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Metastable-State Photoacid: A Comprehensive Theoretical Study Of The Photoreaction, Reverse Reaction, Thermal Isomerization, And Td-Dft Absorption In Solvent, Arwa Wasel Hamed Alharbi

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of the research is to investigate the fundamentals of novel metastable-state photoacids. These photoacids can reversibly produce a large concentration of protons while undergoing photo-irradiation. This change in proton concentration can induce and catalyze chemical reactions, biological functions, and material properties that do not occur in the dark. (IMAGE) Scheme 1. Energy diagram of the photoreaction. (The red route is the forward photoreaction; the blue route is the reverse reaction; and the process that involves the proton dissociation of the photoacid in the dark is the green route; "t-" means trans- and "c-" means cis-). Scheme 1 …

Gene Expression Studies For Analyzing Effects Of Space Radiation In Tissues, Amatulshakoor Mohammed Farooqui

Theses and Dissertations

Human exploration beyond the earth's orbit poses many risks for the crew on these missions. One of the major health risks is exposure to space radiation environment beyond the earth’s magnetic field. The space environment exposes astronauts to high levels of ionizing radiation such as galactic cosmic rays. The radiations can have acute and delayed effects on the human body. The primary response to tissue injury is increased oxidative stress and inflammation. The overall objective of this study was to analyze the effects of ionizing radiation in heart tissue by quantifying its impact on the expression of genes that correlate …

Metastable-State Photoacids And Polymers With High Photoacidity, Thaaer Khalil

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, metastable-state photoacids (mPAH) have been utilized to control various chemical processes using visible light and have found many applications in materials, energy, and biomedical areas. An introduction of metastable state photoacid is given in Chapter 1. In chapter 2, to clearly understand the relationship between the structures and the physicochemical properties of mPAHs, a series of mPAHs were designed and synthesized. The reversibility, stability, reverse reaction rate, and photoreaction of the mPAHs were studied in detail using UV/VIS spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the electron-withdrawing groups on the electron-accepting moiety enhance the overall photoreaction and stability of …

Analysis Of N-Alkanes And N-Alkenes In Chukchi Sea Sediments, Salomey Asantewaa Sasu

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the concentrations, distribution and sources of n-alkanes in core sediments from four locations: Stations H24, H30, H32 and BarC5 in the Chukchi Sea, which is in the Arctic Ocean. n-Alkanes are valuable tracers of aquatic, terrigenous and petroleum inputs and may give evidence to the extent of climate change. The study of climate change in the Arctic is important since the Arctic is warming faster than any other part of Earth. The increase in temperature is causing enhanced evaporation leading to a higher precipitation rate and hence enhanced erosion. The n-alkanes C12-C35 were analysed and characterized using …

Adversarial Deep Neural Networks Effectively Remove Nonlinear Batch Effects From Gene-Expression Data, Jonathan Bryan Dayton

Theses and Dissertations

Gene-expression profiling enables researchers to quantify transcription levels in cells, thus providing insight into functional mechanisms of diseases and other biological processes. However, because of the high dimensionality of these data and the sensitivity of measuring equipment, expression data often contains unwanted confounding effects that can skew analysis. For example, collecting data in multiple runs causes nontrivial differences in the data (known as batch effects), known covariates that are not of interest to the study may have strong effects, and there may be large systemic effects when integrating multiple expression datasets. Additionally, many of these confounding effects represent higher-order interactions …

The Effects Of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams In Two Middle School Art Classrooms, Kimberly Davis Monson

Theses and Dissertations

Classroom management is a common challenge in middle schools. Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a multi-tiered intervention designed to decrease problem behaviors at the classroom level (Wills et al., 2010). It is comprised of evidence-based practices such as teaching classroom expectations, increasing teacher praise, and using positive reinforcement in an interdependent group contingency. CW-FIT has shown promise in a variety of school settings, but it has not been tested in middle school art classrooms. This was initial investigation examining the effects of CW-FIT using a single-subject ABAB design in two middle school art classrooms. Results indicated that class on-task …

The Association Of Spirituality And Well-Being In South African And Ugandan Samples, Alicia Jane Doman

Theses and Dissertations

Literature has shown a correlation between spirituality and well-being, but this has not been thoroughly studied outside North America, with very few studies conducted in Africa. This study compared data from two sub-Saharan African nations, Uganda and South Africa, that differ markedly in terms of multiple factors that affect well-being, such as mortality rates and access to healthcare, as well as educational and personal growth opportunities. Survey data were collected using the measures of The Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale and Ryff's Personal Well-Being Scale. There were four racial groups represented in the data: Black South Africans, Coloureds, White South …

The Effect Of Collaboration On Online Student Motivation In A College Biology Course, Christina Fieber

