bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptation of soybean to tropical environments for smallholder farmers
Authors:   , Miranda Carrie
Published: April 2021

There are many traits that influence crop adaption to a new environment so that it can perform as a farmer would prefer. In these chapters, I have shown the influence of the genetic mechanisms behind pod shatter, days to flower, days to maturity, and height for soybean in a tropical environment. We developed two molecular tools to identify the allele status of Pdh1, a gene that influences shatter. Using those tools, we discovered that this genetic source of shatter susceptibility is still prevalent in African breeding materials and released varieties. I also contributed knowledge of the effects of the maturity genes E1, E2, E3 and ELF3 on days to flower and days to maturity. It was discovered that season length can be controlled by choice of the long juvenile trait ELF3 allele. Days to flower is influenced by E1 alleles in a j-1 background, and is influenced by E1, E2, and E3 in a j-x background in some cases. I also discovered that the determinate and indeterminate phenotypes do have different influences on height in this environment, but the gene Dt1 does not affect maturity. The next step is to conduct yield testing to understand how these traits influence yield. In addition, other alleles of ELF3 should be bred into different backgrounds to see if they influence different season lengths as well. Finally, the genetic source of the long juvenile trait in the current African released varieties need to be discovered. Taken together the future data combined with the data presented here can assist a local breeder in Africa to choose the germplasm they want to control their season length or protect yields from pod shatter and ultimately create a new, elite African variety.
Tale of two schools : a phenomenological case study of culture in a high school with an international baccalaureate program
Authors:   , Newton-Woods Callie
Published: April 2021

International Baccalaureate (IB), a highly rigorous academic and college preparatory program, has sometimes been implemented to turn around otherwise struggling school systems. Little is known about the impact on school culture from the implementation of IB in a low-achieving, high poverty school through the lens of critical theory and leader-member exchange theory. The purpose of this study is to gain teacher and student perspectives on the culture of a high school twenty years after the introduction of IB. The research questions that guided this study were as follows: Based on staff and student perceptions, what is the current culture at Central High School? What is the role of International Baccalaureate in that culture? Findings indicated that the culture of this high school was diverse, historic, superficially unified, and deeply divided. Findings further indicated that IB both encouraged diversity within the school, as well as facilitated division. Implications from this research state Central will continue to survive, and perhaps even grow, as a diverse and historic educational institution, however, the approach used towards cultural division will continue to perpetuate social, educational, and economic disparities within that school.
A qualitative study of administrator and teacher perceptions of changing instructional practices with 1:1 technology
Authors:   , Lutes Joseph C. II
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Reports on changing instructional practices with one-to-one (1:1) technology suggest positive increases in academic engagement, test scores, and preparing for 21st century careers. Multiple models of technology integration have been used to describe the level of 1:1 integration. The RAT model describes three levels of integration: replacement, amplification, and transformation. One-to-one technology implementation can be described in terms of Michael Fullan's change theory. Change theory has been used in educational research to describe changes and new initiatives. The purpose of this study was to identify changes with instructional practices as a result of implementing 1:1 technology, specifically at the middle school level. Qualitative data suggests participants viewed 1:1 technology integration favorably as participants discussed changes in instructional practices with utilizing digital platforms for communication, increased collaboration between students, more immediate feedback, increase in the availability of resources for student use, and the increased ability to integrate project-based learning into classroom instruction. Generally, the participants reported using 1:1 technology at all levels of the RAT model of technology integration dependent upon the lesson. Participants indicated that middle school students are more engaged with 1:1 technology. Furthermore, participants described the middle school years as exploratory in nature, providing a foundation for building digital citizenship. (Key words: one-to-one, 1:1 technology, RAT model (replacement-amplification-transformation), instructional practices, change theory, technology integration, middle school).
Clinical deterioration and perception of cues among medical surgical nurses
Authors:   , Orique Sabrina B.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] In the medical-surgical setting, failure to rescue events continue to remain prevalent. While failure to rescue events are often proceeded by changes in patient cues (i.e. vital signs), prior research suggests that both subtle and overt patient cues are sometimes missed or misinterpreted. Prompt recognition and management of failure to rescue events is dependent on nurses' capacity and tendency to perceive changes in patient cues that indicate clinical deterioration. To better understand the cognitive nature of medical-surgical nurses' deterioration cue perception, a cross-sectional non-experimental study was conducted. The Situation Awareness Model and Signal Detection Theory were used as a framework to examine nurses' capacity to perceive deterioration cues and associated nurse characteristics. Findings showed that as nurses' capacity to perceive deterioration cues increased, nurses were more likely to classify patient cues as indicators of deterioration. Though fatigue, education, and certification were not predictors of nurses' capacity to perceive deterioration cues, experience was observed to be a predictor based on levels of skills acquisition. Future research should aim to examine whether other individual characteristics such as information processing mechanisms and signal detection training affect nurses' ability to perceive deterioration cues.
Stigma management strategy effectiveness in procuring job protected leave
Authors:   , Zerilli Deirdre
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This experiment uses a 2x2x2 experimental design to assess the influence that type of appearance-related surgery (reconstructive or cosmetic), stigma management strategy (accepting or avoiding), and gender (male or female) have on participants' likelihood to grant an employee one weeks' worth of job-protected leave. This study used a combined theoretical lens of Stigma Management Communication (SMC; Meisenbach, 2010) and Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975) to guide predictions on the decision-making process of participants. While type of surgery (reconstructive or cosmetic) and stigma management strategy (accepting or avoiding) had no influence on participants' likelihood to grant unpaid leave, participants in reconstructive surgery conditions were significantly more likely to grant paid leave to requestors than participants in cosmetic surgery conditions. Similarly, while neither the gender of the requestor nor the gender of the participant had significant influence on participant decisions, the gender of the participant was significantly related to other factors within the study, such that female participants had significantly higher acceptance of cosmetic surgery, more positive attitudes toward people with disabilities, and a greater likelihood of knowing someone who had cosmetic surgery than men. Stigma management strategy did influence some variables within the study, such that women in reconstructive conditions perceived requestors using the "avoiding" stigma management strategy to be significantly more masculine than requestors who used the "accepting" stigma management strategy. Practical and theoretical implications of this study are discussed.
A qualitative case study of graduate assistantship experiences at the University of Central Missouri
Authors:   , Hewitt Shellie R.
Published: April 2021

