Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Analysis For Comparing Effect Between Game-Based Learning Versus Gamification Utilized In Nutrition Education, Chia-Lin Chang

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016 and was declared as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 (Haththotuwa et al., 2020; "Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Nutrition education that involves knowledge and behavioral change is one major component addressing the problem ("Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Therefore, the effectiveness of each learning session is essential (Sharifirad et al., 2013). Thus, many nutrition educators have used gamified nutrition education to improve teaching effectiveness to increase healthy behavior or knowledge (Chow et al., 2020.; Munguba et al., 2008; Azevedo et al., 2019). Two …

Factors Influencing Levels Of Secondary Traumatic Stress In Non-Offending Caregivers Of Children With Sexual Or Physical Abuse Histories, Ani Mangold

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined factors influencing levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) in non-offending caregivers (NOCs) of children with histories of sexual or physical abuse. These factors included the nature of the abuse, NOCs’ relationships with the initiators of the abuse, children’s ages and genders, NOCs’ genders, NOCs’ personal trauma histories, familial structures, and the elapsed time between children’s disclosures of abuse and their trauma assessments. As a secondary objective, the present study examined the interactions between children’s self-reports of their own posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, NOCs’ estimates of their children’s PTSD symptomatology, and NOCs’ self-reports of their own …

The Impact Of Traumatic Experiences On Women's Mental Health: The Moderating Effect Of Violent Media Consumption, Erika Meierding

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Prior research informs us that negative mental health outcomes are associated with childhood trauma (Chapman et al., 2004; Widom, 1999) and with exposure to violence in the media (Hopwood & Schutte, 2017). Given the prevalence of violence against women (VAW) both in the media and in society in general, it is important to understand how VAW in the media may uniquely impact the mental health of women who have previous experiences of childhood trauma. Objective: Drawing from cultivation theory and the diathesis stress model of mental health, this study examined the moderating role of exposure to VAW in the …

A Machine Learning Approach To Intended Motion Prediction For Upper Extremity Exoskeletons, Justin Berdell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A fully solid-state, software-defined, one-handed, handle-type control device built around a machine-learning (ML) model that provides intuitive and simultaneous control in position and orientation each in a full three degrees-of-freedom (DOF) is proposed in this paper. The device, referred to as the “Smart Handle”, and it is compact, lightweight, and only reliant on low-cost and readily available sensors and materials for construction. Mobility chairs for persons with motor difficulties could make use of a control device that can learn to recognize arbitrary inputs as control commands. Upper-extremity exoskeletons used in occupational settings and rehabilitation require a natural control device like …

Evaluating Holocene Precipitation Variability In The Baltic Region Using Oxygen Isotopes Of Lacustrine Carbonate From Estonia, Maxwell Gordon Boes

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A high-resolution Holocene record of groundwater isotopic composition from eastern Europe enhances the current understanding of ocean atmosphere interactions and moisture transport dynamics. In the modern system, it has been established that the amount of regional winter precipitation is driven by the strength and direction of the sea level atmospheric pressure gradient over the Atlantic Ocean. This is defined by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, that shows a positive correlation with precipitation amount during the cold season. This study aims to discover the link between atmospheric dynamics and the ratio of warm season to cold season precipitation through the …

In Search Of A Homeland: Jewish-American Women Writers And Their Struggle With Cultural Alienation, Alisa K. Burris

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the lives and fictional works of five Jewish-American women writers of the twentieth century within the complex context of cultural alienation. Authors Anzia Yezierska, Dorothy Parker, Grace Paley, Cynthia Ozick, and Marge Piercy are each featured in separate chapters that examine how personal experiences of estrangement weave through and influence their texts. As a result of this dissertation’s scrutiny, meaningful connections emerge between these diverse Jewish women authors and the transformation of painful struggles into profound journeys to seek belonging. Through their works’ literal and figurative pilgrimages to reach an ultimate homeland, all five writers creatively illustrate …