Theses and Dissertations

Online coursework in higher education is an accessible, cost-effective alternative for students and institutions. As demand for online courses grows, the need to address discrepancies in online student success and elevated attrition rates is a pressing issue in higher education. Instructional methods in online classrooms are a potential lever for minimizing these gaps. Research indicates motivation is a key indicator of student success and can have a positive impact on student achievement and persistence, whether online or in a traditional classroom setting. Collaboration, including social interaction, has also been shown to have a positive impact on student outcomes, and can …

¡Tú No Eres Fácil!: Styling Black Hair And Language In A Dominican Beauty Salon, Amber Teresa Domingue

Theses and Dissertations

Women of the African diaspora living in the United States undergo a process of racialization that is informed by both their physical attributes and linguistic decisions. Fieldwork conducted in a Dominican beauty salon in Atlanta, GA during the summer of 2018 provided the data that is analyzed to explore the relationship between Dominican and Black women through the lens of hair care. Dominican stylists who spoke predominantly Spanish were able to provide services to Black women who spoke predominantly English using a combination of verbal and non-verbal communication. While previous scholarship on Dominicans in the United States has been overwhelmingly …

Longitudinal Prediction Of Delinquent Behavior In Early Adolescence, Kathleen Watson Macdonell

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood behavioral problems have consistently been reported as an antecedent for later problem behavior, including delinquency in adolescence and into adulthood. Parenting behaviors are an important influence on the potentially negative behavioral trajectory from childhood behavior problems to delinquency in early adolescence. The current study sought to provide further understanding of the relationship between teacher-reported third grade childhood behavior problems and two outcomes: ninth grade teacher-reported and ninth grade self-reported delinquency. Additionally, the moderating impact of parental monitoring and parental school involvement, assessed in fifth grade, was explored. Using a longitudinal sample of 556 participants, hypotheses were assessed separately for …

Leveraging Geotagged Social Media To Monitor Spatial Behavior During Population Movements Triggered By Hurricanes, Yago Martín González

Theses and Dissertations

In a world of increased mobility and interconnectedness, the study of spatial behavior becomes more relevant than ever. However, multiple researchers have highlighted that the understanding of these dynamic processes has reached a bottleneck derived from the rigidity of traditional spatial behavior inquiry methods and the unavailability of trustworthy and relevant information. These difficulties are even more prominent during emergencies and disasters as these events often create scenarios where spatial behavior does not follow regular and logical patterns and where conventional mobility datasets are often skewed or not existent. Thus, many scholars working within the spatial behavior sub-discipline are pursuing …

The Effects Of Autism Symptom Severity And Social Anxiety On Pragmatic Language In Young Adult Males With Fragile X Syndrome, Sara Mcgrath Matherly

Theses and Dissertations

Pragmatic, or social, language skills play a pivotal role in abilities that facilitate interpersonal relationships and independence, particularly in adulthood. Pragmatic language deficits are considered a core trait of males with fragile X syndrome (FXS); however, mechanisms that influence these abilities are not well known. This research is also limited by a lack of valid assessments that adequately capture pragmatic language skills. The present dissertation is the first to examine pragmatic language skills and mechanisms that influence these abilities using a novel, dynamic language assessment, the Yale in vivo Pragmatic Protocol (YiPP) in young adult males with FXS. Results revealed …

The Role Of The Southern Ocean On Global Ocean Circulation And Climate, Brady Scott Ferster

Theses and Dissertations

The Southern Ocean (SO) is a unique and highly dynamic region with strong temperature and salinity gradients. A comparison between satellite-derived salinity and observations indicates strong differences along coastal boundaries, areas of low temperature, and regions of strong currents. Although differences throughout much of the SO are shown to be negligible, resolution and smoothing in the products create large biases in horizontal gradients and errors in estimating the water cycle. The three-dimensional movement of water within the SO plays an important role in the global Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), where the Southern Hemisphere westerlies drive both zonal and meridional transports …

Statistical Analysis Of Interval-Censored Data Subject To Additional Complications, Qiang Zheng

Theses and Dissertations

Survival analysis is an important branch of statistics that studies time to event data (or survival data), in which the response variable is time to a certain event of interest. The most prominent feature of survival data is that the response is not exactly observed due to limits of the study design or nature of the event of interest. Interval-censored data are a common type of survival data and occur frequently in real life studies where subjects are examined at periodical follow ups. The response time is usually not observed, but the status of the event of interest is known …

Role Of Epigenome And Microbiome In Endocannabinoid-Mediated Regulation Of Inflammation During Diet-Induced Obesity, Kathryn Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is an inflammatory disease involving accumulation of adipose tissue, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and over-activation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Mechanisms involved in ECS regulation of obesity-induced inflammation are not well understood. Presented here are three chapters involving microRNA (miR) regulation of inflammatory adipose tissue macrophages (ATM) during high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and cannabinoid receptor-mediated regulation of gut microbiota dysbiosis.

