Digital Commons Network^™

Discrepancies Amongst Utc Students' Diets And Their Understanding Of Their Role In Environmental Activism, Claire Reticker

Honors Theses

The present research attempts to analyze why university students claim a love for the outdoors but do not use means of dietary action to protect the environment. Through an extensive analysis of corresponding literature, the effects of gender, age, motivation, barriers, and attitudes are examined as they relate to diet. To obtain data regarding these effects, students enrolled in online or hybrid classes at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) were sent a survey via Google Forms, with 129 students willingly responding. Previous to survey collection and statistical analysis, I hypothesized that if students rated their love of the outdoors …

Third-Person Perception As A Mediator Of The Influence Of Social Networking Sites Use And Personal Relevance To Preventive Behavioural Intention, Joseph Edwin, Ummi Salamah

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

News coverage on Covid-19 is important as it provides people with important updates as well as crucial information for avoiding infection. Previous studies have shown undesirable messages such as Covid-19 news that circulates in social networking sites can trigger ‘third-person perception (TPP)’, which is a phenomenon in which audiences presume a message exerts more influence upon people other than themselves. It is crucial to examine whether audiences experience TPP during consumption of pandemic news – especially when there is a possible negative correlation between TPP and protective behavioural intentions. Previous studies showed empirical evidence when users used Covid-19 news in …

Node-Wise Localization Of Graph Neural Networks, Zemin Liu, Yuan Fang, Chenghao Liu, Steven C.H. Hoi

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Graph neural networks (GNNs) emerge as a powerful family of representation learning models on graphs. To derive node representations, they utilize a global model that recursively aggregates information from the neighboring nodes. However, different nodes reside at different parts of the graph in different local contexts, making their distributions vary across the graph. Ideally, how a node receives its neighborhood information should be a function of its local context, to diverge from the global GNN model shared by all nodes. To utilize node locality without overfitting, we propose a node-wise localization of GNNs by accounting for both global and local …

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Aerial Flight Paths For Communication, Alisha Bevins

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This body of work presents an iterative process of refinement to understand naive perception of communication using the motion of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This includes what people believe the UAV is trying to communicate, and how they expect to respond through physical action or emotional response. Previous work in this area sought to communicate without clear definitions of the states attempting to be conveyed. In an attempt to present more concrete states and better understand specific motion perception, this work goes through multiple iterations of state elicitation and label assignment. The lessons learned in this work will be …

A Real-World, Hybrid Event Sequence Generation Framework For Android Apps, Jun Sun

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Generating meaningful inputs for Android apps is still a challenging issue that needs more research. Past research efforts have shown that random test generation is still an effective means to exercise User-Interface (UI) events to achieve high code coverage. At the same time, heuristic search approaches can effectively reach specified code targets. Our investigation shows that these approaches alone are insufficient to generate inputs that can exercise specific code locations in complex Android applications.

This thesis introduces a hybrid approach that combines two different input generation techniques--heuristic search based on genetic algorithm and random instigation of UI events, to reach …

Sexual Identity, Mental, Emotional, And Religious Stability: A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Religious Lived Experiences Of Heterosexual Men Who Once Identified As Gay Or Bisexual, Mccay Martin Moiforay

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aims are to fill the gap in research with regards to how to successfully provide religious support to men who once identified as gay or bisexual, who currently identify as heterosexual and religious. The research purpose is to share these men lived experiences regarding their sexual identity journey from gay or bisexual to heterosexual within the religious setting. The research plans to help understand what religious support is needed to provide those who desire sexual identity change from gay or bisexual to heterosexual and how this same religious support can be used in maintaining their heterosexual identity. These …

The Experience Of Special Education Graduates Who Received Pull-Out Social Skills Instruction: A Phenomenological Study, Sharon Diane Flucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of high school graduates who received special education services, in part, through a pull-out program that focused on the development of social skills in the northeast region of the state of South Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Bandura's social cognitive theory as it addressed the role of the environment, modeling, goal setting, evaluation, and sense of efficacy in human development and learning. The central research question and three sub-questions were based on the triadic reciprocality causation in Bandura’s theory. The sample size was 12. Purposeful …

Preschool Teachers' Lived Experiences Embracing Challenges In Preparing Students For Kindergarten: A Phenomenological Study, Rhodora A. Alonzo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology was to describe pre-school teachers’ lived experiences embracing challenges in preparing students for kindergarten at a public school district in Mid-Atlantic State. The theory that guides this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory keying in on the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which represents the amount of learning possible by a student, given the proper instructional conditions. The research questions include, “What do pre-school teachers perceive as challenges to preparing students for kindergarten?” “What are teachers’ perceptions about the importance of alignment between the pre-school and kindergarten programs?” “What are markers of pre-school students that …

