Digital Commons Network^™

Dispersal Sweepstakes: Biotic Interchange Propelled Air-Breathing Fishes Across The Globe, Richard C. Harrington, Matthew Kolmann, Julia J. Day, Brant C. Faircloth, Matt Friedman, Thomas J. Near

Faculty Publications

Aim: Biotic interchanges between Africa, India, and Eurasia are central to explaining the present-day distribution and diversity of freshwater organisms across these landmasses. Synbranchiformes is a diverse and species-rich clade of freshwater acanthomorph fishes found on all southern continents except Antarctica, and include eel- and perch-like, air-breathing and non-air-breathing fishes. Lacking a comprehensive and resolved phylogeny of the entire clade, contemporary interpretations of synbranchiform biogeography invoke scenarios as disparate as Gondwanan vicariance and pan-global rafting to explain their modern-day distribution. Here, we study their biogeographic history of continental dispersal events and test whether these are associated with increases in lineage …

The Sequential Direct And Indirect Effects Of Mountain Uplift, Climatic Niche, And Floral Trait Evolution On Diversification Dynamics In An Andean Plant Clade, Agnes S. Dellinger, Laura Lagomarsino, Fabián Michelangeli, Stefan Dullinger, Stacey D. Smith

Faculty Publications

Why and how organismal lineages radiate is commonly studied through either assessing abiotic factors (biogeography, geomorphological processes, and climate) or biotic factors (traits and interactions). Despite increasing awareness that both abiotic and biotic processes may have important joint effects on diversification dynamics, few attempts have been made to quantify the relative importance and timing of these factors, and their potentially interlinked direct and indirect effects, on lineage diversification. We here combine assessments of historical biogeography, geomorphology, climatic niche, vegetative, and floral trait evolution to test whether these factors jointly, or in isolation, explain diversification dynamics of a Neotropical plant clade …

In The Spotlight—Early Career Researcher, Patricia Schneider

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cellulose Nanofiber As Mask/Personal Protective Equipment Surface Agent For Enhanced Anti-Bacterial Performance, Sophia Jackson, Jonathan Chen

Faculty Publications

The utilization of face-covering masks as an extended form of personal protective equipment has led to exponential waste measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, with estimations of up to 7200 tons of medical-type waste daily. A primary cause of this waste is surgical layered disposable masks that are constructed by melt-blown nonwovens usually made of non-biodegradable thermoplastic polymers like polypropylene. To increase widespread sustainable options to the public, commercialized or do-it-yourself-based fabric masks serve as a solution, but their resistance to harmful molecules is less than that of the medical-grade masks due to the fabric structure that leaves space for penetration. …

Intersectionality And Employment Barriers: Analyzing Age And Gender Bias In Job Advertisements, Ciara Carl

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Different forms of discrimination occur within phases of the employment process (attraction, selection, retention), with an estimated 20-40% of employers influenced by bias in their hiring decisions. Sexism and ageism are among the most prevalent forms; however, detecting hiring discrimination is complex and often unreported. The current study focused on the attraction phase to examine how age and gender intersect to create employment barriers and opportunities. A sample of 800 job ads were collected from white-collar, blue-collar, female-and-male-dominated occupations across the U.S. Using a mixed methods approach, data were analyzed through an exploratory, content analysis to identify previous and nuanced …

Strengthening Families Affected By Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Evaluation Of A Rural Extension Program, Pamela B. Payne, Jill Baker-Tingey

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Heart and Hope (H&H) was designed to provide parenting education and social-emotional skills to children and parents exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural Nevada. The goal was to evaluate IPV efforts by measuring parent (N = 47) and children’s (N =100) knowledge and behavior change around building healthy relationships and improved parenting practices following exposure to IPV and the H&H curriculum. Results indicated significant increases in both perceived knowledge and behavior change, suggesting that the program is effective in strengthening family relationships, improving parenting practices, developing emotional competency, and helping families envision a positive future. One of the …

The Effect Of Altitude On Decomposition: Toward An Understanding Of The Postmortem Interval In The Rocky Mountain Region Of Colorado., Christiane Irene Baigent

Dissertations

The estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) is a critical component of medicolegal death investigation. An accurate PMI estimate has the potential to influence the allocation of investigative resources, establish the probative value of associated biological and material evidence, shape the analytical framework applied to skeletal analysis, and inform cause and manner of death. Forensic anthropologists are often tasked with PMI estimation throughout all stages of decomposition and typically rely on categorical phases of soft tissue and skeletal change purported to correspond to broad estimates of elapsed time. In an attempt to improve precision, Megyesi et al. (2005) developed the Total …