This qualitative case study was designed to investigate graduate assistantships at the University of Central Missouri (UCM). Specifically, the researcher sought to understand how assistantships prepare graduate students for real world practices, provide a place to perfect their leaned skills, and assist with professional goal attainment. Participants of this study included current graduate assistants, previous graduate assistants, university leadership, and supervisors of graduate assistants. The conceptual framework of this research study incorporated Kolb's (1984), Experiential Learning Theory. This theory was chosen because it gives credibility to the concept that graduate assistantships can enrich learning and professional development (Johns, 2001; Kolb, 1984). Data collection for this study consisted of individual interviews, a focus group and an online survey. Furthermore, data validity and reliability were enriched through strategies such as triangulation, adequate engagement in collection of data, member checking, and rich thick description (Creswell, 2014; Merriam and Tisdell, 2016; Seidman, 2013). Analysis of the data revealed topics such as professional development effectiveness, opportunities and experience, and the organizational value of graduate assistantships. This information provides concrete evidence pertaining to the benefits and value of graduate assistantships at UCM.
Machine learning methods for 3D object classification and segmentation
Authors:   , Le Truc Duc
Published: April 2021

Object understanding is a fundamental problem in computer vision and it has been extensively researched in recent years thanks to the availability of powerful GPUs and labelled data, especially in the context of images. However, 3D object understanding is still not on par with its 2D domain and deep learning for 3D has not been fully explored yet. In this dissertation, I work on two approaches, both of which advances the state-of-the-art results in 3D classification and segmentation. The first approach, called MVRNN, is based multi-view paradigm. In contrast to MVCNN which does not generate consistent result across different views, by treating the multi-view images as a temporal sequence, our MVRNN correlates the features and generates coherent segmentation across different views. MVRNN demonstrated state-of-the-art performance on the Princeton Segmentation Benchmark dataset. The second approach, called PointGrid, is a hybrid method which combines points and regular grid structure. 3D points can retain fine details but irregular, which is challenge for deep learning methods. Volumetric grid is simple and has regular structure, but does not scale well with data resolution. Our PointGrid, which is simple, allows the fine details to be consumed by normal convolutions under a coarser resolution grid. PointGrid achieved state-of-the-art performance on ModelNet40 and ShapeNet datasets in 3D classification and object part segmentation.
Three essays on the idiosyncrasies of a perennial crop : the case of the US almond market
Authors:   , Maltsbarger Robert D.
Published: April 2021

