Digital Commons Network^™

Barriers To Food Security Experienced By Families Living In Extended Stay Motels, Stephanie Gonzalez Guittar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Families who are food insecure do not have regular access to food, access to enough food to satisfy their hunger, or have to resort to extraordinary measures to access food such as traveling to food pantries and other emergency food sources. This article focuses on low-income families with children who live in extended stay motels and experienced food insecurity. Families reported several indicators of food insecurity and discussed the barriers to food security they experienced as a result of living in a motel. Families reported that the locations of the motels, lack of transportation, the lack of storage space and …

Impact Of Short Lifetime Limits On Child Neglect, Vicky N. Albert, William C. King

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Great Recession that officially began in December 2007 nationally resulted in a loss of income on the part of many families with children who in turn, relied on a variety of safety nets, including cash assistance from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Loss of income has been recognized as a major risk factor of child maltreatment, in particular child neglect. During its 2007 recession, Arizona shortened its TANF lifetime limits substantially which resulted in transfer income losses for many families with children on TANF. Using time-series analysis, the present study determines the relative impact of TANF’s shorter …

Hong Kong’S Post-Colonial Education Reform: Liberal Studies As A Lens, Robert W. Spires

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

The Hong Kong education system is at a crucial point in its trajectory, and changes to public education also reflect broader social, economic and political changes within Hong Kong and globally. Since the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from British control to China, Hong Kong has struggled to develop its own identity under the One Country, Two Systems premise. One of the compulsory courses in the Hong Kong curriculum known as liberal studies, introduced in 2009, provided a useful departure point for exploring many social tensions occurring in Hong Kong. Exploring education reform through liberal studies explains how these social …

Engaging The Power Of Peer Observation, Kate M. Cassada, Julie Harris, Bobby Herting, Tara Warren, Damia Brown-Kidd

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

As a college professor, I have taught hundreds of graduate students in instructional leadership and reflective teaching courses. The overwhelmingly consistent report I hear from these active and engaged educators is that they rarely, if ever, have time to see each other teach. Teaching remains an isolated event - protected time for teachers to share their craft through thoughtful peer discussion and observation rarely. exists. When time is devoted to these activities, it usually is prescribed by building or division-led professional development initiatives, experiences teachers say do not feel genuine, safe, and focused on true reflection and growth. As Daniels, …

How Useful Is Electroencephalography In The Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorders And The Delineation Of Subtypes: A Systematic Review, Oana Gurau, William Bosl, Charles R. Newton

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are thought to be associated with abnormal neural connectivity. Presently, neural connectivity is a theoretical construct that cannot be easily measured. Research in network science and time series analysis suggests that neural network structure, a marker of neural activity, can be measured with electroencephalography (EEG). EEG can be quantified by different methods of analysis to potentially detect brain abnormalities. The aim of this review is to examine evidence for the utility of three methods of EEG signal analysis in the ASD diagnosis and subtype delineation. We conducted a review of literature in which 40 studies were …

Tablet App For Child Cognitive Assessment In Low And Middle Income Countries, Patricia A. Francis-Lyon, Yasser Attiga, Rashmi Manjunath, Uma Ramasubramanian, Vaishali Chaudhuri, Tri Nguyen, Xiangyi Xu

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification Of “Kratom” (Mitragyna Speciosa) Alkaloids In Commercially Available Products, Julia Grzymkowski, Michelle R. Peace, Justin Poklis

UROP Posters

“Kratom” is the common name for the botanical mitragyna speciosa. It is a tree native to Southeast Asia in which leaves contain the psychoactive alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Kratom is often ingested as teas, chewed, or smoked. It acts as a stimulant in small doses and as an opioid in large doses. Overdoses can result in vomiting, seizures, and death. Recently the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) placed Kratom on Schedule 1, but, due to public outcry, it was almost immediately removed.

Eleven kratom based products were obtained from various tobacco shops, “headshops” and via the internet including: Choice brand …

The Bamboo Ceiling: A Study Of Barriers To Asian American Advancement, Emily Cheng

UROP Posters

The idea of cultural diversity in the workplace is a popular one, generating much discussion about the inclusion of and affirmative action toward minorities. However, these conversations rarely involve Asian Americans, who despite above-average levels of educational achievement, household income, and employment, find themselves underrepresented in and shut-out of upper-level management positions. In this project, I investigated the stereotype of East-Asian Americans as a model minority (created by non-Asians) to find out why East-Asian Americans are underrepresented in upper-level management in corporate workplaces, a phenomenon known as the “bamboo ceiling.” I explored a variety of scholarly sources that analyzed the …