A Survey Of The Biodiversity And Phylogeny Of Pucciniales Collected In Puerto Rico, Catherine Liana Rock

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Rust fungi (Pucciniales) are a diverse group of fungi belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota. Rusts are obligate biotrophic parasites that infect vascular plants many of which have economic and agricultural importance such as legumes, wheat, and coffee crops (Helfer, 2013, Kolmer et al., 2009). In tropical regions of the world, only about 3-4% of the estimated Pucciniales species diversity is known (Piepenbring et al., 2011). This study aims to determine phylogenetic groupings of Pucciniales collected in Puerto Rico using molecular data and to compare this data to rust species previously identified in Cuba, a closely related tropical location in terms …

Breaking Bonds: Effect Of The Loss Of Parental Rights On Prison Admission In The United States, 2000-2019, Audrey E. Erickson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This paper investigates the relationship between termination of parental rights (TPR) and prison admission rates in the United States over the period from 2000 to 2019. Grounded in social bond and labeling theories, the study explores how the loss of parental rights influences the likelihood of parents to offend or reoffend and whether such a relationship differs between men and women. Using state-level administrative data, fixed-effects regression models are employed to analyze the impact of TPR rates on prison admissions, while accounting for time-varying socioeconomic factors (poverty rate, unemployment, and TANF maximum benefit). Findings indicate a positive causal effect association …

Understanding Travis Bickle: The Incel Prototype, Abigail Lydia Oakley

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In this essay, I analyze the character Travis Bickle from the 1976 film "Taxi Driver." I use theory from and about masculinity in the 1970s, context of the Vietnam War, psychology of incels, character analysis of Travis, critical reviews from the time, and primary sources from incel forums to connect Travis to the modern day incel.

Investigating And Modeling The Rate Of Syncytia Formation In Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv), Emily Hope Landwehr

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that infects humans and causes a range of symptoms similar to a common cold. Severe cases result in pneumonia and hospitalization. A critical mechanism for RSV spread is lateral cell-cell transmission that can result in the formation of multinucleated syncytia, a single cell containing multiple nuclei. Syncytia formation is known to influence RSV transmission in vitro. Previous studies have contributed to the development of a current viral kinetic model that shows a representation for the progression of viral infections. A limitation to this model is that it does not account for syncytia …

Exploring Immune Related Alterations In Ops/Bin2 Interactions And Investigating Tcp8 Localization Patterns To Enhance Understanding Of The Brassinosteroid Signaling Pathway, Maura Adare Donnelly

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway is vital in regulating development and stress response in plants. The hormone BR binds a receptor kinase at the plasma membrane forming a receptor complex, causing an intracellular signal transduction carried out through protein interactions within the pathway. These interactions allow for transcription factors to bind to and regulate BR regulated genes within the nuclei; this is important as their expression is important for growth and development. The project's proteins of interest, including Arabidopsis thaliana proteins OPS and BIN2, along with transcription factors TCP8 and BZR2, are involved in these pathway interactions. Recent research has …

Elation Or Tranquility: The Impact Of Music And Mood On Memory, Grace A. Reynolds

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In this thesis, I researched how music is intertwined with mood and in what ways it can affect one’s memory. A lot of research indicates that mood can affect one’s memory (e.g., Lee & Sternthal, 1999). For example, it was found that respondents remember information better when in a positive mood rather than a neutral mood. Yet, other research has found that positive moods can reduce the processing of information (Lee & Sternthal, 1999). Additionally, research shows that having a mood in one setting can encourage the recall of information obtained in that setting when the same mood occurs later …

Realistic Responses Or Unnecessary Stereotypes: State Policy And Cbp Encounters In The 100 Mile Border Zone, Makenna Marie Territo

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The field of immigration policy is categorized broadly as an untouchable federal policy issue with nonexistent bipartisan legislation, that is vital in addressing tensions in the current political climate. The lack of response at the federal level has large repercussions for individuals in communities along the border who want things done who take on issues at the local level. State level responses are then exacted in the form of legislation whether these policies are based on data or stereotypes. States have made history for their restrictive immigration policies along the Southern border as tensions skyrocket. In some cases, the affected …

Tpm^Ph Derivative Of Tungsten; Hydrogen-Bonding In 7-Coordinate Cation Complex, Olivia Ryon Simcox

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Tpm^Ph, or tris(3-phenylpyrazolyl)methane reacts with tungsten hexacarbonyl to form the ligand-metal complex tris(3-phenylpyrazolyl)methane tungsten tricarbonyl, or Tpm^PhW(CO)3. The further complexes of Tpm^PhW(CO)3 and Tpm^PhMo(CO)3 are not known. This project aims to explore how the addition of a phenyl substituent to the pyrazole ring on Tpm impacts the synthesis of [Tpm^PhW(CO)3I]+X– and [Tpm^PhW(CO)3H]+X–. The inclusion of this phenyl substituent may impact the possible hydrogen bonding of then hydrogen contained in the carbon-hydrogen bond. This work aims to explore the extent of hydrogen-bonding of the carbon-hydrogen bond of the Tpm^Ph ligand in cationic metal complexes.

