Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of The Quality Of Relationship Between Step-Children And Step-Parents Based On Address Term Usage, Sierra R. Payton

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine address term usage as a communicative component of blended/step-families by examining the address terms that step-children use to address their step-parent and whether address term usage can allude to the quality of relationship reported by step-children within the step-child step-parent relationship. Rowan University undergraduate students (n=67) were recruited to complete questionnaires on address term usage and quality of relationship using the Quality of Relationships Inventory (QRI). Address term usage was the independent variable and was measured using three levels: formal, familiar, and familial. Quality of relationship was the dependent variable and was measured using the …

Glaze Exploration Via Nostalgic Locations, Robert A. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

In my art practice, collecting materials from personally significant locations has become a way to subtly reconnect people with places, nature, natural materials and processes. I produce well-made objects, with the end goal of allowing the viewer to feel and interact with traditional forms of beauty through craft, which is increasingly rare in our mechanized world. Raw materials are a direct link to nature and earth, a link which people in general can benefit from in essential ways. The processes of collecting and using naturally occurring materials to form links between objects and places resembles human relationships, and the connections …

Cross-Lingual Diphthong Perception: A Simultaneous Eeg/Fmri Investigation, David Olonzo Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research indicates that humans develop a phonological library in infancy. As humans grow into adulthood, their phonological library becomes well established. Upon encountering phonemes from a new language, humans process these phonemes by comparison to their native phonological library. Event-related potentials (ERP), specifically the mismatch negativity, have been shown to indicate that this process of comparing non-native phonemes to our native phonological library is not improved through learning the new language as an adult. An alternative explanation may be that there is an underlying change in the neural generators as the non-native phonemes are learned, but that this change …

Repair And Adaptation Of Aged Skeletal Muscle To Nonpathological Muscle Damage: The Influence Of Macrophage Polarization, Jacob R. Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function is accompanied by a decline in regenerative capacity. The processes that facilitate healthy muscle repair are complex, involving several phases of degradation and rebuilding of muscle tissue and the surrounding microenvironment. Specifically, myogenic progenitor cells known as satellite cells are the most influential in repairing damaged muscle tissue. Following injury, satellite cells become activated and migrate, proliferate and fuse with mature skeletal muscle fibers to restore homeostasis to the tissue. However, satellite cells do not act in isolation, a robust inflammatory response is necessary to facilitate successful and rapid healing. Macrophages …

3d Printing For Microfluidics, Hua Gong

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on developing 3D printing as a fabrication method for microfluidic devices. Specifically, I concentrate on the 3D printing approach known as Digital Light Processing stereolithography (DLP-SLA) in which serially projected images are used to sequentially photopolymerize layers to build a microfluidic device. The motivation for this work is to explore a much faster alternative to cleanroom-based microfabrication that additionally offers the opportunity to densely integrate microfluidic elements in compact 3D layouts for dramatic device volume reduction. In the course of my research, an optical approach was used to guide custom resin formulation to help create the interconnected …

An Artful Habitat:Creating An Environment For Divergent Expression, Marilyn Edna Bambrough

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last century, teaching techniques and philosophies have changed extensively in the art classroom. Teaching methods have spanned a range that stretches from highly rigid, to self-expressive, more learner centered approaches. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest and research regarding the role of creativity in visual art education. This research project focused on the qualities of effective art instruction using elements from a number of historical ideologies, with the intent to study creative development in students. The research used a case-study methodology informed by a reflective, action research methodology. Research was used to determine effective …

Analyzing Codon Usage And Coding Sequence Length Biases Across The Tree Of Life, Justin B. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Although codon usage bias has been shown to persist through non-random mutations and selection, many avenues of research into the applications of codon usage bias have remained unexplored. In this dissertation, we present several new applications of codon usage bias and their practical uses in a phylogenetic construct. We first review the literature and provide background into other software applications of codon usage bias in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, we show that in tetrapods, codon aversion in orthologs is phylogenetically conserved. We further this analysis in Chapter 3 by exploring codon use and aversion across the Tree of Life, …

The Effects Of Exercise Training Intensities On Changes In Body Composition, Visceral Adipose Tissue, Adiponectin And C-Reactive Protein, Leslie E. Solis

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is currently characterized as a worldwide health pandemic. Despite many efforts to provide the optimal exercise prescription to obese and overweight individuals for maximization of fat loss and decreasing metabolic risks, findings in the literature continue to remain ambiguous. This investigation aimed to examine the effects of low- vs. high-intensity short-term training on body composition and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) under equivalent caloric expenditure in overweight and obese Hispanic adults of Laredo, Texas. Additionally, it aimed to analyze how changes in body composition and VAT affect serum levels of adiponectin and C-reactive protein (CRP),bioactive chemicals utilized in the detection …

