bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metadrama in the chorus : the first choral ode of Seneca's Oedipus
Authors:   , Sarais Maria Silvia
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The main topic of this dissertation is the first choral ode of Seneca's Oedipus. Seneca's handling of the choral parts has often suffered from negative criticism, mainly due to the fact that often, at first glance, the interventions of the chorus seem to not be an integral part of the play. For this reason, Seneca's choral odes have often been considered a mere display of the poets' rhetorical abilities, frequently dismissed as lyrical evasions, and occasionally even charged with being at odds with the context in which they are inserted. These types of assessments have been conducive to negative evaluations of Seneca's handling of the chorus, and of his dramatic competence, and have often been used to support the argument that Seneca's tragedies were not intended to be staged. My analysis shows that Seneca's variation of the poetic sources is never meaningless for the dramatic context, and argues that the chorus is an integral part of the play, one that is essential to fully understand and appreciate Seneca's dramatic art. By combining an intertextual approach and verbal analysis, I show that omissions, additions, and variations lead the audience to see the first ode as a symbolic account of Oedipus' destiny, one that prefigures the ways in which the tragic narrative is about to develop, and that prepares the audience to recognize the ways in which Seneca's poetic rewriting of Oedipus' myth is going to be original. The ode, in fact, displays the presence of a language that is highly ambiguous and multireferential, and that draws on the technical language of literary criticism and of programmatic statements of poetics. This language permits the audience to detect a meta-dramatic level of communication in the ode, one where Oedipus is characterized as a surrogate of the tragic poet. The final chapter provides evidence of the fact that all of the remaining odes display the same polysemous language that continues to sustain a meta-dramatic level of significance. My study shows that a recognition of metadrama in the odes is important in several ways. It increases the tragic irony. It complicates traditional notions of tragic fate, thereby providing an explanation for the apparent discrepancy between Seneca the Philosopher and Seneca the Tragedian that does not see the tragedies as the result of Seneca's retraction of his Stoic ideas. It offers an insight into Seneca's tragic poetics, while pointing to a possible reconciliation between Callimachean artistic skill and Bacchic inspiration. Finally, it points to a particular type of expected audience, one that is rational, literarily well-educated, and hence able to recognize all of the subtleties of the poets' sophisticated poetic enterprise.
In-situ x-ray scattering studies of Ag nano-structures
Authors:   , Chen Yiyao
Published: April 2021

When metals are synthesized on the nanoscale, new physics can arise in the growth process as quantum confinement of the conduction electrons, known as quantum size effects, can lead to preferred heights of metallic nanoscale islands. Despite a significant amount of prior research, there has been a poor understanding of the growth behavior of the simple noble metal, Ag, on the Si(111)7x7 substrate and researchers have been unable to connect its growth morphology to quantum size effects. This dissertation investigated the growth of Ag on Si(111)7x7, in situ and in ultra-high vacuum, using synchrotron x-ray scattering. Because of the unique ability of this technique to explore the structure of a buried interface on the atomic scale, these studies led to a clear understanding of the role of quantum size effects in the growth behavior of this system. The studies address the epitaxial relationship between Ag and the substrate as well as the transition from the wetting layer to the growth of nanoscale islands. It is found that islands have a minimum thickness of three Ag atomic layers, which is in contrast to the bilayer on top of a wetting layer that has been reported in previous scanning tunneling microscopy studies. Ag islands are found to form after the completion of the Ag/Si(111)7x7 wetting layer and they convert the underlying wetting layer into the FCC structure of the island. The observed preference of the Ag islands is explained by the energy per area of the island, which derives from quantum confinement effects, and its two phase coexistence with the wetting layer. For thicker island heights, it is found that the distribution of island heights refl ect the minimum thickness of three layers. The height fluctuations are observed to exhibit a Poisson-like distribution where only the low heights in the fl uctuation spectrum deviate from a Poisson distribution. A model of the height distribution is presented. Techniques for exploring buried nanoscale vacancy defects in metals using diffuse x-ray scattering were also explored in this dissertation. Strain fields due to nanoscale vacancy clusters located below a surface were explored through analytical modeling of elastic displacements as well from results of accelerated molecular dynamics simulations. A method for numerically calculating diffuse scattering from nanoscale vacancy clusters was also explored. As new technologies continue to exploit thin-film metals on nanoscale dimensions, this investigation provides important new understanding about how metals grow on the nanoscale.
Locally semi-simple representations of quivers
Authors:   , Kline Daniel
Published: April 2021

