Digital Commons Network^™

Processing Speed For Action And Semantic Memory, Tyler A. Surber

Master's Theses

Previous research suggests that the processing of affordances may require more perceptually relevant information than words can provide (Surber et al., 2018; Chainay & Humphreys, 2002). The present study investigates this hypothesis with the shoebox task used in Bowers and Turner (2003). A list of 81 object nouns (targets) and associated features (primes: affordance, semantic, and non-associates) was compiled from the McRae, Cree, Seidenberg, and McNorgan (2005) norms. Affordances denote possibilities for action in relation to the object (e.g. chair – sit), whereas semantic features indicate definitional characteristics (e.g. chair – has legs). Affordances and semantic features served as primes …

Associations Between Prenatal Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Exposure, Depression And Brain Morphology In Middle Childhood, Allison Moreau

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are one of the most widely used prescribed medicine by pregnant women. A mixed literature suggests that prenatal SSRI exposure may increase depression risk among offspring. Method: Using data from children (n=11,076) who completed the baseline session of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we examined whether prenatal exposure to SSRIs is associated with child depression and variability in depression-related brain structures (i.e., hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen; rostral anterior cingulate; rostral and caudal middle frontal, superior frontal, and lateral and medical orbitofrontal cortices). Analyses were cross-sectional and included the following …

Snowshoe Hare (Lepus Americanus) Abundance In Relation To Habitat And Predator Assemblage Across The Apostle Islands, Jarod Reibel

Masters Theses

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a climate sensitive species that have a southern range boundary moving northward. Snowshoe hares are found on the Apostle Islands, Wisconsin which are near their southern boundary and differ by island in vegetative and carnivore communities. The archipelago serves as a natural laboratory to assess how top-down and bottomup forces interact and impact snowshoe hare populations. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of vegetative characteristics, specifically visual obstruction, and the presence of predators on snowshoe hare abundances across the Apostle Islands. We conducted fecal pellet surveys to estimate hare abundance, measured …

Interactions Between Earliest Linearbandkeramik Farmers And Central European Hunter Gatherers At The Dawn Of European Neolithization, Alexey G. Nikitin, Peter Stadler, Nadezhda Kotova, Maria Teschler-Nicola, T. Douglas Price, Jessica Hoover, Douglas J. Kennett, Losif Lazaridis, Nadin Rohland, Mark Lipson, David Reich

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Archaeogenetic research over the last decade has demonstrated that European Neolithic farmers (ENFs) were descended primarily from Anatolian Neolithic farmers (ANFs). ENFs, including early Neolithic central European Linearbandkeramik (LBK) farming communities, also harbored ancestry from European Mesolithic hunter gatherers (WHGs) to varying extents, reflecting admixture between ENFs and WHGs. However, the timing and other details of this process are still imperfectly understood. In this report, we provide a bioarchaeological analysis of three individuals interred at the Brunn 2 site of the Brunn am Gebirge-Wolfholz archeological complex, one of the oldest LBK sites in central Europe. Two of the individuals had …

The Implementation Of Qpcr Beach Monitoring Methods: Analysis Of A Multi-Lab Validation Study And The Role Of Environmental Parameters On A Comparison Of Colilert And Qpcr Methods, Molly J. Lane

Masters Theses

Public beaches are routinely tested for potentially pathogenic bacteria to protect beachgoers from possible illness. An EPA approved method, Colilert™, used for testing E. coli in recreational water requires 18 – 22 hours before a result is reported but, recreators have already contacted unsafe water before the beach is closed. My study focused on a U.S. EPA proposed qPCR method (Draft Method C) to quantify E. coli in recreational waters that can provide same-day results. In Chapter 2, I examined the calibration procedure used to validate Draft Method C and compared standard curve intercept and slope estimates calculated with a …

Impacts Of Shoreline Restoration And Source Of Nutrient Enrichment On Macrophytes And Epiphytic Algal Communities, Paige Marie Kleindl

Masters Theses

Macrophytes and their epiphytic algal communities are integral for optimizing littoral ecosystem functioning in lakes. Epiphytic algae’s placement on the plant’s surface can reduce light and nutrient availability (i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus) for the host macrophyte. Macrophyte and epiphytic algal proximity complicates these primary producer group interactions and responses to bioavailable nutrients in the water column or porewater. For example, epiphytic algae may have a competitive advantage over surface water nutrients compared to macrophytes, which may have a competitive advantage over porewater nutrients via root systems.

