bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overcoming the negative effects of astroturfing attacks on crisis outcomes with strategic communication strategies
Authors:   , Boman Courtney D.
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The primary purpose of this study was to explore and develop an effective strategic communication strategy to guide organizations on how to both proactively and reactively respond to paracrisis events. While this study set out to provide theoretically supported strategies for practitioners to deploy, it also worked to expand upon the well-developed theoretical models supporting post-crisis communication to empirically support the use of pre-crisis communication. In order to explore this realm of both risk and crisis communication, this dissertation dovetailed concepts from both disciplines to examine the unique paracrisis of astroturfing. Providing a more holistic strategy for practitioners and researchers, this study worked to merge the well-documented success of both autonomy support from the self-determination theory and inoculation theory to strengthen an individual's ability to hinder unwanted persuasive attempts. The experiment encapsulated a crisis scenario situation that has been experienced by the Humane Society of the United States, who comes under frequent attack from astroturfing campaigns sponsored by Humane Watch. In order to explore these concepts and ideas, this study was done using a between-subjects experimental design with 813 participants recruited from MTurk. By expanding theoretical insight of the two crisis phase constructs, this dissertation provides a better understanding of how to maximize the effects of proactive and reactive communication on crisis communication outcomes such as perceived organizational credibility and reputation. In addition, dimensions of social amplification were explored to determine if two-sided organizational messages can thwart the spread of disinformation provided in astroturfing campaigns. According to the results, individuals who received messages with a solo or combined strategy of using autonomy support and explicit warning were more likely have higher perceptions of post-crisis organizational outcomes towards HSUS such as perceived credibility and organizational reputation, higher intentions to engage with HSUS in the future, and lower intentions to amplify the astroturfing information. Overall, this study sheds light on how proactive and reactive communication can be used during a paracrisis to protect post-crisis organizational outcomes, while also enhancing resistance towards disinformation persuasive attempts and dissuading amplification.
Organic-inorganic hybrid materials for arsenic adsorption : surface complexation and intraparticle diffusion
Authors:   , Hu Weiming
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Arsenic removal through adsorption is one of the most widely applied techniques for arsenic removal from drinking water. Among the numerous arsenic adsorbents that have been developed, organic-inorganic hybrid materials are promising candidates due to the merits of their high arsenic affinity of the selected inorganic portion and high designability and moldability of the organic portion. Currently, the most successful organic-inorganic hybrid adsorbents for arsenic removal are metal-infused ion exchange resins, but the adsorption capacities and adsorption rates are relatively lower compared with other adsorbents. The exploration of new organic-inorganic hybrid materials with high performance is necessary. It is also important to study and understand the arsenic adsorption performance of any newly developed organic-inorganic hybrid material under the context of practical applications for arsenic removal from water. The arsenic adsorption performance of an adsorbent can be evaluated through batch tests including adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, and adsorption envelope tests, which reveal the maximum arsenic adsorption capacity, adsorption uptake rate, and adsorption performance under different pH conditions, respectively. Surface complexation models (SCM) can be developed to simulate the adsorption performance as a function of pH, arsenic concentrations, and ionic strength. And estimation of important adsorption parameters such as surface site density, and adsorption equilibrium constants are possible through the successful interpretation of adsorption data with SCM. While SCMs explain the adsorption reaction at equilibrium conditions, mass transfer models are powerful tools that can assist in interpreting the adsorption kinetics data, and estimate the diffusion coefficients. This study aims to develop and explore new high-performance organic-inorganic hybrid adsorbents for arsenic adsorption and evaluate the adsorption performance of the developed materials. The focuses of the study include: 1. developing an organic-inorganic hybrid adsorbent with rapid sorption kinetics for lower arsenic concentration applications, 2. exploring organic-inorganic hybrid adsorbents with very high adsorption capacity, and 3. developing a new high performance granulated organic-inorganic hybrid adsorbent.
The visual language of identity : women's seals in Scotland and Ireland, c. 1100-1400
Authors:   , Rancour Brittany
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] My dissertation explores the visual expression of the power and authority of secular women in Scotland and Ireland from the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries. I approach this large topic with a study of the small: the seals found on documents. Seals function like our signatures today; they add our authority to documents and are expressive of our power. Unlike our contemporary signatures, however, seals also bore signs of the identity of the person that used them. The iconography, size, and shape of a seal signified a person's social standing and gender. Women from the highest social classes possessed oval seals with full standing figures and heraldic emblems and women lower down the social ladder owned oval-shaped, non-figural seals. Women in medieval Scotland and Ireland followed a visual language of identity, drawing from well-established images found in church sculpture, tombs, and manuscript illuminations. The ubiquity of the images ensured that they would be widely understood. The spread of sealing culture as well as the spread of international artistic fashions into the western peripheries of the European world was a result of Norman (and Anglo-Norman) influence. This study brings the seals of women in Scotland and Ireland within the lively scholarly discourse about identity and visual culture in the expansive orbit of late medieval England and France by considering the varying degrees of how foreign influence was adopted within the two Gaelic worlds.
