Digital Commons Network^™

Detention Center To Home School: The Path Of Transition, Sarah Hogeveen

Dissertations

This study examined the way a juvenile detention center and local feeder high schools worked in conjunction with each other to educate students that are incarcerated and then transition back to their home school. The goal of this study was to determine the adequacy of the transition/re-entry plan and then develop a template to assist high schools in the transition process. The transition/re-entry process into the home high school can be difficult and often involves several agencies. The evidence has suggested that there is not a solid transition plan available or in place for this process. This evidence allowed for …

Science Teaching And Learning As Transformation: Making Meaning With My Students, Megan Marie Leider

Dissertations

As a classroom science teacher, I have experienced firsthand the disengagement and disinterest students have with science. Students often struggle to retain information from year to year, feel comfortable in the science classroom, and see the connections between the science taught in the classroom and their lived experiences. It is obvious to me that we could do more for our students. One way in which to assist students with science learning is through the incorporation of Sci-YAR (Science Youth Action Research). Sci-YAR is a curricular framework and instructional strategy that places the student at the center of their learning. It …

A Historical Analysis Of The Pioneers And Advocates Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (1980-2013): Examining The Evolution Of The Diagnosis And The Influences That Have Shaped What The Diagnosis Is Today, Cynthia Marie Sikora

Dissertations

During the 1980's, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was categorized as a developmental disorder separate from other developmental disorders, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III (DSM-III). There were various pioneers and advocates who have helped the evolution of the ASD diagnosis from the time period of 1980-2013. Based on this evolution, schools, institutions and society as a whole, needed additional information and professional preparation in order to educate and create awareness regarding the treatment and education of individuals with ASD.

The central research questions are: During the time period from 1980-2013, who were the pioneers and advocates …

Regulation Of Micrornas By 17Β-Estradiol In The Aging Female Brain, Yathindar Satya Giffin-Rao

Dissertations

Hormone Therapy (HT) is used to increase the 17β-estradiol (E2) levels in women who are going through the menopausal transition to alleviate the negative symptoms associated with menopause and decrease the risk of chronic diseases. Clinical and basic science research had previously shown that HT provided protection from cognitive decline and reduced the risk of dementia. However the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial demonstrated that HT had no beneficial effects for cognitive decline and, in some cases increased the risk of dementia in post-menopausal women. However, further analysis of WHI data showed that when HT was given to women …

Somos Familia: Family As An Organizing Trope In 20th-21st Century Latina/O Literature, Victoria Anne Bolf

Dissertations

This dissertation examines various ways that family has been employed as a model of both oppression and liberation in Latina/o literature. Working from an interdisciplinary standpoint at the crossroads of literary and cultural studies, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, Chicano/a studies, and Latino/a studies, this project seeks to uncover how representations of familia in U.S. Latino/a literary texts accomplish their discursive work, as well as complicating conventional formulations of kinship and family.

I examine Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas, in Chapter One, in terms of queer family and the counter-domestic logic of “the streets.” In Chapter Two, I …

Predictors And Profiles Of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among African-American Adolescents And Young Adult Males Behaviorally-Infected With Hiv: A Classification Tree Analysis Approach, Israel Moses Gross

Dissertations

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is crucial for thwarting disease progression and reducing secondary transmission, yet HIV+ youth struggle with adherence. The highest rates of new HIV infections occur in young African American men (YAAM), thus understanding reasons for non-adherence in this group is critical. Reasons for non-adherence can be complex and multifactorial, and innovative methods of exploration are needed for advancing prevention and treatment efforts. A sample of 387 HIV+ YAAM who reported currently taking HIV medications were selected from a cross-sectional assessment of 2,226 HIV+ youth from sites within the Adolescent Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) from 2009-2012 …

Mother-Infant Relationships In The Nicu: A Multiple Case Study Approach, Ilona Helin

Dissertations

Parent-child relationships consist of both external and internal components. The external component is the behavioral interaction between mother and child, while the internal components are expectations each member of the dyad has for the both the relationship and of the other partner. These expectations are called internal working models (IWMs) and are blueprints that have been developed from an individual’s childhood experience of sensitive or insensitive parenting. A mother’s IWMs influence how she perceives her child, her relationship with her child and herself as a mother, the sensitivity of her caregiving, and ultimately her child’s IWM of him or her …

Study Of Escherichia Coli Adp-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Catalysis: Investigating Critical Roles Of Conserved Arg32 And Lys42 Residues, Angela Lynn Mahaffey