The United States (US) is the dominant global producer and exporter of almonds, and its exports are sensitive to both the supply and demand in other countries. In the first essay a proposed framework that captures supply idiosyncrasies of perennial crops is developed to estimate the excess demand elasticity for US almonds. Global supply, demand and price transmission elasticities are estimated and excess demand elasticities computed. The 2003-2013 mean export demand elasticity for US almonds was -0.244 in the short-run and -0.681 in the long run. Ecosystem Services (ESS) play a key role in providing necessary natural resource inputs into almond production in California. When ESS are threatened, it affects producer investment decisions and the longer-run supply responses of perennial crop producers. In the second essay, a framework incorporating an ecological and economic (eco-economic) approach is proposed. An explicit ecological variable representing water availability is incorporated into perennial producer supply response models. The new eco-economic framework improves fit compared to traditional model specifications. Almond production in California is not only dependent on quality water for irrigation but also commercial pollination services. Since 2005, commercial pollinator service fees for US almond producers have skyrocketed attributed to colony collapse disorder (CCD), which increased bee colony mortality. In the third essay a model incorporating the influence of both CCD and water availability on Californian almond producer behavior is used to estimate producer welfare impacts of these two threatened ecosystem services. Simulation results indicate that the extreme drought reduced production leading to higher prices and a positive impact on producer surplus, whereas CCD increased farmers' costs and negatively impacted producer surplus. The net influence of these mixed impacts from drought and CCD from 2005/06 through 2015/16 was $656 million increase in US almond farmers' producer surplus.
Small group read aloud with nonfiction and fiction literature in preschool
Authors:   , Robinson Ariel
Published: April 2021

"The purpose of this study was to investigate teacherï¿½s roles and childrenï¿½s responses during small group read aloud with fiction and nonfiction literature in one preschool classroom. This instrumental case study draws from three theoretical orientations: sociocultural theory, reader response theory, and the emergent literacy perspective. Two preschool teachers and 19 children were video and audio recorded as they participated in small group read aloud events that occurred during choice time in their classroom twice per day. Transcripts of interviews and small group read aloud sessions were analyzed. Analysis included open coding, axial coding, and constant comparative techniques to reach data saturation. Research findings suggest that teachers employed similar and different scaffolding and modeling strategies when reading fictional and nonfiction literature, differentiated instruction for younger and older children, as well as responded aesthetically to fictional stories and efferently to nonfiction texts. Children utilized a range of meaning making strategies and responded both aesthetically and efferently to both types of text. Older children served as peer models for their younger classmates. This study has several implications. Future research should investigate read aloud with fiction and nonfiction literature with different populations of teachers and children, repeated readings of nonfiction literature, and large versus small group read aloud in preschool. Implications for preschool teachers include careful selection of fiction and nonfiction literature, employing additional reading strategies for nonfiction, differentiating instruction for younger and older preschoolers, and reading across the efferent-aesthetic continuum with both types of text. Preschool administrators should make reading instruction with fiction and nonfiction texts a priority. Early childhood teacher education faculty can support preservice teachersï¿½ capacities to read fiction and nonfiction literature with children.
Load and resistance factor design of drilled shafts subjected to lateral loading at service limit state
Authors:   , Uong Minh Dinh
Published: April 2021

Since 2007, the American Association of State Highway Administration Officials (AASHTO) has made utilization of Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) mandatory on all federally-funded new bridge projects (AASHTO, 2007). However, currently, there are no guidelines implementing LRFD techniques for design of drilled shaft subjected to lateral loads using reliability-based analysis. On a national level, the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (AASHTO, 2012) specify that a resistance factor of 1.0 be used for design of drilled shafts subjected to lateral loading at service limit state, which means reliability-based analyses for calibration of resistance factors have not been performed. Therefore, there is a need to create a LRFD procedure for drilled shafts subjected to lateral loading at service limit state that has reliability-based calibrated resistance factors applicable for future projects. The research focuses on the reliability-based analysis of drilled shaft subjected to lateral loading, characterize lateral load transfer model of drilled shafts in shale, probabilistic calibrate resistance factor and contribute to the development of design procedure using LRFD. The objective of this work is to improve the design of drilled shaft subjected to lateral loading using LRFD at service limit state by providing a more reliable design procedure than the current AASHTO LRFD procedure for drilled shafts subjected to lateral loading at service limit state.
Commerce clause new federalism in the Rehnquist and Roberts courts : dynamics of culture wars constitutionalism, 1964-2012
Authors:   , Robinson Roger E.
Published: April 2021