Investigating increased shear stress and physical activity as strategies to improve vascular insulin sensitivity
Authors:   , Walsh Lauren K.
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Impaired vasodilator actions of insulin in type 2 diabetes (T2D) result in blunted insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle capillary perfusion which limits nutrient delivery and contributes to glycemic dysregulation. Thus, identification of strategies to improve vascular insulin sensitivity in T2D is paramount. Evidence suggests that acute bouts of exercise may improve insulin-stimulated vasodilation in vascular beds exposed to increases in blood flow. Thus, I hypothesize that increases in blood flow-associated shear stress, in the absence of muscle contraction, on the vascular endothelium renders the vasculature more insulin-responsive. This idea was tested in (i) cultured endothelial cells, (ii) isolated and pressurized skeletal muscle arterioles from swine, and (iii) humans. I found that, in confirmation of my hypothesis, previous exposure to shear stress primed the vasculature to become more insulin-responsive across all three tested models. Next, I sought to determine whether impaired skeletal muscle capillary perfusion in response to insulin in T2D was determined by an impairment in the vasodilation of upstream resistance arteries. Interestingly, the data indicated that increased leg vascular conductance, an indication of resistance artery vasodilation, during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp was positively correlated with insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle capillary perfusion in T2D, but not in healthy subjects, suggesting that insulin-stimulated muscle perfusion in T2D is in part determined by vasodilation of resistance arteries. And finally, the hypothesis that indices of microvascular insulin resistance and overall vascular dysfunction in T2D would be improved by participation in an eight-week exercise program, in the form of increased walking, was interrogated. Despite an improvement in popliteal artery flow-mediated dilation, microvascular insulin resistance was not improved in T2D following an eight-week walking program. In conclusion, I provide evidence to suggest that increased shear stress subsequently renders the vascular endothelium more insulin-responsive, that individuals with T2D increase skeletal muscle perfusion via a divergent mechanism compared to healthy subjects, and that an exercise program in the form of 8-weeks of walking was not sufficient to improve skeletal muscle microvascular insulin resistance in individuals with T2D.
Historia spintriae : the pleasures of collecting ancient erotica
Authors:   , Iselin Katherine A. P.
Published: December 2023

Ancient erotic art has an unusual place in the history of art, affected variously by changing archaeological practices and the tastes of collectors over many centuries. In the early modern period erotic artifacts were both sought after and avoided because of their risque subject matter, but were still acknowledged as artifacts worthy of scholarly interest to the collector. Even today, comprehensive study of such objects is difficult due to lack of publication and lack of information about their origins, often because they were (or still are) hidden away in museum storerooms, unrecorded on collection inventories. This dissertation seeks to uncover the story of ancient erotica through the examination of a particular type of ancient erotic object: Roman spintriae. These quarter-sized objects, produced during the first century CE and often devoid of archaeological context, feature couples engaged in sexual activity on one side and a legend on the other. How can we learn about spintriae, an object that has been shaped more by its collecting history than its archaeological context? The iconography of spintriae is part of a larger tradition of erotic art, one that draws from earlier and contemporary parallels and ultimately influences the creation of pornography in the early modern period. Not only did the imagery provide a source for new erotica, but the spintriae themselves were reproduced and copied in various media for collectors, functioning simultaneously as scholarly source material and pornography. How do we reconcile the varying roles of erotic art and pornography present in the same object? This dissertation explores this question through a discussion of spintriae within public and private collections, beginning in the Renaissance period. This project provides modern scholars with a new perspective on how these perplexing objects fit within both the Roman and early modern periods.
