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Positive Outcomes Of Divorce: A Multi-Method Study On The Effects Of Parental Divorce On Children, Grant Mohi

HIM 1990-2015

A great deal of the existing literature on parental divorce focuses on the negative influences it has on children and young adults in regards to such areas as their relationships (romantic and familial) and their academic standing. The implications of such research are that parental divorce will always bring harm to families and, consequentially, should be avoided for the sake of the children's wellbeing. What is often missing from this research is a focus on the potential positive outcomes of parental divorce. The intent of this thesis is to explore the effects of parental divorce on young adults' ability to …

Choosing Mates Who Look Like Ourselves, Alyse Gruber

HIM 1990-2015

Some research suggests that the reason men and women choose mates who are physically similar to them, is because though they may be genetically similar (given the physical characteristics), the fact that there is no kinship allows for genetic stability. Some researchers believe this is a product of evolutionary forces, therefore allowing possible mates to find those whom they would see as compatible and fertile. Researchers have found that as children we imprint our parent’s facial features, which helps develop the normal facial recognition later. With this knowledge it is suggested that we subconsciously use our parent’s facial imprint as …

Just Eat It: An Examination Of The Sociological Factors That Influence The Eating Habits Of College Students, Alexandra Minnick

HIM 1990-2015

Young adults 18-25 years of age in the United States are experiencing a new world as they transition to young adulthood in college. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the eating behaviors of the young college population. The present study will examine the kinds of foods college students eat and how they make decisions regarding food consumption. The methodology of the present study consists of a quantitative survey, which includes questions about gender, living arrangements, convenience, and student eating habits. The sample size is comprised of 228 students at the University of Central Florida. A regression model is …

An Investigation Into The Shift In Lie Acceptability In Children From Grades 3-12, Marc S. Goosie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study the goal was to determine if there was a shift in the extent to which children’s attitudes toward deception change as they age. Participants (N=278) enrolled in grades 3-12 completed a survey assessing their lie acceptability and other factors as potential variables associated with a prodeception attitude. Results indicated that greater lie acceptability was correlated with male children who had self-reported acts of bad behavior. Results also suggest that nontraditional family environments may increase one’s perception of the acceptability of lying. These findings provide potential predictors of the acceptability of lying in children and adolescents that offer …

9-Phenanthrol And Flufenamic Acid Inhibit Calcium Oscillations In Hl-1 Mouse Cardiomyocytes, Rees A. Burt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Electrical potentials exist across the membranes of nearly every cell type in the body. In addition, excitable cells, such as neurons, myocytes and even some endocrine cells elicit electrochemical fluctuations, action potentials (AP), in the cell membrane to initiate cell-to-cell communication or intracellular processes. The basis for the electrical potential is rooted within an array of complex interactions between monovalent ions and their associated membrane channels and transporters that regulate the flux of these charged species across the hydrophobic bilayer. Here, an expansion of our recently published work [1] will serve to explore the modern concepts regarding the …

A Numerical Model For Nonadiabatic Transitions In Molecules, Devanshu Agrawal

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In molecules, electronic state transitions can occur via quantum coupling of the states. If the coupling is due to the kinetic energy of the molecular nuclei, then electronic transitions are best represented in the adiabatic frame. If the coupling is instead facilitated through the potential energy of the nuclei, then electronic transitions are better represented in the diabatic frame. In our study, we modeled these latter transitions, called ``nonadiabatic transitions.'' For one nuclear degree of freedom, we modeled the de-excitation of a diatomic molecule. For two nuclear degrees of freedom, we modeled the de-excitation of an ethane-like molecule undergoing cis-trans …

The Impact Of Inappropriate Gestational Weight Gain On Pregnancy, Delivery, And Neonatal Outcomes, Morgan L. Isom

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Inappropriate weight gain during pregnancy is a widespread problem associated with adverse maternal and newborn outcomes. This study’s objective was to examine the impact of gestational weight gain (GWG) above and below the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines on pregnancy, delivery, and newborn outcomes in a rural population. Women were recruited at the first prenatal visit, and data was collected through research interviews and examination of prenatal and delivery medical records. Prepregnancy weight and weight at delivery were obtained, and the final sample (n=913) was restricted to women with singleton pregnancies. Participants were categorized by prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) …

Fluorescence Imaging Of Microdialysis Sampling, Jordan Leigh Haynie

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many biomolecules including proteolytic enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are released when a material, such as a microdialysis probe, is implanted in a living organism. The MMPs cleave structural protein components of the extracellular matrix and play an important role in biological functions such as wound healing.1-3 Many enzymatic substrates for MMPs have fluorescent product mimics, and the mimics can be used as agents to monitor biochemical processes.1 In this study, microdialysis, a minimally invasive sampling technique, was combined with fluorescence imaging to determine the possibility of monitoring microdialysis in real-time, and thus provide a method that could ultimately …

