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A Systems Approach To Evaluation Metrics: A Case Study Of Salvation Farms, Julia D. Scheier

Capstone Collection

This paper examines how integrating systems thinking into nonprofit work and evaluation metrics can help to advance an organization’s mission and clarify that mission to the public. The researcher will utilize her practicum site at Salvation Farms, a small nonprofit in northern Vermont, as a case study to observe the extent to which this organization utilizes systems thinking and how current evaluation metrics can be improved to more effectively inform and involve the community. Salvation Farms’ mission, after all, is to build greater resilience into Vermont’s food system through agricultural surplus management.

The researcher offers a literature review on systems …

Table Of Contents

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

No abstract provided.

Perceived Barriers To Higher Education In Stem Among Disadvantaged Rural Students: A Case Study, Lisa Henley Med, Ma, Phyllis Roberts Ma

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

This case study examined the perceptions of scholarship recipients participating in Southwest Virginia Community College’s (SWCC’s) S-STEM scholarship program which examined whether the program helped remove barriers to students’ educational goals and STEM career aspirations. The study used a focus group and a survey to elicit responses from student participants in the SWCC S-STEM program. Participants were low-income residents of rural Appalachia, and many were first generation college students. Results indicated that students in the SWCC S-STEM program experienced a wide variety of barriers to STEM educational and career success, including economic, geographic, social, and educational barriers, and that the …

An Examination Of The Predictive Relationship Between Mode Of Instruction And Student Success In Introductory Biology, Lynette Hauser Ms

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Community colleges, including those in Virginia, continue to increase online course offerings in an effort to provide access and cost effective education to a growing student population. With increased student demand for online learning, community colleges should explore further the possibility of offering more science courses online. This research study investigated the success of non-science major Virginia Community College System (VCCS) students in BIO 102 who had previously completed BIO 101 online. This multi-institutional, multi-semester study of community college online biology students collected data from the VCCS and found that the mode of instruction in BIO 101 was not predictive …

Ballroom Dance: An Education Like No Other, Carrie Pledger Ms, Mat

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

As a disciplinary program, dance falls between the arts and physical education. As a result, it can often be overlooked or sidelined by either program, to the determent of its great value for community college students. Dance and its attention to movement, mental focus, and physical control provide important neurological benefits that affect both the mind and the body. This study examines research studies that identify the neurological benefits of dance and evaluates student perceptions of its value on physical and mental well-being. The research on student perceptions was conducted at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Characterization Of Inhibitor Of Differentiation (Id) Proteins In Human Cornea, Rajiv R. Mohan, Brandie R. Morgan, Govinduraj Anumanthan, Ajay Sharma, Shyam S. Chaurasia, Frank G. Rieger

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Inhibitor of differentiation (Id) proteins are DNA-binding transcription factors involved in cellular proliferation, migration, inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis. However, their expression and role in the cornea is unknown. The present study was undertaken to characterize the expression of Id proteins and their interactions with the pro-fibrotic cytokine Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGFβ1) and anti-fibrotic cytokine, bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) in human cornea. Human donor corneas procured from Eye Bank were used. Id proteins were localized in human corneal sections using immunofluorescence. Primary cultures of human corneal fibroblasts (HCF) were established and treated with either TGFβ1 (5 ng/ml) or BMP7 …

Characterization Of Ixinity (Trenonacog Alfa), A Recombinant Factor Ix With Primary Sequence Corresponding To The Threonine-148 Polymorph, Dougald M. Monroe, Richard J. Jenny, Kevin E. Van Cott, Shelly Buhay, Laura L. Saward

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

The goal of these studies was to extensively characterize the first recombinant FIX therapeutic corresponding to the threonine-148 (Thr-148) polymorph, IXINITY (trenonacog alfa [coagulation factor IX (recombinant)]). Gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism, and gel filtration were used to determine purity and confirm structure. Chromatographic and mass spectrometry techniques were used to identify and quantify posttranslationalmodifications. Activity was assessed as the ability to activate factor X (FX) both with and without factor VIIIa (FVIIIa) and in a standard clotting assay. All results were consistent across multiple lots. Trenonacog alfa migrated as a single band onCoomassie-stained gels; activity assayswere normal and showed97% 𝛾-carboxylation …

Off The Road: Imperialism And Exploration In The American Road Movie, Andy Wright

Pitzer Senior Theses

This essay explores the imperialist nature of the American road movie as it is defined by the film’s era of release, specifically through the lens of how road movies abuse the lands that are travelled through. To accomplish this, my essay analyzes a classic road movie, Easy Rider, a more contemporary parody, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and the futuristic film, The Martian. All of these films treat everything that which is not the metropolitan traveller in a distinctly oppressive sense, and each time a new generation of filmmakers makes a road movie, it becomes …

