bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning human poses in natural scenes
Authors:   , Ning Guanghan
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The task of human pose estimation in natural scenes is to determine the precise pixel locations of body keypoints. It is very important for many high-level computer vision tasks, including action and activity recognition, human-computer interaction, motion capture, and animation. We cover two different approaches for this task: top-down approach and bottom-up approach. In the top-down approach, we propose a human tracking method called ROLO that localizes each person. We then propose a state-of-the-art single-person human pose estimator that predicts the body keypoints of each individual. In the bottomup approach, we propose an efficient multi-person pose estimator with which we participated in a PoseTrack challenge [11]. On top of these, we propose to employ adversarial training to further boost the performance of single-person human pose estimator while generating synthetic images. We also propose a novel PoSeg network that jointly estimates the multi-person human poses and semantically segment the portraits of these persons at pixel-level. Lastly, we extend some of the proposed methods on human pose estimation and portrait segmentation to the task of human parsing, a more finegrained computer vision perception of humans.
Capital requirement and financial stability
Authors:   , Wei Xingpeng
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This dissertation consists of two chapters. In the first chapter, I examine the tradeoff between bank competition and financial stability resulting from the capital requirement when an unexpected bank run may happen. Built on the framework of Diamond-Dybvig, the model shows that a higher capital requirement tightens banks' capacity for taking deposits, thus reducing the intensity of competition between banks and at the same time improving financial stability. However, the total effect of capital requirement on welfare is not monotone. The second chapter extends the work of the first chapter and shows that in an environment where run is expected ex ante, sufficient capital and optimally set capital requirement can still achieve first-best allocation, thus run probability will not matter if the capital requirement is optimally chosen. A bank's contracts in economies with different run probabilities are also examined.
Economic sanctions and human security : overstated backfire
Authors:   , Jeong Jin Mun
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] A large body of scholarship have shown that economic sanctions cause human suffering in target states. This unintended negative effect of sanctions might undermine legitimacy international sanctions regime. However, grave humanitarian consequences are by no means an inevitable outcome of economic sanctions. This research explores the conditions under which economic sanctions bring about humanitarian pains in targets. I suggest that sanctions instrument is an important determinant to examine humanitarian consequences of economic sanctions. Specifically, trade sanctions negatively affect human security by restraining essential humanitarian goods inflow and inflicting economic costs on the vulnerable people. On the other hand, foreign aid sanctions neither directly prevent humanitarian goods imports nor disproportionately hurt the vulnerable class of targets. In the empirical tests, I examine health adjusted life expectancy of 159 countries from 1995 to 2010 as an indicator of human security. The findings imply that human suffering of target states of sanctions is mainly attributed to trade sanctions, but aid sanctions have no systematic negative effect.
A glimpse of African identity through the lens of Togolese literature
Authors:   , Charles-Galley Marie Line J.
Published: April 2021

Togo, this small West African nation, is still relatively unknown, even in today's jet set world. The western world is only now discovering the numerous advances Togo has made in its social and economic policies, but most of all in its political conjectures. After its Independence on April 27, 1960, Togo had barely begun its journey to democracy when the dictatorship of Gnassingbe Eyadema became the yoke of the people for over thirty-one years, on April 14th, 1967. The consequences of the stranglehold exercised by Gnassingbe was to shut the nation's cultural growth and cause the people to close in onto themselves and build a protective barrier between themselves and the rest of the world. Yet, Togo had great beginnings. It was one of the pioneers of Sub-Saharan literature, publishing in 1929 one of the first true African novels still read today. In 1929, native son Felix Couchoro, was among the first Sub-Saharan authors to write a novel which gave agency to an African protagonist in a story set in Africa, with an African-themed plot, and with a conclusion that aimed at rethinking African society. Couchoro was the first to look deeply into his culture and the social identity of his nation. He brought forth suggestions that would help in Togo's growth and insure its successful battle for Independence. In doing so, however, Couchoro also created great controversy around a subject which continues to plague not only Togolese people, but all Africans who feel pulled in two directions: preserving their authentic traditional customs while taking an active part in the modern world, through economic improvements as well as technological advances. In this dissertation, I will first study Couchoro's flagship novel which was the starting point of this quest for a modern identity, then analyze how subsequent Togolese writers have taken up Couchoro's legacy.
Frames and subspaces
Authors:   , Cheng Desai
Published: April 2021