Examination Of Nitrogen To Phosphorus Ratio In Nutrient Removal From Wastewater Through Chlorella Vulgaris, Courtney L. Hill

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A need for phosphorus removal is becoming increasingly evident as some wastewater treatment plants struggle to meet wastewater effluent nutrient requirements. High nutrient levels in wastewater effluents have also caused ongoing tension between the state of Oklahoma and Arkansas regarding the pollution of the Illinois River. This research seeks to establish the relationship between nitrogen to phosphorus ratio in wastewater and the level of nutrient reduction using Chlorella vulgaris. Seed cultures of Chlorella vulgaris were added into solutions with various ratios of nitrate to phosphate representative of treated domestic wastewater and the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus were measured in …

Glioma: A Tale Of Corticosteroids, Thiopurines And Proposed Novel Antiglioma Small Molecules, Amira Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Glioma is a brain tumor that arises from glial cells or glial progenitor cells, and represents 80% of malignant brain tumor incidence in the United States. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor malignancy with fewer than 8% of patients with GBM surviving for 3 years. Over the past 10 years, despite improvement in diagnosis and therapies for cancer, the survival rate for high-grade glioma patients remains unchanged. The main focus of this dissertation is to investigate two therapeutic agents that are related to increase tumor resistance or increase secondary tumor incidence, which might play a role …

Adenosine Production Is Essential For Closing The Critical Period Of Cortical Plasticity, Rachel A. Chassan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Sensory inputs from the external world are represented as highly organized systems in the adult brain for effective adaptation to the environment. At the cortical level, this organization is referred to as cortical maps. The establishment of cortical maps begins with early life experiences during the critical period, a brief period during development of heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli. During this time, organization of cortical maps is plastic and highly subject to change through passive sensory experience. As an animal matures, the critical period closes and changes to cortical maps occur less freely. The cellular mechanisms of cortical map plasticity …

The Mi-2 Homolog Mit1 Actively Positions Nucleosomes Within Heterochromatin To Suppress Transcription, Kevin M. Creamer

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Eukaryotic DNA is packaged into the nucleus in complex with proteins that regulate access and utilization of the genetic material. These DNA and protein complexes form a dynamic structure known as chromatin. Nucleosomes are the repeating unit of chromatin, and consist of DNA wrapped around an octamer of histone proteins. Nucleosomes can then be modified and spatially arranged to facilitate processes such as transcription, DNA replication, and repair. A special transcriptionally repressive chromatin structure assembles onto gene-poor, repetitive regions of the genome known as constitutive heterochromatin. Mit1 is the putative chromatin remodeling subunit of the fission yeast Snf2/HDAC repressor complex …

Molecular Characterization Of Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells, Jo Meagan Garner

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Malignant gliomas are locally aggressive, highly vascular tumors that have an overall survival time less than 14 months, and current therapies provide little improvement in the disease course and outcome. While glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients present uniform histological phenotypes, the molecular determinants of the disease vary considerably between individual cases resulting in complicated prognosis. The heterogeneity, aggressiveness and rapid tumor relapse of GBM is believed to be sustained by cancer stem-like cell populations that are able to initiate and maintain tumors. Although CSCs represent only a small fraction of cells within a tumor, their high tumor-initiating capacity and therapeutic resistance …

The Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Adults With Down Syndrome, Rebecca Jermyn Graves

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and factors associated with the HRQOL of adults with Down syndrome (DS) as reported by adults with DS and their caregivers. The study was designed to compare measures of HRQOL, health problems, health risks, and health-care utilization of adults with DS based on self-report with those from caregiver-report and to explore associations between HRQOL and health problems, health risks, health-care utilization, adaptive behavior, and demographic characteristics. Background. The life expectancy of individuals with DS has lengthened from approximately 30 years around 1960 to over 50 …

Preliminary Study On How Tumor Suppressor Nf2 Inhibits Transcriptional Coactivators Yap/Taz In The Developing Mouse Brain, Yu He

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Normal brain development requires precise coordination of neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation, the mechanism of which is not well known. Recently the tumor suppressor neurofibromatosis 2 (Nf2) was shown to regulate the balance of neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation in the developing mouse brain through the Hippo pathway effectors, transcriptional coactivators Yap/Taz. The molecular mechanism of how Nf2 regulates Yap/Taz is not understood. Here I showed that Nf2 regulated the Yap/Taz activity by decreasing the stability of Yap/Taz. The regulation was independent of Yap-S366 phosphorylation, which is required for Yap degradation. I also showed that Nf2 did not regulate Lats1/2 …

