Digital Commons Network^™

A Model Experiment To Investigate The Possibility Of Glyphosate Contamination In St. Kitts And Nevis, Winston Fu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that is used globally to combat the spread of weeds among crops. Not all countries around the world have been using the herbicide. For example, island countries such as Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis do not use the herbicide on their crops. However, St. Kitts and Nevis imports food and other agricultural products from around the world, leading to the hypothesis that glyphosate is contaminating the soil through those imported products. The aim of this research project was to determine if glyphosate is present in the island country of St. Kitts and Nevis. A …

Investigating The Effect Of Ethanol On Wnt7a And Its Potential Implications In Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Erika Lytle

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs), are caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy [3]. FASD encompasses a wide variety of cardiac and neural anomalies, while also associated with improper limb development, abnormal craniofacial features, problems within the central nervous system (CNS), and disabilities in learning and communication. Gene-regulating FASDs have not been well studied during the crucial phases of early embryonic development. Genes within the Wnt/Beta-catenin pathway control a vast amount of embryonic developmental processes. Among them is the Wnt7a gene, a significant downstream gene regulator which positively controls neural stem cell proliferation and cardiomyocyte differentiation on a large scale …

Genetic Control Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization In Helianthus Annuus, Katherine Stahlhut

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Plant symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi provides many benefits for plants, including increased nutrient uptake, drought tolerance, and belowground pathogen resistance. In order to have a better understanding of the genetic architecture of mycorrhizal symbiosis, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) by phenotyping a diversity panel of cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) for root colonization under inoculation with the AM fungus Rhizophagus intraradices. This mapping panel consists of 261 inbred lines that capture approximately 90% of the genetic diversity present in the cultivated sunflower germplasm. Using a mixed linear model approach with a high-density genetic map, we …

Cardiovascular Outcomes In Nonsmokers Exposed To Secondhand Smoke: Results From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) 2015-2016, Suzanne Chaar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

While the adverse health risks associated with smoking have been well-documented, few studies have examined the cardiovascular outcomes associated with secondhand smoking. The purpose of the study was to assess the distributions and association of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 cycle. Self-reported smoking status and cotinine levels were used to identify exposure groups (smokers, nonsmokers, and secondhand smokers), and medical history of several cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart diseases and stroke were also collected via self-report survey. The association between exposure …

The Effect Of Interventions On Radiotherapy-Induced Skin Toxicity: A Systematic Review, Claudia R. Figueroa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Various studies show a variety of interventions for radiotherapy-induced skin toxicity. Radiotherapy-induced skin toxicity is the most common side effect for women with breast cancer who undergo radiotherapy sessions. Intervention agents include topical creams, barrier films, oral agents, as well as laser therapy. However, despite the variety of intervention agents available, there is still a lack of accepted guidelines to manage radiotherapy-induced skin toxicity. This thesis aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials with the primary purpose of exploring the available intervention methods to prevent radiotherapy-induced skin toxicity and evaluate the effects of different …

Serial Murder And Media Coverage, Molly Gross

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study sets out to explore the relationship between news media coverage on serial killers and their behavior. As a result of the lack of previous research on this topic, utilizing past research on a few historically well-known serial killers and news media reports about those serial killers, this study attempts to determine if news media has any effect on a serial killer’s behavior prior to apprehension. After a review of the history of serial murder and the past findings about serial murderers, as well as background on the history of the media coverage of crime, this study will look …

Cultural Institutions' Digital Responses To Covid-19 Temporary Closures, Brittany N. Ryder

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of the study was to explore what types of digital content cultural institutions implemented during COVID-19 temporary closures and their effects on social media engagement. Existing research identified the role of digital content and social media in cultural institutions, but only in times of normal operations. The study adds to the existing literature by exploring types of digital content implemented, impacts on social media engagement, measures of social media engagement, and future implications in regard to COVID-19 temporary closures.

