Digital Commons Network^™

Sympathy For The Devils: An Analysis Of The Villain Archetype Since The Nineteenth Century, Michel Martin Del Campo

Theses and Dissertations

The portrayal of villains has changed dramatically since the late nineteenth century. Modern villains are not necessarily punished, and they are presented as relatable or at the very least sympathetic. An analysis of the major events that shook the Western World in the last century reveals a pattern that links the classical style villain to the modern anti-villain via sociological and cultural changes. The Victorian period showed the West that the British Empire was not eternal and could be threatened. Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula represented these fears and forced the Victorians to reexamine everything from their belief in …

Elucidating The Molecular Parameters And Mechanism Of Homology Searching During Meiosis In Neurospora Crassa, Nicholas Adam Rhoades

Theses and Dissertations

Integration of foreign DNA into a host genome is often detrimental to the host organism, as the DNA is often of viral or transposon origin. Many organisms have established DNA surveillance and genome integrity mechanisms to defend against these harmful DNA insertions. Neurospora crassa, a filamentous fungus belonging to the Ascomycota group, has several DNA defense mechanisms to combat foreign DNA integration to its genome. One such mechanism is Meiotic Silencing of Unpaired DNA (MSUD). During meiosis, this remarkable system can detect unpaired genes on homologous chromosomes during sexual reproduction and silence their expression throughout meiosis. In order for the …

High Throughput Analysis Of The Penetration Of Iron Oxide/Polyethylene Glycol Nanoparticles Into Multicellular Breast Cancer Tumor Spheroids, Jonathan Robert Gabriel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design and optimize a system for the high-throughput analysis of multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS), and validate the system through the study of a complex biological model. The system was successfully created and optimized, allowing the histological recovery of MCTS at rates up to 90% for microarrays of 24-spheroids. Arrays of 96-spheroids were recovered at rates up to 86%. The system was used to study the penetration of 5k Da-polyethylene coated superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (5k-PEG SPIONs) into HTB-126 breast cancer spheroids cultured to a mean diameter of 486 micrometer (± 25.2 micrometer). Results were …

Modeling The Influence Of El Niño On Parasite Transmission In Sand Crab Populations And Seabird Abundance Along The Californian Coast, Aboubacar Dio Seck

Theses and Dissertations

Pacific mole crabs (Emerita analoga) are one of the most important and abundant

invertebrates in sandy beach environments. Consequently, they are a common food source

for seabirds and sea otters. Since the mole crab serves as the primary intermediate host for

acanthocephalan parasites, they have been linked to a number of mortality events. It is

currently estimated that 13-16% of deaths in the threatened California sea otter population

have been caused by infection. In addition, unusually high loads of acanthocephalan

parasites have been linked to episodic deaths of thousands of surf scoters. Studies suggest

that acanthocephalan development and transmission may …

Bidirectional Relations Between Prosocial Behavior And Self-Regulation Across Adolescence, Madison Kate Memmott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to take a multidimensional perspective to prosocial behavior and self-regulation by analyzing longitudinal, bidirectional relations between prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends, and family members and behavioral, cognitive, and emotional dimensions of self-regulation across adolescence. Participants included reports from 500 adolescents (age Time 1 = 12, Time 2 = 14, Time 3 = 16, Time 4 = 18; 52% female, 77% European American) taking part in the Flourishing Families Project. Nine cross-lagged panel models were conducted analyzing longitudinal associations between each target of prosocial behavior and each dimension of self-regulation. Results revealed that in early …

Response To Drought Of A Stream Fish Assemblage In A High Elevation Stream In The Intermountain West, Richard M. Simkins

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most influential disturbances for stream fish assemblages is large-scale declines in flow caused by periods of drought. Although stream characteristics are known to influence the response of stream fishes to drought, we asked if ecological traits of stream fishes determine, in part, their population level response to drought. To test for ecological trait-based responses to drought in a stream fish assemblage, we quantified species abundances over a period of 5 years that represented a wet to dry period. We sampled stream fishes in Yellow Creek, Wyoming, USA, a high elevation stream dependent on snow-storage for most of …

