bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The molecular underpinnings of neuronal cell identity in the stomatogastric ganglion of cancer borealis
Authors:   , Northcutt Adam Jared
Published: April 2021

Throughout the life of an organism, the nervous system must be able to balance changing in response to environmental stimuli with the need to produce reliable, repeatable activity patterns to create stereotyped behaviors. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for this regulation requires a wealth of knowledge about the neural system, ranging from network connectivity and cell type identification to intrinsic neuronal excitability and transcriptomic expression. To make strides in this area, we have employed the well-described stomatogastric nervous system of the Jonah crab Cancer borealis to examine the molecular underpinnings and regulation of neuron cell identity. Several crustacean circuits, including the stomatogastric nervous system and the cardiac ganglion, continue to provide important new insights into circuit dynamics and modulation (Diehl, White, Stein, and Nusbaum, 2013; Marder, 2012; Marder and Bucher, 2007; Williams et al., 2013), but this work has been partially hampered by the lack of extensive molecular sequence knowledge in crustaceans. Here we generated de novo transcriptome assembly from central nervous system tissue for C. borealis producing 42,766 contigs, focusing on an initial identification, curation, and comparison of genes that will have the most profound impact on our understanding of circuit function in these species. This included genes for 34 distinct ion channel types, 17 biogenic amine and 5 GABA receptors, 28 major transmitter receptor subtypes including glutamate and acetylcholine receptors, and 6 gap junction proteins -- the Innexins. ... With this reference transcriptome and annotated sequences in hand, we sought to determine the strengths and limitations of using the neuronal molecular profile to classify them into cell types. ... Since the resulting activity of a neuron is the product of the expression of ion channel genes, we sought to further probe the expression profile of neurons across a range of cell types to understand how these patterns of mRNA abundance relate to the properties of individual cell types. ... Finally, we sought to better understand the molecular underpinnings of how these correlated patterns of mRNA expression are generated and maintained.
The effects of exercise on organizational and personal outcomes : a work-home resources perspective
Authors:   , Patel Amanda S.
Published: April 2021

In the organizational sciences, daily exercise research has largely centered on how exercise replenishes resources depleted by work and thus facilitates recovery during off-work time. However, we know little about whether exercise generates resources that influence individuals at work and subsequently at home, and under what conditions. I theorized that daily exercise results in resource accumulation that leads to more organizational citizenship behaviors, higher job satisfaction, and better job performance. Subsequently, I theorized better work outcomes are associated with a sense of accomplishment that leads to more sharing behaviors at home. I also theorized that the resource accumulation from exercise may depend on contextual characteristics of the exercise (i.e., time of day and accompanied) and individual differences (i.e., autonomous motivation and physical fitness). To test the theorized model, 102 respondents from two different organizations answered three surveys a day for 10 work days. Multi-level modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Results indicated that exercise was associated with greater OCBs, job satisfaction, and job performance via the resources of positive affect, mental focus, and energy. However, the gain in positive affect was strongest for employees who were less fit. OCBs, job satisfaction, and job performance were associated with feelings of accomplishment. The findings illustrate the importance of daily exercise for generating resources useful for outcomes at work. I hope to offer insight into the importance of an expanded view of the role of daily exercise for employees.
Analysis of best practice procedures to prevent sudden death in high school athletics : a regional assessment.
Authors:   , Schneider Kyle Robert
Published: April 2021

Objective: The analyze the adherence to best practice recommendations through the implementation of specific policies and procedures to prevent sudden death and identify barriers preventing implementation. Design and Setting: This is a mixed methods research design utilizing a survey and semi-structured interviews to provide data. This study examined secondary schools in District V of the NATA (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota). Subjects: Participants were athletic administrators in secondary school athletic programs in the 7-state region. (n=151) Measurements: Surveys were distributed and collected utilizing Qualtrics and results were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs. Interviews were transcribed and coded to identify commonality in the themes. Results: Significant difference existed in the availability of personnel when considering the urbanization classification and enrollment size of the school. Financial constraints and time availability severely impacted the implementation of best practice recommendations. Conclusions: Legislative policies regarding the implementation of best practices to prevent sudden death are needed to improve adherence and protect student athletes from serious life-threatening injuries and to protect the school from potential liability.
Canon
Authors:   , Smith Bradley Harrison
Published: April 2021

