Digital Commons Network^™

Seasonally Managed Connectivity Of An East Florida Mosquito Impoundment To Increase Emigration Of Juvenile Snook And Tarpon From The Nursery Habitat, Anthony Carl Cianciotto

Theses and Dissertations

Mangrove marshes are nursery habitats for juveniles of many fishes, including snook (Centropomus undecimalis) and tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), which are important recreational fisheries species in Florida. Thousands of acres of mangrove marshland in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) have been impounded for mosquito control. Most of these impoundments are under Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM), in which culverts connecting to the IRL are closed in the summer to control mosquito reproduction, and opened Oct-May to allow water exchange. We conducted a quantitative assessment of the emigration of juvenile snook and tarpon from the Bee Gum Point Nature Preserve impoundment in Vero …

Making Old Stories New In The Anthropocene: Reading, Creating, And The Cosmological Imagination In Darren Aronofsky's Noah, Kellianne Houston Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Darren Aronofsky's 2014 film Noah as a pattern for metafictionalizing narratives into thinking stories as we confront the uncertainty and challenges of the Anthropocene. While Ecocriticism has sought for the development and promotion of nature writing and environmentally oriented poetry and fiction- "new stories" that will shape a stronger environmental ethic"”it has placed too much responsibility for the environmental imagination on what we read rather than on the more important question of how we read. My argument addresses the readerly responsibilities that, if met, have the power to transform old stories and old habits of mind into …

Posthuman Maturation In Amie Kaufman And Jay Kristoff's Illuminae: Re-Conceptualizing The Human For Adolescence And Artificial Intelligence, Gregory Alaric Williams

Theses and Dissertations

In order to empower adolescents, this thesis examines how the adult conception of the human in humanism disempowers adolescents. This thesis examines this process in Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's Illuminae, a work of young adult science fiction with non-traditional text structures. In consequence of their disempowerment, the adolescent Kady and artificially intelligent AIDAN impersonate human authorities in order to gain control over their lives. When these attempts fail, Kady and AIDAN transition from a humanist conception of the human, as an isolated self that balances rationality and emotionality, to a posthuman conception of the human, a distributed self …

Metallization Of Self-Assembled Dna Templates For Electronic Circuit Fabrication, Bibek Uprety

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the deposition of metallic and semiconductor elements onto self-assembled DNA templates for the fabrication of nanodevices. Biological molecules like DNA can self-assemble into a variety of complex 2-D and 3-D architectures without the need for expensive patterning tools. In addition, self-assembled DNA templates can be designed to controllably place functional nanomaterials with molecular precision. These characteristics make DNA an attractive template for fabricating electronic circuits from biological molecules. However, electrically conductive structures are required for electronic applications. While metallized DNA nanostructures have been demonstrated, the ability to make thin, continuous wires that are electrically conductive still represents …

Informing The Use Of Hyper-Parameter Optimization Through Meta-Learning, Samantha Corinne Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

One of the challenges of data mining is finding hyper-parameters for a learning algorithm that will produce the best model for a given dataset. Hyper-parameter optimization automates this process, but it can still take significant time. It has been found that hyperparameter optimization does not always result in induced models with significant improvement over default hyper-parameters, yet no systematic analysis of the role of hyper-parameter optimization in machine learning has been conducted. We propose the use of meta-learning to inform the decision to optimize hyper-parameters based on whether default hyper-parameter performance can be surpassed in a given amount of time. …

The Mechanistic Requirements Of Passive H+ Import Through The Na, K-Atpase, Kevin S. Stanley

Theses and Dissertations

This work focuses on the elucidation of the mechanism of passive proton import through the Na,K-ATPase. This enzyme uses the energy in ATP hydrolysis to exchange three intracellular Na+ for two extracellular K+ to maintain ion gradients within the cell, and while in the absence of physiological external Na+ and K+, the phosphorylated externally open (E2P) conformation passively imports protons, generating an inward current (IH). Chapter one reports on the effects of intracellular cations and nucleotides to shift the Na,K-ATPase into the E2P conformation. We identified that a combination of either internal Na+ and ATP or K+ and Pi. In …

The Effect Of Behavioral Biases And Gender Differences On Portfolio Returns & Investment Decisions: An Experimental Approach, Noran Naiem El Kashef