Vetë-Shërimi I Betonit Me Anë Të Baktereve, Endrit Koçinaj

Theses and Dissertations

Betoni është materiali më i përdorur në botën e ndërtimit. Rezistenca e lartë në shtypje dhe çmimi i lirë e bëjnë atë shumë të kërkuar në botën e ndërtimit. Humbja e vetive kryesore të tij dhe paraqitja e plasaritjeve janë probleme që kërkojnë studime të vazhdueshme. Kjo temë studion përmirësimin e performancës së betonit me ndihmën e baktereve të ndryshme pas paraqitjes së plasaritjeve. Përdorimi i baktereve në beton, ka arritur në zhvillimin e një betoni të posaçëm që arrinë t’i mbyll plasaritjet vetëvetiu me aktivizimin e këtyre baktereve. Hulumtimet e deri tanishme na kanë dhënë rezultate shumë të mira. …

To What Extent Is There A Relationship Between Middle Grades Educator Stressors And Phases Of The Career Teacher?, Jessica Joy Morris

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of teacher stress is an international area of concern. The primary means of gathering this work-related stress data from educators however, has been quantitatively with participants in elementary or secondary sectors, with little comparative data recorded for middle grades teachers. Along with this shortage of middle school educator stress data, is the rarely investigated variable of phases of the career teacher as it relates to middle grades educator stress. The intention of this research is to investigate the relationship between middle grades educator stress and phases of the career teacher.

A sequential mixed methods research approach was utilized …

Acylation Of Superoxide Dismutase 1 (Sod1) At K122 Alters Sod1 Localization And Sod1-Mediated Inhibition Of Mitochondrial Respiration, Nathan William Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1), is a ubiquitous antioxidant enzyme with several emerging roles outside of its canonical function. SOD1 is also emerging in central roles in cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies. Little is known about SOD1 regulation, particularly at a post-translational level. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an important role in enabling proteins to rapidly respond to their environment. Therefore, identifying specific PTMs involved in protein regulation represents a powerful opportunity to interfere with any associated pathologies. This work employs proteomics to identify mechanisms of post-translation regulation on cell survival signaling proteins. We focused on SOD1, which protects cells from oxidative stress. …

Differences In German Youth Gender Ideologies: The Relationship Between Family Structure And Doing Gender, Alyssa Jane Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

Gender ideologies, which are constantly changing, are important for many outcomes in life, but the majority of gender ideology research focuses mainly on adults. Past research studying adult gender ideologies finds that adults' current relationship status affects their ideologies. For instance, divorced adults hold egalitarian ideologies more than stable married adults do (Davis, Greenstein and Marks 2007). Researchers attribute this finding to the types of gender behaviors adults perform with their partner or alone. What about youth? Understanding how these ideologies develop earlier in life is important, yet research rarely focuses on youth gender ideologies or their development. My research …

Co-Localization Patterns Of Aquaporin-4 With Amyloid Beta And Cd68 In Alzheimer's Disease And Cerebrovascular Disease, Anthony Bryan Crum

Theses and Dissertations

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a key component in maintaining proper glymphatic flow. In recent years, the glymphatic system has been discovered and approached as a major factor in amyloid plaque clearance in Alzheimer's disease. This study examines the depolarization of AQP4 from the astrocytic endfeet and subsequent co-localization with amyloid plaques in the hippocampus and subiculum. Results show a significant pattern of co-localization in advanced Alzheimer's disease, as well as increases in AQP4 in cerebrovascular disease. This pattern shows AQP4 should be approached as a promising therapeutic area in future research.

