Digital Commons Network^™

Visual Analysis Of E-Textbooks For Senior High School In Indonesia, Ouda Ena

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the visual images used as illustrations in the English electronic textbooks for grades ten, eleven, and twelve in Indonesia. Qualitative visual content analysis was employed as the methodology of the research. The analysis focused on whether these e-textbooks accommodated the religious, gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the students. These four aspects of cultural diversity that influenced students learning in Indonesian contexts were crucial to examine because the students were so diverse as results of the geographical conditions and historical background of Indonesia. Eight English e-textbooks were examined. First, the result showed …

Effects Of Electrical Stimulation And Testosterone In Translational Models Of Peripheral Nerve Injury, Gina Monaco

Dissertations

As functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury is dependent upon successful regeneration and target reconnection, combinatorial treatments that enhance different regeneration events may be required for recovery from severe injuries. The neurotherapeutic effects of electrical stimulation (ES) and gonadal steroids have been demonstrated independently and in combination in extratemporal and intratemporal facial nerve injuries. The goals of the first aim were to develop a reliable intracranial facial nerve crush model and to investigate the therapeutic potential of combining ES with testosterone propionate (TP) in this most proximal injury model. Adult male rats were divided into intracranial sham-operated, intracranial crush, and …

Acculturative Stress And Coping Strategies Used By Asian Indians Living In The United States: A Quantitative And Qualitative Inquiry, Ritu V. Thaker

Dissertations

The present research addressed acculturative stress experiences and coping strategies used by Asian Indians residing in the United States. The organizing research question was "What are the acculturative stress experiences and coping strategies used by first generation Asian Indians living in the United States?" The research question was explored through fourteen hypotheses.

A mixed method approach was employed. For the first phase, 54 first-generation Asian Indians were recruited from four sites using a purposive convenience sampling method, the SAFE-R standardized questionnaire was used to measure acculturative stress, the COPE scale to measure coping strategies, and a culturally grounded Socio-Demographic Information …

Particulates Initiate Immune Response Via Inducing Oxidative Stress-Mediated Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation, Zhenyu Zhong

Dissertations

Liposomes are lipid particles formed by self-aggregated phospholipids. They are clinically used both as delivery vectors and immune adjuvants to treat many human infectious and cancerous diseases. However, how liposomes interact with host immune system remains poorly understood. Particularly, little is known about whether an innate immune receptor exists to sense liposomes. I hypothesize that liposomes activate NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages, which results in the release of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), a proinflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in innate and adaptive immune responses.

To test my hypothesis, I determined the ability of inducing IL-1β secretion from macrophages by differentially …

Differential Modulation Of Functional Dynamics And Allosteric Interactions In The Hsp90-Cochaperone Complexes With P23 And Aha1: A Computational Study, Kristin Blacklock, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Allosteric interactions of the molecular chaperone Hsp90 with a large cohort of cochaperones and client proteins allow for molecular communication and event coupling in signal transduction networks. The integration of cochaperones into the Hsp90 system is driven by the regulatory mechanisms that modulate the progression of the ATPase cycle and control the recruitment of the Hsp90 clientele. In this work, we report the results of computational modeling of allosteric regulation in the Hsp90 complexes with the cochaperones p23 and Aha1. By integrating protein docking, biophysical simulations, modeling of allosteric communications, protein structure network analysis and the energy landscape theory we …

Injunctive Peer Misperceptions And The Mediation Of Self-Approval On Risk For Driving After Drinking Among College Students, Shannon R. Kenney, Joseph W. Labrie, Andrew Lac

Heads Up!

Of the alcohol-related risks faced by college students, it is arguable that none presents a greater public health hazard than driving after drinking (DAD). The present study examined the extent to which students’ injunctive misperceptions toward DAD predicted the likelihood to engage in DAD and how this relation was mediated by self-approval of DAD. Participants were 2,848 college students (59.1% female, 64.6% Caucasian) from two U.S. West Coast universities who completed confidential web-based surveys assessing DAD beliefs and behaviors. Results revealed that respondents tended to overestimate their peers’ approval toward DAD. Moreover, the subgroups likely to engage in DAD—men, 21+ …

First-Year College Women's Motivations For Hooking Up: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Normative Peer Perceptions And Personal Hookup Participation, Shannon R. Kenney, Vandana Thadani, Tehniat Ghaidarov, Joseph W. Labrie