Yes she can : examining the educational and career pathways of African American women in senior leadership positions in 4-year public universities
Authors:   , Pinto Ransford
Published: December 2023

This qualitative study explored how African American women in senior leadership positions in 4-year public universities in the United States speak about the experiences and characteristics that have contributed to their academic achievements, career advancement, and success. This dissertation also examined how the intersection of race, gender, and class influenced the educational and career pathways of the nine Black women participants. Using the narrative inquiry method and intersectionality as a theoretical framework, I inductively identified themes within the story of participants' educational and career journeys and experiences. This study found that the high expectations of participants' parents served as an educational success imperative. Other themes that emerged illustrated that non-linear paths, and family-life balance and mentorship were all factors in the participants' journeys toward senior leadership. The Black women's transcendence of racial, gender, and class discrimination became the impetus for developing a leadership style that is focused on students' success. This study's ultimate goal is to use the participants' stories to provide hope and a blueprint for young African American women who aspire to be leaders in the academy or any professional field--to equip them with the tools that will enable them to say "yes, we can."
Optimal control approaches for consensus and path planning in multi-agent systems
Authors:   , Shobeiry Poorya
Published: December 2023

Optimal control is one of the most powerful, important and advantageous topics in control engineering. The two challenges in every optimal control problem are defining the proper cost function and obtaining the best method to minimize it. In this study, innovative optimal control approaches are developed to solve the two problems of consensus and path planning in multi-agent systems (MASs). The consensus problem for general Linear-Time Invariant systems is solved by implementing an inverse optimal control approach which enables us to start by deriving a control law based on the stability and optimality condition and then according to the derived control define the cost function. We will see that this method in which the cost function is not specified a priori as the conventional optimal control design has the benefit that the resulting control law is guaranteed to be both stabilizing and optimal. Three new theorems in related linear algebra are developed to enable us to use the algorithm for all the general LTI systems. The designed optimal control is distributed and only needs local neighbor-to-neighbor information based on the communication topology to make the agents achieve consensus and track a desired trajectory. Path planning problem is solved for a group are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that are assigned to track the fronts of a fires in a process of wildfire management. We use Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) in order to minimize the cost function that is defined according to the tracking error. Here the challenge is designing the algorithm such that (1) the UAVs are able to make decisions autonomously on which fire front to track and (2) they are able to track the fire fronts which evolve over time in random directions. We will see that by defining proper models, the designed algorithms provides real-time calculation of control variables which enables the UAVs to track the fronts and find their way autonomously. Furthermore, by implementing Nominal Belief-state Optimization (NBO) method, the dynamic constraints of the UAVs is considered and challenges such as collision avoidance is addressed completely in the context of POMDP.
Weed versus wildflower : mating system ecology in a taraxacum native-exotic contact zone
Authors:   , Lynn Austin Michael
Published: December 2023

Closely related plant species often exhibit differences in ploidy level, mode of reproduction, and traits related to reproduction. Differences in ploidy levels are often associated with mating system differentiation, especially in genera capable of clonal seed production through apomixis, which are derived from ancestral sexual lineages. The evolution of apomixis and associated changes in ploidy level contributes to niche differentiation and geographic separation between closely related plant species. Incomplete reproductive isolation between sexual and apomict taxa can lead to introgression of apomictic genotypes into sexual populations, and also to possible reproductive interference following cross-pollination. Furthermore, the evolution of apomixis relaxes selection on traits subject to sexual selection in sexual lineages, eventually leading to distinct phenotypes in closely related sexual and apomict species. Niche differentiation among species of different ploidy levels could also lead to the evolution of distinct secondary metabolites. Taken together, these studies demonstrate a new mechanism by which exotic species may negatively impact native plants- through induced inbreeding depression accompanied by hybridization. Furthermore, my research sheds new light on how pollen morphology evolves within and between taxa, and sets the stage for future studies on the physical mechanisms and genetic pathways underlying pollen transfer. Differences in pollen morphology between sexual and apomictic taxa provide an additional barrier to reproductive interference, hybridization, and introgression of apomictic genotypes into sexual populations. Overall, Taraxacum provides a great system for research in species interactions and ecology, and additionally is amenable for use in teaching and outreach activities.
Phonons and thermal neutron scattering in [gamma]-U and U-Mo alloys
Authors:   , Saltos Andrea
Published: December 2023

Elimination of high-enrichment uranium fuels in research and test reactors around the world is one of the many efforts that supports the goal of minimizing proliferation risks. These efforts have pushed for the development of low-enrichment, metallic uranium fuels such as U-Mo alloys. The development of these fuels requires accurate prediction of their neutron transport properties, which in turn may be affected by the distribution of scattered neutrons from bound nuclei at thermal energies. In order to estimate such a distribution in a reactor, thermal neutron scattering cross sections are needed. Calculations of these cross sections require knowledge of the phonon scattering properties of the medium. Due to the difficulty in measuring these properties, thermal neutron scattering data have not been measured for uranium, molybdenum, and their alloys, and phonon effects have consequently been omitted from neutron transport models. In this dissertation, thermal neutron scattering in [gamma]-U, Mo, and U-Mo alloys is studied. The fundamental quantities of interest, the cross sections, were calculated using the NJOY software. NJOY was modified to include the calculation of the coherent elastic cross sections for non-stoichiometric alloys. Such modifications allowed us to generate thermal scattering cross sections for U-10Mo and U-7Mo at different temperatures and enrichment levels. The phonon density of states, which is the main input needed to calculate the cross sections, was generated through molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the incorporation of phonon effects decreases the cross sections compared to free-atom models. The effects that this decrease has on neutron transport were studied using simple reactor models. We conclude that binding effects have a minor impact on criticality, but they might be important in the assessment of uncertainties in reactor configurations and models as well as in neutron scattering experiments.
