Digital Commons Network^™

Standardized Neon Organismal Data For Biodiversity Research, Daijiang Li, Sydne Record, Eric R. Sokol, Matthew E. Bitters, Melissa Y. Chen, Ruvi Jaimes, Matthew R. Helmus, Lara Jansen, Marta A. Jarzyna, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding patterns and drivers of species distribution and abundance, and thus biodiversity, is a core goal of ecology. Despite advances in recent decades, research into these patterns and processes is currently limited by a lack of standardized, high-quality, empirical data that span large spatial scales and long time periods. The NEON fills this gap by providing freely available observational data that are generated during robust and consistent organismal sampling of several sentinel taxonomic groups within 81 sites distributed across the United States and will be collected for at least 30 years. The breadth and scope of these data provide a …

University Libraries Newsletter August 2022, Paula Webb

USA Libraries Newsletter

University Libraries monthly newsletter for August 2022.

Contents include:

• Library Participates in Summer Orientation Sessions
• USA Libraries DEI Sponsors Staff Summer Workshop
• JagWorks@USA Information
• Baugh Biomedical Library Welcomes Jonteriya Wiliams
• USA Libraries Welcomes Katherine Sprinkle
• USA Libraries Exhibits and Events for September/October 2022 - Alec and Roy Thigpen Photography collection exhibit, Mobile Art Association Fall Open Show, Katie Thompson Wanderlust & Whimsy Exhibit, and Ronald Blanks Ambivalence Exhibit
• JagWorks@USA informational flier

Restoring An Iso:5840-Compliant Pulse Duplicator Device For Hydrodynamic Performance Characterization Of Artificial Cardiac Valves, Denver Eagar

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

During the summer of 2021, I was employed as an intern at Dynatek Labs, an implantable prosthetics testing company located in southern Missouri. My primary project was to modernize an abandoned pulse duplicator device and protocol to allow the company to re-enter a market area which they left nearly 15 years prior: heart valve testing. The company halted this initiative due to changes in international testing standards in previous years. The International Standards Organization Cardiac Valves Working Group released the latest version of standards concerning artificial heart valve testing (ISO 5840) in January of 2021. Accordingly, my project required that …

What Is The Current State Of Literature Regarding The Effectiveness Of Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder Among African American Men?, Tamiko L. Stanley

Social Work Theses - Archive

Purpose: This scoping review aims to explore the comparative effectiveness of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) among African American men. Methods: The Arksey & O’Malley scoping review method was used to identify relevant articles and extract data related to the research question. Results: The author identified 16 studies that have met all inclusion criteria. Results indicate that buprenorphine treatment is associated with positive substance use and health outcomes for African American men. Discussion: Issues remain with access to MOUD treatment for African American men, despite the positive impact buprenorphine can have on health outcomes. As social workers, advocating for …

Empathy: The Unspoken Language Of Humanity: A Systematic Review Protocol, Yasmin Khaled Al-Zubi

Social Work Theses - Archive

Prolonged exposure to violence may result in habituation or desensitization, which has negative impacts. Desensitization to real-life violence is a reduced initial arousal response to real-life violence. Real-life violence includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, peer violence, and community violence. Children who have been exposed to violence-related adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more likely to achieve violence desensitization, by definition. As a result of ACEs, children are at risk of mental health complications, health-related problems, and risk for maladaptive behavior. Children who have reached violence desensitization are more likely to exhibit externalized symptoms such as aggression …

How Word Choice Influences Collegiate Recovery: A Quantitative Analysis On The Impact Of Identifying Terms On Self-Compassion, Stigma, And Recovery Capital, Morgan Humberger

Social Work Theses - Archive

Purpose: This study seeks to better understand how word choice when referencing people with a substance use disorder is associated with self-compassion and overall recovery capital while in a collegiate recovery program. The main domains to be explored are: 1. how students personally identify, 2. how they prefer to be identified by individuals not in recovery, and 3. how they prefer to be identified by other people in recovery and how their preferences are related to self-reported levels of self-compassion and recovery capital. The information gained from this study can inform collegiate recovery staff, university administration, and peers on how …

Positive Ageing And Death Or Dying: A Scoping Review, Robin Otto

Social Work Theses - Archive

This scoping review aims to examine the extent and how research that utilizes successful, active, productive, and healthy ageing framework(s) include death or dying. An examination of peer-reviewed academic articles published between 1980 and 2021 were reviewed following Joanna Briggs Institute's methodological standards for scoping reviews and conforming to Arskey and O'Malley's five-stage framework. The initial search resulted in 1,759 articles for review, and following the rigorous screening, 35 studies were included for the final review. A thematic analysis was the qualitative method employed to identify how research utilizes the concepts of death and dying in the context of four …