Muskegon Lake’s industrial history and designation as an Area of Concern prompted shoreline restoration, …

Habitat Use Of The Climate-Sensitive Snowshoe Hare (Lepus Americanus) In The Manistee National Forest In Michigan’S Lower Peninsula, Spencer D. West

Masters Theses

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a wide-ranging lagomorph that are important forest herbivores and a popular game species throughout their range. Across the southern boundary of their geographic range, snowshoe hares are experiencing population declines and possible extirpation due to increased predation pressure driven by climate change induced camouflage mismatch, competition for forage, degraded and fragmented habitat. One method of reversing the negative trends in snowshoe hare distribution is to increase and improve available hare habitat. A specific habitat analysis for local regions will most effectively advise managers how to target habitat management. I radio-collared 11 snowshoe hares in the …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Whole Cooked Enriched Egg In Modulating Health-Beneficial Biological Activities, Emerson Nolasco

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The whole egg is known as nutritious food in the human diet with a wide reach due to its accessibility. It’s highly bioavailable proteins and dietary compounds, and their health-beneficial properties make the egg a potential functional food. Still, little is known about how the production and processing methods can modulate its potential health-beneficial properties. To attend the knowledge gaps, the study established objectives look to evaluate the effect of the hen breed, egg enrichment, and cooking methods. The hen breed and egg enrichment maintained overall the egg quality. Confirming the capacity of the egg industry of improving the egg …

Statewide Survey Of Boat-Based Recreational Fishing In Western Australia 2017/18, K. L. Ryan, N.G. Hall, E.K. Lai, Claire B. Smallwood, Alissa Tate, S.M Taylor, Brent S. Wise

Fisheries Research Reports

The statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing includes three components: (i) off-site Phone Surveys (encompassing an initial Screening Survey, a longitudinal Phone-Diary Survey, and Post-Enumeration Surveys); (ii) on-site Boat Ramp Surveys; and (iii) Remote Camera Surveys. The main data collection period was the 12-months from September 2017 to August 2018 inclusive, with the Post-Enumeration Surveys occurring from September to December 2018.

A Multi-Year Survey Of Helminths From Wild Saddleback (Leontocebus Weddelli) And Emperor (Saguinus Imperator) Tamarins, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsaa, Alfonso S. Gozalo, Shay Dudaie, Lindsey Bailey, Kudakwashe S. Muranda, Alaa Kuziez, Patricia G. Parker

Biology Department Faculty Works

The establishment of baseline data on parasites from wild primates is essential to understand how changes in habitat or climatic disturbances will impact parasite-host relationships. In nature, multiparasitic infections of primates usually fluctuate temporally and seasonally, implying that the acquisition of reliable data must occur over time. Individual parasite infection data from two wild populations of New World primates, the saddleback (Leontocebusweddelli) and emperor (Saguinusimperator) tamarin, were collected over three years to establish baseline levels of helminth prevalence and parasite species richness (PSR). Secondarily, we explore variation in parasite prevalence across age and sex classes, test non-random associations of parasite …

The Manipulation Of Host Transcription By The Ankh Effector Of Legionella., Juanita E. Von Dwingelo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legionella pneumophila is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium that can be found dispersed throughout freshwater environments, where it primarily parasitizes amoebae and other protozoan species. Humans are an accidental host for L. pneumophila, and infection occurs upon inhalation of aerosolized water droplets that contain the bacteria. L. pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires’ Disease, which is the result of intracellular proliferation within alveolar macrophages. Pathogenesis of L. pneumophila is dependent on the Dot/Icm type 4 secretion system (T4SS) apparatus, which is comprised of 27 proteins and is responsible for translocating over 330 effector proteins into the host cell. Many …

Non-Invasive Detection And Assessment Of Coronary Stenosis From Blood Mean Residence Times., Javad Hashemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coronary artery stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of a coronary artery caused by an atherosclerotic lesion that reduces lumen space. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the gold standard method to determine the severity of coronary stenosis based on the determination of rest and hyperemic pressure fields, but requires an invasive medical procedure. Normal FFR is 1.0 and FFR RT, to account for varying volume and flow rate of individual segments. Blood_RT was computed in 100 patients who had undergone the pressure-wire FFR procedure, and a threshold for Blood_RT was determined to assess the physiological significance of a stenosis, …

The Effects Of Nicotine And Cigarette Smoking On Cardiac Electrophysiology., Affan B. Irfan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable disease and premature death worldwide. The adverse effects of cigarette smoking, including proarrhythmia, are related to the mixture of chemicals, including nicotine (which sustains tobacco addiction). However, it remains unclear which individual tobacco smoke constituents and biological pathways mediate this increased risk. The purpose of this research was to explore the chronic effects of cigarette smoking, as well as compare the acute effects of nicotine and cigarette smoking, and the possible role of β-adrenoreceptors, on human cardiac electrophysiology. Chapter 1 is a comprehensive literature review of (a) the ex vivo and in …