This thesis will consist of three parts. In the first part we find the closest probabilistic Parseval frame to a given probabilistic frame in the 2 Wasserstein Distance. It is known that in the traditional [symbol]2 distance the closest Parseval frame to a frame [phi] = {[symbol]i} N[i=1] [symbol] R[d] is [phi[ï¿½] = {[symbol] ï¿½ i }N[i]=1 = {S [-1/2][[symbol]i]} N[i=1] where S is the frame operator of [phi]. We use this fact to prove a similar statement about probabilistic frames in the 2 Wasserstein metric. In the second part, we will associate a complex vector with a rank 2 real projection. Using this association we will answer many open questions in frame theory. In particular we will prove Edidin's theorem in phase retrieval in the complex case, answer a question on mutually unbiased bases, a question on equiangular lines, and a question on fusion frames. In the last part we will give a way to calculate the exact constant for the [symbol]1 ï¿½ [symbol]2 inequality and use this method to prove a couple of interesting theorems
Investigation of the effects of dynamic loads on reinforced concrete flat-plate buildings under collapse scenarios
Authors:   , Jawdhari Aamer H.
Published: April 2021

During the initial stages of a collapse, failure of the initiating member (i.e. column loss) can cause a dynamic load redistribution in the surrounding members. The ability of the structure to withstand these dynamically redistributed loads will determine if the building is susceptible to collapse. If the surrounding members cannot support the redistributed load, the second stage of progressive collapse can happen. In this stage, there is falling debris from the failed members surrounding the removed column and dynamic impact on the floors below. Furthermore, while the behavior of RC members under static and high-rate (blast) loads are well researched, there is less information about the response under medium rate loads that occur during collapse. This research first looks specifically at flat-plate slab column connections to study the effect of collapse loading rate on the slab column connection behavior and how that behavior changes the collapse potential of the building. Second, the effect of falling debris load on the lower floors of flat-plate buildings during the collapse is investigated.
The Nemean Wells : sanctuary context and ritual activities in the northeast Peloponnese
Authors:   , Kimmey Stephanie M.
Published: April 2021

Nemea is known as the site of the panhellenic Sanctuary of Zeus and yet can also be considered a place of rural cult activity due to its location within the Nemea Valley, removed from large polis centers. The sanctuary is often overlooked in the study of Greek religion and sanctuaries. As one of the lesser known panhellenic sanctuaries, discussion of the site is often incorporated only into larger dialogues of the panhellenic cycle assuming that the site functioned in a similar way. My dissertation uses a chronologically restricted study that includes the archaeological record, the architectural programs, and the landscape to refine the history of the sanctuary and reconstruct visitors' experiences. I specifically look at the archaeological record of ten well assemblages to propose a new methodology for the study of sanctuary religion. This methodology breaks new ground in recognizing the usefulness of wells within the discussion of Greek sanctuaries and religion.
Metabolic programming of a Warburg effect-like phenotype in donor fibroblasts prior to somatic cell nuclear transfer
Authors:   , Mordhorst Bethany Rae
Published: April 2021

Gene edited pigs serve as excellent models for biomedicine and agriculture. Currently, the most efficient way to make a reliably-edited transgenic animal is through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) also known as cloning. This process involves using cells from a donor (which may have been gene edited) that are typically grown in culture and using their nuclear content to reconstruct a new zygote. To do this, the cell may be placed in the perivitelline space of an enucleated oocyte and activated artificially by a calcium-containing media and electrical pulse waves. While it is remarkable that this process works, it is highly inefficient. In pigs the success of transferred embryos becoming live born piglets is only 1-3%. The creation of more cloned pigs enables further study for the benefit of both A) biomedicine in the development of prognosis and treatments and B) agriculture, whether it be for disease resistance, feed efficiency, gas emissions, etc. Two decades of research has not drastically improved the cloning efficiency of most mammals. One of the main impediments to successful cloning is thought to be due to inefficient nuclear reprogramming and remodeling of the donor cell nucleus. In the following chapters we detail our efforts to improve nuclear reprogramming of porcine fetal fibroblasts by altering the metabolism to be more blastomere-like in nature. We used two methods to alter metabolism 1) pharmaceutical agents and 2) hypoxia. After treating donor cells both methods were used in nuclear transfer. Pharmaceutical agents did not improve in vitro development of gestational survival of clones. Hypoxia did improve in vitro development and we are currently awaiting results of gestation.
Experimental assessment of advanced thermal imaging for detecting voids in ducts
Authors:   , Dawson James
Published: April 2021