Piloting An Index Of Segregation At The Census Tract Level: Associations With Place And Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Life Expectancies, Katherine F. Kitchens

Social Work Theses - Archive

This study considers residential segregation as a critical driver of racial/ethnic health disparities and introduces an index of segregation, the Representation Index, that measures segregation degree at the neighborhood level with a metric capturing the overrepresentation of a racialized/ethnic group in a census tract in relation to that group’s representation at the city level. Using Dallas, Texas as a pilot city, the index is used to investigate the association between Latinx, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Asian-American groups’ over-representation at the neighborhood level with neighborhood rates of life expectancy at birth. This study aimed to expose the possibility of neighborhood …

How Do Social Work Students Demographic Identities Impact Ally Behavior?, Jayme Dooley

Social Work Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential correlation between a national sample of social work students’ demographics and their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (LGB) and Transgender (T) ally behavior. The sample consisted of 784 final respondents after missingness was accounted for. The main demographic categories analyzed were age, gender, sexual orientation, race, and religion. The data used for this analysis is secondary from a national survey produced by the thesis chair. The findings from this research suggest a link between non-heterosexual orientations and non-cisgender male identifying individuals showed increased ally behavior. Whereas, identifying as Evangelical Christian showed a …

Female Labor Force Participation And Intimate Partner Violence Among Married Women In Nepal, Nibedita Shrestha

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Nepal has the highest rate of female labor force participation (FLFP) in South Asia (Ghosh, Singh, & Chigateri, 2017), alongside high levels of violence against women (Yoshikawa et al., 2014). The explanation for the co-occurrence of high levels of female labor force participation alongside significant amounts of intimate partner violence (IPV) has not been adequately explored. Studies on how the working status of a woman in Nepal makes her vulnerable to violence are few and far between (John, 2020). Theoretical models to account for this phenomenon are crucial to formulating interventions that are protective of working women. The current study …

Investigating Gene Expression Changes In Daphnia: The Role Of Ems-Induced Mutations And Reproductive Modes, Marelize Snyman

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Gene expression variation is a common source of phenotypic variation between species. Understanding how changes in gene expression are associated with a particular phenotype will aid in understanding the molecular basis and evolution of complex traits. For the first chapter, I investigated the role that changes in gene expression play in the origin of obligate parthenogenesis using the microcrustacean Daphnia pulex. I conducted a genome-wide differential expression and splicing analysis comparing early subitaneous and early resting egg production in OP D. pulex isolates to investigate the genes and mechanisms underlying these parthenogenetic modes. Results from the KEGG pathway and GO …

Perceptions Of Secondary Principals Regarding The Effectiveness Of The Program Of Alternative Certification For Educators (Pace) In South Carolina, William Whitfield

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, I report the findings of a mixed-methods study I conducted in the state of South Carolina with secondary principals (middle and high school). The purpose of this two-phase, sequential mixed methods study was to examine the perceptions of secondary principals regarding the effectiveness of the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE), South Carolina’s state supported alternative certification program. In the first phase, I used quantitative survey research to understand secondary principals’ perceptions of the PACE. In the second phase, I identified eight secondary school principals who had experience hiring PACE certitifed teachers and conducted semi-structured interviews …

Distribution And Management Of Phytophthora Species On Lavender In The United States, Daniel Dlugos

All Dissertations

Phytophthora root and crown rot (PRCR) is currently the most important disease on lavender (Lavandula spp.) in the United States. The disease was first described on English lavender (L. angustifolia) in a Maryland nursery in 1991, with Phytophthora nicotianae as the causal agent. Since that time, the disease has been reported on multiple continents and as caused by several species of Phytophthora. This study examined the distribution and pathogenicity of Phytophthora species on lavender in the United States, requested lavender grower feedback regarding their production and concerns, and examined efficacy of selected management options. Lavender …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 22: Stumbling Blocks To An Understanding Of Wallace's Worldview, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The writings of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) present a challenge to modern readers, both for the large range of subjects he entertained, and his unique point of view. In this short treatment, ten ‘stumbling blocks’ to an appreciation of Wallace’s thought are outlined which, it is suggested, have caused problems of interpretation in the past.

Silver Linings 2022, Tower Health

Silver Linings

No abstract provided.

Working Definition Of "Critical Portions": Results From Qualitative Interviews With 51 Academic Surgeons, Alexander Langerman, Kathleen Brelsford, Catherine Hammack-Aviran

Law Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Identify the considerations academic surgeons use when determining which portions of a procedure are “critical” and necessitate their presence.

