Digital Commons Network^™

Testing Differential Predation As A Mechanism Of Color Polymorphism In A Cryptic Lizard., Justin A. Sanclemente

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Selection via predation is a strong evolutionary force on small organisms, producing unique phenotypic adaptations. In cryptic species, different populations may exhibit color polymorphisms to better match multiple substrates or backgrounds. Here, I conducted a clay model study in the Ocala National Forest of Florida (USA) to test predation as a selective mechanism for color polymorphism in the Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi). Clay models were constructed to resemble light and dark morphs of S. woodi and placed on contrasting substrates in longleaf pine and Florida scrub stands. It is hypothesized Florida Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) …

An Evaluation Of Social Media Use And Its Association With Nutrition Behaviors Among Female Parents, Meredith St. Cyr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Recent studies have indicated that an unhealthy diet plays a role in the development of overweight and obesity, which are among the most severe public health challenges of the 21st century. One population that has become an emerging focus is female parents aged 21 – 35. Research has demonstrated that the transition to parenthood and the years following are often a turning point regarding developing obesity and that early effects on weight gain are likely to be cumulative and persistent. A unique characteristic of this population is their high utilization of social media. This study utilized a mixed methods study …

What’S Agape Love Got To Do With It?: Teaching With Courage, Passion, And Compassion In A Rural Elementary School In North Georgia, Jhanna Bryson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the crucial role of love in teaching, specifically focusing on the content of a rural elementary school in North Georgia. Drawing on qualitative research and personal experiences of the author, as well as other teachers at the same school, this study examines how love, manifested through courage, passion, and compassion, can significantly impact teaching practices and positively influence student outcomes in challenging educational settings. Theoretically my dissertations draws upon three bodies of literature such as critical pedagogy, (e.g. Darder, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2018; Freire, 1987, 1998, 2000, 2019; Giroux, 2010, 2018; hooks, 1994, 2001), radical love, …

Concentration Effects Of Ytterbium(Iii) Ions On The Physical, Structural, Thermal, And Optical Properties Of Barium Phosphate Glasses, Richard Amesimenu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ytterbium(III)-doped glasses are widely known for their application in near-infrared (NIR) lasers and nowadays attract attention for solar spectral conversion in photovoltaic cells. In this study, the effects of ytterbium(III) concentration on the physical, structural, optical, and thermal characteristics of Yb-doped phosphate glasses were investigated. The glasses were synthesized using the melt-quenching technique with nominal compositions of 50P₂O₅:(50 – xBaO):xYb₂O₃ (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4 mol%). The properties were then examined by density and related parameters, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform-infrared …

Correlates Of Celebrity Worship And Materialism, Caitlin T. Davis

Honors College Theses

The proposed study will further examine the relationship between celebrity admiration and narcissism. The proposed study will also examine the relationship of the variables to materialism. Finally, this study will examine how the extent to which one perceives themselves to be similar in some respect to their favorite celebrity correlates with the aforementioned variables. We expect that there will be positive relationships among the variables such that greater celebrity worship is associated with higher narcissism, materialism, and perceived similarity with one’s favorite celebrity.

Investigating The Relationship Between Inherited Geologic Framework And Saltwater Intrusion On St. Catherines Island, Georgia, Juliet Talaber, Jacque Kelly, Robert Vance

Honors College Theses

Since the late 1800s, the oldest cities on the Georgia coast have been withdrawing water from the confined Floridan Aquifer System. As the population has grown, a cone of depression has formed extending from Savannah, GA to St. Catherines Island, GA, a barrier island 50 km southeast of Savannah. On St. Catherines Island, the cone of depression has reversed the lateral and horizontal groundwater flow gradients causing saltwater intrusion into the Upper Floridan Aquifer from the Lower Floridan Aquifer through joints, faults, or solution collapse features. Previous studies from the southern and central areas of the island have found evidence …

Raman Microspectroscopy For Detection Of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders Using Minimally Invasive Brush Biopsy Samples, Isha Behl

Doctoral

Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The current gold standard for screening and diagnosis of oral premalignant and cancerous lesions is histopathological examination. Subjectivity is a major limitation of this technique, however. Other diagnostic methods exist, but they are not sensitive enough for early detection of potentially malignant disorders (PMDs), as these methods are based on morphological changes, which can occur late in malignant transformation. Raman spectroscopy, on the other hand, can provide molecular level information of the biological sample, through unique vibrational fingerprints of molecules. This is advantageous over the gold standard method, as molecular …

