Digital Commons Network^™

Mining-Contaminated Sediment And Metal Storage In Channel Deposits In Turkey Creek, Tri-State Mining District, Missouri And Kansas, Max Quinn Hillermann

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Joplin subdistrict, within the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), was a major producer of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) ore between the 1880s to 1920s. Metalliferous mining wastes are still stored in the channel deposits of local streams raising environmental and health concerns. This study quantifies the volume, sediment size, and metal concentrations in channel bed, bar, bench, and chute deposits to quantify the spatial variability of contaminated sediment storage in Turkey Creek (119 km²). Sample reaches (n=14) contained metal concentrations elevated above the Tri-State Mining District specific probable effects concentration at every site with mean concentrations in …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Chitosan Derivatives Intended For Gene Delivery Applications, Alex M. Mcmullen

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Chitosan has been studied as a non-viral vector capable of efficient gene delivery due to its favorable properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and is non-toxic to mammalian cells. Incorporating electrostatic interactions in non-viral vectors enhance the vector permeability. This work focuses on two parts. Firstly, cationic chitosan derivatives were synthesized using quarternary ammonium and phosphonium groups. This was achieved by coupling carboxylic acid ligands with these quarternary groups to chitosan through an amide bond. The carboxylic acid ligands were synthesized from 4-methylbenzoic acid and either triethyl phosphine or triethyl amine. The ligand was then attached to chitosan through an amide …

Development Of Peg-B-Pla Based Micelles For Neutralization Of A Toxic Peptide, Giselle Campos

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

I herein report the preparation and characterization of PEG-b-PLA block copolymer micelles and PEG-b-PLA/PLA mixed micelles as potential “plastic antidotes” for a toxic peptide, melittin. PEG-b-PLA micelles have been used in a number of biomedical applications for their biodegradability and biocompatibility. Along these lines, I investigated the colloidal stability and the peptide absorption properties of PEG-b-PLA/PLA mixed micelles. A series of PEG-b-PLA block copolymer micelles and PEG-b-PLA/PLA mixed micelles were prepared, and their colloidal stability was studied. The hydrodynamic diameters of stable micelles were determined by using Dynamic …

Effects Of Sex And Reproductive Condition On Behavior Of Southern Red-Backed Salamanders: Activity, Agonistic Behavior And Escape Velocity, Megan N. Mosier

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Producing and carrying eggs is energetically costly and therefore can affect behavior. Female Southern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon serratus) in the Ozarks reproduce biennially, and so during the reproductive season some females are gravid and some are non-gravid. In this study, we compared the exploratory and aggressive behaviors of gravid females, non-gravid females, and males, as well as the escape velocities of each sex class. In exploratory trials, sex did not affect distance travelled, but gravid females and males showed shorter latencies to move than non-gravid females during the winter. During the aggression trials, individuals were subjected to a …

Synthesis Of Novel Nio/Comn2o4 Heterostructured Nanoparticles And The Effects Of Variable Size And Metal Concentrations On Their Magnetic And Surface Chemical Properties, Farhan Ishrak

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

I studied the effect of core size and metal concentration on the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of NiO-based magnetic heterostructured nanocrystals (HNCs) generated hydrothermally. The NiO nanocrystals were created by a thermal decomposition technique, while the surrounding Mn and Co-based phases were created through a hydrothermal procedure, with core diameters ranging from 9.31 nm to 24.51 nm and total metal concentrations of 0.05 M and 0.08 M. The resulting inverted AFM-FiM NiO/CoMn2O4 bimagnetic systems make up the heterostructured nanocrystals. The magnetic HNCs were thoroughly characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, TEM, PPMS magnetometry, and XPS analysis. Investigations into the structure of …

Role Of Cyclophilin A And Trim5Α In Hiv-1 Infection And Capsid Uncoating, Emma Lk Wise

