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Stable Isotope Analysis Of A Platecarpus Tympaniticus (Squamata, Mosasauridae) With Actinocamax Sternbergi (Mollsuca, Belemnoidea) Reveals Possible Endothermic Thermoregulation, Mitchell Lukens

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Mosasaurs, ancient marine reptiles, dominated the late Cretaceous oceans. However, their ecological success is a contentious topic. Were they ectothermic, like their modern relatives the varanid lizards? Or endothermic like extant marine mammals? Stable isotopes can reveal temperature and physiological variances within skeletons, but do not differentiate between body temperature and ambient environmental temperature. A rare mosasaur specimen from the Smoky Hill Chalk of a partial, articulated Platecarpus tympaniticus with stomach contents of belemnites provides a possible direct temperature contrast between predator and prey. The belemnites, related to modern coleoids, are identified as Actinocamax sternbergi. These animals possessed body …

Investigation Of A Misophonia And Fluid Intelligence Relationship: Sound Spectrum Variation Impact On Fluid Intelligence Task Responses, Leslie Watson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

ABSTRACT Studies of misophonia have not assessed the impact of music and sound complexity on intelligence in individuals with misophonia. Edelstein et al. (2013) have provided work which pools trigger sound characteristics including sound repetitiveness yet does not include a substantial music subcategory. Utilizing the Cattell–Horn–Carroll model of intelligence, the current study explores the nature of music and music complexity on fluid intelligence, as described by Sternberg (2012). The hypotheses for this study focused on the relationship that complexity and music might have with misophonia. The rate of misophonia in the Mechanical Turk population was hypothesized to be 20%. The …

Mother Water, Crystal J. Hammerschmidt

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Water is life. That which nurtures, sustains and nourishes. My mother is truly my water. The one who gave me life and has supported and nurtured me though and through. While wading through the challenges and adversity of graduate school, she has been there every step of the way; and while I struggled to find what I was trying to say, I was quietly toiling over thoughts of my own fertility, maternal instincts and desire to nurture something and I began to acknowledge the mortality of my own mother.

The materials and images I combine are deeply connected to my …

"You Wanna Play Rough?": The Unlikely Partnership Of The Italian Mafia And Butch Lesbians In Greenwich Village, 1945-1968, Alison Jean Helget

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

During economic and political upheaval in Europe beginning in the late-1910s and dramatically progressing throughout the 1920s, young Italian men emigrated to the United States to earn decent salaries to bring back to their families across the ocean. However, some single men embraced the opportunities of New York City and its diversified neighborhoods. Since xenophobic sanctions forced disenfranchised minorities into confined spaces and immigrants tended to find comfort settling in neighborhoods with well-established ethnic enclaves, this pushed Italian immigrants into the same space as butch lesbians in a counterculture place referred to as Greenwich Village on the west side of …

Influences Of Grazing On Habitat Characteristics, Avian Community Composition And Nesting Bird Abundance Within Cheyenne Bottoms, Ks, Kirsten Granstrom-Arndt

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Cheyenne Bottoms is a 41,000-acre prairie-marsh ecosystem in central Kansas. Approximately 8,000 acres of mixed grassland are dedicated for the conservation of bird populations, but little is known about the status of bird communities within these areas. This study took place within grassland areas of Cheyenne Bottoms from May – July 2021. I investigated bird community composition, relative abundance of frequently observed bird species, vegetative characteristics, and similarity of sites across different grazing intensities (continuous, rotational, and non-grazed). The four most common bird species observed were dickcissel (Spiza americana), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), meadowlark species ( …

A 16s & Its Soil Microbiome Analysis Of Native & Old-World Bluestem Invaded Soils Of Kansas Grasslands, Zachary Nelson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Invasive species are becoming an increasing problem throughout the world. Their effect on local ecosystems is detrimental and widespread, harming productive efforts such as biomass accumulation, forcing native species (plant, animals, microbes) out, and ultimately, reducing biodiversity. Investigations of how invasive plants spread are widely studied; however, there has been little to no examination of how native plants influence the microbiome in the surrounding soil. In this study, I performed a fungal and bacterial metagenomic analysis of the soil and root microbiomes of both native grasslands and grasslands invaded by Old-World Bluestem Grasses to help determine if they influence the …

Using Geochemical Composition To Determine Paleo Environmental Conditions And Source Inputs In Paleozoic Rocks Within The Central Kansas Uplift Usa, Christiana Fumnanya Eziashi

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Paleoenvironmental conditions, sediment characteristics and lateral continuity using chemostratigraphy are not well established for stratigraphic units associated with some small fields within the Central Kansas Uplift (CKU). Samples of drill cuttings recovered from six wells (Hottman #1, and Hottman-Furthmeyer#1, Yocemento #1, Mong Benno #2, Rhian #3 and Worcester #1) at 10 ft intervals between 3150 ft and 3900 ft below ground level, were processed and analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The XRF technique was used to determine elemental compositions, and XRD was used to determine mineral content. The composition of the rock cuttings was used to …

