Constructing (Un)Situated Women: Situated Knowledges In Arundhati Roy's The God Of Small Things (1997) And Balli K. Jaswal's Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows (2017), Necole T. Deloach

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis applies Donna Haraway’s concept of “situated knowledges” to postcolonial feminist novels such as Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Balli K. Jaswal’s Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows in order to illustrate why there needs to be a new framework for analyzing literary postcolonial women. Despite the applicability of Donna Haraway’s “situated knowledges” to postcolonial feminist literary studies, there has been little research published that analyzes not just the intersection of “situated knowledges” and postcolonial feminist literature, but also the problems that occur when Western scholars approach postcolonial texts without completely acknowledging their own worldview. I argue …

Can Gratitude Lists Mitigate Burnout In First-Year College Students?, Catherine Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In recent years there has been a significant uptick in people expressing feelings of being burnt out. Many studies have looked at burnout in other students, such as college athletes, but none have looked at the true freshman first-year student. This study applied this intervention to a group of first-year college students to examine the impact of making gratitude lists on feelings of burnout. When comparing a control group that did not engage in gratitude list making, there was no statistically significant difference in feelings of burnout. However, correlation analyses revealed connections between gratitude and burnout variables that may lay …

Hepatic Transcriptomic Assessment Of Sprague Dawley Rats In Response To Dietary Perfluorobutane Sulfonate (Pfbs) Ingestion, Isaac Appiah

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) is a short-chain PFAS that is considered to be a less toxic replacement for the rather more toxic long-chain perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Its numerous industrial applications and widespread presence in the environment have raised environmental and health concerns because of growing evidence associating adverse health effects and certain liver diseases to PFBS exposure. The study goal was to investigate whether dietary ingestion of PFBS would induce liver injuries, damage, inflammations, and oxidative stress. To achieve these goals, Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into three PFBS dietary treatment groups (0, 50, and 100 PPM) for 11 weeks. After this …

Evaluation Of The Loving Support Peer Counseling Program On Breastfeeding Duration Rates Among African American Women Enrolled In The Program (2017-2018), Nancy S. Jeffery

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.”-World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling (LSPC) program, under the WIC program in the state of Georgia, on breastfeeding duration rates among African American postpartum primiparas women. This observational study analyzed state-level data from January 2017 through December 2018. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling Program (LSPC) in six of the …

Assessing The Influence Of Gender Equity In The Us State Legislatures On Prenatal Healthcare Utilization, Prachi Joshi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Prenatal care is crucial for achieving public health and primary healthcare objectives. It is one of the goals of Healthy People 2030, which is the US federal initiative to improve the health and well-being of people nationwide. Unfortunately, despite the lofty goals, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries. In 2020, the maternal mortality rate in the US was 24 deaths per 100,000 live births, more than three times the rate in most high-income countries. What is concerning is that it is getting worse. Seven hundred women die of pregnancy-related complications. Among them, black and …

Fabrication And Investigation Of Microfluidic Devices That Produce Non-Linear Chemical Gradients, Elijah L. Waters

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Investigation of cell chemotaxis requires controlled chemical gradients. We investigated microfluidic devices that could enhance small populations' cell assays because of their ability to generate various chemical gradients. Our five designs generate different chemical concentration landscapes that we can easily convert into tools to study cell response to growth factors. Gradient landscapes occurred by splitting and mixing two input fluid concentrations using bifurcations, trifurcations, and Y-mixing junctions in three consecutive steps. Such fluid flow manipulations resulted in nine concentration streams entering a 0.54-mm-wide gradient chamber. The first design used a 1:1 ratio Y-mixer (unbiased) when blending two concentrations, resulting in …

Implicit Beliefs About Anxiety And The Relationship With Competitive Anxiety Intensity And Direction, Luca M. Ziegler

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

During the Fall of 2021, 45% of male and 72% of female student-athletes reported overwhelming anxiety at least once a month (NCAA, 2021). In addition to affecting an individual’s well-being, anxiety may negatively impact athletic performance (Edwards & Hardy, 1996). To better understand the impact of anxiety on athletic performance and develop effective interventions, both the intensity and direction of symptoms experienced must be considered. Incremental beliefs have been shown to be related to desirable performance outcomes and increased well-being in various populations (Danthony et al., 2020; Dweck, 2008), and may provide an effective intervention to interpret anxiety as more …

