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In Pursuit Of Social Justice At The Postmodern Turn: Intersectional Activism Through The Lens Of The Ecosexual Movement, Jennifer Jean Reed

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this study, I examine the development of the ecosexual movement, a social movement that begins at the intersection of environmental and sexual struggles, from its inception in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Previous research suggests intersectionality in social movements often ends up being divisive because it emphasizes difference. Using a mixed qualitative methods design including ethnographic field work, interviews, and content analysis of related web and print materials, I analyze how the ecosexual movement negotiates intersectionality. I found the ecosexual movement links processual notions of environmental justice and sexual justice through a dominant collective action frame of queer, erotic, “irreverent …

Usf Women's Club Yearbook, 2019–2020, Usf Women's Club

USF Women’s Club Collection

Yearbook of the USF Women's Club. Inside is a list of past presidents, officers, committee chairmen, and members for 2019–2020. The booklet also includes a tribute to Grace Allen, interest groups, calendar of events, and a copy of the constitution and by-laws from the handbook.

So . . . We're Going For A Walk: A Placed-Based Outdoor Art Experiential Learning Experience, Priscilla Anne Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Schools in the United States often emphasize making children competitive in a global economy while neglecting the importance of developing citizens who are ecologically responsible. Problems of climate change, loss of biodiversity, mass extinctions and degradation of the natural environment, are often ignored. Some researchers have suggested that children lack unstructured play time in nature, have an increased amount of screen time, lack mindfulness, and are insulated from the natural world. Many children rarely have significant experience with nature's wildness. It is common for people to experience a sense of placelessness in the hyper-mobility of present times where "globalizing" agendas …

Development Of A Novel Bioprinting System:Bioprinter, Bioink, Characterizationand Optimization, Chandler Alan Warr

Theses and Dissertations

The use of 3D printing in biological applications is a new field of study given that 3D printing technology has become more available and user friendly. Possible uses include using existing 3D printing polymers to use in extracorporeal or in vitro devices, like Lab-on-a-Chip, and the development of new biologically derived materials to print cell-containing constructs. The latter concept is what is more commonly known as bioprinting. Our research had the goal of developing a bioprinting system including the printer, a bioink, and a feedback system for printing parameter optimization which could be done cheaply and within the reach of …

Examining The Impact Of Trauma-Informed Care Training On Educators' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behavior: A Qualitative Study, Emily Smith Schafer

All Dissertations

According to the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), nearly 35 million children in the United States have experienced one or more types of significant childhood trauma. In the average public school, this statistic translates to as many as half of the students in a given teacher's classroom. Children exposed to the toxic stress of trauma often experience negative consequences that affect their academic, psychological, social-emotional, and behavioral health. To aid educators in addressing this reality, trauma-informed care practices have increasingly begun to be translated into professional development opportunities for educators. One such training, Compassionate Schools, has been recently evaluated …

A Strengths-Based Approach To Minority Youth Development: Examining Spirituality And Critical Consciousness As Predictors Of Positive Youth Development And Contribution In Youth Of Color, Emily Nicole Winburn

All Dissertations

Spirituality and critical consciousness have been linked to positive outcomes in the lives of youth of color. Spirituality is connection to a higher power or sense of profound meaning beyond everyday life (transcendence), devotion to their morals and beliefs (fidelity), and awareness of others needs and feelings (contribution) (King et al., 2017). Spirituality can support positive outcomes in youth such as contribution to their community and increased levels of positive youth development (PYD) (Furrow, King, & White, 2004). Critical consciousness is the ability to reflect and take action on inequalities and injustices in society and can provide marginalized and/or oppressed …

Pairing Passive Sampling With Epigenetic Biomarkers Of Exposure To Monitor Potential Toxic Impact Of Environmental Complex Mixtures, David C. Wyker

All Dissertations

The goal of this study was to develop a means of assessing and monitoring the potential impacts of complex mixtures in surface waters by utilizing environmentally representative mixtures collected using passive sampling devices and whole organism bioassays, which equally represent the complex biological systems they are acting on. Chemical monitoring across three watersheds and comprising seven sampling locations was conducted across Georgia and South Carolina using passive sampling devices (PSDs). Earlier research conducted in the lab showed differing, and significant responses from fish sampled at many of these sites using the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) bioassays. The polar …

The Influence Of Windows On Surgeons' Stress, Christopher William Kiss

All Dissertations

Surgeons endure a significant amount of mental stress while operating in complex and intense surgical environments. In the United States, most operating rooms are windowless spaces that rely on artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation. Surgeons spend much of their day in these surgical environments with little access to exterior views or daylight. There is a growing body of occupational health research that supports the therapeutic benefits of views and daylight in various non-surgical work environments. It is reasonable to consider that windows in operating rooms may mitigate surgeon mental stress and consequently improve surgeon occupational health.

