Digital Commons Network^™

Microrna-Mediated Plant Development And Response To Environmental Stress In Perennial Grasses, Shuangrong Yuan

All Dissertations

World population will pass nine billion by 2050, while the agricultural land area will not increase dramatically in the coming decades. To meet the ever-increasing food demand, genetically engineered crops have been rapidly adopted for crop productivity. MicroRNAs have become increasingly attractive as targets in crop genetic modification due to their regulatory role in fine-tuning many essential biological processes. My research explores the potentials of microRNA528 (miR528) and miR396 for use in genetic modifications of the important agronomic traits of plant development, abiotic stress response, and/or flowering time control in an economically and environmentally important perennial monocot species, creeping bentgrass …

Risk Analysis And Disaster Recovery: A Florida Lihtc Case Study, Valerie Hammett

All Dissertations

In spite of numerous programs and policies that encourage private investment in affordable housing, particularly after hurricane disaster, insufficient numbers of affordable units exist to meet demand. Some low-income households are displaced in the course of disaster recovery, and others face severe housing cost burdens as demand for affordable housing outstrips supply. Some suggest competitive uses for limited funds impede production. Others suggest that disaster and recovery policies tend to favor homeowners and economic recovery. Little attention has been given to the development decisions of affordable housing developers during disaster recovery. This study examines LIHTC development risk after the 2004 …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Alpha Stimulation On Induced Anxiety, Nolan Thomas Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is defined as an emotional and physical reaction that prepares us to confront a feared stimulus. Among the many measureable changes induced by anxiety are changes in facial electromyography (EMG), heart rate (HR), and sweat gland activity (EDG). At a pathological level anxiety interferes with cognitive processes. Currently, when anxiety crosses into the pathological level, it is treated with a variety of therapies that share in their use of periods of exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli. Several devices have been developed to alter brain activity by transcranial electrical stimulation (TCES). One such device, Alpha-Stim^®, has been shown to …

Front Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Reflections And Commentary On A Theory Of Philanthropy, Michelle Gagnon, Nathaniel Foote, Michael Quinn Patton, James Radner, Patricia Patrizi, John Bare, Kay Sherwood, Teresa Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Paschen V. Paschen: When A Gift Is Not Just A Gift, Constance Van Kley

Montana Law Review Online

The guiding principle of child support is “to meet the needs of the child according to the financial ability of the parents.” In Paschen v. Paschen, the Montana Supreme Court reviewed a divorce proceeding that presented a novel child support question: Should gifts factor into determination of maintenance and child support payments? Undermining the guiding principle of child support, a five-justice panel unanimously held gifts should not be a factor.

Moving On? Dispersal Policy, Onward Migration And Integration Of Refugees In The Uk, Emma Stewart, Marnie Shaffer

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Since 2000, the UK has operated compulsory dispersal, a policy designed to ‘spread the burden’ of housing asylum seekers who require accommodation across the UK and to discourage long-term settlement in London and the South East. To enhance understanding of refugee integration in the UK, this research focuses on the onward migration decisions of those who were dispersed and later granted refugee or humanitarian protection status. To date, much of the dispersal literature has critiqued the policy and focused on the negative outcomes for individuals removed from their networks. This project fills a knowledge gap surrounding the onward migration decisions …

Role Of Recent And Remote Context Exposures On Incubation Of Fear Memories, Peter Zambetti

Psychology

Studying learning and memory through the methods of Pavlovian fear conditioning has been a topic of behavioral neuroscience research for decades. Anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder can be modeled in rodents through fear conditioning. This study took on a different approach to study the learning and recall of a fear memory by using a within subjects group. This group was tested at both a recent and remote interval. The recent timepoint was three days after conditioning and the remote timepoint was thirty-one days after conditioning. The timepoints are used to observe the effect the passage of time has …

Integrating Freight Into Livable Communities, Kristine M. Williams, Alexandria Carroll

TREC Final Reports

Where livability is a goal of the planning process, freight runs the risk of not being considered except as an afterthought or as something to be excluded. Yet, freight is an integral part of local economic development. Because economic prosperity is a key characteristic of livable communities, freight must be incorporated into the planning process. This study explores the relationship between freight and livability through a comprehensive literature review and case study research. The final report includes a menu of strategies and case study perspectives that highlight the importance of transportation and land use integration, interagency coordination, and context-sensitivity in …