ATMs are innate immune cells that drive chronic low-grade inflammation during obesity. Polarization between pro-(M1) and anti-(M2-like) inflammatory phenotypes influence insulin sensitivity and energy expenditure; however, the mechanisms involved are unclear. In study one, we characterized miRs involved in ATM …

Co-Occurrence And Non-Overlap Among Behavioral And Health-Related Problems In Preschool Children, Chandni Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Integrating mental health and healthcare services increases the reach of healthcare while reducing costs and stigma associated with seeking mental health services. To provide such services for preschool aged children we must first understand how behaviors related to healthy lifestyle and mental/behavioral health overlap. This study examined the relationship between behavior problems, sleep duration, screen time, and eating patterns and assessed the frequency of co-occurring problems in these areas. Because of the importance of parenting across these domains, the association between parent disciplinary strategies and the co-occurrence of behaviors in the different problem areas was assessed. MANOVAs revealed that there …

Mechanistic Studies Of Atypical Reactions And Uncommon Substrates Native To Bacterial Cytochrome P450 Enzymes OletJe And Nikq, Courtney Elizabeth Wise

Theses and Dissertations

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes typically perform hydroxylation chemistry on small molecule substrates using atmospheric oxygen and electrons from redox partner proteins. This reactivity is dependent on a thiolate-ligated heme cofactor that also allows for spectroscopic detection of ligation, oxidation, and environmental changes to the iron metal. The onset of the genomics era has resulted in the discovery of CYPs that deviate from this paradigm in terms of reaction performed, cosubstrate requirements, and substrate-scope. This work focuses on two of these unusual P450s – OleT and NikQ. OleT performs an unconventional H2O2-dependent decarboxylation reaction on a standard small molecule fatty acid …

A Mixed Methods Psychometric Validation Of The Microaggression Experiences Among University Women Of Color Scale, Kinjal Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to develop a measure of gender and racial microaggressions among university women of color (WOC). Microaggressions are conceptualized as verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights that can be intentional or unintentional, but communicate derogatory messages towards a group of marginalized people. Despite many qualitative, legal, and narrative reports of microaggressions against university WOC, there are no validated measures specific to the experiences of WOC in academic settings. This study attempts to fill that gap by creating and testing the factor structure of a measure of microaggressions experienced by university WOC. Phase I of …

The Health Implication And Application Of Silver And Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Sahar Pourhoseini

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have successfully created different nanomaterials, which are defined as materials with at least one dimension between 1-100 nm. This small size gives nanomaterials unique and novel properties compared with bulk material, such as a high surface area, specific mechanical, optical and magnetic properties. These novel properties have stimulated the interest of using nanoparticles in a wide range of consumer products and applications including biomedical, pharmaceutical and drug delivery. Silver and iron oxide nanoparticles attracted more attention commercially due to their antibacterial and magnetic properties, respectively. So, the overall objective of this dissertation was: 1) to examine the …

Regression Mixture Models: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Mixing Weights And Predictor Distributions, Phillip Sherlock

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on understanding how several data characteristics associated with the investigation of effect heterogeneity (i.e., mixing weights, predictor distributions, and the inclusion of covariates) affected enumeration and parameter recovery with regression mixture models. The inclusion of C on X paths, where the latent class, C, is regressed on the predictor, X, allows predictor means to vary across classes, at two points in the model building process—during and after enumeration—was of interest. This main aim was accomplished by comparing the correct enumeration rates and parameter coverage rates with and without freely estimated predictor means across classes for models with …

Risk And Resistance Factors For Depression And Anxiety Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Laura Reinman

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Depression and anxiety are common problems for adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is important to understand both risk and resiliency factors contributing to psychological outcomes among youth with SCD in order to prevent and effectively treat such problems. To better elucidate contributing factors to depression and anxiety among youth with SCD selected risk and resiliency factors from the risk-and-resistance model adapted for SCD were examined (Barakat, Lash, Lutz, & Nicolaou, 2006). The risk factor of fatigue and resistance/resiliency factors of cognitive appraisal of stress and self-concept are of focus because they have been understudied, and their temporal …

Proteomic And Genomic Evolution Of Phicbkviruses, Kiesha Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that there are 10³¹ phages in the global population. They continue to maintain their populations by undergoing 10²⁴ infections per second. Every time these phages replicate, there is potential for genetic exchange and mutations. Because of this potential, it has been assumed that phage evolution is heavily influenced by mosaicism. However, it is now clear that phage evolution varies by host type and phage type. Here, we use genomic and proteomic analyses to study the evolution of phages that infect Caulobacter crescentus. The study began by comparing six bacteriophage genomes that were larger than …