Platelet-Derived Microparticles And Their Role In Sepsis, Robert Tramel

Honors Theses

Causing at least 215,000 deaths in the U.S. annually- more than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and AIDS combined- and rising, sepsis is one of the most deadly medical conditions in America. Sepsis pathophysiology, however, is still incompletely understood, making it difficult for physicians to diagnosis and treat effectively. Given the time-sensitivity of treatment, researchers are now searching for new methods to identify sepsis early, developing more accurate prognostic markers, and developing new target therapeutic candidates. One biological component of interest in this research is the platelet-derived microparticle (PMP), a heterogeneous vesicle derived from the cell membrane of platelets found circulating …

An Integrative Synthetic, Spectroscopic, And Computational Study Of The Free Radical Chlorine Dioxide And Its Interactions With Hydrogen Bonded Networks, Sarah C. Sutton

Honors Theses

The free radical chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a strong oxidizing agent that is used to purify drinking water and medical equipment. The existing literature shows discrepancies in the explanation of the solvent dependent properties of ClO2. The following thesis investigates these properties by integrating integrates inorganic synthesis, spectroscopic analyses, and computational methods. ClO2/water hydrogen-bonded networks were computed with the DFT method B3LYP with 6-31G(d,p) and 6-311++G(2df, 2pd) basis sets. Raman frequency computations were performed on local minima geometries. Experimental Raman spectra of chlorine dioxide solvated in water and methanol were obtained, and the fundamental symmetric stretch (nu1) of each spectrum …

Curriculum Bien Fait: The Quest For A Coherent High School Literature Curriculum, Shelby Reed Knighten

Honors Theses

This literature review examines sources of incoherency——both macrocosmic and microcosmic——that impact the goal of establishing a coherent high school literature curriculum. Macrocosmic sources of incoherency involve the institutions through which standards and curriculum are constructed while microcosmic sources concern issues within the discipline of English. Among the macrocosmic/institutional sources of incoherency are an unclear division of power between federal and state government, the lack of a professional vocabulary in education, competing interpretations of standards and reforms, and a lack of educational infrastructure. Microcosmic/disciplinary sources include competing ideologies within English education as well as the weakening of the classical, ethical, and …

Modification Of Panobinostat To Increase Its Therapeutic Potential To Cure Multiple Myeloma, Sweta Adhikari

Honors Theses

Panobinostat is a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor that can impede function of a wide range of zinc-dependent histone deacetylases. Panobinostat is the first approved histone deacetylase inhibitor for the treatment of multiple myeloma, along with other drugs such as Velcade and Dexamethasone. Simplistically, it helps to shrink or eradicate tumor growth in multiple myeloma patients. However, the treatment has severe adverse effects due to its lack of selectivity. In collaboration with Dr. Shana Stoddard (Rhodes College, Memphis TN) and Fatima Rivas (St. Jude's Research Hospital, Memphis TN), our research aims to design a more selective model of panobinostat that binds …

Spectroscopic And Computational Studies Of The Hydrogen Bonding Interactions Of Hydroxyethyl Ethers, Ashley Elizabeth Williams

Honors Theses

The isoenzymatic form of microsomal cytochrome P450, CYP2E1, is involved in the formation of oxygen free radicals, specifically hydroxyethyl ether. Chronic alcohol abuse has been found to induce larger levels of CYP2E1 in the liver, thus increasing production of these harmful free radicals. Generation of the hydroxyethyl ether oxygen free radicals occurs during the metabolism of ethanol in microsomes. The hydrogen-bonding interactions of hydroxyethyl ethers with water have yet to be analyzed, and information regarding the interactions with water can be applied directly to biological systems. Here, we employ Raman spectroscopy and computational chemistry to study hydroxyethyl ether complexes in …

Detection And Interpretation Of Fluorescence Signals Generated By Excitable Cells And Tissues, Anthony J. Costantino

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Part 1: High-Sensitivity Amplifiers for Detecting Fluorescence
Monitoring electrical activity and Cai 2+ transients in biological tissues and individual cells increasingly utilizes optical sensors based on voltage-dependent and Cai 2+-dependent fluorescent dyes. However, achieving satisfactory signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) often requires increased illumination intensities and/or dye concentrations, which results in photo-toxicity, photo-bleaching and other adverse effects limiting the utility of optical recordings. The most challenging are the recordings from individual cardiac myocytes and neurons. Here we demonstrate that by optimizing a conventional transimpedance topology one can achieve a 10-20 fold increase of sensitivity with photodiode-based recording systems (dependent on …