Do Tods Make A Difference?, Arthur C. Nelson, Matt Miller, Dejan Eskic, Keuntae Kim, Reid Ewing, Jenny H. Liu, Matt Berggren, Zakari Mumuni

TREC Final Reports

In this report, we present research that measures the outcomes of TOD areas in relation to their metropolitan area controls with respect to (1) jobs by sector; (2) housing choice for household types based on key demographic characteristics; (3) housing affordability based on transportation costs; and (4) job-worker balance as a measure of accessibility. Prior literature has not systematically evaluated TOD outcomes in these respects with respect to light rail transit (LRT), commuter rail transit (CRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and streetcar transit (SCT) systems. Our analysis helps close some of these gaps. We apply our analysis to 23 fixed-guideway …

Comparison Of Text Analysis Programs For Identification Of Emotional Expression, Michelle Mcdonnell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Studies have show that written emotional expression assists in the recovery and alleviates the pain associated with traumatic experiences, cancer diagnoses, and chronic illnesses. Written interventions have been developed to utilize this emotional coping approach. Unfortunately, evaluation of participants and patients written text is time consuming and subjective to the coder. Researchers have developed computational text analysis programs in an attempt to find an alternative to human coders for text analysis. The current study will utilize data from previous research performed by Owen et al., (2005) entitled Randomized Pilot of a Self-Guided Internet Coping Group for Women With Early Stage …

Executive Functioning Outcomes Among Self-Harming Adolescents Receiving Dbt-A, Alphonso A. Smith

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Changes in WM, GM, and neural activation in networks involving the PFC underlie the development of EFs during adolescence; however, adolescents with DSH have impaired EFs in the areas of inhibition, emotion regulation, shifting, and interpersonal functioning. DBT-A has been shown to be effective in treating these youth and the skills of mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and “walking the middle path” are suited to treat their impaired EFs. As such, this study examined EF changes in adolescents receiving DBT-A and discussed implications for treatment and brain-behavior relationships. Ninety-three adolescents from a 16-week DBT-A program for DSH were …

Development Of Elisa And Serum Plate Agglutination For Detecting Antibodies Of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Using Strain Of Thai Isolate, Wisanu Wanasawaeng, Supawadee Chaichote, Niwat Chansiripornchai

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The aim of the present study was to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and serum plate agglutination (SPA) for detecting antibodies of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), using a Thai isolated field strain. MG isolation and identification was performed using conventional culture method, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The growth characteristics of each strain were analyzed to determine the most appropriate conditions for the cultivation of MG. The results indicated that the Thai isolated field strain gave the highest growth rate of MG yield with a peak concentration of 1.4 X …

A Rare Cause Of Recurrent Wheeze And Seizures., Maryam Hassan,, Saher Quraeshi, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi

Department of Medicine

A 34-year-old woman presented with recurrent attacks of breathlessness and seizures. The patient's condition worsened during the course of her hospital stay, as a result of which she had to be intubated twice. Radiological studies showed a mass in the trachea and the subsequent biopsy of the mass revealed an infiltrating carcinoma with morphological features of adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Expanding The Dialogue: The Need For Fat Studies In Critical Intercultural Communication, Hannah R. Long

Research Papers

In this paper, I argue that critical intercultural communication, as a discipline, can benefit from an inclusion of fat studies within its literature and analysis. Reciprocally, fat studies can also benefit from this relationship and the questions that would be raised for both fat studies and critical intercultural communication by such a juxtaposition of the areas of study. In particular, I employ my experiences as a fat, U.S. American woman to situate my own embodied knowledge as a way of understanding, in concert with literature reviews of fat studies and identity research within critical intercultural communication. I also utilize muted …

Career Success Of Underrepresented Minority Groups, Lavonne D. Slaton

Student Scholarship

This study examines how individual experiences influence career success. In contrast with previous researchers' definitions of career success, this research is intended to focus on a broader range of subjective career success criteria by focusing on individual experiences and the fact that career success means whatever the individual under consideration defines it as. A rigorous qualitative study based on surveys and interviews with 38 individuals including underrepresented minorities was used to explore their definition of career success, their education, transition into the workforce, diversity, workforce experience, and what fostered or hindered their career success. The research revealed five characteristics common …