In this dissertation, we solve a conjecture raised by Victor Kac in 1982 concerning the so-called locally semi-simple representations of quivers.
An investigation into the effectiveness of energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) structure : how to fill the opportunity to implementation gap
Authors:   , Pinthuprapa Chatchai
Published: April 2021

This dissertation introduce and empirically verify a structure of Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) perspective among clients, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) and governments. The new approach ESPC structure model presented herein is built on the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) theory where key influences are identified. An important component of performance contracting, the performance measurement, has been incorporated in the structure to monitor the effect on ESPC implementation success. The proposed structure and hypothesis were verified as a current ESPC practice in the United States through an online survey. The proposed structure was analyzed to understand relationships between the stakeholders, key factors, barriers and/or practices among the constructs through the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Due to the complex relationship of non-normal data and small sample size compared to the number of variables, the Partial Least Square SEM (PLS-SEM) method was chosen. The survey statistical results were used to verify the ESPC-MOA structure, develop an implementation guide and identify the ESPC critical factors to help establish its implementation success.
Sensitivity of plan re-optimizaton to errors in deformable image registration in online adaptive image-guided radiation therapy
Authors:   , McClain Brian Douglas
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Online adaptive image-guided radiation therapy has been a longstanding topic of interest in the field of radiation oncology due to its unique ability to tailor a dose distribution to account for inter-fractional variations and motion of critical structuresthrough daily online re-planning. Efforts are now being made to optimize steps of the adaptive process so that treatment planning and dose delivery can be practically administered while the patient is on the treatment couch. Automated image deformation and segmentation algorithms, along with fast dose calculation and plan re-optimization, have been implemented to streamline the online adaptive treatment planning process. Due to the complexity of inter-fractional anatomical deformations, obtaining precise delineation of target and structure volumes through deformable image registration (DIR) and auto-segmentation is a challenge. Mapping accurate organ at risk (OAR) contours through DIR and auto-segmentation is especially challenging for abdomen and pelvis treatment sites known to have significant interfractionaanatomical variations. While others have studied the accuracy of auto-deformed contours and potential errors and risk factors in the adaptive radiotherapy (ART) process, this study aims to determine if accounting for these errors within specific regions of interest (ROIs) can produce a comparable treatment plan without compromising PTV coverage, OAR sparing or overall plan quality. Once the correlation between dosimetric differences and geometric errors has been identified, a system will be developed to guide the physician in focusing their contour edits to the locations that matter most to the non-deterministic optimization algorithm.
A critical, comparative analysis of the LMS review : technological change, power relations, and discourse
Authors:   , Kammer Jenna
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Technology in universities is constantly changing. Universities often use models of shared governance to make decisions about what these changes should be. However, existing relations of power may play a role in the discourse created during events of technological change. This study looks at power embedded in discussions about technology. It investigates power relations as evident in the discourse created by several public, land-grant universities who participated in selecting a new learning management system (LMS) for the university. Using critical discourse analysis, language from websites, correspondence, open forums and vendor meetings are analyzed from four different land-grant universities for evidence of existing power relations. Keywords: Technological change, shared governance, power relations, critical discourse analysis, learning management system
Lt. Claggett Wilson, queer masculinity, and the formation of American modernism
Authors:   , Conley Niki D.
Published: April 2021

An American artist best known for a 1919 watercolor series that depicts scenes of the First World War, Claggett Wilson's varied oeuvre includes watercolors, oil paintings, stage sets, costumes, murals, and decorative interiors. Through skilled social-networking, self-promotion, and a willingness to reach outside the discipline boundaries of fine art, Wilson successfully navigated the interwar art world, securing exhibitions, garnering critical favor, and attracting prominent commissions and benefactors. Whether rendering the theater of operations or crafting spaces within which inhabitants performed fashioned identities, his decades-long career was heavily influenced by his involvement within various New York art and theater scenes and his familiarity with contemporaneous queer culture. This dissertation culls the archives to reconstruct the life of this now-forgotten artist, calling attention to his performative stance as an ideal soldier and aesthete. Additionally, this dissertation provides a framework for situating Wilson's art through close studies of his most discussed bodies of work, which include war scenes, paintings of Basque sailors, and the mural program and interior design of Ten Chimneys in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin. I argue that Wilson's art was at once conservative in its upholding of certain national, racial, and class values, while at the same time sexually rebellious, pushing against contemporary norms of bourgeois respectability. His visual humor employed a range of references, from historical aesthetic styles to contemporary racial stereotypes and political events, and spoke to particular interpretive communities that became increasingly narrow as his artistic projects moved from the New York art scene to midwestern domestic interiors and back.
Pedagogical becoming : one teacher's journey toward social justice teaching in an early childhood classroom
Authors:   , Darolia Laura Herring
Published: April 2021

