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Seasonal Soil Carbon Fluxes In Transitioning Agricultural Soils In Central Washington State: Relations To Land-Use, Environmental Factors And Soil Carbon-Nitrogen Characteristics, Brandon Kautzman

All Master's Theses

Changing agricultural land-use practices to increase soil carbon sequestration contributes to climate change mitigation and improved food security by moving CO₂ from the atmosphere into soil as soil organic carbon (SOC). In 2016, a farm in Thorp, Washington, Spoon Full Farm, began converting land historically farmed using conventional methods of tillage and synthetic fertilizers to conservation farming methods with direct seeding and organic soil amendments with a goal of sequestering carbon in the soil. This project evaluates relationships of soil CO₂ respiration and net ecological exchange (NEE) with land-use types, seasonal environmental factors (air temperature, relative humidity, soil …

Are Highways Stressful For Pikas?: Analysis Of Stress Hormones Of The American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) Living Adjacent To Interstate 90 In The Cascade Range Of Washington State, Thomas J. Mcintyre Iii

All Master's Theses

Roads often disrupt ecosystem connectivity, harming many wildlife populations. Wildlife crossing structures perforate the barrier-effect of roads, providing safe passage for species dispersing across roads, thereby reconnecting ecosystems. Some wildlife species live in modified habitats along roads and in habitat features within wildlife crossing structures, but their fitness in these potentially stressful environments is poorly understood. Chronic stress alters behavior, reduces reproduction, and has been linked to reduced survival. Animals affected by chronic stress in road-adjacent habitats could reduce the ability of wildlife crossing structures to improve connectivity across roads. I assessed stress hormone concentrations in a low-mobility species, the …

Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman

All Master's Theses

Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, whereby environmental cues experienced by parents alter the phenotype of their progeny, has now been documented in diverse organisms. Transmission of environmentally determined responses is known to occur through both maternal and paternal gametes, but the underlying mechanisms have rarely been compared. In addition, the persistence of induction over multiple generations appears to vary widely but has been characterized for relatively few systems. Yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is known to exhibit transgenerational induction of increased glandular trichome production in response to simulated insect damage. Here we test for differences between maternal and paternal transmission of …

Investigating Potential Multi-Protein Complexes Involving Emx2, Nicole Enger

All Master's Theses

The neocortex of the mammalian brain is allocated into specialized areas during embryonic development. In mice, as well as humans, the neocortex develops four primary areas: somatosensory, auditory, visual, and motor. In the adult neocortex, the boundaries between these four areas are marked by differences in cellular architecture and gene expression patterns. However, these physical boundaries are not evident during embryonic development of this structure. Rather, the neocortex initially appears uniform across its expanse, with one exception: a handful of proteins that regulate neocortical arealization are generated in gradients across the expanse of the neocortex and control the size of …

Rock Imagery: A Cultural Landscape Analysis In The Yakima Uplands, Jessica Eliana Delgado-Morris

All Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the history of rock imagery documentation and the ways it can be improved moving forward. This study also explores the potentials of using viewshed analysis to examine the cultural landscape. The documentation and locational analysis support recommendations for future study and protection of rock image sites. There are currently twelve known rock imagery sites at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord - Yakima Training Center (YTC). Most of these sites have not been assessed for changes in integrity or damages in over twenty years. Prior documentation efforts have produced site forms with varying degrees of accuracy and completeness. During …

Effect Of Iron On The Oxidative Capacity Of Carbonaceous Nanoparticles, Daniel Chavez

All Master's Theses

Inhalation of ambient particulate matter (PM_2.5) emitted during combustion of fuels has negative impacts on human health. Triggered in part by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to oxidative stress, significant gaps exist in the understanding of the detailed chemistry of these detrimental effects. Trace metals and carbonaceous material of the nanometer-sized particles contained in PM_2.5 have been implicated as key players in causing these effects. Here, the role of Fe is investigated with carbonaceous nanoparticles (CNP) while mimicking simple cellular conditions. By adding environmentally representative and controlled concentrations of Fe(II) or Fe(III) to …

Increasing English Learners’ Positive Emotional Response To Learning Through Dance, Grant Eckstein, Elizabeth Hanks

