bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of perfectionism on career decision self-efficacy and vocational outcome expectation among Asian American college students
Authors:   , Suh Han Na
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] In this study, Social Cognitive Career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, and Hackett, 1994; 2000) was the conceptual framework to understand Asian American students' career development process that incorporates cultural (person and contextual level). Due to the strong cultural emphasis on family obligations for achievement in academic and vocational realms, perfectionism is a salient construct among Asian American students (Chao and Tseng, 2002) and thus was included to explore its influence on Asian American students' career decision self-efficacy and vocational outcome expectations. The relationships among the study variables were explored through structural equation modeling analysis. As expected, a positive relationship between adaptive aspect of perfectionism and career variables (i.e., career decision self-efficacy and vocational outcome expectations) was found. This is in line with Asian culture in which there is the tendency to set high standards and strive to reach that standard to honor the family (Wang, 2010). Also, consistent with expectations, a negative association of maladaptive perfectionism on career decision self-efficacy and vocational outcome expectations was found. Career decision self-efficacy and vocational outcome expectations play a crucial role for successful career performance and outcomes (e.g., Gysbers, Heppner, and Johnson, 1998; Kim, 2000; Swanson and Woitke, 1997). Some studies in the past have focused on only the negative aspect of perfectionism (Blatt, 1995), limiting and invalidating its importance in certain cultures. However, considering these significant implications of career decision self-efficacy and vocational outcome expectations on career outcomes, the study's results suggest that it is important for career counselors and psychologists to intervene to increase adaptive perfectionism and lower maladaptive perfectionism. The research model was significant even after acculturation and enculturation were controlled, which was previously considered to be major constructs influencing Asian American students' career development. So the findings present a new aspect of understanding Asian American students' career development process, stressing the importance of perfectionism among this group of students. Suggestions for future research directions, clinical implications, and limitations are further provided.
Preventing unjust wars, and lesser aggresson
Authors:   , Wagner Issac A.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This dissertation addresses two issues in the philosophy of war: the prevention of unjust wars, and the moral justification of lethal defense against 'lesser aggression' (a kind of international aggression that involves the threat to use force rather than the actual use of force). Regarding the prevention of unjust wars, I draw on the bargaining perspective on war, from political science. According to this perspective, war between disputing states can occur when those states are unable to bargain their way to a peaceful resolution of their dispute. The perspective thus suggests that war can be avoided by preventing bargaining failure, and I argue that the wars that would be avoided by preventing bargaining failure will tend to be unjust wars. Therefore, preventing bargaining failure will tend to prevent unjust wars. I then propose some specific moral duties of states to prevent bargaining failure (in order to prevent unjust wars). Regarding the moral justification of lethal defense against lesser aggression, I argue for two things. First, I argue against David Rodin's view that considerations of deterrence do not help to justify lethal defense by a victim against a lesser aggressor. I argue, contra Rodin, that there is good reason to believe that a victim's lethally resisting a lesser aggressor will sometimes deter future aggression against itself and that this 'deterrence effect' may be a significant moral benefit of such resistance (thus helping to justify the resistance). Second, I argue that, under certain empirical conditions, a victim's lethally defending against a lesser aggressor is needlessly morally costly, hence morally unjustified. This is because a victim of lesser aggression will often have available an alternative defensive option--which I call returning-the-threat--that is significantly less morally costly than lethal resistance.
Three essays on corporate-political relationships
Authors:   , Abdulmanova Anna
Published: April 2021