The study recruited 16 cultural institutions from across the United States to take part in in-depth semi-structured phone interviews …

Viral Stories In Spanish And English: A Qualitative Analysis Of Narrative Perceptions Regarding Infant Immunizations Across Major Ethno-Linguistic Communities, Zeynep H. Elshaer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to analyze the varying perceptions among Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) and Anglophone communities regarding vaccines and more specifically infant immunization practices, in order to identify common or diverging patterns of communication, information dissemination, and narrative discourse. Currently, medical messaging and health policy is largely formulated without thorough attention to the different ways diverse or minority ethno-linguistic communities may interpret the information, thereby leading to deficiencies in effective communication practices between individuals and healthcare providers or policymakers, and outright opposition between informal and formal public health messaging. This evaluation was conducted in order to broaden the current …

Crmm 4500: Web Publishing I: Html/Css (Syllabus), Jin Yang

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Introduction of web design software and web design concept; basic knowledge of web markup language html and cascading style sheets (CSS); overview of WordPress as content management system (CMS); development of website projects incorporating multimedia elements.

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Education Assistance Dogs And The Attendance, Verbal Communication Utterances, And Maladaptive Behaviors Of Self-Contained Special Education Students In One Florida School District, Heather Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the introduction of education assistance dogs (EAD) on the attendance, verbal communication utterances, and maladaptive behaviors of students on behavior intervention plans who were enrolled in self-contained, special education classrooms. Teachers in two elementary classrooms and one middle school classroom gathered data on the three areas of focus. The researcher then utilized a single subject design and corresponding line graphs to represent the data. The results indicated a positive trend in the scores for verbal communication utterances and maladaptive behaviors among targeted students after end introduction of the EAD. …

Getting Lost: The Fungal Hijacking Of Ant Foraging Behavior In Space And Time, Thienthanh Trinh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Many parasites have evolved strategies to exploit host behavior such that it benefits parasite transmission. Ophiocordyceps manipulations of carpenter ant behavior represent an evident example. Manipulated ants are coerced to ascend vegetation and clamp down their mandibles in a stereotypical "death-grip" bite. The fungus then kills the ant, sprouts a stalk and releases infective spores. Research has focused on this ultimate manipulation, leaving the subtler behavioral changes pre-biting largely unexplored. Field and transcriptome data found that the host circadian clocks, olfaction, and communication may be disrupted, suggesting that the fungus is affecting ant foraging activity and effectivity. To test these …

Scalable Communication Frameworks For Multi-Agency Data Sharing, Shafaq Chaudhry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

With the rise in frequency and magnitude of natural disasters, there is a need to break down monolithic organizational barriers and engage with community volunteers. This calls for ease of systems interoperability to facilitate communication, data-sharing and scalability of real-time response, essential for crisis communications. We propose two scalable frameworks that enable multi-agency interoperability and real-time data-sharing. The first framework harnesses the power of social media, artificial intelligence, and community volunteers to form an extended rescue-and-response network that alleviates call center burden and augments the finite capacity of dispatch units. Through an "online 9-1-1" service, affected people can request help …

The Biofiltration Ability Of Asparagus Densiflorus To Remove Sulfur Dioxide From The Indoor Atmosphere, Rhiannon De La Rosa, Mary Savin

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Sulfur dioxide is an inorganic compound (IC) and air pollutant that causes health risks in humans. The buildup of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in enclosed indoor spaces is, therefore, a concern to human health, especially since the average person spends 90% of his/her time indoors. This study focused on decreasing SO2 concentration in a cost-effective and simple way—by using botanical biofiltration, or the uptake of pollutants by plants. Research in biofiltration has focused mostly on the remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOC). However, research has also shown that plant species that remediate VOC efficiently also have the potential for efficient IC …

Becoming ‘We’: Disembodied Trauma And A Community Of Globalized Reading In Contemporary Asian American Novels And Graphic Narratives, Jin Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

Historical narratives often focus on the victors of major global conflicts and leave out the mention of the oppressed. But trauma theorists note that literary arts can effectively offer insight to unremarked histories. My dissertation examines how contemporary Asian American novels and graphic narratives represent underrepresented historical trauma, with a particular focus on Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior, Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s Blu’s Hanging, GB Tran’s Vietnamerica, Fred Chao’s Johnny Hiro, and Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese. I focus on what I call “disembodied trauma,” a phenomenon which encourages readers to recognize silenced histories in the texts. Specifically, “disembodied trauma,” …