Regulation Of Arabidopsis Floral Organ Development By The Transcription Factor Aintegumenta-Like6, Jorman Heflin

Theses and Dissertations

Flowers, and the fruits and seeds they produce, are of great agricultural and economic importance. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that mediate the identity, size and arrangement of floral organs within the flower may allow us to tune these elements for increased crop productivity. I examine several potential regulatory targets of the Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 (AIL6) transcription factor that is involved in these processes and I identify protein-protein interactions that may mediate its activity in flowers. As described by the ABCE model, unique floral organ identities are specified in each whorl of the flower by different combinations of homeotic gene activities. Two …

Between Holy Russia And A Monkey: Darwin's Russian Literary And Philosophical Critics, Brendan G. Mooney

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is dedicated to the response of nineteenth-century Russian writers to the English naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. His theory was by no means the next discovery in a series of indistinguishable scientific discoveries; the fact that its implications touched every aspect of human social life was lost on no one, despite the fact that Darwin did not discuss human evolution in any detail. The Origin changed what it meant to be human: what Darwin’s readers took to be their place in the universe and how they ought to act with regard to both other …

Evaluating Impacts Of A Multilevel Resilience-Based Psychosocial Intervention On Mental Health Of Children Affected By Parental Hiv In China, Yanping Jiang

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Children affected by parental HIV are commonly exposed to multiple risk factors, including parental illness and death, other traumatic life events, HIV stigma, and poverty, all of which in turn put them at elevated risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes. Previous research has suggested the promise of psychosocial interventions in improving mental health for children affected by parental HIV through an integrated and multilevel resilience-based approach. However, there are few multilevel resilience-based interventions for this group, and the efficacy of such interventions on mental health outcomes has not been fully examined. Furthermore, very few studies have examined whether …

Feminist-Infused Participatory Action Research To Promote Female Students’ Self- Efficacy In Mathematics, Nicole Hreno

Theses and Dissertations

Prompted by the manifestations of decreased levels of mathematical self-efficacy among the female students in my district, the purpose of this study was to investigate the source of self-efficacy development that was most influential among our female students and engage in praxis to combat these gender inequities. Grounded in critical feminist theory, I engaged six teacher-researchers in participatory action research through qualitative methodologies. Using questionnaires to examine the worldviews of our female students, the emergent study was guided by these voices which were previously silenced. The interventions employed were a direct result of the females’ expressed mathematical experiences, leading us …

The Role Of The Gut Microbiome In Tumor Development And Response To 5-Fluorouracil In The Apc^Min/+ Mouse, Kristen Michele Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer related deaths. While CRC is initiated by mutations in critical tumor suppressor genes, its development and progression to malignancy is aided by host derived cells that are recruited to the tumor microenvironment (TME) and by cancer-associated microbiota that constitute the gut microbiome. Components of the gut microbiota have been shown to alter immune cell infiltration into tumors and influence response to therapy, disease stage, and patient survival. In previous studies, we found that ApcMin/+ mice, a model of early colon carcinogenesis, had reduced tumor …

The Effects Of Synchronous Online Course Orientation On Student Attrition, Rachel C. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

Online course offerings are becoming more abundant in post-secondary education; such is the case with science courses at Tidal Wave Technical College. Online courses bring many benefits to students including flexibility, convenience, and the ability to learn anywhere, anytime. However, despite these benefits many challenges are also associated with online course offerings including student attrition. Using a non-major biology course as the test model this research sought to trial one possible way to alleviate the problems associated with online learning by incorporating a synchronous online orientation. Data on student attrition, success, and perception was gathered to gain insight into the …

Energetic Consequences Of Human Impacts For Bioindicator Atlantic Ghost Crab (Ocypode Quadrata), Mustafa Remzi Gül

Theses and Dissertations

Human activities have caused notable changes in ecosystems globally over the past century, which cause substantial ecological issues. The degree of these ecological issues is often investigated using the responses of bioindicator species. Bioindicator species often reduce their population densities and individual sizes as a response to the human disturbance. Observing these variations in the demographics is often an effective way to measure the strength of the ecological changes. However, they do not provide any mechanistic reason (s) for the shifts in the demographics, which is important for making predictions about responses of the species to the future conditions. Therefore, …

Surrogate Formulation Based On Chemical Functional Group Analysis, Stuart Nates

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical kinetic characteristics of real fuels exhibit high-dimensional complexity due to the excessive number of molecules and molecular classes. As a method of projecting this high-dimensional complexity, which is pertinent to real fuels, to the low-dimensional description, either a surrogate approach or detailed experiments have been utilized, can guide the construction of chemical kinetic models for real fuel. Although the validity of the surrogate approach has been extensively demonstrated by a wide range of canonical experiments for whole fuel/air mixtures, the use of empirical fuel property indicators still worries whether or not the surrogate mixture truly captures the more complex …