Development And Praxis Of Ph Drug Delivery System Contra Zika, Julissa Rodriguez

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the effects of global warming continue to spread throughout the world, another critical issue is slowly gaining attention in many urban tropical countries. The Emerging Infectious Diseases/ Pathogens list from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) listed the Zika virus as a potential pandemic threat. In 2015, an outbreak of Zika was noted in several South American countries until the spread reached an all-time high of 87 countries in 2017. During the outbreaks, adults affected were noted to have joint and muscle pains, fevers, and rashes. The worst cases reported would ultimately lead to Guillain-Barre symptoms. Still, pregnant women …

Executive Function & Self-Regulation In Preschool Age Children: Mindfulness Intervention, Larissa Lamarca

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Executive function is an umbrella term used in psychology to define a number of cognitive processes that are important for success in daily life. Both self-awareness, being able to focus one’s thoughts and behavior, and self-regulation, being able to manage emotional and behavioral responses, are important components of executive function. Between three- and five-years of age, children begin developing such skills rapidly which are necessary for school readiness. This study recruited children participants from four local preschools to test for improvement in attention and self-regulatory skills. Two schools completed a mindful yoga activity for five consecutive days, while a second …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Predicting Missed Clinic Visits Among Patients Living With Hiv On Antiretroviral Treatment., Osaremhen Ikhile

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) often face challenges that contribute to missed clinical care which can impact their health outcomes.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine associations of clinical and sociodemographic factors such as age at the entrance into antiretroviral treatment (ART), rurality-urbanicity, biological sex, province of residence, and viral load with PLHIV’s tendency to miss scheduled visits for ART among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2019.

Methods: The study participants for this quantitative study were 5338 adults …

Endogenous Antioxidant Response And Lipid Peroxidation Levels In Muscle Tissue Of The Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera Bonasus), Bailey Berry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant response within cells. ROS generation is a natural consequence of ETC activity within the mitochondria and is associated with aerobic metabolism. Oxidative stress data on elasmobranch muscle is limited, with previous studies primarily focusing on mammalian and teleost muscle. Elasmobranch skeletal muscle is generally composed of large proportions of white muscle fibers (anaerobic), low proportions of red muscle fibers (aerobic), and low proportions of pink muscle fibers (anaerobic). The cownose ray, a benthopelagic batoid species, presents an interesting model of study because it contains relatively …

New Women In The Old Dominion: Race And Gender In Progressive-Era Virginia, Rachel Scott

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis traces the development of Black and white Southern women’s pursuit of political power between the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Emancipation and the downfall of the antebellum planter aristocracy upset traditional Southern gender norms and opened new doors for women of both races in the political upheaval of Reconstruction. Though both Black and white women participated in the women’s club movement and joined women’s advocacy and charity groups following the Civil War, their work was distinctive both from each other and from other regional Progressive movements. The context of …

A Comparison Of Tung Oil Resin Reinforcements Using Fibrous Proteins And Peptides For Biological And Materials Applications, Parker L. Williams

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this study a tung oil based thermoset was reinforced with collagen and fibroin, and the resulting composites were analyzed for their physical properties. Tung tree seed oil is a great candidate for biobased polymer production because its triglycerides are primarily made of alpha eleostearic acid, a fatty acid with three conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds. These double bonds allow for mechanically strong crosslinking in the polymer. It has been observed that polymerized tung oil forms a gel. This issue has been addressed using divinylbenzene (DVB) and n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) as co-monomers. Similar bio-based polymers have been studied and tend to …

Carbon Dioxide And Steam Gasification Of Biochar: A Study On Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Producing Syngas For Downline Synthesis Of Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuel, Parth Patel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research explores the potential of mitigating CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel consumption and providing an alternative renewable source of energy by gasifying biochar with carbon dioxide (CO₂) and steam (H₂O). The utilization of captured carbon dioxide and wastewater in industrial sectors is considered to further contribute to the advancements in energy-efficient and low-emission technological solutions. This research evaluated the performance and kinetic parameters of biochar gasification through CO₂ and H₂O gasification using a stainless-steel fixed bed reactor. The operating parameters including biochar mass, reactor temperature, and inlet flow rate were varied. …

Comparative Analytics On Chilli Plant Disease Using Machine Learning Techniques, Sai Abhishta Roy Seelam

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis concerns the detection of diseases in chilli plants using machine learning techniques. Three algorithms, viz., Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and their variants have been employed. Chilli-producing countries, India, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Spain, the United States, and Turkey. India has the world’s largest chilli production of about 49% (according to 2020). Andhra Pradesh (Guntur) is the largest market in India, where their varieties are more popular for pungency and color. This study classifies five kinds of diseases that affect the chilli, namely, leaf spot, whitefly, yellowish, healthy, and leaf curl. A …