Effects Of Rumen-Protected Amino Acids And Levels And Sources Of Energy On Milk Production And Nutrient Utilization In Dairy Cattle Fed Metabolizable Protein-Deficient Diets, Yu Zang

Doctoral Dissertations

Lactating dairy cows are characterized by poor N efficiency and dietary N not captured in milk protein is excreted in urine and feces, which then contribute to environmental N pollution. Nitrogen losses also shrink profit margins for dairy producers due to costly protein sources. Additionally, the dairy industry is an important anthropogenic source of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4, with CH4 representing a potent greenhouse gas and non-negligible energy losses in dairy cattle. Thus, my PhD program has focused on developing nutrition-based approaches to improve milk production efficiency (e.g., milk yield/dry matter intake) and reduce N excretion and …

The Political Preference Of Arkansas Farmers And Ranchers, Rachel J. Barry, Donna L. Graham

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Access to information is critical to improving production efficiency, but little is known about how farmers are informed on the policy or issues influencing programs related to farming. This research sought to determine the sources of communication used by farmers and ranchers to form opinions about agricultural policy and candidates, identify the issues important in voting, and their level of participation in the political process. Face-to-face interaction was the preferred form of communication in farm organization meetings, with friends, or farm agencies. Magazines were the preferred source of print communication, and university/extension websites were preferred for internet sources. Broadcast media …

2020-2021 Graduate Program Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Aerodynamics And Power Requirements Of Forward Flapping Flight In The Mango Stem Borer Beetle (Batocera Rufomaculata), Tomer Urca, Anup Kumar Debnath, Jean Stefanini, Roi Gurka, Gal Ribak

Physics and Engineering Science

Synopsis The need for long dispersal flights can drive selection for behavioral, physiological, and biomechanical mechanisms to reduce the energy spent flying. However, some energy loss during the transfer of momentum from the wing to the fluid is inevitable, and inherent to the fluid wing interaction. Here, we analyzed these losses during the forward flight of the mango stem borer (Batocera rufomaculata). This relatively large beetle can disperse substantial distances in search of new host trees, and laboratory experiments have demonstrated continuous tethered flights that can last for up to an hour. We flew the beetles tethered in a wind …

Spies And The Virus: The Covid-19 Pandemic And Intelligence Communication In The United States, Ana Maria Lankford, Derrick Storzieri, Joseph Fitsanakis

Intelligence and Security Studies

This paper introduces a crucial parameter to the novel coronavirus response in the United States, by shedding light on the early-warning role of intelligence agencies. It argues that the intelligence components of the federal government's Biological Defense Program offered actionable forewarning about an impending pandemic in the years leading to the COVID-19 outbreak. Yet, almost from the opening stages of the pandemic, senior US government officials, including President Donald Trump, have repeatedly claimed that the virus "came out of nowhere"and that "nobody saw it coming."We show that these assertions contradict more than 15 years of pandemic preparedness warnings by intelligence …

Reimagining The Death Penalty: Targeting Christians, Conservatives, Spearit

Buffalo Law Review

This Article is an interdisciplinary response to an entrenched legal and cultural problem. It incorporates legal analysis, religious study and the anthropological notion of “culture work” to consider death penalty abolitionism and prospects for abolishing the death penalty in the United States. The Article argues that abolitionists must reimagine their audiences and repackage their message for broader social consumption, particularly for Christian and conservative audiences. Even though abolitionists are characterized by some as “bleeding heart” liberals, this is not an accurate portrayal of how the death penalty maps across the political spectrum. Abolitionists must learn that conservatives are potential allies …

Prevalence Of Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction Among Psychiatric Outpatients Attending A Tertiary Care Hospital, Mohammed Albreiki, Mandher Almaqbali, Khalid Alrisi, Hamed Alsinawi, Maryam Al Balushi, Wedad Al Zakwani