This research will evaluate the ability of a transient based Infrared Thermography (IRT) technology called the Infrared Ultra Time Domain (IR-UTD) system to detect defects in Post Tensioned (PT) ducts. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of bridges in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) constructed using PT concrete design. Post Tensioning is a design concept in which steel tendons are placed inside plastic or galvanized steel ducts that are embedded within the concrete itself. If not constructed properly, voids are created during the construction process. These voids allow water and chlorides to ingress into the ducts and cause the steel tendons to corrode. A PT specimen will be cast with embedded defects at known locations and exposed to diurnal heating and cooling cycles. The IR system will collect data while the specimen is fully exposed to the environment. Data will also be collected after an air controlled enclosure is constructed around the specimen to simulate the temperature gradient that the outer wall of a box girder bridge is subjected to. This research shows that in direct sunlight, the IR-UTD processing produced indications from implanted defects of varying sizes inside of a galvanized steel duct. Additionally, the effect from having air control on the inside of the structure didn't significantly affect the results. To obtain a full scope of the abilities of the IRT system, a procedure to properly insulate the specimen to prevent uneven thermal gradients will be necessary. Testing during the 07 months where the sun is in the sky for a longer period would also be beneficial.
The perceived impact of the national junior angus show and conference on youth leadership and life skill development
Authors:   , Weikert Ben S.
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between participating in the National Junior Angus Show and perceived gain in youth leadership and life skill development, as well as to describe a relationship between 4-H participation, FFA participation, and demographic characteristics with youth leadership and life skill development. The target population for this study was youth who participated in the 2016 National Junior Angus Show and Conference (n= 851). An overall response rate of 50.8 % was attained in this study (n= 127). Youth provided their perceived gain in of youth leadership and life skill development, indicated which of 23 youth development activities they participated in, indicated their participation in 4-H, FFA, or other youth development organization, and also responded to basic demographic questions following the administration of an electronic survey instrument. Based on findings from this study, it was concluded that the 2016 National Junior Angus Show and Conference did have a perceived positive change on youth's leadership and life skill development. The researcher also concluded that age was a significant predictor of youth's perceived leadership and life skill development. Overall dosage of youth development activities showed significance across three psychological constructs The researcher also found that two of the 23 activities accounted for a significant perceived gain in youth leadership or life skill development across five psychological constructs. Further research is recommended through a qualitative lens to elicit more descriptive information on the experiences and growth that youth develop as the result of their participation in National Junior Livestock Shows and Conferences.
Bacterial ribosome conformational dynamics during translation termination and rescue
Authors:   , Casy Widler
Published: April 2021

Hydrolysis of polypeptide from the ribosome is a critical step that must occur prior to the ribosome recycling phase of translation. Inability of cells to do so can result in translation inhibition and eventually leading to cell death. In bacteria, class one release factors bind to the ribosome to catalyze the release of the mature polypeptide during translation termination. However, in the event of ribosome stalling as a result of mRNA truncation, ribosome rescue factors bind to the ribosome to catalyze the release of the growing polypeptide from the stalled complex. This rescue process is then followed by ribosome recycling. Here we employ smFRET to study the effects of the class I release factors, RF1 and RF2, and an alternative release factor known as YaeJ on the conformational dynamics of the ribosome following hydrolysis of peptidyl tRNAs. Further, we investigated the role of A-site mRNA on the global conformation of the ribosome. Our results demonstrate that upon binding to their cognate stop codon, the class I release factors stabilize ribosome complexes in the non-rotated state. Similarly, binding of YaeJ to complexes that are assembled on truncated mRNAs resulted in ribosomes that occupy primarily the non-rotated state. We also observe that absence of mRNA in the A-site induces a hyper-rotated conformation between the two subunits. Together, these findings further characterize the interactions between these different ligands and the bacterial ribosome. In addition, these results suggest that stabilization of the ribosome in the non-rotated state is critical for priming the ribosome for the recycling phase of translation.
Development of novel site-specific imaging probes for prostate cancer detection
Authors:   , Xu Hang
Published: April 2021