Development Of Betulinic Acid Triazole Conjugates As Potential Anti-Cancer Agents, Gayathri Jampana

Theses and Dissertations

Betulin and betulinic acid are pentacyclic triterpenoid natural product isolated from the bark of birch trees. While betulin is abundantly available in the bark, betulinic acid is present in scarce quantities in nature. However, betulinic acid can be conveniently synthesized from betulin via simple redox manipulations. Betulinic acid shows selective cytotoxicity profile against cancer cells in vitro while being relatively safe for normal cells. One of the challenges for the clinical development of betulinic acid is its lack of aqueous solubility. The three key structural features of betulin/betulinic acid that have been routinely exploited for structural modifications to enhance their …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Series Of Vanadium ( Iv ) Complexes With The Kläui Ligand, Xiao Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Cyclopentadienyltris (dibutyl phosphito-P) cobaltate, {(C5H5)Co[(OR)2PO]3}– (R=Bu), is a tripodal ligand and also called Kläui ligand (R=Bu). The synthesis and characterization of several vanadium(III) and vanadium(IV) complexes containing Kläui ligand (R=Bu) as the catalytic models to catalyst the oxidation reaction of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) to 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone (3,5-DTBQ) are detailed here. Chapter II details the synthesis of the supersandwiches and Kläui ligand (R=Bu). Chapter III details the synthesis of vanadium monomeric complexes containing Kläui ligand (R=Bu). Chapter IV details the vanadium dimeric bridging complexes synthesized by different vanadium monomers from Chapter III. Chapter V details the catalytic activities of these vanadium complexes.

Investigating Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Reasoning When Learning Trigonometry Using The Line Segment Approach, Lawrence Ssebaggala

Theses and Dissertations

Review of the history of trigonometry content and pedagogy indicates the necessity and importance of trigonometry in the school curriculum (e.g., van Brummelen, 2009; van Sickel, 2011). For example, understanding trigonometric functions is a requirement for understanding some other areas of science, such as Newtonian physics, architecture, surveying, and several branches of engineering. Research indicates that teachers have a narrow and inadequate understanding of trigonometry, researchers (e.g., Hertel, 2013; van Sickel, 2011; Weber, 2005) posited that learning trigonometry in a way that fosters and advances quantitative reasoning can help alleviate difficulties faced in the teaching of trigonometry. Examining participants’ reasoning …

Studies On Lipid Metabolizing Genes In Yeast Aging And Longevity, Thomas Friedbert Hahn

Theses and Dissertations

Aging in eukaryotes is an extremely complex process associated with many different phenotypes. The aging process operates on many different scales or levels within an organism, from the molecular to a whole complex physiology. There are many different aging mechanisms, e.g. in yeast many different processes underlie chronological (measured in hours) lifespan and replicative lifespan (RLS) (measured in generations). To understand what causes aging and what occurs during aging, scientists have collected multiple sets of genome-wide data, such as transcriptomes, from the model organism, the budding yeast *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*. These data are especially valuable for the application of novel bioinformatic …

The Power Of Rhetoric In Game Of Thrones: How Gender And Language Reflect Character Development, Keely Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis draws connections between literary studies, gender studies, and rhetorical studies to analyze how gender and language reflect character development in Game of Thrones. In this thesis, I use the literary studies approach of close reading in conjunction with methodologies from Gender Studies and Rhetoric to analyze how gender and language inform character development in Game of Thrones. I propose that the female characters, particularly Cersei Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen, are far more successful than their male counterparts in terms of developing as characters and mastering the language around them, giving them access to social and political power.

True Believers: How An Unshakeable Faith Led To An Uncommon Future For Six Catholic Nuns, Susan Van Dusen

Theses and Dissertations

In 2007, six Sisters of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, were excommunicated from the Catholic Church due to their membership in a Canadian-based Marian devotional group called the Army of Mary. Using the style of literary journalism, this thesis tells the nuns’ life stories, from their childhoods and lifetimes of service to the Church through their willful decision to accept excommunication and the status of their lives more than a decade later. It also examines the Army of Mary, its controversial role within the Catholic Church, and the belief by its members that foundress Marie-Paule …

Using Machine Learning To Accurately Predict Ambient Soundscapes From Limited Data Sets, Katrina Lynn Pedersen

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to accurately characterize the soundscape, or combination of sounds, of diverse geographic areas has many practical implications. Interested parties include the United States military and the National Park Service, but applications also exist in areas such as public health, ecology, community and social justice noise analyses, and real estate. I use an ensemble of machine learning models to predict ambient sound levels throughout the contiguous United States. Our data set consists of 607 training sites, where various acoustic metrics, such as overall daytime L50 levels and one-third octave frequency band levels, have been obtained. I have data for …