This study used a …

Exploring Violence: The Role Of Neighborhood Characteristics, Alcohol Outlets, And Other Micro-Places, Aleksandra J. Snowden

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

This study explores the association between neighborhood characteristics, alcohol outlets, other micro-places, and neighborhood violence rates. Prior studies that examined the alcohol availability and violence associations suggested that alcohol outlets play an important role in violent outcomes, yet we know less about the larger environment in which alcohol outlets are located, including how the availability of other types of places that exist side by side with alcohol outlets in neighborhoods could influence the alcohol-violence relationships. I collected publicly available data on simple and aggravated assaults, neighborhood characteristics (concentrated disadvantage, concentrated immigration, residential stability, and ethnic heterogeneity), on- and off-premise outlets, …

Generation And Modeling Of Radiation For Clinical And Research Applications, Bishwambhar Sengupta

All Dissertations

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in today's world and also accounts for a major share of healthcare expenses for any country. Our research goals are to help create a device which has improved accuracy and treatment times that will alleviate the resource strain currently faced by the healthcare community and to shed some light on the elementary nature of the interaction between ionizing radiation and living cells.

Stereotactic radiosurgery is the treatment of cases in intracranial locations using external radiation beams. There are several devices that can perform radiosurgery, but the Rotating Gamma System is relatively …

Electrochemical Assessment Of Alumina-Tic Composite: A Potential Biomaterial, Hetal Umesh Maharaja

All Dissertations

Ceramic and ceramic composites are gaining popularity over their metallic counterparts for orthopedic applications. Metallic biomaterials, like titanium alloys and CoCrMo alloy, exhibit good performance under concentrated loads but there have been plenty cases of implant failure due to release of metallic debris causing osteolysis. The wear debris release is caused by mechanically assisted electrochemical degradation of contacting surfaces at the joint. Ceramic based biomaterials have shown to exhibit superior wear performance, but they are prone to brittle fracture. Hence modern ceramic materials are reinforced with oxides, nitride and carbides too improve fracture resistance. However, nitrides and carbides reinforcement impart …

Experience Qualities Re-Examined: Improving The Measurement Of Experiential Conditions In Outdoor Recreation, Jessica Pearl Fefer

All Dissertations

Visitor use management (VUM) is the proactive and adaptive process for managing characteristics of visitor use and the natural and managerial setting using a variety of strategies and tools to achieve and maintain desired resource conditions and visitor experiences (IVUMC, 2018). For nearly 40 years, the application and operationalization of visitor use management has relied on a normative approach, which assumes that visitors to parks and recreation areas have shared attitudes and preferences about resource and social conditions. Visitor use management frameworks and the normative approach rely on defining management objectives, identifying indicators and thresholds for the visitor experience, monitoring …

Evaluation Of The Potential For Ecological Treatment Technologies To Remediate Species Of Phytophthora From Irrigation Runoff, Natasha Lynn Bell

All Dissertations

Increased incidences and severity of drought have reduced reliable access to freshwater sources for irrigation purposes by nursery and greenhouse plant producers. Many plant producers are now considering onsite remediation and reuse of water captured from irrigation runoff. However, potential contamination of recycled water with plant pathogens, primarily species of Phytophthora, is the primary concern preventing many growers from reusing their water. Species of Phytophthora are capable of infecting thousands of host plants and cause some of the most economically important diseases of nursery and greenhouse crops worldwide. Phytophthora spp. produce motile, swimming zoospores that often serve as propagules …

Constraints And Context: Testing The Effects Of Anthropogenic Noise And Social Factors On Avian Signaling Behavior, Erin E. Grabarczyk

Dissertations

Rapid human-generated environmental change has irrevocably altered the natural world. Understanding how animal populations respond and persist within these modified landscapes is critical for mitigating associated negative environmental impacts. For organisms that rely on vocal communication, anthropogenic noise masks signals, reducing the area over which vocalizations can be heard. For birds, noise overlaps with songs males use to defend breeding areas and attract mates, both critical aspects of reproduction. In response to noise, males adjust their song structure, but whether they actually benefit from song changes is unknown. Moreover, it remains unclear whether noise disrupts communication by affecting interactions with …

Hydrogeologic And Geomorphic Processes In A Wastewater Spray Irrigated Agricultural System Located In A Karstic Seasonably-Cold Climate, Timothy J. Daniel

All Theses

Wastewater reuse, particularly via the use of spray irrigation of treated effluent, is a common practice worldwide and can help lessen the impact of the overconsumption of water resources. The increased recharge to the subsurface that enhances weathering and erosion during the irrigation application process makes it important to characterize any changes in the land surface over time. The Living Filter at Pennsylvania State University receives on average 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of secondary treated wastewater effluent year round. This Living Filter has been in continuous operation in some capacity for the past 55 years without any significant …

