Digital Commons Network^™

Positive Parenting As A Moderator For Reducing Depression In Inner-City Children Exposed To Contextual Risk Factors? A Longitudinal Multilevel Analysis Of A Family-Based Intervention Program., Donghang Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression in inner-city children is a serious social problem. Given the existing evidence supporting the links among neighborhood conditions, family functioning, parenting, and child outcome, this study expands the examination of the relationship among contextual factors and child depression from a longitudinal developmental perspective. This study also aims to examine how positive parenting as a protective factor moderates the effect of contextual risk factors on child depression in a sample of low-income, inner-city families. This present study used the secondary data from the Schools and Families Educating (SAFE) Children study (aka SAFE Children Project) with is a longitudinal panel study …

Fostering African American Female Students’ Sense Of Belonging: A Digital Storytelling Participatory Action Research Approach., Rajwinder Kaur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Participatory Action Research dissertation discovers what fosters or diminishes school sense of belonging for African American female students. This is achieved by foregrounding the voices of the individual participants and the collective voice of those within this study. Both Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought guide this dissertation study to ensure the intersectionality between race and gender is addressed. Data for this study was collected during five workshop sessions, where participants created digital stories on their sense of belonging. The findings revealed the importance of students’ racial identity, family, peer relationships, fitting in, safety, and being seen/heard by …

The Many Facets Of Trauma - High Need Index School Principals' Perspectives Of Trauma-Informed Care., Nicole Michelle Fields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study attempts to add to the literature by shedding light on the best practices for fostering and applying effective trauma-informed care (TIC) in schools and the educational practices and policies through human experience elements. Creating trauma-sensitive, safe, and supportive schools requires a new discernment among principals. It also requires holistic changes to transform school, culture, build supporting infrastructure, and alter curriculum content and intervention (McInerney & McKlindon, 2014). TIC refers to treating the whole person mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically. This study interview 14 principals' perspectives in a large urban school district to discover what practices, procedures, …

The Use Of Nanoparticles And Electrospun Fibers For Intravaginal Delivery To Treat Viral And Bacterial Infections And Electrophysiological Measurements Of Synthetic Chloride Channels., Farnaz Minooei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Female reproductive viral and bacterial infections affect millions of women worldwide. Given the diversity and magnitude of these unmet reproductive health challenges, topical administration of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and antibiotics have emerged as promising approaches to maintain and restore reproductive health. However, currently available intravaginal dosage forms often suffer from low user adherence and the need for frequent, daily administration to achieve therapeutic effect. To address these challenges, the broad goal of this research was to focus on the development of new localized nanoparticle (NP) and electrospun fiber dosage forms to prolong the delivery and enhance the efficacy of active agents …

Impacts Of Environmental And Hydrologic Factors On Urban Stream Water Quality., Jason Patrik Ingram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban streams can be impacted by a multitude of hydrologic and environmental factors, making maintaining these water sources difficult. Urbanization can exacerbate these impacts creating new challenges in preserving suitable urban stream water quality. Urbanization is the development of city landscape and suburban living within an otherwise natural region. For this environmental impact study, the effects of city development on urban stream water quality was monitored for Mill Creek in Louisville, Kentucky. To study the effects of urbanization on Mill Creek, this project was completed utilizing the BACI method for comparing impacts. The results of the water quality monitoring were …

Computational Behavioral Analytics: Estimating Psychological Traits In Foreign Languages., Kristopher Wayne Reese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rise of technology proliferating into the workplace has increased the threat of loss of intellectual property, classified, and proprietary information for companies, governments, and academics. This can cause economic damage to the creators of new IP, companies, and whole economies. This technology proliferation has also assisted terror groups and lone wolf actors in pushing their message to a larger audience or finding similar tribal groups that share common, sometimes flawed, beliefs across various social media platforms. These types of challenges have created numerous studies in psycholinguistics, as well as commercial tools, that look to assist in identifying potential threats …

Investing In Social And Behavior Change Is Cost-Effective For Increasing Modern Contraceptive Use In Niger, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