Perceived Effects Of Open Textbook Usage On Secondary Science Classroom Practice, Stacie Lee Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Open Educational Resources (OER) provide openly licensed alternatives to commercial instructional materials. Proponents of K-12 OER suggest that their benefits include cost savings, increased access, improved quality, and increased teacher professionalism or empowerment. While the small body of K-12 OER research is growing, perceived benefits of K-12 OER usage have not yet been proven. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand whether certain potential benefits were being realized by a group of secondary teachers using open science textbooks. In surveys and interviews, teachers were asked to describe their classroom practice before and after adopting an open textbook, including …

Do Adults Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders Have An Advantage In Real-World Visual Search Tasks?, Nicholas Charles Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often perform better than typically developing (TD) individuals in simple, albeit difficult, visual search tasks. This ability is often attributed to a lack of drive for coherence or superior local processing. We compare thirty adults with ASD with forty-nine TD individuals and twenty-seven adults with anxiety (ANX) across two real-world visual search tasks. Individuals had to find either a number superimposed over a real-world scene ("œno context" condition) or an object located in a contextually relevant location ("œcontext" condition). Each participant completed forty-one trials in each condition, each with a unique scene. Eye movements …

Adapting Dracula: The Afterlives Of Stoker's Memes In Nosferatu (1922) And Dracula (1979), Ian Duncan Mcarthur

Theses and Dissertations

Dracula is a narrative that has risen above its own origins, having been translated and adapted across mediums it has inundated culture with vampires. However, with each adaptation the narrative and characters adapt into something new. This study is interested in the mechanism behind this evolution and argues that memes and, and their interpretations, are largely responsible for these shifts across adaptations. Three memes, in particular, tend to be adapted in films of Dracula. They include Dracula's appearance, Mina's empowerment, and the nature of the bite that they share. This analysis covers how these memes functioned in Stoker's original …

Correlates Of Risky Sexual Behavior In The People's Republic Of China, Kersti A. Spjut

Theses and Dissertations

Risky sexual behaviors, or behaviors with the risk of an adverse health outcome, are on the rise. Rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are also on the rise. Research suggests that several variables are closely related to human sexual behavior, namely sexual attitudes, sexual knowledge, and gender. Individuals with more permissive sexual attitudes tend to engage in riskier sexual behaviors. Studies examining the relationship between sexual knowledge and risky sexual behavior show both positive and negative associations. Although risky behaviors can occur between partners of any gender, the present study focuses on heterosexual relationships.The present study uses data from a …

Comparing The Awl And Avl In Textbooks From An Intensive English Program, Michelle Morgan Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Academic vocabulary is an important determiner of academic success for both native and non-native speakers of English (Corson, 1997; Gardner, 2013; Hsueh-chao & Nation, 2000). In an attempt to address this need, Coxhead (2000) developed the Academic Word List (AWL)—a list of words common across a range of academic disciplines; however, Gardner & Davies (2014) identified potential limitations in the AWL and have more recently produced their own list of core academic vocabulary—the Academic Vocabulary List (AVL). This study compares the occurrences of the AWL and AVL word families in an intensive English program (IEP) corpus of 50 texts to …

Sentence-Level Construction Methods: Skills Taught Are Skills Used, Susan Allsop Shelton

Theses and Dissertations

The findings of this study predict that students who utilize five specific sentence constructions on timed single-draft writing compositions will have higher holistic scores than students who do not utilize the specific constructions. Students in the treatment group who were taught to use the five constructions through thorough and consistent instruction in a semester length first year writing course showed statistically significant gains, 4.698 points on a 0-18 scale, based on comparison of pre-test and post-test writing samples. The findings suggest that specific style instruction at the sentence level should be part of the first year writing course curriculum, and …

Role Of Terrestrial Organic Matter In Food Webs Of The Rocky Intertidal Zone, Douglas O. Fairbanks

Theses and Dissertations

Terrestrial organic matter (TOM) constitutes an important source of energy in many aquatic environments (streams, lakes, wetlands). This is the first study to examine the role of TOM in food webs of the rocky intertidal zone. We compared the consumption of red alder leaves (Alnus rubra) to common marine sources of drifting detritus along the southern Oregon coast (Nereocystis luetkeana, Phyllospadix spp., and Fucus gardneri). We used short term (hours to days) and long term (months) feeding experiments to compare the rate of consumption among each plant species during the Spring and Fall of 2014 …