Faculty Publications

This study investigates dance as an English Second Language (ESL) curriculum enhancement. The curriculum utilizes kinesthetic learning, which is a method seldom incorporated in formal academic classrooms (Pourhosein Gilakjani, 2011) despite evidence suggesting that it benefits all students, including those without kinesthetic learning preferences (Schumann, 1997). Supporters believe that the benefits of incorporating movement in the classroom include increased student enjoyment, motivation, and confidence in learning. However, these beliefs are merely anecdotal at present. This study analyzes quantitative questionnaires and qualitative feedback from 26 students who participated in a 4-week long Dance ESL curriculum to determine whether dance-based learning can …

An Intensive Book Camp Approach To The Remediation Of Speech Sound Disorders: A Case Report, Shawn L. Nissen, Melanie E. Peris, Kristine Tanner

Faculty Publications

Background: Understanding treatment dose is essential to optimizing therapeutic frequency and intensity for speech sound disorders. Intensive therapies, known as boot camp approaches, have proven efficacious in certain speech therapy contexts such as voice disorder treatment. However, few data exist regarding intervention intensity for developmental speech sound disorders. Method: This investigation examined the effects of an intensive boot camp speech therapy approach to remediate interdental /s/ production over two consecutive days. Treatment occurred in morning and afternoon blocks for a total of 5.5 h per day. Auditory-perceptual ratings were used to evaluate /s/ productions pre-treatment, immediately post-treatment, and one week …

Eagle Educator, Georgia Southern University

College of Education: News & Publications (2003-2023)

• Project SEARCH: Real-Life Experiences. Real-Life Differences.
• STEMFest Returns with a Bang, Slime and even an Alpaca
• A look into the partnership with Hesse K-8 School in Savannah
• Using Virtual Classrooms Prepare Students for the Future
• Live and Learn with Fellow COE Majors
• COE Faculty Member Assists with International Research for Spanish-Speaking Youth
• Thompson Receives 2018 Staff Award
• 2018 Jack Miller Award Recipients
• Remembering Jack Miller
• Faculty Awards, Honors and Promotions
• To The Sapient Reading Professor
• Making a Difference, One Book at a Time
• First Generation Immigrant Draws on Experiences to Help Minority Students

Pulling The Wool From Our Eyes, Jennifer Vonk

Animal Sentience

Marino & Merskin review evidence of the complexity of sheep cognition, concluding that researchers ought to feel sheepish about misrepresenting ovine cognitive capacities. However, the failure to situate the data in critical context risks pulling the wool over readers’ eyes.

On The Sentience Of Sheep And Other Useful Objects, Ila France Porcher

Animal Sentience

The nature of sheep has been in plain view ever since the animals were domesticated about 10,000 years ago. Why their intelligence, individuality, and emotional complexity has been ignored is a question that goes well beyond Marino & Merskin’s timely target article. Not only has cognitive bias in favour of religious ideas in biology been involved, but the territorial nature of our own species is implicated as well. The tendency of Homo sapiens to see others in terms of “us” and “them” has resulted in a history of racism, speciesism, and general domination of any others that could be fitted …

Sheep Complexity Outside The Laboratory, Cheryl Abbate

Animal Sentience

Marino & Merskin’s review shows that sheep are intelligent and highly social but their methodology has some shortcomings. I describe five problems with reviewing only the academic and scientific literature and suggest how one might provide an even more compelling case for the complexity of sheep minds.

Domestication And Cognitive Complexity, David R. Brodbeck, Madeleine I. R. Brodbeck, Keeghan Rosso

Animal Sentience

Marino and Merskin (2019) list a number of tasks that sheep can perform well. As comparative psychologists, we are not surprised by these results. Indeed, many domesticated animal species show similar abilities.

Can A Mirror Capture The Self?, Cynthia Willett

Animal Sentience

Is the mirror a reliable indicator of self-awareness for any species, whether sheep or human? Taking a cue from feminist, phenomenological, and cross-cultural philosophy, a relational self rather than a reflective one might better capture what is at stake for the lives of social animals and for science.

