Digital Commons Network^™

Biophysical Insights Into The Transport Properties Of Lysenin Channels, Andrew Merlin Bogard

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The defense work focused on deciphering novel functionalities of lysenin channels with respect to adjustment of their regulation and transport properties in response to environmental changes. Lysenin is a pore-forming toxin extracted from the earthworm E. fetida, which self-assembles into large pores in artificial and natural lipid membranes containing sphingomyelin. Prior investigations on their functionality identified strong regulation by voltage and ligands as fundamental traits of lysenin, similar to ion channels. In addition, stochastic sensing, controlled switching, and hysteretic conductance have been added to the list of intricate biophysical properties of lysenin channels as potential enablers of biotechnological and biomedical …

Mechanochemical Synthesis Of Functional Layered Materials, Samuel Vladimir Pedersen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

As society continues to create new digital content, the telecommunications industry is seeking new technologies to enable higher bandwidth and lower costs to keep pace with the growing demand. Two-dimensional black phosphorus is proposed as a replacement for III-V compound semiconductors as the optically active material in next-generation silicon photonics as it can enable device scaling with lower power consumption. Therefore, the primary motivation of this dissertation was to investigate BP synthesis and chemical doping using an industrially scalable process, high energy ball milling. Initially, the work focused on understanding the ball mill conversion kinetics of red to black phosphorus, …

Phenomenon-Based Instruction In The Elementary Classroom: Impact On Student Engagement And Achievement In Science Content Learning, Chris Taylor

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Phenomenon-based teaching is a multidisciplinary instructional approach based on student inquiry and problem solving. Students investigate and solve their own questions by applying what topics are relevant to the problem. The goal of phenomenon-based learning is to prepare learners to solve problems in real life. Instead of passively learning abstract or disconnected concepts, phenomenon-based instruction provides student’s rich and meaningful context to the subject by actively engaging them to discover knowledge and skills required to solve the problems. Phenomenon-based instruction gives students the opportunities for discourse, argumentation-using claims with supporting evidence, and making sense of the material being covered, ultimately …

The Graduate Identity Formation Through Teaching (Gift) Project As A Mitigating Tool For Imposter Phenomenon, Brooke Ward

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploratory analysis of the impact of the Graduate Identity Formation through Teaching intervention -- an intervention in which Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics graduate students act as subject matter experts through teaching scientific concepts to elementary teacher candidates -- on graduate students and how it may mediate impostor phenomenon. A sense of expertise, community, and belonging were used as proxy measurements for impostor phenomenon. Data from graduate student impact statements in reflection papers and post-semester interviews were analyzed to measure change in imposter phenomenon for each graduate student. As a result of the intervention, graduate students …

Police Brutality Responses Then And Now: The Effect Poverty, Demographics And Police Funding Has On Police Brutality Response To Civil Rights Movements, Chelsea Marseille

Public Administration & Policy

This study examines the police brutality response during the Black Lives Matter protests, and the reoccurring pattern of police brutality as a response to Civil Rights Movement protests. The study first acknowledges the history of police brutality responses to Civil Rights Movement and how this history affects the responses today. There are eight cities involved in this study that are being compared in four different datasets. The cities data are based on four independent variables, those being population, demographics, police budget in 2020, and persons in poverty. This study will analyze if these four independent variables will influence the dependent …

Emerging Roles Of Intragenic Enhancers In Gene Expression Of Gadd45a, Ekaterina Sazon

Biological Sciences

Non-coding regulatory elements in the eukaryotic genomic DNA, like enhancers and promoters, control gene expression. Transcription factors recognize and bind to DNA sequences within these regulatory regions and affect said regulatory elements. The extent and specific circumstances regarding transcription factors are long-standing questions in the field. In this thesis, we wanted to investigate how transcription factors work in a particular case of enhancers, known as intragenic enhancers. We designed reporter gene assays that looked at the well-studied model transcription factor p53’s regulation on its target gene GADD45A in basal and stress conditions. We determined that GADD45A is a p53-dependent gene, …

Toward Long Non-Coding Rna Detection Using Dna Nanoswitches, Ché-Doni Platt

Biological Sciences

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts that are over 200 nucleotides and do not encode proteins. LncRNAs are involved in a wide spectrum of biological processes ranging from cell proliferation, apoptosis, and nutrient sensing to cell differentiation. Further, lncRNAs have been reported to play an important role in a wide range of pathophysiological processes and are linked to diseases such as cancer. Thus, lncRNAs are becoming increasingly important as biomarkers to study biological and disease processes. In our work, we develop a DNA nanoswitch-based assay for detecting long RNAs. The DNA nanoswitch is a reconfigurable device that undergoes a conformational …

