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Coachmotivation: Developing Transformational Leadership By Increasing Effective Communication Skills In The Workplace, Megan L. Schuller

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Communication is an intrinsic part of the human experience and has been widely studied empirically and practically within organizations. It is the bedrock for many workplace behaviors and outcomes such as employee trust, engagement, job satisfaction, and transformational leadership. Nonetheless, effective communication continues to be a challenge for organizations across a variety of sectors. The current study examined whether a communications training, CoachMotivation (CM), increased perceived effective communication. CM is derived from clinical psychology skills for behavior change, namely, the Motivational Interviewing concepts of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summary statements. This study also considered the Big Five personality traits …

Reproducibility And Sensitivity Of Thirty-Six Methods To Quantify The Sars-Cov-2 Genetic Signal In Raw Wastewater: Findings From An Interlaboratory Methods Evaluation In The U.S., Brian M. Pecson, Emily Darby, Charles N. Haas, Yamrot M. Amha, Mitchel Bartolo, Richard Danielson, Yeggie Dearborn, George Di Giovanni, Christobel Ferguson, Stephanie Fevig, Erica Gaddis, Donald Gray, George Lukasik, Bonnie Mull, Liana Olivas, Adam Olivieri, Yan Qu, Sars-Cov-2 Interlaboratory Consortium, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

In response to COVID-19, the international water community rapidly developed methods to quantify the SARS-CoV-2 genetic signal in untreated wastewater. Wastewater surveillance using such methods has the potential to complement clinical testing in assessing community health. This interlaboratory assessment evaluated the reproducibility and sensitivity of 36 standard operating procedures (SOPs), divided into eight method groups based on sample concentration approach and whether solids were removed. Two raw wastewater samples were collected in August 2020, amended with a matrix spike (betacoronavirus OC43), and distributed to 32 laboratories across the U.S. Replicate samples analyzed in accordance with the project's quality assurance plan …

Exploring Information For Quantum Machine Learning Models, Michael Telahun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quantum computing performs calculations by using physical phenomena and quantum mechanics principles to solve problems. This form of computation theoretically has been shown to provide speed ups to some problems of modern-day processing. With much anticipation the utilization of quantum phenomena in the field of Machine Learning has become apparent. The work here develops models from two software frameworks: TensorFlow Quantum (TFQ) and PennyLane for machine learning purposes. Both developed models utilize an information encoding technique amplitude encoding for preparation of states in a quantum learning model. This thesis explores both the capacity for amplitude encoding to provide enriched state …

Availability And Perceived Effectiveness Of High School Programs, Services, And Approaches To Address Trauma-Related Outcomes In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, Jaime Vanenkevort

All NMU Master's Theses

Twelve administrators at Michigan Upper Peninsula (U.P.) high schools participated in 12 separate structured interviews to identify programs, services, and approaches to address trauma-related outcomes. Participants were three U.P. superintendents, eight principals, and one Intermediate School District (ISD) social worker who described a convergence of factors affecting assessment measures of programs, services, and approaches to address student trauma-related outcomes in U.P. high schools. The interviews addressed the identification of programs, services, and approaches to address trauma-related outcomes at U.P. high schools and the assessment measures in use to evaluate available programs, services, and approaches. A systems theory approach and understanding …

Examining Sense Of Belonging And Academic Success For Undergraduate Chinese Students, Kurt Bolstad

Leadership Education Capstones

This qualitative study explored the experiences of undergraduate Chinese international students and how those experiences related to their sense of belonging and perceived classroom performance. Individual interviews were conducted to obtain data for this study. Participants indicated experiences with sense of belonging in several ways, including (1) social support, (2) homesickness, (3) social isolation. These experiences contributed to belong through (1) student organizations and (2) cultural familiarity and integration. Participants also indicated connections with belonging and perceived classroom performance, including (1) educational background, (2) learning habits, (3) self-motivation, and (4) external factors. Recommendations for future research include monitoring the development …

Cellular Attachment On Poly(Lactic Acid) For Use In Tissue Engineering, Stephen R. Hunter

Masters Theses

Tissue engineering is a promising new method for organ regeneration. This method can be used to repair damaged tissue, or possibly replace a fully functional organ. In summary, a biopsy is taken from a donor, isolated, then grown onto a framework resembling an organ. Once grown; it is then transplanted into the patient. Over time, the body will degrade the scaffold, leaving the organ or tissue in its place. As this scaffold is present in the body for an extended time; factors like biocompatibility, toxicity, immunogenicity, and structural stability must be researched.