Molecular imaging is believed to play a pivotal role in decreasing cancer mortality and improving prognosis in the new era. It relies on molecular probes to image cellular or molecular abnormalities in living body. The primary objective of this research is to develop novel multimodal molecular imaging probes, via nanotechnology and peptide conjugation chemistry, for site-specific targeting and imaging of human prostate cancers. A novel nanoparticle based bimodal MRI/fluorescence molecular imaging probe was developed, characterized, and studied for its capacity to target gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPr) which is overexpressed in human prostate cancer. Synthesized USPIO(Cy7.5)-BBN nanoparticles have a small core size (5 nm), a high MRI relaxivity, and a superior binding affinity and specificity to the GRPr overexpressed on human prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, SIO-AF750-BBN, a silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticle loaded with near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dyes and bombesin, was developed as a tri-modal photoacoustic (PA), NIRF and MRI imaging probe. SIO-AF750-BBN displayed a high binding affinity and specificity to the GRPr expressed prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. SIO-AF750-BBN demonstrated a significant photoacoustic contrast enhancement in tumor tissues, i.e. 3 and 5-fold as compared to the receptor-blocking control group and the peptide analog AF750-BBN without attachment to a nanoparticle, respectively, after intravenous tail vein injection in tumor bearing mice. In addition to bombesin agonist as the targeting moiety, bombesin antagonist is also explored. A series of bombesin antagonists with three different NIRF dyes and three pharmacokinetic modifiers were synthesized and characterized. Of those, three bombesin antagonist analogs, AF750-G-pip-Sta-BBN, AF750-GSG-Sta-BBN, and AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN, exhibited high NIRF imaging efficacy, high binding specificity and affinity, and antagonism to human PC-3 prostate cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, this Ph.D. work addresses the issues of discovery and development of novel site-specific and multi-modality molecular probes for cancer targeted imaging. USPIO(Cy7.5)-BBN displayed the capacity to generate imaging contrast enhancement for prostate tumors in living bodies on MRI/NIRF. The SIO-AF750-BBN demonstrated tumor specific photoacoustic signal enhancement, as well as near-infrared fluorescent imaging enhancement after intravenous administration of this agent in human prostate cancer animal model. Finally, AF750 labeled bombesin antagonist analogs were developed and demonstrated to have a high binding affinity and selectivity to the GRPr and a desirable in vivo bio-distribution profile, indicating their high potentials to be translated to clinical use for imaging-guided surgery and therapy.
A transdiagnostic investigation of amygdala-vmPFC resting state functional connectivity and emotional distress in daily lives
Authors:   , Merrill Anne M.
Published: April 2021

Mood disorders, anxiety disorders and borderline personality disorder overlap in symptom criteria, are highly comorbid with one another, and group together in factor models of psychopathology (Kotov et al., 2011). These disorders of emotional distress are characterized by increased frequency and duration of intense negative affect, large abrupt shifts in affect (i.e., affective instability), and behavioral dysregulation (Selby, Anestis, Bender, and Joiner, 2009). Functional connectivity between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been proposed as a possible endophenotype for emotion dysregulation. However, the relationship between amygdala-vmPFC connectivity and transdiagnostic symptoms of emotional distress is largely unknown. The present study used two powerful methodologies, fMRI and Ecological Momentary Assessment, to examine the relationship between amygdala-vmPFC resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) and dysregulated moods and behaviors in daily lives. Twenty-seven women in treatment for a disorder of emotional distress completed clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires on symptoms and emotion regulation, resting state scans, and two weeks of frequent surveys assessing moods and behaviors. Results found that amygdala-vmPFC rs-FC was (a) correlated with frequency of behavioral dysregulation, including drinking alcohol to cope with distress, binge eating, and impulsivity, and (b) differentially correlated with anxiety and depression, replicating the results of previous research (Burghy et al., 2012). Results also found that another emotion circuit, the dACC-amygdala, was associated with negative affect and affective instability. The current research found evidence for neural mechanisms related to emotional and behavioral dysregulation in daily lives of women with transdiagnostic disorders of emotional distress.
Martial citizenship : firearms, identity, and masculinity in a public militia group
Authors:   , Petrin Daniel Thomas
Published: April 2021

This project is a study of the ways in the participants in a public militia group organize and present positive identities in everyday talk and storytelling. This study situates their activities within a larger historical trajectory in which the contentious changes in social hierarchies and political power in the United States over the last several decades has produced a distinctly paramilitary gun culture from which the militia draws its members and the resources they use in their everyday identity work. Adopting a theoretically informed ethnographic approach to analyzing data gathered over a number of interviews and several hundred hours of field work, this study analysis the ways in which militia members valorize personal characteristics such as firearms ownership, race, sex, religious beliefs, and geographic location in creating valuable social identities. The results, here termed messianic marginality, is a shared identity they express through generic conventions that they use to position themselves as responsible people who through their personal sacrifices and efforts have cultivated skills and moral values that serve not only themselves but the wider society they believe is in decline and does not respect them.
My year pooping in a bucket : lifestyle, cultural, and social movements in the "node" at Dancing Rabbit ecovillage
Authors:   , Rubin Zach
Published: April 2021