The Role Of Antipodal Connectivity Structure On Cognitive Functions And Mental Disorders, Bayazit Karaman

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding physiological processes in the brain requires formal system models. Furthermore, connectivity is a core component of such models. According to recent studies, 70% of all information within the cortical regions in the brain passed through only 20\% of information processing nodes, commonly referred as "Connector Hub Nodes" (CHNs). Knowledge of these CHNs not only help to understand the information processing behavior of the cortex but also reveals the impact of neurogenerative diseases that affect the functional brain connectivity. CHNs have been previously identified using functional magnetic resonance imaging (f-MRI) method, however, we believe that Electroencephalography (EEG), despite its low …

Surviving The Hells Of Loud Isolation - A Childhood To Forget: A Memoir, Janelli Cofey

Theses and Dissertations

This memoir is a collection of essays that look at the childhood of Janelle Cofey. Each essay revolves around her experiences with parental figures at various stages in childhood. She takes you on a narrative journey as a foster child coping with the aftermath of her father’s death, mother’s addiction and other subsequent parental figures abuse and addictions. She explains how she endured her circumstances with reading, writing, and the love for her siblings. Janelle details how watching her parental figures has shaped her own life and parenting style and has provided her with the knowledge of knowing the importance …

Sex Offending Patterns Of Convicted Male Sex Offenders Who Were Sexually Victimized During Childhood: A Qualitative Study, Mollee Katherin Steely

Theses and Dissertations

The cycle of violence hypothesis assumes individuals who are subjected to abuse as children have an increased probability of becoming sexual abusers in the future. This hypothesis has frequently been applied to the etiological development of sex offending. The majority of existing literature has focused on long-term consequences of child sexual abuse for females, neglecting how sexual victimization can affect males. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between adult male sex offenders and their abusers in efforts to understand their experiences with sexual abuse. Data was derived from 40 interviews with adult male sex offenders …

Measuring Misconduct: A Theoretically Integrated Examination Of The Correlates Of Inmate Misconduct In A State Prison System, Jacob M. Laan

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the differential influence of imported inmate characteristics, the deprivations of the prison environment, and situational determinants on inmate misconduct. Using a systematic, iterative model-building process, this study also investigates and provides support for alternative measurement and operationalization strategies for several key constructs used throughout misconduct literature. Finally, this study employs both single equation models and hierarchical generalized linear models to demonstrate not only the variable influence of certain predictors, but also the importance of context.

Nanofluidic Applications Of Silica Membranes, John Michael Stout

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents membrane development applicable in nanofluidic devices. These membranes can also be termed suspended thin films, supported on two or more edges. I first discuss motivation and background for developing these structures. Then I derive the formative principles for nanofluidic systems. Following the derivation of the Navier-Stokes and Washburn equations, I discuss applying these theories to planar nanofluidic capillaries and finish the derivation by discussing the forces that drive liquid flow in nanochannels. I next discuss the membrane development process, starting with my work in static height traps, and develop the concept of analyzing nanoparticles using suspended membranes. …

Development And Use Of Lipidomics And Proteomics Methods To Identify And Measure Pro-Survival Metabolic Pathways In Cancer, Monique Merilyn Speirs

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout society’s continual war against cancer, we have attempted pharmacological intervention only to find that tumors develop modes of resistance. It is well known that genetics play an integral role in cancer. Technological advances have greatly improved our ability to study cancer biochemistry beyond the genome by measuring changes in the expression and activity of RNA, proteins, and lipids in experimental models and human patients. As our techniques and technology to perform cancer research progresses, it is becoming more evident that cancer cells develop stress tolerance mechanisms at multiple levels within the central dogma, including altering mRNA expression, enzyme concentrations, …

The Impact Of Social Desirability On An Individual’S Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp) Score, Alexander James Kiss

Theses and Dissertations

The Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP), developed by Miller (2000), was derived from the 16PF and purports to measure an individual’s ability to accurately assess his or her own self-knowledge. The scores from the SAPP are derived from calculating the absolute value of the difference between the individuals predicted scores on the 16PF, and the individual’s actual scores on the 16PF. The present study aimed to determine if individuals with lower SAPP scores were influenced by social desirability, and if social desirability perception differs by gender. Archival data of 607 individuals was organized into 150 low scoring SAPP individuals …

Time Sensitive Functionals Of Marked Random Measures In Real Time, Kizza M. Nandyose Frisbee