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Microglial cells are immune cells that protect the central nervous system and are subject to HIV- 1 infection. HIV-1 infection of these cells can lead to HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). Since HIV-1 only codes for 15 different proteins, the virus also uses cellular factors, like Cyclophilin A (CypA), to assist in viral replication. The cell also has antiretroviral restriction factors, like tripartite motif-containing protein 5 (TRIM5α), to protect against infection. The goal of this project is to investigate the role of CypA in the early steps of HIV-1 replication and TRIM5α restriction in microglial cells. I hypothesize that CypA …

Reducing Family Risk Factors Caused By Poverty Through Family Support Services, Aaliyah C. Williams

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study aims to determine whether preventative measures are effective if implemented while a family is in crisis, through Family Support Services (FSS), to alleviate Risk Factors, prevent family separation and ensure prolonged family stability, instead of as services to reunify a family that already separated due to a lack of resources. This study examined the Poverty Related Risk Factors of Homelessness, Single Parenthood, and Unemployment as Risk Factors that families enrolled in Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC) Head Start experience as negative influences on child development and Family Unity and analyzed OACAC Head Start’s implementation of FSS as …

Effectiveness Of Stabilized Hypochlorous Acid In Acute Peritonitis Treatment: A Murine Surgical Study, Benjamin Michael Pomeroy

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Peritonitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the mesothelial cells that line the peritoneal cavity and is commonly induced by bowel perforations. This medical emergency is treated through antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention followed by tissue irrigation (lavage). Acute treatments aim to remove the bacterial burden, however recurring peritoneal infections occur at high rates and contribute to patient morbidity. These recurring infections are likely due to the inability of lavage solutions to remove the entire massive intra-abdominal bacterial load due to intestinal perforation. Numerous antiseptic solutions and antibiotic additives have been evaluated in their ability to improve source control by abdominal …

Intercropping Grain Sorghum Into Established Rhizoma Peanut: Greenhouse And Field Studies, Erika Hm Cooperman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Land degradation and urbanization are among the top factors pushing the Kenyan Maasai community into an unstable future, with food insecurity and poverty amidst the most fragile components. Implementing conservation agricultural techniques into the Maasai nomadic lifestyle could potentially lead to a diversification of finances and food security. Intercropping is one technique of conservation agriculture that could provide the Maasai both. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of creating an intercropped environment between rhizoma peanut and grain sorghum. A greenhouse study was conducted from late 2020 to 2021 in an effort to investigate the effects …

On The Synthesis And Characterization Of Bimagnetic Coo/Nife2o4 Heterostructured Nanoparticles, Muhammad Sharif Uddin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Bimagnetic nanoparticles show promise for applications in energy efficient magnetic storage media and magnetic device applications. The magnetic properties, including the exchange bias of nanostructured materials can be tuned by variation of the size, composition, and morphology of the core vs overlayer of the nanoparticles (NPs). The purpose of this study is to investigate the optimal synthesis routes, structure and magnetic properties of novel CoO/NiFe2O4 heterostructured nanocrystals (HNCs). In this work, I aim to examine how the size impacts the exchange bias, coercivity and other magnetic properties of the CoO/NiFe2O4 HNCs. The nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 10 nm to …

Evaluating Exploitation Of White Crappie And Black Crappie In Three Southeast Kansas Reservoirs, Danci Lee Johnston

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Populations of white crappie Pomoxis annularis and black crappie P. nigromaculatus were studied in three southeast Kansas reservoirs to assess exploitation and determine if current regulations were conducive for sustainable populations. Trap nets were used to sample crappie in Elk City Reservoir, Big Hill Reservoir, and Parsons City Lake. Crappie with length 210 mm and greater were tagged with FloyFD-94 tags that served as entries into a drawing for a US$300-valued reward to encourage tag reporting. Harvest and angler demographic information were collected when tags were reported. Postcard surveys and motion-sensed cameras were used in conjunction to estimate angler effort …