The Breakthrough RESEARCH Business Case modeled social and behavior change (SBC) cost-effectiveness in Niger utilizing two investment scenarios to assess the impact of SBC programming on modern contraceptive use: The national plan scenario was based on planned investments documented "Family Planning in Niger: 2012–2020 Action Plan" and "2018 Operational Plan," with the national plan indicating a cumulative five-year investment of approximately $5.5 million dollars in SBC for FP, and a double investment scenario examined the effects of doubling Niger's national plan total investment to $11.1 million with the increased investments targeting community awareness activities and group interpersonal communication (IPC) for …

Seasonal Patterns In Stable Isotope And Fatty Acid Profiles Of Southern Stingrays (Hypanus Americana) At Stingray City Sandbar, Grand Cayman, Lisa A. Hoopes, Tonya M. Clauss, Nicole E. Browning, Alexa J. Delaune, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Mahmood Shivji, Jessica C. Harvey, Guy C.M. Harvey

Biology Faculty Articles

Ecotourism opportunities in the marine environment often rely heavily on provisioning to ensure the viewing of cryptic species by the public. However, intentional feeding of wildlife can impact numerous aspects of an animals’ behavior and ecology. Southern stingrays (Hypanus americana) provisioned at Stingray City Sandbar (SCS) in Grand Cayman have altered diel activity patterns and decreased measures of health. This study looked at seasonal changes in stable isotope (SI) and fatty acid (FA) profiles of provisioned stingrays at SCS. Plasma δ15N was higher in male stingrays (11.86 ± 1.71‰) compared to females (10.70 ± 1.71‰). Lower values for δ15N in …

Estimation Of Transmission Dynamics Of Covid-19 In India: The Influential Saturated Incidence Rate, - Tanvi, Rajiv Aggarwal, Ashutosh Rajput

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A non-linear SEIR mathematical model for coronavirus disease in India has been proposed, by incorporating the saturated incidence rate on the occurrence of new infections. In the model, the threshold quantity known as the reproduction number is evaluated which determines the stability of disease-free equilibrium and the endemic equilibrium points. The disease-free equilibrium point becomes globally asymptotically stable when the corresponding reproduction number is less than unity, whereas, if it is greater than unity then the endemic equilibrium point comes into existence, which is locally asymptotically stable under certain restrictions on the parameters value in the model. The impact of …

A Mathematical Model Of Avian Influenza For Poultry Farm And Its Stability Analysis, Abdul Malek, Ashabul Hoque

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This paper aims to estimate the basic reproduction number for Avian Influenza outbreak in local and global poultry industries. In this concern, we apply the SEIAVR compartmental model which is developed based on the well-known SEIR model. The SEIAVR model provides the mathematical formulations of the basic reproduction number, final size relationship and a relationship between these two phenomena. The developed model Equations are solved numerically with the help of Range-Kutta method and the values of initial parameters are taken from the several literatures and reports. The calculated result of basic reproduction number shows that it is locally and globally …

Functional Compartmentalization Of Mlck In Fetal Arteries, Dane William Sorensen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Changes in vascular structure and reactivity are amongst the most important that occur during the transition from fetal to newborn life, and are guided by the principle of ensuring adequate coupling of blood flow to metabolism. A clinical consequence of maladaptive fetal vascular adaptation to hypoxia is an increased probability for loss of cerebral autoregulation, increased risk for neonatal encephalopathy, and hypoxicischemic cerebral injury. MLCK is a very specific calcium-calmodulin dependent enzyme, with its only known substrate being MLC20, and is essential for the ability of VSMCs within resistance arteries to appropriately contract or relax in response to changes in …

Role Of Β-Glucan Structure In Dectin-1 Homo- And Hetero-Oligomerization In Innate Anti-Fungal Immunity, Eduardo U. Anaya

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Dectin-1A is a C-type Lectin innate immunoreceptor that recognizes β-(1,3)-glucan, a structural component of Candida species cell walls. Dectin-1 has eight alternative splice isoforms including, A and B. Innate immunocytes can express one or both isoforms, but neither their relative responsiveness to β-glucan nor the potential for inter-isoform signaling cross-talk is well understood. In this study, we determine how the different structures of soluble β-glucans affect both isoforms and unravel how differences in glucan structure impact the earliest events in Dectin-1 signaling. Using quantitative microscopy techniques, we explored the role of glucan structure on Dectin-1A oligomerization, which is thought to …