The Critical Introduction, titled "James Merrill's Queer Muse," uses Queer Theory to analyze Merrill's creative process when writing The Changing Light at Sandover. It argues that Merrill queers the heteronormative orientation of the eroticized relationship between poet and muse. This heteronormative dynamic is exemplified by the twentieth-century's most famous poet to draw on occult inspiration, W.B. Yeats. Merrill is both explicit and implicit in rejecting Yeats' assertive, decidedly masculine approach to his presumed female muse, emphasizing the poet's passivity toward and equality with the muse in the creative process. The second part is a collection of poems titled "Canon." Each of the collection's sixty-six poems is written in conversation with a book of the Protestant Bible, and each poem uses only the words found in its corresponding book.
Generating social capital in first-generation students through a first-year seminar at a midwest university
Authors:   , Sudbrock Christine
Published: April 2021

Graduating college is an important milestone, but, for first-generation students (FGS), this can be more of a challenge than continuing-generation students. First-year seminars (FYS) aim to integrate students academically and socially to university life. The literature has not measured how social capital may differ based on parental education or in different types of FYS. No evidence was found for considering FGS-none (students where neither parent has had any education beyond high school) and FGS-some (students where at least one parent has had some education beyond high school, but did not complete a four-year degree) distinct populations. Social capital at the end of the semester for FGS-none was significantly smaller than continuing-generation students. There were significant increases in total social capital for FGS-none and continuing-generation students but not FGS-some. Factor analysis revealed five dimensions of social capital in the survey instrument: advisor, faculty, institutional, family, and peer. All FGS groups increased advisor social capital; FGS-some and continuing-generation students increased faculty social capital; FGS-some increased peer social capital; and continuing-generation students increased institutional social capital.
Goal setting in Missouri's model evaluation system
Authors:   , Burger Kimberly
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Goal setting in Missouri's Model Evaluation is the central focus of this research. Years of legislation increased the federal presence in public education and made accountability a household term for educators. The direct piece of policy that connects this research to is Missouri's ESEA Flexibility Waiver. The waiver established goals that would bypass the rigorous mandates of No Child Left Behind but would still ensure high-quality programs within Missouri schools. Effective leadership and instruction were a core goal of the waiver and established the seven principles of effective evaluation for Missouri public schools. The seven principles of effective evaluation were to serve as the guiding principles for educator evaluation in Missouri by the 2014-15 academic year. Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education created the Missouri Model Evaluation System, offering districts a premade evaluation system. The model system utilizes goal setting within growth guides to provide evaluation participants a focus for both evaluation and professional growth. The four moderators of Locke and Latham's Goal Setting Theory serve as the conceptual framing of this research. These moderators, or variables, are goal specificity, goal commitment, goal difficulty, and goal feedback. The likelihood of goal achievement increases when the moderators are considered during implementation.
Essays on behavioral finance
Authors:   , Obaid Khaled
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This dissertation consists of three essays on behavioral finance. In the first essay, we proposes a new daily market-level investor sentiment index (Photo Pessimism) constructed from photos in news media. We apply a machine learning technique to classify perceived sentiment from a large sample of photos and study how sentiment in these photos relates to market activities. Between 1926 and 2018, we show that Photo Pessimism is able to predict market return-reversal and increase in abnormal trading volume. We document that the return predictability pattern is concentrated among stocks with high limits to arbitrage and during periods of high uncertainty and low investor distraction. ... In the third essay, we examine whether information in mutual fund advertisements is valuable and how investors respond to such information. Motivated by Nelson (1970, 1974) and Kihlstrom and Riordan (1984), we find that advertising expenditure is associated with significant increase in three-factor (18.9 bps) and four-factor (19.4 bps)alphas in the subsequent year. This relation is primarily driven by mutual fund advertisements that contain information on past relative performance. Generally, the positive relation between advertising expenditure and fund flows is not sensitive to the content of advertisements with one exception-during recessions, the inclusion of information about past performance or fees in advertisements is associated with capital outflows. This evidence is consistent with the coarse thinking model (Mullainathan et al., 2008).