Commerce Clause New Federalism in the Rehnquist and Roberts Courts describes how interpretation of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution has evolved since the Constitution was first ratified by the several states. It shows how the clause, which was originally included to facilitate trade between the states by removing barriers to trade, evolved into Congress' primary justification for all kinds of actions that had previously been the domains of the states. The work includes case studies of four controversial cases that occurred when the Chief Justice was William Rehnquist along with a case study of National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius decided in the court of Chief Justice John Roberts. The work also makes the case that commerce-clause-based legislation was a critical contributor to the current culture wars occurring in America because each piece of legislation becomes a winner take all proposition with national ramifications.
A case study of secondary school principals' perceptions of a teacher evaluation system in one northwest Missouri school district
Authors:   , Godfrey Terri
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine principals' perceptions of the Missouri Educator Evaluation System (MEES) utilized in one northwest Missouri school district. Increasing public criticism over traditional teacher evaluation systems and federal mandates prompted school districts to re-design and implement new teacher evaluation models. This study gathered principals' perceptions of the impact of the MEES model. Information gathered was grouped into themes and sub-themes using three tools from the model, Professional Growth Plans, Walkthroughs, SLO's. Data collected through individual interviews, a focus group and document analysis informed the study. The population included thirteen secondary administrators, which had implemented the MEES model. An interpretive analysis of data was completed to make the following conclusions; principals perceived the walkthrough observations to have the most impact on classroom instruction, while the professional growth plans (PGP's) and student learning objectives (SLO's) had minimal effect on classroom instruction; likely due to incomplete and improper implementation. It is recommended the district continue to train principals on the MEES teacher evaluation system to increase the impact the MEES model has on classroom instruction.
Adolescent leadership development through participation in a robotics design challenge experience
Authors:   , Doering David Allan
Published: April 2021

This research study explored the adolescent leadership development experiences within teams participating in the Robotics Design Challenge sponsored by the University of Missouri Engineering Department. Since the design challenge was not a leadership development program, this research explored whether or not leadership development occurred. The first research question was whether leadership development experiences emerged. The second question took a constructivist and situational view of how the adolescents experience leadership development. The third research question examined roles of the adult mentors that fostered leadership development. The final question explored the adult-mentors' descriptions of the resulting leadership development experiences. Two sites, seven teams, and twenty-eight adolescents, ages 10 through 12, were observed during team meetings and participated in focus groups. The environment included authentic opportunity, mentor access, amount of challenge, variety of tasks, and quality and acceptance of feedback. The adolescents exhibited leadership traits and behaviors such as confidence, knowledge, teamwork, and problem solving. The adultmentors provided valuable structure and feedback. The adults reflected on the level of difficulty as being important to developing leadership and described several adolescents who exhibited leadership traits and behaviors. The robotics design challenge provided an environment in which adolescents could develop leadership skills. Providing similar opportunities to additional adolescents and incorporating leadership evelopment into those activities could be beneficial to the overall development of the adolescents.
Leading in a digital age : digital leaders' impact on the professional development culture in a secondary school setting
Authors:   , England Kayla R.
Published: April 2021

The greater demand for administrators and teachers to stay current in the ever-changing world of technology and education (Cho, 2016; Merriam and Bierema, 2014), justifies the need for more effective, personalized approaches to professional development (Dill, 2015). The data analysis procedure in this study was multi-step and addressed the five research questions. A convergent-mixed design approach was used to capture both quantitative and qualitative data through the theoretical lens of Adult Learning Theory. This research was conducted on the campuses of four rural high schools within 90 minutes of Kansas City where two principals had a presence on social media, and two principals did not have a presence. Data were collected through four principal interviews and 106 teacher surveys. Lastly, the researcher collected survey data from 30 higher education pre-service professors who are actively teaching within their institution's pre-service leadership programs. Qualitative analysis found three recurring themes: Professional learning in the digital age, social media in schools, and lack of preparation and training at the preservice leadership level. Additionally, quantitative data showed there is a difference in teacher's perceptions of professional development if their principal is active on social media or not active on social media. Research from this study shows that principal's commitment to personalized professional development, using Twitter, promotes a culture of collaboration and self-directed learning. Knowing this, the data provides the necessary research for universities to include the use of social media as a professional tool for principals within the curriculum of their leadership programs and provide professors the necessary professional development and resources to achieve this goal.
Mechanisms of Alphavirus Midgut dissemination in the Mosquito, Aedes aegypti
Authors:   , Kantor Asher M.
Published: April 2021