A Discontinuous Galerkin Method For Unsteady Two-Dimensional Convective Flows, Andreas C. Aristotelous, N. C. Papanicolaou

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We develop a High-Order Symmetric Interior Penalty (SIP) Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) Finite Element Method (FEM) to investigate two-dimensional in space natural convective flows in a vertical cavity. The physical problem is modeled by a coupled nonlinear system of partial differential equations and admits various solutions including stable and unstable modes in the form of traveling and/or standing waves, depending on the governing parameters. These flows are characterized by steep boundary and internal layers which evolve with time and can be well-resolved by high-order methods that also are adept to adaptive meshing. The standard no-slip boundary conditions which apply on the …

A Method For Estimating The Current And Future Carbon Content Of Standing Biomass Applied To Gishwati Forest Reserve, Rwanda, David Courard-Houri, Rebecca Chancellor, Aaron S. Rundus, A. Boland

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

The carbon content of standing tree biomass was determined in the Gishwati Forest Reserve in north-western Rwanda and growth potential of the forest was estimated using a straightforward, generalisable model of natural forest regeneration. A survey was conducted on 2289 trees in plots throughout the reserve. Wood density data were obtained from literature and tree biomass was estimated using a recent pan-tropical allometric equation. A survey on United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects showed that current methods of growth rate projection for mixed, non-plantation forests might significantly overestimate the amount of carbon sequestered. …

Effects Of A Supportive Audience On A Handgrip Squeezing Task In Adults, Brianna L. Leitzelar, Selen Razon, Umit Tokac, Shannon Dieringer, Cindy Book, Lawrence W. Judge

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

The role of social facilitation by way of audience effect in select exercise-related variables during an isometric handgrip task was assessed using a mixed design. Fifty three moderately active participants (Mage= 21.76 + 5.27) were recruited from the Midwestern United States. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: supportive audience or control. Audience members provided positive verbal encouragement to participants in the experimental condition throughout the task performance. Participants in the control group performed the task in the absence of an audience and did not receive any verbal encouragement. Participants provided anxiety ratings pre- and post-task using the …

World Checklist Of Hornworts And Liverworts, Lars Söderström, Anders Hagborg, Matt Von Konrat, Sharon Bartholomew-Began, David Bell, Laura Briscoe, Elizabeth Brown, D. Christine Cargill, Denise P. Costa, Barbara J. Crandall-Stotler, Endymion D. Cooper, Gregorio Dauphin, John J. Engel, Kathrin Feldberg, David Glenny, S. Robbert Gradstein, Xiaolan He, Jochen Heinrichs, Jörn Hentschel, Anna Luiza Ilkiu-Borges, Tomoyuki Katagiri, Nadezhda A. Konstantinova, Juan Larraín, David G. Long, Martin Nebel, Tamás Pócs, Felisa Puche, Elena Reiner-Drehwald, Matt A.M. Renner, Andrea Sass-Gyarmati, Alfons Schäfer-Verwimp, José Gabriel Segarra Moragues, Raymond E. Stotler, Phiangphak Sukkharak, Barbara M. Thiers, Jaime Uribe, Jiří Váňa, Juan Carlos Villarreal, Martin Wigginton, Li Zhang, Rui-Liang Zhu

Biology Faculty Publications

A working checklist of accepted taxa worldwide is vital in achieving the goal of developing an online flora of all known plants by 2020 as part of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. We here present the first-ever worldwide checklist for liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and hornworts (Anthocerotophyta) that includes 7486 species in 398 genera representing 92 families from the two phyla. Th e checklist has far reaching implications and applications, including providing a valuable tool for taxonomists and systematists, analyzing phytogeographic and diversity patterns, aiding in the assessment of floristic and taxonomic knowledge, and identifying geographical gaps in our understanding of …

Chance Or Choice? An Analysis Of Assumed Biological Sex-Based Differences In Undergraduate Public Relations Course Teaching Distributions, Damion Waymer, Douglas Cannon, Joshua Street

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

In this study the authors explore the observed differences among the courses taught by public relations faculty at Carnegie doctoral institutions based on faculty members’ assumed biological sex. The findings indicate that rank faculty (assistant, associate, and full professor) females teach significantly more upper division courses than their male counterparts. The rank faculty males are teaching more introductory (100 and 200 level) courses than their female counterparts. If one follows the logic that upper division courses are more time and effort demanding for faculty, then these findings indicate that females are disproportionately represented as the primary instructors of record for …

Complete Issue, Volume 35, Issue 1

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 35, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Correlations Between Sexual Imagery And Sexual Cognitions, Jennifer L. Mcdonnell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Analyzing the relationship between the visual imagery used in music videos, and the sexual cognition of viewers. Sexual cognition is the awareness of one's own sexual behavior, and its implications. The visual content of music videos was analyzed focusing only on the imagery used. The Heterosexual Script (Jhally, 2007) in particular is observed in most music videos, highlighting the sexual objectification of women and the dominant role of males. The direction of causality between the visual imagery and sexual cognitions can only be speculated using a number of theories, namely cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957), cultivation theory (Gerbner et al., 1994), …