This dissertation followed the journey of a second grade teacher as she strove to create what she called a "social justice atmosphere" in her classroom. The teacher's pedagogical approach is situated within the literature on critical literacy, as she worked to interrupt the status quo, value multiple perspectives, and promote social action through the class read alouds on sociopolitical issues. In order to thoroughly depict her teaching processes, decisions, and roadblocks, a Foucauldian lens is used to track the micropractices of power swirling around her. Insights include a glimpse into the challenges of teaching using a critical literacy framework in early childhood settings, implications for teacher education programs and in-service professional development, and the affordances of using a post-structural lens in studies of critical literacy.
Swimming through whiteness : exploring non-racism and antiracism in social studies teacher education
Authors:   , Hawkman Andrea M.
Published: April 2021

This dissertation sought to uncover the racial knowledge, racial standpoint, and racial pedagogical decision making of secondary social studies teacher education students. Grounded in critical race theory and critical whiteness studies this study examined the ways in which participants engaged with non-racism and anti-racism while developing a racial standpoint in the social studies classroom. Findings indicate that although participants' racial knowledge and understanding increased struggles persisted in enacting anti-racist social studies pedagogical approaches. Implications for research, policy, and praxis are discussed. In Chapter 1, I detail the overarching context of the study, introduced the theoretical framing, and provided definitions for key terms that will appear throughout the dissertation. Chapter 2 features a discussion of the theoretical foundation of this study as well as relevant research literature on the teaching and learning of race/ism within social studies education. Chapter 3 provides a detailed description of the research methods and methodology deployed in this study as well as a discussion of researcher positionality. In Chapter 4, I present findings related to participants' foundational racial knowledge and understanding. Chapter 5 includes a discussion of the three racial standpoints embodied by participants over the course of the semester. Finally, Chapter 6 includes a discussion of the implications of this study for social studies, teacher education, and the understanding of race/ism in America.
The effects of aneuploidy on gene expression in a dosage series of maize chromosome arm 1L
Authors:   , Johnson Adam
Published: April 2021

Aneuploidy is a class of genetic conditions involving an unbalanced number of chromosomes. The most familiar human aneuploid condition is trisomy 21, called Down syndrome. Aneuploid conditions necessarily involve a change in the dosage of those genes which are located on the varied chromosome. However, the dosage level of a gene does not automatically correspond to the amount of RNA or protein that will be produced in vivo. Based on previously published studies, the impact of chromosome dosage changes on the transcription of single genes may be direct, inverse, or anywhere in between; and genes may be impacted anywhere in the genome, not just on the varied chromosome. Using a maize model system, a dosage series of plants was produced in which sibling plants are identical, except for the copy number of chromosome arm 1L. These plants were grown until 45 days postgermination, at which point leaf tissue was collected for RNA extraction. This dosage series included 5 dosage levels for comparison: diploid, trisomic, tetrasomic, haploid, and disomic haploid. A second dosage series was grown up to day 55, and included diploid, monosomic, and trisomic. Using RNA sequencing, expression levels for all genes were determined. The results were analyzed in aggregate, allowing for a view of effects on the level of the whole transcriptome. Results suggest that dosage of genes on the varied chromosome region has some correlation with expression of those genes, though the change compared to a diploid is often partial. Inverse relationships between chromosome dosage and RNA expression of genes elsewhere in the genome are seen to occur. Both direct and inverse reactions were amplified by increased levels of genomic imbalance. The kinetics of interacting proteins and other cellular components, as described in the gene balance hypothesis, may be the mechanism leading to these responses. Using the same methods of analysis, similar phenomena were observed in aneuploid/euploid comparisons in other organisms. Partial dosage compensation and inverse effects were observed in published datasets from aneuploid yeast and mouse. A set of trisomics in Arabidopsis displayed the same effects, though to a different extent in different trisomies. Using a published database of transcription factors, the responses of genes to dosage changes of their regulators was analyzed. A number of cascade effects were observed, in which inverse relationships of transcription factor dosage and target gene expression occurred sequentially, disrupting normal regulation of several genes in a network by changing the dosage of a single component.
Mr. Boswell peels an orange
Authors:   , Johnson Sarah Bahn
Published: April 2021