The Effect Of Temperature On The Performance Of Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors For Treatment Of Domestic Wastewater, Emily Blair Evans

All Theses

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) offer a potentially energy efficient

means of treating domestic wastewater, but their performance with seasonal temperature

variations must be understood to determine their feasibility in replacing conventional

activated sludge processes. A bench-scale AnMBR treating primary clarifier effluent

from a WWTP in Greenville, SC was found to achieve a similar chemical oxygen

demand (COD) removal during operation at 35°C, 25°C, and 15°C, with average

permeate COD concentrations of 70.5 mg/L, 60.7, and 77 mg/L respectively. Methane

yields averaged 109 L CH4/kg CODremoved at 35°C, 114 L CH4/kg CODremoved at 25°C,

and 64 L CH4/kg CODremoved at 15°C. …

Building The Optimal Portfolio For Stock Using Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm - Comparative Analytical Research In The Iraqi Stock Market, Mustafa M. Isma'eel, Hayder Adnan Ganawi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The main objective of the research is to build an optimal investment portfolio of stocks’ listed at the Iraqi Stock Exchange after employing the multi-objective genetic algorithm within the period of time between 1/1/2006 and 1/6/2018 in the light of closing prices (43) companies after the completion of their data and met the conditions of the inspection, as the literature review has supported the diagnosis of the knowledge gap and the identification of deficiencies in the level of experimentation was the current direction of research was to reflect the aspects of the unseen and untreated by other researchers in particular, …

Examining Dimensions Of The Organizational Culture At Colleges Of Veterinary Medicine In The United States, Rachel A. Hendricks

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to explore the organizational culture present in veterinary medicine academia from the perspective of the female faculty. According to the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), during the 2016-2017 academic year 80.5% of students enrolled at a college of veterinary medicine (CVM) in the United States were women while 35.4% of tenure or tenure-track veterinary professors were female (AAVMC, 2017). There is no empirical, published literature that has examined the organizational culture at the colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States. In this quantitative study, a survey entitled, Culture Conducive to Women’s …

An Exploratory Study Of Nurse Practitioners As Holistic Care Providers, Cindy E. Stevens

Education Doctoral

The rapid changes in the health care industry have created a significant increase in the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) as primary care providers. The significant increase in the need for NPs has challenged the providers of advanced nursing programs to meet educational needs and to keep abreast with the number of changes in the scope of practice. As a result, the role of nurse practitioners continues to develop in areas which will affect the care provided to patients and the application of a holistic philosophy of care by the nurse. Understanding the lived experiences of NPs facing this role …

Knowledge, Behavior, And Attitudes Of College Students Regarding Hiv/Aids, Jessica Maureen Harris

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate college students’ knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS. This study also sought to explore why students who had HIV/AIDS knowledge participated in risky sexual behaviors, and the factors may be influencing them to do so. The theoretical framework of the health belief model (HBM) aided in the exploration of college students’ rationales for sexual risk-taking and perceptions of HIV infection. The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and face-to-face semi-structured interviews, to collect data. Purposeful sampling was used to select 15 participants from a 4-year accredited university in New York State. …

Analysis And Conservation Of A Chikara, Kaitlyn Wright

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A stringed musical instrument from the Buffalo Museum of Science was received for conservation treatment at Buffalo State College. Historical research, examination of previous interventions through imaging techniques, and material analysis were carried out to possibly place the instrument in a historical context and create an understanding of its fabrication. Transmission-Fourier transform infrared microscopy (Transmission-FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS), x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and microchemical testing were utilized to understand the coatings on the body of the instrument. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) was performed on the fibers, hair, and wood to understand the materials used in manufacture and their possible …

Understanding The Molecular Strategies Of Campylobacter Jejuni For Survival In Amoeba And Chicken., Deepti Pranay Samarth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni endure to be major cause of gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. C. jejuni is fastidious in laboratory setup but can cause waterborne infection through contaminated water where none of these fastidious conditions are met. This dissertation presents an assortment of studies focused in reviewing three major factors which could present a helping hand to C. jejuni in its environmental survival viz. i) association with free-living amoebae (FLA) ii) horizontal gene transfer (HGT) contributing towards its genetic diversity iii). Viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state.