Extralegal Bias In The United States Military In Sexual Assault Cases, Taylor F. Blackston

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

By evaluating the case recommendations following a preliminary hearing from military sexual assault cases from fiscal years 2016-2018, this study aims to assess whether or not extralegal factors are influencing decisions of case recommendations of assigned convening authorities. Using secondary data from the Department of Defense’s annual reports on sexual assault in the United States military (n=5,171), this study aims to answer the following questions: Do extralegal factors contribute to convening authorities’ recommendations following Article 32 hearings? If so, what extralegal factors contribute to convening authority's decision on non-judicial hearing recommendations? The results of the following analyses identified several extralegal …

Assessment Of The Utilization Of Healthcare Services Specific To Pregnancy-Related Complications In Rural And Medically Underserved Georgia, Diana L. Aguirre

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Maternal mortality is a continuing issue, with rates for the state of Georgia (3.7 per 100,000 live births) are higher than that of the US rates (2.9 per 100,000 per live births) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, n.d., 2023). However, maternal mortality may not account for health disparity factors, apart from access to quality care and physiological issues, which is a factor in pregnancy-related deaths, Pregnancy-related death, as defined by the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), is a death of a woman that occurs during or within one year of pregnancy that …

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Response To Submarine Groundwater Discharge, Brielle K. Robbins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadow communities in Florida Bay propagate economic opportunity and carbon sequestration among many other benefits. Recent seagrass die-off events have threatened Florida Bay’s ecosystem and its ability to provide these services. These impacts fuel ongoing research investigating the complex causes of seagrass die-offs. While previous research has described how water quality parameters can lead to seagrass die-offs, there is still much to be explored regarding the proximate causes for these water quality changes. The aquifers underneath the bay may hold the missing pieces in our understanding of die-off events, as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) can …

The Effects Of Cucurbitacin B And Silmitasertib On Metastasis And Itga6 Using The Zebrafish Tumor-Xenograft, Alexandra Griffis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ninety percent of cancer deaths are resultant from the metastasis of cancer cells. When cancer cells translocate through blood vessels or the lymphatic system, they may form tumors outside of their primary site. The processes of metastasis can begin quickly; after onset, metastasis is unforgiving, as it does not participate with the body’s physiological systems in an orderly way. In the past, our lab produced results indicating that a cell adhesion molecule, Integrin Alpha-6, may contribute to cancer cells' ability to metastasize. Integrins mediate interactions between the cell and the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), regulating cell attachment and cell migration. With …

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nesting Experience, Seasonal Variation, And Hatching Success On A Georgia Barrier Island, Luke Sundquist

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Loggerhead sea turtles nest commonly on the Georgia barrier islands and serve critical roles in human cultures, coastal economies, and multiple ecosystems. However, their global populations are declining and dependent on conservation efforts and informed management of natural and anthropogenic threats. Nesting offers a unique opportunity to research and protect this valuable marine species in terrestrial habitats. Microsatellite DNA sampling from eggshells can consistently identify nesting females from eggshells, allowing tracking of nesting behaviors for large populations over multiple years. Using this novel technology, we compared maternal investment and nest site-selection between first-time nesting neophytes and experienced remigrants. We sampled …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Use Of Hematological Markers To Assess Physiological Condition And Health Status In Free-Ranging Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharias Taurus), Chestina N. Craig

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The contents of blood can provide information about the physiological condition and health of vertebrates. This study seeks to better understand the stress physiology and blood bacteria presence of the sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), as sharks are known to have unique physiology and immune systems. In this study the blood metabolites glucose, lactate, and ketones (3-hydroxybuteric acid and acetoacetate), were used to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect the acute stress response to capture and handling. Metabolite concentrations from blood plasma were analyzed using colorimetric assays. Glucose and ketones showed no significant responses to capture and …

For Black Girls, By Black Girls: Examining The Experiences Of Black Women In Historically White Learning Spaces And Reimagining Spaces With Our Needs In Mind, Florence Takeshia Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the experiences of Black women in historically white learning spaces and our needs in reimaged learning spaces developed for us. The conceptual framework for this study was Black Feminist Thought, critical geography, and Afrofuturism. Using sister circle methodology, participants discussed the simultaneous racialized and gendered experiences that Black women navigate in learning spaces and how technology and Afrofuturism could be beneficial in creating spaces for Black women. Despite our achievements in academic spaces, Black women experience microaggressive environments that have traumatic impacts on our psychological health and our overall experiences in learning environments. Our successes are acts …