Investigating The Interaction Between Memory Recall Content And Savoring Interventions On Openness, Caroline V. Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Openness is generally characterized by a stark curiosity for novel experiences and the ability to flexibly shift one’s attention and thinking processes to appreciate differing perspectives. Research suggests openness is a personal resource in terms of helping individuals effectively regulate emotions, cope with stress, and socialize with diverse populations. However, it is unknown what interventions specifically lead to an increase in openness. Positive affect appears to be associated with openness, yet the mechanisms by which positive affect promotes openness remain unclear. It is possible savoring, the ability to maintain and extend positive affect, may play an important role in clarifying …

Investigating The Role Of Coyotes, Canis Latrans, In The Spread Of Parasites And Arthropod-Borne Diseases In Georgia, Usa., Ansleigh Banks

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In order to analyze the role of coyotes, Canis latrans, as hosts of parasites and arthropod-borne diseases in the state of Georgia, USA, 38 coyotes representing 18 counties and multiple geographic regions of the state were dissected and analyzed for the presence of Dirofilaria immitis, intestinal parasites, ectoparasites, and tick-borne illnesses. Mosquitoes from the locations which the coyotes originated were trapped and analyzed for the presence of D. immitis larvae. In compliance with IACUC guidelines, coyotes were obtained from individuals who had previously hunted or trapped the coyotes for leisure. Parasites were identified based on morphological features with the use …

Late Woodland To Early Mississippian Period Subsistence In Coastal Georgia: Animal Remains From Taylor Fish Camp (9gn12), St. Simons Island, Thomas S. Clark

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates subsistence strategies used by Native Americans living in coastal Georgia during the transition from the Late Woodland to Early Mississippian period (ca. AD 700 – 1100). Comparatively little subsistence data are available from the time frame on the southern Atlantic coast. Previous studies have focused mainly on archaeological sites representing preceding or subsequent time periods, and few studies of animal-use at coastal sites have used fine-screening methods. This paper presents the analysis and interpretation of invertebrate and vertebrate remains recovered with 1/16-in screens from Late Woodland/Early Mississippian period contexts at Taylor Fish Camp (9GN12), a multi-component site …

Analysis Of Human Emf Exposure In 5g Cellular Systems, Imtiaz Nasim

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Increasing concerns of communications at a frequency spectrum higher than 6 GHz have gained international alarm that suggests more research is needed before it is deployed successfully. In this context, in the first part of this thesis, we investigated the human electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in indoor and outdoor environments from fifth-generation (5G) downlink communications and compared its impacts with the present cellular technologies considering the features that the 5G will likely adopt. The second part focuses on mitigation of human exposure for both indoor and outdoor environments with two different methods adopted. Our simulation results suggest that while the …

Safety Constraint Optimization Of Combination Drug Therapy In Hypertension Clinical Trials, Victor Chukwu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In Clinical Practice, combination drug therapy has become common in treating many disease conditions. The purpose of these combinations is often to ensure optimal efficacy and to reduce adverse effects that may arise from monotherapy. Clinical trials have also been conducted to ensure efficacy and safety of these combinations before they are introduced into the market. However, adverse effects still occur with combination therapies. The objective of this study is to (1) To determine a region of optimum doses of Drug A and Drug B in combination while focusing on efficacy alone (2) To determine a region of optimum doses …

Some New Generalized Distribution Via Lindley-Weibuli And Lindley-Log-Logistic Distributions With Applications, Soliu A. Raheem

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, new generalized distributions, namely Beta Lindley-Log-Logistic (BLLLoG) distribution, Marshall-Olkin Lindley-Weibull (MOLW) distribution, and Gamma LindleyWeibull (GLW) distribution as well as related sub-distributions are proposed. Series expansion of the densities are obtained. Statistical properties of these distributions, including hazard function, reverse hazard function, moments, reliability, quantile function, mean deviations, Bonferroni and Lorenz curves, entropy and Fisher information are derived. Method of maximum likelihood is used to estimate the parameters of the new distributions. Monte Carlo simulation is employed to examine the performance of the proposed distributions. Applications of the generalized distributions to real lifetime data are presented to …

Epidemiology, Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Hospitalized With Influenza, Kyle P. Openo

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Influenza is a respiratory viral infection responsible for annual epidemics, periodic pandemics and regularly causes substantial morbidity, mortality and economic burden worldwide. In the United States alone, influenza causes between 9.2 – 35.6 million cases, 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 – 56,000 deaths annually. Individuals with comorbid health conditions are at increased risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from influenza infection and were recommended for vaccination prior to universal vaccine recommendations. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been included in this group for decades though limited data existed to describe influenza among those with SCD. Recent studies showed …

Are Octopuses Special? Mind, Sociality And Life History, Phyllis C. Lee

Animal Sentience

Understanding the Umwelt or being-ness of an octopus is a fascinating problem. Mather’s review provides us with significant insights into the ways of living of non-humans that exploit a perceptual and physical world we can only guess at. Octopus “distributed minds” call into question our primate-based understandings of the importance of sociality and the pace of life in the evolution of complex perceptual and behavioural abilities.