For the love of God and country : nation-building and the (re)gendering of emotions in Francoist Spain
Authors:   , Yamoah Evelyn
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Studies on the history of emotion have shown that the standards of a given society towards basic emotions and the appropriate means of expressing them reflect or encourage certain attitudes or conducts in its people. Since emotions function largely as learned responses, political, social and cultural institutions are able to harness its influence by proposing normative emotions about professed values, standards or ideals, and then establishing official rituals and practices to express and inculcate them. My dissertation explores the (re)gendering of emotions to mobilize popular support for Francoist gender identity roles as part of the regime's National-Catholic ideology. I explore the disparities between the emotional rewards propagandists presented as inherent to the Francoist models of masculinity and femininity and those employed in portraying these gender identities in selected texts and film. I establish that while the Francoist regime harnessed the political and social power of emotions for the legitimation of the male dominance and female subservience which were considered fundamental to the regeneration of the Spanish nation, literary and filmic representations of these gender identities and roles used emotion to highlight the gap between prescribed behaviors and emotions and everyday life practices within the nationalist project.
Ultrasonic measurement of stress in steel and concrete
Authors:   , Al-Zuheriy Ahmed Shemkhi Jeber
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Advancements in ultrasonic technology may lead to the ability to directly determine stress (strain) in steel and concrete members through measurement of the acoustic birefringence for steel and acoustic wave properties for concrete. The measured birefringence and acoustic wave properties are proportional to the stress in steel and concrete respectively, and thus the magnitude and orientation of the applied stress can be deduced from the ultrasonic velocity measurements. There are currently no technologies that can adequately evaluate the stress of steel and concrete members and determine if steel and concrete members are carrying dangerous levels of load. The significance of the research is to develop a technology that can assess the safety of steel and concrete structural members by directly measuring the stress (i.e. forces) carried in steel and concrete. Such evaluation technologies will be a critical advance toward safer and more reliable infrastructure systems, provide a tool for the condition assessment of infrastructure systems and post-event damage assessments, and aid in innovative new design approaches. The first part in this dissertation looks specifically at the application of direct stress measurement using USM technology to W-flange steel sections commonly used in buildings under axial bending and tension loads. The research found that the ultrasonic stress measurement (USM) shows that the average difference between the predicted and actual stress is only [plus or minus] 8.4 ksi, when using the average natural birefringence measurement (Bo) (0.002208) and the acoustic-stress constant (m1) (7.129x10-8) values for the W6x16 section tested. The average difference between the predicted and actual stress can be decreased to approximately [plus or minus] 1 ksi when location-specific natural birefringence (Bo) values are used. However, there were differences in the acoustic constants in sections from different mills, in the flange vs. the web, and post yielding. The second part of this research aims to provide the essential early-stage research needed to determine feasible techniques to measure stress directly in concrete in compression. The experimental tests evaluated different techniques for stress determination in concrete: Time of Flight (TOF) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The research shows there is a measurable and almost linear increase in TOF with damage in the concrete. The TOF data can be used predict the stress in concrete with an average error of 33%. The development, improvement, and refinement of these methods will lead to accurate direct stress measurement in steel and concrete and a fundamental transformation in the field of structural evaluation.
An investigation of Jim Collins's Good to Great and applications for rural school districts and their leaders
Authors:   , Beard Brian Daniel
Published: April 2021