Several polymers have already been researched for use …

Impacts Of Habitat Management On Translocation Of The Rare Terrestrial Herb Platanthera Integrilabia, Savanna Wooten

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Orchidaceae family is characterized by high rates of species rarity and extinction. Translocation efforts are becoming widely used as a means to bolster rare species numbers in situ and are most effective when species habitat requirements are well understood. Platanthera integrilabia is a rare terrestrial orchid endemic to the southeastern United States, and limited research has been done to investigate suitable habitat for this species, despite evidence indicating its ability to tolerate a range of abiotic conditions. We conducted a translocation study to determine the overall success of using tubers for translocation and to investigate how light and herbivory …

Addressing Isolation In Seniors Living In Monterey County, Josefina Leon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Isolation amongst seniors is a serious issue that affects more than a quarter of the United State’s population. This figure will rise as the Baby Boomer population continues to age. Risk factors leading to isolation in seniors include but are not limited to personal choice, fear of injury, and social connectedness. If left unaddressed, the consequences of isolation in seniors are grave and include a lack of access to essential resources, feelings of loneliness, and death. Seniors with medical conditions or other disabilities are more vulnerable to isolation and are more likely to suffer a decline in health as a …

For Advocates, Raquel Magadan-Sanchez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz (CASA) program is to provide children in the foster care system a volunteer advocate who spends time with the child to ensure they are receiving the services they need (CASA of Santa Cruz County, 2019). The problem addressed is the high volume of foster children in Santa Cruz county and the three causes of the problem are substance abuse, poverty, and abuse and neglect. The consequences are how abuse affects a foster child’s mental health, what it means to be a dual-status youth (a child involved in the welfare …

¿Qué Es Eso?“ Socio-Emotional Learning In Ell Households, Vanessa Ortiz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) within the English Language Learner (ELL) community that immigrated from Mexico to the United States (U.S.). This project will address the importance of implementing SEL both at home and in the classroom. The goal of this capstone project is to create a better understanding of how essential social emotional learning is across environments, especially in the home and school environments. This is an important issue because a student's success may be dependent on the stability of their overall wellbeing and ability to cope with a range of feelings …

Spirituality As A Moderator Between Ptss And Cardiovascular Reactivity, Kriti Sharda

Honors Scholar Theses

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can be distressing and produce robust cardiovascular symptoms, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, which have been implicated in higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying factors that may reduce symptoms may suggest therapeutic strategies. One such potential factor is spirituality, given that spirituality is associated with both reducing PTSS and with preventing or improving CVD. We sampled 63 young college women who indicated being exposed to unwanted sexual contact. We asked them to write about their experience while we took heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) …

Nutrient Solution Effects On Plant Health And Microbial Community Composition In Soilless Strawberry Culture, William Miller Hardesty-Dyck

Master's Theses and Capstones

Holding advantages in efficiency and geographical flexibility, soilless Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) systems have emerged as economically viable and ecologically sound alternatives to field agriculture, especially in high-value fruit and vegetable production. While commercial soilless operations typically use synthetic, mineral-based nutrient solutions for plant nutrition, there is interest in incorporating more ecologically sustainable naturally derived sources. Aquaponics - the linkage of aquaculture with soilless crop production - represents one such alternative. Aquacultural effluents can provide partial to complete plant nutrition following solids removal and nitrifying biofiltration, while the incorporation of solutes into crop biomass reduces the need to discharge culture …

Comparative Plasticity Of Rare Pityopsis Ruthii And Its Common Congener P. Graminifolia, Jared Odell

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The natural world is dynamic, and species must successfully respond to the environmental changes they experience. Pityopsis ruthii (Ruth’s golden aster) is an imperiled endemic perennial confined to boulder crevices along short stretches of the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers in Polk County, TN. To investigate plasticity of this species within the context of such change, we used a comparative approach to observe general differences in plasticity between P. ruthii and its widespread congener P. graminifolia by assessing the responses of individuals to experimentally imposed environmental change. Overall, P. ruthii exhibited lower plasticity than P. graminifolia, but these differences were resource-dependent …

The Rhetoric Of Natural History And Philip Henry Gosse, Anna Henderson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to re-contextualize the genre of natural history writing along with rhetorical theory to delineate an argument for examining the rhetoric of natural history as a method for exploring the spatial, symbolic, and ecological relationships between collected specimens and their cultural, historical, and political moments in the greater canon of knowledge of the natural world. I am using a history of science approach to conduct interdisciplinary research of Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-century natural history as an early form of science writing in order to better understand how science is made and the conditions under which facts …

Designing Clarity: Utilizing Graphic Design To Enhance Media Functionality For The Visually Impaired, Jeremy Curtis Ellison

Masters Theses

The designed purpose of this research is to help to bridge the gap between graphic design and those who suffer from color-blindness. By not only coming to a better understanding of color deficiencies but also rethinking how we approach our use of color within our designs, we may begin to create more inclusive designs, thus communicating more efficiently.

