Digital Commons Network^™

Interviewing Children About Repeated Events: Does Mental Context Reinstatement Improve Young Children’S Narratives?, Donna M. Drohan-Jennings

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined mental context reinstatement (MCR) as a technique to increase the quantity and accuracy of information provided by children during repeated-event narratives. Children (N = 46, 4-, 5- and 6-year olds) participated in four repeated laboratory activities and were interviewed 4-7 days later about the last occurrence with a control or MCR interview, including both a free narrative and specific questions about the events. Older children (6-year olds) provided a greater number of accurate instantiations (specific details) compared to 4-year olds. Five and 6-year olds reported a greater number of instantiations than 4-year olds, but this effect …

Effects Of Chlorpromazine On Feeding And Wheel Running On Rats With Acute Wheel Access, Graham Gregory Parfeniuk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is characterized by a self-imposed starvation and is often accompanied by excessive exercise that results in severe malnutrition and sometimes death. Behavioural and pharmacological treatments of AN need to be improved. In rats, acute 3 h daytime wheel access suppresses ad lib feeding over the subsequent night relative to no wheel controls, a phenomenon that has been suggested as an animal model of AN. This acute wheel induced feeding suppression (WIFS), can be induced reliably when rats are given limited wheel access exposure during the light cycle (Lattanzio & Eikelboom, 2003). The acute WIFS is useful because …

Reconstructing Sex: Women Having Sex With Women, Alixandra Holtby

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examines the experience of exclusion from the dominant understandings of sex for women who have sex with women, including queer, pansexual, bisexual, and lesbian women. Using ideas of the constructed nature of sex, particularly the use of sexual scripts (Simon & Gagnon, 1973), as well as the (hetero)sexist context in which these scripts are formed, qualitative interviews with 11 queer, pansexual, bisexual, and lesbian women were analyzed regarding their development of their understandings of what constitutes sex, their expectations and experiences of sex, their negotiation of desire and sexual identity, and their perspectives on sex between women and …

Two Sides To Every Trauma: The Role Of Posttraumatic Growth And Decline In Well-Being, Danay C. Novoa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research clearly demonstrates how traumatic events can damage psychological and physical health (Janoff-Bulman, 1992). However, Tedeschi and Calhoun (2004) argue that posttraumatic growth can also occur following adversity. Although largely well-received, their theory and the posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) have been critiqued as well. For instance, Wortman (2004) argues that Tedeschi and Calhoun give insufficient consideration to the negative consequences of traumatic events. Concurring with Wortman, we contend that the PTGI, constructed to measure only growth, does not allow participants the opportunity to report decline in any domain. This scale design may artificially inflate the apparent occurrence of posttraumatic growth …

Moustachioed Men And Marathon Moms: The Marketing Of Cancer Philanthropy, Jenna Leigh Jacobson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis is a theoretically based feminist critical analysis of the politics, problems, and differences around the philanthropy related to breast cancer in comparison to prostate cancer with a focus on the Canadian reality. It is an analysis of the leading national volunteer-based organization dedicated to breast cancer philanthropy: The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the only national foundation dedicated to the fight against prostate cancer: Prostate Cancer Canada. The concrete grounding is an in-depth analysis of the primary fundraising event for each charity: the CIBC Run for the Cure and Movember Canada. Breast cancer and prostate cancer attack a …

A Participatory Study Of The Nature Of Touch At L’Arche: Understanding Protective And Risk Factors To Develop And Approach To Safe And Respectful Touch For People With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsay Paige Buckingham-Rivard

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explored the use of touch in the L’Arche approach to care-giving for people with developmental disabilities. The intent was to explore the nature of touch, and the protective and risk factors of this alternative care setting, to promote a safe and respectful environment that enhanced protective factors and minimized risk. The author was interested in the scientific research on the value of touch, ethics in relationships with power differences, the prevention of abuse, and the prevalence of respectful expressive/affectionate touch between people with disabilities and their caregivers. The study engaged one L’Arche community in Ontario, Canada, through a …

Raising An Issue In A Relationship: I’Ll Tell You What’S Wrong, But Only If I Think It Will Help, Megan H. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

When we become dissatisfied with the actions of a close partner, we face a decision: to disclose our concerns to the other person (voice), or to instead remain silent. Past research suggests that degree of dissatisfaction and issue importance are not important predictors of this decision, however, research on communication in relationships points to the potential importance of outcome expectancies. Previous research has primarily focused on expectancies for relationship outcomes, however, and has yet to consider the relative contribution of expectancies for instrumental outcomes. Four studies assessed the hypothesis that instrumental expectancies are most important for how much a person …