Harnessing Solar Energy: Vapor Phase Polymerized Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene) For Solid State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells And The Photodegradation Of Organic Toxicants, Steven M. Boyer

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource available and can be utilized for a variety of applications such as photovoltaics and promote chemical reactions. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a class of photovoltaic cells that have been well studied for their low cost and environmentally friendly materials. Previous research focused on developing more efficient liquid phase solar cells, but little work has gone into solid state DSSCs. Moving towards the solid state would improve the lifetime of the cells, preventing leaking of electrolyte and corrosion of the electrode while potentially being a more scalable process for mass production, improving …

Lake Magadi And The Soda Lake Cycle: A Study Of The Modern Sodium Carbonates And Of Late Pleistocene And Holocene Lacustrine Core Sediments, Emma Mcnulty

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The Magadi Basin, Kenya, within the East African Rift Valley, contains two closed-basin alkaline lakes, Lake Magadi and Nasikie Engida that now precipitate trona (Na2CO3.NaHCO3.2H2O) and nahcolite (NaHCO3). Observations of the conditions of modern trona and nahcolite deposition in the Magadi Basin form the basis of the “soda lake cycle”. This study aims to use the sedimentary structures of the modern sodium carbonates of Lake Magadi as an analogue for similar ancient deposits around the world, including the vast trona and nahcolite deposits of the Eocene Green River Formation. Lake Magadi has been evolving since 1.08 Ma within a well-known …

Interaction Graphs Derived From Activation Functions And Their Application To Gene Regulation, Simon Joyce

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Interaction graphs are graphic representations of complex networks of mutually interacting components. Their main application is in the field of gene regulatory networks, where they are used to visualize how the expression levels of genes activate or inhibit the expression levels of other genes.

First we develop a natural transformation of activation functions and their derived interaction graphs, called conjugation, that is related to a natural transformation of signed digraphs called switching isomorphism. This is a useful tool for the analysis of interaction graphs used throughout the rest of the dissertation.

We then discuss the question of what restrictions, if …

Robust Vehicle Routing In Disaster Relief And Ride-Sharing: Models And Algorithms, Yinglei Li

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

In this dissertation, the variants of vehicle routing problems (VRPs) are specifically considered in two applications: disaster relief routing and ride-sharing. In disaster relief operations, VRPs are important, especially in the immediate response phase, as vehicles are an essential part of the supply chain for delivering critical supplies. This dissertation addresses the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) and the split delivery vehicle routing problem (SDVRP) with uncertain travel times and demands when planning vehicle routes for delivering critical supplies to the affected population in need after a disaster. A robust optimization approach is used for the CVRP and the SDVRP …

A Thermally Stabilized Fluorescent Organic Chromophore, Brendan P. Hughes

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

A fluorescent chromophore, hereby designated as cyanine dye, has been bound to generated zinc oxide nanoparticles. It has been shown that the material not only retains the characteristic absorption peak of the native chromophore, but it also continues to fluoresce with comparable intensity. The binding occurs through a Zn – O₂C bridge, which allows for vibrational relaxation as the dye heats up, yet also preserves the optical properties of the dye. This bond linkage can be observed from the comparison of FT-IR spectra of the nanoparticles and the native dye, designated by a shift in one of the …

Design Of Experiment Analysis Of An Electronics Package Lid Using Finite Element Analysis, Nupur Bajad

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

A design of experiment analysis is reported on data from warpage simulations using finite element analysis of a lidded electronics package. Warpage in a lid of an optical electronics package can detrimentally affect the reliability of the package as well as its optical performance. The present study focuses on the variety of materials and designs of lids relevant to recent technologies in electronics packaging. The finite element analysis (FEA) formulation in this study accurately predicts deformation and warpage in the elastic region with optimal computational time achieved through a choice of boundary conditions and mesh sensitivity studies.

The results from …

Feedback Loop Failure: Implications For The Self-Regulation Of The Sharing Economy, Abbey Stemler

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Conductance For A Random, Hierarchically-Structured Material, Daniel Salvador

Honors Theses

I consider a mathematical model for the conductance of a system formed by a hi- erarchical network of random bonds. My simulations show that the net conductance converges to a fixed number γ ≈ 0.35337 when the conductances of the bonds are num- bers selected uniformly at random from the interval (0,1). By linearly approximating the model around γ, I derive a new simplified model which I then study in rigorous mathematical detail. I prove a generalized central limit theorem for the new linearized system.