Leadership Model And Best Practices For Member Engagement In Chambers Of Commerce, Gretchen Skok Disanto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many nonprofit membership-based associations experience poor levels of engagement which threatens member retention and their long-term survival. While leaders recognize that engaging members is critical to member retention, many association leaders struggle with identifying the best approaches for engaging members. This qualitative multiple case study focuses on member engagement and retention in two high-performing chambers of commerce with above-average member retention rates in Northeast Ohio. The study discovers effective strategies to engage chamber of commerce members, develops a leadership model for member engagement, and identifies best practices that chamber of commerce leaders should use to successfully engage members. Participants in …

A Collective Case Study Of Teachers’ Perceptions Of Factors That Impact Teacher Retention At A Title I High School In A Southern U.S. State, Laronica Deniece Gilmore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand secondary teachers’ perceptions of the factors that influenced teacher retention at a Title I high school in a southern U.S. state. Although researchers have investigated the problem of teacher retention, few have studied factors that have influenced teacher retention in Title 1 high schools. The theories that guided this study included job demands-resources theory which analyzes employee well-being. This collective case study captured the insights of 10–15 current and former teachers at a Title I high school in a southern U.S. state. Data were collected through interviews, focus groups, and …

The Relationship Among Religiosity, Childhood Sexual Abuse, And God Attachment On The Development Of Sexual Shame, Derek James Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Religiosity is a very important component to an individual’s overall wellness. Religiosity is typically formed early in life through family religious patterns and expectations. While religiosity may be a protective and healthy component of oneself, it is possible that religiosity may also contribute negatively and enhance maladaptive thoughts. Previous research has explored childhood family religiosity and current religiosity and their relationships with the development of sexual shame. This study aims at continuing to explore the relationship of childhood family religiosity and current religiosity and their relationship to the development of sexual shame. Additionally, childhood sexual abuse and a perceived relationship …

Navigating Two Worlds: A Phenomenological Study Of Lived Experiences Of High School Teachers Instructing Dual Credit Courses In South Texas, Cynthia F. Cid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the experiences of high school teachers instructing dual credit courses for which they serve as college adjunct faculty in South Texas. The central research question addressed in this study is: What are the experiences of adjunct faculty teaching dual credit courses in South Texas? The theory guiding this study is Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. This study used a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. The settings of the research were three high schools that offer dual credit courses in Arroyo Nordville, located in South Texas. In this study, …

How Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus Spp.) And Humans (Homo Sapiens) Handle A Jointed Tool., Dorothy M. Fragaszy, Joshua D. Lukemire, Jose Eduardo Reynoso-Cruz, Stephanie Villarreal Jordan, Spencer Sheheane, Amanda Heaton, Monica Quinones, Madhur Mangalam

Journal Articles

The embodied theory of tooling predicts that when using a grasped object as a tool, individuals accommodate their actions to manage the altered degrees of freedom in the body-plus-object system. We tested predictions from this theory by studying how 3 tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) and 6 humans (Homo sapiens) used a hoe to retrieve a token. The hoe’s handle was rigid, had 2 segments with 1 planar joint, or had 3 segments with 2 (orthogonal) planar joints. When jointed, rotating the handle could render it rigid. The monkeys used more actions to retrieve the token when the handle had …

Is Being Respectable Enough?: A Critical Investigation Of Code-Switching And The Lived Experiences Of Black Leaders Who Work At Nonprofits In Bridgertown, Ramona Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current literature on Black nonprofit leaders is scarce, causing little to be known about the experiences that they have encountered when navigating their roles and responsibilities. Even less literature is available on these Black leaders and their usage of code-switching strategies when attempting to navigate those same nonprofits. Based on themes uncovered during the literature review this study employs an in-depth narrative inquiry qualitative methodology. While using theories such as critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 200; Ladson-Billings,1998), the politics of respectability (Higginbotham, 1993) and the theory of capital (Bourdieu, 1985; 1996) the researcher examines the leadership experiences of …

Targeted And Untargeted Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Methods For Alcoholic Beverage Analysis, Hailee Elizabeth Ratcliffe

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

There has been an increased interest in the “craft” alcohol industry in recent years. Contrary to larger corporations that focus on standardizing their recipes for mass production, these small, independent businesses can experiment with ingredients and procedures to create unique and flavorful products. Beer and whiskey in particular have seen a surge in popularity, indicating the public may be interested in a deeper understanding of these beverages and their flavors on the chemical level. Brewing and distilling rely heavily on chemistry to perform the proper procedures to obtain the desired product, and to understand the interactions of the various ingredients. …

Mechanistic Studies Of F420-Dependent Enzymes By Kinetic Analysis, Lindsay A. Davis