What happens between the most visible aspects of social movements? When protestors put down their signs, petitioners hang up their clipboards, and movement organizations contract, there are several theories about what happens to the social and political currents that made them possible in the first place. Theories of social movements often rely on an understanding of political cycles, resource availability, or social strain. Often, movement actors are portrayed as â€œactivatedâ€ for a given campaign, only to return to inactivity after it concludes. Beyond those observations lie permanent communities of activists whose forms of political engagement are not inherently ties to shifting winds of political opportunity and are deeply embedded in the everyday practices of lifestyle. This dissertation profiles one such group, Dancing Rabbit ecovillage, as a social movement "node," containing hallmarks of cultural, lifestyle, and social movements. Members of a node, like the one portrayed in this work, follow a different path towards being activated that offers a different account of how political work is drawn from personal consciousness. The concept of the social movement node is developed as an alternative explanation for the persistence of activism, one which helps to develop and elaborate a long-developing understanding of personal and political spheres are overlapping and immutably connected rather than separate and opposed. I detail the village's claim to the nature and future of society through an ethnographic explanation that moves through its own cycles based on a seasonal metaphor, rather than on the terms of national trends.
Objective Bayesian analysis of the 2 x 2 contingency table and the negative binomial distribution
Authors:   , Snyder John Christian
Published: April 2021