The Ping-Pong Project, Adhithya Ravishankar

Honors Theses

Table Tennis, more commonly referred to as ping pong, has been a sport of the elite for over two centuries since its inception in the late 1800s. However, coaching for this sport is not usually taught in most places, and many do not know how to play this sport. To democratize the sport, and make it more accessible to everyone, this program was designed to analyze a player's game and to give suggestions and recommendations to improve it. Using hard coded rules and tests, this program is designed to coach someone by detecting and measuring the speed and the spin …

Iodination Of 3,5-Dichloroanisole Using Silver Salts, Alex Fan

Honors Theses

A paper published by Joshi et al. showed lower than expected yields in mono- and di-iodination of 3,5-dichloroanisole in dichloromethane using silver salts. One possibility for this could be that the starting material was being tri-iodinated and precipitating out of the solution. We used similar reaction conditions in attempts to prepare and isolate triiodinated product, but attempts of recrystallization from ethanol, DMSO, and 2- methoxyethanol showed no signs of it. Removal of silver iodide from the solids formed during the reaction using aqueous potassium iodide resulted in complete dissolution of the entire crude product, suggesting no organic product as well. …

Early Foreign Language Education And The Effect On State-Mandated Standardized Testing Scores, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Duda

Honors Theses

Early foreign language education has been shown to have a positive effect on the performance of students on state-mandated standardized scores. This work gives an overview of the history of foreign language education, as well as a description of a specific program at an elementary school in North Texas. In order to analyze the effects of early foreign language immersion education on the performance of students enrolled in the program at Bedford Heights Elementary school, a statistical evaluation was performed using the STAAR scores of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in both the foreign language immersion program and …

Perceptions Of Headache Trigger Potency, Katelyn Sharpe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Raman Spectroscopic Studies Of Novel Gold-Containing Nanomaterials, Lemuel Shui-Lun Tsang

Honors Theses

The thiolate-protected gold nanocluster (AuNP) Au38(SCH2CH2Ph)24 was studied using Raman spectroscopy with particular attention to the vibrational modes of the gold-sulfur interface. Such studies of AuNPs are non-trivial, as these materials are weak scatterers that burn and fluoresce readily. Previous works have successfully studied this class of materials using a rolling circle filter to subtract fluorescence backgrounds, but we set out to develop a method which would suppress fluorescence using more fundamental means. For Au38(SCH2CH2Ph)24, it was found that data acquisition was most effective using lower-energy excitation wavelengths, which could be predicted based on the UV-Vis absorption spectrum of the …

Assessment Of Vadose-Zone Wells For Enhancing Groundwater Recharge In The Mississippi Delta, Luke Jenkins

Honors Theses

Current pumping rates in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer in the Mississippi Delta are unsustainable as they are depleting the water level in the aquifer. The following thesis is a feasibility analysis on groundwater recharge to the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer using vadose zone wells. Two days were spent in the field at Sky Lake near Belzoni, Mississippi, collecting core soil samples, bag soil samples, and constant head hydraulic conductivity values. Numerous days were spent in the lab conducting sieve analyses, Atterberg limits, and falling head hydraulic conductivity tests. The Atterberg limit test and sieve analyses were used …

Barriers To The Provision Of High-Quality Early Childhood Education In The Mississippi Delta, Mackenzie Poole

Honors Theses

High-quality early childhood education has been shown to enhance the development of social, emotional, cognitive, language, and literacy skills in young children (Burchinal, Peisner-Feinberg, Bryant, & Clifford, 2000; Loeb, Fuller, Kagan, & Carrol, 2004; Peisner-Feinberg et al., 2001). Barriers encountered when attempting to provide high-quality early childhood education in the Mississippi Delta were investigated by analyzing the opinions and perceptions of early childhood educators. Requests for participation in the study were mailed to 92 child care facilities, and individuals from three licensed child care centers in the region participated. Opinions were gathered using questionnaires (n = 20) and interviews (n …

Search For The 0^{--} Glueball In ϒ(1s) And ϒ(2s) Decays, S. Jia Et Al., D. Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We report the first search for the J P C = 0−− glueball in Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) decays with data samples of (102 ± 2) million and (158 ± 4) million events, respectively, collected with the Belle detector. No significant signals are observed in any of the proposed production modes, and the 90% credibility level upper limits on their branching fractions in Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) decays are obtained. The inclusive branching fractions of the Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) decays into final states with a χc1 are measured to be B(Υ(1S) → χc1 + anything) = (1.90 ± 0.43(stat.) ± 0.14(syst.)) × …