"Mr. Boswell Peels an Orange" is a dissertation in two parts. Part I is a critical essay that explores the concept of the "lyric object," which is a physical, man-made object that appears in a lyric poem. This object forms a focal point for the poem's principal ideas. Part II of the dissertation is a collection of original poems, entitled "Mr. Boswell Peels an Orange."
Electrophysiological correlates of orienting retrieval to remote and recent memories : effects of an episodic specificity induction
Authors:   , Leiker Emily K.
Published: April 2021

The present set of experiments employed event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to investigate differences in how individuals orient retrieval to memories from different times. Experiment 1 investigated whether ERP effects of orienting to remote and recent memories were distinct from effects of retrieval difficulty by manipulating the repetition of studied items across two separate encoding sessions one week apart. Participants then completed a series of targeted retrieval blocks that distinctly probed memory for items from one of each condition. Contrasting the ERPs to correctly rejected new items from the difficulty-matched orienting conditions revealed a positive-going waveform for recent versus remote orienting that differed from the effect of difficulty in both timing and direction. These results replicate prior findings on orienting retrieval to time and indicate that such effects are dissociable from retrieval difficulty. Experiment 2 examined the functional nature of the time-related orienting effects by manipulating the degree of detailed processing engaged prior to targeted retrieval, through a novel computerized procedure for inducing general and specific episodic processing. Although the orienting effects in Experiment 2 were notably weaker than prior findings, the induction reliably modulated behavioral performance and the ERPs for orienting to recent memories. The findings are discussed in the context of further investigating the effectiveness of induction procedures on the processes supporting episodic retrieval, which could have important implications for addressing memory impairment associated with healthy aging and clinical disorders.
An evaluation of Discover Nature Schools
Authors:   , Palmer Dain Ryan
Published: April 2021

Fidelity of implementation (FOI) is the extent to which a program is implemented as designed. There needs to be more work on conceptualizing and measuring FOI in conservation education programs. There also needs to be a better understanding of how conservation education programs affect variables important to intended stewardship behaviors. I evaluated the Discover Nature Schools (DNS) program, a pre-K-12 conservation education curriculum developed by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), using a case study approach that included teacher focus groups, an intensive classroom study, and a statewide teacher survey to answer the following research questions: What is the Fidelity of Implementation of the DNS program? How are variables important to intended stewardship behaviors affected by participation in the DNS program? How does Fidelity of Implementation influence variables important to intended stewardship? What variables predict Fidelity of Implementation of the DNS program? I found that DNS does a good job of teaching content, although there were mixed results for teaching scientific inquiry. Teaching students outside increased students' environmental sensitivity and self-assessed knowledge of behaviors to help wildlife, regardless of whether or not students were in the DNS or comparison classrooms. Teachers generally had positive things to say about the DNS program. Teachers had varying levels of implementation of DNS, with few teachers saying they taught DNS "by the book." Institutional barriers, alignment of DNS with academic standards, outside support, and challenges teaching lessons outdoors affected FOI. The amount of instructional time, teacher content knowledge, school district support, and support from MDC predicted FOI. The DNS program had some components of FOI, such as teaching outside, that were not included in the operationalization of FOI of general math and science curricula. I also found there is not a straightforward relationship between FOI and outcomes for the DNS program. For example, having more lessons outside was associated with increases in environmental sensitivity. However, FOI was not related to pre-/post-unit changes in ecological knowledge. I recommend further study, including refining how FOI is defined and measured, of FOI in environmental education programs.
Beyond dialogue : different literary and artistic strategies to represent the unspeakable in three francophone plays : Wajdi Mouawads Incendies, Groupovss Rwanda 94, and Milo Raus Hate Radio
Authors:   , Smith Alyssa
Published: April 2021

The concept of representation is an ancient one, and as such it has acquired multiple meanings throughout time. However, when the representation in question is that of an "unspeakable" event, such as war and genocide, it must contend with the difficulty posed by the inadequacy of language to communicate the full extent of the event and consider special controversies surrounding its representation. Although some individuals purport that fiction is necessary to communicate the situation which surpasses comprehension, others express ethical concerns that artistic forms risk trivialization of the events. Further, the act of speaking for others through representation raises significant concerns regarding the possibility of misrepresentation since the proxy imposes his/her own view while speaking for the silent constituency. This study focuses upon three plays of Francophone theater whose efforts to represent the unspeakable extend beyond dialogue: Wajdi Mouawad's Incendies, Groupov's Rwanda 94, and Milo Rau's Hate Radio. While scholarly work on the chosen plays may occasionally highlight the communicative difficulties faced therein, none of them place their focus solely upon the unspeakable as this study does. The analysis demonstrates that Mouawad, Groupov, and Rau attempt to overcome unspeakability and manage the difficulty and controversies inherent in representation of the unspeakable by the use of poetic and symbolic representation, the combination of total spectacle, heterogeneous dramaturgy, and political drama, and hyperrealism, respectively.
Determinants and consequences of private environmental regimes
Authors:   , Pusok Krisztina A.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] While the role of firms has been acknowledged in existent research in political economy, it has played a rather peripheral role in the study of environmental politics, specifically in understanding environmental governance. In this dissertation, I seek to identify what the role of the private sector is in pushing the global environmental agenda. Specifically, I seek to offer alternative explanations for why firms choose to form these regimes, by drawing on existent comparative and international relations literatures focusing on political economy, governance, and the role of non-state actors. Additionally, I discuss the conditions determining firms to form private environmental regimes, as well as the economic and political consequences of this growing dynamic. Lastly, I investigate the mechanisms tying together different actors in terms of their environmental governance interactions.
Exploring the K-5 special education referral process in one Midwest suburban school district
Authors:   , Boswell Jake W.
Published: April 2021