Psychological Science Faculty Works

This study used content analysis techniques to explore 221 first-year college women's perceptions of female peers’ reasons (i.e., normative perceptions) for hooking up. Data on personal participation in hooking up were also collected. The well-established Drinking Motives Questionnaire (Cooper, 1994) was used as a framework for coding positive (enhancement or social) and negative (coping or conformity) normative hookup motivations. Participants most commonly indicated that enhancement reasons motivated peers’ hookup behaviors (69.7%). Coping (23.5%), external (21.7%), social (19.5%), and conformity (16.3%) motives were cited less frequently. Furthermore, women who had hooked up since matriculating into college (61.5%, n = 136) were …

Truth, Allegiance, And Power Dimensions In Christian Discipleship: From A Language Of Priority To A Balanced Approach, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Shamanism In The Korean Adventist Church, Gyeongchun Choi

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Adventist Mission And African Traditional Medicine: Breaking The Silence, Olaotse Gabasiane

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Making Education Work For Latinas In The U.S., Jongyeon Ee

School of Education Faculty Works

In California, almost 40% of European American adults hold a BA degree, as do 23% of African Americans and 48% of Asians. However, only 11% of adult Latinas/os hold a BA degree or higher. Given that the majority of the school age population in the state is now Latina/o, this undereducation is not just an urgent problem, but foreshadows economic disaster for California.

Metals And Bacteria Partitioning To Various Size Particles In Ballona Creek Storm Water Runoff, J. S. Brown, E. D. Stein, D. Ackerman, John H. Dorsey, J. Lyon, P. M. Carter

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

Many storm water best management practice (BMP) devices function primarily by capturing particulate matter to take advantage of the well‐documented association between storm water particles and pollutants. The hydrodynamic separation or settling methods used by most BMP devices are most effective at capturing medium to large particles; however, these may not be the most predominant particles associated with urban runoff. The present study examined particle size distribution in storm water runoff from an urban watershed in southern California and investigated the pollutant–particle associations of metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn) and bacteria (enterococci and Escherichia coli). During small storm …

The Writing Of Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Christine Zrimsek

Master's Theses and Capstones

The writing of 5 adolescent boys with Asperger's syndrome between the ages of 13 - 18 was examined relative to age and gender-matched typically-developing children. The investigator collected writing samples across three genres: narrative, expository, and persuasive. The samples were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using a variety of measures. Consistent with the investigator's expectations, results indicated that, relative to controls, students with Asperger's syndrome performed significantly poorer on higher-order aspects of writing: coherence, cohesion, and perspective-taking while not significantly different on spelling, a lower-order aspect. An unpredicted finding was that the children with Asperger's syndrome made significantly more grammatical …

Population Ecology Of American Marten In New Hampshire: Impact Of Wind Farm Development In High Elevation Habitat, Alexej Peder Kelly Siren

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examined marten ecology relative to wind farm development using radio-marked marten, camera trapping, and snow track surveys to meet study objectives. The local population was mostly breeding adults and was considered near carrying capacity. Mortality (predation) was biased towards females and young. Seasonal home ranges were small overall, and largest during summer and when marten used more regenerating and softwood forest. Selection at the landscape scale was more pronounced than at the stand scale; regenerating forest was selected against year-round. Stand selection for mature mixed-wood and softwood occurred in winter. Disturbance from wind farm construction resulted in less …

Yeast Eif4b Binds To The Head Of The 40s Ribosomal Subunit And Promotes Mrna Recruitment Through Its N-Terminal And Internal Repeat Domains, Sarah F. Mitchell

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF)4B stimulates recruitment of mRNA to the 43S ribosomal pre-initiation complex (PIC). Yeast eIF4B (yeIF4B), shown previously to bind single-stranded (ss) RNA, consists of an N-terminal domain (NTD), predicted to be unstructured in solution; an RNA-recognition motif (RRM); an unusual domain comprised of seven imperfect repeats of 26 amino acids; and a C-terminal domain. Although the mechanism of yeIF4B action has remained obscure, most models have suggested central roles for its RRM and ssRNA-binding activity. We have dissected the functions of yeIF4B's domains and show that the RRM and its ssRNA-binding activity are dispensable in vitro …