The difference between Level 5 Leaders (Collins, 2001) of rural school districts and other effective/competent leaders of rural school districts were examined in this study. The case study compared Level 5 Superintendents and other effective/competent Superintendents in terms of budget management, academic performance, recruitment and retention of teachers, and their district core values. Level 5 Superintendents in this study did not show any significant effect on district budget balances or base teacher salary when compared to the other leaders. The Level 5 Superintendents' school districts did have a greater positive effect on their district's academic performance in scores on their Missouri Annual Performance Report when compared to the other leaders. In addition, Level 5 Superintendents have more success in recruiting and retaining teaching staff and an increased awareness of district core values within their teaching staff.
Assessing perceptions of parents' communication accommodation in relation to sexual and gender minority adult chidren's child-parent communication apprehension and mental health
Authors:   , Butauski Maria
Published: April 2021

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, or people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, or any other self-identified sexual orientation or gender identity, deal with chronic minority stress, which is associated with negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation (Medley et al., 2016; Meyer, 2003). Part of the chronic minority stressed faced by this population stems from a lack of support in their parent-child relationships (Heatherington and Lavner, 2008; Savin-Williams, 2001, 2005). The present dissertation brought attention to the inherently intergroup nature of SGM offspring's parent-child relationships by examining how SGM adult children's parent-child communication relates to their mental health, assessed by their rates of depression and anxiety, respectively. Guided by intergroup theorizing and communication accommodation theory, the present study investigated how SGM adult children's perceptions of their parents' accommodative communication behaviors "respect for divergent values and SGM identity support" related to SGM adult children's experiences of child-parent communication apprehension (CPCA), and in turn, their mental health. Parents' accommodative communication promoted more supportive, open communication environments characterized by lower levels of CPCA, which in turn promoted more positive mental health outcomes. Results demonstrated that higher levels of CPCA were associated with higher rates of epression among SGM adult children. Results highlighted the importance of respect for divergent values and identity support in creating healthy communication environments in close intergroup family relationships and fostering individual mental health outcomes. Findings shed light on how SGM adult children's parent-child communication relates to their mental health and contribute to a growing body of research examining close intergroup family relationships.
From access to equity : student and instructor perspectives of ITV instruction
Authors:   , Chisum Misty Marie
Published: April 2021

This mixed-methods grounded theory study examined student and faculty perceptions of engagement in Interactive Television (ITV) courses. The quantitative data included a Qualtrics survey comprised of both quantitative and open-ended questions. Survey participants consisted of students (n = 442) and faculty (n = 99) with previous ITV experience. Quantitative data were analyzed using principal axis factor analysis, Independent t-test, and ANOVA. Qualitative data consisted of student personal interviews (n = 22), a student focus group (n = 1), faculty personal interviews (n = 10), and faculty focus groups (n = 2). Participants consisted of students and faculty at two regional higher learning institutions who had taken or taught ITV courses. Quantitative factor analysis identified three engagement themes: dialogic interaction, autonomous interaction, and interpersonal interaction. Significant differences were noted between student and faculty perceptions on all three factors. Faculty rated levels of dialogic and autonomous interaction lower than students, while students reported lower levels of interpersonal interaction. Qualitative data revealed that students attribute lower dialogic and autonomous interactions to reduced interpersonal interactions within the ITV classroom. A simple three-factor model of student engagement in quantitative analysis, became a model of three factors driven by one prominent factor-interpersonal interaction.
Low-intensity blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury : linking blast physics to biological outcomes
Authors:   , Song Hailong
Published: April 2021

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is of particular concern among military personnel due to exposure to blast energy during military training and combat. The impact of primary low-intensity blast (LIB) mediated pathophysiology upon later neurobehavioral disorders has been controversial. Our prior considerations of blast physics predicted ultrastructural injuries at nanoscale levels. Here, we provide quantitative data using a LIB injury murine model exposed to open-field detonation of 350 g of high-energy explosive C4. The use of an open-field experimental blast generated a primary blast wave with a peak overpressure of 6.76 pounds per square inch (PSI) (46.6 kPa) at a 3-meter (m) distance from the center of the explosion, with no apparent impact / acceleration in exposed animals. We first characterized neuropathological and behavioral changes. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we further identified multifocal neuronal damages, myelin sheath defects, mitochondrial abnormalities, and synaptic dysregulation after LIB injury. Next, we used quantitative proteomics, bioinformatics analysis, biochemical investigations to seek insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the ultrastructural pathology. Results illustrated the alterations of mitochondrial, axonal, synaptic proteins in related signaling pathways. These observations uncover unique ultrastructural brain abnormalities, biochemical correlates, and associated behavioral changes due to LIB injury. Insights on the early pathogenesis of LIB-induced brain damages provide a template for further characterization of its chronic effects, identification of potential biomarkers and targets for intervention.
Empirical analyses on the effects of economic incentives on teacher retention and teacher quality
Authors:   , Wang Xiqian
Published: April 2021