The Relationship Between Age, Sport, And Years Coaching On Knowledge, Confidence, Preparedness, And Intention To Intervene With Youth Athletes Experiencing Mental Health Challenges, Allyson P. Looby

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Mental disorders can affect all ages and populations, but there is an increasingly high prevalence in the pediatric population. It is estimated that 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 9-17 experiences some degree of impairment from a diagnosable mental health disorder (Merikangas et al., 2010). Youth are often not equipped to seek professional support; making parents, teachers, and coaches key to detection and referral to professional help (Ng et al., 2021). The environment youth sports creates gives coaches the opportunity to have a greater impact on youth mental health (Das et al., 2016). Purpose: Determine if age, …

Addressing Breast Health Disparities Among Recent, Established African-Born Immigrant Women And Second-Generation Americans In Prince George County, Maryland, Omolola Okunromade

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Breast health disparities and underutilization of screening methods are major concerns in the United States (US), particularly affecting Black women who experience lower survival rates and advanced diagnoses. Despite the rapid growth of the African-born immigrant population, breast health among this group in the US is notably under-examined. This study aims to investigate the breast health knowledge and practices of first-generation African-born immigrants and second-generation immigrant women of African descent, aiming to understand the distinctive attributes of this group and the impact of acculturation on this public health issue.

Methods: Interviews were conducted among First Generation African immigrants and …

Synthesis And Processing Of Pcl And Irdye Nanoparticles For Application In Drug Release Mechanism, Michael Adeniyi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to produce core-shell nanoparticles utilizing PCL and IRDye and investigate the nanoparticle release mechanism. Biodegradable polymer, Polycaprolactone (PCL), was electrosprayed separately with two types of IRDye, NHS and Dextran Texas red. The solution of PCL was formed by mixing PCL in a solution of 9.47ml Acetic Acid, 9.47ml Formic Acid, and 1.05ml Trifluoroethanol, following a ratio of 9:9:1. The two solutions of IRDye were prepared by mixing 2mg of the IRdye with 20ml of DMF at a rate of 0.1mg/ml.

The NHS IRDye was electrosprayed coaxially with PCL and the Dextran Texas red dye …

Investigating Salinity Intrusion Effects On Sapelo Island, Georgia Using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Bioindicators, Raymond Paul Kidder Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are threatened by the compounding effects of sea level rise and historical land modification. Historically, much of Sapelo Island, Georgia was deforested and drained using a series of ditches and canals to create arable land fit for agriculture and to provide drainage to the inhabited parts of the island. Today, this network of artificial channels is believed to be facilitating the movement of saltwater from the nearby estuary into freshwater areas on the interior of the island. This study aimed to better understand the frequency and magnitude of salinity intrusion events along with their resulting impacts to the …

Exploring Relationship Among Programmatic Expertise, Work Engagement, And Turnover Intentions Across Different Generation Cohorts In State And Local Governmental Public Health Agencies, Stephanie L. Irvin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationship among public health programmatic competencies, work engagement, and turnover intentions among state and local public health workers. It also explored the moderating role of generational cohorts in these relationships. It employed a quantitative secondary data analysis using the 2021 PHWINS survey, a collaboration between the de Beaumont Foundation and The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The study's principal findings shed light on critical relationships within the public health workforce: Firstly, an increase in programmatic expertise among public health professionals is linked to increased work engagement, particularly notable within the Millennial cohort. Secondly, a …

Dna Methylation And The Response To Infection In Introduced House Sparrows, Melanie Gibson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Epigenetics is the study of molecular modification of a genome without changing its base pairs. The most studied type of epigenetic mechanism is DNA methylation, which is capable of turning a gene “on” or “off.” Epigenetic potential is the capacity to which an individual can have methylation on its genome. The more CpGs available, the greater the epigenetic potential. In invasive species, genetic variation has been observed to be paradoxical: not much of it exists on a genomic level, but epigenetically, phenotypic variation can occur. The focus on shift in gene expression in this study is on Toll-Like Receptor 4 …

Understanding The Feasibility Of Improving Interfacial Properties In Direct Ink Writing Of Silicone-Polyurethane Resin Hybrid Material, Ayobami Samuel Akinfenwa

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The progress in materials engineering and the ability to make various models possible have made soft robotics a popular alternative to traditional robotics. Still, soft robots need various parts, like Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), batteries, cables, fittings, and more, to work correctly or to get attached to other complex parts. These parts can have different material properties, like elastic moduli, strength, etc. Because of these differences, mechanical failures happen at the points where two materials meet, making soft robots less durable and less lasting in real-life situations due to failure. Conventionally, the fabrication of soft robot parts is through moulding. …