Digital Commons Network^™

Mothers' And Fathers' Attachment Relationships With Children Who Have Disabilities, Sheila Lopez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research has found that attachment relationships between parents and children are formed independent of each other and have different outcomes for the child. Very little research regarding parent-child attachment relationships has been done with children who have a disability. This study aimed to learn more about whether differences exist in attachment relationships between mothers and fathers and whether or not the child has a disability. Results indicate that fathers of children with a disability appear to have less secure attachments with their children compared to fathers of typically developing children as well as mothers of children with and without disabilities. …

Improving Surrogate Monitoring Techniques For Suspended Sediment, Brant R. Whiting

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The quality of water of our nation’s rivers and streams is important to many vital uses including drinking water treatment, recreation, and the natural environment. Water quality can be severely impacted by the quantity and type of suspended sediment found therein. Because suspended sediment can be associated with many other contaminants that degrade water quality, it is noted as the most common impairment to water quality in the United States. Suspended sediment can cause significant ecological impacts to the chemical and biological characteristics of surface waters. The ability to accurately quantify suspended sediment concentrations at the appropriate time(s) and location(s) …

Novel Aminoglycosides: Bioactive Properties And Mechanism Of Action, Sanjib K. Shrestha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

More than 90% of crop diseases are due to fungal infections, which globally cause enormous economic losses. Fungal infections in humans and animals have also become a serious concern, especially in immunocompromised individuals. However, only a few new fungicides have been introduced since the mid-1980s, and concerns with inconsistent and declining effectiveness due to resistance, environmental impacts, animal and human toxicity, and costs continue to challenge the use of available fungicides. There is a serious and persistent need for new antifungal agents that are more effective, eco-friendly, less toxic, and available at reasonable cost.

This study reveals two novel aminoglycosides, …

The Limits To Complexity: A Thermodynamic History Of Bioenergy, Adam J. Liska, Casey D. Heier

Adam Liska Papers

The history of civilization is biased toward the use of bioenergy because of the biophysics of life and the structure of our natural environment. Energy physically drives the creation and maintenance of complex systems, which is shown here from simple molecular structures to empires. Only a fraction of the complexity currently supported by fossil fuels can be maintained using the energy in plant biomass alone, which is limited by global net primary productivity. From the dawn of civilization, agricultural land has always been used for energy for transportation, via feed for animals, and there has always been a trade-off between …

Barriers Affecting Compliance With The Implementation Of Early Goal Directed Therapy In The Emergency Department, Ivan Castro

HIM 1990-2015

Early Goal Directed Therapy (EGDT) has been thoroughly researched and clinically supported to be effective at lowering morbidity and mortality associated with severe sepsis and septic shock. Due to the strengths of its efficacy, it has been integrated as an essential component of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. However, very few studies have explored the barriers that affect compliance of the protocol in actual practice. The purpose of this study was to synthesize current research findings regarding nursing barriers associated with EGDT. This research was limited to studies performed in the United States between 2003-2012, with patients at least 18 years …

Advocacy For Marine Management: Contributions To A Policy Advocacy Initiative In The Maldives, Neal Collins

Capstone Collection

On June 5, 2009 a 42-­‐km2 area of coral reef situated in the Alif Dhaalu (South Ari) atoll of the Republic of Maldives was designated the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area (S.A. MPA) due to a globally significant whale shark aggregation site. The whale shark is notorious for its gargantuan size and docile nature, which has led to a burgeoning tourist industry that gives people the opportunity to swim with the gentle giants in tropical sites such as the Maldives. The S.A. MPA receives tens of thousands of visitors a year that engage in whale shark excursions, however, there …

How Care Demands, Caregiving Appraisal And Coping Affect Self-Care Management Of Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia., Xiaorong Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) is very stressful. Chronic stress which increases the risk for the development of disease and chronic illness is prevalent in caregivers of persons with ADRD. However, how caregiving affects self-care management of caregivers of persons with ADRD has not been well defined. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine relationships among care demands, caregiving appraisal, coping and caregiver self-care management and to investigate whether care demands, caregiving appraisal and coping are predictors of caregiver self-care management. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 45 primary …