Patient-Driven Vs. Evidence-Centric Decision Models In The Treatment Of Hemophilia, Christopher C. Lamb

Student Scholarship

Physicians treating hemophilia face difficult decisions related to complex bleeding disorders. To understand how physicians in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) make critical, life-saving decisions, a qualitative study was performed involving a series of interviews with treatment experts from each country. A total of twenty-four (24) physicians from the US and the UK were asked about their experiences treating hemophilia and how they made certain decisions. American physicians tend to be patient-centric; they are more influenced by a patient's specific preferences and unique, individual conditions. British physicians are more evidence-centric where they approach the patient based …

The Interactive Effect Of Core Self-Evaluations And Perceived Organizational Support In Predicting Work Engagement, Martin Andres Araya

Master's Theses

Given that work engagement has been shown to be related to positive individual and organizational outcomes, researchers have examined factors that predict work engagement. Personal resources and job resources are two factors that previous research has found to predict work engagement. The purpose of this study was to examine core self-evaluations (personal resource) and their interaction with perceived organizational support (job resource) on predicting working engagement. A total of 155 participants in a variety of job industries participated in an online survey. The study examined the direct effect of core self-evaluations in predicting work engagement as well as the interaction …

Characterization Of Gut Associated Circulating Invariant Natural Killer T Cells (Inkt) In Chronic Inflammation Of The Intestine, Venus Allahyarzadeh

Master's Theses

The incidence of chronic intestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and celiac disease is steadily rising in pediatric patients in the United States. Although there is an influx of helper T cells to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in these diseases, the immunopathologic mechanisms of specific T cell subsets are not clearly understood and diagnosis between these diseases is difficult. We hypothesized that the frequency of specific subsets of circulating invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and their surface trafficking receptor (TR) phenotype indicate location and degree of inflammation in patients and further help to distinguish between …

Screening Bioactive Molecules In Tetrahymena Thermophila Using Phagocytosis Determined By Flow Cytometry, Santosh Gummidipundi

Master's Theses

The evaluation of molecules that have potentially bioactive significance is an expanding field, but current screening assays are expensive and time consuming. Mammalian cell-based assays require aseptic techniques, complex media and long generation times. This thesis reports on an assay that incorporates Tetrahymena phagocytic ingestion and flow cytometry to evaluate several potentially bioactive molecules. Several factors that influenced optimal and reproducible results were analyzed. Seven potentially bioactive molecules (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, morphine, colchicine, mexiletine and procainamide) were evaluated to determine their effect on phagocytosis by Tetrahymena. Assay results indicated that the phagocytic rate was unaffected by serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction And Lipid Metabolism Play A Major Role In The Lethality Caused By Developmental Alcohol Exposure, Payam Khodabakhshi

Master's Theses

Exposure to ethanol during development causes a variety of physical, developmental, and cognitive abnormalities. In humans, these symptoms are referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Previously, we established a Drosophila melanogaster model of FASD and showed that developmental ethanol exposure causes oxidative stress, and that this is a primary cause of the developmental lethality and delay associated with ethanol exposure. In this study, we investigate the role of fatty acid metabolism and lipid accumulation in connection to FASD. Here, we show that developmental ethanol exposure leads to dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism and …

The Relationship Between Organizational Justice And Various Dimensions Of Pay Satisfaction, Xinyi Li

Master's Theses

Pay satisfaction has been linked to important organizational outcomes such as work performance and turnover intentions. One way to predict employees’ pay satisfaction is through organizational justice. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of organizational justice perceptions in predicting various pay satisfaction dimensions. A sample of 107 employees participated in an online survey. Consistent with the hypotheses, results showed that pay-related distributive justice perceptions were a stronger predictor of pay level satisfaction than pay-related procedural justice perceptions, and that benefits-related procedural justice perceptions were a stronger predictor of benefits determination satisfaction and benefits administration satisfaction than …

Looking Backward, Moving Forward: The Experiences Of Indo-Fijian Immigrant Women In California, Ambrita Nand