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the effect of risk attitude, confidence and optimism behavioral biases on investment decisions and portfolio returns. The thesis methodology utilizes an experimental approach, whereby students compete through a semester long stock market simulation using the Stock-Trak simulation platform. Behavioral biases are examined through a behavioral biases diagnostic assessment completed by students during the trading period. Findings of this study show that both confidence and optimism biases have statistically significant impact on investors’ decisions and consequently affect investors’ portfolio returns. Findings also show that high confidence levels have positive impact on portfolio returns, on the other side, portfolio …

Mannose Binding Lectin In The Treatment Of Imiquimod Induced Psoriasis Mouse Model, Hagar Nofal

Theses and Dissertations

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Characterization Of Aggresome Formation In Choroid Plexus Carcinoma., Marwa Mohamed Ali Nassar

Theses and Dissertations

Protein misfolding is inevitable, 30% of newly synthesized polypeptides can end up misfolded, and such proteins are either refolded or eliminated by cellular quality control pathways. These pathways include the ubiquitin proteosome system and autophagy. In recent years, protein misfolding has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases such as diabetes, neurological disorders and cancer. Studies from our laboratory have shown that choroid plexus carcinoma tumors are characterized by the formation of aggresomes at the microtubules organizing centers (MTOC) in formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues. This was further confirmed by the development of choroid plexus carcinoma …

Discourses Around Nubians: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Egyptian Social Studies And History Textbooks, Nesma Assem Mansour

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to understand the Egyptian state's approach in handling diversity and inclusion in education and offer insights on possible improvements of the current social studies and history textbooks, the study explores the said and the unsaid about Nubian histories, culture, and struggles. The study deals with the representation of Nubians in two periods, the ancient dynastic period and the contemporary period. In the study, I started by a review of literature that helps in situating the analysis into historical, socio-cultural, and political contexts that are an integral part of conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). I followed this …

Transcriptional Response To Stressors In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Aya Abd Elsalam Galal

Theses and Dissertations

Stress is defined as any external force that can trigger a defensive response from an organism. In plants, stress is something that has been shown to affect plant reproduction and productivity by activating a defensive response. It can be caused by various things including but not limited to biotic or abiotic conditions such as temperature, drought or salt stress. Exposure to stress leads to the production of various transcriptomes that are governed by signals released as a result of the exposed stress. Arabidopsis thaliana is characterized by its inability to tolerate any form of extreme stress and given its status …

Three Spiritual Narratives: A Reading Of Hermann Hesse, Ibn Tufayl And Naguib Mahfouz, Muna Moataz Khattab

Theses and Dissertations

The current thesis examines how narrative form harmoniously coordinates the motif and the physical nature of the fabula to present three levels of the journey, the physical, the metaphorical and the narratological. This study offers a reading of three novels, Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan and Naguib Mahfouz’s The Journey of Ibn Fattouma. These novels are spiritual journeys that suggest how literature can be read as narrative. My use of narratology throughout this thesis engages the role of the fabula and the function of metaphor in the overall development of each novel. My analysis relies on the …

Investigating The Use Of Stance Markers In Egyptian And American Ma Theses: A Corpus-Based Study, Sandra Adel Mohamed Elfiky

Theses and Dissertations

This is a corpus-based study that investigates the use of stance markers in MA theses written by Egyptian and American graduate students. It is a descriptive and exploratory study, utilizing a quantitative and qualitative design. A compiled corpus of 15 Egyptian theses was examined and compared to that of 15 American theses in terms of the writers' use of stance markers. The study explored the use of self-mention through utilizing first person pronouns I, my, and me, and the more impersonal “it…that” structures and detected the patterns of the frequency and function of their use in both corpora. The findings …

Analysis Of The Thermal Stability Of Mercuric Reductase From The Hot Brine Environment Of Atlantis Ii In The Red Sea By Site-Directed Mutagenesis: Structural Interpretation Of Thermolabile And Enhanced Thermostable Mutants, Mohamad Maged Galal

Theses and Dissertations

The lower convective layer (LCL) of the Atlantis II (ATII) deep brine is a unique environment located in the central Red Sea at a depth of 2000-2200 meters. It is characterized by high salinity, temperature of 68οC and high concentrations of toxic heavy metals. Microbial community residing in the LCL of the Atlantis II deep brine have their cellular constituents evolutionarily adapted to their functions under these multiple environmental stressors. To cope with toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, and high temperature, microorganisms need a thermostable mercuric detoxification system. In this work, we analyze the properties of a mercuric reductase …

Translational Profiling Of Adipocytes Within Adipose Depots And Intermuscular Adipose Tissues, Sara Serag Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

The imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure elicited a worldwide problem, which is obesity. Obesity is associated with wide array of medical disorders not only limited to cardiovascular diseases, but also extended to include immune disorders, as well as some types of cancer. Hence, there is an indispensible need for identifying new therapies for tackling this serious health burden. The pathophysiological aspects of obesity include the storage of excess energy as fat droplets in adipocytes within adipose depots. Another less studied aspect of obesity is the increased fat storage ectopically in other organs such as skeletal muscle, liver, pancreas, …

Attitudes And Preferences About The Stepped-Care Model Of Depression Treatment In Oncology: A Pilot Study, Juliana Alessandra D'Onofrio

Theses and Dissertations

The current pilot study examines the feasibility of conducting a full-scale study that utilizes a survey-based cross-sectional methodological design. The purpose was to systematically explore the attitudes about the Stepped-Care (SC) Model of depression treatment, specific treatment preferences for depression, and client characteristics of a sample of women diagnosed with breast cancer. A total of 26 women were recruited from a breast cancer clinic located in the Northeastern United States. Preliminary results indicated that participants on average rated treatments within the SC Model as acceptable, tended to prefer step three (e.g. psychotherapy, medication, or a combined approach) or step two …

Enabling Pain, Enabling Insight: Opening Up Possibilities For Chronic Pain In Disability Rhetoric And Rhetoric And Composition, Hilary Selznick

Theses and Dissertations

In the dissertation “Enabling Pain, Enabling Insight: Opening up Possibilities for Chronic Pain in Disability Rhetoric and Rhetoric and Composition,” Hilary Selznick argues that pain is rhetorical, accessible, and communicable to those without the lived experience of chronic pain. Additionally, she argues for the necessity of considering chronic pain as a disability and not merely as a symptom of a disability. In order to make these arguments possible, Selznick crafts a political-relational-rhetorical methodology that challenges restrictive models of disability and theoretical and commonplace assumptions that pain is resistant to language. Specifically, Selznick’s methodology, which combines disability scholar and activist Alison …

Integrating Language And Content In Mainstream Biology Classrooms - The Experiences Of English Language Learners, Yasmeen Tawfik

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization has vastly enhanced the mobility of people and ideas, in turn changing the world’s educational landscape and increasing the proportion of nonnative English speakers within English learning environments. Although research exists on English Language Learner (ELL) pedagogies and on international education as two separate bodies, few studies have examined the experiences of ELLs learning science within the multicultural environment of international schools. The purpose of the study is to answer three questions: 1) ELLs experience the integration of language and content within mainstream science classes? 2) Which, if any, aspects of their classroom experience do they find problematic, and …

Considering The Body: Sexual Agency And Material Selfhood In Alex As Well, Karlie Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the tensions between intersex embodiment and trans* identity, intersex children and their parents, and the intimacies that come out of these relationships – which, I argue, are ultimately queer. Using queer, trans*, and intersex theory, as well as feminist new materialisms, I highlight the ways in which the imbrications of the material and the symbolic are presented in Alyssa Brugman’s contemporary Young Adult novel, Alex as Well. The goal of this analysis is to encourage a separation from binary thinking and explore the possibility of nonbinary identifications in literature – more specifically, literature with intersex …

Everything Nothing Something, Chris Spangler

Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an exploration of material concerns.

Identification Of Novel Nuclear Proteins Required For Meiotic Silencing By Unpaired Dna In Neurospora Crassa, Dilini Ralalage

Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental step that occurs during sexual reproduction is meiosis, which is a specialized type of cell division. During meiosis, pairs of chromosomes exchange genetic information via recombination. At this point, the genome is particularly susceptible to viruses and other foreign genetic invasions. Therefore, it is important to protect the genome to prevent the transmission of foreign genetic materials to the offspring. There are several mechanisms work together to protect host genome from foreign genetic materials. These are known as “genome defense mechanisms”.