Predictors Of Social Vulnerability : A Multilevel Analysis., Regardt J. Ferreira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past three decades there has been a rapid increase in the number of disasters occurring worldwide that affect communities, households and individuals. The increase in disasters and the associated impacts are evident in our society. The impact of disasters can have more chronic impacts generating social and economic hardship, loss of employment, dissolution of personal relationships, and the long-term decline of physical and mental health. A study was undertaken to develop an understanding of the predictors of individual social vulnerability on individuals nested within communities. The Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System and 14 other community level data sources …

Tgf-B Signaling Pathway, Er-A And The Heterogeneity Of Breast Cancer Risk Among Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Women., Stephanie Denkhoff Boone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many risk factors for breast cancer differ between race/ethnic groups. Few studies have included Hispanic women: a genetically admixed population that differs from other ethnic groups for breast cancer incidence, survival, and tumor phenotype. The objective of this study was to determine if genetic variation in ERa and TGF-ß signaling genes (TGF-ß1, TGF-ßR1, RUNX1, RUNX2, RUNX3) is associated with breast cancer risk, and if these associations differ between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women (NHW). Data from The Breast Cancer Health Disparities (BCHD) study were used. BCHD is a multi-site consortium including two case-control studies within the U.S. and one in …

Molecular Bases Of Inherited Bone Marrow Failures : Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome And Diamond Blackfan Anemia., Adrianna Lee Henson 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inherited Bone Marrow Failure syndromes (IBMFS) are a heterogeneous class of diseases that converge on very few subjects. They are unified by a block in maturation of one or multiple blood lineages, are genetically inherited, and have an increased incidence of cancers and myelodisplastic syndromes. Several IBMFSs have been linked to defects in ribosome biogenesis. Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) which presents with a macrocytic anemia has 10 known affected genes all of which encode structural proteins of the large or small ribosomal subunit. In contrast, there is only a single gene known to be involved in the pathogenesis of Shwachman …

The Autodidact : Constantine Samuel Rafinesque And The Limits Of The Posthumanities., Elijah Pritchett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The autodidact has a curious structural relationship to knowledge, education, and that assumed distillation of institutional learning, the academy. Because of its subjectivity-producing function, knowledge represents a site of tremendous cultural investment, and one that is challenged, if not even undermined, by the renegade ethos and idiosyncratic approach of the autodidact. Nineteenth century self-taught scholar and Renaissance man, Constantine Rafinesque, serves as a vivid exemplar, or even theoretical matrix, for demonstrating certain problems that the autodidact raises for post-Enlightenment knowledge as it assumes the various institutional states, metaphysical postures, and ideological closures necessary for its culturally privileged function. As the …

The Social Construction Of Ethnicity And Masculinity Of African American College Men., Jonathan Lee Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how African American college men construct masculine and ethnic notions of their identities, despite disproportionate social obstacles and hegemonic stereotypes. The primary research question of this study was, “how might African American undergraduate males understand and develop healthy concepts of their ethnic and masculine identities at a predominately White public institution?” The following research questions guided this study: (1) how do African American college men characterize their ethnic identity; (2) how do African American college men characterize their perception of their masculinity; (3) how do African American college men perceive their performance …

Role Of Ethanol As A Cofactor In Haart Induced Hepatic Steatosis And Injury., Hridgandh Donde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has led to a significant increase in the life expectancy of HIV patients; however, there are significant side effects including lipodystrophy and hepatotoxicity. Alcohol abuse is highly prevalent in HIV infected individuals and hence may be a significant negative cofactor in HAART induced hepatotoxicity. The present study examines the mechanisms underlying HAART and alcohol induced hepatotoxicity. The effects of HAART drugs (azidothymidine, and Indinavir sulphate) in combination with alcohol were examined in in vivo animal model. Alcohol and HAART drug interactions and hepatotoxicity were also assessed in-vivo using an animal model of chronic alcohol feeding. …

Theoretical Investigations Of Photophysics And Spectroscopic Properties In B12 Cofactors., Karina Kornobis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enzymes incorporating B12 cofactors (cobalamins) are significant biological components as they are involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body. The absorbing riddle, yet unresolved, is the enormous acceleration of the reaction rate that is strictly related to the Co–C bond cleavage initiating every catalytic cycle. Consequently, the realistic explanation of the processes controlled by B12 derivatives demands a profound analysis of their structure coupled with the examination of factors influencing subsequent steps of the reaction as well as properties of the reagents and intermediates. Herein, the photochemical study of cobalamins was presented as it provides a sensitive …

