and Dissertations

Neurons are the primary research target in the exploration and development of novel smoking cessation pharmacotherapies over the years. These research efforts have led to the discovery and development of three FDA-approved smoking cessation aids – nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, and bupropion, each of which have quantifiable success as smoking cessation aids. However, relapse is still very common and smoking cessation is successful in less than 5% of quit attempts, making paramount the development of novel therapeutics. One untapped therapeutic target are glia, particularly, astrocytes and microglia, which are active participants in the neuroplastic events underlying drug addiction.

First, we …

Experience Of Persistent Pain Among Military Service Members Participating In An Interdisciplinary Intensive Outpatient Program, Barbara Katarzyna Bujak

Theses and Dissertations

Persistent pain is one of today’s most complex issues in healthcare. In the U.S. military, persistent pain affects close to half of the service members who have deployed overseas and up to 73.2% of service members and veterans experiencing persistent pain. Interdisciplinary pain management, considered one of the most effective ways to manage persistent pain, utilizes the biopsychosocial model that illustrates the dynamic interaction between the physiological, psychological and social factors involved in the experience of persistent pain. Effective interdisciplinary programs address all components of the model and result in better coping skills to self-manage persistent pain, decreased fear of …

The Contribution Of Adipose Tissue From Ovariectomized Mice To Colon Cancer, Meredith Smith Carson

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is considered a major public health concern worldwide due to the increased incidences of metabolic dysfunction and cancer risk. The obese state is, in part, attributable to the overconsumption of calorie-dense foods commonly seen in a standard Western diet, which aids in the progression of chronic, lowgrade inflammation. The role of estrogen varies depending on menopausal status, where estrogen deficiency coupled with increased visceral fat associated with post-menopause leads to increased secretions of pro-inflammatory adipokines and cytokines. However, the presence of estrogen in a premenopausal state has been shown to attenuate the pro-inflammatory response, which has been demonstrated when …

Work Ethic Skills And A Liberal Arts Education: Using Work-Integrated Learning In A Liberal Arts Course To Enhance Students' Work Ethic Skills And Demonstrate The Practicality Of A Liberal Arts Education., Jennifer M. Lopes

Theses and Dissertations

To address the gap in employability skills among recent college graduates, the proposed intervention seeks to integrate work ethic skills (WES) into the general education curriculum in a practical, efficient, and effective way to develop and enhance students’ professional skills. Work-integrated learning (WIL), if done properly, is the most effective method for students to learn, practice, and apply professional and academic skills. Problematic is the fact that general education courses have tenuous WIL connections because they are not “job specific. Hence, Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory is applied as the theoretical framework for creating effective an meaningful learning experiences via …

A Phenomenological Look At What Motivates And Challenges Teachers To Use Outdoor Learning Activities, Kristin Elizabeth Peney

Theses and Dissertations

The specific problem of practice on which this study is focused is the lack of opportunities for students to engage in outdoor learning experiences (OLEs) and one contributing factor to this problem, the hesitance teachers demonstrate towards engaging their students and themselves in OLEs (Rickinson et al., 2004). The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper and more thorough understanding of the beliefs about outdoor learning experiences (OLEs) held by teachers in my context. An investigative action research design using the phenomenological approach was selected for this study as teacher beliefs are complex, and are best understood when …

The Effects Of Climate Change On The Ecotoxicology Of Contaminants Of Emerging Concern: Flame Retardants, Contemporary Use Pesticides And Pharmaceuticals Personal Care Products On The Estuarine Grass Shrimp, Palaemontes Pugio, Rajaa Nouri Al-Yassein

Theses and Dissertations

Global Climate Change may adversely affect the environment, increasing water temperature and altered salinity which may affect the toxicity of both legacy pollutants and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs). Acute, 96 hour toxicity tests with adult grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) assessed the effects of CECs (Polybrominated Diphenyl Esther (PBDE) – 47, ibuprofen, bifenthrin, triclosan, and bifenthrin/triclosan mixtures) under Standard Conditions (20°C, 20psu) and different Climate Change Conditions (30°C, and/or35psu) In addition, the grass shrimp microbiome (e.g. Vibrio bacteria) were assessed following acute triclosan exposures at the Maximum Exposure Concentration (MECs) and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MICs) under standard conditions. …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On The Dispositions Of Eight Third-Grade Elementary Students At An Elementary School In The Southeast Region Of The United States, Jakob Lauffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact mindfulness sessions had on the dispositions of eight third-grade students. In the Spring of 2019, mindfulness practices were presented to third-graders in their regular classroom setting every Monday and Thursday over the six-week qualitative action research study. During this time, the teacher-researcher administered 15-minute mindful lessons that aimed to help increase coping strategies in the student population. The instruments used for data collection in this qualitative action research study were: a pre/post-intervention questionnaire, weekly exit slips utilizing multiple choice and open-ended questions, field notes, and digital video recordings. Students utilized …

The Persistent Maladaptation Of Pieris Macdunnoughii: Constraints On Adaptation To An Evolutionary Trap, Rachel A. Steward

Theses and Dissertations

Evolutionary traps arise when organisms use novel, low-quality or even lethal resources based on previously reliable cues. Persistence of such maladaptive interactions depends not only on how individuals locate important resources, such as host plants, but also the mechanisms underlying poor performance. Pieris macdunnoughii (Remington) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) lays eggs on a non-native mustard, Thlaspi arvense (L.) (Brassicaceae), which is lethal to its larvae. However, in the 150 years since T. arvense invaded this butterfly continues to recognize and oviposit on the invasive mustard.

I evaluated two possible constraints on the evolution of decreased preference within an invaded population. First, an …

Using An Elicited Orienting Response And Respondent Conditioning To Increase Eye Contact In Response To A Name Call In Children With Autism, Nicole Adriaenssens

Theses and Dissertations

One of the earliest and most noticeable characteristics of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is impaired eye contact. Difficulty with making eye contact presents concerns for children regarding academic, social, and safety skills—for instance, failing to respond to a teacher calling a child’s name to give instructions, looking at a peer during play, or orienting toward an adult speaker warning the child of a risky situation. Currently published research on increasing responding to name with eye contact has primarily involved separate and combined procedures such as physical prompting, visual prompting, differential reinforcement, and overcorrection. The current study evaluated the …

Effects Of Progressive Ratio Schedules On Responding Following Exposure To Varying Economies, Laura Perry Senn

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of behavior analysis, access to reinforcement is generally referred to as being either an open or a closed economy. However, little research exists on the varying degrees of reinforcer exposure that may occur between the parameters of “open” and “closed.” The current study compares varying degrees of economies utilizing closed, 33% open, 66% open, and open economy conditions with three participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Prior to analysis, all participants completed an evaluation to determine whether their preferences remained stable over multiple sessions and whether they were sensitive to a satiation operation. Results are evaluated in …

Considering Leadership Style, Trust, And Uncertainty Avoidance On Leader Member Exchange, Alexander Michael Dechurch

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to further research the impact of leadership style on leader-member exchange (LMX), and to investigate the role of individual uncertainty avoidance and trust on LMX when paired with the two leadership styles (transactional and transformational leadership). Three samples were collected. Sample 1 included 32 dyadic undergraduate student and leader pairs from a midsize southern private university; Sample 2 included 118 leaders recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk); Sample 3 included 141 followers recruited through Mturk. Results indicated positive relationships between follower and leader perceptions of transactional and transformational leadership style and leadermember exchange. Moreover, there are …