Therapeutic Potential Of Withaferin A Against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer., Al Hassan Kyakulaga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and in the United States. Despite recent advancements in treatment approaches, chemoresistance and metastasis remain a major therapeutic challenge. Withaferin A (WFA), a plant-derived compound has recently emerged as a promising antitumor agent. In the present study, we explored the therapeutic potential of WFA against advanced NSCLC. Briefly, WFA was evaluated for its efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetic properties against advanced NSCLC using in vitro and in vivo models. Two human NSCLC cell lines, H1299 and A549 were used in cell culture to determine the anticancer properties of WFA. Repeat dose …

A Recombinant Cholera Toxin B Subunit Variant (Ctb-Kdel) Exhibits Unique Colon Mucosal Healing Effects That Have Therapeutic Implications For Inflammatory Bowel Disease., Joshua Mark Royal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uncovers the mechanism and explores the utility of a recombinant cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) variant containing a KDEL endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention motif (CTB-KDEL) as a drug candidate for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CTB is a mucosal immunomodulatory protein that induces robust mucosal and systemic antibody responses. This well-known biological activity has been exploited in cholera prevention (as a component of Dukoral® vaccine) and vaccine development for decades. On the other hand, several studies have investigated CTB’s immunotherapeutic potential in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease and asthma. Here, we reveal …

Campus Recreation Inclusion For People With Disabilities: A Qualitative Investigation Of Current Inclusive Practices., Tyler C. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the current practices of campus recreation professionals to create inclusive campus recreation programs, services, and facilities. The researcher identified twelve campus recreation programs known by their peers and the industry to be at the forefront of providing inclusion efforts to people with disabilities. Through in-depth discussions with campus recreation practitioners at the twelve identified institutions, the investigation elicited a variety of interesting results. Utilizing the frameworks of Critical Disability Theory and Universal Design, this investigation identified how campus recreation practitioners perceive the inclusiveness of their campus recreation departments and how the campus recreation practitioners developed their inclusive …

Gc×Gc-Ms And Parallel 2dlc-Ms Based Untargeted Metabolomics., Md Aminul Islam Prodhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Untargeted metabolomics aims to analyze as many metabolites as possible in a biological system. Due to the vast complexity of the metabolome, bioanalytical platforms have been developed for untargeted metabolomics. While comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS) has been used in different scientific fields, its use in untargeted metabolomics is limited due to several challenges, such as complicated data analysis and limited accuracy of metabolite identification. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (2DLC-MS) has also been employed in untargeted metabolomics, but with limited metabolite coverage. This dissertation describes the efforts in developing new data analysis algorithms to improve the accuracy …

Do Lgbtq-Identified, Postsecondary Writing Instructors Come Out In Their Classrooms?, Michael Baumann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation investigates how and why LGBTQ-identified, postsecondary writing instructors perform intersectional identities in their classrooms. Scholars in the field of rhetoric and composition have examined these critical questions as early as 1974 and several times since. However, oppressive, regressive sexual politics; a maelstrom of contemporary public confessions made possible and prolific through new media; and an increasingly intersectional landscape of queer people all provide exigency to update our coming out conversation. This dissertation is the analytical writeup of a national study that I conducted in 2018. I surveyed approximately 100 LGBTQ-identified postsecondary writing instructors in the United States and …

Understanding Object Motion Encoding In The Mammalian Retina., Victor Julian Depiero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phototransduction, transmission of visual information down the optic nerve incurs delays on the order of 50 – 100ms. This implies that the neuronal representation of a moving object should lag behind the object’s actual position. However, studies have demonstrated that the visual system compensates for neuronal delays using a predictive mechanism called phase advancing, which shifts the population response toward the leading edge of a moving object’s retinal image. To understand how this compensation is achieved in the retina, I investigated cellular and synaptic mechanisms that drive phase advancing. I used three approaches, each testing phase advancing at a …

Experiential Learning Tools For 5th Grade Scientific Concepts, Megan Cramer

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The experiential learning theory (ELT) has been integrated in educational programs through wildlife conservation education, Human-Animal Interaction (HAI), and Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL). The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of different experiential learning tools, specifically animals and equine, on gaining knowledge through measuring the retention of 5th grade scientific concepts. Students attending the Institute of Wilderness Studies (IWS) at Pine Cove Camps in Central Texas were used to evaluate student knowledge through a quantitative assessment (n=142). Student knowledge was measured a total of three times using three assessments, one pretest and two posttests. Overall, the total …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Entomology Incorporation In U.S. Secondary Science Instruction, Erin M. Ingram

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To encourage understanding and appreciation of insects, entomology education advocates have supported and encouraged K-12 teachers to integrate insects and insect-related content into formal science instruction. However, research examining how and why science teachers incorporate entomology into secondary science courses is limited.