Enabling Ai And Robotic Coaches For Physical Rehabilitation Therapy: Iterative Design And Evaluation With Therapists And Post-Stroke Survivors, Min Hun Lee, Daniel Siewiorek, Asim Smailagic, Alexandre Bernardino, Sergi Bermúdez I Badia

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic coaches promise the improved engagement of patients on rehabilitation exercises through social interaction. While previous work explored the potential of automatically monitoring exercises for AI and robotic coaches, the deployment of these systems remains a challenge. Previous work described the lack of involving stakeholders to design such functionalities as one of the major causes. In this paper, we present our efforts on eliciting the detailed design specifications on how AI and robotic coaches could interact with and guide patient’s exercises in an effective and acceptable way with four therapists and five post-stroke survivors. Through iterative …

Pre-Clinical Targets For Ischemic Brain Injury, Daniel Morgan

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Stroke is the second most common cause of disability worldwide, and 87% of strokes result from a blockage in the cerebral blood flow which results in ischemia. Injury to the myelinated axons located in white matter is observed in ischemic injuries but is generally underappreciated. Research has shown that there is extensive vesicular glutamate release during ischemia, causing excitotoxic injury to oligodendrocytes, resulting in demyelination. Glutamate receptor antagonists have been trialled in stroke patients but fall short due to adverse side effects from high dose preparations. Stroke is largely a disease of ageing, and may occur in the presence of …

Investor Reaction To Spacs' Voluntary Disclosures, Vincent Castellani, Karl A. Muller, K.J. Park

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

SPACs are formed to combine with and provide a private firm public trading status and a capital infusion. Firms that enter the public market through a SPAC combination are believed to possess greater voluntary disclosure discretion than traditional IPOs as they obtain their public trading status through a merger. Consistent with regulators’ concerns, recent research finds that SPACs use this discretion opportunistically by issuing optimistic guidance. This study examines how investors respond to these disclosures. We find that optimistic projections increase retail purchasing, which is higher than that of institutional purchasing. Additionally, we find that investors partially see through the …

Internal And Social Sources Shape Judgments About The Mental And Physical Nature Of An Experience, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Alexander Karan, Dolores Albarracin

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although humans are intuitive dualists, little is known about whether they hold lay beliefs about the origins or sources of their intuitive perceptions of what is physical and what is mental. Drawing on theories of the sources of phenomenological experiences, we examined if people hold beliefs about the internal and social origins of judments that their experiences are physical or mental. In Study 1, participants provided physical or mental judgments about a range of personal experiences, and reported relying on both internal (i.e., examining own body and thoughts) and social (i.e., observing others) sources as information for their judgments. To …

Leveraging Instagram To Enhance Self-Esteem: A Self-Affirmative Intervention Study And Multilevel Mediation Analysis, Shuna Shiann Khoo, Hwajin Yang, Wei Xing Toh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although studies have consistently indicated that heavier use of social networking sites (SNS) perpetuates poorer self-esteem outcomes, no study has examined potential intervention methods that can yield positive effects from SNS use. We hypothesized that viewing one's Instagram profile would have self-affirmative effects on self-perception because the profile typically showcases curated instrumental positive aspects of self. Furthermore, these self-affirmative effects would indirectly improve state self-esteem via enhanced clarity of self-concept. To test our hypothesis, we designed an experimental intervention study where one group viewed their Instagram profile regularly, while another group viewed a neutral abstract art profile. Using multilevel latent …

The Effect Of Mere Presence Of Smartphone On Cognitive Functions: A Four-Level Meta-Analysis, Andree Hartanto, Verity Y. Q. Lua, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Paye Shin Koh, Germaine Y. Q. Tng, Manmeet Kaur, Frosch Y. X. Quek, Jonathan L. Chia, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