Family Environments And Children's Cognitive Skills: Accounting For Heritable Influences Through Comparing Adopted And Biological Children, Shelby Mae Mcneill

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing ECLS-K:2011 data, this study compares adopted and biological children to account for the role of heritable characteristics in explaining the relationship between family environments and children's cognitive skills. I find that cognitive skills do not differ across adopted and biological children after adjusting for the systematic differences between them. I also find that the relationship between family environment and children's cognitive skills does not differ across adopted and biological children. Taken together, these results suggest that the relationship between family environment and children's cognitive skills is not spurious.

Marital Quality And Cardiovascular Risk In Women During The Menopausal Transition, Tracy E. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Marital quality is linked to health benefits for men and women. Although women have less risk factors than men for cardiovascular disease prior to menopause, their risk increases substantially after menopause. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of marital quality and vasomotor symptoms on cardiovascular risk factors including C-reactive protein (CRP) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in women before, during, and after the menopausal transition. The final sample consisted of 92 married women between the ages of 40 and 60 years. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression and general linear modeling. Results suggest that greater marital …

The Relationship Between Auditory Habituation And Anxiety In Autism Spectrum Disorder, David Nicholas Top

Theses and Dissertations

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have atypical sensory processing and behaviors including sensory sensitivity and low registration of sensory stimuli as well as sensory seeking and avoiding behaviors. Additionally, many individuals with ASD have clinically distressing levels of anxiety. Previous research suggests that there is a link between abnormal sensory processing, anxiety, and ASD. The purpose of this study was to experimentally observe auditory sensory processing using pupillometry methods, between ASD, control, and high-anxious control groups. While a difference in tonic pupil size was observed, there were no reactivity or habituation differences between the groups. There were no …

Survivors' Perceptions Of Support Following A Parent's Suicide, Suzanne Nicole Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Children who experience a parent's death by suicide are a vulnerable population at risk for emotional and mental health issues as well as suicide attempts (Cerel, Fristad, Weller, & Weller, 1999; Kuramoto et al., 2010; Wilcox et al., 2010). Yet, in spite of the knowledge that effective postvention is in reality prevention (Cerel et al. 2008), relatively little is known about these children and adolescents, particularly regarding their experiences following the suicide. The current research study investigated which resources, assistance, and actions of those around the child were perceived as most helpful and unhelpful following the parental suicide. Through semi-structured …

Thermal Consolidation Of Dredge Sand For Artificial Reef Formations, Alexandro Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

Coral Reef ecosystems have degraded over years due to a variety of environmental issues such as ocean acidification. The continuous stress has detrimental effects on coral reef ecosystems that can possibly lead to the loss of the ecosystem. Our research aims to construct a prototype of an artificial reef by consolidating dredge sand from the ship channels of South Texas. Consolidation is achieved through an aluminum polytetrafluoroethylene self-propagating high temperature process that yields a solid formation to mimic the physical properties of coral reef structures. Using thermodynamic calculations, the variation of initial components was determined that reached an adiabatic temperature …

Oxidative Insults Disrupt Mitochondrial Dynamics, Iraselia A. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria form an organellar network to provide ATP to the cell. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) combines with nuclear DNA to encode polypeptides critical to forming the complexes of oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondrial inner membrane, which generate a transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) to synthesize ATP. This ΔΨm is required to maintain mitochondria fission/fusion dynamics: organellar fusion (mediated by OPA1) and fission events (mediated by DRP1) coordinately regulate mitochondrial dynamics. While oxidative stress correlates with mitochondrial dysfunction, it is unclear how oxidants affect mitochondrial structure/function homeostasis. This project seeks to establish and examine the impact of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on mitochondrial dynamics. …

Removal Of Lead And Arsenic From Aqueous Solution By Biochar Produced From Locally-Sourced Biomass, Sergio I. Mireles