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

The focus of this research is to elucidate the catalytic mechanism of F420-dependent enzymes using F420-dependent glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (FGD) from Mycobacteria tuberculosis (Mtb) and F420H2:NADP+ Oxidoreductase (Fno) from Archaeoglobus fulgidis (A. fulgidis) as models. To investigate the mechanism of these enzymes, our group primarily utilizes UV-vis spectrophotometric techniques, in order to conduct steady-state and pre steady-state kinetic experiments. We also use fluorescence binding, and kinetic isotope effects methods in order to provide an in-depth understanding of these enzymes. This conglomeration of work will help to serve as model systems to enzymes who exhibit similar behavior, especially the understudied F420-dependent enzymes. …

Supercritial Fluid Extraction - Supercritical Fluid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (Sfe-Sfc-Ms) Method Development For Online Extraction Of Complex Biological And Environmental Matrices, Blair Kristen Berger

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

A systematic approach to the rapid development of hyphenated online methods for supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (SFE-SFC-MS) was established for the analysis of complex biological and environmental samples with limited sample sizes. Extensive sample preparation and cleanup is incompatible with small sample sizes. Hyphenated online extractions offer major advantages desirable where sample quantity is limited. By minimizing sample preparation and handling, online extractions provide higher throughput, and minimizes the opportunity for sample contamination or loss. However, hyphenated methods have been difficult to develop since each step has its own requirements, which has slowed penetration into many areas which …

Swosu Standing Committees 2021-2022, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

University Standing Committees

No abstract provided.

Native And Non-Native Ant Impacts On Native Fungi, Chloe Mokadam

Biology Theses

Organisms produce weapons for defense against pathogens and competitors. In response, competitors and pathogens develop resistance to these weapons. However, when a species invades a new range, its “novel weapons” may be more effective against native species that did not co-evolve with them. Via specialized glands and microbial associates, ants produce antifungal weapons for defense against entomopathogenic fungi. However, these weapons may have unintended secondary effects on non-entomopathogenic, soil and seed-borne fungi. The antifungals of non-native ants may be novel weapons, with greater negative impacts on native fungi that have not co-evolved with them. This research aims to test the …

Perceptions And Challenges Experienced By African Physicians When Prescribing Methotrexate For Rheumatic Disease: An Exploratory Study, Carol A Hitchon, Girsh M Mody, Candace H Feldman, Yan Lau, Steven Shi, Michele Meltzer, Rosie Scuccimarri, Michael E Weinblatt, Ines Colmegna

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Objective: Guidelines for methotrexate (MTX) use in rheumatic disease may not be feasible for physicians practicing in the least developed countries. We aimed to understand the experiences of MTX prescribers relating to MTX use for rheumatic disease in African countries to inform the development of culturally and geographically appropriate recommendations.

Methods: African physicians who self-identified as MTX prescribers from countries classified as having a low versus a medium or high Human Development Index (L-HDI versus MH-HDI) participated in semistructured interviews between August 2016 and September 2017. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded thematically, and stratified by HDI.

Results: Physicians (23 rheumatologists; …

Promoting Youth Mental Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study, Maya L. Rosen, Alexandra M. Rodman, Steven W. Kasparek, Makeda Mayes, Malila M. Freeman, Liliana J. Lengua, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Katie A. Mclaughlin

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced novel stressors into the lives of youth. Identifying factors that protect against the onset of psychopathology in the face of these stressors is critical. We examine a wide range of factors that may protect youth from developing psychopathology during the pandemic. We assessed pandemic-related stressors, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, and potential protective factors by combining two longitudinal samples of children and adolescents (N = 224, 7-10 and 13-15 years) assessed prior to the pandemic, during the stay-at-home orders, and six months later. We evaluated how family behaviors during the stay-at-home orders were related to changes …

Spatiotemporal Methane Emission From Global Reservoirs, Matthew S. Johnson, Elaine Matthews, David Bastviken, Bridget Deemer, Jinyang Du, Vanessa Genovese

AES Faculty Publications and Presentations

Inland aquatic systems, such as reservoirs, contribute substantially to global methane (CH4) emissions; yet are among the most uncertain components of the total CH4 budget. Reservoirs have received recent attention as they may generate high CH4 fluxes. Improved quantification of these CH4 fluxes, particularly their spatiotemporal distribution, is key to realistically incorporating them in CH4 modeling and budget studies. Here we report on a new global, gridded (0.25° lat × 0.25° lon) study of reservoir CH4 emissions, accounting for new knowledge regarding reservoir areal extent and distribution, and spatiotemporal emission patterns influenced by diurnal variability, temperature-dependent seasonality, satellite-derived freeze-thaw dynamics, …

