Digital Commons Network^™

Habitat Use Of Wintering Henslow's Sparrows (Centronyx Henslowii) In Power Line Right-Of-Ways, Abigail W. Dwire

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Habitat loss and degradation are the leading causes of grassland bird declines worldwide. The Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii; hereafter HESP) is a grassland bird species of conservation concern that has historically relied on the herbaceous ground-layer of longleaf pine savannas and similar habitats in the southeastern U.S. for food and shelter in the winter. However, due to human development, alterations of habitat, and fire suppression, only fragments of these habitats remain. Over the last decade, surveys have annually documented HESPs using power line right-of-ways (hereafter, ROWs) at several sites in the coastal plain of Georgia as alternative habitat for …

Working Memory Capacity Among College Students: The Role Of Gender And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Lydia R. Bickham

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Among college students, 81.8% report experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, and approximately one third report experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) (Overstreet, Berenz, Kendler, Dick, & Amstadter, 2017). Individuals who experience PTSS may have impaired cognitive functioning when processing trauma-relevant material (Blanchette, Rutembesa, Habimana, & Caparos, 2018). An example of this is working memory capacity (WMC), which can be disrupted by affective distractors (Vytal, Cornwell, & Letkiewicz, 2013). In addition to impaired daily functioning (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013) those with lower cognitive performance also respond less effectively to clinical treatment options for PTSS (Wild & Gur, …

Ecohydrological Interactions In A Boreal Fen–Swamp Complex, Alberta, Canada, Matthew C. Elmes, Scott J. Davidson, Jonathan S. Price

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Nacl On The Triple Helix Structure Of Collagen And The Reinforcement Of Tung Oil-Based Polymers With Collagen Peptides, Christopher Dzorkpata

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this research, a collagen-reinforced bio-composite from tung oil was prepared using free radical initiation and thermal polymerization, leading to polyolefinic tung oil-based matrix. Two peptides (long and short) were synthesized and their secondary features were analyzed using circular dichroism spectroscopy. After this analysis, the long peptide exhibited more triple helix characteristics as compared to the short peptide. The full protein will ultimately have a better interaction with the tung oil, was used in the synthesis of the collagen-reinforced bio-composite. The presence of NaCl in the triple helix and its overall effect on the thermal and mechanical properties of the …

Applicant Religion And Work Qualifications Impacting Hiring Decisions, William T. Cagle

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The underlying effect of religious bias towards Muslims has negatively impacted their chances of receiving equal employment opportunities. The current study attempts to observe this effect by having Christian participants pretend to be a boss of a company and asking them to evaluate a fictitious resume and rate the applicant on their suitability for the managerial job at hand. The applicants were either Christian or Muslim. Based on the justification-suppression model, we also attempted to observe the effect having different hiring qualifications had on the applicant ratings. To do this, applicants either had a high or low GPA, and they …

Creating A Georgia Southern Spider Collection: Can Dna Barcoding Help?, Guy B. Hobbs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With over 280 spider (Araneae) species recorded within the State of Georgia, USA, the need for a well-documented natural history collection with a usable voucher system is critical to continually assess spider diversity and their future ecological impact in this region. Spider identification can be daunting for the inexperienced taxonomist; it is time consuming and sometimes requires destructive procedures. Previous works have successfully used an alternative method, DNA barcoding, to correctly identify spider species while preserving their morphology. This study set forth to create the core of a well-documented spider collection within Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Coastal Plain Science …

The Role Of Symbiotic Algae In The Acclimatization Of Oculina Arbuscula To Ocean Acidification, Erin M. Arneson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ocean acidification (OA) caused by CO₂ emissions is projected to decrease seawater pH to 7.6 by 2100. Scleractinian corals are at risk because excess H⁺ in seawater binds to carbonate (CO₃^2-), reducing its availability for CaCO₃ skeletons. The energy demand for skeletal growth increases as pH decreases because corals must actively purge excess H⁺ from their seawater sourced calcifying fluid to maintain high calcification rates. In scleractinian corals it is hypothesized that photosynthesis by symbiotic algae is critical to meet this increased energy demand. To test this hypothesis, I conducted laboratory and field …