A Time Series Analysis: Exploring The Link Between Human Activity And Blood Glucose Fluctuation, Eric A. Sadowski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis, time series models are developed to explore the correlates of blood glucose (BG) fluctuation of diabetic patients. In particular, it is investigated whether certain human activities and lifestyle events (e.g. food and medication consumption, physical activity, travel and social interaction) influence BG, and if so, how. A unique dataset is utilized consisting of 40 diabetic patients who participated in a 3-day study involving continuous monitoring of blood glucose (BG) at five minute intervals, combined with measures for sugar; carbohydrate; calorie and insulin intake; physical activity; distance from home; time spent traveling via public transit and private automobile; …

Microbial Community Characterization And Pathogen Analysis Within Constructed Wetlands Of Varying Scale Designed For Contaminant Removal, Michael R. Mitzel

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are complex treatment environments, requiring an integrative research approach to improve our understanding of them. The goal of this thesis was to establish an understanding of the functional and structural characteristics of microbial communities within bench-, field- and industrial-scale environmental treatment systems. The impact of pathogenic and/or antibiotic contaminants on these communities based on their functional and structural profiles using community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) and denaturing-gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), respectively, was investigated. Under normal operation, bench-, field- and industrial-scale treatment systems were able to produce similarly behaving structural and functional profiles. Increased retention time was consistently associated …

The Experience Of New Workers In The Field Of Child Welfare, Teena M. Shah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This qualitative study examines the experiences of 18 new child protection workers in Southern Ontario. The workers, who had 5 to 18 months experience in child welfare, were interviewed regarding their experiences of joining a child welfare agency. A follow up focus group was conducted with child protection supervisors. The study examined what motivated workers to join, their training experience, the rewards and supports and the overwhelming nature of the experience. The study illuminated the struggles that new workers experience in child welfare with respect to value and belief challenges. The study reflects on the implications of new worker experiences …

Interaction Between The Biotin Carboxyl Carrier Domain And The Biotin Carboxylase Domain In Pyruvate Carboxylase From Rhizobium Etli, Adam D. Lietzan, Ann L. Menefee, Tonya N. Zeczycki, Sudhanshu Kumar, Paul V. Attwood, John C. Wallace, W. Wallace Cleland, Martin St. Maurice

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate, an important anaplerotic reaction in mammalian tissues. To effect catalysis, the tethered biotin of PC must gain access to active sites in both the biotin carboxylase domain and the carboxyl transferase domain. Previous studies have demonstrated that a mutation of threonine 882 to alanine in PC from Rhizobium etli renders the carboxyl transferase domain inactive and favors the positioning of biotin in the biotin carboxylase domain. We report the 2.4 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of the Rhizobium etli PC T882A mutant which reveals the first high-resolution description of …

The Quantification Of Tooth Displacement, Thomas W. Radmer, L Thomas Johnson, Mingan Yang, Thomas Wirtz

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

By using reference points from a single pixel marker placed at the center point of the cuspid teeth and the center point on each of the incisor teeth, a polynomial curve was generated as a native curve for each dental arch studied. The polynomial curve generated from actual tooth position in each arch provides the forensic odontologist with another reference point that is quantifiable. The study represents that individual characteristics, such as tooth displacement, can be quantified in a simple, reliable, and repeatable format.

Effect Of Photobiomodulation On Vinblastine-Poisoned Murine Hers Cells, Brian D. Hodgson, B. Pyszka, Michele M. Henry, E. Buchmann, Harry T. Whelan

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of near-infrared (NIR) photobiomodulation on the proliferation and glutathione levels in murine Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS) cells after poisoning with vinblastine. Background: Photobiomodulation has been shown to improve wound healing in a number of animal models. There have been no studies on the effect of photobiomodulation on cancer-related chemotherapy injury to the cells that initiate tooth root growth. Materials and Methods: Control groups consisted of murine HERS cells without vinblastine (VB−) and cells with vinblastine at 10, 20, and 30 ng/mL (VB10, VB20, and VB30). Experimental groups consisted …

Moving Teeth Faster, Better And Painless. Is It Possible?, Jose A. Bosio, Dawei Liu

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Survival Rates Of Short-Span Implant-Supported Cantilever Fixed Dental Prostheses, Gary L. Stafford

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Data sources

Publications were sought using Medline, and searches were made by hand of the journals Clinical Oral Implants Research, International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Clinical Periodontology and the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, along with reference lists of identified articles.