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research study was conducted to address this gap. The study was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, quantitative survey research was conducted with a representative sample of 254 U.S. secondary life science teachers. During the subsequent qualitative phase, follow-up interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 18 survey participants and an …

A Pint Of Dirt, Kristen Friesen

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This collection of poetry consists of 50 pieces focused on events and observations experienced by the author: a midwestern, middle-aged teacher, wife, and mother of three now-grown daughters. As much as it is an attempt to process and package the ordinary and unexplainable, it is also a study in metaphor, description, and the ways in which specificity of time and place can, hopefully, render a piece universal.

Advisor: Stacey Waite

Modeling Waterfowl Hunter And Ducks Unlimited Member Behavior Using Mark–Recapture Methods, Katherine Graham

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The number of individuals actively participating in waterfowl hunting has substantially declined since the 1980s, despite relatively abundant waterfowl populations and hunting opportunities. To avoid further losses in political support for wildlife management, losses in habitat conservation revenue, and broaden the base of waterfowl and wetland conservation support, there has been an increased focus on growing the number of waterfowl hunters and waterfowl and wetland conservation supporters. The purpose of this study was to estimate resident waterfowl hunter and Ducks Unlimited (DU) member recruitment rates, retention probabilities, and license/membership purchase probabilities; provide a better understanding of the factors influencing these …

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …

Table Of Contents

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Thermo-Mechanical Properties Of Copper Nano-Particles Infused Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (Abs)- 3d Printed Specimens, Viswajit Talluru

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Now a days the use of metal nanoparticle infused polymer is becoming widespread, since the development of polymer with enhanced thermal properties are being used for the growth of electronic packaging industry. In this study, copper nanoparticles are mixed with the Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) thermoplastic in varying mass proportions, to observe the changes in thermal and structural properties of ABS. As expected, the extruded wire with high nano-particle concentration exhibited much higher thermal conductivity than its raw ABS form. For the case of 2% copper nanoparticle infused ABS using one dimensional steady state heat flux method though extrude wire …

Mise En Scene And The Decisive Moment Of Visual Legal Rhetoric, Michael D. Murray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

This article explores the attorney author's understanding and implementation of principles that define how visual rhetorical works fulfill the task of effective visual communication and advocacy. These principles-referred to as mise en scene-will guide the attorney in the identification or creation of works that will exhibit the "decisive moment" of effective visual rhetoric in legal contexts. In equal measure, knowledge and understanding of these principles will enable lawyers to design and use effective visuals, and to challenge or respond to the visual rhetorical works proffered by their opponents.

Communicating Death To Potential Military Recruits: A Terror Management Theory Approach, Amanda M. Augustine

Communication Theses - Archive

Efforts to encourage more citizens to join the military is a prominent duty within a military organization. In order to maintain force strength, military recruiters and marketing teams need to persuade the population to join. This study used Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the relationship between the fear of mortality and its effect on motivation toward volunteering for military service in the United States. TMT is a theory that explains how the human psyche combats the fear of mortality, and this study sought to answer how mortality salience affects an individual’s motivation to join the military. TMT’s explanation of defense …

Animal Rights: Time To Start Unpacking What Rights And For Whom, Jane Kotzmann, Nick Pendergrast

Mitchell Hamline Law Review

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Risk & Burden Of Lower Cranial Neuropathy (Lcnp) As Late Effect Among Oropharyngeal Cancer Survivors, Puja Aggarwal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Lower cranial neuropathy (LCNP) is a rare but potentially disabling late effect of radiotherapy (RT) and other head and neck cancer therapies. Survivors who develop late LCNP may experience profound functional impairment with deficits in swallowing, speech, and voice. The aims of this research were: 1) to quantify the cumulative incidence of late LCNP and identify clinical predictors of late LCNP; 2) to investigate the impact of late LCNP on severity of cancer treatment-related symptoms, general functional impairment (GFI), and single item scores of the most severe symptoms; and 3) to quantify the association of late LCNP with swallowing-related …