Disruption Of Dna Polymerase Zeta Promotes An Innate Immune Response, Sara Martin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

DNA polymerase ζ (pol ζ) is a specialized polymerase that protects cells from the consequences of DNA damage and stress. Without pol ζ function mammalian cells and yeast are exquisitely sensitive to genotoxic stresses including ultraviolet irradiation and platinum compounds such as the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. This elevated sensitivity arises from the central role of pol ζ in lesion bypass. Pol ζ is also required to protect cells from endogenous genomic damage or stress. In primary mammalian cells, the function of pol ζ is required for genome protection and normal proliferation. Immortalized Rev3lknockout (KO) MEFs are under considerable constitutive …

Inducible Epithelial Resistance Against Acute Viral Pneumonia And Chronic Asthma, Shradha Wali

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Viral pneumonia remains a global health threat despite worldwide vaccination and therapeutic programs. The influenza pandemic of 1918 and SARS-CoV2 pandemic of 2019-2020 are cautionary reminders demanding the need for novel treatment strategies. Moreover, in addition to causing acute disease, respiratory virus infections are often complicated by chronic lung pathologies, such as asthma induction, progression, and exacerbation. We have reported that mice treated with a combination of inhaled Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/6 and TLR 9 agonists (Pam2-ODN) to stimulate innate immunity are broadly protected against respiratory pathogens, but the mechanisms underlying this protection remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we show in …

Effect Of Marketing Through Value Added And Video Sales On Feeder Cattle Prices, Amanda Trotter

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Feeder cattle marketing opportunities for producers in Missouri continue to expand. Missouri ranks within the top ten U.S. States in beef cow inventory and is a major feeder calf exporter. Selecting the appropriate marketing opportunity can have a dramatic impact on the income of the cattle producer. Feeder cattle marketing opportunities include value-added program sales, video auctions, as well as the traditional live cattle auction. A long-term study comparing these marketing opportunities in a single livestock market in Missouri has not been conducted. The objective of this study is to analyze cattle characteristics that can influence market price in feeder …

Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Fish and macroinvertebrate response to restoration and conservation efforts varies in regards to the size and structure of the system (e.g. headwater streams in WV versus large rivers such as the Mississippi River). This project reviews fish and macroinvertebrate rebound in treated acid mine drainage (AMD) streams in WV as well as macroinvertebrate drift patterns in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. AMD is a product of a chemical reaction resulting in an acidic water outflow from mining sites, which may harm aquatic life. As a response, passive AMD treatment systems have been installed. I tested the effectiveness of remediation by …

The Legacy Of Contamination By Lead Smelters In Missouri, Robert S. Armstrong

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Missouri has a rich history of lead mining. In the smelting process lead particles are emitted, which may be toxic to plants and animals. This study focuses on two primary lead smelters, Herculaneum and Glover, in Missouri. Smelting operations have ceased at these two sites, and unlike Herculaneum, Glover has no reported lead concentrations. Findings from air and sediments of these two sites were compared to background conditions and to each other. Thirty-three samples were collected from Herculaneum and Glover (thirty samples and three replicates) and eleven samples (ten samples and one replicate) for background. For Herculaneum sediment, lead levels …

Prospects For Enhancing The Market For Goat Meat Products: Analysis Of The 2019 Goat Meat Survey, Ashton M. Light

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The objective of this study was to identify goat meat product attributes and sociodemographic drivers of consumers’ willingness to buy to goat meat products. To do so the study used a nationwide consumer survey on goat meat preferences. A binary logit model was used to examine the factors affecting willingness to buy. Results show that gender, age, region, primary shopper, and product attribute preference for quality, price, leanness, cholesterol, and freshness significantly affect consumer willingness to buy goat sausage, jerky, burger, and patties.