Impacts Of Plastic Pollution On A Pelagic Marine Mammal, The Northern Elephant Seal, Lauren M. Kashiwabara

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

As plastic pollution increases, top marine predators such as marine mammals are becoming increasingly susceptible to plastic particles and their additives. Plastic particles have been found in gastrointestinal tracts and scat of many marine mammals, and quantifying plastic pollution in those that are pelagic can provide insight into plastic pollution in mesopelagic ecosystems that are just beginning to be analyzed. Adapting well-developed laboratory techniques for microplastic (MP) isolation (i.e. density separation and chemical digestion), I isolated MPs from the scat of the deepest diving pinniped, the northern elephant seal (NES), and found that100% of scat samples (n=11) contained high counts …

Evaluating A Nondirective Health Coaching Package And A Directive Coaching Package For Increasing Physical Activity, Hailey E. Donohue

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Physical inactivity is a worldwide public health problem. Applied behavior analysis has demonstrated success in this area; interventions such as goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback have produced increases in physical activity of adults. Nevertheless, strategies with a more nondirective approach, such as health coaching, are gaining traction in practice independent of behavior analytic approaches. We do not know about the relative effects of nondirective approaches and the established, directive interventions in applied behavior analysis, or about client preference for nondirective and directive approaches. The present study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate a largely nondirective, client-centered health …

Incorporating Glutamic Acid-Valine-Citrulline Linker In Trifunctional Molecules Targeting Psma Ensures Enhanced Stability, Safety, And Efficacy In Mouse Model Of Prostate Cancer, Toufiq Ul Amin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This project describes the development of a new antitumor therapeutic platform that combines the benefits of small-molecule drug conjugates (SMDCs) and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). Valine-citrulline (VCit) dipeptide linkers are popular cathepsin B cleavable ADC linkers. Due to its instability in mouse serum, translating efficacy data from mouse to human is more difficult. It has been reported that replacing the VCit linker with glutamic acid-valine-citrulline (EVCit) improves ADC stability in mouse serum. The effect of the EVCit linker on the stability of SMDCs has not been reported so far. In a xenograft mouse model of prostate cancer, we found that …

The Bgs 13 Mutant Of Pichia Pastoris And Its Effect On Structural Changes Of The Reporter Protein B-Lactogolbulin, Bushra Irshad

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Pichia pastoris, a methylotrophic yeast, is an ideal host for recombinant protein expression. It has the capability of performing many eukaryotic post-translational modifications and grows to high cell densities. However, P. pastoris’s secretion properties are not always efficient, and its secretory pathway mechanisms have not been thoroughly elucidated. A previously identified mutant strain, bgs13, was found to efficiently secrete most recombinant proteins tested, raising the possibility that this bgs13 mutant is a universal super secreter and understanding its secretion process is needed. In this study, we used a reporter protein, ?-lactoglobulin (b-LG), to perform structural analysis and comparisons of protein …

True-Ed Select: A Machine Learning Based University Selection Framework, Jerry C. Cearley

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

University/College selection is a daunting task for young adults and their parents alike. This research presents True-Ed Select, a machine learning framework that simplifies the college selection process. The framework uses a four-layered approach including the user survey, machine learning, consolidation, and recommendation. The first layer collects both the objective and subjective attributes from users that best characterize their ideal college experience. The second layer employs machine learning techniques to analyze the objective and subjective attributes. The third layer combines the results from the machine learning techniques. The fourth layer inputs the consolidated result and presents a user-friendly list of …

Predictions Of Produced Water Quality And Recycled Water Optimization For Spatially-Distributed Wells In Point Pleasant Formation, Armel Quentin Mbakop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The treatment of produced water as a fracturing fluid is becoming an increasingly important aspect of water management surrounding the booming of the unconventional oil and gas industry. Two main problems facing the oil and gas industry are the availability of water for well drilling and completion and disposal of the produced water. Unconventional well drilling and completion in the Utica shale requires large amounts of water. The wastewater that results after production—containing high levels of organic and inorganic matter— is usually disposed of through deep well injection. A new approach reuses this produced water as part of subsequent fracturing …

