Digital Commons Network^™

Practicing Justice : Justice In A Millennial, Wesleyan-Holiness Context, M. Andrew Gale

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Knowledge And Attitude Toward Hemoglobinopathies Premarital Screening Program Among Unmarried Population In Western Saudi Arabia, Safia M. Binshihon, Manal O. Alsulami, Wed M. Alogaibi, Asmaa H. Mohammedsaleh, Hayfa N. Mandourah, Bushra S. Albaity, Mohamad H. Qari

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitude toward hemoglobinopathies premarital screening (PMS) program among unmarried population in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1039 unmarried males and females from the general population who fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Data was collected from July-December 2017, using an electronic questionnaire to assess the socio-demographic data, knowledge and attitudes of the participants regarding PMS. Results: Approximately half of the participants had poor knowledge scores (51.1%), while 28.4% of them had fair and 20.5% had good scores. Individuals with an educational level of “university degree and above” had significantly …

Early-Childhood Computer-Based Testing: Effects Of A Digital Literacy Intervention On Student Confidence And Performance, Benjamin-David Christopher Legrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early-childhood digital students grow up in a fast-evolving age of technology requiring them to use and create with technologies and demonstrate core content knowledge. Although third grade students are mandated to master a new language of standardized testing, a large percentage must also learn a language of technology to complete new computer-based tests to measure content mastery. Krashen (1982) defines high affective filter as negative emotional/motivational factors interfering with understanding and cognition. This high affective filter reduces confidence and negatively impacts measuring content mastery on new computerbased tests. Two third grade classrooms at a high-poverty metropolitan school participated in a …

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities In The Precision Agriculture Workforce: An Industry Survey, Bruce Erickson, Scott Fausti, David Clay, Sharon Clay

College of Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Precision agriculture encompasses a set of related technologies aimed at better utilizing crop inputs, increasing yield and quality, reducing production risks, and enabling information flow throughout the crop supply and end-use chains. As agricultural businesses invest in precision offerings, their capacity to provide these products and services will depend on their ability to hire and retain employees with appropriate proficiency as defined in their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). A 2015 survey of agricultural retailers examined the minimum educational requirements retailers were seeking in their hires, along with the importance of a list of KSAs for the various positions that …

The Impact Of Net Neutrality And Additional Regulations On The Future Of The Internet Of Things In The United States, Radhika Kanaskar

Honors Scholar Theses

Throughout the history of the Internet and the development of computers, commercial Internet service providers (ISPs) and independent agencies of the United States government have always controlled how consumers interact with technology. Then, in the past decade, powerful technology corporations developed new products and services that fundamentally altered society’s relationship with the Internet. The introduction of Internet of Things technology through devices such as smart speakers, smart appliances, smart cars, and wearables also contributed to the change. However, regardless of these significant advancements in technology, regulations for ISPs and technology corporations has predominately remained the same. The increased presence of …

Finding Identity Through Irish Music In The Appalachian Mountains, Marina Delores Rayl

Masters Theses

The Appalachian Mountains are filled with remnants of Scot-Irish heritage. The music found in this region includes bluegrass, Old-time, and country music, all created from the blending of Scottish and Irish traditional music with other ethnic sounds. Despite these music variations, traditional Irish music has remained consistent in its original form in the mountain region. This concept is supported by the popularity of two key events occurring in both the northern and southern sections of the Appalachians. Through fieldwork and personal interviews, the rationales of those who participated were discovered. The research brought to light three people sub-groups revealing the …

Multiple Coulomb Scattering In The Lariat Detector, Dalton Sessumes

Physics Theses - Archive

LArIAT is a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) deployed in a dedicated charged particle test beam line at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. LArIAT aims to measure an interaction process known as multiple coulomb scattering, which describes the process of a charged particle passing through a slab of material. As it passes, it will experience millions of scatters due to the Coulombic interactions with the nuclei of the material. This work presents a characterization of charged particle multiple coulomb scattering as a function of incoming momentum and particle type as it passes through the LArIAT detector. Employing data collected …

Using Learning Express-Ways In Special Education Teacher Preparation: Developing Student-Faculty Relationships As A Path To Partnership, Heather H. Smith Ph.D., Anthony Sanchez M.A.T., Maria Peterson-Ahmad Ph.D., Christine Woodbury Ph.D., Belinda B. Mitchell Ph.D.

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This paper explores the effects of implementing Learning Express-Ways as an instructional communication tool between students and faculty in courses that are part of a special education teacher preparation program and apprenticeship. Findings suggest that using Learning Express-Ways contributed to the development of learning relationships with faculty and this instructional communication tool may be helpful in creating a partnership-focused approach in special education teacher preparation program.