Hiv-1 Frameshift Efficiency Is Primarily Determined By The Stability Of Base Pairs Positioned At The Mrna Entrance Channel Of The Ribosome, Kathryn Mouzakis

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) requires a programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift for Pol gene expression. The HIV frameshift site consists of a heptanucleotide slippery sequence (UUUUUUA) followed by a spacer region and a downstream RNA stem-loop structure. Here we investigate the role of the RNA structure in promoting the -1 frameshift. The stem-loop was systematically altered to decouple the contributions of local and overall thermodynamic stability towards frameshift efficiency. No correlation between overall stability and frameshift efficiency is observed. In contrast, there is a strong correlation between frameshift efficiency and the local thermodynamic stability of the first 3-4 bp in …

Oral Nutritional Supplement Fortified With Beta-Alanine Improves Physical Working Capacity In Older Adults: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study, William Mccormack

Health and Human Sciences Faculty Works

This study examined the effects of an oral nutritional supplement fortified with two different doses of beta-alanine on body composition, muscle function and physical capacity in older adults. Using a double-blind placebo controlled design, 60 men and women (age±SD=70.7±6.2yrs) were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: 1) oral nutritional supplement (ONS; n=20) (8oz; 230kcal; 12g PRO; 31g CHO; 6g FAT), 2) ONS plus 800mg beta-alanine (ONS800; n=19), and 3) ONS plus 1200mg beta-alanine (ONS1200; n=21). Treatments were consumed twice per day for 12 weeks. At pre- and post-supplementation period, participants performed a discontinuous, submaximal cycle ergometry test to …

Betrayal Of Mission: Union Busting On Catholic Campuses, Anna Harrison

Theological Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Creative Soups For The Soul: Stories Of Community Recovery In Talca, Chile, After The 2010 Earthquake, Einat Metzl

Marital & Family Therapy/Art Therapy Faculty Work

This study, conducted in Talca, Chile, a year and a half after a massive natural disaster, focused on creative thinking and art production as manifestations of resilience. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants through community leaders and programs. Ten survivors whose houses were damaged or destroyed during the 2010 earthquake were willing to participate in semi-structured interviews that included verbal narratives and an art response. Systematic analysis illuminated conscious and latent psychological content. Three overarching themes were identified as central to survivors' recovery process and were then contrasted with data from New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, exploring universality and …

Conflicting Group Meanings Of Territorial Rights In Central Mindanao: Muslim–Christian Social Representations Of Land Entitlement, Cristina Jayme Montiel, Marshaley J. Baquiano, Charlie M. Inzon

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Using a social representations lens, we examined subjective meanings of land entitlements in Central Mindanao among Muslims and Christians. In Study 1, we collected survey data from 231 students from the University of Southern Mindanao in Central Mindanao, asking them: ‘If you were to tell the story of land ownership in Cotabato, what three topics would you want to include in your story?’ Results of our hierarchical evocation analysis show that Christians are concerned with direct conflicts or actual intergroup confrontations while Muslims emphasise land issues. Study 2 implemented Focauldian Discursive Analysis to evaluate two separate focused group discussions by …

Funding Defined Benefit State Pension Plans: An Empirical Evaluation, Cezar Brian C. Mamaril

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Defined Benefit (DB) state pension trust funds are an integral component of state finances and play a major role in the country’s labor and capital markets. The last decade though has seen a substantial growth in unfunded pension obligations and a seeming inability by states to make the contributions needed to cover funding shortfalls. When coupled with even larger unfunded retirement health benefits, the looming threat of insolvent state retirement systems pose both current and long-term fiscal challenges to state governments already struggling with the ongoing economic downturn and billions of dollars in budget deficits. The convergence of these factors …

Three Essays On Fiscal Stress And Financial Stability In State Government Finance, James B. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

State government finance is a substantial endeavor in the United States. The management of a multitude of revenues and expenditures often involves some level of fiscal stress. In an age of increased public scrutiny, policymakers must be mindful of possible causes of fiscal stress, and the policy options available to mitigate fiscal stress and increase financial stability. This dissertation contains three essays that examine different elements of fiscal stress, and in some cases, the applicable policy responses.