Using Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) To Evaluate The Use Of Food Waste Based Feed In Sustainable Small-Scale Aquaculture, Caitlin May

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Food waste is rich in nutrients and a valuable resource, but currently its primary method of disposal in the United States (US) is unsustainable. In 2018 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that the commercial, institutional, and residential sectors of the US economy wasted 63 million metric tons of food, most of which was sent to landfills. Instead, food waste could be recycled and used to supplement or replace commercial feed in aquaculture to sustainably stimulate production of fish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a well characterized animal model closely related to other fish species that are important …

Sexual Dimorphism Of Thermal Preference In Florida Scrub Lizards (Sceloporus Woodi) And Predicting Response To Climate Change In Two Rare Habitats, Sidney E. Anderson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is endemic to Florida, where it inhabits fragments of xeric sandhill uplands including endangered long-leaf pine and sand pine scrub habitats. Lizards depend on a predictable range of temperatures to maximize their growth and productivity, and to do so, they shuttle among various thermal micro-environments. Thus, the spatial distribution of temperatures in the habitat is important. Habitats dominated by either high or low extremes of an organism’s preference are energetically costly and dangerous (less optimal), especially to gravid females. This study examines thermal preference of a near-threatened species that also inhabits increasingly rare habitats. …

Lipid Metabolites As Energy Stores In Four Stingray Species, Lauren Moniz

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Assessing macronutrient transfer is important for estimating ecosystem health and structure. This nutrient transfer is facilitated through trophic position interactions and the consumption of biomass. Lipids are macronutrients that can be used to assess energy flow. Triglyceride (TAG) and free fatty acids (FFA) are important lipids that are obtained from diet and integrate into tissues. They are representative of energy stores and potential energy available for metabolic processes. In marine ecosystems, stingrays occupy the mesopredator niche, facilitating nutrient transfer from lower to higher trophic positions. Stingrays consume a variety of prey items ranging in lipid content, but how lipid metabolites …

Development Of A Mathematical Model For Galvanic Cells, Joshua C. Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

It is possible to utilize principles of equilibrium thermodynamics to model the voltage a battery renders as it powers a load in time and discharges. Similarly, consideration of the internal chemistry inside a battery, or galvanic cell, enables modeling thereof. This paper builds upon these principles and presents a derivation of the Nernst equation that utilizes this result to model discharge curves in time for different types of batteries. The Nernst equation relates chemical activity of the reagents inside a battery to the open circuit voltage rendered by the system. By combining the Nernst equation with Faraday's laws of electrolysis, …

Evaluating St. Catherines Island's Shoreline, Vegetation Line, And The Locations Of Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nests, Sydney O. Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

St. Catherines Island is a highly dynamic barrier island on the Georgia coast that is also federally listed critical nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtles. Understanding how St. Catherines’ shoreline and vegetation is changing over time is geographically important as a potential template for other barrier islands. Measuring sea turtle nest locations will provide insight into their natural patterns and how they adjust those locations on a changing barrier island. Analyzing Moving Boundaries Using R (AMBUR) is implemented in this research to assess the movement of the vegetation and shorelines from 2005-2017 using the End Point Rate (EPR) and Linear …

United States Nursing Homes And Health Equity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carla Cooper

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected older populations, with nursing homes impacted early on by the disease. The contribution of race/ethnicity of nursing home residents and facility characteristics on COVID-19 were unknown. The Donabedian model framework was used to study the relationship between the racial/ethnic characteristics of nursing home residents and COVID-19 outcomes and to examine if this relationship was moderated by the racial/ethnic composition of the county of nursing home location.

Method: Cross-sectional research design merging data from five publicly available sources. Laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths were compared by the racial composition of the county and nursing …

Design And Development Of Soft Earthworm Robot Driven By Fibrous Artificial Muscles, Beau Ragland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Earthworm robots have proven their viability in the fields of medicine, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection. These robots are traditionally typically hard-shelled and must be tethered to whatever drives their locomotion. For this reason, truly autonomous capabilities are not yet feasible. The goal of this thesis is to introduce a robot that not only sets the groundwork for autonomous locomotion, but also is safe for human-robot interaction. This was done by ensuring that the actuation principle utilized by the robot is safe around humans and can work in an untethered design. Artificial muscle actuation allowed for these prerequisites …