Local Delivery Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Expressing Osteogenesis-Inducing Microrna For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications, Marco Antonio Arriaga

Theses and Dissertations

Bone is capable of regenerating autonomously when the injury is small (< 2.5 cm), however, large (> 2.5 cm) or insufficiently vascularized defects require intervention to repair. The overall goal of this project is to contribute towards the development of novel strategies to aid bone tissue regeneration by delivering mesenchymal stem cells expressing microRNAs that induce expression of the runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). It was determined that porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds fabricated to have a higher surface area to volume ratio (SVR) (> 80) compared to lower SVR (< 80) were hydrolyzed at a higher rate. Scaffolds fabricated with 80 vol. %/300–500 µm porogen were optimal for cell colonization as higher absorbance of metabolized MTT was detected compared to other scaffold types. From the subset of 5 miRNAs tested, miRNA-26a, miRNA-196 and miRNA-218 demonstrated higher upregulation of RUNX2 gene expression and calcium mineralization and thus, are promising candidates for bone tissue regeneration.

The Effect Of Digital Storytelling On Academic Performance, Interest And Motivation Of Police Cadets In A Law Enforcement Academy, Damon Ing

Theses and Dissertations

The Effect of Digital Storytelling on Academic Performance, Interest and Motivation of Police Cadets in a Law Enforcement Academy. Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), December 2018, 93pp., 6 tables, 83 references, 5 appendices. With increasing criticism concerning police interactions with the public and the use-of-force decisions, the importance of preservice law enforcement instruction is an ongoing concern for both police practitioners and the public. Law enforcement education can benefit from the integration of new instructional strategies that can increase comprehension and long-term knowledge retention transferable into the field. Digital storytelling has been proffered as an effective cross-cultural communication tool and has …

Cost Of Caring: The Effects Of Euthanasia On Animal Shelter Workers, Kim L. Nguyen-Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study focuses on animal shelter workers, a population that has often been overlooked in research and clinical practice, and the emotional strains of the task of euthanasia. The effects of employment in a kill or no-kill shelter, participation in euthanasia, and number of years employed on mental health issues of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were examined. A three-way MANOVA was run to test the hypothesis that there is a cell effect among the type of shelter employed in, participation in euthanasia, and years of experience on mental health, which was not supported by …

Bluegrass And Old-Time In Catalonia: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Aesthetic Communitas, Michael J. Luchtan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an ethnographic case study of a musical community in Catalonia centered around the performance of bluegrass and old-time music. By using Victor and Edith Turners’ ideas of normative communitas, this paper identifies an aesthetic communitas model which describes a community centered around a performative genre. Through participant observation in the 16th Annual Al Ras Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival and interviews with local musicians, fans, venue owners, and luthiers, the ethnographic narrative details the characteristics of the aesthetic communitas in Catalonia and searches for associations of Appalachia that accompany the cross-cultural manifestation of bluegrass and old-time music …

The Impact Of Foreign Aid On Extreme Poverty: A Case Study Of Liberia’S Development Complexities (1980-2018), Roosevelt Seedee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many countries in West Africa, including Liberia, remain trapped in extreme poverty and dysfunctional social services amid continued increase in foreign aid. This study examines complexities influencing decisions of government donors in determining the kind of development assistance needed in Liberia and nation states in West Africa. This research explains the ways in which aid perpetuates poverty instead of alleviating it using interdisciplinary research approaches. Although aid is critical to Liberia’s development agenda, aid implementation faces numerous challenges because of extant poverty and rampant corruption.

Part of the problem in Liberia is not solely the failure of aid to meet …

Might Be Tragic: The Lonely Voyeur In Narrative Art, Alexandria Canchola

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper discusses the work displayed as it might have been seen in the exhibition, Might Be Tragic. The work is inspired by and draws from narrative fiction, blurring the distinctions between our perceptions and our creations of reality. When one observes a narrative, they are unwittingly fulfilling voyeuristic tendencies by vicariously experiencing others realities or falsehoods. The exhibition challenges how narrative can function in a space. The process of walking through the exhibition, Might Be Tragic, brings the book, Not That Tragic, to life in a three-dimensional format exploring the intimate relationship one has with …

About Men: A Retrospective Into The Evolution Of The Male Form Through The Female Gaze, Laura Briseño

Theses and Dissertations

It is philosophized that subjectivity is founded on subjection, a subjection based on the view point of the viewer. Through the centuries the idea of the male form has been transformed through various representations from the context of art, architecture, and culture from Ancient Greece (Classical period of 5th and 4th centuries BC) to Contemporary art (1946–present).