As smartphones have become portable and immersive devices that afford social, informational, and recreational conveniences unbounded by physical restrictions, most daily activities have become closely intertwined with the presence of smartphones. This constant presence of smartphones in daily activities, however, may be concerning as some studies have suggested that smartphones—even their mere presence—can be distracting and can impair cognitive outcomes. However, such findings have not been consistently observed. To reconcile mixed findings, the current meta-analysis synthesized 166 effect sizes drawn from 53 samples and 33 studies including 4,368 participants on the effect of mere presence of smartphone on cognitive functions. …

The Lumbar Stabilization Exercise And Balance Training In Low-Grade Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis - A Prospective, Clinical Trial, Yun-Chung Lin, Mei-Yun Liaw, Tsung-Hsun Yang, Ya-Ping Pong, Yan-Yuh Lee, Chien-Wei Chen, Song-Chung Chen, Yu-Chi Huang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

BACKGROUND: Patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) may have low back pain (LBP), radicular pain and spinal instability. Current programs emphasize intervention of spinal stabilization exercise. However, no prospective, randomized studies have elucidated standardized treatment for DLS.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of spinal stabilization exercise and Biodex balance system (BBS) training in patients with DLS.

METHODS: It was a prospective, clinical trial. Participants were allocated into three groups: (1) DLS-balance group treated with balance training (DLSB), (2) DLS non-balance training group (DLSNB), and (3) lumbar spondylosis without spondylolisthesis (SC). ALL patients underwent a rehabilitation program with lumbar stabilization exercises. …

Ultrasound-Guided Regenerative Injection For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Narrative Review And Authors' Clinical Experience, Yung-Tsan Wu, King Hei Stanley Lam, Chueh-Hung Wu, Ke-Vin Chang, Wei-Ting Wu, Tyng-Guey Wang, Wen-Shiang Chen, Chih-Peng Lin, Kenneth Dean Reeves

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy but current conservative treatments are unsatisfactory. Recently, clinical trials using ultrasound-guided regenerative injection with 5% dextrose water or platelet-rich plasma have reported clinically and statistically significant benefits compared to current conservative treatments for the treatment of CTS. Regenerative injection for CTS is increasingly being utilized, proportional to the worldwide expansion of skills in the use of ultrasound guidance for precise injection and localization, and due to accumulating evidence that it enhances the success rate of conservative treatment, and reduces the rate of surgery. In this narrative review, our goals …

Atlantoaxial Rotatory Fixation Due To Congenital Strabismus: A Case Report, Chih-Ting Chen, Chia-Ling Lee

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Background Atlantoaxial Rotatory Fixation (AARF) is a relatively rare condition, most diagnosed in the children, with common etiologies including minor trauma and upper respiratory infections. However, cases of AARF resulting from congenital strabismus are yet to be reported. Objective We aimed to underscore the uncommon association between AARF and congenital strabismus and to evaluate the effectiveness of halter traction. Method In this case report, we present an 11-year-old male patient with a history of congenital strabismus, which led to the development of AARF. Results The patient was initially observed to have torticollis and strabismus at the age of 4 months. …

Listening To The Voices Of America, Kathryn J. Edin, Corey D. Fields, David B. Grusky, Jure Leskovec, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Kristen M. Olson, Charles Varner

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We make the case for building a permanent public-use platform for conducting and analyzing immersive interviews on the everyday lives of Americans. The American Voices Project (AVP)—a widely watched experiment with this new platform—provides important early evidence on its promise. The articles in this issue reveal that, although public-use interview datasets obviously cannot meet all research needs, they do provide new opportunities to study small or hidden populations, new or emerging social problems, reactions to ongoing social crises, submerged values and attitudes, and many other aspects of American life. We conclude that a permanent AVP platform would help build an …

Display Of Battery Items In Web And Mail Surveys: Grids Versus Item-By-Item And Radio Versus Wide Buttons, Kristen M. Olson, Jolene D. Smyth, Angelica Phillips

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

How to display questions that are part of a battery in self-administered surveys is an important decision. Battery items may be displayed in a grid in a mail survey or computer web survey, but are often displayed as individual items on mobile devices. Although past research has com-pared grids to item-by-item displays in computer and mobile web surveys, almost no work has compared these displays in mail surveys. Additionally, many web survey templates use wide rectangular buttons to select response options in individual items using a mobile-optimized design, different from the standard round answer space format typically used in mail …

Remember, You Can Complete This Survey Online! Web Survey Links And Qr Codes In A Mixed-Mode Web And Mail General Population Survey, Kristen M. Olson, Amanda Ganshert