Cephalopod Molluscs, Causal Models, And Curious Minds, Andrew W. Corcoran

Animal Sentience

Mather (2019) presents a compelling case in favour of octopus mind. Surveying an impressive array of empirical literature, she identifies the creature’s playful, inquisitive behaviour as emblematic of a distinctively mental form of agency. I offer an alternative perspective in which curiosity and play are construed as constitutive processes in the emergence of the (predictive) mind.

The Octopus Mind: Implications For Cognitive Science, Sidney Carls-Diamante

Animal Sentience

Mather consolidates the case for octopus mind and how it may be structured, shifting the starting point of inquiry from “If octopuses had minds, what would they be like?” to “What is the mind of an octopus like?”.

The Octopus Mind And The Argument Against Farming It, Jennifer Jacquet, Becca Franks, Peter Godfrey-Smith

Animal Sentience

Mather is convincing about octopuses having ‘a controlling mind, motivated to gather information,’ but stops short of asking what having that mind means for octopus moral standing. One consequence of understanding the octopus mind should be a refusal to subject octopuses to mass production. Octopus farming is in an experimental phase and supported by various countries. We argue that it is unethical because of concerns about animal welfare as well as environmental impacts.

Walking With A Robotic Exoskeleton Does Not Mimic Natural Gait: A Within-Subjects Study, Chad Swank, Sharon Wang-Price, Fan Gao, Sattam Almutairi

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Background: Robotic exoskeleton devices enable individuals with lower extremity weakness to stand up and walk over ground with full weight-bearing and reciprocal gait. Limited information is available on how a robotic exoskeleton affects gait characteristics.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether wearing a robotic exoskeleton affects temporospatial parameters, kinematics, and muscle activity during gait.

Methods: The study was completed by 15 healthy adults (mean age 26.2 [SD 8.3] years; 6 males, 9 females). Each participant performed walking under 2 conditions: with and without wearing a robotic exoskeleton (EKSO). A 10-camera motion analysis system synchronized with 6 …

In Objection To Error: A Wesleyan Reflection On The Regrettable State Of The United Methodist Church, Charles Stehlik

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.

Placing The Stateless Refugee: A Philosophy Of Statelessness, Nationality, And Rights, Ruby J. Gould

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I many related questions regarding the fluctuating relationships between national communities and outsiders, specifically in the case of refugees and stateless peoples. After discussing the meanings of these terms, such as the definition and identities of the refugee and the nation-state, I delve into a philosophical examination of individual rights, particularly rights that are defended by nation-states, and the relationships between national communities and those existing outside of those communities whose lives may depend on their acceptance into a nation-state. I philosophically outline the likely experiences of refugees as they are faced with statelessness, including what forces …

Who Runs The World: The Impact Of The Gender Of Clerks On The Legal Profession, Taylor Bernstein

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the role of gender on law clerks from the federal appellate clerks. There has been significant scholarship on the importance of the gender of judges and on the role and influence of law clerks; however, to this date there has been no analysis of how the gender of law clerks may or may not influence the clerkship experience. This honors thesis seeks to address that question and shed light on important aspects of the federal judiciary and the legal profession. I have approached this inquiry through descriptive and qualitative analysis, focusing on law clerks from this millennium. …

Examining The Effects Of Fadrozole, An Aromatase Inhibitor, On Testosterone And Estrogen Production Of Domestic Chicken Embryos (Gallus Gallus), Abby E. Joseph

Honors Theses

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is responsible for the production of the hormones testosterone and estradiol, and testosterone is thought to contribute to regulation of the axis through a negative feedback mechanism. Regulation by negative feedback involves the product of a pathway turning off that pathway when enough product is made. However, because the enzyme P450 aromatase converts testosterone to estradiol, estradiol may also contribute to regulation of the HPG axis and other phenomena that have been attributed to testosterone, like the inhibition of immune function. Previous studies have injected birds with an aromatase inhibitor (presumably reducing estradiol production) and shown …