Aminooxy Reagents For Synthesis And Analysis : Expanding The Role Of Oximation., Sebastien Laulhe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The reaction between an aminooxy moiety (RONH2) and a carbonyl group of either an aldehyde or a ketone — known as an oximation reaction — is a versatile click chemistry coupling that generates a robust oxime ether linkage. The oximation reaction is chemoselective and can be performed under mild conditions in a large variety of solvents, including water. The attractive properties of the aminooxy group and derived oximation reactions, reviewed in Chapter 1, inspired us to use this chemistry as a key feature of our research. Specifically, we prepare functionalized aminooxy compounds so that the oximation chemistry can then serve …

Estate By Estate: The Landscape Of The 1733 St. Jan Slave Rebellion, Holly Kathryn Norton

Anthropology - Dissertations

This historical archaeological investigation looks at the 1733 St. Jan Slave Rebellion in the Danish West Indies. This rebellion, which lasted for eight months, was approached via "Archaeology of Event" and was investigated using the archaeological survey, historical documentary analysis, and Geographic Information Systems. Among the topics discussed are the conditions for rebellion, the social structure of the island in the years leading up to the event, how the built environment reflected this social structure, and the consequences of rebellion for the island.

The Fine-Tuning Of Nomic Behavior In Multiverse Scenarios, Max Lewis Edward Andrews

Masters Theses

The multiverse hypothesis (the view that there is not just one world or universe in existence, bur rather that there are many) is the leading alternative to the competing fine-tuning hypothesis (the laws of physics and constants are fine-tuned for the existence of life). The multiverse dispels many aspects of the fine-tuning argument by suggesting that there are different initial conditions in each universe, varying constants of physics, and the laws of nature lose their known arbitrary values; thus, making the previous single-universe argument from fine- tuning incredibly weak. The position that will be advocated will be that a form …

Rural Vets: Their Barriers, Problems, Needs, John A. Gale Ms, Hilda R. Heady

Access / Insurance

Evolving population trends--the aging of rural veterans, the growing number of female veterans and rates of homelessness among veterans--place significant demands on VA and rural delivery systems. Coordination among health care providers is essential to increasing the availability of services and expanding veteran outreach programs.

De Novo Transcriptome Analysis Of The Marine Sponge Cinachyrella Spp: A Potential Model Organism For Oil And Dispersant Ecotoxicology, Emily Smith

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

In order to study the potential effects of an oil spill on coral reef organisms, the marine sponge, Cinachyrella spp. was investigated. In this study, Cinachyrella spp. was placed in a closed aquaculture system and exposed to sub-lethal water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of Macondo crude oil and chemically-enhanced water accommodated fractions (CE-WAFs) of the dispersant, Corexit 9500, over a 24-hour time course, in order to model the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and oil spill sponge response. Illumina RNA sequencing and gene expression analysis utilizing hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, and KEGG bioinformatic database generated 34,147 unique transcripts with …

Medical Students’ Endeavour To Make Use Of Their Mental Capabilities, Ayesha Saba Naz, Rehana Rehman, 2mehwish Hussain

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To identify and compare awareness of intellectual wellness in male and female medical students of Karachi.

Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey comprised randomly selected 800 medical students of both gender. It was conducted from January to December 2010 in 8 medical colleges of Karachi. Responses - never, sometimes, mostly and always (numbered 0-4) - were analysed in terms of frequency, proportion and percentages by Predictive Analysis Software version 18. Chi square test was applied for comparison of intellectual wellness in both genders. Results were considered significant at p <0.05.

Results: Of the 800 questionnaires distributed, 736 (92%) were received fully …

Slow Lawyering: Representing Seniors In Light Of Cognitive Changes Accompanying Aging, Mary Helen Mcneal

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Database Environmental Change Impact Prediction For Human-Driven Tuning In Real-Time (Decipher), Monish Sharma

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

Organizations in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy are relying more than ever on their database systems for critical decision-making functions. As a result, speedy and timely availability of the information from these systems is one of key factors crucial to organizational survival. Operating these database systems at high performance levels under highly-integrated, dynamic and complex environments is a knowledge-intensive and an errorprone human-driven task. Although there have been several developments in the area of autonomous performance tuning, such approaches are of limited use because they do not include a holistic view of the problem space and the environment under which …