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Recruitment materials for concurrent mixed-mode self-administered web and mail surveys must communi-cate information about multiple modes simultaneously. Providing the link to the web survey on the cover of the paper questionnaire or including a QR code to access the web survey may increase the visibility of the web mode and thus increase the proportion of people who participate via the web, but whether including either piece of information does so has received surprisingly little empirical attention. In this paper, we exam-ine the results of experiments embedded in two general population probability-based concurrent mixed-mode surveys of Nebraska adults. First, in the …

Use Of Online Hybrid Supplemental Teaching In Field-Based Teacher Education Programs, Hank Bohanon, Wenjin Guo, Christopher Dickman

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

University faculty who implement field-based teacher education programs experience challenges providing instruction for clinical, site-embedded university-based students. These issues can include a lack of common times to meet with students, limited access to meeting space to provide direct instruction, and changes in the school schedule. A number of these barriers may be addressed by adding elements of online instruction to traditional in-person classes, making the course, in effect, a hybrid one. In this study, the researchers analyzed the perspectives of university-based, special education focused instructors and clinical partners on the barriers, needs, benefits, and content related to implementing hybrid instruction …

The Dynamic Linkages Among Sector Indices: The Case Of The Amman Stock Exchange In The Period Of 2000-2020, Zaid Tahat

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis investigates the dynamic linkages among financial, industrial, service, and generalindices of the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) in Jordan from 2000 to 2020 using a vectorautoregression (VAR) model and by using daily data. The main aim is to provide acomprehensive understanding of the interrelationships among these key sectors over the 21-yearperiod. The objectives are to examine both short-term and long-term dynamic linkages, assessthe model's explanatory power for variations in sector indices, and derive insights for investorsand policymakers.The study employs a VAR methodology to capture the dynamic interactions among the sectorindices. Daily data on sector indices is analyzed using Granger …

Investigating A Motivation Model For Gamified E-Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach, Ali Sen

Plymouth Business School Theses

Investigating A Motivation Model for Gamified E-learning: A Mixed Methods Approach Ali Sen Abstract There has been a recent increase in educational interest in gamification over the past five years (Behl et al., 2022; Ertan & Kocadere, 2022). A central tenet of the increase in its popularity may stem from its motivational power in educational settings (Sailer et al., 2017; Sailer & Homner, 2020). However, prior research on gamification has not sufficiently investigated the mechanisms by which the phenomenon induces its motivational effects. A crucial question to consider is how the motivational theories that underpin gamification work. Consequently, the current …

Benchmarking Best-In-Class Corporate Governance Practices In Uk Sme (Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises) Charities: Accountability And Transparency., Rita Davies Ukachi-Lois

Plymouth Business School Theses

The study explores the implementation of corporate governance, accountability, and transparency (the Core Constructs) within UK SME charities to provide the most sort after answers to address the endless criticisms, demands for scrutiny, and requests for accountability and transparency to enhance their performance and credibility. This area of study is sparse on Small and Medium-sized charities, very little has been written on corporate governance, on occasions coupled with accountability or transparency but never with both. Nothing similar to this study has been done. The study seeks to investigate whether UK Small and Medium-sized charities implement effective corporate governance within their …

Voluntary Wheel Running Prevents Formation Of Membrane Attack Complexes And Myelin Degradation After Peripheral Nerve Injury, Suzanne M Green-Fulgham, Michael J Lacagnina, Kendal F Willcox, Jiahe Li, Michael E Harland, Adriano Polican Ciena, Igor R Correia Rocha, Jayson B Ball, Renee A Dreher, Younus A Zuberi, Joseph M Dragavon, Marucia Chacur, Steven F Maier, Linda R Watkins, Peter M Grace

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Regular aerobic activity is associated with a reduced risk of chronic pain in humans and rodents. Our previous studies in rodents have shown that prior voluntary wheel running can normalize redox signaling at the site of peripheral nerve injury, attenuating subsequent neuropathic pain. However, the full extent of neuroprotection offered by voluntary wheel running after peripheral nerve injury is unknown. Here, we show that six weeks of voluntary wheel running prior to chronic constriction injury (CCI) reduced the terminal complement membrane attack complex (MAC) at the sciatic nerve injury site. This was associated with increased expression of the MAC inhibitor …