Study selection

Titles and abstracts were initially screened by two independent reviewers to identify prospective or retrospective longitudinal cohort studies or controlled studies reporting on implant supported cantilever fixed dental prostheses (ICFDP) with a mean followup period of at least 5 years. A clinical examination had to be performed …

A Review Of Sex Determining Mechanisms In Geckos (Gekkota: Squamata), Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Geckos are a species-rich clade of reptiles possessing diverse sex determining mechanisms. Some species possess genetic sex determination, with both male and female heterogamety, while other species have temperature-dependent sex determination. I compiled information from the literature on the taxonomic distribution of these sex determining mechanisms in geckos. Using phylogenetic data from the literature, I reconstructed the minimum number of transitions among these sex determining mechanisms with parsimony-based ancestral state reconstruction. While only a small number of gecko species have been characterized, numerous changes among sex determining mechanisms were inferred. This diversity, coupled with the high frequency of transitions, makes …

Water Analysis For Emerging Environmental Contaminants, Xiaoliang Cheng

Masters Theses

"The presence of emerging environmental contaminants in water bodies used either as drinking water or for recreational purpose has received considerable attention in the recent years. The emerging environmental contaminants can be defined as a wide range of chemicals that have been determined in the environment which may present serious health risks for humans. The occurrence of these contaminants indicate that both household and industrial chemicals have been introduced to water resources, a wide variety of chemicals, such as disinfection byproducts, pharmaceutical and personal care products and so on, have been detected at cetiain levels in either water bodies or …

Between Scylla And Charybdis : How Does Race And Sexual Orientation Affect The Family Planning Process Of Interracial Queer Women-Identified Couples? : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Jaycelle Monsanto Basford-Pequet

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

In this cross-sectional qualitative study the intersection of race and sexual orientation in the family planning process of interracial queer women-identified (IQW) couples was examined. For total participants N = 13. Themes included the affirmative nature of the intentionality of the family planning process for IQW couples as well as the difficulties of assisted conception. Participants spoke to their relationship to their family of origin and their fears and visions regarding their own family formation, related to genetic heritage, language, and traditions. Support systems offered by family of choice and social networks were discussed, specifically the need for community mirroring …

Engaging Sources: Information Literacy And The Freshman Research Paper (Part I), Mark Emmons, Wanda Martin, Carroll Botts, Cassandra Amundson

LOEX Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Graded-Index Fiber Collimator Enhanced Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer, Yinan Zhang

Masters Theses

"In this thesis, we studied a fringe visibility enhanced extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) by fusion splicing a quarter-pitch graded-index fiber (GIF) fiber to the lead-in single-mode fiber (SMF). The performance of the GIF collimator is theoretically analyzed using a ray matrix model and experimentally verified through beam divergence angle measurements. The fringe visibility of the GIF-collimated EFPI is measured as a function of the cavity length and compared with that of a regular SMF-EFPI. At the cavity length of 500µm, the fringe visibility of the GIF-EFPI is 0.8 while that of the SMF-EFPI is only 0.2. The visibility enhanced GIF-EFPI …

Residential Energy Monitoring: Missouri S&T Solar Village Development, Christopher David Wright

Masters Theses

"As energy costs are rising, public and private sector groups are searching for improved energy efficiency technology. Research tools for predicting residential energy usage are lagging behind commercial developments. Missouri S&T has a unique and strong opportunity to strengthen its involvement in the development of residential energy research and knowledge. The S&T Solar Village, a collection of homes designed for energy efficiency and renewable energy, is poised to support this research. This thesis develops a design for residential energy evaluation and data collection of the four solar homes in the Village. The energy evaluation system identifies over 300 sensors and …

Application Of Life Cycle Assessment To Estimate Environmental Impacts Of Surface Coal Mining, Ofentse Ditsele

Masters Theses

"Coal plays an important role in meeting the energy needs of the World. Given its abundance and low cost, its use is bound to increase with the growing energy demand. Despite its importance, there are concerns over coal's environmental burdens. In order to extract and use coal in a sustainable manner, sustainability assessment has to be comprehensive. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides systematic and quantifiable measures for assessing environmental burdens of products and processes. Extensive LCA work has been done on coal use, particularly in electricity generation, but, the coal mining stage has been neglected, for the most part. This …

Use Of Supplemental Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus) Food By Non-Target Species, Gail Morris, L. Mike Conner, Madan K. Oli

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Do Karst Rivers “Deserve” Their Own Biotic Index? A Ten Years Study On Macrozoobenthos In Croatia, Biljana Rađa, Sanja Puljas