Using The Centrifuge Force Microscope As A Single-Molecule Technique For Studying Base-Stacking Interactions, Kevin Thomas

Biological Sciences

A wide range of single-molecule techniques has streamlined the process of applying and studying the effects of force on individual molecules. The centrifuge force microscope (CFM) is one such technique that allows for high-throughput single-molecule pulling experiments. It is relatively inexpensive and user-friendly, making it a suitable tool to study the effects of force on various biomolecular interactions. A benchtop centrifuge can be used to apply centrifugal force to molecular constructs that are tethered between a glass slide and a microsphere. Molecular events like bond dissociation result in the removal of the microsphere from the surface, which is observed by …

A Tale Of Two States: An Analysis Of Sex Education In Alabama & New York, Danielle Chan

Political Science

Sex education policy in the U.S has been debated throughout the years largely because of its rates of teen births and sexually transmitted diseases which rank among the highest in developed countries. States are left to their own discretion to decide what kind of sex education curriculum they will implement in schools. The federal government can incentivize states’ education policies but sex education, in particular, has been dealt with differently depending on the federal administration. Despite the change in federal administrations, the federal government’s influence has tended to lean towards promoting abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) sex education begging the question of why …

The Effects Of Price And Brand On The Perceived Quality Of Ladies Leggings Between Competitive Retailers, Olivia Thornton

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if brand or price affects the quality perception of the consumer. The research examined what consumers look for when evaluating quality of a garment. Previous studies have shown that consumer expectations of quality in a garment is inconclusive. Research objectives that guided the study were:

- Does brand contribute to the consumers perception of quality?

- Does price contribute to the consumers perception of quality?

This study is a quantitative study using a digital survey and questionnaire looking into fabric, construction, and aesthetics of the leggings. This study involved human subjects; therefore, …

Exploring Women’S Sizing Chart: A View Into Psychosizing, Patience Billingsley

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The apparel industry lacks a universal sizing system and has created tactics to group consumers under a few generic sizes. The inconsistency in sizing has led to a struggle of consumers trying to find pieces of clothing that are not only their size but fit their measurements as well. An analysis of the sizing charts of 5 different women’s clothing private labels ranging from sizes 0-16 within two major department stores was assessed. The sizing charts within each individual store were evaluated, and then compared to one another. After calculating the sizing differences, an average of both store A and …

Justification For An Apparel-Based Sustainability Course At The University Of Arkansas, Sydney Taylor

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The University of Arkansas' Apparel Merchandising and Product Development program does not currently offer a course on sustainability in the apparel and textile sector. Due to a lack of sustainability information, students may not have a thorough understanding of their degree. If students had the opportunity to learn about current sustainability-related topics before entering the workforce, they would have a new perspective and a deeper understanding of the industry, allowing them to potentially make good change.

By elaborating on the need for an apparel-based sustainability course to be offered at the University of Arkansas in the Apparel Merchandising and Product …

Heightened Levels Of Plasma Growth Differentiation Factor 15 In Men Living With Hiv, Reina Armamento-Villareal, Jordan E Lake, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Sean M Hartig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Plasma biomarkers that reflect energy balance disorders in people living with HIV (PLWH) remain limited. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) abundance in plasma of mice and humans induces negative energy balance but also becomes highly elevated in obesity and other metabolic diseases. We sought to compare plasma GDF15 levels in PLWH and HIV-negative persons and mouse models expressing the HIV accessory protein Vpr (that recapitulate HIV-associated metabolic disorders) and determine their relationship to metabolic parameters. We measured liver Gdf15 mRNA levels and plasma GDF15 levels in male Vpr mice and littermate controls. In parallel, we analyzed plasma GDF15 levels in …

The Relationship Between Covid-19 Stress, Psychological Inflexibility, And Psycholoical Well-Being, Alyx Duckering

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the literature on the mental and physical health consequences of COVID-19 has expanded exponentially. Much of the published research has focused on the physical health and economic consequences of COVID-19. Research on the mental health effects of COVID-19 has primarily addressed the increase in anxiety and depression and related avoidance/safety behaviors surrounding COVID-19 (Taylor et al., 2020). Although there is an emerging literature on the COVID-19 mental health consequences, there is a paucity of research examining the processes of how people respond to COVID-19 stress and psychological well-being. Specifically, data examining potential psychological …