Dissertations

Carbohydrates have been most notable as energy sources for mammals, bacteria (glycogen) and plants (starch) – and in many other species. As such the biosynthesis of carbohydrates is essential to the sustainability of many forms of life, on earth. Adenosine-‘5-diphosphate glucose pyrophosphate (ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase; ADP-Glc PPase) is the allosterically controlled “first committed step” in both the biosynthetic pathways of starch (~25% amylose and ~75% amylopectin, in plants and algae) and glycogen (in bacteria), preceding the starch/glycogen synthase reaction. By catalyzing the following reaction, ATP + α –D-Glc-1P ADP-Glc + PPi , ADP-Glc PPase functions as the primary enzyme in the …

Shifting Narratives In Doctoral Admissions: Faculty Of Color Understandings Of Diversity, Equity, And Justice In A Neoliberal Context, Dian Drew Squire

Dissertations

Little is known about how faculty make decisions in the doctoral admissions process or how they conceptualize diversity, equity, and justice in those same processes. As the United States continues to diversify, understanding how students are selected into graduate programs and how faculty understand diversity, equity, and justice is increasingly important to supporting diverse leadership bodies and shaping an inclusive campus cultural context. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and critical discourse analysis to explore how faculty of color understand diversity, equity, and justice norms, values, and behaviors in the doctoral admissions process in Higher Education and Student …

Synthesis And Testing Of Photosensitizer-Folate Conjugates And Potential Photosensitizers For Photodynamic Therapy, Jeffrey A. Trautmann

Dissertations

Dissertation Proposal for Jeffrey Trautmann

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a technique that destroys oncogenic (cancerous) cells. It has been used in several countries since the 1980’s. Molecules that contain chromophores can function as photosensitizers, and will absorb light at various wavelengths (that being dependent upon the extent of their conjugation). Certain functional groups, upon absorption of light, can be used to convert O2 to singlet oxygens which are destructive to the cellular environment. Once an in-vitro cell contains a high enough concentration of photosensitizer material and light is able to reach the photosensitizer material, PDT can be used effectively to …

Daddy Is Involved: How Do African American Fathers Participate In The Education Experiences Of Their High School Children?, Gregory Pierre Baker

Dissertations

Parents have tremendous influence in the lives of their children. As a result, it is valuable to investigate how high school parents participate in their children's high school education experiences. African American fathers in particular, have been placed under scrutiny by the media and general population for not being involved in the education experiences of their children, while the research literature dispels this generalization.

This study investigates how African American fathers, in a suburban community, participate in the education experiences of their high school children. This research study took place at a Du Page County, Illinois, high school under the …

Social Justice And Ecological Responsibility: A Moral Case For International Collaborative Action On Environmental Degradation And Climate-Induced Displacement, James Stephen Mastaler

Dissertations

The contemporary ecological crisis, manifest in human-induced climate change, is a powerful form of structural violence against the poorest communities on the planet. As such, my research resides at the nexus of structural poverty, gender disparity, ecological degradation, and climate-induced displacement. The social justice implications emerging from this nexus require responsible moral deliberation and discernment over the international community's role in minimizing the human tragedies accompanying forced displacement and migration. While asserting the interconnectedness and dependency of all life upon mutual flourishing, responsible decision-making expands the range of felt moral concern to include ecological flourishing. Social justice is only possible …

The Role Of Neighborhood And Parenting In The Development Of Effortful Control And Subsequent Social Competence During Early Childhood, Edna Y. Romero

Dissertations

The current study examined ecological predictors of the trajectory of effortful control (EC) across ages 4, 5, and 6 in a community sample of young children (N = 796). The specific goals of the study were to examine poor neighborhood quality as a predictor of EC development, to evaluate the moderating role of supportive and hostile parenting in relation to poor neighborhood quality and EC development, and to determine if the interaction between poor neighborhood quality and parenting predicted change in children’s social competence through the mediating role of EC. Data were analyzed using latent growth curve modeling (LGM). Results …

Amyloid Precursor Protein (App) Regulates G0/G1 Transition And Cell Growth, Anna Sobol

Dissertations

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) originates in the epithelia of the lung and persists as the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Many studies have shown that hypoxia is prevalent in NSCLC tissue and negatively influences treatment outcome.