Characterization Of Cre Mouse Models To Target Cns Barriers For Generating Conditional Knockouts Of Abc Transporters, Rachel L. Scheib

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and spinal cord, where both possess a blood to brain and a blood to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB) regulate the passage of many molecules to maintain and protect these sensitive organs from harmful xenobiotics (i.e. drugs, pollutants, etc.) or physiologic changes (i.e. glucose, ion, or water composition). These barriers also express ABC transporters, including P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), which are known to contribute to efflux of endogenous toxins and therapeutics from the CNS. Pgp and BCRP expression and activity are …

Development Of A Novel Vaccine Adjuvant System Utilizing An In Situ Implant System To Modified Release, Qiuye Zhang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Pulsatile release formulations for single dose vaccines have been studied for many years because of the advantages that they may provide to vaccine administration with a single dose instead of prime and booster shots.

The aim of this work is to develop novel formulations based on an In Situ Implant (ISI) systems to provide a modified vaccine release and altered immune response, which could act as a booster administration. This type of system was selected because ISI systems are used for long acting administration of various drugs and ease of administration. A typical ISI system is comprised of hydrophilic organic …

Reciprocal Relation Between Psychophysiological Patterns Of Stress Responsivity And Sleep, Miguel A. Velasquez

Senior Honors Theses

Contemporary understanding of the brain indicates that a reciprocal relationship exists between mind and body. Biological functioning adjusts to the consequences of our behavior and our behavior is influenced by our biology. This is the case with the stress responsivity system. The stress hormone cortisol follows a biologically-predetermined daily cycle of secretion (controlled by circadian rhythm) that correlates with expected activity throughout the day, however this cycle can accommodate to different environmental changes that can occur. It has been noticed that individuals who report stress problems also report sleep problems. I hypothesized that sleep quality can predict maladjustments in cortisol’s …

In Vitro Incubation Of Gills Isolated From The Gulf Killfish, Fundulus Grandis, Joseph Anthony Diaz

Senior Honors Theses

The use of viable and reliable tissue preparations allows for experimental approaches in vitro that would not be possible in vivo. In this experiment, gills were isolated from gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, and subjected to various incubation conditions. A combination of two types of media and two incubation apparatuses were compared in their ability to sustain tissues, as measured by the vital stain trypan blue (TB) and percent lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Trypan Blue analysis indicated no significant difference in tissue viability, regardless of the treatment or incubation time. However, percent LDH leakage analysis revealed that the two most …

Analysis Of Automobile Advertisements In American Magazines, Asnika Bajracharya, Lukwesa K. Morin, Kendall H. Radovich

Student Publications

The automobile is one of the most important products in American consumer culture. Throughout the history of the automobile industry in America, advertising has been an important strategy for marketing automobiles and their features to consumers on a mass scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how print (magazine) automobile advertisements have changed through time (1960-2013) and across different genres of magazines: general (National Geographic, New Yorker), male-oriented (Esquire), female-oriented (Cosmopolitan), and ethnic (Ebony). The trends that we examined included: numbers and proportions of car advertisements, relative numbers of domestic and foreign car advertisements, and the mix of …

A Resilient Warrior: Coping Positively With Combat Stress Exposure, William Stallard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore and examine coping with combat stress exposure in a homogeneous group of 132 U.S. Marines who served in Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom, and who self-reported that they were coping positively. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation strategy was employed with positive psychology as the quantitative theoretical base and Husserlian transcendental phenomenology as the qualitative conceptual framework. Quantitatively, hardiness, hope, social support, personality, and coping strategies were assessed in the participants to examine how these variables may moderate or mediate the relationship between combat stress exposure and subjective well-being. Five hypotheses were …

The Impact Of Serotonin And Dopamine On Human Aggression: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Caroline Isabelle Jalain

Master's Theses

Aggressive behaviors can have serious impacts on both the population at-large and the criminal justice system (Fish, DeBold, & Miczek, 2002); but despite these potential repercussions, no adequate treatment options have been identified to prevent (or reduce) such consequential actions. An increasing amount of research has, however, developed (over the years) in response to these treatment needs. Recently, the disciplines of neurobiology and neuropsychology have discovered specific anti-aggressive treatments. Studies on the prefrontal cortex specifically reveal that certain areas of the brain, along with an array of chemical imbalances, are related to aggressive behavior (Barrett, Edinger, & Siegel, 1990). Specifically, …

Refocusing Ecocriticism: Going Deep With Walker Percy's The Moviegoer, Ivan Anderson Philippoff