Social Workers’ Knowledge And Preparedness In Serving Clients With Experience Of Intergenerational Trauma, Geneva Gandelman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored intergenerational trauma and self-assessed competency levels of social workers who serve clients experiencing possible intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma is a wide-spread issue, as it affects over a quarter of children and over half of adults in the United States. Intergenerational trauma, though affecting many clients, is not often discussed, and many mental health professionals are either uninformed on this topic or not interested. This study explored social workers’ self-assessed general knowledge of intergenerational trauma, training on intergenerational trauma, and whether they have knowledge of interventions or techniques tailored to working with families and individuals with possible …

Combating Domestic Violence: Understanding Military Ipv And The Available Military And Civilian Ipv Interventions, Taylor Coutts

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Intimate relationships within the U.S. military community face domestic violence perpetration at rates three times higher than the civilian population. Currently, both military and civilian agencies work to combat this domestic violence in military relationships. However, delivery of service and intervention techniques are not universal among these providers, and because of this, gaps have been identified. This research, comprised of the nine 45-minute interviews of military agency and civilian non-profit service providers, highlighted four major themes impacting the prevention and intervention of domestic violence in military populations including prevention limitations, conflicting approaches to the truth in a case, lack of …

Mental Health Burden Among College Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jeffrey Bao Truong

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health issue and has negatively burdened the general population’s health, though assessment among vulnerable groups remain limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students.

Method:This study utilized a cross-sectional approach. Courses across multiple departments were used to collect data in order to ensure a diversity of majors. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28 with p <.05 denoting significance.

Results: A total of 98 study participants were included in analyses. Among study participants, 32%reported feeling their mental health worsened due to COVID-19 …

Foster Care Experience, Group Support, And Life Outcomes: A Qualitative Study, Alameta James

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study utilizes the perspectives of foster care alumni to explore the effectiveness of the child welfare system. Based on experiences with general and peer related services while in foster care, participants were asked to evaluate and discuss how interventions they received contributed to areas of their life, including adult independent living. The study used an exploratory method with a qualitative approach to search for categories and themes related to the services, interventions, and activities implemented with foster youth and the effect that had on their lives. Interviews were deduced into six categories: demographics, therapeutic services, education, social support, …

Effectiveness Of Services In Foster Care From The Foster Parents' Perspective, Christina Marie Landeros, Cherish Justine Watson-Nunez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of foster parent perceptions of the services their foster youth were receiving. This study aimed to gather information based on how effective foster parents felt these services were in the hopes that this information can lead to better service provisions. This study conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews of fifteen foster parents with foster children enrolled in Hesperia Unified School District.

Qualitative data analysis revealed themes and subthemes in positive and negative experiences associated County versus school service referrals, as well as social worker communication with foster families. …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Social Service Providers Who Worked With The Homeless Population, Franco Padilla, Cynthia Jimenez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Minimal research has been conducted to evaluate the effects COVID-19 has had on social service providers and their ability to deliver services to the homeless population during the pandemic. This research study seeks to focus on three areas that include: the mental health of the social service providers, the ability to adapt and provide services to the homeless population through telehealth, and the available resources social service providers were able to access to assist their clientele. To explore the impact of COVID-19 on social service providers who work with the homeless population, a qualitative cross-sectional research study was conducted through …

Perceived Social Worker Competency For Addressing Loss Among Children, Adriana Lopez Cota, Catalina Herrera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers provide services in an array of settings which greatly include providing supportive services and resources to children and families. Studies have shown that although social workers are generally trained for comprehensive services, grief and loss have been seemingly left out of social work education and training, leaving many social workers incompetent to address clients presenting with grief/loss (Boss, 2006, Griese et al., 2017, Murty et al., 2015). Unfortunately, this leads to inadequate social work services for many children presenting with grief/loss (Lenhardt, 1997). This study will take a quantitative approach to gather information on the perceived competence of …

Social Workers’ Perceptions In Working With Children With Medical Complexities, Elia Galicia, Rosa Espinoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This research study reviewed some of the challenges that foster care children with medical complexities encounter. The number of children with medical complexities in the foster care system has significantly increased in the last few years. However, little is known about the perceptions of social workers who have worked or will work with this specific population during their careers. This research explored social workers’ knowledge about care and the designed protocols in working with foster children with medical complexities. Variables including social workers’ classification, education level, degree’s background, experience, and completion of training were considered in this study. This …