The research work of this thesis has focused on the midgut escape barrier and the dissemination mechanism of alphaviruses in Ae. aegypti. Primarily, we identified and characterized Ae. aegypti MMPs that are seemingly involved in midgut BL remodeling during bloodmeal digestion. We identified nine Aemmp genes encoded in the genome of Ae. aegypti. For four of those MMPs, their expression profiles were assessed in the various life stages of the mosquito as well as in midgut and carcass tissues of CHIKV infected and non-infected mosquitoes. Based on antibody-specific detection, AeMMP1 and AeMMP2 were localized to midgut associated tissues. We also showed that AeMMP1 possesses collagenase activity in vitro. This suggests that the BL surrounding the midgut is a potential target of the enzymatic activity of AeMMP1. Using FIB-SEM, we demonstrated for the first time that orally acquired mature CHIK virions exit the mosquito midgut by directly traversing the midgut BL during bloodmeal digestion. CHIK virions localized to the BL as early as 24 h pibm and were present in a high density until 32 h pibm. At 48 h pibm, CHIK virions were present in a lower density and remained so until a subsequent bloodmeal was ingested by the mosquito, at which point CHIK virions were once again associated with the strands of the BL. In SEM, disruptions in the BL adjacent to muscle tissue were also observed early after bloodmeal ingestion. These findings suggest that bloodmeal ingestion imposes changes to the BL structure, which then allows CHIKV to pass through. Furthermore, we showed that alphavirus dissemination from the midgut is not a continuous event during systemic infection of the mosquito; instead there is a relatively narrow time window, less than 48 h pibm, during which de novo synthesized virions are able to exit the midgut. Lastly, we compared the vector competence of two strains of MAYV, which demonstrated the potential of this virus to be transmitted by urban mosquito vectors such as Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. The MAYV strains IQT and TRVL were able, when orally acquired, to infect the midguts of both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus and to disseminate in these mosquitoes to secondary tissues, eventually infecting the salivary glands and being released along with their saliva. CHIKV and MAYV co-infection resulted in similar efficiencies of cotransmission by Ae. aegypti. However, prior systemic infection with MAYV resulted in superinfection exclusion of CHIKV in saliva. Thus, two relatively closely related alphaviruses can antagonize each other in the same mosquito vector depending on the sequence of their acquisition and subsequent infection of their invertebrate hosts.
Administrator view on technology directorship in southeast Missouri
Authors:   , Lockhart Floyd H. III
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this inquiry study is to discover how district school administrators perceive the directorship skills needed for a successful technology director in Missouri. At this stage in the research, the skill needs will be defined as technological proficiencies, curriculum understanding design proficiencies, and the understanding on fitting both the previous skill sets to form solid growth plans for their districts through the lens of Mitzberg's theory on organizations. The application of said technological proficiencies is a direct job function relating to the standardization of work objects, and fits with the Mintzberg definition of a job within the technostructure. Similarly, curriculum understanding of design proficiencies and how those apply is related to the function of standardizing skill flow and development within an organization; this fits the Mintzberg definition of a job within the support structure of an organization. This study is to examine how the directorship is seen through the lenses of a technical developer and through the lenses as an instructional designer by the district administrators of their organization. Essentially, as a nuts and bolts technician and/or as a person who is responsible for helping the faculty of a district effectively use the systems that the district has built.
Staff nurses' antimicrobial stewardship practices and performance confidence relative to patient safety culture
Authors:   , Monsees Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2021

Current antimicrobial stewardship guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest staff nurses play a key role in the stewardship process. The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports the CDC guideline and has charged nursing leaders with allotting organizational resources and aligning their workplace culture to support nurses' role. Despite national attention on nurses' involvement in antimicrobial stewardship, there is neither research describing practices used by nurses that impact antimicrobial stewardship processes; nor, is there understanding about how organizations' patient safety culture influences nurses' role in stewardship. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation study is to determine pediatric and adult staff nurses' understanding of current practices that support antimicrobial stewardship, nurses' confidence to perform stewardship practices, and the influence of organizational patient safety culture on practices.
Stress, cognition and functional connectivity in the healthy human
Authors:   , Nair Neetu
Published: April 2021