The purpose is to create an exhibition that provides a female gaze on the representations of the male form through or in art. Examining how and why male forms are represented in the content we know them as of current curation. Which brings …

Redefining The Mfa: Artistic Pragmatism For The Twenty-First Century, Cristina Ann Correa

Theses and Dissertations

The twenty-first century economy demands a culturally-adaptable and technologically-innovative workforce. Despite the expansion of creative industry, at least half of academically-trained artists will work in fields unrelated to their studies. Statistics reflecting employment changes every three years parallel twenty-first century, pragmatic realities. Job seekers must consistently adapt and add to acquired skill sets to remain marketable.

Visual artists constantly engage in research and experimentation to move their practice beyond comfort zones. While many artistic processes can be learned through the internet, books, and observational study, the road to a career in academia must begin with a Master of Fine Art …

Art Of Katharsis: A Study Of Creating Abstract Expressionist Art In The Quest For Emotional Release And Healing, Maria Fatima Lai

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper discusses the art seen in the exhibition, Katharsis, is a body of work inspired in the quest to validate suppressed emotions pulling from personal experiences of grief and abandonment. The methodology behind the work explores the artistic process that enables the transformation of pain and grief. The research is guided by understanding the artist’s process through therapeutic methods found in abstract expressionism. Art produced in pain, allowed a process of healing and honest forgiveness. The vicious cycle of feeling trapped in the idea of letting go when you have not allowed yourself to understand, threatens the …

Certified Rehabilitation Counselors' Self-Perceived Competency In Facilitating End-Of-Life Care Services, Miranda Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

As of 2010, certified rehabilitation counselors (CRC) have been provided ethical guidelines addressing end-of-life care (EOL) service delivery for persons with disabilities. Due to the plethora of pertinent knowledge and skills sets needed to facilitate comprehensive EOL issues, it is vital to examine rehabilitation counselors’ self-perceived competence in facilitating EOL care service delivery. The study was conducted as a non-experimental exploratory design. Based on the study’s sample (N = 188), descriptive statistics reported 70% of counselors lacked education while 69% had not participated in EOL training. Approximately 81% of the participants reported the need for EOL education and training. …

Healing And Resistance Through Humor: A Literary And Cultural Analysis Of Chicana And Latina Cultural Production, Victoria E. Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes elements of humor used by Chicana cultural producers (poets, performance artists, stand up comediennes) to subvert negative stereotypes of Chicanas. Chicana humorists have challenged harmful images of Mexican American women through poetry, prose, performances, and stand-up comedy. While Américo Paredes created a scholarly foundation for the study of Chicano humor, it is evident that Chicanos and members of dominant society mock Chicanas with their brand of humor. I argue writers like Michele Serros and Lorna Dee Cervantes resist dichotomous Chicana imagery and instead create and add to Chicana representation with humor. This thesis examines performance artist Maria …

Flow: Fluid Meditations: The Study Of Creating Fluid Art As A Form Of Meditation, Eva Marie Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

This study describes the relationship of creating fluid art as a form of meditation. This type of art is relatively new [to include] within universities and within the art profession. Little research and writing exists at the doctoral level. Through the practice of the student, this study focuses on the process of creating fluid art as an experience to fit the method of meditation.

This study takes an academic and working artist approach as derived from documentation practices and creation of a body of work. The approach views the documentation of creating fluid art as a form of meditation as …

A Contingency Approach For Supply Chain Preparedness To Pursue Circular Economy Business Models, Santosh Nandi

Theses and Dissertations

A growing stream in circular economy (CE) research is about circular economy business models (CEBM). It suggests how firms could learn to adopt unique material and product designs, newer business models, value chain networks and potential enablers that satisfies CE ideologies about economic, environment, and society. However, the understanding about how firms could integrate CEBM practices at internal, supply chain, and external levels is limited. Given the rising complexities in supply chains, the goal of this dissertation is to: (a) understand the landscape of CE concepts within the supply chain management context, and consequently (b) comprehend how firms’ preparedness about …

Law Enforcement Employees’ Perceptions Of Performance Appraisals In A Medium-Size, Suburban Police Department, Christopher C. Zimmerman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how police officers in a medium-size, suburban police department perceived performance appraisals and the effects of performance appraisals on job satisfaction and job performance. This study also examined the impacts of job satisfaction and job performance on organizations. One-on-one participant interviews were conducted, and thematic coding was utilized to capture the dominant themes associated with the police officers’ perceptions of performance appraisals. Twelve police officers from a medium-size, suburban police department in New Jersey participated in the study, and their anonymity was maintained to elicit transparent responses. This dissertation was …

Green Technology Diffusion: A Post-Mortem Analysis Of The Eco-Patent Commons, Jorge L. Contreras, Bronwyn H. Hall, Christian Helmers