Evaluation Of Ion Chamber Response For Applications In Electron Flash Radiotherapy, Kevin Liu, Shannon Holmes, Brian Hooten, Emil Schüler, Sam Beddar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ion chambers are required for calibration and reference dosimetry applications in radiation therapy (RT). However, exposure of ion chambers in ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) conditions pertinent to FLASH-RT leads to severe saturation and ion recombination, which limits their performance and usability. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate a set of commonly used commercially available ion chambers in RT, all with different design characteristics, and use this information to produce a prototype ion chamber with improved performance in UHDR conditions as a first step toward ion chambers specific for FLASH-RT. The Advanced Markus and Exradin A10, A26, and …

Quantifying The Effect Of 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography-Based Deformable Dose Accumulation On Representing Radiation Damage For Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Standard-Fractionated Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, Yulun He, Guillaume Cazoulat, Carol Wu, Stina Svensson, Lusmeralis Almodovar-Abreu, Bastien Rigaud, Emma Mccollum, Christine Peterson, Zachary Wooten, Dong Joo Rhee, Peter Balter, Julianne Pollard-Larkin, Carlos Cardenas, Laurence Court, Zhongxing Liao, Radhe Mohan, Kristy Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the dosimetric and clinical effects of 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based longitudinal dose accumulation in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with standard-fractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Methods and materials: Sixty-seven patients were retrospectively selected from a randomized clinical trial. Their original IMRT plan, planning and verification 4DCTs, and ∼4-month posttreatment follow-up CTs were imported into a commercial treatment planning system. Two deformable image registration algorithms were implemented for dose accumulation, and their accuracies were assessed. The planned and accumulated doses computed using average-intensity images or phase images were …

Synthesis And Biophysical Analysis Of Modified Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Joel Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a family of peptides that have the ability to penetrate biological membranes. They were discovered in the late 1980s and have been the topic of many studies. Much of the interest in CPPs has been due to their ability to translocate biological membranes, and the possibility that they could offer a novel drug delivery method by conjugation to biologically active molecules. Linear CPPs can be modified to form cyclic structures. This change in structure has been observed to enhance the stability and penetrative ability of the CPPs which have been studied. The current thesis focuses on …

Advancing The Implementation Of Connectivity Conservation In Canada: A Case Study Of The Policy And Management Environment Of The Chignecto Isthmus Region, Rachel Hodgson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Connectivity conservation is a means to enable the unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes to sustain life. Understanding how connectivity conservation functions between parks and protected and conserved areas is a key component of addressing the global biodiversity crisis. The governance and associated policy environment of protected and conserved areas is often complex, and it is challenging for practitioners to understand how connectivity conservation practices can function. In this case study, protected and conserved areas practitioners working in the Chignecto Isthmus region of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada were interviewed assist in better understanding the …

The Influence Of Visual Perspective On The Cognitive Effort Required For Mental Representation, Jeffrey P. Hong

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mental representation is the process by which an individual simulates an event in their mind’s eye. This process is the foundation of the ability to remember the past, engage in prospective thinking, or imagine fictitious scenarios. An individual can mentally represent any event through their own eyes—the first-person perspective or from the viewpoint of an external observer—the third-person perspective. The perspective of representation influences outcomes related to memory, visuospatial processing, affect, social cognition, clinical diagnoses, and language processing. In turn, an individual’s tendency to favour either perspective is shaped by related factors.

The current research consists of four experiments, designed …

The Prevalence And Consequences Of Gender-Based Violence Among Trans And Non-Binary University Students In Ontario, Jia Qing Wilson-Yang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community studies documenting gender-based violence (GBV) experienced by trans and non-binary (TNB) people often find differences in prevalence across TNB subgroups. Studies of TNB university students tend to treat them as a homogenous group, thus gender differences in terms of subgroups are unknown. Using data collected from TNB Ontario university students, I examined the prevalence and impacts of GBV across three TNB subgroups (trans man spectrum, trans women spectrum, and gender queer/non-binary). Specifically, reflecting subtle and overt forms of GBV, among each subgroup I explored the frequency of trans environmental microaggressions, trans interpersonal microaggressions, and victimization, and their relationship with …