Background: Teaching physicians are required to be present for the “critical portion” of surgical procedures, but the definition of what constitutes a critical portion remains elusive. Current guidelines defer to surgeons’ expert judgment in identifying critical portion(s) of a procedure; little is known about what concepts surgeons apply when deciding what parts of a procedure are critical. Methods: Qualitative analysis of interviews with 51 practicing surgeons from a range of specialties regarding their working definition of critical portions.

Results: Surgeons …

Post-Factum Studies In Trans-Corporeal Rhetoric: Triangularities Of Genre, Ethics, And Aesthetics In Kenneth Burke And Michel Foucault, Hubert Woodson

English Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation gives an account of and expands upon Stacy Alaimo’s term, “trans-corporeality,” in order to reconsider the rhetorical situation, through conceptualizations of how rhetorical bodies become embodied and traverse one another in various humanities. From “trans-corporeality,” what arises is a “trans-corporeal rhetoric,” which becomes an interdisciplinary rhetoric that speaks to the futures of rhetoric within the boundaries of various humanities, involving notions of embodiment, materiality, corporeality, and what Alaimo calls “bodily natures.” These futures of rhetoric not only wrestle with what embodiment is and can be for rhetorical bodies in various humanities, and what sort of ethics and aesthetics …

A Hybrid Systems Model For Emergency Department Boarding Management, Eniola Oluwasola Suley

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this research is to examine methods for minimizing the influence of boarding on emergency department (ED) crowding outcomes. To accomplish this purpose, this research uses a hybrid systems model framework by combining agent-based simulation, predictive and optimization models to improve ED outcomes such as length-of-stay and left-without-being-seen rates. For the research, different types of simulation models were examined (discrete event and agent-based/discrete event combination) to identify the most parsimonious for studying ED boarding. Predictive models using simulation output were developed to understand the factors that influence future boarding levels as well as generate predictions. Research has previously …

System Identification Of Linear And Non-Linear Dynamical Systems Using Semi-Definite Programming Via Penalized Parabolic Relaxation Method, Adnan Nasir

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This document is prepared to highlight the difference between two very important fields in the realm of Convex Optimization, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and many such sprouting advance fields currently impacting the whole world. The main aim of the recent SDP algorithms is to relax the NP-Hard Convex optimization problems and transform them into amenable jobs without strong theoretical guarantees, but these algorithms tends to approximate the practical in demand applications in many of the aforementioned fields. Moreover, The lack of theoretical guarantee makes the SDP relaxation in-exact and unoptimizable in finite duration. The actual world applications most of the …

Adventurers And Autocrats: The Role Of Authority In The Making Of The English West Indies, 1595-1655, John Clinton Harris

History Dissertations - Archive

After Walter Ralegh made his famous journey to the Orinoco in 1595, English adventurers began the haphazard process of colonizing the West Indies. Initially they tried to follow Ralegh’s efforts in Guiana, but their every effort failed because they lacked access to significant investment capital and did not enjoy the full backing of the crown. After several calamities, Englishmen interested in American colonization turned their efforts towards the Caribbean in 1623. Under the rule of Lord Proprietor James Hay, Earl of Carlisle, and his brutal governors English adventurers enjoyed more success. The key difference in Carlisle’s Caribbean and Ralegh’s Guiana …

Reducing Disparities In Physical Activity And Early Child Development: A Systematic And Observational Approach, Samantha Moss

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

Engaging in adequate (180 minutes per day) physical activity (PA) is an important component in positioning a young child towards optimal health. PA engagement has been linked to improved cardiovascular health, developmental outcomes (i.e., motor, social, and cognitive development), and weight status. Even with the known benefits PA posits, many young children do not receive enough PA during their day. More specifically, children that are of low socio-economic status (SES) pose a greater risk for inactivity, excessive sedentary behavior, and developmental delays. Knowing these disparities exist, even starting in the early childhood years, children’s PA and development remain complex. Using …

Elevated Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Black Females: The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health And Novel Preventive Strategies, Zachary Thomas Martin

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

Among females in the United States, Black females suffer from the highest rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, and total cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Blunted peripheral and cerebral vascular function contribute to the development of CVD and are predictive of CVD risk. Although the causes of disparate cardiovascular health among Black females are multifactorial, upstream contributors such as psychosocial stress attributable to structural and interpersonal racism are likely critical. However, the societal changes required to dismantle structural racism and thus improve health outcomes may take decades to implement. Therefore, in addition to such policy changes, populations who face health …

Lncrteo6 (Ln= La, Pr, Nd) Octahedral Distortions And Optical Characterization, Katheryn R. Cruz

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

LnCrTeO6 (La, Pr, Nd) compounds are suspected to appear as vibrant blue-green colored materials. LnCrTeO6 (La, Pr, Nd) were synthesized to analyze the local coordination environments of Ln3+, Cr3+, and Te6+ cations. Structural characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical properties were examined using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). DRS data was further processed using the Kubelka-Munk function and a Tauc plot was generated to determine the direct and indirect band gap of these semiconducting materials. The superstructure peak corresponding to the (101) plane displayed relatively weak intensities in all samples and decreased in intensity from La to Nd. …