Development Of Computational Methods For Electronic Structural Characterization Of Strongly Correlated Materials: From Different Ab-Initio Perspectives, Uthpala K. Herath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The electronic correlations in materials drive a variety of fascinating phenomena from magnetism to metal-to-insulator transitions (MIT), which are due to the coupling between electron spin, charge, ionic displacements, and orbital ordering. Although Density Functional Theory (DFT) successfully describes the electronic structure of weakly interacting material systems, being a static mean-field approach, it fails to predict the properties of Strongly Correlated Materials (SCM) that include transition and rare earth metals where there is a prominent electron localization as in the case of d and f orbitals due to the nature of their spatial confinement.

Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DMFT) is …

Integration Of Spectroscopic And Mass Spectrometric Tools For The Analysis Of Novel Psychoactive Substances In Forensic And Toxicology Applications, Travon Cooman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Analytical methods aiming for the detection of novel psychoactive substances are continuously revised due to their utility in the seized drug and toxicology realms. One method frequently employed for the preliminary identification of illicit materials is portable Raman spectroscopy. Even when a substance in possession of an offender is identified, conclusive evidence that it may have been consumed requires additional confirmatory work and further toxicological evaluation of a biological specimen. Many times, the substance consumed may not be detected in the analyzed specimen due to its extensive metabolism. It is therefore challenging to rule out the identity of the drug …

Influence Of Saturation Nonequilibrium And Variable Operation Conditions On The Electromechanical Performance Of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite Actuator Architectures, Allison Maria Arnold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) continue to gain attention for their potential to offer unique and versatile solutions in the soft robotic and flexible electronic industries. Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs) are a class of ionic-type EAPs which can be configured as capacitor actuators with very low voltage requirements (≤ 5 V AC or DC). Their compact, portable, and lightweight properties, coupled with a biomimetic bending actuation response make them ideal for human-machine integrated technologies such as medical implants, active skins, and artificial muscles. The Nafion-based IPMC can be described as a layered composite capacitor containing an ionic polymer core, sandwiched between chemically …

Population Characteristics Of Three Black Bass Species In The Upper Ohio River Drainage, Levi Foster Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In West Virginia, species of black bass are economically and ecologically important and support popular fisheries. In the state’s large, navigable river systems, recent information suggests that anglers consider these fisheries diminished relative to their historic stocks. This study sought to describe the population characteristics of Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted Bass in the upper Ohio River drainage and evaluate possible management actions. Low relative abundances coupled with poor growth estimates for Largemouth and Spotted Bass suggests that a suite of environmental and anthropogenic factors may be reducing the quality of their recreational fisheries. Conversely, demographic estimates produced for Smallmouth Bass …

Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes Impact The Microbial And Chemical Composition Of Soils And Sediments Across Ecosystems, Gregory D. Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human activities have led to profound changes in the climate and environment, fundamentally changing global carbon and nitrogen cycles. Ongoing conversion of wildland for human use and the intensification of agricultural systems have dire consequences for biodiversity and the ecosystem services that support society. While natural disturbance regimes are important for the long-term maintenance of native biodiversity and ecosystem function, many disturbances are becoming increasingly frequent due to anthropogenic activities. Increasing the frequency, intensity, or duration of disturbances can prevent ecosystems from returning to their previous equilibria. Disturbance-induced changes to the local environment shape microbial communities, which in turn govern …

Similitude, Scaling, And Prediction Of Stream Dissolved Oxygen Across The Contiguous U.S., Aron Gebreslase