This study conducts empirical analysis on the effects of economic incentives on retaining teachers, both in the late-career and early-career, and improving teacher quality in public schools. The first chapter analyzes whether a large pension enhancement helps to retain late-career teachers in an urban district, St. Louis City in Missouri. Many states enhanced pension benefits of public school teachers during the 1990s. St. Louis followed this trend with a major benefit enhancement in 1999. Descriptive analysis of administrative panel data and simple regression analysis suggest that senior teachers were highly responsive: teaching careers were shortened, and the likelihood of retirement increased. To gain further insight into the long run effect of the plan changes, and the differential effects of various components of the change, I estimate a dynamic structural model, which provides good in-sample and out-of-sample fit. Simulations of retirement behavior based on the estimated model under different pension rules imply a large long-run reduction in the labor supply of senior teachers. The expected years of additional teaching for the current cohort of senior teachers would be increased by nearly 27 percent if they were operating under the pre-enhancement pension rules. The second chapter analyzes late-career teacher turnover induced by pension incentives. Using longitudinal data with performance measures for Tennessee public school teachers, we find higher quality teachers are less likely to retire conditional on age and experience. To quantify the effects of pension incentives, we estimate a structural model for retirement and find that high quality teachers have a lower disutility for teaching relative to retirement. We use the structural estimates to simulate the effect of changes in retirement incentives. Enhancements to traditional plans accelerate teacher retirement, whereas targeted retention bonuses delay retirement and retain high quality teachers at a relatively modest cost. The third chapter focuses on the joint dynamics of attrition behaviors and teaching effectiveness of early-career teachers. Using data from a comprehensive evaluation system in Tennessee, I analyze the factors of attrition, the dynamics of teacher quality, and the retention policies for retaining high-quality teachers. The data suggest teacher attrition is negatively correlated with teacher quality. A sequential probit model of binary attrition and binary rating produces good fits for both survival rate and quality distribution. The model shows the quality of novice teachers increases in experience, salary and education level. Increase in salaries of novice teacher could reduce attrition and improve quality.
Cover crop effects on corn plant water uptake and soil health
Authors:   , Rankoth Lalith Mahendra
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Cover crops (CC), close growing crops that provide soil and seeding protection between periods of normal cash crop production or between trees in orchards or vines in vineyards, are used for soil quality improvement. However, the effects of CC on water use of the following corn (Zea mays L.) crop is not yet studied. Also, CC effects on soil water availability is yet inconclusive. Although CC are believed to play a major role in soil quality improvement, the effects of CC on microbial populations and community structure and their enzyme activity is not well understood. Soil porosity and pore distribution characteristics might play a major role in controlling soil water and microbial characteristics and thereby plant growth. The objectives of this study were to identify the CC effects on corn plant water use and yield responses, soil water dynamics, microbial population, community structure and enzyme activities and geometrical pore distributional characteristics of the surface soil layer. The study was conducted at Bradford Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia and the Chariton County, Cover Crop Soil Health Research and Demonstration Farm (CCSH), Missouri in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Plant sap flow measurement techniques are among the most reliable methods to evaluate water stress and water consumption by measuring the whole plant transpiration.
Three essays on rural-nonrural disparities in postsecondary access and success
Authors:   , Ndashimye Jean Felix
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] While a college degree is increasingly a crucial pathway to achieve success in the U.S labor market, recent estimates indicate that 20% of rural young adults have a college degree, as compared to 38% of their peers in nonrural areas. Despite the low college attainment rates in rural areas, however, existing research on barriers that inhibit rural students' college access and success is still limited. I extent the existing literature by exploring three different but interlinked topics. In the first essay, I use regression discontinuity to test whether rural students are more likely than their colleagues from non-rural backgrounds to respond negatively to being placed on academic probation and exit college before graduation. In the second essay, I examine the link between advanced math course taking and rural-nonrural gaps in enrollment rates in four-year colleges. Finally, in the third essay, I document the extent of the rural-nonrural gap in postsecondary engineering and computer science (ECS) degree attainment and major choice. These essays highlight that rural students, particularly those who come from remote areas, are less likely than their nonrural peers to take advanced courses, to enroll in four-year colleges, to earn an engineering degree, and to persist in college when placed on academic probation.
The log in my eye : awareness, acceptance, and correction of partisan political bias
Authors:   , Baker Samuel Glenn
Published: April 2021