Most White People Just Don't Trust A Black Business Very Much: How The Walker Family Overcame Economic And Racial Discrimination To Become Successful Professional Business Owners In Memphis In The Twentieth Century, Leslie Pleasants

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

ABSTRACT

Joseph Edison (J.E.) Walker was an African-American man born to an impoverished, sharecropping family in the heart of the Mississippi Delta after the Civil War in 1879. Even from an early age, he was determined to break out of the station his family had been relegated. There were few educational and occupational opportunities for Walker in Tillman, Mississippi, but against all odds, he received his undergraduate degree from Alcorn State College and a medical doctorate from Meharry Medical College. After graduating, Walker opened a medical office to help the people of the town; however, his local community mistreated him. …

Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The natural world has hidden wisdom and resources that are disregarded as we misuse our responsibility to care for them. The benefits of being in tune with nature have been traded for a culture that manipulates nature on the altar of expediency, waste, and unquenchable desire. Healing Sanctuary presents a duality. My work speaks about the relationship between the seen and unseen, represented by ten larger-than-life drawings of medicinal herbal plants that have had a profound physical healing effect on me. At the same time, plants, roots, and seeds create visceral metaphors for mental health. Our accomplishments, outlook on life, …

Efficacy Of Non-Lethal Molecular Methods In Elucidating Distribution Of Gray Treefrog Complex (Hyla Chrysoscelis/Versicolor) In Kansas, Nora K. Lazerus

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Globally, amphibians are the most imperiled vertebrate taxa in part because they rely on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, their permeable skin makes them uniquely susceptible to habitat degradation and alteration. Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) and the Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) are a diploid-tetraploid, morphologically indistinguishable sister pair of cryptic anurans native to Kansas. Since 1987, the distribution of gray treefrogs in Kanas has extended west but the status of each species in the complex in Kansas is not known beyond its documented combined western expansion. Currently, species identification cannot be determined by nonlethal …

Effects Of Aggressive Reed (Phragmites Australis) On Aquatic Communities In A Kansas Reservoir, Allison Pardis

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Phragmites australis is an Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) in Kansas, a non-native reed that threatens lake and river ecology, displaces desirable species, impedes movement of wildlife and humans, that can have detrimental economic effects on communities. The majority of Phragmites research is in brackish ecosystems and the effects of Phragmites in freshwater systems and especially on fishes is undocumented, even as many states and agencies invest substantial resources in management. As freshwater systems face a biodiversity crisis, prevention and control of invasive species is critical. Effective management therefore requires a thorough understanding of the effects these invaders have on ecosystems …

The N-Terminal Domains Of Voltage Dependent Anion Channels As Novel Members Of The Bcl-2 Family: Their Roles And Interactions With The Bh3 Domain Of The Bcl-2 Family Members, Clement Nana Agyemang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

VDACs are pore-forming proteins found within the mitochondria's outer membrane (MOM) whose function is to allow the exchange of metabolites such as ATP and ADP in and out of the mitochondria. In apoptotic cells, they allow the release of cytochrome c from the MOM into the cytosol to initiate apoptosis. The Bcl-2 family of proteins regulates mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis by inhibiting or promoting apoptosis through their BH3 domain. Recent studies have demonstrated that VDACs play essential roles in regulating mitochondrial apoptosis through their interactions with the Bcl-2 family. In this study, we proposed that VDACs are part of the Bcl-2 family …

Development And Characterization Of Different Dosage Forms Utilizing Hot-Melt Extrusion Technique, Abdulmajeed Althobaiti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hot melt extrusion (HME) is a promising technique for developing different dosage forms and improving products already on the market. Numerous studies have been published utilizing HME due to its advantages over conventional techniques. It is solvent-free, has few processing steps, continuous processing, and low cost. Furthermore, HME has the flexibility to be coupled with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) to develop complex dosage forms for patient-focused drug delivery. The first objective of this research work was to design and develop different dosage forms (capsule-in-capsule, and three-dimensional-printed tablet) of nifedipine/indomethacin fixed-dose combination (FDC) utilizing hot melt extrusion (HME) with or without …

Sustained Delivery Of Carbon Monoxide (Co) Via Organic Co Prodrugs: Pharmacokinetic Studies, Minjia Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon monoxide (CO) is widely known as poisonous gas. Its role as a signaling molecule (gasotransmitter) with various therapeutic effects is less known. Recent years have seen a surge of interest in CO because of its demonstrated therapeutic effect in treating conditions such as inflammation, drug-induced toxicity, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and kidney injury, among others. In developing CO-based therapeutic agents, one key issue is the availability of pharmaceutically acceptable ways of delivering CO. During the past decade, there has been a large number of experiments in cell culture, animal models, and clinical trials using CO gas incubation/inhalation and heavy metal based …