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study marked random measures that model stochastic networks (under attacks), status of queueing systems during vacation modes, responses to cancer treatments (such as chemotherapy and radiation), hostile actions in economics and warfare. We extend the recently developed time sensitivity technique for investigating the processes’ behavior about a fixed threshold to a novel time sensitive technique in three important directions: (1) real-time monotone stochastic processes; (2) two-dimensional signed random measures; and (3) antagonistic stochastic games with two active players and one passive player. The need for the time sensitive feature in our study (i.e., an analytical association …

Thermochemical Conversion Of Biomass: Detailed Gasification And Near-Burner Co-Firing Measurements, Jacob B. Beutler

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing emphasis on mitigating global climate change (global warming) over the last few decades has created interest in a broad range of sustainable or alternative energy systems to replace fossil fuel combustion. Biomass, when harvested responsibly, is a renewable fuel with many uses in replacing fossil fuels. Cofiring biomass with coal in traditional large-scale coal power plants represents one of the lowest risk, least costly, near-term methods of CO₂ mitigation. Simultaneously, it is one of the most efficient and inexpensive uses of biomass. Alternatively, biomass can be transformed into useful products through gasification to produce clean syngas for …

Exploring Machine Learning Techniques To Improve Peptide Identification, Fawad Kirmani

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this work is to improve proteotypic peptide prediction with lower pro- cessing time and better efficiency. Proteotypic peptides are the peptides in protein sequence that can be confidently observed by mass-spectrometry based proteomics. One of the widely used method for identifying peptides is tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The peptides that need to be identified are compared with the accurate mass and elution time (AMT) tag database. The AMT tag database helps in reducing the processing time and increases the accuracy of the identified peptides. Prediction of proteotypic peptides has seen a rapid improvement in recent years for …

Impact Of Explicit Instruction Using Culturally Relevant Texts In Reading On Student Confidence, Wendy Harriford Platt

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes an action research question focused on how explicit instruction in reading, coupled with culturally responsive teaching, can affect the confidence levels of African-American male ninth graders regarding their reading comprehension abilities. The research question seeks to illustrate the benefits of using explicit instruction in the context of materials seen as relevant by the student to unpack each step of the reading comprehension process thereby engaging students who otherwise view reading as a streamlined, passive process; it also uses teacher modeling to show how to increase reading comprehension, Also, classroom instruction on the secondary level makes use of …

Impacts Of Natural And Anthropogenic Colonized Habitats On The Range Shifting Mangrove Tree Crab (Aratus Pisonii), Zachary John Cannizzo

Theses and Dissertations

Mis-matches in climate-mediated shifting rates cause the ranges of some species to become decoupled from their historic ecosystem, leading to the colonization of ecosystems they have not previously inhabited. When this occurs, the shifting species may experience suboptimal conditions which challenge its ability to persist and expand into the novel ecosystem. However, within the colonized ecosystem, shifting species may encounter artificial habitat analogues: artificial habitats that more closely resemble the species’ historic ecosystem than the surrounding habitat and which mitigate some of the negative impacts experienced elsewhere in the novel ecosystem. Despite their importance to the ecology, life history, and …

Turning Up Antitumor Immunity Against Breast Cancer, Johnie Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in spite of significant advances in treatment and emphasis on early diagnosis. While treatment of localized disease is often successful, metastatic breast cancer, especially of the triple negative molecular subtype, carries a much poorer prognosis. The significant role of the immune system in the progression from localized to metastatic disease is becoming more and more appreciated. Tumor escape from immune surveillance and immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment have become therapeutic targets in addition to the traditional goals of directly killing …

The Association Of Hospital Practices To Breastfeeding Behaviors In South Carolina: Analysis Of 2013-2015 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Prams) Data, Larisa Donnette Bruner

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether hospital practices are associated with breastfeeding initiation and breastfeeding duration for ≥10 weeks.

Methods: We analyzed the 2013-2015 South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data. The population of interest was mothers who delivered a single live birth in the hospital. The infant was alive and living with the mother at the time of the survey. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to examine breastfeeding initiation and duration among all women who delivered in a hospital and those who stated that they initiated breastfeeding while in the …

Development Of A Fluorescence Imaging Photometer-Based Method For Characterization Of Phytoplankton Communities, Cameron Maxwell Rekully

Theses and Dissertations

The development of methods for real-time characterization of phytoplankton community structure has important implications for environmental monitoring and the prediction of harmful algal blooms. Our research group has developed an instrument, the Fluorescence Imaging Photometer (FIP), which is capable of rapid classification of phytoplankton via imaging single-cell chlorophyll a fluorescence under different excitation conditions. Discrimination of cells from different taxonomic groups is achieved using optical bandpass filters that have been chosen to selectively excite pigments which occur in characteristic ratios that vary from one group to the next. The relative fluorescence intensity emitted by cells under these different excitation conditions …