In Bayesian analysis, the â€œobjectiveâ€ Bayesian approach seeks to select a prior distribution not by using (often subjective) scientific belief or by mathematical convenience, but rather by deriving it under a pre-specified criteria. This approach takes the decision of prior selection out of the hands of the researcher. Ideally, for a given data model, we would like to have a prior which represents a "neutral" prior belief in the phenomenon we are studying. In categorical data analysis, the odds ratio is one of several approaches to quantify how strongly the presence or absence of one property is associated with the presence or absence of another property. In this project, we present a Reference prior for the odds ratio of an unrestricted 2 x 2 table. Posterior simulation can be conducted without MCMC and is implemented on a GPU via the CUDA extensions for C. Simulation results indicate that the proposed approach to this problem is far superior to the widely used Frequentist approaches that dominate this area. Real data examples also typically yield much more sensible results, especially for small sample sizes or for tables that contain zeros. An R package is also presented to allow for easy implementation of this methodology. Next, we develop an approximate reference prior for the negative binomial distribution, applying this methodology to a continuous parameterization often used for modeling over-dispersed count data as well as the typical discrete case. Results indicate that the developed prior equals the performance of the MLE in estimating the mean of the distribution but is far superior when estimating the dispersion parameter.
Interactions with external resources in link-intensive online professional development courses : a collective case study
Authors:   , Jones Keri Champion
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] In online professional development (PD) for teachers, links to external resources are often integrated into courses with the expectation that they enhance learners' interactions with content. Little is known, however, about how teachers interact with link-intensive content in online PD and how to design for interactions with links so as to maximize their benefits, particularly in asynchronous courses which lack instructor mediation. The goal of this mixed methods collective case study was to explore how a group of teachers interacted with external resources in their link-intensive online PD courses. The course content pages were visited with a frequency and timing that aligned with course expectations, but participants interacted with only 38% of the links to external resources. While the courses with the fewest links had the highest rates of interaction with links, there was substantial variation in the interaction rates across participants. This study revealed no significant differences in degree of link-use across individual differences such as reasons for taking the PD, tolerance for information overload and online learning readiness. Participants evaluated the relevance of the information they expected to find at a link before interacting with it. Attitudes, guiding behaviors and information goals were associated with their decisions to interact with the links. Participants preferred authentic, teacher-produced resources and tended to skim the content at the linked resources to get the information they needed. They employed a variety of self-directing strategies in their interactions with content and reported benefits of link-intensive content systems including access to a vetted resource collection, increased satisfaction, and professional learning.
Deep eutectic solvents : investigation of solvent structure and its applications
Authors:   , Wagle Durgest Vinod
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) represent an alternative class of ionic fluids closely resembling room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), they are distinguished by the fact that they also contain an organic molecular component (typically, a hydrogen-bond donor like a urea, amide, acid, or polyol), frequently as the predominant constituent. DESs possess several advantages over RTILs while being less expensive, synthetically accessible, nontoxic, and biodegradable. In this work we have probed into liquid structure of DES using quantum chemical calculations and neutron scattering experiments to elucidate the molecular interactions, charge transfer interactions, thermodynamics and mass transport associated with these systems. The DESs studied comprise 1:2 choline chloride/urea (reline), 1:2 choline chloride/ethylene glycol (ethaline), 1:2 molar ratio of choline chloride to glycerol (glyceline) and 1:1 choline chloride/malonic acid (maloline). The DESs were found to be stabilized by both conventional hydrogen bonds and C-H...[pi] interactions with significant charge transfer from choline and chloride to the hydrogen-bond donors, further confirmed by density of states analysis. Consequently, it was found that the sum of the bond orders of various choline-C1[minus] interactions in the DESs correlates directly with the melting temperatures of the DESs. From macroscopic measurements of glyceline, it was observed that the long-range translational diffusion of the larger cation (choline) is slower compared to the smaller glycerol molecule. However, the diffusion dynamics analyzed on the subnanometer length scale revealed that the displacements associated with the localized diffusive motions are actually larger for choline. This is due to ability of glycerol to form stronger hydrogen bonds with chloride anions compared to choline cation. Quantum chemical simulations performed on ASCs paired reline and ethaline DES systems revealed that ASCs interacted with the choline and HBD components of DESs through multiple unconventional non-covalent interactions i.e., CH...[pi], C=O...[pie], O-H...[pi] and N-H...[pi] interactions. Oxidation of ASCs improved interaction with DES components due enhanced ability to form multiple hydrogen bonds. ASCs exhibited significant improvement in change free energy of solvation upon oxidation indicating that oxidation could aid in enhancing selective extraction of oxidized ASCs from liquid fuel using DES.
Policy analysis using sensemaking : implementation of an ambiguous policy mandate in institutions of public higher education
Authors:   , Branton Michelle
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Institutions of higher education are facing educational policy reform and implementation challenges. In response to external and internal pressures to increase timely graduation rates, state lawmakers in Missouri adopted the Complete College America agenda and enacted laws impacting institutions of higher education. This study utilized a qualitative case study designed to explore policy analysis using sensemaking of leaders at two institutions of public higher education - a two-year college and a four-year university - responsible for implementation of the new policy mandate in their institutions. This study drew on the theoretical framework of Weick's (1995) seven sensemaking properties, and reports findings drawn from interviews, observations, and document analysis that sought to investigate leaders' sensemaking experiences implementing the 15-to-Finish Initiative at their institution. Qualitative findings revealed that sensemaking plays a crucial role in the implementation process of leaders implementing a new policy mandate.
An analysis of the relationship between developmental mathematics and early access to Algebra 1
Authors:   , Baer Nicholas R.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the impact of early access to algebra on developmental math enrollment in college. This study specifically analyzed 30 St. Louis area high schools. Developmental math enrollment numbers and the percentage of students with early access to algebra in the eighth grade were analyzed to address the research questions. A hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to find a statistically significant relationship between early access to Algebra 1 and developmental math enrollments in college. High schools with a higher percentage of students with early access to Algebra 1 had fewer graduating students requiring developmental mathematics courses in college.
The influences of perceived discrimination, religious coping and personal control on psychological distress among East Asian students in the U.S.
Authors:   , Cummingham Yu Li
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study examined the influences of perceived discrimination, religious coping, and personal control on psychological distress among 305 East Asian students in the U.S.. The results showed that variables of perceived discrimination, personal control, and psychological distress were significantly associated with each other; and personal control partially mediated the link between perceived discrimination and psychological distress. It demonstrates that experiences of discrimination undermine East Asian students' personal control in their lives and across situations, and through personal control, contributes to greater psychological distress. The moderation effect of religious coping on the link between perceived discrimination and personal control was not significant. Implications for culturally appropriate services, counseling, and research are discussed.
Using cognitive work analysis to design a continuous quality improvement monitoring system for medical school accreditation
Authors:   , Royse Lisa A.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this study is to apply phases of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) to identify human and information constraints in how a medical school tracks and monitors the Liaison Committee of Medical Education (LCME) accreditation elements and use the identified constraints to guide design decisions for development of a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Tracker system that will be used to facilitate the LCME Oversight Committee meetings. The researcher answered the following questions: What do the phases of CWA reveal about system constraints of a LCME CQI monitoring system at a medical school? More specifically, what are the design implications for a system that supports an oversight committee in the continuous monitoring of accreditation elements at a medical school? Direct observations, document review, and interviews with 17 members of the LCME Oversight Committee were conducted. Findings from qualitative analysis of interview transcripts were mapped to three phases of CWA. Findings were then used to create models that allowed the researcher to gain a deep understanding of the human and information constraints to consider when designing an LCME CQI tracking system.
Teachers as agents of change : how knowledge gained from secondary English language arts professional development impacts classroom practices
Authors:   , Bryan Vicky L.
Published: April 2021