Gamification Strategies For Music Educators: An Online Continuing Education Course, Luis Enrique Espinosa

Masters Theses

This curriculum project is designed to provide music educators in the public and private sector with introductory knowledge about the topic of gamification and game-based learning, framed within the scope of an online continuing education course. It is meant for adult learners who teach young musicians in the K-12 range. The course offers a set of strategies and step-based processes that help transform a traditional music lesson plan into an interactive and meaningful learning experience that leverages games. The games created by the students in the course can serve to motivate music students by incorporating a sense of competition and …

Combining Implicit Geological Modeling, Field Surveys, And Hydrogeological Modeling To Describe Groundwater Flow In A Karst Aquifer, Fernando M. D’Affonseca, Michael Finkel, Olaf A. Cirpka

KIP Articles

In three-dimensional (3-D) implicit geological modeling, the bounding surfaces between geological units are automatically constructed from lithological contact data (position and orientation) and the location and orientation of potential faults. This approach was applied to conceptualize a karst aquifer in the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk Formation in southwest Germany, using digital elevation data, geological maps, borehole logs, and geological interpretation. Dip and strike measurements as well as soil-gas surveys of mantel-borne CO 2 were conducted to verify the existence of an unmapped fault. Implicit geological modeling allowed the straightforward assessment of the geological framework and rapid updates with incoming data. Simultaneous …

A Management Strategy Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Interspecific Competition And Recreational Fishery Dynamics On Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites Aurorubens) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Megumi C. Oshima

Dissertations

In the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites auroruben), are believed to compete with Red Snapper directly for prey and habitat. The two species share similar diets and have significant spatial overlap in the Gulf. Red Snapper are thought to be the dominate competitor, forcing Vermilion Snapper to feed on less nutritious prey when local resources are depleted. In addition to ecological pressures, GOM Vermilion Snapper support substantial commercial and recreational fisheries. Over the past decade, recreational landings have steadily increased, reaching a historical high in 2018. One cause may be stricter regulations for similar target species such as …

Gap Junctions In Stem Cells Provide An Essential Conduit For Cell-Cell Communication, Jacob M. Gunn, David L. Geenen

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI) results from the death of cardiomyocytes (CM) following obstruction of blood flow and diminished oxygen supply to the tissue (hypoxia). Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hADSCs) used in pre-clinical models can replace damaged CM, however, this has not been replicated in human clinical trials due to early loss of hADSCs. We hypothesize that coupling of hADSCs to dying CMs may account for part of this loss. Furthermore, cell culturing is essential aspect of any in-vitro experiment. Through multiple trials we sought to maximize the efficiency of our culturing procedures in order to best facilitate the …

Experimental Analysis Of Heat Generation In Carbon, Mounisha Ganesan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to study a novel non-covalent functionalization technique of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and to examine the feasibility of using carbon nanotube films as thin film heaters. We developed a unique methodology to synthesize a well dispersed, environmentally friendly solution of CNTs that could be easily spin coated as well as spray coated on different substrates based on the application. Using the produced solutions, thin films of SWCNTs were fabricated on a glass substrate. Two sets of experiments were conducted to study the influence of polyaromatic moiety and the pH on the electro thermal characteristics …

Impact Of Global Structure On Diffusive Exploration Of Organelle Networks, Aidan I. Brown, Laura M. Westrate, Elena F. Koslover

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

We investigate diffusive search on planar networks, motivated by tubular organelle networks in cell biology that contain molecules searching for reaction partners and binding sites. Exact calculation of the diffusive mean first-passage time on a spatial network is used to characterize the typical search time as a function of network connectivity. We find that global structural properties — the total edge length and number of loops — are sufficient to largely determine network exploration times for a variety of both synthetic planar networks and organelle morphologies extracted from living cells. For synthetic networks on a lattice, we predict the search …

Developing Methods To Survey, Collect, Process, And Screen Endemic Entomopathogenic Fungi Against The Asian Citrus Psyllid In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Jonathan Cisneros

Theses and Dissertations

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), vectors “Candidatus Liberibacter spp.”, the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease. Managing ACP is imperative given the continuous increase in HLB positive trees. An aspect of integrated pest management (IPM) is the use of entomopathogenic fungi for the biological control of D. citri.