Stress is known to negatively impact physiological and psychological processes in humans. While chronic exposure to stress has been implicated in the pathology of numerous physiological and neuropsychological disorders, acute stress exposure has also been shown to impair cognitive task performance. Since the brain is the primary organ involved in detecting and responding to stressors, neuroimaging techniques have been used to explore the structural and functional neural correlates of stress. The studies presented here attempted to examine how acute stress might affect the temporally correlated activation of multiple brain regions, also known as functional connectivity, while performing cognitive tasks. Of additional interest was the role of gender and presence of the short allele polymorphism on the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene, both factors known to influence stress susceptibility, in determining effects of stress on functional connectivity during cognitive task performance. Forty-five participants with no history of neurological or psychiatric disorders were recruited to participate in the study and underwent two sessions of functional magnetic resonance imaging -- one session involved exposure to the Montreal Imaging Stress Test (MIST) to induce stress and the other session had control tasks that did not induce stress. The participants were blinded to the stress induction. Following exposure to the stress or no stress control task, the participants performed verbal fluency tasks, verbal problem-solving tasks and the emotional faces task. A priori regions of interest were defined for each of the tasks and functional connectivity differences between the a priori regions of interest under stress and no stress were examined. Additionally, the influence of gender and genotype were also examined. Results reveal specific gender and genotype-based differences in regional functional connectivity under stress and no stress during the cognitive tasks even in the absence of differences in overall task performance. The results begin to elucidate the specific neural underpinnings of stress susceptibility in healthy individuals. The implications of these results in better understanding the neural correlates of stress related cognitive impairments, and may ultimately be helpful for neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorders and may help us move towards developing targeted neuropharmacological therapeutic interventions are discussed.
Chemical compositional analysis of polychrome pottery in the northern Casas Grandes area (a.d. 1200-1450)
Authors:   , Sall Candace A.
Published: April 2021

The northern area of the Casas Grandes Medio Period (A.D. 1200-1450) was not well known archaeologically. 76 Draw is on the border of the Casas Grandes and Salado (A.D. 1275-1450) regions and the nature of interaction and integration with both areas at this site was examined through excavation. 76 Draw, an Animas Phase settlement in Luna County, New Mexico, had both Ramos Polychrome vessels, a Casas Grandes polychrome type, and Gila Polychrome vessels, a Salado polychrome type, and neutron activation analysis was conducted to determine if both types were made at 76 Draw. The Ramos Polychrome pottery at the site came from three production locations based on the geochemical groups as well as petrographic analysis of some of the sherds. One of the production locations is at or near PaquimÃ© and one might be at or near 76 Draw. The Gila Polychrome vessels came to 76 Draw from one production location in the Mimbres Valley north of the site. 76 Draw was integrated with Casas Grandes in Chihuahua, Mexico, as it was participating in the religious system that included the production and use of the iconographic Ramos Polychrome pottery. Evidence of roasting ovens, obsidian from southern sources, shell, and bird burial information from 76 Draw, along with Ramos Polychrome data, demonstrates that the Casas Grandes interaction sphere operates as far north as southern New Mexico.
An examination of Missouri women high school band directors' experiences with mentorship
Authors:   , Pohlman Gretchen L.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study was designed to examine the mentorship experiences and current mentorship roles of Missouri women high school band directors. Also of interest were the networking habits and personal and professional demographics of this population. Mentorship experiences addressed participants' role as a mentee in past and current professional mentor-mentee relationships, while current mentorship roles addressed their role as a mentor to past and current students. Fifty-four individuals responded to the survey, yielding a response rate of 32.3%. Results indicated that a majority of these Missouri women high school band directors actively mentored current and previous high school and college-aged students. They choose to act as a mentor to students of both like- and cross-genders, yet they do not always view themselves as a mentor. Reasons why some respondents believed in the importance of like-gender mentors was evidenced by three themes: (a) relatable perspective, (b) gendered experiences and professional presence, and (c) positive female mentoring traits. To further build upon their professional relationships, participants used social media and professional conferences as their main networking tools, as well as informal communities of practice.
A novel approach for treating resistant hypertension using a controlled-pump accumulator relief device
Authors:   , Alturki Adel M.
Published: April 2021