Pedigree And Molecular Assessment Of Relatedness In A Captive Chimpanzee Population, Francesca Golus

Masters Theses

As a crucial component of biodiversity, genetic diversity contributes to variability among individuals, allowing populations of endangered species to be resilient in the face of changing environmental conditions. Zoological institutions have become a cornerstone of conservation efforts and a refuge for endangered species given threats imposed on wild populations by climate change, habitat fragmentation and degradation, and overexploitation. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are an endangered species experiencing drastic population decline in the wild, yet are common residents in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. To sustain long-term, genetically viable populations of species of concern, zoos use studbooks and paternity testing to …

All Aboard! Is Space Tourism Still A Fantasy Or A Reality: An Investigation On Turkish Market, Emrah Tasarer, Vahit O. Kiper, Orhan Batman, Oguz Turkay

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This paper aims to investigate the spending limit of space enthusiasts in Turkey. To determine this, space tourism activities are divided into 3 sections as earth-based space tourism activities, suborbital and orbital space tourism activities. Data were collected through one of the biggest open-air events held yearly by space enthusiasts. In addition to that, researchers reached social media groups which are solely focused about space tourism. 1041 questionnaires were collected which are available for analyses. According to additional variables about interest on space tourism, the sample of this research is highly interested in space tourism although they have limited budget …

Gender Stereotyping In The Eyes Of Preschool Teachers And Teacher Candidates, Aysun Dogutas

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The purpose of this study was to discover what male preschool teachers and preschool teacher candidates face in the field of early childhood education. It was a qualitative study involving interviews with 10 volunteers: Five were preschool teachers and five were preschool teacher candidates. Four main themes emerged from the results: responses of participants’ parents, difficulties at the university, difficulties in the profession, and prejudices of children's parents. The results of the study also showed the following: (a) Teachers faced gender stereotypes, and teacher candidates believed they would eventually face them; and (b) if male teacher candidates could not perform …

Perceived Usefulness, Ease Of Use, Online Trust And Online Purchase Intention: Mediating Role Of Attitude Towards Online Purchase, Muhammed Yazeed, Mohammed A. Dantsoho, Adamu A. Abubakar

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Despite this significant breakthrough on the emergence of e-commerce due to the proliferation of the Internet, little work has explored whether attitude towards online purchase can mediate the relationship between perceived usefulness (PU), Ease of Use (EU), Online Trust (OT) and Online Purchase Intention (OPI). This study was set to examine the mediating role of attitude towards online purchase on the relationship between PU, EU, OT and OPI. A cross-sectional research design was used to gather data from the research respondents using a simple random sampling procedure. 441 useful responses were used to analyse the data using partial least square …

Extending The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Explain Intention To Use Online Food Delivery Services In The Context Of Covid -19 Pandemic, Ahmed C. Bouarar, Smail Mouloudj, Kamel Mouloudj

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The increased fear of getting COVID-19 led to significant changes in foodservice delivery and shoppers' behaviors. This paper incorporated trust and fear of COVID-19 into the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to explore shopper’s intention to use online food delivery (OFD) services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect data from 278 respondents intercepted at the three largest shopping centers located in Algiers city (Algeria). A multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses of the model. This research found that intention to use OFD is significantly and positively affected by …

Oligodendrocyte Responses After Spinal Cord Injury., George Zach Wei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies demonstrate that neuroprotection strategies targeting the proteostasis network and components of its effector signaling pathways improve cell survival and motor recovery outcomes in several models of neuronal injury and degeneration. However, the individual contributions of these signaling pathways to the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury (SCI), white matter damage, and motor recovery have not yet been determined. Here, I explored the role of the HIF prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins (PHD/EGLN), effectors that can modulate stress responses activated by the proteostasis network, on motor function recovery after SCI. Furthermore, I identified previously unknown candidate mechanisms in an unbiased manner …

Metabolic-Epigenetic Regulation Of Macrophage Polarization., Jordan T. Noe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tumor-associated macrophages polarized to an M2 phenotype (M2-TAMs) promote neo-angiogenesis, tumor-stromal matrix remodeling, and immuno-evasion, which, collectively, contribute to immunotherapeutic resistance and reduced cancer patient survival. Highly glycolytic “Warburg” cancer cells produce lactate that independently drives naïve M0→immunosuppressive M2 (M0→M2) macrophage polarization, but the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The atypical cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a fundamental underlying requirement for immunosuppressive M2 macrophage polarization. Still, it is unknown whether a molecular link exists between lactate-supported and MIF-dependent M2 macrophage polarization. Using a combination of gene expression assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and metabolomic analyses, we identified that M2 …