In previous studies, we investigated the efficacy of gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI) treatment in an orthotopic mouse NSCLC model. Analysis of hypoxic areas of tumors from GSI treated animals showed reappearance of 4E-BP1 phosphorylation at threonine 37/46 residues (T37/46). 4E-BP1 phosphorylation is primarily mediated by mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC-1), a major cell integrator of growth factors stimulation, …

Structure And Molecular Mechanism Of A Plp/Gaba Dependent Transcription Regulator Gabr, Rui Wu

Dissertations

GabR is a member of the MocR/GabR subfamily of the GntR family of bacterial transcription regulators. It regulates the metabolism of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an important nitrogen and carbon source in many bacteria. The crystal structures reported here show that this protein has evolved from the fusion of a type I aminotransferase and a winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) DNA binding protein to form a chimeric protein that adopts a dimeric head-to-tail configuration. The pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-binding regulatory domain of GabR is therefore an example of a coenzyme playing a role in transcription regulation rather than in enzymatic catalysis. Our structural and …

Fortifying Farms And Ranches Against Weed Invasion, Utah State University

All Current Publications

The traditional approach to weed management on most farms or ranches is similar to a person running on a treadmill. A treadmill allows a person to run or walk while staying in one place. As the exercise deck cycles around and around, the user exerts energy to maintain the set pace, but never really goes anywhere.

Agricultural producers spend a great deal of resources (time and money) on what can be thought of as a weed management treadmill. The weed treadmill is always in motion. Treadmill speed is controlled by how well or how poorly the weeds were managed in …

Survey Of Viral Populations Within Lake Michigan Nearshore Waters At Four Chicago Area Beaches, Emily Sible, Alexandria Cooper, Kema Malki, Katherine Bruder, Siobhan C. Watkins, Yuriy Fofanov, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

In comparison to the oceans, freshwater environments represent a more diverse community of microorganisms, exhibiting comparatively high levels of variability both temporally and spatially Maranger and Bird, Microb. Ecol. 31 (1996) 141–151. This level of variability is likely to extend to the world of viruses as well, in particular bacteria-infecting viruses (bacteriophages). Phages are known to influence bacterial diversity, and therefore key processes, in environmental niches across the globe Clokie et al., Bacteriophage 1 (2011) 31–45; Jacquet et al., Adv. Ocean Limn. 1 (2010) 97–141; Wilhelm and Suttle, Bioscience 49 (1999) 781–788; Bratback et al., Microb. Ecol. 28 (1994) 209–221. …

Survey Of Microbial Populations Within Lake Michigan Nearshore Waters At Two Chicago Public Beaches, Kema Malki, Katherine Bruder, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Lake Michigan is a critical resource for the residents of Chicago, providing drinking water to its 9+ million area residents. Along Chicago׳s 26 miles of public beaches the populous urban environment and this freshwater environment meet. While city-led monitoring initiatives investigate pathogenic bacteria in these nearshore waters, very little is known about other microbial species present. We collected surface water samples from two Chicago public beaches – Montrose Beach and 57th Street Beach – every ten days from June 5 through August 4, 2013 as well as once in early Fall (October 4, 2013). Sixteen bacterial communities in total were …

Hash-Map-Eradicator: Filtering Non-Target Sequences From Next Generation Sequencing Reads, Jonathon Brenner, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Contemporary DNA sequencing technologies are continuously increasing throughput at ever decreasing costs. Moreover, due to recent advances in sequencing technology new platforms are emerging. As such computational challenges persist. The average read length possible has taken a giant leap forward with the PacBio and Nanopore solutions. Regardless of the platform used, impurities within the DNA preparation of the sample - be it from unintentional contaminants or pervasive symbiots - remains an issue. We have developed a new tool, HAsh-MaP-ERadicator (HAMPER), for the detection and removal of non-target, contaminating DNA sequences. Integrating hash-based and mapping-based strategies, HAMPER is both memory and …

Teaching, Learning, And Leading: Preparing Teachers As Educational Policy Actors, Amy J. Heineke, Ann Marie Ryan, Charles Tocci

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Within the current federal, state, and local contexts of educational reform, teachers must be recognized as central actors in policy work, but rarely do we explicitly consider preparing teachers to become policy actors. Understanding these implications for teacher education, we investigate teacher candidates’ learning of the complexity and dynamism of educational policy through a field-based teacher preparation program. Situated across four unique school contexts in the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois, we qualitatively study the cases of eight teacher candidates as they explore policy in practice. We found that candidates developed enduring understandings about policy as complex, situated, and multilayered, …

The Brain Geography Mini-Course: A Neuroscience Outreach Effort, Mark Albert

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The way we experience the world - how we go between sensing, thinking, and acting - is in some ways no more of a mystery than understanding how a computer works. Brains are quite complicated and we may never understand the details, but what we know in general can be very interesting. In this mini-course, we will learn how we think. When we see, hear, smell, touch, taste, remember, rehearse, fear something, understand or produce language, move our bodies...specific parts of the brain are used. Students will get a rough introduction to each part and how they interact. This will …

The Next Generation Of Computational Science And Engineering, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Editor-in-Chief message.