Effects Of Natural Products On Inflammation, Riley Ann Nadler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Chronic inflammation is characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells such as macrophages and lymphocytes into the tissue where they produce inflammatory cytokines that contribute to tissue damage. Worldwide, 3 out of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory diseases like cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Since it is well-documented that diet and metabolism are key mediators of inflammation, I investigated the effects of dietary lectins on inflammatory cytokine production and the ability of sodium pyruvate, a metabolite, to decrease inflammation. In chapter 1, I examined the effect that lectins from either Triticum vulgaris (common wheat) or Phaseolus vulgaris (common …

The Role Of Actin Associated Sptbn1 Host Factor In Hiv-1 Infection In Microglial Cells, Hannah Matheney

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a chronic illness affecting more than 32.7 million individuals worldwide. The virus infects immune cells, weakening the immune system overtime eventually leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. Infection starts with a fusion step, followed by uncoating of the HIV capsid once in the cytoplasm of the cell. HIV uses host cell proteins to complete the infection process, like the actin associated factor, SPTBN1. The Hulme lab has previously shown that SPTBN1 knockdown by siRNA in microglial cells decreased HIV infection and delayed uncoating of HIV. Because fusion is prior to uncoating, it …

Speaker Encoding For Zero-Shot Speech Synthesis, Tristin W. Cory

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Spoken communication, for many, is an essential part of everyday life. Some individuals can lose or not be born with the ability to speak. To function on a day-to-day basis, these individuals find other ways of communication. Adaptive speech synthesis is one of those ways. It recreates a user’s previous voice or creates a voice that blends with their regional dialect. Current adaptive speech synthesis techniques that achieve human-like speech require thirty minutes, to a few hours of high-quality audio recordings of a target speaker. This amount of recorded audio is not commonly possessed by people in need of a …

Testing The Impact Of A Silencing Suppressor On Infectivity Of Grapevine Vein Clearing Virus Infectious Clone In Nicotiana Benthamiana, Wen Zhao

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Grapevine vein clearing virus (GVCV), the first DNA virus of the Badnavirus genus discovered in grapevines, is closely associated with grapevine vein-clearing disease. Through earlier research, Koch's postulates were partially met: GVCV was in all diseased plants; GVCV was introduced into a healthy grapevine through grafting and by aphids and caused the disease. However, more shreds of evidence are required to fulfill the last postulate, the same virus must be reisolated from the inoculated diseased grapevine (1). A full-length infectious clone of GVCV was previously constructed to provide evidence; however, its infectivity was not consistent. Therefore, the goal …

Emotion Validating Language Regarding Negative Emotions In The Classroom Differing By Gender And Emotion Type, Tea Rose Pankey

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study examined teachers’ emotion validating language regarding negative emotion in early childhood classrooms. By analyzing teachers’ emotion language differing by gender, the research highlights the gendered socialization of emotional expression, especially regarding negative emotions, in early childhood contexts. In toddler and preschool classrooms, 28 teachers were video recorded during 4 thirty-minute sessions of free play time. Videos were coded for teachers’ emotion language regarding negative emotions with attention to the gender of the child to whom the language was spoken. Results indicate that teachers validate negative emotions more to girls than to boys. This aligns with previous research that …

Fair Allocation Of Scarce Therapies For Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), Govind Persad, Monica E. Peek, Seema K. Shah

Publications

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for nonhospitalized patients with mild or moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease and for individuals exposed to COVID-19 as postexposure prophylaxis. EUAs for oral antiviral drugs have also been issued. Due to increased demand because of the Delta variant, the federal government resumed control over the supply and asked states to ration doses. As future variants (e.g., the Omicron variant) emerge, further rationing may be required. We identify relevant ethical principles (i.e., benefiting people and preventing harm, equal concern, and mitigating health inequities) …

Deep Features To Analyze Pulmonary Abnormalities In Chest X-Rays Due To Covid-19, Supriti Ghosh