Classification of rock glaciers in southern Colorado based on ice content using radar interferometry and thermal remote sensing
Authors:   , Alcott Allison
Published: December 2023

Remote sensing provides a means of assessing potential water resources stored in alpine ground ice; this study focuses on rock glaciers, in particular. A rock glacier is a landform composed of block of loose debris (talus) cemented with ice. There are many ways of classifying rock glaciers; categorizing them based on activity provides context on their movement and ice content. Active rock glaciers are able to flow due to their ice content, while inactive or relict rock glaciers are unable to flow due to lack of sufficient ice. This study uses satellite based radar interferometry to identify and quantify movement of 87 rock glaciers on seven peaks in Southern Colorado. Once the active flowing rock glaciers and inactive nonflowing rock glaciers had been identified, the thermal properties of each group were studied to determine if it was possible to classify rock glaciers based on activity using satellite based thermal imaging. This was accomplished by comparing the amplitude of variation in land surface temperature derived from Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 to daily NOAA weather observations over different periods. Active rock glaciers demonstrated less variation in temperature annually than inactive rock glaciers, likely due to the ice modulating surface temperatures from below. Because rock glacier ice content affects land surface temperature over a period of 1 year, the depth to the ice was estimated using a skin depth calculation to be between 4.8m and 6.9m. Active and inactive rock glaciers appear to have different thermal characteristics that can be identified in satellite based thermal infrared imagery. Identifying the difference between active and inactive rock glaciers could be important in identifying potential water resources in remote alpine ecosystems, and on Mars, as well as provide insight to the climatic history of the region.
Soybean resistance and yield response to southern root-knot nematode
Authors:   , Vieira Caio Canella
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Soybean represents the largest and most concentrated segment of global agricultural trade. Despite its consistent yearly yield increment around the world, biotic stresses can limit soybean yield potential. Meloidogyne incognita (SRKN) is one of the most yield-suppressing pathogens in soybean in the United States and around the world. With limited chemical and cultural management options, the use of genetic resistance is the most efficient management approach. The major QTL on chromosome 10 is the primary source of SRKN resistance in soybean cultivars, however, limited studies evaluated its efficacy in minimizing yield suppression under field conditions. Additionally, limited QTL regulating resistance were identified in the soybean genome. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the yield performance of SRKN resistant and susceptible soybean lines in field conditions with variable levels of SRKN pressure and perform a genome-wide association study to identify QTL regions regulating resistance. In environments with high SRKN pressure, resistant lines yielded on average 21.2 [percent] higher than the susceptible group. The presence of the major resistance QTL on chromosome 10 reduced yield losses by approximately 6-fold in comparison to the susceptible group (-0.0011 [percent] against -0.0062 [percent] per 1 SRKN second stage juvenile in 100 cm-3). Across all phenotypic inputs, a total of 37 significant SNPs that were associated with soybean resistance to M. incognita were identified on chromosomes 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 19. We identified nine regions across the soybean genome significantly associated with M. incognita resistance, including seven regions not previously reported in the literature.
Predictors of symptom course in alcohol use disorder
Authors:   , Conlin William
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has traditionally been viewed as a chronic, progressive, relapsing disorder (Jellinek, 1960; National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). However, research has found considerable variability in the course of AUD (Grant et al., 2012; Rohde et al., 2001; Verges et al., 2012). Even less is known about the course of individual AUD criteria. To the extent that individual symptoms represent the focus of some treatments (e.g., withdrawal, craving), understanding the course of specific criteria, and individual differences in symptom course, can inform treatment efforts and future research directions. The current study examined 34,653 participants form Wave 1 (2001-2002) and Wave 2 (2003-2004) of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; Grant, Moore, and Kaplan, 2003; Grant, Kaplan, and Stinson, 2005), using logistic regression to analyze the extent in which AUD symptom course is predicted by alcohol consumption, family history of alcohol use disorders, and lifetime diagnosis of Conduct Disorder. The course of all AUD symptoms was significantly influenced by all four external criteria, with the magnitude of the prediction varying across different symptoms and different aspects of course. Heavy drinking was the strongest predictor of symptom course, and symptom onset was more strongly influenced by the four external predictors than symptom persistence and symptom recurrence. Not surprisingly, the course of all AUD symptoms was strongly associated with the prevalence of the given symptom in the overall population. A next step in understanding factors influencing symptom course is examining how individual symptoms can modify the course of other individual symptoms within these groups of at-risk drinkers.