Evolution Of Confession Law, Madison Macpherson

Senior Honors Theses

Many studies have been conducted to examine how false confessions occur, and what their impacts are. Throughout its history, America has instituted standards for interrogation procedures that are aligned with research findings and that build off constitutional principles. These are designed to protect individual rights while still accomplishing the goals of the judicial system. This paper discusses false confessions, interrogation laws, and how these impact a suspect, as well as the other influences acting upon suspects including plea bargaining and psychological processes. A compilation of research findings and case law culminates in the conclusion that changes must be made to …

Early Pastoral Economies And Herding Transitions In Eastern Eurasia, William Timothy Treal Taylor, Julia Clark, Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan, Tumurbaatar Tuvshinjargal, Jessica Thompson Jobe, William Fitzhugh, Richard Kortum, Robert N. Spengler, Svetlana Shnaider, Frederik Valeur Seersholm, Isaac Hart, Nicholas Case, Shevan Wilkin, Jessica Hendy, Ulrike Thuering, Bryan Miller, Alicia R.Ventresca Miller, Andrea Picin, Nils Vanwezer, Franziska Irmer, Samantha Brown, Aida Abdykanova, Daniel R. Shultz, Victoria Pham, Michael Bunce, Katerina Douka, Emily Lena Jones, Nicole Boivin

ETSU Faculty Works

While classic models for the emergence of pastoral groups in Inner Asia describe mounted, horse-borne herders sweeping across the Eurasian Steppes during the Early or Middle Bronze Age (ca. 3000–1500 BCE), the actual economic basis of many early pastoral societies in the region is poorly characterized. In this paper, we use collagen mass fingerprinting and ancient DNA analysis of some of the first stratified and directly dated archaeofaunal assemblages from Mongolia’s early pastoral cultures to undertake species identifications of this rare and highly fragmented material. Our results provide evidence for livestock-based, herding subsistence in Mongolia during the late 3rd and …

Exploring Religious Freedom In The American Workplace, Joanna Moran

Senior Honors Theses

The First Amendment specifically protects the freedom of religion, an idea that has been championed in America for over two centuries. In the workplace, religious freedom is more limited. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. United Health Programs of American Inc. and Cost Containment Group Inc. (2016) serves as an example of how some religious expression must be limited in order to protect religious freedoms of the majority in the workplace. The purpose of this thesis is to determine how First Amendment religious freedoms are being protected and restricted in the workplace. This research is relevant to working Americans, as the …

Accountability Policies & Educator Wellbeing, Joseph Latimer, Nathaniel Von Der Embse, William Black

Policy Brief

Since the publication of A Nation At Risk in 1983, educators have lived with an increasingly comprehensive set of test-based accountability policies. Framing global competitiveness in student academic success as an increasingly important component of a broader economic and national security agenda , both federal and state departments of educationmoved to establish an ‘accountability era’ by mandating test-based educational accountability legislation including No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Race to the Top (RTTT), Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as well as various state-level policy initiatives that evolved from including various district, school, and student accountability measures, and more recently; teacher …

Stress, Wellbeing, And Support For Students & School Staff, Alexis Sanchez, Nathaniel Von Der Embse

Policy Brief

Stress is a naturally occurring physical and psychological response from the accumulation of short- or long-term demands placed on individuals. Physically, the body will react to stress-induced hormones by increasing heart rate, respiration, and muscle tension. Psychologically, stress will prompt the body to respond with heightened alertness and attention to what caused the stress. Stress that is appropriately managed through effective coping mechanisms contributes to well-being, but prolonged stress can lead to chronic conditions: high blood pressure, compromised immune systems, and brain changes (e.g., anxiety, depression, and addiction). In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, there has been a disruption …

Supporting The Social-Emotional Wellbeing Of Students During A Time Of Stress, Sarahy Durango, Nathaniel Von Der Embse

Policy Brief

There is a strong connection between students’ social- emotional health and academic success. Students with strong social-emotional skills have been shown to possess increased capacity to learn, improved life outcomes, and decreased risk for mental health problems. Currently, almost 25% of children are estimated to experience a mental or behavioral health problem in a given year. If left untreated, these issues are often exacerbated and can increase in severity, leading to worsened outcomes for children. Schools are increasingly becoming the central location for children to access mental health services due to barriers that interfere with families receiving support from community-based …

2020-December-01-Students Collecting Clothing Items For The Homeless Community, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (Dec. 1, 2020)  – Students at East Tennessee State University are holding a donation drive this week to collect goods for the homeless community in the Appalachian Highlands. The drive is hosted by the Street Medicine Interest Group (SMIG), an interprofessional coalition of students from within the ETSU Health colleges.