Chemically Modified Cyclofructans For Sub/Supercritical Fluid Chromatography And Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography, Sepideh Khaki Firooz

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

Given the importance of supercritical fluid chromatography, several works focused on the application use different SFC stationary phases. In this work, two new derivatized cyclofructan bonded phases with superficially porous particles are introduced in SFC. Sulfonic acid and benzoic acid groups were covalently linked to the cyclofructan molecule to make them polar and hydrophilic. These derivatives were then bonded to superficially porous particles for high-efficiency separations. This work also shows the effect of adding a small amount of water to the modified mobile phases in SFC. Traces of water in the co-solvent enhances the peak symmetry and efficiency of these …

Age, Provenance And Tectonic Implications Of Late Paleozoic Volcanic Tuffs In Southwest Laurentia, Hepeng Tian

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Assembly of the supercontinent Pangea is among the most important tectonic events in late Paleozoic Earth history. The diachronous Laurentia-Gondwana collision destroyed the intervening subduction zone(s) of the Rheic oceanic plate, ultimately leading to subduction of the Paleo-Pacific oceanic plate beneath western Pangea. However, details about the timing, nature, and geochemical signatures of the two arc systems during the transition from Rheic oceanic plate to Paleo-Pacific oceanic plate subduction are poorly understood. This lack of understanding, in part, reflects the fact that arc magmatic products (esp. granitic rocks) related to the Rheic ocean subduction are largely obscured by those related …

Usf Women's Club Yearbook, 2022–2023, Usf Women's Club

USF Women’s Club Collection

Yearbook of the USF Women's Club. Inside is a list of past presidents, officers, committee chairmen, and members for 2022–2023. The booklet also includes a tribute to Grace Allen, interest groups, calendar of events, and a copy of the constitution and by-laws from the handbook.

The Hr Connection, Georgia Southern University

Human Resources Newsletter

• Introducing O.U.R Southern- Orientation for University Readiness
• August Wellness Corner
• Upcoming USG Well-Being Events
• Save the Date!
• Employee Resource Group Informational
• On-Campus Part-Time Job Fairs
• New! Hiring Timelines
• Appointments available with our Financial Vendors

Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation And Rate Of Gain In Beef Heifers Ii: Effects On Concentration Of Trace Minerals In Maternal Liver And Fetal Liver, Muscle, Allantoic, And Amniotic Fluids At Day 83 Of Gestation, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Ana Clara Ana, Cierrah J. Kassetas, Friederike Baumgaertner, James D. Kirsch, Sheri T. Dorsam, Tammi L. Neville, Alison K. Ward, Pawel P. Borowicz, Lawrence P. Reynolds, Kevin K. Sedivec, J. Chris Forcherio, Ronald Scott, Joel S. Caton, Carl R. Dahlen, Kacie L. Mccarthy

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We evaluated the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation (from pre-breeding to day 83 of gestation) and two rates of gain (from breeding to day 83 of gestation) on trace mineral concentrations in maternal and fetal liver, fetal muscle, and allantoic (ALF) and amniotic (AMF) fluids. Crossbred Angus heifers (n = 35; BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of two vitamin and mineral supplementation treatments (VMSUP; supplemented (VTM) vs. unsupplemented (NoVTM)). The VMSUP factor was initiated 71 to 148 d before artificial insemination (AI), allowing time for the mineral status of heifers to be altered …

Yearling Bulls Have Reduced Sperm Concentration And Increased Seminal Plasma Interleukin-8 After A 28-Day Breeding Season, Alexandria P. Snider, Kacie L. Mccathy, Elane C. Wright-Johnson, Jeffrey D. Ondrak, William T. Oliver, Carl R. Dahlen, Robert A. Cushman, Matthew S. Crouse

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We hypothesized that yearling bulls selected for a 28-d breeding season would have reduced sperm concentrations and morphology, and have increased seminal plasma concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8). Yearling bulls were selected based on a breeding soundness examination (BSE) at approximately 415 d of age and contained at least 750 million sperm in the ejaculate, with 12 bulls randomly selected for breeding (BREEDERS) and 12 bulls not selected for breeding (NON-BREEDERS). After a 28-d breeding period, all bulls underwent a BSE. Plasma and seminal plasma were collected at each time point for analysis. Data were analysed utilizing either the …

Techmatters: There’S A New Ai In Town, And It’S Name Is Chatgpt, Krista Graham

LOEX Quarterly

No abstract provided.