A systematic review of the observer effect as a training methodology
Authors:   , Ebbers Rebecca
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Within the field of applied behavior analysis, behavior analysts are service providers who routinely contribute collaboratively for the purpose of developing and evaluating treatment plans for children diagnosed with ASD. However, there is currently a lack of evidence-based and efficient training methodology aimed to teach critical vocal and non-vocal verbal behaviors necessary to successfully collaborate with other professionals. An efficient training methodology, the observer effect, has been demonstrated as a means of teaching a variety of novel skills across a range of populations. The purpose of this review was to evaluate and categorize the current literature pertaining to the observer effect. Within this systematic review, the author assessed eighteen research articles for which the observer effect was utilized across different training formats. The articles assessed through this process demonstrated effectiveness in teaching a variety of skills across varying training modalities encompassing the observer effect. Avenues for future research and implications for developing training procedures are also included.
The non-sequential path between indigenous social movements and collective rights in Latin America : the role of organizations and institutional conditions to tell the story
Authors:   , Becerra Valdivia Katherine Denisse
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Why do some countries in Latin America have a strong inclusion of collective rights for indigenous people while others do not? What are the factors that help to enhance the presence of collective rights? Collective rights are a legal entitlement based on solidarity and self-determination as a group for indigenous communities. Latin America is one of the regions with a high level of recognition of these rights, but protections differ considerably between countries. According to several authors, the most important factor for the successful recognition of collective rights in several legal instruments is indigenous social movements. However, the relationship between indigenous social movements and collective rights across the diverse countries of the region is not as strong as this literature suggests. I argue there are other factors more important than indigenous social movements for recognizing collective rights. Specifically, indigenous social movements include collective rights only if they create coalitions between the different indigenous nationalities and if they create coalitions with other non-indigenous people. Furthermore, greater recognition of the collective rights of indigenous people occurs when there are a weak party system and constitutional instability. For testing these hypotheses, I will employ qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and case studies. Specifically, with QCA, I will examine how the conditions behave in a table of truth with seven countries of the region. Additionally, I will study 3 cases (Colombia, Peru, and Chile) in-depth to understand the process and causal mechanisms at work. The results support these hypotheses.
The comprehensive arrogance scale
Authors:   , Corcoran Mike
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] I developed a novel measure of arrogance based on the conceptual framework for research proposed by Cowan et al. (2019). This framework conceptualizes arrogance as having a tripartite structure consisting of different types of arrogance: individual arrogance, comparative arrogance, and antagonistic arrogance. These three different types of arrogance are proposed to consist of six different components. Individual arrogance involves distorted information and limitations in one's abilities, overestimation of one's information and abilities, and resistance to new information about one's limits; comparative arrogance involves failure to consider the perspective of others and the belief or assumption of self-superiority; and antagonistic arrogance involves denigrating and devaluing others. I designed a 60-item scale based on these six components (the Comprehensive Arrogance Scale: CAS). In Study 1a, I tested the factor structure of this scale with a student sample. I reduced the total number of items to 24, and found that the scale does not support the proposed tripartite structure, but instead shows a two-factor structure. This two-factor structure consists of components I have labeled "Self-Superiority" and "Social-Superiority." Study 1a also provided initial validity tests of this new scale. In Study 1b, test-retest reliability was established. Study 2 examined arrogance in relation to self-esteem and found this new measure of arrogance provides incremental validity predicting preserving feelings of superiority above and beyond self-esteem. For Study 3, I examined the behavioral outcomes associated with arrogance, and tested the ability of the arrogance scale to predict these outcomes differentially from intellectual arrogance, intellectual humility, self-esteem, and narcissism. I found mixed support of my hypotheses. Specifically, those high in the CAS took less advantage of reading helpful resources regardless of perceived difficulty of the activity, and this pattern was in part mediated by feelings of superiority. I did not find support for the hypotheses that individuals high in CAS would practice less, nor did I find evidence for any of the hypothesized moderations. The current studies present the first empirical test of a novel framework of arrogance and provide a foundation for future research into the CAS and arrogance.