Exclusivity Without Patents: The New Frontier Of Fda Regulation For Genetic Materials, Gregory Dolin

All Faculty Scholarship

Over the last twenty years, the legal and scientific academic communities have been embroiled in a debate about the patent eligibility of genetic materials. The stakes for both sides could not be higher. On one hand are the potential multi-billion dollar profits on the fruits of research (from newly discovered genes), and on the other is scientists' ability to continue and expand research into the human genome to improve patients' access to affordable diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. This debate is currently pending before the Supreme Court, which is considering a petition for certiorari in Ass'n for Molecular Pathology v. U.S. …

Forgotten Fathers, Daniel L. Hatcher

All Faculty Scholarship

Poor fathers like John are largely forgotten, written off as a subset of the unworthy poor. These fathers struggle with poverty – often with near hopelessness – within multiple systems in which they are either entangled or overlooked, such as child-support and welfare programs, family courts, the criminal justice system, housing programs, and the healthcare, education, and foster-care systems. For these impoverished fathers, the “end of men” is often not simply a question for purposes of discussion but a fact that is all too real. In the instances in which poor fathers are not forgotten, they are targeted as causes …

A Study Of The Influence Of Women Clients On Residential Architectural Design Through The Work Of E. Fay Jones, Calli Verkamp

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis aims to determine the influence of women clients on residential architectural design in the United States throughout the twentieth century. In the late nineteenth and twentieth century, waves of feminism and women’s rights movements pushed traditional views of men, women, family and relationships in America to change. At the same time, modernity brought about a shift in architectural thinking. Therefore, if architectural ideas about housing and the home and cultural ideas regarding gender roles and domesticity are directly related, these cultural changes would be present in housing designs of the period. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was known to …

(In)Formal Distinction In Urban Istanbul: Evaluating Spatial Performance, Hannah Breshears

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

As globalization continues to draw the cities of the world into closer economic and intellectual dependence, Istanbul stands as bridge between two continents and a city poised for urban transformation. Massive tracts of informally designed communities are being cleared to accommodate the structure of the modern, tourism driven city. The attempt to purge the city of its squatter heritage is startling and raises questions of cultural and architectural integrity in urban development. Istanbul’s desire for expanded global investment and tourism is particularly apparent in the industrial district of Kartal, whose blended development is the subject of this study. Jane Jacobs …

The China Syndrome: The International Trade Commission’S Rising Importance For Enforcing International Trade Secret Violations, Jonathan R. K. Stroud

Celebrating WCL Student Authors

Reprinted with permission of FDLI

The Road To Finding Your Roots, Jenna Bowman

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Finding birth parents can be an emotional time for everyone involved. This includes the birth parents, the adopted children, and the adopted parents as well. Much research has been conducted on how children and birth parents find each other. But what about the psychological effects finding birth parents has on the minds and well being of those involved? Is the experience positive or negative? Could there be a negative effect on the well-being of the family? What happens if the birth family accepts the child and continues to keep in touch? In the following pages, I will attempt to answer …

Novel Materials For Use In Homeland Security Research, Jason Osgood Ewen Young

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organometallic pyridazines and compounds derived from them have been of interest in polymer research due to their atypical environmental stability (as compared to other non-aromatic organic semiconductors) as well as their conductivity. The off-metal synthesis and characterization of several pyridazyl thallium, manganese, and rhenium complexes, beginning with fulvenes 1,2- C5H3(COHR)(COR), are reported here. The diacyl fulvenes were treated with hydrazine hydrate to ring close to pyridazines. Next, the pyridazines were converted to their respective thallium salts through treatment with thallium (I) ethoxide. Lastly, the salts were transmetallated into the respective rhenium or manganese complexes through treatment with the respective metal …

An Automatic Framework For Embryonic Localization Using Edges In A Scale Space, Zachary Bessinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Localization of Drosophila embryos in images is a fundamental step in an automatic computational system for the exploration of gene-gene interaction on Drosophila. Contour extraction of embryonic images is challenging due to many variations in embryonic images. In the thesis work, we develop a localization framework based on the analysis of connected components of edge pixels in a scale space. We propose criteria to select optimal scales for embryonic localization. Furthermore, we propose a scale mapping strategy to compress the range of a scale space in order to improve the efficiency of the localization framework. The effectiveness of the proposed …