Using Genetic Approaches To Understand Tumorigenesis In Drosophila, Shawna Defreitas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The large number of conserved molecular and signaling pathways between Drosophila melanogaster and humans, makes Drosophila an effective model organism to better understand human diseases, including cancers. Previous studies by clinicians and researchers have identified PTEN, BRCA2, P53, NF1, and RB1 as key mutational drivers in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC), the most malignant form of ovarian cancer in humans. The objective of this study was to develop a tumor model in the follicle cell epithelium of the Drosophila ovary and to use immunohistochemistry to study the molecular mechanisms behind tumor development. First, the Drosophila …

Novel Quantification And Localization Of Water And Solute Transporters In The Tissues Of The Spiney Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias), Tolulope B. Ojo

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The dogfish, Squalus acanthias is a marine cartilaginous elasmobranch found in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Dogfish synthesize and excrete urea as a product of nitrogen metabolism. They also convert ammonia into urea and retain this urea, such that their plasma is isosmotic or slightly hyperosmotic to the surrounding seawater. To facilitate the regulation of body fluid and to maintain ionic concentrations and osmotic pressure, Dogfish use ion and solute transporters (e.g., NCC, UT-1) and aquaporin water channel proteins. Studies have identified some of the aquaporin genes in the elasmobranch genome, but their functions are mostly uncharacterized. Recent transcriptomic …

Present In Presence, Lyndsey A. Frantz

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My ceramics are made to entice the viewer to live in their present moment by altering their perception and familiarity of utilitarian objects through means of natural processes found out in nature. I want the user to be fully engaged with thoughts about time, nature, and being present during their lives. Life in not just about daily responsibilities and sometimes we as humans can get so caught up in everything around us that we simply forget to enjoy everything we have worked hard to achieve. By experiencing something new, we can get out of our comfort zones and being present …

The Retention Of African American Male College Students In East Georgia State College, Larry R. Braddy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study focused upon the perceptions of twenty African American male students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at East Georgia State College regarding retention initiatives, student support services, and student engagement inside and outside the classroom. Previous research of Black male college achievement addressed almost exclusively the extent to which students were disengaged and underrepresented among college students. Utilizing an anti-deficit framework, I examined the participant’s perceptions of their pre-college socialization and readiness, including the influence of their families, peers, and educators upon their college enrollment. Also, I presented in this research the findings from the perceptions of staff, …

Study Of Student Resource Use In Introductory Chemistry Courses, Sarah E. Melvin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), college textbook prices have increased by 186% from 1986 to 2004.1 The impact of rising cost of textbooks is increasingly apparent as students are becoming more selective in the courses they enroll in, as well as more concerned with the quality of the learning experience they receive once enrolled in a course.¹ In response to high textbook prices, open-education resources (OER) are increasingly becoming more accepted for student use as an alternative to traditional textbook options. OERs are open-source textbook and/or materials that are free to use without worrying about copyright …

Risk Factors And Trends In Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns In Strains Of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Following Changes In The Cdc Sexually Transmitted Disease (Std) Treatment Guidelines – United States, 2012-2018, Niketta A. Womack

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) has become a major global public health concern in the 21st century. Surveillance activities are essential in identifying risk factors in priority populations. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with and trends in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in N. gonorrhoeae strains identified through the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP). A study sample of 37,157 men was evaluated to measure adherence to changes in CDC’s STD treatment guidelines in 2012 and 2015. Data were analyzed to measure associations between independent and dependent variables by conducting bivariate and logistic regression …

Comparative Conservation Genomics Of A Suite Of Imperiled Freshwater Mussels, Scott C. Meyer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Maintenance of genetic diversity is a critical component to the management and recovery of imperiled species. By ensuring that a species’ genetic diversity is maintained, issues like inbreeding depression and loss of local adaptation can be prevented. However, the genetic diversity of many species are not well-characterized, and the factors that influence a species’ genetic diversity are often not well understood. In the case of imperiled unionid freshwater mussels, it is important to conduct conservation genetic assessments to aid in their management and preserve genetic diversity. This is the first study to conduct a comparative conservation genomic assessment for eight …