Neurosciences

Objectives: To measure the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in psychiatric outpatients treated with fluoxetine, paroxetine, venlafaxine or mirtazapine. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. All patients above 18 years of age, attending psychiatric clinic and taking fluoxetine, paroxetiene, venlafaxine or mirtazapine for various indications were invited to participate in the study. A data collection sheet was designed to document the patients’ demographic features, psychiatric diagnosis, type, dose and duration of antidepressant treatment. Sexual side effects’ part of Toronto Side Effect Scale (TSES) was used to assess the presence of sexual dysfunction. …

Right-Sided Clinical Findings Are Worse Prognostic Factor In Multiple Sclerosis Patients?, Asuman O. Varoglu, Ece Balkuv

Neurosciences

Objectives: To investigate the importance of the side of clinical findings in predicting the prognosis in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: In our study we enrolled 361 MS patients. This study as retrospective was performed. On neurological examinations, clinical findings were recorded as right, left and bilateral. We used the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS), Progression Index (PI) for neurological status. Results: At the first attack, there were differences in the EDSS, PI and MSSS of right-sided findings between remission and attack periods ( p =0.057, p =0.008, p =0.017 respectively). In the right-sided clinical …

Innocent Juvenile Confessions, Seth P. Waxman

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Defining "Special Care", Ben Gifford

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

For the better part of the last century, the Supreme Court has held that courts must evaluate the voluntariness of juvenile confessions with “special care.” This special care requirement cautions courts against judging juveniles “by the more exacting standards of maturity” or comparing a juvenile suspect “with an adult in full possession of his senses and knowledgeable of the consequences of his admissions.” It also instructs courts to ensure that a juvenile’s “admission was voluntary, in the sense not only that it was not coerced or suggested, but also that it was not the product of ignorance of rights or …

False Confessions And Testimonial Injustice, Jennifer Lackey

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

In the criminal justice system, confessions have long been considered the gold standard in evidence. An immediate problem arises for this gold standard, however, when the prevalence of false confessions is taken into account. Since 1989, there have been 367 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States, and 28% of these involved false confessions. Moreover, false confessions involve everything from minor infractions to detailed accounts of violent crimes.

This article takes a close look at false confessions in connection with the phenomenon of testimonial injustice. It argues that false confessions provide a unique and compelling challenge to the current conceptual …

Progressive Prosecution In A Pandemic, Chad Flanders, Stephen Galoob

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Expanding The Reach Of Progressive Prosecution, Jeffrey Bellin

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

When Prosecutors Politick: Progressive Law Enforcers Then And Now, Bruce A. Green, Rebecca Roiphe

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

A new and recognizable group of reform-minded prosecutors has assumed the mantle of progressive prosecution. The term is hard to define in part because its adherents embrace a diverse set of policies and priorities. In comparing the contemporary movement with Progressive Era prosecutors, this Article has two related goals. First, it seeks to better define progressive prosecution. Second, it uses a historical comparison to draw some lessons for the current movement. Both groups of prosecutors were elected on a wave of popular support. Unlike today’s mainstream prosecutors who tend to campaign and labor in relative obscurity, these two sets of …

Prosecutors And Their State And Local Polities, Ronald F. Wright

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Prosecutors routinely decline to file charges in individual cases; sometimes they also announce general policies about declinations that apply prospectively to entire categories of cases. The legitimacy of these categorical declination policies is in dispute. Current accounts of declinations rely on arguments about the traditional activities of prosecutors and the distinction between executive and legislative functions in constitutional separation of powers doctrine. This Article argues that chief prosecutors in state court systems hold competing loyalties to statewide voters and local voters. These duties to state and local polities should also influence the declination policies that a prosecutor adopts.

Duties to …

Molecular Epidemiology Of Hookworm Infection In The Ashanti Region, Ghana., Emma Allen

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Parasitic helminth infections have persisted in resource-limited settings around the world, leading to greater numbers of people experiencing sequelae including malnutrition, anemia, and impaired growth and cognitive function among children. Despite periodic deworming efforts, a high burden of disease remains in sub-Saharan Africa. Establishing baseline prevalence of these infections can inform local and national deworming campaign objectives as well as tailor additional interventions accordingly. Here we describe our efforts to determine baseline prevalence and analyze potential risk factors for infection in Ashanti Region, Ghana.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to characterize the molecular epidemiology of hookworm …