Dissertations and Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has contributed a lot since the beginning. Healthcare is no exception. Detecting anomaly/abnormality in (bio)medical image is crucial. In this thesis, we aim at detecting/screening pulmonary abnormalities due to Covid-19 in chest X-rays using deep features. We study CheXNet, DenseNet169, ResNet50 and VggNet16 to analyze CXRs to detect the evidence of Covid-19 in this research. CheXNet was primarily designed for radiologist-level pneumonia detection in Chest X-rays (CXRs). We created a benchmark dataset size of 4,716 CXRs (2,358 Covid-19 positive cases and 2,358 non-Covid cases (Healthy and Pneumonia cases)) and with k(=5) fold cross-validation technique, using the DenseNet, …

Examining Phenotypes Of Hfq And Minc Knockout Mutants Generated Through Phage Transduction, Kate Donaldson

A with Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Sex-Related Differences And Gender-Related Disparities In Adhd Development And Diagnosis: Applying The Biopsychosocial Model, Hannah Moore

A with Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Narratives Of Positionality In Primatology: Foreign/Range–Country Collaborator Perspectives From Africa And South America, Michelle A. Rodrigues, Vicent Kiiza, Matthew R. Mclennan, Sérgio L. Mendes, Karen B. Strier

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Primate research and conservation may inadvertently reproduce neocolonial dynamics when primatologists from affluent, imperialist nations conduct studies in primate habitat countries. Here, we consider how interrogating the positionality of both foreign researchers and range-country collaborators can strengthen primatology. Such consideration may help us to better understand where each member of the collaboration is coming from, both figuratively and literally, and how those situated perceptions shape the research process. Centering the perspectives of the range-country collaborators, whose perspectives are infrequently voiced within the primatology literature, may illuminate challenges in cross-cultural communication and imbalances of knowledge and power. Here, we explore how …

The Benefits Of Offering Classroom Piano Lessons As Part Of The Curriculum In Public Elementary School, Denise Cheeks Mundy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the potential benefits of offering classroom piano lessons as part of the curriculum in public elementary schools. The research reviews the educational, neurological, and cultural potential benefits a child may receive if they study the piano. Further study examines the availability for teachers to receive training in teaching group piano, the methods of setting up a piano classroom, and materials needed for such a program in the school system. Records of the history of group lessons showed that this method of teaching has had periods of success and periods of decline in …

A Defense Of The Resurrection Miracle And Critique Of The Hallucination Theory, Joshua James Smothers

Masters Theses

Many Christian scholars simply laugh at the notion of the Hallucination theory. However, while it is laughable that the hallucination theory claims the disciples of Jesus all shared a hallucination in which they saw their beloved friend risen from the grave, there is more to the hallucination theory than meets the eye. This thesis defends the resurrection using history while critiquing the hallucination theory. Jesus did rise from the grave in the same physical body that was crucified at Calvary, and the disciple's claims of seeing a risen Jesus are true and can be proven with fact and evidence.

Burmese Buddhist Monks, The Seventh Precept, And Cognitive Dissonance, Heather Maclachlan

Department of Music Faculty Publications

Burmese Theravada Buddhist monks have varying degrees of involvement with music; this study of 22 monks from across Burma/Myanmar reveals that most of them often listen to recorded music. At the same time the monks acknowledge that Buddhism’s Seventh Precept is (or ought to be) a guide for their behavior, agreeing that to be “attached” to music is to violate their monastic rule. They therefore experience cognitive dissonance, and they respond to this dissonance in predictable ways - that is, in ways documented by researchers working with Western populations. They differ, however, in their phenomenological experiences of attachment.