Impaired Β-Cell Neogenesis In A Mouse Model Of Metabolic Syndrome, Modhi Abdullah Alshammari

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic islet β-cell plays an essential role in insulin release and hence glucose homeostasis. The maintenance of glucose homeostasis depends on β-cell ability to cope with enough insulin to fulfill metabolic and physiological demands. Adequate insulin release is the result of highly complex and dynamic interplays between acute changes in β- cell electrical activity, exocytosis and chronic adaptations in cellular function, volume, mass and proliferation. All of this appears modulated, to some extent, by the functional presence of Slc12a2 symporters, also known as Na+K+2Cl– cotransporter-1 (Nkcc1), which accumulates intracellular Cl– above its electrochemical equilibrium. Recent studies from our laboratory showed …

Evaluating Energy-Based Trait Shifts And Population Level Impacts Of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus) With Long-Term Exposure To Pseudogymnoascus Destructans, Molly C. Simonis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Disturbances in environment can lead to a wide range of host physiological responses. These responses can either allow hosts to adjust to new conditions in their environment or can reduce their survival, and can subsequently cause host traits to shift. Small mammals are particularly vulnerable to stochastic disturbances, like a pathogen introduction, because of their high energy demands. Studies examining host responses to pathogens often focus on species highly susceptible to infection that typically have high mortality rates, leading to a gap in understanding the responses of less susceptible species. My dissertation evaluates the energy balance of Eptesicus fuscus (big …

Evaluation Of A Monosynaptic Spinal Circuit In Multiple Mouse Models Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Maura A. Curran

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. To date, there are no significant disease-modifying treatments, and one limiting factor in treatment is the amount of time it takes for a patient to receive a diagnosis of ALS. This study examined multiple mouse models before symptom onset to help identify early changes in a reflex circuit of ALS mice. Dorsal root stimulation of the sacral spinal cord in multiple models ALS mouse models showed changes in the resulting ventral root compound action potential amplitude, latency, and ability to maintain synaptic depression. These data also suggest that a mouse model …

Community-Level Effects Of A Widescale Reduction In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Density, Mariah Slaughter

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The prolonged overabundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) throughout the deciduous forests of eastern North America has resulted in widespread changes in the understory community. Studies have demonstrated that the exclusion of deer can allow some aspects of the understory to recover, but there are strong time-lags for deer-preferred species. Additionally, these exclosures only test the presence/absence of deer, which is not a feasible management option or desirable as deer are a part of the community. Here I evaluate how large-scale deer density manipulations within the Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative of Pennsylvania affected understory vegetation communities. Using data from six …

Use Of Forelimb Asymmetry In The Analysis Of Cns Recovery From A Demyelination Event, Joseph C. Hinkle

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Using forelimb asymmetry analysis along with Montoya Staircase methodology we tested how a fluoxetine simvastatin ascorbic acid drug cocktail would affect recovery from a demyelinating event in a rat model, with the hypothesis that if administered then it would help female recovery but hinder male recovery. It was found that a fluoxetine simvastatin and ascorbic acid drug cocktail did not significantly enhance recovery from a demyelination model injury in female rats, and that the same drug cocktail significantly slowed male rat recovery from the same type of injury. It was also apparent that the more effective methodology for investigating this …

A History Of Freed Slaves' Homes In Northern Nigeria, 1900-1926, Ajibola A. Abdulrahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is about the children rescued from slave traders by the British colonial government in Northern Nigeria in the early twentieth century. The children were first settled in state-owned Freed Slaves Homes located at Zungeru and Borno provinces in 1904. After the state-owned Homes were abolished in 1909, they were moved to the privately-owned Lucy Memorial Freed Slaves’ Home. The study focuses on the experiences of these liberated children within the premises of the Freed Slaves' Homes and in settings outside of these institutions in Northern Nigeria. Drawing on previously unused archival materials obtained from various parts of the …

Formulation Development Of Famotidine Floating Tablets Using Hot-Melt Extrusion Coupled With 3d Printing Technique., Esraa Al Shawakri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this study is to develop a floating tablet of famotidine using hot melt extrusion coupled (HME) with Fused deposition modeling FDM 3D printing technology. Seventeen different formulations were prepared to obtain printable HME filaments. Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPL-LF), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPLC-EF), Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC-E5), and Ethyl Cellulose (EC) were used as polymeric carriers with 10% (w/w) famotidine. Polyethylene Glycol 1500 (PEG-1500) was used as a plasticizer. The resulting physical mixtures were then extruded using an 11 mm twin-screw co-rotating extruder (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The HME filaments were then printed using an FDM-3D printer (Prusa …