Master's Theses

This study helps address gaps in knowledge concerning the lives of Indo-Fijian immigrant women in California and offers a space for their voices to be heard. The subsequent chapters investigate the lives of five Indo-Fijian immigrant women and their experiences upon migrating to Modesto, California. Using a qualitative research approach, data were collected through participant observations, semi-structured in-depth interviews and informal conversations. The data are presented as anthropological silhouettes, a form of life-writing (the recording of events and experiences of a life), which explores each individual woman’s experience with life in Fiji to her eventual migration and transition to life …

Factors Affecting Western Snowy Plover Winter Foraging Habitat Selection In San Francisco Bay Ponds, Benjamin Gabriel Pearl

Master's Theses

Within the San Francisco Bay Area, Western Snowy Plovers (Alexandrinus

nivosus nivosus) nest and winter in former salt ponds. They face a number of threats

including human-altered habitats and high levels of predation by mesopredators and

raptors. The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (the Project) is a large wetland

restoration project that will change and potentially eliminate snowy plover habitat in the

region. As the Project returns salt ponds to tidal wetland, there will be less of the dry,

flat, and sparsely vegetated habitat that plovers need for breeding and wintering habitat.

A greater understanding of the specific microhabitat …

Synthesis, Structural Characterization And Chromatographic Evaluation Of Silica Hydride-Based Perfluorinated Stationary Phase, Harshada Suyog Natekar

Master's Theses

Silica hydride based stationary phases have demonstrated unique selectivity and specificity for small sized polar molecules. The weakly hydrophobic nature of silica hydride is thought to be the key reason for its remarkable retention capabilities. Traditional stationary phases bonded with fluorine moieties have also exhibited enhanced retention of small polar molecules. In this research, a perfluorinated silica hydride stationary phase was synthesized by hydrosilation and silanization procedures. Chromatographic characterization of the newly packed column was carried out by a large number of retention studies. The separation capabilities of the column were evaluated in both the aqueous normal-phase (ANP) and reversed-phase …

Chloroflexi: The Tale Of A Bacterium Present In Human And Environmental Habitats, Jayashree Sanjeeviraman

Master's Theses

The phylum Chloroflexi is relatively unexplored, with the majority of its representatives being uncultivable. As a result, these microorganisms have not been characterized beyond their morphology and simple staining reactions, making the study of this phylum extremely challenging. Chloroflexi has been detected in the human oral cavity of patients suffering from peri-implantitis and in the vagina of patients suffering from bacterial vaginosis. Interestingly, Chloroflexi is also present in various environments such as freshwater lakes, soil, deep-sea sponges, hot springs and activated wastewater. Isolation of an environmental Chloroflexi with high 16S rRNA gene homology to a human-associated counterpart could be used …

The Role Of Nitric Oxide In Skeletal Simulated Microgravity Response, Luan Tran

Master's Theses

Prolonged exposure to the space environment leads to bone loss. Using a ground-based model for microgravity (hind-limb unloading), it has been shown in rodents that proliferation and differentiation activity of osteoprogenitors are decreased with exposure to simulated microgravity (Kostenuik et al., 1997). Osteoblast mineralization activity has been shown to increase with nitric oxide supplementation (Afzal et al., 2004; Koyama et al., 2000). I hypothesized that the degenerative effects of microgravity exposure result from chronic changes in nitric oxide regulation in osteoprogenitors, and that supplementation with exogenous nitric oxide following exposure would ameliorate these changes. In 20 C57Bl/6 mice, hind-limb unloading …

A Phenomenological Study Of First-Generation Latino Graduates Of Community College And Protective Factors Of Academic Resilience, Homiler Elie Phanor

Education Doctoral

This study examined the reasons behind first-generation Latino students’ academic success in attaining associate degrees in community colleges in the United States, focusing specifically on academic resilience factors among this cohort. The research comes in response to the awareness that, despite the U.S.’s rapidly growing Latino population, Latinos have the lowest higher education attainment level compared to all other ethnic groups. While the structural factors behind this have been examined, there is relatively little research on the enabling factors driving Latinos, specifically those who are first-generation students, who do successfully complete higher education degrees in community colleges, their main entry …