The fungus Neurospora crassa is one of the best organisms for genome defense studies due to the …

Anticipations Of Kant In Coleridge's Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Raul Zachary Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy resonates in the works of one of the most important Romantic writers in history, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In chapter one of Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (1793), Kant diagnoses the human race as being radically evil; they raise selfish incentives of desire above the moral law. Kant also expresses that the human race cannot extirpate themselves of radical evil because they are frail, impure, and perverse. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a follower of Kant, seeks to remedy Kant’s diagnosis of radical evil in his works Aids to Reflection (1825) and Rime of the Ancient Mariner …

The Quest For Truth In A.S. Byatt’S Possession, Cristina F. Meza

Theses and Dissertations

By examining A. S. Byatt’s Possession, we can see that Byatt is showing the limitations of postmodern thought in examining historical works of literature, particularly in regards to women writers. The focus of this paper is on the novel’s critique of modern critical theories that conceptualize the text as being impossible to define or understand. This paper argues that Byatt satirizes her postmodern scholars to demonstrate the deficiencies of certain postmodernist principles such as the death of the author and the complete nullification of intended meaning and implicit truth. In order to show how Byatt satirizes the postmodern scholars in …

The Effectiveness Of The Flipped Classroom For Students With Learning Disabilities In An Algebra I Resource Setting, Ashley Butterick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was: (a) to examine the effectiveness of using the flipped classroom model to improve the academic scores of students with a specific learning disabilities (SLD), (b) to examine the effectiveness of using the flipped classroom to improve rates of homework completion by students with a SLD and (c) to evaluate student satisfaction and perception of the flipped classroom intervention. Five high school students, four males and one female, with a SLD participated in the study. A single subject ABAB design was used. During the baseline phases, students received Algebra I instruction through a traditional classroom …

The Effect Of Classwide Peer Tutoring On The Academic Performance And Critical Thinking Of Students With Learning Disabilities In An Urban Middle School Inclusion Social Studies Classroom, Andrew Robert Goulburn

Theses and Dissertations

This single subject study utilized an ABAB design to investigate the effect of Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) on vocabulary acquisition and critical thinking. Three special education students in an urban middle school social studies classroom participated in the study. During the intervention phases of this ten week study, students participated in CWPT sessions prior to taking ten questions quizzes consisting of eight vocabulary and two critical thinking questions. Students took turns performing the roles of tutor and tutee. The results of the present study demonstrated small growth in the group means for both vocabulary and critical thinking. Individual results varied …

Learning Behaviors And Academic Readiness Among Preschool Children In A Private School, Chelsea L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Prekindergarten programs have been designed with the purpose of improving children's academic skills and behaviors before the start of formal schooling (Howes et al., 2008). Previous research has determined that academic readiness in young children is influenced by the child's learning behaviors (Schaefer & McDermott, 1999). The study examined children's learning behaviors and academic readiness at the pre-Kindergarten year in a learning-centered private school in Southern New Jersey. Forty children were recruited from three separate classrooms and tested with the Bracken School Readiness Assessment-Third Edition (BSRA-3: Bracken, 2007) to assess their academic readiness. Learning behaviors of the children were assessed …

How Having A Child With Special Needs Affects Family Functioning In Families Of Different Types, Victoria Nascati

Theses and Dissertations

A number of children in the United States are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder each year. In the past several years, there has been an increase in this diagnosis. Along with this increase, there has been an increase in the variety of therapies, resources, and services available to children diagnosed with ASD. However, previous research has shown that there is a lack of resources for the parents and families of those children. The purpose of the current study is to gain insight into the daily lives of a family who has a child with Autism in order to assess the …

Using Conditioned Place Preference To Investigate Changes In The Rewarding Effects Of Running And Eating Following Activity-Based Anorexia, Daniella Plaksiy

Theses and Dissertations

We used conditioned place preference to investigate whether activity-based anorexia would enhance the rewarding effects of running, causing running to be more rewarding than eating. We found that food restricted mice showed a clear preference for the food-associated chamber, and a subset of activity-based anorexia mice preferred the wheel-associated chamber.

"Hippie Acid Freak Drag Queens:" Situating The Cockettes Within An Art Historical Context, Scott Dow

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis situates the Cockettes – a performance group rarely referenced in art historical discourse - within Bay Area performance art, second-wave feminist art, and the Gay Liberation Movement. Contextualizing the Cockettes within their contemporary art movements provides a new understanding of the group and emphasizes their significance to art history.

The Representation Of Fatherhood As A Declaration Of Humanity In Nineteenth-Century Slave Narratives, Andrea A. Dhanraj

Theses and Dissertations

While motherhood in slave narratives is widely discussed, black fatherhood is often overlooked. As is the case for enslaved mothers, fatherhood for enslaved men entailed its own unique challenges and needs. Enslaved men are both hyper-masculinized and put into positions of traditionally “feminine” subservience, where their ability to carry out their roles of provider and protector are hampered. For black fathers in slave narratives, fatherhood is a choice that is independent of social obligation or legal bonds, whereas white fathers within these texts shirk their emotional and social responsibilities to their families and are fathers in name and not much …