International Journal of Speleology

In this study we present the results of a ten year survey of the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna along four karst rivers: Jadro, Žrnovnica, Grab and Ruda, all of them situated in the Middle Dalmatia region of Croatia, in an attempt to construct the Iliric Biotic Index, which will be more applicable for the water quality analysis than the most frequently applied biotic index in Croatia, the Italian Modification of Extended Biotic Index. The rivers geologically belong to the Dinaric karst, unique geological phenomena in Europe. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected along each river at 15 sites by standard methods of sampling …

Fabrication Of A Memory Device Using Polyaniline Nanofibers And Gold Nanoparticles, Krunal R. Waghela

Masters Theses

"Fabrication of a memory device using one-step/one-pot synthesis for making a PANI (polyaniline)/Au nanocomposite is reported. Although various devices with horizontal and vertical electrode structures were made, the basic structure used consisted of a PANI/Au thin film sandwiched between two electrodes. The ratio of the current in the OFF state to the current in the ON state was seen to be as high as 5000. These devices showed a bistable behavior, which is typical of memory devices. The PANI/Au nanocomposite thin film was constructed right on the electrode using microfabrication techniques with ultraviolet irradiation. The fabrication techniques discussed in this …

Signal Analysis For Multiple Target Materials Through Wavelet Transforms, Rajat Pashine

Masters Theses

"Signal identification based on different sensing systems like microwaves, infra-red, x-rays and terahertz waves is one of the classic problems in signal processing. Earlier methods had relied mainly on the amplitude spectrum obtained by these sensing techniques mainly due to non-availability of the phase information for the signals. Most of them are based on techniques like absorbance spectrum that requires a reference material's signal for the test material's identification. They are also sensitive to noise and highly dependent on the peak detection algorithms. Modern equipments with both amplitude and phase information provide an opportunity for time-domain signal based methods that …

Energy Expenditure Analysis Of Redesigned Mechanical Assists For Medium Girder Bridge, Karthik Kumar

Masters Theses

"U.S. Army bridge crew soldiers perform tough manual material handling (MMH) tasks during the assembly of a Medium Girder Bridge (MGB). The bridge parts are very heavy and are manually lifted from pallets, carried to the construction site and assembled with other bridge parts. An energy expenditure study on the soldiers handling the bridge parts revealed that the energy expenditure rate of the soldiers exceeds the NIOSH prescribed safety limit of 3.5 Kcal/min. This leads to high risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The study deals with modifying the first redesign of mechanical assists for medium girder bridge (MGB) and studying the …

Stable Isotopes Reveal A Consistent Consumer-Diet Relationship Across Hundreds Of Kilometres, Mathew A. Vanderklift, Thomas Wernberg

Research outputs pre 2011

Characterising geographical variation in trophic interactions is an important step towards understanding the consequences of changes in food webs. We characterised geographical variation across ~1000 km in stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C) of the widely distributed sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma and macroalgae that are its potential food. Variation in δ15N of H. erythrogramma and macroalgae was typically greatest among locations separated by hundreds of km, while variation in δ13C was typically greatest among reefs separated by a few km. Geographical variation in δ15N and δ13C of H. erythrogramma was well-explained by variation in δ15N and δ13C of the kelp …

Redtnet: A Network Model For Strategy Games, Philip Hingston, Mike Preuss, Daniel Spierling

Research outputs pre 2011

In this work, we develop a simple, graph-based framework, RedTNet, for computational modeling of strategy games and simulations. The framework applies the concept of red teaming as a means by which to explore alternative strategies. We show how the model supports computer-based red teaming in several applications: realtime strategy games and critical infrastructure protection, using an evolutionary algorithm to automatically detect good and often surprising strategies.

Extensive Proteomic Screening Identifies The Obesity-Related Nyggf4 Protein As A Novel Lrp1-Interactor, Showing Reduced Expression In Early Alzheimer's Disease, Yuji Kajiwara, Sonia Franciosi, Nagahide Takahashi, Lisa Krug, James Schmeidler, Kevin Taddei, Vahram Haroutunian, Ulrik Fried, Michelle Ehrlich, Ralph Martins, Samuel Evans Gandy

Research outputs pre 2011

Background The low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but its signalling has not been fully evaluated. There is good evidence that the cytoplasmic domain of LRP1 is involved in protein-protein interactions, important in the cell biology of LRP1. Results We carried out three yeast two-hybrid screens to identify proteins that interact with the cytoplasmic domain of LRP1. The screens included both conventional screens as well as a novel, split-ubiquitin-based screen in which an LRP1 construct was expressed and screened as a transmembrane protein. The split-ubiquitin screen was validated in a screen using …