Immigration And Social Work: A Content Analysis Of Schools In Liberal States, Yenicka Avila, Stephanie Ibarra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The social work profession vows to defend society’s most vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants. Yet, how immigration is perceived in social work education and the extent to which social works schools are integrated this concept in their mission statements and/or social media pages remain understudied in the existing literature. This study is a mixed-methods content analysis of 133 social work schools accredited (or in the process of accreditation) by the Council of Social Work Education (N = 133). It was hypothesized that the proportion of social work schools that overtly/covertly mentioned immigration in their mission statements and Facebook pages will …

Predictors Of Depression In Different Subgroups Of Parkinson's Disease: A Neuroimaging Study, Yenny Gabriela Valenzuela

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most debilitating neurodegenerative diseases in the world. PD is typically characterized by its motor symptoms which commonly include tremors, rigidity, postural instability, and repetitive or involuntary muscle movements. Some of the most common non-motor symptoms include cognitive impairment, personality changes, depression, and anxiety. Depression has shown to be a prominent symptom in individuals with PD which affects them at any point during disease progression. However, it has been suggested that depression is more common among individuals with early-onset PD compared to individuals with later onsets. Our first aim investigated depression rates among individuals …

The Caregiver-Biological Parent Relationship’S Impact On Reunification, Karol Valencia Reynoso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child welfare cases that require the removal of children from the parents require court involvement. Children in foster care are placed in a foster home. Foster caregivers are responsible for the daily care of the court Dependent meanwhile their parent(s) is participating in Family Reunification services.

Interviewing social workers with family reunification case work experience allowed for identification of common barriers or commonalities caused by the relationship between foster caregivers and biological parents. Visitations between the children and bio-parents are a great indicator of reunification likelihood based on the child-parent bond. The study was centered on child welfare social worker’s …

Examination Of Experiential Phenomena Influencing Culinary Educators’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Danny Babin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the theory of expert teaching by comparing culinary educators at the secondary and postsecondary levels based on their varying levels of experience. Experience for culinary educators included pre-service teacher training, in-service teacher training, professional industry experience, and teaching experience. The primary goal of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine the impact professional experience has on culinary educators’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Distinctions in PCK include collective PCK, personal PCK, and enacted PCK. PCK theory has been an integral part of educational research for over three decades; it has been studied, refined, and implemented into …

Measuring Competency In Social Work: Lgbtqia Populations, Desirae Nicole Aguirre, Samantha Raquel Stephens

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study conducted interviews to measure the level of competency social workers have assisting members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, and asexual community (LGBTQIA+) using a qualitative exploratory research design. Data was collected from nine social workers from the United States of America. Key findings indicated the participants generally did not feel competent to work with this community, particularly transgender persons. Training at work, through school, or learned on their own about serving LGBTQIA+ clients were generally limited in scope. Lastly, findings on what the participants thought the specialized needs of the transgender population were …

Identifying Perceptions And Factors Of Pursuing Higher Education In Former Foster Youth, Karina Alicia Galindo, Julissa Arielle Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores former foster youth’s perceptions and factors in pursuing higher education. Twelve participants provided insight on their experiences when in the foster care system that had impacted their pursuance of higher education. Many participants elaborated on their lives after aging out of the system, and how they navigated life as former foster youth. This was done through a self-paced audio recorded interview along with questions regarding demographics and information pertaining to the amount of time each individual spent in the foster care system.

This study’s findings were able to identify overarching themes on former foster youth, such as …

Co-Construction Of Identities Within The Home Brewing Community Of Practice, Ryan Julius Miller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project applies Community of Practice (CoP) theory to examine co-constructions of identity and membership within a Community of Practice based around the home brewing of beer. The study focuses on both the interactions of members with each other and within the community, as well as how the members display their membership and expertise while participating in their practice and acting as identifiable members of their community.

By observing members and their interactions as members of a community, this study attempts to both further the development and understanding of Community of Practice theory as well as gaining understanding of a …

Symmetric Presentations Of Finite Groups And Related Topics, Samar Mikhail Kasouha

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A progenitor is an infinite semi-direct product of the form m∗n : N, where N ≤ Sn and m∗n : N is a free product of n copies of a cyclic group of order m. A progenitor of this type, in particular 2∗n : N, gives finite non-abelian simple groups and groups involving these, including alternating groups, classical groups, and the sporadic group. We have conducted a systematic search of finite homomorphic images of numerous progenitors. In this thesis we have presented original symmetric presentations of the sporadic simple groups, M12, J1 as homomorphic images of the progenitor 2∗12 : …