Examining Women’S Power Under Fascism: Francoist Spain, Isabelle Rojek

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Due to the #MeToo movement and the overturning of Roe v. Wade debates about women's power are at the forefront of society. These debates have sparked an increase in trying to understand how political systems function, as well as how those systems allocate power and agency to women. Using the case of Francisco Franco’s rule over Spain from 1939 to 1977, a conclusion was drawn that the power and agency that women have is most often within the home and family life, which is both the power and the limit of it. Unless they were in a position of high …

Perceptions Of Environmental Justice And Water Quality In The United States, Paige M. Jewell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

My thesis explores the comparisons of water quality and environmental justice. A survey was conducted that allowed for demographics, hometown information, and opinions on hometown water quality to be gathered from the Butler community. Based on the findings in the survey and current events found within an extensive literature review, three states were chosen to receive further analysis on their current water quality and environmental justice standards. For these three states, current water pollutants, current solution implementations, population impacted, and community involvement were all looked into and analyzed.

Misophonia Development From Onset To College Age, Hope Horsfall

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Misophonia is a newly recognized disorder, defined as the hatred of specific trigger sounds and characterized by extreme negative emotional responses upon hearing trigger sounds (Webber, Johnson, Storch 2013). Although some studies have suggested that misophonia worsens with age (Rouw & Erfanian, 2018), little is yet known about this progression. The purpose of the current study was to examine how misophonia develops from onset until college, what sounds specifically trigger college-aged students, and how misophonia relates to sound-related skills such as playing instruments, taking music lessons, and speaking multiple languages. An online survey was conducted through Butler’s SONA system and …

Motivations For Civic Engagement Among College Students, Claire Elizabeth Farrington

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This thesis examines the motivations for and barriers to voting for college students at a private, predominantly white institution in the Midwest that serves roughly 4500 students. Given that civic learning is essential and can actively increase civic engagement in the form of voting, civic education should be readily available to all citizens of all ages (Winthrop, 2020). However, civic education typically only widely occurs in high school, often before the age when individuals can vote. There are very few easily accessible and well-advertised post-high school opportunities for civic education. College is a formative time for the development of an …

Dnp Final Report: Resilience Training For Entry-Level Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Ashley N. Goar

DNP Final Reports

Nursing students have moderate to high levels of stress due to responsibilities, high expectations, course grades, and clinical requirements. The practice problem identified for this evidence-based practice project was that undergraduate nursing students had elevated levels of stress but did not know how to manage it. Multiple interventions have been used to address the problem, including positive thinking, mindfulness, resilience training, and distraction-focused therapies. The PICOT question “Will resilience training (I) for entry-level BSN students (P) affect stress (O) in less than three months (T)?” was developed to guide the systematic search for evidence. Based on the evidence, one hour …

2024 Commencement, University Of The Pacific

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Pilot Evaluation Of Programmatic Elements For First-Generation And Historically Marginalized Doctoral Students And Their Families, Bridget A. Walsh, Sarah Mitchell, Emmanuel Kyeremeh Addai, Matthew Aguirre, Keira Hambrick

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

While research demonstrates that family support is essential for doctoral students, research detailing institutional efforts to involve families is limited. We developed the GAIN Scholars program, consisting of two 3-week-long boot camps for incoming first-generation and historically marginalized doctoral students. Quantitative data were collected from 38 doctoral students in the GAIN Scholars program (n = 22) and the control (n = 16). One key component of this program was family support for doctoral students. Family members (n = 15) were invited to the opening ceremony, a day of programming, and online activities. Pre- and post-test measures indicate participants had a …

Investigating The Modulation Of Metastasis By Dax-1 In Adrenal Carcinoma Cells, Aarya Mishra