Factors influencing nursing student academic success : a mixed methods study
Authors:   , Al Alawi Reem
Published: December 2023

Student success is a core indicator of program effectiveness in nursing education. Student failure or delay in progression burdens the already limited educational resources, financially taxes the students and educational institution, and hinders an effective response to the growing demand for more nurses in health care settings. Recognizing influential factors of academic success or failure can inform academic support interventions. This sequential mixed-methods study examined factors that influence student academic outcomes at Oman College of Health Sciences by focusing on the relationship among student input, the academic environment, and student outcomes. In the first phase 267 students' academic records from seven satellite campuses were analyzed using Pearson correlations and bivariate and multiple regression to identify predictors of student success, defined as the GPA at the end of each year in nursing. A survey was distributed to 372 graduates to assess their satisfaction with the quality of their educational environment. The second phase included 11 one-on-one interviews of graduates on their opinions of what factors affected their success in the nursing program. Findings showed that the current admission criteria were marginally predictive of subsequent academic achievement in nursing. Gender, living arrangements, and student scores on English level-3 courses were strong predictors of student success. With a response rate of 91.1 percent, nursing graduates were somewhat satisfied with the quality of their educational environments. Analysis revealed a positive correlation between graduates' mean satisfaction and their graduating GPAs. Findings from the qualitative phase resulted in four themes perceived by graduates to have influenced their academic success: (a) positive prenursing academic experience, (b) student motivation and a support system as a positive influence on academic engagement, (c) language difficulties throughout the nursing program, and (d) a challenging program design and delivery. Understanding interconnections among student input, educational environments, and student outcomes can inform a systemic approach to facilitating a positive learning experience and promoting student success.
"The back-and-forth form" : epistolarity in late medieval literature
Authors:   , Broaddus Elise
Published: December 2023

The project explores medieval epistolarity as a medium and genre. I examine the body of rhetorical theory that described the purpose and form of the letter, the ars dictaminis. I apply contemporary media theory to medieval definitions of epistolarity, and I assert that we can read these definitions as a medieval media theory. Medieval writers were interested in the way that the letter worked and represented the epistolary circuit in literary texts as an event that draws together bodies in motion. The chapters of my dissertation examine the categories of body and movement instantiated in the epistolary circuit. Chapter 1 examines the role of the seal in hagiographies, arguing that the imagined mechanics of the seal and its relationship to its issuer's human body resonates with the relic, a vestige of a saint's human body that preserves the saint's miraculous, superhuman efficacy across time. Chapter 2 looks at the way the messenger's body is a locus of anxiety for epistolary theorists and medieval authors. The messenger's excessively human faculties emerge as cites of potential failure. Chapter 3 centers the performative elements of the epistolary circuit, arguing that the epistolary present tense is especially momentous. The timing of the epistolary performance, its ability to capture a momentous present tense, received special attention in dramas. Chapter 4 investigates the relationship between the first-person sender or author and the second-person addressee instantiates within the text the circulation of meaning across various embodiments.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of primary care-based physical activity interventions among older adults
Authors:   , Otmanowski Jennifer
Published: December 2023

Background. Most healthcare providers agree that increasing physical activity (PA) in older adults is beneficial but providing effective interventions can be difficult. The purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of primary care interventions to increase PA levels in older adults and to analyze which interventions are most effective. Methods. A comprehensive search was conducted to find studies that tested interventions delivered in primary care to improve levels of physical activity in adults [greater than] 65 or with a mean age of [greater than] 70. Standardized mean difference effect size was calculated related to changes in physical activity levels. Moderator analysis was performed to explore the relationship between participant characteristics, interventions, and interventionists, and effect size. Results. Overall mean effect size 0.27 (95 percent CI 0.15-0.39, p [equals] 0.000) was calculated for 25 two- group comparisons involving 4,685 total participants. Mean age of participants was 75.08. Most involved counseling by the primary provider or different healthcare providers. Counseling was provided in person or via the phone. The use of physical or occupational therapists, number of counseling sessions and an exercise referral were significant moderators. There was little evidence to support counseling over exercise referrals. The use of theory and use of a pedometer did not modify the effect size. Conclusion. PA interventions delivered in primary care are effective. PA interventions can be effectively delivered by other healthcare providers working with the primary provider. Many different behavior change strategies may be used to promote PA. More research is needed to explore interventions to promote long term changes in PA levels as well as interventions for adults [greater than] 80 years old and older adults that are members of minority groups.