Hypertension contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. While many hypertensive patients respond to drug therapy, a growing number of these cases are called resistant hypertension (RH), when patients cannot control their blood pressure to goal levels despite the use of multiple antihypertensive medications. While current interventional treatments for RH are based on dealing with the nervous system, there is no existing procedure that considers altering the way in which blood is pumped into the aorta such that to reduce blood pressure. We hypothesize that RH may be controlled by altering the way in which blood is pumped into the aorta. We introduce a novel idea of implementing what we called the accumulator device, which may be classified as a mechanical assist device for the cardiac system. A lumped-parameter model describing the cardiovascular system is presented and validated. The novel idea of accumulator device is also modeled and incorporated with the cardiovascular system model using analogies between the circulatory system, hydraulic systems, and electric circuits. The simulation work of the proposed accumulator device idea reveals promising preliminary results. It shows an ability to significantly decrease the systolic pressure by regulating the way in which blood is pumped into the aorta during the cardiac cycle, without reducing the cardiac output. It is our hope that this novel approach provides a transformational alternative to existing methods for treating RH, becomes a successful treatment option in the future, and improves life for millions of RH patients.
Not just fun and games : exploring ludic elements in Greek and Latin literature
Authors:   , Dobbs Christopher S.
Published: April 2021

This dissertation explores how Greek and Roman authors use board games and games of chance to answer complex questions about humanity and the relation of the self to the cosmos. I isolate literary topoi rooted in gaming imagery and survey them across a broad diachronic and generic expanse to reveal the application of ludic themes as an important conceptual tool. Specifically, I demonstrate how authors employ gaming imagery to engage in ongoing discussions about the nature of the universe and human behavior; I trace these ludic themes in passages often overlooked as mere metaphor and shape them into an analytical framework that spans major genres from the 8th century BCE to the early 1st century CE.
Leavetakings
Authors:   , Cook Corinna
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This dissertation is a collection of lyric essays about northern sorrows and friendships. These are preceded by a Critical Introduction which offers a new theory of narration. The essays themselves are grounded regionally in coastal Alaska, grounded thematically in questions of departure and return, and grounded formally in a combination of research and reverie. The collection asks: what can the movement of coming and going reveal about place? About how a place calls to us? About heeding that call? By attending to repetitions and mundane movement over adventure, the essays in this dissertation suggest a northern narrative of anti-discovery.
Mechanisms of clostridial toxin binding and translocation
Authors:   , Lambert Gregory Stephen
Published: April 2021

The bacterial genus Clostridium consists of over 150 species of anaerobic, fermentative, spore-forming bacilli. Clostridial species produce up to 20% of all known bacterial exotoxins, which serve as important virulence factors in the 10% of clostridial species that are highly pathogenic. The seven serotypes of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNTs A-G) and tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) are the causative agents of the paralytic diseases botulism and tetanus, respectively. Entry of toxins into neurons is mediated through initial interactions with gangliosides, followed by binding to a protein co-receptor. Herein we aimed to understand the mechanism through which individual neurotoxins recognize the carbohydrate motif of gangliosides. Using cell-based and in vitro binding assays, in conjunction with structure-driven site-directed mutagenesis, a conserved hydrophobic residue within the BoNTs that contributes to both affinity and specificity towards Sia5-containing gangliosides was identified. We demonstrate that targeted mutations within the Sia5 binding pocket result in the generation of neurotoxins that either bind and enter cells more efficiently (BoNT/A1 and BoNT/B) or display altered ganglioside binding specificity (TeNT). These data support a model in which recognition of Sia5 is largely driven by hydrophobic interactions between the sugar and the Sia5 binding site. Another key step in intoxication by the clostridial neurotoxins (CNTs) involves translocation domain (HCT)-mediated translocation of the light chain (LC) across the endosomal membrane. Although our understanding of the translocation process has grown in recent years, the exact mechanism by which this occurs is not well defined.
An arc of death : suicide, alcoholism, murder, accidents, and other early deaths in St. Louis, Missouri, 1875 to 1885
Authors:   , Lirley McCune Sarah
Published: April 2021