Sexual Content In Music Lyrics And Their Effects On Sexual Cognition, Nicole Nowotny

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the sexual content found in music lyrics of different genres and their relationship to specific sexual cognitions. The study included 902 participants, both male and female, belonging to various ethnic backgrounds, ages 18 and up. It was hypothesized that listening to music containing frequent sexual lyrics will have an affect on men and women’s sexual cognitive beliefs. Results indicated that there was a relationship between frequency of sexually explicit lyrics and views on sexual cognitions. The breakdown by genre shows a more detailed relationship between the lyrics and sexual cognitions. Overall, the …

Characterization Of Hemerythrin-Like Protein Rv2633c, Michelle D. Cherne

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hemerythrin-like protein Rv2633c is a small 18 kDa protein that is expressed in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Sequence analysis of Rv2633c predicts the presence of a hemerythrin-like domain, which binds dioxygen using a µ-oxo-bridge (Fe-O-Fe), rather than a heme group. Though it is noticeably upregulated during macrophage infection and during in vitro acidification, the role of Rv2633c in Mtb survival has yet to be elucidated. This project aims to characterize the function of Rv2633c by studying the in vitro response of the recombinant protein to conditions present in the macrophage lysosome, such as reduced oxygen levels or the …

Quantifying The Success Of Eastern Oyster Pilot Reefs In Brevard County, Florida, Lacie Anderson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Crassostrea virginica, the eastern oyster, is a native keystone species that inhabits many coastal and estuarine ecosystems along the Atlantic seaboard. Introduction of the eastern oyster into estuarine areas with limited current populations is gaining popularity as a pro-active approach to improve estuarine water quality. In November 2014 and April 2015, a total of five pilot oyster reef treatments were deployed in Brevard County: bagged adult oysters (grown by community members under their docks through oyster gardening) collected in fall 2014 and spring 2015, bagged clean shell, oyster restoration mats, and empty plots (control). Locations of deployment included a …

Public Perceptions Of Birthmothers Of Adopted Children, Bethany I. Wedlund

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A woman who has experienced an unintended pregnancy and chooses to place the child for adoption is known as a birthmother. When faced with an unintended pregnancy, women typically have three courses of action. They may choose to parent the child, terminate the pregnancy, or place the child for adoption. There is limited research on birthmothers themselves or societal perceptions of them.

When it comes to societal perceptions of abortion, religiosity is a significant factor. Contrary to popular belief, many of the women who choose to abort do so in order to preserve the lives of their families. Single mothers …

The Effect Of Climate On Physiology And Immune Function In The Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina Citri, Grace Avecilla

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The variation in the insect immune system is an important regulator of insect populations and the pathogens they carry. A central component of insect immunity is melanin, whose production creates cytotoxic intermediates that help to protect against a broad spectrum of pathogens. Melanin is also used in insect cuticle where it helps to improve thermoregulation and desiccation resistance, with insects having less melanized cuticles in warmer and more humid environments. Considering that cuticle melanin and immune melanin are formed by near identical biochemical pathways, they are pleiotropically linked (that is, one or more linked genes influence multiple traits). This has …

Evaluating Competition Between Verbal And Implicit Systems With Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Troy A. Schiebel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In category learning, explicit processes function through the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and implicit processes function through the basal ganglia. Research suggested that these two systems compete with each other. The goal of this study was to shed light on this theory. 15 undergraduate subjects took part in an event-related experiment that required them to categorize computer-generated line-stimuli, which varied in length and/or angle depending on condition. Subjects participated in an explicit "rule-based" (RB) condition and an implicit "information-integration" (II) condition while connected to a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) apparatus, which measured the hemodynamic response (HR) in their PFC. Each condition …

Identity Development And Sexual Orientation Prejudice, Cassandra Smith

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationships among psychological variables of sexual prejudice, psychological adjustment, and identity development. It was hypothesized that sexual orientation prejudice would be negatively related to psychological adjustment. It was further hypothesized that identity formation would moderate the relationship between sexual orientation prejudice and psychological adjustment. Participants were 200 college students, ages ranged from 18-48 (M = 21.96, SD = 4.87). Sexual orientation for the participants included self-identified labels of Heterosexual (88.5%), Homosexual (6.5%), Bisexual (3.5%), Pansexual (1%), and Demisexual (0.5%). Survey data were collected through a Psychology Research Experience website (SONA). Results revealed a negative correlation between …