Virus interactions with the sphingolipid network : sphingosine kinase 2 in immunosuppression, immunopathology, and viral propagation
Authors:   , Studstill Caleb Joseph
Published: December 2023

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid molecule known to regulate diverse cellular functions. S1P is metabolized by the sphingosine kinases (SphK) and S1P lyase (SPL). However, little is known about the role of SphK and SPL in the immune response to viral infections as well as viral pathogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that during lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13 infection, a virus known to establish a persistent infection in mice, one SphK isoform, SphK2, functions to limit CD4+ T cell responses, which aids in the establishment of virus-induced immunosuppression and viral persistence. The infection of SphK2-deficient (Sphk2-/-) mice with LCMV resulted in kidney disease and ultimately mortality. Following infection, Sphk2-/- mice were shown to have increased LCMV-specific T cell and neutrophil responses. Depletion of these cells prevented the infection-induced death of SphK2-/- mice, indicating the essential contribution of these cells to the immune pathology. With the use of LCMV epitope-specific TCR transgenic mouse lines in adoptive transfer studies, SphK2 was shown to have intrinsic negative function in CD4+ T cells, but not CD8+ T cells. Importantly, oral treatment of LCMV-infected mice with an SphK2-selective inhibitor increased the number of LCMV-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and led to the accelerated termination of LCMV persistence. Furthermore, we have identified SphK2 as a cellular factor that is upregulated during influenza A virus (IAV) infection and simultaneously promotes IAV infectivity. Inhibition of SphK2 attenuated IAV replication in vitro and reduced IAV-associated mortality in mouse models. Unlike SphK2, SPL promotes antiviral responses by increasing type I interferon production upon cellular sensing of IAV RNA. Here, we show supporting data for the role of SPL during IAV infection utilizing an SPL-deficient cell line. Overall, these studies indicate a vital role for S1P-metabolizing enzymes during the host response to viral infections.
Ballistocardiography : physically-based modeling to bridge physiology and technology
Authors:   , Marazzi Nicholas Mattia
Published: December 2023

The ballistocardiogram (BCG) captures the motion of the center of mass (CoM) of the human body resulting from the blood motion within the circulatory system. The BCG signal reflects the status of the cardiovascular system as a whole and, for this reason, it offers a more holistic evaluation of cardiovascular performance than traditional markers, such as electrocardiography or echocardiography. In addition, the acquisition of BCG signals is not invasive, can be performed with several devices -such as accelerometers, chairs, hydraulic system- and does not require body contact. However, the utilization of the BCG as a clinical diagnosis tool and monitoring method is currently hindered by the absence of standardized methods to link the motion of the CoM of the human body, which constitutes the physiological BCG (pBCG), with the BCG signal acquired with sensing devices, which constitute the measured BCG (mBCG). To address this issue, in the first part of the present work we provide a formal definition of pBCG and mBCG, which will be then utilized to (i) define the physical connection between the mBCG obtained with two sensing devices, i.e. the suspended bed and the load cell system, and the pBCG signal and (ii) reconstruct the individual CoM motion. In the second part of the thesis, we focus on the synergistic combination between the physiology behind the BCG signal and the physics of the sensing devices, which may lead to novel clinical applications. In particular, we propose a cuff-less method for absolute pulse pressure assessment via the synergistic integration of two components, namely (i) theoretical simulations of cardiovascular physiology by means of a mathematical closed-loop model of the cardiovascular system, and (ii) synchronous ECG, SCG and BCG data acquired in our laboratory. Then, we present an evolutionary algorithm aimed at individualizing the closed-loop model of the cardiovascular system, with which we will also provide an estimate of the arterial pressure. Finally, in the last part of the thesis, we draw the conclusion of this study, showing how the integration of the mathematical modeling alongside with clinical studies can improve the understanding of the BCG signal and actively contributing to the development of new clinical monitoring solution.