In order to identify endemic entomopathogenic fungi actively infecting D. citri, ACP were collected from local residential areas, surface sterilized, and plated on a semi-selective agar medium. Collection of over 9,300 samples from 278 sites throughout the LRGV led to the positive identification of …

Chemical Investigation Of Avocado (Persea Americana) Seed Husk (Testa): A Waste Of Waste, Orlando A. Castillo Scheren

Theses and Dissertations

Food chemistry is a new field in the world and is currently still expanding into the types of market in which it can be tapped into. There are about 1.3 billion tons of food waste produced in 2016 in the world, and food chemistry is going to help get rid of that waste by finding new and exciting applications to the things currently considered as waste. In these products, there might be new and undiscovered drugs that can be used in the market to help treat diseases for which might not have a cure at the current moment. The avocado …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Application Of Meso-Tetraphenyl Metalloporphyrin Photocatalysts Under Visible Light, Alexis Echavarria

Theses and Dissertations

The photocatalytic activity of meso-Tetraphenyl Metalloporphyrins with different metal centers was investigated. The synthesized metalloporphyrin photocatalysts was performed and analyzed using FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and powder X-Ray Diffraction analysis. The synthesized TPP crystals were determined to be tetragonal crystal structure and the structure was observed in all synthesized metalloporphyrin catalysts. The Soret (B) bands, Q bands, FT-IR functional groups were identified. Reaction progress was investigated by sampling at intervals of one hour and analysis of the samples was performed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. GC-MS analysis was used to identify the products of the photochemical catalytic redox reactions performed under …

Disturbance, Defense And Fitness In Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum Elaeagnifolium) In Their Native Range In South Texas, Jesus Chavana

Theses and Dissertations

The role of human disturbance in accelerating weed growth is well understood. While most of these studies have focused on soil mediated disturbance, mowing is also a management practice that could impact weed traits. Using silver leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a noxious and invasive weed, we asked whether continuous mowing affects growth and plant defense traits. We found that mowed plants produced significantly less fruits, had lower total seed fitness, but had higher seed mass, and germinated significantly faster. When three common herbivores were allowed to feed on the seedlings; tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), a generalist Solanaceae caterpillar gained more …

The Relationship Between The 9th Grade State Assessment And Extra Curricular School Activities And Gender For Disadvantaged Hispanic Students In South Texas, Paz Elizondo Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the 9th grade state assessment test scores for Disadvantaged Hispanic students who are taking the English I State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness End-of-Course exam. The group analyzed was comprised of the 2016-2017 cohort students from a South Texas High School.

Attitudes Of Criminal Justice Students' Towards Women: Hegemonic Masculinity In The Workplace, Lauren Escovedo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following study is to examine positive, benevolent, and hostile attitudes towards women in the workplace held by criminal justice students enrolled at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. As well, to examine whether or not criminal justice students enrolled at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley believe that criminal justice personnel create a gender-neutral classroom environment. The application Qualtrics XM was used to comprise a 35 question survey that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, was administered online to students for a two week period during the Fall 2020 semester. Criminal justice students …

Role Of Herbivore Associated Elicitors In Plant Defense Signaling, Akanksha Gandhi

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 2: In this chapter, I have provided an update on recent developments and advances on early signaling events in plant-herbivore interactions, with a particular emphasis on the membrane potential changes (Vm), calcium (Ca2+), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and plant ion channels involvement in early signaling events initiation and propagation of defense signaling cascade.

Chapter 3: In this chapter, we show that tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) caterpillar oral secretion (OS) induces ROS in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) protoplasts. By using a dye-based ROS imaging approach, our study showed that the application of Plant-Fed (PF) M. sexta OS …

Exploring The Implementation Of A Proficiency-Focused, Performance-Based Approach In Foreign Language Teaching, Yuka Kato

Theses and Dissertations

Foreign language teachers in one district faced a paradigm shift in the ways language should be taught and in their pedagogical beliefs. They were asked to shift from a traditional approach to the Proficiency-Focused, Performance-Based (PFPB) approach in order to meet the national Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, created by ACTFL (1999 & 2006). The expectation was that every foreign language teacher in the district would use the PFPB approach. However, the problem was that some of the teachers would not understand the approach or how to implement it, with the result that the approach …

Interactive Effects Of Heat Stress And Pesticides Co-Exposure On Swimming Behavior, Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Expression, And Redox Status In Common Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Brittney Danielle Lacy

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic ecosystems are inundated by environmental pesticides. This study, observed the dose-dependent effects of pesticides cocktail (metalachlor, linuron, isoproturon, tebucanazole, aclonifen, atrazine, pendimethalin, and azinphos-methyl) and elevated temperature (32 °C for 4-week exposure) on morphology of gills and kidneys, and expression of nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), dinitrophenyl protein (DNP), catalase (CAT), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), Na+/K+-ATPase, renin, and apoptosis in tissues of goldfish. Additionally, the effects on the free-swimming behavior were also observed. Histological analysis showed wide-spread damage in tissues at higher temperature and pesticides co-exposure. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated alterations in NTP, DNP, CAT and SOD expressions in tissues at higher temperature …