Gathering information about how secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers use pedagogical content knowledge gained from professional development (PD) to change their classroom practices in one Midwest Missouri school district has the potential to change how future ELA PD is delivered. The researcher examined teachers' perceptions through 21 individual interviews and a focus group as well as district archival surveys administered after three ELA content PD days during the 2017-18 school year. Participants shared their thoughts on effective elements of PD, how teachers implement classroom change and how those changes influence student learning, as well as how teachers know they are growing. This research is qualitative in nature utilizing purposeful sampling, open coding, and an hermeneutic method to identify themes and interpret responses. Data discovered the use of teacher experts, time for collaboration, and participating in reflective practices as the most important elements in gaining new knowledge and impacting classroom practices.
Developing a predictive model to identify job satisfaction among Missouri secondary assistant principals using the Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire
Authors:   , Coughlin Zac
Published: April 2021

"The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine if a predictive model can be created to identify job satisfaction among Missouri secondary assistant principals using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). A one-shot, non-experimental survey (Creswell, 2009) was created using Google forms and distributed to secondary assistant principals using the MSQ short form questionnaire. The MSQ identifies 20 categories related to job satisfaction and scores the respondent based on his/her answers. The MSQ and summary statistics will be used to identify which factors have the highest impact on assistant principal job satisfaction. Summary statistics will include assistant principal job satisfaction, years in assistant principal position, years teaching, size of building, salary, age, gender, education level, MSIP5 percent of points earned, and responsibilities. These ten data points will be analyzed in conjunction with the 20 MSQ categories using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences V22.0 (SPSS). A backward stepwise regression analysis will be utilized in order to predict assistant principal job satisfaction."--Page 6-7
Genetics in practice : applications of quantitative genetics to environment and educational pursuits
Authors:   , Haag Maria Therese
Published: April 2021

"The ability to elucidate quantitative trait architecture and introduce potentially beneficial traits makes introgression a useful tool. Unfortunately, due to the nature of inheritance there are certainly limitations to the usefulness of this approach for introducing quantitative traits to a recipient population. In this project we attempted to introduce genes associated with water consumption to strains with opposite consumption profiles. Our two strains were selected based on previously quantified differences in consumption. In our first study, we confirmed differences in consumption based on strain. We also observed a potential impact of maternal care on consumption--particularly in males. In the second study, we estimated the difference in consumption was due to a minimum of about 10-12 genes. Such a high number of genes with little information on architecture makes reliable phenotypic selection difficult. Ultimately, we determined the phenotype was lost in LB animals but about six genes were still segregating in HB animals. This indicates that this method may be effective for determining a limited number of high-impact genes after a short number of generations. To further resolve the architecture of the difference between these two strains it would likely be useful to continue backcrossing then produce a generation of HB intercrosses. These individuals would provide a higher resolution population for mapping work."--Page 142-143
Into the forests (and fields and yards) : re-thinking rural development and local food systems with wild harvesters in the Ozark highlands
Authors:   , Massengale Sarah Hultine
Published: April 2021

Local food systems are regularly advocated as a strategy for community economic development focused on market-based practices. Two particular critiques of this strategy have emerged that underlie this study. The first is that research on local food systems for economic development has often focused on strategies for urban areas, but rural areas have unique needs not addressed by urban approaches. Secondly, local food systems research and practice has often overlooked the contributions that informal activity, self-procurement, and nontraditional market exchanges contribute to community food systems. This narrative inquiry project explored the local food system practice of wild harvesting in the Ozark Highlands. By listening to the stories of wild harvesters in the Ozark Highlands I sought to answer the question: What can be learned from the wild harvesting experience that might help strengthen local food systems as a rural development strategy? This study applied the comprehensive rural wealth framework and developed a set of comprehensive wealth impacts and indicators for a rural, non-market based food access practice that evaluated the opportunities, outcomes and challenges for using local food systems as a rural development strategy. By using narrative methods and valuing local knowledge, this research also addressed the lack of wild harvester participation and voice in research and policy that has been identified in the literature.
Comparative studies of fission fragment and electron beam driven solid-state lasers and reactor-laser system modeling
Authors:   , Wisniewski Denis
Published: April 2021