Master's Theses

The field of scholarship known as ecocriticism is growing rapidly. Members of the field must endeavor to define ecocritism’s goals and parameters to prevent fragmentation and lack of focus. While most professed ecocritics agree that increased awareness and respect for the environment must be of paramount importance, some disagreement exists concerning the best methods to achieve this goal. One of the issues that requires clarification involves whether proponents of ecocriticism should adopt a more ecocentric or anthropocentric perspective of the environment. The former views humanity as part of a worldwide community and views nature as valuable in its own right. …

The Effects Of Olfactory Stimuli On The Behavior Of The Far Eastern/Amur Leopard (Panthera Pardus Orientalis) In Captivity, Marks Stimson Mcwhorter

Master's Theses

Two Amur leopards from the Jackson Zoological Park were observed under continuous surveillance while on exhibit over 21 days to better understand the activity budget of leopards in captivity, and what effects olfactory stimuli may have on those activity patterns. Behaviors were observed through surveillance systems located around their enclosure and scored using an ethogram, and proportions of behaviors shown were calculated for each day, and by 15-minute increments throughout the day. Over the course of this study, leopards received three olfactory stimuli on separate occasions, where we then compared behaviors before stimuli presented to behaviors expressed during and after …

Propagation Of Oligomeric Α-Synuclein And Amyloid-Β: Implications For Parkinson's And Alzheimer's Diseases, Matthew Stephen Planchard

Master's Theses

The aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins is a critical event in the pathology of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The proteins α-synuclein (αS) and amyloid-β (Aβ) are involved in the formation of amyloid lesions observed in PD and AD, respectively. Both PD and AD exhibit a significant amount of co-pathology in clinical settings, and the αS and Aβ proteins have been shown to interact in vitro. Recent experimental consensus has shown oligomeric species to be significant, if not primary, sources of toxicity in these diseases. …

Land As Power, An Analysis Of Female Land Inheritance And Intrahousehold Bargaining In Rwanda, Eric Adebayo

Master's Theses

Do increased levels of female land inheritance lead to increases in female intrahousehold bargaining power? Analysis of an expansive Rwandan household survey dataset from 2010-2011 suggests that female land inheritances are positively associated with female intrahousehold bargaining power. The results support the relative efficacy of intrahousehold bargaining models over that of unitary household models. The findings have implications for Rwandan lawmakers debating changes to the country's “Succession law” which makes gender discrimination in land inheritance illegal. This is the first paper of its kind to estimate female land inheritance's effect on bargaining power in Rwanda.

Phosphorus Mobility In The Shallow Unconfined Aquifer At Pineview Reservoir, Utah, Christine Rumsey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Significant phosphorus transport is occurring in the groundwater surrounding Pineview Reservoir. A set of investigations was completed to identify factors contributing to phosphorus mobility. Water quality monitoring was conducted to understand groundwater characteristics and phosphorus movement. Several water quality parameters were evaluated to specifically determine whether septic systems influence groundwater quality. Results indicate that septic systems pollute at least two locations in the aquifer around the reservoir. Given this information, it may be necessary to implement advanced septic system treatment options to reduce the amount of phosphorus in groundwater.

Experiments were conducted on two aquifer sediment types to identify factors …

Parental Perceptions Of The Influence Of Digital Media And Technology On Children's Reading Habits At Home, Kurt W. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored how parents from six participating families in Northern Utah felt about the influence of technology and media on their children’s reading at home. Each family was interviewed about their feelings, filled out a survey about the amount of technology devices in the home, and took photographs of the areas in the home where their children read or used technology. Additionally, each family kept a journal recording the technology and reading activities their children participated in over a 1-week period

Parents talked about how their childhood experiences influenced them to create rules for technology and as well as …

The Commencement Of Our Violent Brothers, Juliet Janicik

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"It is taught in Sunday school, catechism, and Catholic and Christian schools across the country and the world that violence is not an option – the golden rule is always to be used. We are to be peaceful beings in regards to physical and emotional health in order to attain full happiness. But what we are not told are things about subjects that are not often breached, like alcohol, sex and drug abuse. We look at these subjects and wonder how our children, friends and siblings could ever fall …

The Orphan Train Adventures Series: The Kelly Siblings’ Trek To Responsibility, Ashten T. Redell

Honors Theses

The Orphan Train Adventures, a series of historical novels by Joan Lowery Nixon (1927-2003), is concerned with the responsibility exercised by its child characters during the antebellum and Civil War periods. This thesis examines how Nixon, by illustrating the positive effects of responsibility through her child characters, suggests the value of cultivating responsibility in children of the contemporary period. Nixon’s use of the mid-nineteenth-century setting and the rearing practices associated with this time allows her to demonstrate positive acts of responsibility in her main characters—six siblings sent west from New York City on …