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a general indicator of stream water quality and ecosystem health. However, the concentration of in-stream DO is controlled by various climatic, land use/cover, hydrologic, biochemical, and ecological drivers. Observational data for stream DO are often unavailable at the desired temporal and spatial scales. Accurate and reliable prediction of stream DO concentration based on a small set of environmental drivers is important to guide the water managers and policymakers to achieve and maintain healthy streams. This dissertation focused on identifying the dominant controls of stream DO and understanding the mechanisms and environmental regimes by employing machine learning, …

Experience Of Parents Caring For A Child With An Acquired Disability, Brad E. Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Parents caring for a child with an acquired disability often report a negative impact on physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual health associated with caregiver burden related to their child’s complex health needs. This is further complicated by additional challenges related to the loss of a previously healthy child. Traditional patterns of loss follow linear, time-bound stages that have been observed to be unrelated to the experiences of these specific parents and their families. Therefore, the concept transforming loss has been developed to better understand how these parents navigate loss and find meaning in spite of their suffering.

Purpose: The …

Novel Modes Of Synchronization And Extreme Events In Coupled Chemical Oscillators, David Allen Mersing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We experimentally and computationally investigate dynamical behaviors in coupled chemical oscillators. These networks of chemical oscillators are created using catalytic Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ loaded cation exchange beads submerged in catalyst-free Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) solutions. Various network structures are created by utilizing the photosensitive nature of the Ru(bpy) ₃²⁺ catalyst. The response of the oscillators due to light stimuli can be characterized by constructing a phase response curve (PRC). The PRC quantifies the excitatory and inhibitory responses of BZ oscillators due to applied light perturbations as a function of the oscillators' phase. Different initial concentrations of reactants in the BZ reaction …

Electronic Cigarette Dependence: User And Device Characteristic Predictors, Ashley E. Douglas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding the dependence potential of electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) is critical to informing prevention and regulatory efforts. Extant work on ECIG dependence is limited, in part due to the vast number of products that differ on their ability to deliver nicotine. Further, existing research is based largely on former/current cigarette smokers, and thus confounds dependence on nicotine via ECIGs versus cigarettes. This study evaluated ECIG device/liquid characteristics and use behaviors as predictors of ECIG dependence in a sample of experienced ECIG users who never smoked cigarettes. Participants completed an online survey that assessed ECIG device/liquid features, use behavior, and ECIG dependence. …

Healing Gardens For Assisted Living Facility At Cortland Acres, Thomas, Wv, Pooja Keshav Pawar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The affection humans feel for nature is called biophilia. Connecting with nature helps in healing. The connection with nature can be established by incorporating biophilic elements like air, water, plants, and views of nature into the design. (Kellert,2018). According to Kaplan’s Attention Restoration theory, exposure to nature improves focus and the ability to concentrate. (Kaplan,1989)

Connecting with nature provides to be helpful in health care facilities for frail elderly, people with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias, Hospice care facilities, Mental and Behavioral Health Facilities, and Assisted living facilities. (Marcus,2013)

The aim of this project is to create comfortable, safe, and accessible …

Stormwater Sensitivities To The Climatic And Land Cover Drivers In A Heavily Urbanized Coastal Basin Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Usa., Md Faisal Razy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stormwater runoff response in a complex coastal-urban basin varies with the changes in climatic and land cover drivers. This thesis aims to assess the runoff responses to variation in climatic and land cover variables and perform a sensitivity analysis in complex coastal-urban basins. The Buffalo San Jacinto Basin (BUSJ) of southeast Texas, USA was considered a pilot study area for this research. BUSJ is a heavily urbanized coastal basin, draining an area of 3132 km² through the City of Houston, Texas into the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA. A process-based hydrological model was developed with fine spatio-temporal resolutions for …

Identification Of Sesquiterpenes In Wild Tomato Accessions With Activities Against The Potato Aphid And Their Tissue-Specific Engineering In Cultivated Tomato, Fumin Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas) poses a serious problem in the commercial production of horticultural crops including tomato, since it causes damage by stylet feeding and the transmission of viruses for which it serves as the vector. Application of conventional pesticides being the fundamental tactic in the control of the aphid is increasingly considered insufficient and problematic due to emerging pest resistances and biosafety issues, highlighting the continuing need to develop new efficient and sustainable approaches. Alternatively, glandular trichomes of plants are well-known epidermal hairy tissues producing various secondary metabolites that involve in plant-insect interactions, while the terpene …