A model for a Solid State Nuclear Pumped Laser (SSNPL) system was developed. The model consists of alternating layers of GaN, pure uranium metal, and diamond. The MCNP simulations are used to estimate the minimum core size necessary to achieve criticality. The use of electron beam pumped lasers (EBL) was demonstrated as cost effective analogs for testing SSNPL systems. The reason that EBLs are an effective analog for SSNPL systems is due to a common mechanism responsible for creating the electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor material. A laser model is given and analyzed for a GaAs based EBL system using MCNP simulations of an electron beam. The EBL laser model is modified for fission fragment excitation and applied to the SSNPL system. A system lifetime is estimated based on the dislocations produced by fission products and minimum laser threshold calculations.
Studies and synthetic methodology of Nampt inhibition
Authors:   , Moore Ellen
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this research is to study and synthesize an array of a highly potent pharmaceuticals that can selectively cause apoptosis in various cancer cells and to synthesize click chemistry components to be used in drug delivery systems. Utilizing hydrophobic properties of carboranes, an array of drug derivatives were synthesized as potential Nampt inhibitors. These drugs selectively bind to nicotinamide Phosphoribosyl transferase (Nampt), preventing cancer cells from replenishing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) through the salvage pathway which leads to apoptosis. The association constants of unsubstituted o-, m-, and p-carborane, adamantane, and their derivatives with [beta]-cyclodextrin ([beta]-CD) are reported for the first time using displacement binding in an aqueous solution. Although hydrophobicity plays a major role in the association with [beta]-CD, unsubstituted o-carborane which is the least hydrophobic carborane derivative, exhibits the highest Ka' of 2690 M[subscript -1]. The Ka' values for the m-, and p-carborane isomers decrease with decreasing dipole moment (1830 M-1 and 1560 M[subscript -1] respectively). Adamantane exhibits a Ka' value lower than each of the three carborane isomers at 1410 M[subscript -1]. These studies indicate that cyclodextrin inclusion complexes could be well suited as a drug delivery vehicle for our carborane containing drug derivatives. Click chemistry linkers functionalized with azide or alkyne functional groups were synthesized for use in a peptide drug conjugate. These linkers also utilized an amine reactive functional group to allow for reaction with amines found in peptides.
Development of radiolabeled metal chalcogenide nanoparticles for targeted adiotherapy against an infection
Authors:   , Sutherlin Logan
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Targeted radiotherapy has been demonstrated to be therapeutic against infections with doses comparable to what a patient would receive for cancer treatment. The aim of this research to create a platform for targeted radiotherapy against tuberculosis, a lung-based infection of growing concern due to emerging drug resistant strains. Instead of a traditional bifucntional chelate approach, a copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticle radiolabeled with [subscript 35]S was chosen. A nanoparticle would enhance the uptake in the lung as past work in the Robertson group has demonstrated. The long half-life of [subscript 35]S could allow for the nanoparticle to act like a brachytherapy source at the infection site if it is internalized and trapped inside the infection site. Copper sulfide's NIR absorption peak can also be used for photothermal ablation therapy against the infection site. The copper sulfide nanoparticles also have innate antimicrobial properties that can be used to arrest bacterial growth. Copper sulfide has a K[subscript sp] of 6x10[subscript -37], suggesting the nanoparticle will be very stable. Radiolabeling results with [subscript 35]S were promising with 99.4[plus or minus]0.6 % (n = 3) of the activity being incorporated into the nanoparticle. Stability in DI water was poor with over 50% of the activity escaping from the nanoparticle over the course of two weeks. The source of this degradation was identified as sulfide in the nanoparticle oxidizing. Literature indicated that to enhance stability of the nanoparticle it needed to be capped with an inert material such as zinc sulfide. The need of capping with an inert material to improve activity retention was demonstrated with Cu-In-S nanoparticles. It was found that the Cu-In-S was highly susceptible to degradation by oxidization. Solution radiostability studies lost over 50% of the activity in air within a week as sulfide oxidized to sulfate. Conversely when the solution stability study was performed under argon, only 8% of the activity was lost from the core. When the core nanoparticle was sufficiently shelled with ZnS activity solution retention was improved, with only 5% of the activity escaping the core/shell nanoparticles over two weeks in air. Future studies will aim to investigate the killing effects of the nanoparticle and targeted radiotherapy in vitro against Mycobacterium smegmatis, a nonpathogenic surrogate of the genus that can be used in biosafety level 1 laboratories.