People are often unaware of or under-estimate their own cognitive biases, suggesting that political bias -- measured by the influence of irrelevant political information on otherwise non-political judgments -- may be difficult to change. However, when it comes to political bias, peoples' expectation of bias (i.e., lay theories), have rarely been directly measured, despite their purported importance for judgment debiasing (Wegener and Petty, 1995). Furthermore, extant research has never directly asked people how acceptable they believe it is to make a judgment influenced by irrelevant political information. Study 1 asked participants to make a series of judgments, some more subjective (evaluating quotes) and others more objective (assessing guilt of defendant on trial). Some participants were presented with noninfluential irrelevant political information (control), while others were presented with influential irrelevant political information (e.g., Trump or Obama) for the judgments they were making. Some participants who were exposed to influential irrelevant political information were explicitly asked to not allow their judgments to be influenced by the information they were exposed to. As expected by the Flexible Correction Model (FCM), participant's lay theories (but not judgments of acceptability) guided their (mostly) successful attempt to correct for the influence of irrelevant political information, though only when evaluating quotes. When judging the guilt of a defendant on trial, participants asked to correct their judgments did so, with only an indirect influence from lay theories and judgments of acceptability. Secondary measures indicated correction instructions did not temper the desire to seek out irrelevant political information on subsequent judgments. People possess self- awareness into their own capacity to make biased judgments and often choose not to correct their judgments, despite having the ability to do so. Studies 2a and 2b replicated primary findings using online samples.
Exploration of magnetism in 3D and 2D systems
Authors:   , Dahal Ashutosh
Published: April 2021

Magnetism has intruded in every aspect of our life, from electric motors to hard disk data storage to space technologies. Developing strong understanding of underlying magnetic properties is of utmost importance to reach new frontiers of technological advancement. During my Ph.D. research, I have explored complementary research venues in three dimensional as well as two dimensional materials to understand basic magnetic properties that were either not known or explored for the first time. In this quest, I have studied three different physical systems with overlapping structural and/or magnetic and electrical properties: nickel monosilicides (NiSi), cobalt-doped calcium ruthenate (Ca(CoxRu1-x)O3) and europium manganese arsenide (EuMn2As2). One of the key aspects of my research is to understand how magnetic moments correlate with each other. Understanding this fundamental question can help us in elucidating the mechanism behind novel magnetic proper-ties manifested by the above mentioned materials. While NiSi is found to manifest a new phenomenon of magnetism driven intermediate metallic-superconducting phase, (Ca(CoxRu1-x)O3) tends to exhibit the metal-insulator transition with the critical phase boundary coinciding with the onset of strong continuum type magnetic fluctuations. Despite the presence of strong dynamic magnetic moment correlation, no trace of any type of static magnetic order is detected in any of these materials. On the other hand, strong static order with two consecutive antiferromagnetic phase transitions are detected in the intertwined honeycomb structured EuMn2As2. During the process of studying bulk materials using macroscopic measurement techniques, I have acquired detailed knowledge of chemical synthesis methods and several experimental measurement techniques, including the analysis of magnetic susceptibility and neutron scattering methods. The gained knowledge is applied in pinpointing the low temperature magnetic phase transition in an ongoing project in the lab of two dimensional artificial magnetic (permalloy) honeycomb lattice. Two dimensional magnetic honeycomb lattice provides a unique platform to study emergent magnetic phenomena in reduced degrees of freedom. The system is expected to develop novel spin solid order at low temperature. I have performed detailed analysis of non-linear susceptibility of permalloy honeycomb lattice, which revealed the non-thermodynamic nature of phase transition to the spin solid state in this system. In the ensuing chapters, I have explained each project in great detail. A brief overview of the previous research works and the motivations behind the study is provided in the Introduction section.
Agricultural genetic engineering technology and sustainable development in the African food security context
Authors:   , Dguidegue Yassine
Published: April 2021

This dissertation seeks to address specific questions: the extent to which SD informs proponents of GE benefits, how farmers' practices are included in GE proponents' arguments, and the applicability of the claim that the EU pressures the developing world, and Morocco in particular, to reject GE technology. This dissertation seeks to contribute to both academic and policy discussion on GE crops within the context of African food security. While one is considered globally embraced and the other globally controversial, sustainable development (SD) and agricultural genetic engineering (GE) technology are both examined in this dissertation. The dissertation engages with how proponents of genetic engineering (GE) technology argue for its capacity to benefit sustainable development (SD) in the context of African food security. Three sources of information constitute the basis of analysis and discussion. First, meta-analysis and systematic review of peer-reviewed articles and policy studies which argue for SD benefits gained through GE technology within the context of African food security. Second, taking Morocco as a case study, this dissertation uses both interviews and policy analysis to understand how sustainable development informs policy and academic discussion on GE technology. Third, discussions and observations in national and international conferences have been key to build connections between the examined studies and the networks of their authors. The opportunity to interact with these authors has been tremendously beneficial, both to learn about the policy significance of the examined studies, and to understand the research and policy networks of the authors. Arguments supporting SD benefits of GE technology are examined in four stages. In the first stage, I apply the reviewed theoretical and methodological approaches to examine the studies which argue for SD benefits of GE crops. This stage helps identify the major trends of the reviewed Agricultural GE and Sustainable Development in the African Context studies. In the second stage, I focus on SD benefits of GE crops and African farmers. In this stage, I present an elaborate list of SD benefits of GE crops as argued by the examined studies; I also critique these studies. In the third stage, I critique how GE proponents portray SD social benefits in the examined studies. In the fourth stage, I test the prevalent claim about the EU pressure on African countries to reject GE technology, taking Morocco as a case study.
Local and deep texture features for classification of natural and biomedical images
Authors:   , Oraibi Zakariya Ahmed
Published: April 2021