In this study of 120 coroner's inquests conducted in St. Louis between 1875 and 1885, the author examines how six different kinds of deaths were investigated and interpreted. Each chapter focuses on a different cause of death: suicide, alcohol-related deaths, deaths caused by complications from abortions, homicides, accidents, and natural deaths. While coroners ultimately determined how and why a person died, their verdicts were informed by their interviews with witnesses and were subsequently reported on by the press. By viewing death investigations from three social locations -- that of the investigating coroner, witnesses in the inquest, and newspaper reporters' it becomes apparent that three factors were the most important factors in investigating and interpreting deaths. These factors were whether the deceased had family members who testified on their behalf, whether the coroner believed that it was possible that another person may have caused or contributed to the death that he was investigating, and the reputation of the deceased. Coroners did not investigate all deaths the same way, but based them on their own assumptions as well as their training and Missouri law. The ways in which these men and women lived shaped not only how they died, but how their deaths were investigated and interpreted.
Membrane interactions with membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase
Authors:   , Marcink Tara
Published: April 2021

Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is essential to a myriad of extracellular activities including tumor cell migration and angiogenesis. At the cell surface, MT1-MMP is a major factor in the proteolysis of receptors, growth factors, and collagen. MT1-MMP extracellular domains bind the cell surface which can be influential in bringing these complexes together. This study uses new techniques to uncover the interactions between MT1-MMP and the cell surface. Described here is the development of techniques in protein and lipid preparations, NMR data acquisition, and structure determination by molecular dynamics simulations. Through these methods, the HPX domain was shown to bind nanodiscs by opposing tips of blade II and blade IV. The protruding part of these tips contain an EPGYPK sequence that are seen dipping into the membrane surface making contact with the lipid head groups. Blade IV membrane binding allows collagen to bind unhindered. Both blade II and blade IV membrane binding structures are shown to be favorable for homodimerization without disruption of the collagen binding site. The catalytic domain is shown to at least transiently bind membranes. This study then hypothesizes and discusses how these interactions impact both future peripheral protein membrane interaction studies and uncover similarities between the MMP family.
Where have all the mothers gone? : The liminalities of child loss in contemporary drama
Authors:   , McCabe Natalie Melle
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] My dissertation, "Where Have All the Mothers Gone?: The Liminalities of Child Loss in Contemporary Drama," focuses on the liminal states in which female characters in two specific plays, my autobiographical play And Then It Was Gone and Marina Carr's play By the Bog of Cats, find themselves due to various forms of child loss, such as infanticide and miscarriage, the social drama processes they encounter along the way, and the rituals with which they may release themselves from these transitional states. The social processing of child deaths is present in these plays as a literal (social) drama and as a concept discussed by performance studies scholar Victor Turner. As such, I draw upon Turner's notions of social drama performance and other scholarship centered around autobiographical performance. Also influential in my research are works by Leigh Gilmore and more modern feminist performance studies scholarship such as works by Judith Butler. I use these works to examine the aforementioned plays and the readings, performances, and productions thereof. And Then It Was Gone received a workshop reading at the Missouri Playwrights Workshop in 2016 and a concert reading at the Mizzou New Play Series in 2017. I directed a sold-out production of Marina Carr's play By the Bog of Cats for the mainstage season of the University of Missouri Department of Theatre in the fall of 2017.
Decision-making in pediatric hematopoeitic cell transplantation
Authors:   , Schulz Ginny L.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a treatment option utilized to cure many childhood disorders, with cancer, sickle cell disease (SCD), and aplastic anemia being a few. The decision of whether or not to pursue HCT involves uncertainty and risk. Pediatric patients with SCD and their families undergo a decision-making process distinct from patients with childhood cancer. Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) realize an awareness of unpredictable disease progression and conflict when considering HCT, while patients with cancer perceive an urgency for survival. We applied Connor's Framework of Decisional Conflict and a multiple-case study approach to describe the level and source of decisional conflict in patients with SCD and their families in a real-life decision choice of HCT. The contribution of the pediatric patient in the decision was also described in our four families. Observation, survey, and interview methods allowed us to gain an in-depth understanding of their conflict. Through pattern-matching and cross-case synthesis, we found that the level and sources of conflict among 11 participants varied within and across family members. Some experienced levels that resulted in a delayed decision or feeling unsure. The patients and their family members ultimately navigated their uncertainties together to come to consensus on whether to proceed with HCT. Future studies should implement individualized interventions from a family research perspective to decrease the decisional conflict this population faces.