The use of writing strategies to increase organ donation intentions
Authors:   , Tang Jinwen
Published: December 2023

Organ shortage has been a big problem for a relatively long time. A variety of interventions from the policy level to the individual level have been used to expand the organ donation pool. The goal of this project is to examine the influence of the content and structure of narrative writing on attitudes and behavioral intentions towards organ donation. In Study 1, participants were randomly assigned into one of the three writing groups. Two of the groups were asked to create a character and then write a narrative either related (Narrative Group-NG) or unrelated (Control Group-CG) to organ donation. The other group was asked to answer some open-ended questions related to organ donation (Fragmented Group-FG). The results indicated that the intention change toward organ donation for NG was significantly different from the other two groups in two of the five items in the scale, which suggested that both topic and format can somewhat influence the organ donation intention. When comparing the writing content, the NG differed from the FG in both linguistic structure and psychological processes while the NG and CG differed mainly in their use of psychological processes and pronouns. In Study 2, a more vivid character creating procedure was developed to further shape the personality of the character. Participants were randomly assigned into one of the four writing groups. Two of the groups were asked to create a character either similar (Similar Vivid Narrative Group-SVN) or dissimilar (Dissimilar Vivid Narrative Group-DVN) to the writer and then write a short story to shape the personality of the character. They were then asked to write another short story where this character was in need of kidney transplant. The other two groups were asked to write about the room they were in first. And then, they were asked to write a short story of a character, either similar (Similar Narrative Control Group-SNC) to dissimilar (Dissimilar Narrative Control Group-DNC) to them, was in need of kidney transplant. Participant who were more transported into the narrative story they wrote and were more similar to the character they wrote tended to have more positive change of organ donation intention. Analysis of the narrative writing content revealed that the use of social process words and less gender reference words were associated with a greater increase in organ donation intention.
A flexible speech feature converter based on an enhanced architecture of U-net
Authors:   , Yue Yanghao
Published: December 2023

In order to analyze speech or audio, many methods are applied to transform the time domain signals into various features such as the mel spectral features and WORLD vocoder features. These two types of features can both be extracted from speech or used to synthesize speech. On the other hand, certain applications call for conversion between different types of features. To convert mel spectral features to WORLD vocoder features, one possible method is to first synthesize time domain signal from mel spectrogram and then do the feature extraction by WORLD vocoder. The goal of this project is to develop a direct way to achieve this transformation, i.e., convert mel spectrogram output of text-to-speech (TTS) system to WORLD vocoder features. In this project, a feature converter is designed to accomplish our aim. The converter has an enhanced neural network architecture based on the U-net. In our design, except for the basic architecture of U-net, the Res Path composed of residual blocks and linear transformations are added on the skip connection. Our flexible system can complete feature conversion directly at feature level without processing in the time domain. In addition to the function of converting mel spectrogram to WORLD features, the reverse transformation from WORLD features to mel spectrogram is also attainable by a few adjustments. The transformed feature has achieved good performance in objective metrics and the converter generalized well to different speakers, which can be applied to produce high quality speech via vocoder resynthesis.
Cytogenetic analysis of a knobbed chromosome 9 in maize
Authors:   , Chang Chia-cheng
Published: December 2023

The K* knob of Mexican origin had a suppressive effect on recombination in the short arm of chromosome 9. It had the capacity to reduce recombination in both the distal and proximal regions or to reduce it only in the distal region (with a concomitant increase in recombination in the proximal region). The suppressive effect was stronger on the female-side than on the male-side. The suppressive effect of the K* knob was greatest when the chromosome containing it was opposed by a homologue which was knobless. This effect became less pronounced as the size of the opposing knob became larger. It appears that the total amount of knob material present in the bivalent was not a critical factor in this suppressive effect. In K*-containing heteromorphs, the effectiveness of the abnormal chromosome 10 in increasing recombination in the distal region was found to be progressively less as the amount of the K* knob not opposed by knob material in the homologue increased. It was also found that the greater the total amount of heterochromatin in the two knobs of the bivalent, the less effective was the abnormal chromosome 10 in increasing recombination in the proximal region. The K knob modified the B-chromosome effect on recombination. In megasporocytes of K /K heteromorphs, although total recombination in the short arm was enhanced in B-chromosome containing individuals over B-less plants, the K* knob's suppressive effect was still very much in evidence. In these heteromorphs containing the B-chromosomes, recombination was increased in both the proximal and the distal regions. In the K^S /K^S compounds the B-chromosomes did not increase total recombination in the short arm but only effected a shift in recombination from the distal to the proximal region. The K* knob did not influence the zig-zag effect on recombination induced by the odd-even number of B-chromosomes. Previous preferential segregation studies have indicated that it is the genes linked to the larger of the twoknobs of chromosome 9 bivalents which are preferentially recovered in the eggs. The K*/K^L study has provided the first exception : genes linked to the smaller K^L knob were preferentially recovered. No evidence was obtained to substantiate the possibility that the K*9 knob was functionally similar to the K10 chromosome although the K*9 and K10 knobs are morphologically quite similar. Thus it is not known whether the K*9 knob is a transposed K10 knob or not.