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of four adsorbent materials, pyrolyzed corn stover, orange peel, pistachio shell, and magnetic biochar for their ability to adsorb lead (Pb) and arsenic (As III, As V) from aqueous solution. An increase in adsorption was seen as the pH of the solution increased from pH 2 to pH 6. Magnetic orange peel biochar with Fe3O4 particles precipitated on the surface of biochar was synthetized by co-precipitation and used for arsenic adsorption. Initial pH value had an influence on the adsorption behavior of As (III) and As (V). In the pH range of 2–6, As (V) …

Exploring Bilingual Teachers' Beliefs About Academic Language Development In Mathematics Teaching: Implications For Bilingual Teachers' Professional Development, Viola Canales-Vela

Theses and Dissertations

The achievement of mathematics within Hispanic youth is of great concern across the nation. In order to improve student achievement in mathematics, the nature of a mathematics teacher’s complex belief system must be understood (McGee &Wang, 2014). The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to investigate the K-5 bilingual teachers’ beliefs about how to develop the academic language of mathematics in Spanish and English in the context of dual language programs at the elementary school level and bilingual teachers’ perceptions on the impact of professional development design for bilingual teachers to meet the needs of their students’ academic language …

Effectiveness Of The Flipped Classroom Model In Anatomy And Physiology Laboratory Courses At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Gerardo Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

A flipped laboratory model involves significant preparation by the students on lab material prior to entry to the laboratory. This allows laboratory time to be focused on active learning through experiments. The aim of this study was to observe changes in student performance through the transition from a traditional laboratory format, to a flipped format. The data showed that for both Anatomy and Physiology (I and II) laboratories a more normal distribution of grades was observed once labs were flipped and lecture grade averages increased. Chi square and analysis of variance tests showed grade changes to a statistically significant degree, …

Fundamental Studies And Applications Of Ambient Plasma Ionization Sources For Mass Spectrometry, Wade C. Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

The field of ambient desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (ADI-MS) has existed for over a decade. ADI-MS is a technique that offers benefits including fast analysis time, simple ionization sources that are easily constructed, and little to no required sample preparation. The research presented here describes efforts to better understand plasma-based ADI-MS sources and to explore the use of hydrogen-doped plasma gases with these sources. The use of hydrogen-doped argon (H₂/Ar) and hydrogen-doped helium (H₂/He) as plasma gases for a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and an AC glow discharge is presented first. When using the DBD, the intensity …

Lithofacies And Sequence Architecture Of The Lower Desert Creek Sequence, Middle Pennsylvanian, Aneth, Utah, Chanse James Rinderknecht

Theses and Dissertations

Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) strata of the Lower Desert Creek (LDC) sequence within the sub-surface Greater Aneth Field (GAF) reflect a hierarchy of 4th and 5th order carbonate-dominated cycles. The Lower Desert Creek sequence, along the studied transect are composed of eight carbonate facies deposited on an east-facing shelf. There is a lateral transition from open marine algal buildup from the southeast (cores R-19, Q-16, O-16, and J-15) to a more restricted lagoonal environment to the northwest (core K-430 and E-313). The Lower Desert Creek sequence within the GAF contains three main parasequence sets: a basal, relatively deep-water unit (LDC 1), …

The Effects Of Income And Ethnicity On Health Outcomes Of Mexican Immigrant And Anglo Women, Andrea M. Debarros

Theses and Dissertations

The Hispanic Paradox is the finding that Hispanic immigrants living in the United States have better health than Anglo Americans despite being socioeconomically disadvantaged (Crespo et al., 1996; Stern et al., 1999; Sundquist et al., 1999; Dixon et al, 2000; Lariscy et al., 2015; Overton et al., 2015; Thomson et al., 2013). The literature surrounding the Hispanic Paradox has studied these effects primarily in Mexican-American Immigrant populations (Sundquist et al., 1999; Dixon et al, 2000; Lariscy et al.); however, additional research has found similar findings for various other Hispanic countries such as Cuba and Puerto Rico (Abraido-Lanza, A F. et …