The drive will take place Wednesday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and on Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 4 p.m. Donations can be dropped off at the ground level of the ETSU parking garage off Jack Vest Drive. This will …

Of Masks And Men? Gender, Sex, And Protective Measures During Covid-19, Dan Cassino, Yasemin Besen-Cassino

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, men have been consistently less likely to report wearing a protective face mask. There are several possible reasons for this difference, including partisanship and gender identity. Using a national live-caller telephone survey that measures gender identity, we show that men's gender identities are strongly related to their views of mask wearing, especially when gender identity is highly salient to the individual. The effects of this interaction of sex and gender are shown to be separate from the effects of partisanship. While partisanship is a significant driver of attitudes about …

The Influence Of Emerging Adulthood On The Risky And Dangerous Behaviors Of Lgbt Populations, Christopher Salvatore, Tarika Daftary-Kapur

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

During emerging adulthood, traditional social bonds and turning points may be delayed, not present, or may not work in the same manner as they had for prior generations, leading many to engage in risky and dangerous behaviors. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered emerging adults may be at particular risk for engaging in risky and dangerous behavior during emerging adulthood due to the lack of social bonds, reaching of turning points, as well as the historic stigmatization of these populations. Focusing on LGBT populations in the United States, the influence of emerging adulthood on risky and dangerous behaviors is presented; a …

Lower Limb Motor Function And Hip Muscle Weakness In Stroke Survivors And Their Relationship With Pelvic Tilt, Weight-Bearing Asymmetry, And Gait Speed: A Cross-Sectional Study, Vishakha Darak, Suruliraj Karthikbabu

Open Access archive

Background: Poor motor recovery of hip muscles affect the walking post-stroke. The study objective was to examine how lower extremity motor function and hip muscle weakness are related to weight-bearing asymmetry (WBA), excessive pelvic tilt, and gait speed in stroke survivors. Methods: Eighty patients with chronic stroke, a mean and standard deviation (SD) of post-stroke duration of 350 ± 664 days, age of 30-70 years, independent standing, and 10-meter walking capacity participated in the study. Hip muscular strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer (HHD) and motor function was assessed by Fugl-Meyer Assessment of lower extremity (FMA-LE). The WBA was …

Living Environment And Health Of Under-Five Children In Urban Slums Of A Coastal Region In South India, V. R. Roja, Prakash Narayanan, Varalakshmi Chandra Sekaran, M. G. Ajith Kumar

Open Access archive

Objective: The primary objective of the study was to determine the association between the living environment and morbidity, nutritional status, immunization status, and personal hygiene of under-five children living in urban slums in southern India. Methods: This study included 224 mothers of under-five children living in urban slums of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka. A total of 17 urban slums were selected randomly using random cluster sampling. Results: Undernutrition was high among children of illiterate mothers (63.8%), and the children of working mothers were affected by more morbidity (96.6%) as compared with housewives. Morbidity was also found to be high among children …

Awareness And Practices Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Among Paediatric Patients Visiting Two Tertiary Care Hospitals In Mangaluru: An Interview Based Study, Meghana Tiwary, Amrita Parida, V. Manju

Open Access archive

This study aims to find out the details of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children, including factors favouring their use and concomitant usage of allopathic drugs along with CAM. The study also analyses the communication between allopathic practitioners and patients regarding utilization of CAM. It was an interview based study based on a semi-structured interview. The study sample included parents of children waiting in the paediatric outpatient department. A total of 200 parents were interviewed. Though most of the parents were aware about CAM, around 10% parents were ignorant. Ayurveda was the most commonly used CAM followed by …