A Research Assistant's Perceived Skillset When Utilizing Deception, Ahmad Sarris

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The use of deception in research has been a long-debated topic for several decades. Generally, research on deception has concerned its justifications, common methods, controversies, and uses inside and outside the broad field of psychology. Although the bulk of this research is typically concerned with exploring the potential drawbacks and controversies of deception on participants, the potential advantages and disadvantages to those implementing it has not been explored. More specifically, there are unanswered questions about what skills can be gained or perceived to be gained by research assistants utilizing deception. The present study explored whether deception utilization and/or the presence …

Identifying Collegiate Athlete's Motivation To Continue Training In Quarantine Compared Between Sexes, Delaney A. Jamison

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: To identify the type of motivation that was most common among NCAA Division I athletes to continue training during a period of quarantine and how this differs between sexes. Methods: Male and female student-athletes from a university in the southern United States were recruited for the study. 47 participants (males = 13, females = 34) completed the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) and Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Sale (BNSSS) questionnaire to determine their motivation and basic needs satisfaction during the period of imposed quarantine. Data Analysis: A Mann-Whitney-U test was calculated to determine the differences of composite intrinsic motivation …

Which Toys Are Right For Boys? How Threat And Confirmation Of The Gender Hierarchy Impact Purchase Intentions For Stereotypical And Counter Stereotypical Products, Connor Samuelson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Social movements with potential to change the traditional gender hierarchy may be met with approval or disapproval, depending upon levels of status-legitimizing beliefs (SLBs). Under conditions of gender hierarchy change, one mechanism in which people may choose to fight or support such change is through their purchase of gender stereotypical or counter-stereotypical products. Community members completed a measure of System Legitimizing Beliefs (Levin et al., 1998) and then read one of two news articles about women in the workplace that suggested trends that either threatened or did not threaten the current gender hierarchy. Participants then imagined needing to purchase a …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Duox-Dependent Reactive Oxygen Species Production Against Bacterial Infection In The Gut Of Cat Fleas (Ctenocephalides Felis)., Ryne W. Maness

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Fleas (Order Siphonaptera) are opportunistic blood feeders that parasitize a wide variety of mammals and birds. They also transmit bacterial pathogens that cause diseases in humans (e.g., murine typhus, flea-borne spotted fever, cat scratch disease, and plague). Because they acquire infectious pathogens while blood feeding, the flea gut is considered to be the initial site of infection. While immune responses have been well documented in other disease vectors, few studies have identified the immune mechanisms involved in defense of the flea gut. In other hematophagous insects, the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the immediate immune defense mechanism against …

The Quantification Of Training Load In Professional American Soccer Players, Drew S. Dejohn

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Training load (TL) has become a common tool to measure the exertion of athletes over the course of a session or season. However, there is still limited understanding of the load placement throughout training weeks within American professional soccer. The purpose of this study was to quantify potential differences in the external [duration, total distance (D_T), explosive distance (D_E), sprint distance (D_S), maximum speed (Speed_Max) and number of sprints (#S)] and internal [session rating of perceived exertion load (S-RPE Load), average heart rate (HR_Avg), peak heart rate (HR_Peak), …

Nanotechnology: Exposure Of Children To Engineered Nanomaterials (Enms) And Its Adverse Consequences On Their Health, Worlanyo E. Gato, Milcah A. Andoh

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

Underreporting Of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: An Important Public Mental Health Implication, Sandhya Lohani, Sha-Hanna Saffold, Tanya Jules, Brenda Blackwell, Suzanne Shurling, Tilicia Mayo-Gamble

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

Gene Therapy Potential For Genetic Disorders Of Surfactant Dysfunction, Ashley L Cooney, Jennifer A Wambach, Patrick L Sinn, Paul B Mccray

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Pulmonary surfactant is critically important to prevent atelectasis by lowering the surface tension of the alveolar lining liquid. While respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is common in premature infants, severe RDS in term and late preterm infants suggests an underlying genetic etiology. Pathogenic variants in the genes encoding key components of pulmonary surfactant including surfactant protein B (SP-B,

2021 Georgia Southern University Baseball Roster, Georgia Southern University

Men's Baseball Records

• Georgia Southern University Athletics 2021 Baseball Roster