Chapter two examines rainy day funds and their countercyclical goal of reducing recessionary fiscal stress. This essay takes a different approach from much …

A Study Of Corruption, Foreign Aid, And Economic Growth, Amanda Deerfield

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Foreign aid donors increasingly demand that aid is used efficiently and effectively. This study examines the effect of corruption levels, measured by the Corruption Perceptions Index, within a recipient country on the levels of economic growth. A growing literature outlines the mechanisms through which corruption impedes economic growth and is summarized within. Additionally, as longevity gains may result from foreign aid but are not captured in economic growth, this study computes a variable called the Life Quality Indicator (LQI) that combines such gains with economic growth and examines corruption’s effect on LQI growth. As any windfall, foreign aid has been …

Three Essays On Local Government Debt, Robert Greer

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

The local government tax-exempt debt market is a growing, and complex, sector of public finance. As local governments turn to debt financing the factors that contribute to interest costs of that debt have become important considerations for local government officials and politicians. Governance at the local level involves a network of overlapping governments some of which share a tax base. This system of overlapping governments that share a tax base are subject to externalities that arise from taxation, expenditures, and debt. These externalities are usually analyzed in terms of tax or expenditure reactions, but there are implications for local government …

To Produce Or To Buy? Exploring Determinants Of Local Government Privatization Decisions, Zhiwei Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

The U.S. is experiencing the worst recession since the Great Depression. All levels of government have been hit really hard, this is especially apparent at the local level since services provided at the local level are woven into people’s daily life. Thus, how to “do more with less” is more urgent than ever before. The use of privatization came to surface as a sound solution for deficit-plagued governments as it is thought to be more cost effective and outperform the public sector in most cases. This dissertation contains two empirical chapters that examine determinants of privatization and specify the conditions …

Institutional Lending Models, Mission Drift, And Microfinance Institutions, Bethany L. Paris

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Microfinance is a development tool used to reduce poverty among extremely poor households. Impoverished households can access lines of credit through microfinance institutions (MFIs), in order to create a new business, smooth household consumption, fund medical emergencies, etc. Many authors postulate that MFIs are drifting from a welfarist to an institutionalist approach to lending.

Using MIXMarket data on specific MFIs in 118 countries between 1995 and 2011, the average loan balance of these organizations will be regressed against measure of outreach and sustainability of these institutions by charter type through a series of four, fixed effects models. The main research …

Intergenerational Dynamics And Political Outcomes, Joshua J. Poulette

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation explores the relationship between intergenerational dynamics and politics outcomes in several distinct contexts. It is motivated by the remarkable demographic shifts exhibited by people in advanced countries over the past several decades. Individuals on average have longer lives and fewer children than ever before. Combining these shifts with the large intergenerational public policies that exist in many such states (education, old-age social welfare, healthcare) provokes several distinct yet related research questions addressed in the chapters below. First, do political traits matter for fertility behavior? If so, could the presence of differential fertility behavior across political groups lead to …

Security Scanners In Comparative Perspective, Gregory S. Mcneal

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

No abstract provided.

Social Cognitive Theory Vs. Social Comparison Theory: Examining The Relationship Between Social Influence And Weight Loss, Emily Grigg

Masters Theses

This qualitative study investigated the impact of social influence on weight loss, more specifically, the internal and external elements that effect response and success of those who are trying to lose weight. The research focused on three questions: (1) How great of an influence does self-efficacy have in weight loss success? (2) How great of an influence does social comparison have in weight loss success? (3) Which factor has the largest impact on weight loss: self-efficacy, peer efficacy, or positive social support, or negative social support? Data was collected by the researcher conducting semi-structured interviews. These interview were conducted with …

Comprehensive Investigation Of The Transcription Profiles Of Solanum Lycopersicum Treated With Two Cerato-Platanins From Botrytis Cinerea, Talitha Caudle

Dissertations

Botrytis cinerea is a severe plant pathogen that destroys more than 200 crop species worldwide. During early infection, B. cinerea secretes a large store of proteins onto the host surface, many of which cause acute necrosis, senescence, and the loss of cell wall integrity. Recently, cerato-platanin (CP) family member BCSNOD1 was found among fungal secretory products. A subsequent expression profile of B. cinerea-infected strawberry showed the early induction of BCSNOD1 and the CP homologue BCSNOD2. The function of CPs is poorly understood, although evidence suggests a role in plant-pathogen interactions. To characterize CP during B. cinerea infection, the interactions of …