Screening For Anticancer Agents To Inhibit Mitotic Kinases And Proliferation Of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells, Khoa Nguyen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Current treatments for prostate cancer (PCa) are marred with high relapse frequency and development of progressively aggressive cancers; developing new treatment options for PCa remains crucial. In this project, a series of synthetic compounds based on natural products will be screened to identify inhibitors for Aurora-A kinase (Aur-A). Aur-A facilitates centrosome separation and bipolar spindle formation during mitosis. Aur-A is overexpressed in metastatic PCa cells, and is a good candidate for targeted therapies. Compound libraries are designed using natural compounds that contain simple structural elements as starting points for developing drug like libraries. High-throughput screening of these libraries will be …

Aptameric Sensors: In Vitro Selection Of Dna That Binds Bromocresol Purple, Derek B. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aptamers being used as sensors is an emerging field that has capabilities of being tomorrow’s diagnostic tools. As aptameric sensors have become more popular, their visualization systems have been limited. The majority of today’s aptameric sensors require expensive machinery such as a fluorometer in order to visualize results. We propose a system that will cut the need for instrumentation and be detected via the naked eye. With the selection of an aptamer to bind the pH indicating dye bromocresol purple (BCP) this may be achieved. When rendered active, the binding towards BCP will facilitate a color change from yellow to …

Outcomes Assessment Within Prostate Cancer Interventions For Couples: A Narrative Review, Andrea M. Siguenza

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Current cancer research is beginning to address the psychosocial implications of a prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis from not just the perspective of quality of life of the patient, but of his partner as well. Such inquiries have created novel intervention programs aiming to alleviate the adverse side effects that a PCa diagnosis may inflict on the couple.
Assessing efficacy of couple-based interventions, however, has been a difficult task due to the lack of homogeneity between studies regarding the operationalization process of primary outcome variables, as well as the instruments being used to measure them. This thesis, in response, aims to …

Representations And Impacts Of Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Ideals In Children's Literature For Young Children, David B. Foresman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Children’s literature plays a critical role in shaping how children view themselves and the world around them. This is especially true in regards to outgroups such as the transgender and gender nonconforming communities. Transgender individuals have been gaining increased visibility in the past few years. The misconceptions surrounding these topics are not exclusively found outside the classroom. Title IX was expanded to include gender identity as recently as 2014. Yet, much confusion and apprehension is present when discussing the topic of transgender and gender nonconformity, especially in the elementary school classroom. To address these misconceptions, inclusion of these outgroups into …

Exploring Preservice Teacher Attitudes Toward Black Students, Audra L. Greuel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The majority of the preservice teacher population is young, White, and female; however, the urban school system student population continues to become increasingly diverse, including an increasing population of underserved Black students in urban schools. The racial differences between the preservice teacher population and the urban student population complicates the challenges faced in educating Black students effectively. Teachers and students often encounter misunderstandings, and thus, utilize incompatible styles of classroom management and instruction, often resulting in Black students experiencing difficulties with learning. Many of these complications derive from the profound presence of race, racial difference, and racial inequality throughout U.S. …

Exploring The Therapeutic Roles Of Santeria For Latinx Living In Florida, Amaris J. Santiago

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mental health services within Latinx communities in the United States has been greatly underutilized. Seekers of mental health support face many barriers including internalized stigmas, misconception of mental health serves and low general knowledge of mental health and wellness. For many Latinx, culturally competent mental healthcare has lacked important elements to how Latinx interpret mental healthcare services. The use of Santería in many in Florida and the United States has supplemented gaps left by formal mental healthcare services. Santería has its own stigmas within Latinx communities were its practiced, forcing many Santeros and seekers to practice in private. Lack of …

Study And Analysis Of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms Among Students At The University Of Central Florida, Deberly M. Anzueto

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Upper gastrointestinal symptoms can be caused by many different diseases and can present themselves in many different forms and range in intensity depending on the person. In previous research, upper gastrointestinal symptoms have been correlated with stress, smoking, alcohol intake, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among others. The purpose of this study will be focusing on finding any association between these risk factors mention and symptoms of upper gastrointestinal disease among college students. The study will utilize an Izumo scale questionnaire for the assessment of abdominal symptoms and Quality of Life (QOL). The questionnaire was built using Survey Monkey and …

The Difference In Ventilatory Threshold Among Adolescent Males Based On Maturity Status, Dyane Loney

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous research has shown an inverse relationship between age and the relative intensity at which ventilatory threshold (VT) occurs in adolescent boys. However, no study has examined the effect of maturity status on VT in the differences in boys from the onset of puberty, adolescents. The purpose of this study was to compare VT among adolescent boys of different maturational groups. Methods: For this study, moderately active adolescent male participants (14 ± 3 y) completed this study. Maturational status of the participants was determined via years from peak height velocity (PHV), which is an estimation of somatic maturity status derived …