The Relationship Between Ethnicity, Immigrant Generation, & Delinquency: Examining Youth In Child Protective Services., Erin Leigh Geist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although minority youth are overrepresented in the makeup of the welfare and juvenile justice system, there is a lack of research that examines dually-involved youth. In recent years, there has been an escalation in the number of Hispanic youth that have become involved in the child welfare system, including youth that identify as Hispanic immigrants. This study uses nationally representative data of children receiving welfare services to examine the relationship between ethnicity, immigrant generation, and delinquency. The results of binomial regression models illustrated that there was no effect of Hispanic ethnicity or immigrant generation on delinquency. However, the analysis provided …

"The Wild Asleep": A Cultural And Environmental History Of Ramps, Catherine Jessee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ramps, wild onions, or allium tricoccum are a variety of spring ephemeral, or a flowering plant that emerges for a brief period every spring. In working through stereotypical ideas about Appalachian regional identity, I interpret the environmental history of this plant. Incorporating memory, oral histories, and folklore, this thesis complicates wider conceptions of home, community, and boundary. Tapping into an archive of ramps knowledge as it is created, I ask, what can the future of ramps tell us about place, space, and belonging?

Assessing The Effectiveness And Utility Of A Mindfulness-Based Ecological Momentary Intervention In College Students, Jeffrey Pavlacic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health problems are common and increasing in college students. Despite the high prevalence rates of mental health problems in college students, a small percentage of students seek treatment. Low treatment seeking is associated with different factors, such as stigma, financial barriers, and emotion dysregulation. Identifying and delivering evidence-based treatments is critical to curtailing mental health problems and promoting psychological well-being in this population. One intervention that offers significant promise is Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI), which incorporates technology to administer interventions. EMIs are widely applied for heterogeneous psychological problems and effective through different modalities. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) ameliorate psychological distress …

The Association Between Neuroticism, Self-Esteem, And Peer Interactions And Disordered Eating And Body Checking Behavior In Female College Athletes, Alyssa Hertz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Numerous studies have investigated whether participation in collegiate sports is a risk or protective factor for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential psychosocial factors (neuroticism, peer relations, and self-esteem) that may contribute to increased risk for disordered eating or maladaptive body checking behaviors in female college athletes. This anonymous, cross sectional, online study recruited 206 participants. Participants completed screening questions, a demographic questionnaire in addition to the Eating Attitudes Test-26, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Body Checking and Avoidance Questionnaire, Inventory of Peer Influence, and Ten Item Personality Inventory. There was no significant relationship …

African American Women’S Perspectives On Mental Health, Kristine Smalls

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

African American women endure multiple stressors from such forms of social oppression as racism and sexism that impact their lives in many ways. Despite those stressors, several barriers impede African American women from seeking the professional mental health they need to cope. Instead, they rely on cultural and historical methods for managing stress, such as religious beliefs and the support of the church community, or they create their own. In this study, 25 women were interviewed to explore the barriers interfering with African American women seeking professional mental health treatment. This study specifically identified and examined three potential barriers: the …

Judicial Review Of Scientific Uncertainty In Climate Change Lawsuits: Deferential And Nondeferential Evaluation Of Agency Factual And Policy Determinations, Robert L. Glicksman, Daniel Kim, Keziah Groth-Tuft

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Scientific determinations are often at the heart of environmental disputes. When those disputes take the form of litigation, the courts may be called on to determine whether an administrative agency’s treatment of the science warrants deference. For several reasons, judges are inclined to apply deferential review to agency factual and policy science-based determinations. Most judges are not trained in the language and methods of science. They may be reluctant to intervene on matters on which their lack of expertise risks producing uninformed judgments. If a statute delegates to an agency the responsibility of making those determinations, courts may be loath …

A Pratical Approach To Understanding Music Theory, Charles Brooks

Textbooks

No abstract provided.

Biology 102 Lab Manual, Jeffrey Ray, Jason Jones

Textbooks

No abstract provided.

Clinical Interventions For Developmental Trauma Disorder: How Evidence-Based Practice And Attachment Theory Can Inform Therapeutic Approach, Victoria Deveau

DSW Capstone Projects

Approximately two-thirds of U.S. children and adolescents report having experienced a traumatic event. A posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis requires that the youth has directly experienced a traumatic event, witnessed a traumatic event occur to others, or learned that a traumatic event has occurred to someone close. The clinician is in a diagnostic quandary, however, when the youth presents with the PTSD hallmarks of hyperarousal, avoidance, and emotional dysregulation, in absence of such life experiences. The answer to this quandary lies in an understanding of developmental trauma disorder (DTD). Clinical interventions for DTD are the focus of this capstone.

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