Determinant Of Land Use Change In South Kalimantan: An Evidence From Banjarbaru City And Banjar Regency, Supriatna Supriatna, Fathia Hashilah, Mutia Kamalia Mukhtar, Kartika Kusuma Wardani

Forest and Society

Environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, and other environmental catastrophe are negative impacts caused by irresponsible land use change. It is vital to investigate the driver of the land use change to avoid undesirable environmental catastrophes. On the other hand, determinants of the occurrence of the land use change are very complex to be identified. In the last few years, floods hit many parts of the world, one of them was a massive flood in South Kalimantan in the last few years. There is a presumption that this disaster is caused by land use changes inside the watershed. This paper …

Disempowering Traditional Spatial Arrangement Of Dayak Community: A Case Study Of Tumbang Marikoi Village, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, Tari Budayanti Usop, Sudaryono Sudaryono, M. Sani Roychansyah

Forest and Society

The rapid industrialization in the last decades significantly changed the traditional spatial arrangement in Central Kalimantan Island. The indigenous community’s traditional forest lands management and ownership were transferred to oil palm plantations and mining corporations. Therefore, it disempowered the traditional spatial arrangement by changing the community’s living conditions and transforming their livelihood sources from primary (forests) to secondary and tertiary. The disempowered traditional spatial arrangement of the Tumbang Marikoi village community includes a living area with rivers, forests, and dwellings. They access the forest through the village Kahayan Hulu and the Marikoi River. There is no power grid in Marikoi …

The Role Of El Nino Variability And Peatland In Burnt Area And Emitted Carbon In Forest Fire Modeling, Ida Bagus Mandhara Brasika

Forest and Society

This study was conducted to model fire occurrence within El Nino variability and peatland distribution. These climate and geographical factors have a significant impact on forest fires in tropical areas such as Indonesia. The re-analysis dataset from ECMWF was observed with respect to climate characteristics in Indonesian El Nino events. The INFERNO (INteractive Fire and Emission algoRithm for Natural envirOnments) was utilized to simulate fires over Borneo Island due to its capability to simulate large-scale fires with simplified parameters. There were some adjustments in this INFERNO model, especially for peat fire as peatland has a significant impact on fires. The …

Incommensurate Conformable-Type Three-Dimensional Lotka–Volterramodel: Discretization, Stability, And Bifurcation, Feras Yousef, Billel Semmar, Kamal Al Nasr

Computer Science Faculty Research

The classic Lotka–Volterra model is a two-dimensional system of differential equations used to model population dynamics among two-species: a predator and its prey. In this article, we consider a modified three-dimensional fractional-order Lotka–Volterra system that models population dynamics among three-species: a predator, an omnivore and their mutual prey. Biologically speaking, population models with a discrete and continuous structure often provide richer dynamics than either discrete or continuous models, so we first discretize the model while keeping one time-continuous dependent variable in each equation. Then, we analyze the stability and bifurcation near the equilibria. The results demonstrated that the dynamic behaviors …

To The Bone And Back, Noelle Christine Thomas

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

To the Bone and Back, a memoir by Noelle Thomas explores Thomas’s college journey while struggling with mental health conditions. To the Bone and Back primarily focuses on how anxiety, depression, and eating disorders can impact friendships. Thomas documents her journey through college and grad school in four parts. In a way, Thomas’s memoir is a story of self-assembly.

Part one, made up of poems, narratives, letter excerpts, YouTube transcripts, and text messages, mirrors the clutter and chaos of Thomas’s brain at that time. Part one establishes the friendship between the main characters: Thomas and Jenna.

Part two begins to …

Antibacterial Activity Of Commiphora Molmol (Myrrha) Against The Periodontal Pathogen, Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans, Khalid Nafea Alharbi

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

The exogenous pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) is most frequently involved in periodontitis and other systemic diseases. The treatment of these infections involves antibiotic therapy with Amoxicillin being the most popular antibiotic against A. actinomycetemcomitans but now, the drug is not 100% effective due to the development of 0-84% antibiotic resistance. The present study aimed to determine antibacterial activity of Commiphora molmol (Myrrha) against the periodontal pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. In detail, the strain LIU1239 of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was used where the plasmid pVJT128 is used for transposon mutagenesis and the Escherichia coli strain MV10Nal (stock # LIU4). The …