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

We revisit the effect of the “Eco-Patent Commons” (EcoPC) on the diffusion of patented environmentally friendly technologies following its discontinuation in 2016, using both participant survey and data analytic evidence. Established in January 2008 by several large multinational companies, the not-for-profit initiative provided royalty-free access to 248 patents covering 94 “green” inventions. Hall and Helmers (2013) suggested that the patents pledged to the commons had the potential to encourage the diffusion of valuable environmentally friendly technologies. Our updated results now show that the commons did not increase the diffusion of pledged inventions, and that the EcoPC suffered from several structural …

Non-Neutralizing Antibodies Elicited By Recombinant Lassa-Rabies Vaccine Are Critical For Protection Against Lassa Fever., Tiago Abreu-Mota, Katie R. Hagen, Kurt Cooper, Peter B. Jahrling, Gene Tan, Christoph Wirblich, Reed F. Johnson, Matthias J. Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Lassa fever (LF), caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is a viral hemorrhagic fever for which no approved vaccine or potent antiviral treatment is available. LF is a WHO priority disease and, together with rabies, a major health burden in West Africa. Here we present the development and characterization of an inactivated recombinant LASV and rabies vaccine candidate (LASSARAB) that expresses a codon-optimized LASV glycoprotein (coGPC) and is adjuvanted by a TLR-4 agonist (GLA-SE). LASSARAB elicits lasting humoral response against LASV and RABV in both mouse and guinea pig models, and it protects both guinea pigs and mice against LF. We …

A Virus-Encoded Type I Interferon Decoy Receptor Enables Evasion Of Host Immunity Through Cell-Surface Binding., Bruno Hernáez, Juan Manuel Alonso-Lobo, Imma Montanuy, Cornelius Fischer, Sascha Sauer, Luis J. Sigal, Noemí Sevilla, Antonio Alcamí

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Soluble cytokine decoy receptors are potent immune modulatory reagents with therapeutic applications. Some virus-encoded secreted cytokine receptors interact with glycosaminoglycans expressed at the cell surface, but the biological significance of this activity in vivo is poorly understood. Here, we show the type I interferon binding protein (IFNα/βBP) encoded by vaccinia and ectromelia viruses requires of this cell binding activity to confer full virulence to these viruses and to retain immunomodulatory activity. Expression of a variant form of the IFNα/βBP that inhibits IFN activity, but does not interact with cell surface glycosaminoglycans, results in highly attenuated viruses with a virulence similar …

Development Of Onchocerca Volvulus In Humanized Nsg Mice And Detection Of Parasite Biomarkers In Urine And Serum., John B. Patton, Sasisekhar Bennuru, Mark L. Eberhard, Jessica A. Hess Ligas, April R. Torigian, Sara Lustigman, Thomas B. Nutman, David Abraham

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The study of Onchocerca volvulus has been limited by its host range, with only humans and non-human primates shown to be susceptible to the full life cycle infection. Small animal models that support the development of adult parasites have not been identified.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We hypothesized that highly immunodeficient NSG mice would support the survival and maturation of O. volvulus and alteration of the host microenvironment through the addition of various human cells and tissues would further enhance the level of parasite maturation. NSG mice were humanized with: (1) umbilical cord derived CD34+ stem cells, (2) fetal derived liver, …

Unexpected Setbacks When Excavating – Using Gpr For Mitigating Risk: A Case Study, Samuel L. Marcum

Construction Management

Whether constructing on undeveloped land or on an existing developed site, there is a risk of encountering unexpected objects when excavating. With today’s technology in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), this risk can generally be mitigated. Using Whiting-Turner’s construction of Stanford University’s new ChEM-H & SNI Building as an example, this case study discusses the use of GPR for underground mapping, as well as various ways to implement GPR technology. The ChEM-H & SNI site had many underground utilities that required precise pot-holing to verify locations. Although pot-holing is widely used, it is a destructive method, it is time and labor …

University Title Ix Compliance: A Work In Progress In The Wake Of Reform, Michelle J. Harnik

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Dark Side Of Tribal Sovereign Immunity: The Gap Between Law And Remedy, Alma Orozco

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Sip68 For Its Role In Plant Stress Signaling, Saroj Chandra Lohani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glucosyltransferases catalyze the transfer of glucose molecules from an active donor to acceptor molecules and are involved in many plant processes. SIP68, a tobacco glucosyltransferase protein, is a SABP2-interacting protein. It was identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen using SABP2 as bait and tobacco proteins as prey. SABP2, converts methyl salicylate to salicylic acid (SA) as a part of the signal transduction pathways in SA-mediated defense signaling. Subcellular localization is a crucial aspect of protein functional analysis to assess its biological function. The recombinant SIP68 tagged with eGFP was expressed transiently in Nicotiana benthamiana and observed under confocal microscopy. Fluorescent …