Direct Ink Writing Printability – Ashby-Like Plots For Guided Design, Domenic Cipollone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Direct Ink Writing (DIW), an extrusion-based 3D printing technique, offers a broad application space. As such, the technique continues to find use in biomedical, flexible electronic, ceramic, and energy device applications, among others. With this broad application space comes an expanding material library of inks with diverse rheological and microstructural properties. This begs the question: what constitutes a printable ink? How does one define printability? And how does one design for printability?

Researchers currently have a broad understanding of what constitutes a printable ink. However, time and time again, inks with unique rheological properties and formulations are printed. Currently, ink …

Assessment Of User Environmental Perceptions Associated With Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Marieke Johanna Lemmen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resource management in marine protected areas is confronted with the challenging conflict of use and conservation of resources. Increased visitation in marine environments has led to the need of management due to negative ecological and social impacts. Understanding environmental values, attitudes, and perceptions is important to the success of environmental protection. Using online surveys sent via Qualtrics asking questions regarding the users’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of ocean resources, goods and services, this research is focusing on identifying user profiles and understanding their environmental perception associated with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, an offshore marine protected area, and surrounding coastal …

Living On The Edge: Trans* Exclusion, Survival, And Resistance, Rayna E. Momen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

This dissertation focuses on the criminalization and victimization of transgender people, broadly defined as people whose gender identity does not align with their assigned birth sex, using a queer criminological and intersectional lens. The introduction offers background and context for this examination, and includes the purpose, theoretical approach, methodology, research questions, contributions, and overviews of the substantive chapters. Chapter two explores what we know and what we do not know about transgender people’s pathways into the criminal legal system, how they experience state surveillance, and how they navigate the system. Chapter three explores violence against transgender people in various …

A Study On Post-Burn Healing: Optimising Scar Outcome Through The Use Of A Silicone-Based Film-Forming Wound Dressing, Fiona Poelchow

Theses

Introduction

The development of scarring is a normal physiological response during burn wound healing for any except the most trivial of injuries. Burn scarring can cause considerable functional and psychological anguish in burn survivors. Prolonged wound healing has been shown to affect scarring outcomes. Superficial cutaneous wound injuries carry a risk of scarring and altered pigmentation after the wound has healed. The primary aim of this study was to explore the effects of topical silicone on the rate of wound healing in superficial wounds. Secondary aims included investigation of scar and pain outcomes.

Methods

This thesis presents two studies which …

The Virtue Of Appropriate Transparency: Research Psychology And The Replication Crisis, Barry Mannolini-Winwood

Theses

I argue that one step toward addressing the replication crisis in psychology is through the application of appropriate transparency in research communication. Drawing upon virtue epistemology, I propose that appropriate transparency can be defined as a contextually informed point between understatement and overstatement. As such, I contend that judging appropriate transparency in research psychology requires a shared research design nomenclature (RDN). As researchers’ definitions of terms related to research psychology are not necessarily identical between individuals, it is beneficial to use transparent definitions of pivotal concepts to facilitate effective communication between researchers and their audience. However, the boundaries of appropriate …

The Process And Impact Of A Catholic School Amalgamation: A Mixed Method, Single Case Study, Stephen Gough

Theses

This research provides an investigative analysis of the impact of a large-scale change process involving the amalgamation of two long-standing Catholic schools in a capital city of Australia. The study explores how a change process impacted staff, student and parent stakeholders within the initial year of a school amalgamation by examining Catholic school life and culture, student learning and wellbeing, the physical learning environment, and leadership and administration. The objective is to better understand the process and the impact of the change that took place during the amalgamation, in order to further inform the planning and leading of future Catholic …