Studies have shown referrals for special education evaluations and the evaluation process itself is marred by teacher subjectivity and a lack of quantitative data (Dunn, 2006; Mamlin and Harris, 1998; and Ysseldyke et al.,1982). Consequently, this behavior leads to over identification of students from minority cultures due to their struggle to assimilate into the school environment (Deninger, 2008; Klingner and Harry, 2006; Parette, 2005; Poon-McBrayer and Garcia, 1994; Skiba et al., 2008; Wehmeyer and Schwartz, 2001). This study seeks to better understand the special education referral process in one Midwestern school district. Specifically, this qualitative study employed focus groups, interviews, and artifact collection to engage K-5 regular education teachers in conversations about common behaviors that prompt a referral for special education evaluation. The research was conducted in three elementary schools in a metropolitan school district.
Three essays on the labor market determinants of access to employee benefits
Authors:   , Hodges Leslie
Published: April 2021

Because employment is a central social policy goal, policy analysts and policy makers are interested in better understanding whether and how jobs meet people's needs. To contribute to research in this area, this dissertation uses nationally representative survey data and regression analysis to empirically examine how the characteristics of workers and their jobs affect access to employee benefits. The first two essays focus on access to the unemployment insurance program, and the third essay focuses on access to employer provided health insurance coverage, paid leave, and pensions. Together these chapters identify barriers and pathways between employment and benefits after the Great Recession and highlight ways in which policy makers can broaden the protective effects of employment in the new economy.
Undergraduate music students' perceptions of lesson and rehearsal planning
Authors:   , Wacker Aaron T.
Published: April 2021

This dissertation comprises three projects that were designed to investigate specific lesson planning practices and how music teacher educators might improve students' instructional preparation. The first investigation is a review of literature pertaining to lesson planning and teacher knowledge-specifically Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and Content Knowledge (CK). The second investigation is a survey study about preservice teachers' perceptions of where in their coursework lesson plans were taught and used, beliefs regarding the importance of planning, and how prepared they felt to use lesson planning in their classes. Respondents (N equals 107) indicated that they were taught lesson planning more often in music education courses than in general education or music method courses. The third investigation is an experimental study. Novice conductors (N equals 20) were randomly divided into two equal groups (n equals 10 per group). I sought to determine whether novices who focused their rehearsal preparation using typical score study methodologies (CK) differed from those whose preparation involved both score study and specific rehearsal strategies (CK and PCK). I found no significant differences between the control and experimental groups' score study knowledge or rehearsal effectiveness ratings. Results from these three projects indicated that preservice teachers (a) found lesson planning to be important, (b) felt prepared to use lesson plans as part of the instructional process, and (c) could use either preparation method to prepare for rehearsals.
Three essays on agricultural trade and policy
Authors:   , Soon Byung Min
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The first essay introduces a new method to measure non-tariff barriers (NTBs). NTBs to agricultural trade are believed to have increased while tariffs fell. Hence, measuring NTBs is important and several alternative methods have been used. I develop a method that combines cointegration tests and an equilibrium model. These seemingly disparate methods are used to estimate the size of NTBs and to assess their economic impact. I apply our method to the Russian chicken import ban and find larger impacts compared to a common method based on price gaps. This new method can help trade policy analysts convert implicit economic assumptions of cointegration test results into explicit NTB measures that can explain the observed pattern in time series price data and estimate their impacts. The second essay examines the impact of the impacts of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak in the U.S. on the Japanese beef market. The time-varying Armington model allows us to examine how the BSE outbreak affected the elasticity of substitution and the country of origin bias. Moreover, I estimate beef demands in the case that the BSE outbreak did not occur. The BSE outbreak caused higher demand for Australian beef and lower demand for U.S. beef, while domestic beef demand was only modestly affected. Specifically, the outbreak affected imported frozen beef demands more than imported chilled beef demands. The third essay explores the impact of tariff rate quota (TRQ) on the Korean rice market. Korea replaced its rice import quota with a TRQ in 2015. A structural model representing the Korean rice market is developed to evaluate this new trade policy and examine the possibility of Korean rice imports under uncertainty. Results indicate that rice imports in excess of the current TRQ quantity are unlikely for a range of market conditions. Two scenarios, which are the over-quota tariff rate reduction and the Minimum Market Access (MMA) quantity expansion, show how the market responds to policy changes. In addition, Korean rice imports are sensitive to consumer preferences for different rice types.
Teaching pedagogy and preferred learning styles for introductory computer programming courses
Authors:   , Bates Carla
Published: April 2021