Acanthamoeba is a FLA linked to environmental survival of many intracellular pathogens, including C. jejuni. In …

Remembering How To Listen: A Theoretical And Pedagogical Approach To Literacy, Adolescence, And Young Adult Literature, Stuart A. Morris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a substantial and growing body of critical theory on young adult literature (YAL), and there are a multitude of publications dealing with how secondary English/ELA teachers incorporate YAL in their classroom. From a curricular perspective, however, YAL is still most often considered inferior to canonical novels (i.e., “classics” or “great books”); thus, there has been no substantive or concerted movement to include YAL in secondary English/ELA at a curricular level, particularly in grades ten, eleven, and twelve. While the scholarship on YAL is extensive, discussion of YAL is most often devoted to pedagogy or literary theory, as if …

Impact Of Sanitizers On Salmonella Enterica Contamination And Microbial Populations Of Poultry Processing Reuse Water, Andrew Micciche

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As human populations increase in numbers, access to clean, fresh water is becoming increasingly difficult to balance between agricultural and municipal demands. Water scarcity is a limiting factor of food production in many countries, whether they are emerging or established economies. In conventional poultry processing systems, access to water is particularly critical for the maintenance and disinfection of processing areas, as well as in processing operations such as scalding, chilling, and carcass washing. The need for sustainable alternatives to single-use water supplies is becoming increasingly more urgent, and as a result, the implementation of water reuse in poultry processing plants …

Rescue And Reestablishment Of Chicken Models For Spontaneously Occurring Hashimoto’S Thyroiditis And Systemic Sclerosis/Scleroderma, Joseph Zolton Hiltz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The loss of biodiversity is a topic gaining popularity both in the political and scientific forums. Nearly 30 years ago researchers and politicians congregated in Rio de Janeiro (1992) to attend the first Earth Summit. It was the first meeting of its kind discussing the tangible pressing consequences of biodiversity loss as well as the potential long term ramifications. Many of the countries represented at this summit implemented short and long term plans in order to accurately measure losses of biodiversity as well as establishing organizations to help diagnose and remedy the current problems at hand. These new organizations and …

Footprints Of Resilience: Tracking The Career Development Steps Of African American Male Musicians, Patrice Tiffany Leshay Bax

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For African American (AA) male musicians, the road toward career advancement in the entertainment industry is particularly arduous. Despite many difficulties on the journey to career success, the history of gospel, R&B, jazz, and funk music is evidence that many AA male musicians find their way to develop and advance their careers. Many AA male musicians find career development and advancement opportunities through religious and sacred institutions. However, the journey to become a professional musician for AA males is fluid and not formalized causing ambiguity in the steps taken to enter this career field and sustain growth in a rapidly …

Preliminary Outcomes, Acceptability, And Feasibility Of A Brief Crisis Response Planning Intervention For Reducing Suicide Risk In Primary Care Behavioral Health Patients, Aubrey R. Dueweke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Primary care is an important setting for improving identification and treatment of people at risk for suicide. However, there are few developed protocols for management of suicide risk in this setting. This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary outcomes, acceptability, and feasibility of a brief crisis response planning intervention for patients at a moderate risk for suicide in a primary care behavioral health (PCBH) setting. The outcomes examined included change in suicidal cognitions, suicidal intent, hope, and coping efficacy. Twenty-two adult primary care patients at moderate risk for suicide participated in this study, which involved filling out self-report measures before …

Influences Of Autism Spectrum Disorder On Sensory And Emotional Responses To Smell And Taste Cues, Asmita Singh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that causes social, communication, behavioral and sensory challenges. The prevalence has been on a rise, with the latest reports stating 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with ASD. These challenges play a significant role in feeding behavior, leading to reduced nutrition among individuals. Much research in this field has been attributed to children, however, this study was focused on the adult population, in an attempt to improve their quality of life. Building on previous findings and knowledge gaps, the objectives of this thesis were two-fold: To better understand the sensory experiences of …

Prediction And Evaluation Of Breast Myopathy, Barbara De Almeida Mallmann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broiler breast myopathies, including woody breast, white striping, and spaghetti breast, negatively impact the industry. Therefore, evaluation, prediction, and frequency of these muscle abnormalities on modern birds are important for decision making. Modern broilers are not highly active and often sit with the breast of the bird resting on the floor. Therefore, the first experiment was to promote bird movement and explore the impact on the breast myopathies. The movement was stimulated by human interaction (walking through pen) and higher light intensity so that birds walked around the pen more often throughout the day. The control group had normal low …

Program, Policy, And Culture Factors Minority Millennials Perceive As Important Within Their Workplace For Retention, Tanesha C. Watts

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millennials make up the largest segment of the current workforce. However, research about minority Millennials and their needs are relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to find out what minority Millennials deemed important within an organization’s culture and the policies and programs that would persuade them to remain with the company. Purposeful sampling was used to identify participants for this study. Participants met the criterion of a Millennial by age, identified as a minority, currently worked at an organization with 50 or more employees in an office location and had worked for their current employer for one year …