Developing efficient feature descriptors is very important in many computer vision applications including biomedical image analysis. In the past two decades and before the popularity of deep learning approaches in image classification, texture features proved to be very effective to capture the gradient variation in the image. Following the success of the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) descriptor, many variations of this descriptor were introduced to further improve the ability of obtaining good classification results. However, the problem of image classification gets more complicated when the number of images increases as well as the number of classes. In this case, more robust approaches must be used to address this problem. In this thesis, we address the problem of analyzing biomedical images by using a combination of local and deep features. First, we propose a novel descriptor that is based on the motif Peano scan concept called Joint Motif Labels (JML). After that, we combine the features extracted from the JML descriptor with two other descriptors called Rotation Invariant Co-occurrence among Local Binary Patterns (RIC-LBP) and Joint Adaptive Medina Binary Patterns (JAMBP). In addition, we construct another descriptor called Motif Patterns encoded by RIC-LBP and use it in our classification framework. We enrich the performance of our framework by combining these local descriptors with features extracted from a pre-trained deep network called VGG-19. Hence, the 4096 features of the Fully Connected 'fc7' layer are extracted and combined with the proposed local descriptors. Finally, we show that Random Forests (RF) classifier can be used to obtain superior performance in the field of biomedical image analysis. Testing was performed on two standard biomedical datasets and another three standard texture datasets. Results show that our framework can beat state-of-the-art accuracy on the biomedical image analysis and the combination of local features produce promising results on the standard texture datasets.
Mugwumps and never trumps : the rhetoric of party bolting and party repair
Authors:   , Reed Joel Lansing
Published: April 2021

Political partisanship has long occupied a central position in the study of American political rhetoric, but scholarly understanding of intraparty political communication has lagged behind that of interparty conflict. While disputes between Republicans and Democrats are a significant animating factor in 21st century political life, our understanding of what moves and defines these institutions has largely been left to the rigid empiricism of political science or the functionalism characteristic of much of historiography. This dissertation proposes party repair as a new theory of partisanship and partisan realignment rooted in the study of intraparty political factions and organizational and constitutive rhetoric. Party bolters in the elections of 1884, 1948, and 2016 provide a brief glimpse into the complexities of partisan identification and disidentification occurring outside the traditional framework of critical elections.
Leadership in action : the influence of leadership practices on reform
Authors:   , Ruhman Lisa
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore how schools and administrators can be most effective in meeting the needs of students while managing accountability measures such as the Common Core State Standards and ensuing Missouri Learning Standards. Although literature regarding leadership theories is prevalent (Bass and Avolio, 1994; Northouse, 2010; Sergiovanni, 1996), there remains a gap in how quality leadership translates into effective schools with high achieving children (Wallace Foundation, 2012). For struggling schools to advance reform efforts, research must determine how school leaders can best support student achievement throughout the process. The present study sought teacher perceptions of effective leadership behaviors necessary for successful reform. Learning leadership (LL) was the comparative tool utilized to better understand effective governance. Employing a mixed method study, the researcher provided an online, single instance survey with embedded open-ended questions to obtain practitioner insights to explore possible relationships between LL and student achievement amidst reform. The results indicated a potential relationship between the characteristics of educational leaders and positive reform results, however, further research is required to verify the actual implications of each LL behavior. In addition, gender appeared to have a significant role in the perception of practitioner insight, with females being prone to greater agreement of a successful link to instructional support. It is possible that a gap still remains between behaviors deemed supportive by teachers and those displayed by administrators. Additionally, the study highlighted the need for further study of administrative perceptions throughout large-scale transition, and the content of administrative degree programs offered by colleges and universities.
Managing identities during social change
Authors:   , Valiavska Anna
Published: April 2021