As society moves into the information age, it has generated the need for people capable of computational, and computer-oriented tasks. Universities have responded with more disciplines requiring at least one programming course, but educators stand witness to students of all degree majors struggling in these introductory programming courses. Traditionally, these courses follow a classic pattern of lecture followed by homework programs written during lab sessions. This raises the question of whether students would be more likely to complete a beginning programming course successfully if instructors included various pedagogy styles. In this research, the question is addressed by interacting with students through various methods in a controlled fashion to quantify the impact of student learning styles. This is achieved by the instructor posting programming teaching materials matching known learning style featuring variation in visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK1) concentrations. Then the students complete the VARK[copyright symbol], A Guide to Learning Styles, questionnaire. It is found that there are not any significant statistical relationships in regard to preferred learning styles, but additional teaching material for different preferred learning styles were popular with the students.
Ecclesiastical advice literature in Anglo-Saxon England
Authors:   , Beeny Toby R.
Published: April 2021

This dissertation examines the writing of religious writers during the Anglo-Saxon period in England (410- 1066). The purpose of this work is to better understand how religious writing also functioned as political writing. Ecclesiastics such as monks and bishops were the primary authors during the period and wrote many types of works, such as histories and sermons. My research seeks to explore how a work such as a history was in fact designed to shape the role of government, especially the function of kings. I proceeded by examining a wide range or works, including sermons, histories, and biographies and connecting the content to contemporary political situations. I did this by first examining what behavior was praised and what was condemned, and then connecting this praise and blame to what was happening politically during the time of writing. What I discovered was that there was a clear link between many writers and contemporary politics, and that these men used their writing to shape the concept of kingship. Ecclesiastics understood kingship to be a sacred office and one that was deeply connected to the salvation of the people, but also an office with a sacred duty for war. My work helps us to better understand the role that kings played during the early Middle Ages, and how ecclesiastics used writing to advance their political vision.
Black and blue : exploring protests, African American attitudes, and law enforcement behavior
Authors:   , Bryant Kenneth Jr.
Published: April 2021

Despite an ongoing conflict between criminal justice reform and law enforcement partisans, the literature is limited on public opinion, protests, and police response within political science. Generally, studies have broadly examined public attitudes toward law enforcement or found implications for instances of police brutality (i.e. police shootings) on public opinion. Though I spend some time discussing these attitudes, the crux of this dissertation is less interested in broad public opinion of the police. It is being conducted to examine how attitudes, specifically those of black Americans, are shaped by distinct types of police behavior during protest situations. Furthermore, I will conclude that the intersection of black identity, gender identity, and age, as it relates to feelings about the police, influences how black Americans view police behavior, especially regarding how they respond to public protests.
A multifaceted approach to improving transgenic technology in maize
Authors:   , Graham Nathaniel
Published: April 2021