Scientific Software Communities [Guest Editor Introduction], Andy Terrel, Michael Tobis, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Guest editor introduction

Androgen Mediation Of Elaborate Male Traits: The Effects Of Dihydrotestosterone Administration On Vocal Quality In Male Green Treefrogs, Hyla Cinerea, Thor M. Goodfellow

Honors Theses

Elevated androgen levels are well known to mediate the expression of male courtship behaviors and elaborate traits, but whether androgens act via threshold or graded effects is less clear. Models linking elaborate male traits to the endocrine system often assume that androgens have a graded effect on the magnitude or extent of elaborate male traits and that female preference for more elaborate male traits thus drives concordant directional selection on circulating androgen levels. To test this hypothesis, I examined the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) administration on the quality of advertisement calls produced by male Hyla cinerea. Advertisement calls are an …

The Role Of Soluble, Insoluble Fibers And Their Bioactive Compounds In Cancer: A Mini Review, Dimitrios Papandreou, Zujaja Tul Noor, Maitha Rashed

All Works

The cancer incidence has risen dramatically over the last decades. About 8 million people died globally according to latest reports, which represented almost 40% more than it was 20 years ago. Risk factors for the development of cancer have been found to include smoking, alcohol, drugs, obesity and diet. Fiber intake has shown to exhibit chemoprotective effects on cancer proliferation and metastasis that may seem to be very promising. This article will review the role of different types of fiber such as, cellulose, lignin, pectin and inulin in development and prevention of different types of cancers. This article would also …

Privileged Resistance: Prisoners Of Conscience In The United States, 1980-2013, Anya Stanger

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation tells the story of modern anti-war prisoners of conscience in the United States-people who are incarcerated for six months or more as a result of nonviolent resistance. It explores how they intentionally use and learn about their own privilege in solidarity actions that land them in the belly of the imperial beast; the prison. It traces the lives of forty three such prisoners of conscience, from discernment of action through release, to show how "who they are" (in terms of their visible identities and private senses of self) impacts their experiences, the ways they are understood, and their …

Controlling Microbial Multicellular Behaviors With Saccharide Derivatives, Nischal Singh

Dissertations - ALL

Microbial multicellular behaviors like biofilm formation and swarming motility are known to increase their tolerance against antimicrobials. From microbial standpoint, nonmicrobicidal agents that do not impede growth are tolerable and therefore, there is a lower propensity to develop resistance against such agents as compared to microbicidal ones (antibiotics). This study describes a new antibiofilm approach of using nonmicrobicidal saccharide derivatives for controlling the multicellular behaviors of gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungus, Candida albicans.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to secrete rhamnolipids, a class of biosurfactants that plays an important role in maintaining the architecture of its biofilm and promoting its …

Development Of Improved Methodologies Toward The Formation Of C-C And C-N Bonds, Ijaz Ahmed

Dissertations - ALL

Organometallic chemistry provides valuable tools for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds that would otherwise require multiple steps and resources to achieve through conventional methods. Studies toward the regioselective and stereoselective formation these types of bonds using different organometallic methods will be presented. Three focal areas have been studied: C-N bond formation, C-H borylation, and silylvinylation of alkynes.

In Chapter 1, palladium-catalyzed amidation has been used to effectively form C-N bonds toward the synthesis of valuable imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and imidazo[4,5-c]pyridines. The reaction conditions are tolerable for a variety of N-substituted-3-amino-2-chloropyridines. All current routes to expand the substrate scope in regards …

Human-Managed Vs. Natural Grazing Systems: Exploring Effects Of Livestock And Wildlife Grazing At Multiple Scales, Megan Esther Mcsherry

Dissertations - ALL

Grazing by large herbivores is the most prevalent land use on grassland ecosystems, which cover greater than 40% of the earth's land surface and provide critical ecological and economic benefits. As such, understanding how grazing impacts different aspects of the ecosystem is of especially great importance. This study uses a range of approaches to explore the potentially contrasting effects of grazing across human-managed, livestock-grazed systems and natural, wildlife-grazed systems. The first chapter uses a short-term, small-scale approach in assessing differences across management type in plant community composition following a relaxation of grazing. Results reveal that livestock and wildlife grazers may …

Modulation And Interactions Of Charged Biomimetic Membranes With Bivalent Ions, Adolphe Kazadi Badiambile

Dissertations - ALL

The biological membrane of an eukaryotic cell is a two-dimensional structure of mostly phospholipids with embedded proteins. This two-dimensional structure plays many key roles in the life of a cell. Transmembrane proteins, for example, play the role of a gate for different ions (such as Ca2+). Also found are peripheral proteins that are used as enzymes for different purposes in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Phospholipids, in particular play three key roles. Firstly, some members of this group are used to store energy. Secondly, the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties inherent to phospholipids enable them to be used as …