Protests and social movements are a part of the history of Higher Education in the United States. In this study I use grounded theory to understand the process of identity management for administrators, faculty, and staff during student-led protests on a university campus. To gather data for this project I have conducted 26 interviews with faculty, administrators and staff. I theorize that the process of identity management was a discursive and embodied process of interweaving familiar scripts in response to a limited and limiting organizational script of silence. Many participants found the organizational script insufficient and, therefore, turned to following other familiar scripts: organization roles, occupational knowledge, motherhood, and cultural background. The identity management process engaged and was informed by specific cultural, historic, and geographic realities. This overall process is described as a rhizomatic identity negotiation process. My project extends the theorizing on identity work and on feminist grounded theory, with a specific focus on understanding the embodied nature of identity negotiation.
Novel protective modifiers in mouse models of spinal muscular atrophy
Authors:   , Kaifer Kevin Andrew Cody
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease caused by the homozygous deletion or mutation in the survival motor neuron-1 (SMN1) gene resulting in extremely low levels of the SMN protein. Without treatment, the majority of SMA cases progress rapidly and lead to mortality by age 2. SMA is uniquely positioned for therapy, however, as a nearly identical gene called SMN2 can be modulated to express the functional SMN protein. A recently approved, highly efficacious therapy called Spinraza adopts this strategy and has brought promise to the SMA patient community. Despite this breakthrough, it is widely hypothesized that a long-term strategy will require a combinatorial approach to address the complexity of this disease, and additional therapeutic strategies need to be established. Towards this aim, the past decade of research has led to the elucidation of key molecular events that contribute to the pathology of SMA as well as several factors that modulate disease severity. Referred to as protective modifiers, these factors represent potential targets for combinatorial therapy. In this work we establish a strategy to identify and characterize novel protective modifiers in mouse models of SMA. Our approach utilizes adenoassociated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) to express putative modifiers in mouse models, effectively allowing us to determine their effects in vivo. Using our experimental system, we confirm that a previously controversial modifier, Plastin-3, reduces severity in mouse models of SMA. We also identify miR-23a, DOK7, and [alpha]-synuclein as novel protective modifiers of SMA. These insights implicate microRNA dysregulation, neuromuscular junction organization, and synaptic transmission as disease modifying pathways that contain potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of SMA.
Roles of clathrin-coated vesicle networks in plant immunity and development
Authors:   , LaMontagne Erica Danielle
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] For a plant cell, the plasma membrane (PM) is not only the interface with its environment but also a signaling platform. Proteins localized to the PM serve important purposes including detecting bacterial pathogens in the apoplast, initiating defense signaling, and repressing defense signaling in the absence of pathogens to prevent unnecessary resource allocation. To effectively fulfill their roles, proteins with immune-related functions must be properly located at the PM and present in sufficient quantities. To coordinate delivery and removal of immune-related proteins to and from the PM, plant cells utilize an intricate internal vesicle trafficking system. Within a plant cell, a central organelle termed the trans-Golgi network/early endosome (TGN/EE) is a hub at which many of the vesicle trafficking routes contributing to modulating PM protein levels merge. It is established that clathrincoated vesicles (CCVs) form at both the PM and the TGN/EE. However, our knowledge of the roles TGN/EE-associated CCV components play in coordinating cellular logistics of immune-related proteins remains rudimentary. Here, we explore the roles of two CCV components for modulating PM abundance of protein cargoes with plant immune and developmental functions. In connection, we tested how loss of one or both CCV components impacted immune signaling and immunity against pathogenic bacteria. â€¦ To complement discovery research in Arabidopsis, we aim to identify and characterize putative orthologs of FLS2 and EPS1 in the agronomically important species Zea mays (maize) in the long-term. Maize plants can perceive and respond to flg22 but the cognate receptor responsible for this recognition remains undefined. In addition, there is miniscule knowledge of vesicle trafficking components and their associated roles in maize. To provide insight to these large gaps in the field, we have identified ZmFLS2 and ZmEPS1 candidates through a bioinformatic approach. For each gene, we have isolated multiple putative null mutant alleles either from UniformMu stocks or through Ds mobilization and proceeded to introgress these mutant lines into the genetically uniform B73 reference genome. Genetic tools generated here will allow us to assess organismal, cellular, and molecular functions of ZmFLS2 and ZmEPS1 in future studies.