Due to a rising world population, scientists must develop new techniques to produce more food. One of these techniques, transgenics, has been around for over two decades however has not been improved at the rate required to keep up with food demands. In this work, transgenic technologies in maize are improved through a variety of approaches. First, the techniques themselves are improved by examining industry sector patents to find improvements discovered there. Secondly, a new set of recombinase proteins are tested for activity in maize cells. These new proteins, once proven as active in maize cells, are then used to demonstrate the ability to insert transgenes at targeted locations. Lastly, a large vector is constructed that could be used to insert transgenes at locations outside of the main genome. Taken together, this work makes multiple improvements to transgenic technology is maize.
Is there journalism without democracy? Normative role conceptions and practices of journalists in an autocratic regime
Authors:   , Karaliova Tatsiana
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this dissertation is to call for a more inclusive interpretation of journalism and investigate how journalists in non-democratic regimes conceptualize normative journalistic roles and describe and rationalize their institutional roles and daily reporting practices. This study used in-depth interviews with news practitioners and media experts from Belarus to show how journalists negotiate boundaries of their work and provide journalistic service within limits imposed on their autonomy. The findings of the study support the argument that political regimes should not be equated with mass media systems and that democracy is not a pre-existing condition for journalism. Journalists in non-democratic countries have similar understandings of normative roles as their colleagues in democratic nations. News practitioners from state-run and independent news organizations in Belarus work to overcome restraints on their autonomy to provide reporting that serves the interests of their audiences, facilitates dialogue between social groups, and contributes to the wellbeing of society. News workers in autocratic regimes are often expanding boundaries of press freedom with civic courage by reporting critically of government policies and by willingly taking risks when public interests are at stake. In addition, certain restrictions led to a more disciplined professional culture of journalists as thorough fact-checking is necessary to avoid penalties.
Health communication in the blogosphere : rethinking source and message strategies for "hot cognition" publics
Authors:   , Myers Danielle
Published: April 2021

Strategic health communication in the 21st Century is dynamic and complex. The digital communication environment has facilitated convicted, polarized opinions, the validity of science is under scrutiny, "expert" recommendations are questioned, and public trust is at an all-time low. Together, these phenomena have created obstacles for strategic health communicators tasked with developing effective promotional messages to influence positive health attitudes and behaviors. This research sought to understand how health and science beliefs, perceptions of trust, and different source and message strategies influence promotional health message interpretation. A 2 (source: health professional vs. mom blogger) X 2 (message strategy: scientific evidence vs. experiential narrative) online experiment for two health issues (vaccines and dairy milk) examined these questions. Findings suggest that preexisting attitudes, trust in science and health beliefs are strong predictors of health attitudes and behaviors. These variables also work together with different source and message strategies to influence message interpretation. Data strongly supports the use of a layperson source and narrative message style as the most effective strategy for positively influencing attitudes and behaviors of "hot cognition" publics. Results also reflect the need for long-term strategies increasing public trust in scientific endeavors so that health promotion in the future can be as effective and influential as possible.
Does one test fit all? the effects of state-mandated assessments on students with special needs
Authors:   , Nash Teresa D.
Published: April 2021

This mixed methods study examined the effects of requiring students with special needs to take the same assessment as their same-aged peers. A significant difference in student performance on End-of-Course (EOC) exams was found at the state and local level when comparing students with special needs to students without special needs. Students with special needs expressed concerns with not performing well on EOCs, fear of not knowing or remembering concepts assessed, and not being smart enough to go on to college. Student self-esteem, classroom modifications, and assessment procedures of students with special needs were concerning to special educators. By acknowledging that each student performs at different levels, assessing students according to each student's level of performance, and allowing students to experience success, the educational system will be leaving no child behind.
Three essays on immigrant nonprofit organizations and immigrant use of social services
Authors:   , Olson Kate C.
Published: April 2021

Immigrant populations are moving to new destinations across the country and no longer settling predominantly in established immigrant destinations, causing stress on local governments. Local governments increasingly rely on nonprofit organizations to provide services to immigrant and refugee populations. To contribute to research in this area, this dissertation examines ways nonprofit organizations work with immigrant populations. In Chapter 1, I use qualitative interview data to examine how food bank staff connect immigrant groups to public services. In Chapters 2 and 3, I focus on immigrant nonprofit organizations. I use census and immigrant nonprofit data and regression analysis to examine where immigrant nonprofits may be located. Findings from this dissertation highlight the importance of the local context when initiating strategies to engage with immigrant populations and when examining factors associated with the presence of an immigrant nonprofit.
Management of DBP formation using enhanced treatment technologies and an array of prediction tools
Authors:   , Poleneni Sandhya Rao
Published: April 2021