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The nuclear hormone receptor (NHR), DAX-1 (dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia critical region, on chromosome X, gene 1), is important in adrenal and gonadal development as well as steroidogenesis. It is encoded by the NR0B1 gene and functions mainly as a transcriptional repressor. Classified as an orphan receptor within the NHR superfamily, DAX-1 has been shown to inhibit other NHRs including estrogen receptor, androgen receptor and steroidogenic factor 1. DAX-1 is found to be underexpressed in breast and prostate cancers and, specifically in prostate cancer, is believed to be a transcriptional repressor of genes that are involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition …

Using Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry In Conjuction With Derivatization Methods To Enhance The Separation Of Different Steroid Isomers, Shadrack Lucas

All Theses

One of the major problems facing analytical chemistry challenge is the isomers separation, due to their closely related molecular structures and physicochemical properties. Therefore, in this thesis, we have performed the separation of steroid isomers through the use of ion mobility mass spectrometry, using various chemical approaches. Ion mobility is an effective high-resolution separation techniques that utilizes the mobility of ions in the gas-phase environment. A useful tool for isomeric analysis due to the ability to separate different isomeric classes of steroids according to their varied collision cross-sections, which is achieved by taking advantage of differences in ion mobility.

Moreover, …

Redesign Of X-Ray Irradiator To Expand Research Of Low-Dose X-Ray Radiation, Lauren Ulbrich

All Theses

The effects of high-dose radiation are well-documented, and are understood to be harmful to the human body. On the other hand, the effects of low-dose radiation are much less understood. There is debate over whether or not there are negative, positive, or no effects at all from low-dose radiation. One of the reasons why these effects are not well known is because there aren't as many studies done on this type of radiation. It is a lot harder to classify the effects of radiation at low doses due to many external factors. However, the Clemson Medical Physics lab has been …

Protect Trans Kids: A Call To Action, Suzi Goebel

SMU Law Review Forum

The last several years have seen an increasing number of attacks on marginalized groups in the United States, including people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Most recently, some state legislatures have focused their efforts on preventing transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming medical care. Despite a virtually unanimous consensus on the importance and benefits of gender-affirming care, many conservative politicians have taken aim at vulnerable children, standing in the way of potentially life-saving treatment and accusing their families and doctors of child abuse. Laws preventing transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care are just one battle in the …

Navigating Your Teen's Fluctuating Mood, Jasmine Fraser

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Magnetic Three-Dimensional Graphene: A Superior Absorbent For Selective And Sensitive Determination Of Nitrite In Water Samples By Ion-Pair Based-Surfactant-Assisted Solid-Phase Extraction Combined With Spectrophotometry, Mina Vasheghani Farahani, Sajad Karami, Hassan Sereshti, Shokouh Mahpishanian, Somayeh Koupaei Malek, Shahabaldin Rezania

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Student Research

A straightforward, fast and efficient analytical method was developed which utilizes a magnetic composite called three-dimensional graphene (3D-G@Fe₃O₄) as an adsorbent to recover nitrite ions (NO₂^–) from environmental water samples. The investigation into the synthesized adsorbent contained an examination of its morphology, chemical composition, structural attributes, and magnetic properties. This comprehensive analysis was conducted using various instrumental techniques, including Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The adsorbent surface was activated by adding cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to the …

Effect Of Short-Term Exposure To Pesticide Mixture On Tissue Architecture, Body Fluid Conditions, Nitrative Stress And Osmoregulation Of American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Asif Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Pesticides are used widely to control weeds and pests in agricultural settings but harm non-target aquatic organisms. We examined the effect of short-term exposure (one week) to pesticide mixtures (low dose: 0.5 μg/L Roundup®, 0.5 μg/L 2,4-D, and 0.4 μg/L atrazine; high dose: 1 μg/L Roundup®, 1 μg/L 2,4-D, and 0.8 μg/L atrazine) on American oyster (Crassostrea virginica, an important shellfish and seafood species) under controlled laboratory conditions. Histological analyses demonstrated the atrophy in oysters' gills, digestive glands, and connective tissue. The protein concentrations and glucose levels dropped significantly in the high-dose treatment. The number of hemocytes in connective tissue …

Microplastic Trends In Estuarine Surface Waters, Hanna Mogensen

Master's Theses and Capstones

With an estimated 8.75 million metric tons of plastic entering the world’s oceans each year, marine plastic litter has become a fast-growing concern. Plastics have been found to have severe impacts on aquatic environments and marine organisms in which both physical and chemical effects have been described. Once plastics enter the oceans, the qualities that make them so desirable- their persistent and durable nature- also make them a substantial and persistent threat. Through natural processes (solar degradation, mixing, and biofouling) larger plastic pieces break apart, but never fully degrade, existing as smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics.

Microplastics, defined as …