Inefficient removal of total organic carbon (TOC) leads to the formation of carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs) when a disinfectant is added. This study is performed in an effort to develop a simple, non-invasive and cost-effective technology that will effectively lower organic precursors by having water utilities reuse their treatment residual solids. Jar tests are used to simulate drinking water treatment processes with coagulants -- aluminum sulfate (alum), poly-aluminum chloride (PACl) and ferric chloride and their residual solids. Ten Coagulant-to-Residual (C/R) ratios are tested with water from the Missouri River and alluvial ground waters. This treatment results in heavier floc formation and leads to improved sedimentation of organics and additional removal of aluminum and iron. An average of 21Percent, 28 percent and 33 percent additional TOC removal can be achieved with C/R ratios less than 1 with alum, PACl and ferric chloride respectively. Data analysis proves that turbidity cannot solely be used as surrogate for TOC. Keywords: Treatment Residual solids, Coagulation, Flocculation, TOC Removal, Turbidity.
The role of sphingosine 1-phosphatemetabolizing enzymes in host defense to RNA virus infections
Authors:   , Vijayan Madhuvanthi
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Viruses are intracellular parasites that rely on the host cell machinery to effectively replicate themselves and spread within the host to cause disease. Thus, viruses depend on certain host proteins and signal transduction pathways for effective replication. The work here investigates the role of cellular factors of the sphingolipid system, which play an important role in the lifecycle of certain pathogenic viruses. RNA viruses such as influenza and measles are important human pathogens. Each year there are several thousands of people who get infected with influenza and measles viruses. Thus, these viruses pose a significant threat to human health. We show that, host proteins of the sphingolipid system have a significant contribution towards host defense to measles and influenza infections. Specifically, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)- metabolizing enzymes namely sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) and sphingosine 1-phosphate lyase (SPL) are involved both in virus replication and in the innate immune response to the virus infection. We have discovered that, the host protein SK1 aids measles virus replication. Therefore, measles virus hijacks this cellular protein to effectively replicate itself inside the host cells. On the other hand, the cellular protein SPL plays an antiviral role during influenza virus replication. When we increased the intracellular amounts of SPL protein, the level of influenza virus replication was decreased. Furthermore, we have studied these proteins and the pathways in molecular detail to understand how they affect virus replication and the innate immune response. Such findings are important because we can use this knowledge to target these proteins to manipulate virus replication and control the outcome of the viral infection. Eventually, we could use the knowledge to develop therapeutic strategies to combat virus infections in an effective manner. In addition to this, the current work lets us understand and appreciate the biology of virus infections to a greater extent.
Hypoxia-selective antitumor prodrugs and fluorescent probes
Authors:   , Shen Xiulong
Published: April 2021

Hypoxia-selective antitumor prodrugs utilize the unique feature of most tumors -- hypoxia (low oxygen concentration), for therapeutic purpose and are widely studied in preclinical and clinical stages. Tirapazamine (TPZ, 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine-1,4-di-N-oxide) is a hypoxiaselective cytotoxin that has been examined in Phase II and III clinical trials. The mechanism of DNA strand cleavage by TPZ and its analogs is still unknown. We described two isotopic labeling studies followed by MS analysis to explain the DNA strand cleavage of TPZs. One is to use desamino TPZ (1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-di-Noxide) to provided evidence against the generation of benzotriazinyl radical intermediates. The other one is to use 18O-labeled TPZ and DMSO-diazonium salt derivatization to provide direct evidence for the generation of hydroxyl radical. At least two conditions are required for successful clinical application of hypoxiaselective prodrugs: i. target tumors must be hypoxic and ii. appropriate enzymes involved in bioactivation of the drug must be expressed in the tissue. In this regard, it will be necessary to develop diagnostic probes to assess the expression of these enzymes. Here we described tirapazamine analogs as pro-fluorescent substrates of enzymes that catalyze the bioreductive activation of hypoxia-selective prodrugs. That is, the reduced metabolites generated by one-electron enzymatic activation of these compounds under hypoxic condition are fluorescent, while the parent compounds are non-fluorescent. Our results could facilitate the development of useful fluorescent probes in detecting one electron reductases involved in bioactivation of hypoxia-selective antitumor prodrugs.
Dimorphism and integration in the pelves of anthropoid primates
Authors:   , Moffett Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2021

The link between obstetric demand (natural selection for birth) and pelvic morphology in anthropoids has remained ambiguous for the past century. Though it is assumed that the dramatic sexual dimorphism seen in modern human pelves is due to obstetric demand, this does not explain why other primates that give birth to relatively small neonates also exhibit pelvic dimorphism. This thesis explores the correlation between obstetric demand and dimorphism and morphological integration in anthropoid pelves. Dimorphism in birth canal and non-obstetric pelvic morphology is present across most primates regardless of obstetric demand, but those primates that give birth to relatively large babies have the most pelvic sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism in sacral breadth is likewise most apparent in species that give birth to large neonates relative to the maternal birth canal. In species that give birth to large neonates, females also have higher magnitudes of integration in birth canal morphology compared to males, but this is not true in species that give birth to small neonates. This study demonstrates a clear link between obstetric demand, pelvic dimorphism, and the magnitudes of pelvic integration in anthropoid primates.