This study examines the effect of corporate-political relationships on corporate decision making, performance, and value. In the first essay, presented in Chapter 3, I examine whether defendant firms use their political connections as an element of litigation defense. I document that lawsuit filing encourages firms to make contributions during litigation. I also report that cases of politically connected firms are resolved quicker and are more likely to get dismissed or transferred to another court. I find, however, that firms do not receive any benefits from their political connections during the trial stage. Thus, verdict and monetary penalties are not affected by firms' political contributions. In the second essay, presented in Chapter 4, I examine the effect of target's political connections on the process of mergers and acquisitions. I find that foreign acquirers are more likely to complete acquisitions of politically connected targets than domestic firms. I document that foreign acquirers are also more likely to choose tender offers and pay in cash than domestic acquirers. Additionally, I demonstrate that acquirers from countries where corporate-political relationships are common pay higher premiums for politically connected targets. In the third essay, presented in Chapter 5, I examine the effect of the difference in political orientation between a firm and a CEO on corporate decisions, firm performance, and value. I find that firms with a difference in political orientation deviate from the industry practices of resource management. I also document a negative effect of a difference in political orientation on firm performance and value, which increases with the size of this difference. Finally, I report that changes in political regulations do not change the effect of a difference in political orientation.
An examination of black women's health information understanding and negotiation of engagement in skin whitening
Authors:   , Ashley Rokeshia Renn
Published: April 2021

Taking a domestic approach to understanding a global phenomenon, the purpose of this project is to illuminate how black women receive health information concerning skin whitening and how such information impacts black women's negotiation and engagement in skin whitening as a health, racial, cultural, and social practice situated in an African American and Caribbean immigrant community. Triangulating semi-structured in-depth interviews, autoethnography, field and participant observations, I completed a close look at skin whitening over four weeks of intensive observation and self-introspection. Findings reveal a complicated understanding of health and racial hazard engulfed in familial exchanges and non-knowledgeable representatives of products that vie for skin whitening products use without proper representation of health information and impacts.
Arsenic-72, 77 as a matched pair radiopharmaceutical for imaging and radiotherapy
Authors:   , Feng Yutian
Published: April 2021

Radiopharmaceuticals deliver radionuclides to specific target sites via the bifunctional chelate approach, where the radionuclides are chelated with a ligand and linked to a targeting biomolecule. They can be categorized as imaging or therapeutic agents based on the physical properties of the radionuclides. Matched pair radionuclides have advantages because of identical chemistry of the imaging and therapy counterparts and true matched pair radionuclides are rare (e.g., 64,67Cu, 44,47Sc, 135,131I). Radioimmunoimaging and therapy commonly use antibodies (or antibody fragments) as targeting biomolecules, and may take a few days to accumulate in tumor cells. Thus they require radionuclides with longer half-lives. Arsenic-72 ([beta]+, 26 hour half-life) and 77As ([beta]- emitter, 38.8 hour half-life) have suitable physical properties as a true matched pair for radioimaging and therapy. This dissertation focuses on the development of 72,77As matched pair for potential PET imaging and radiotherapy. ... The production and separation of no carrier added (nca) 72,77As will be discussed in Chapter 2. No carrier added 77As separation was improved based on the reported method by decreasing the operation time and increasing capacity based on reported method.[1] The parameters for a 72Se/72As generator were evaluated and nca 72Se was produced via the 70Ge([alpha], 2n)72Se nuclear reaction, separated and loaded onto a generator column. Further evaluations are underway. Radiochemistry of nca 72,77As will be discussed in Chapters 3 and 4 since two chelating approaches were evaluated. The aryl dithiol approach incorporates an aryl ring to nca radioarsenic and complexes it with dithiol ligands. After various modifications and optimizations, radiolabeling nca 72,77As affording dithioarylarsines were accomplished in high yields. The trithiol approach complexes nca 72,77As with a trithiol chelate. Its in vivo stability was evaluated by conjugating the trithiol chelate to a Bombesin receptor targeting peptide and investigating its biodistribution in normal mice. An improved trithiol chelate was proposed and synthesized based on the high in vivo stability but poor targeting efficacy of the initial trithiol complex.
Roles for the adhension molecule Contactin2 in the development and function of neural circuits in zebrafish
Authors:   , Gurung Suman
Published: April 2021

Neuronal migration and axon guidance are critical developmental processes that are essential for establishing functional neural circuits underlying complex cognitive and motor functions. Precise neuronal migration and axon guidance are dependent upon cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions, which are mediated by several membrane-associated molecules. The relatively concise segmental organization of the hindbrain and the simple scaffold of axon tracts in the zebrafish brain provides an ideal model to study how different molecules collaborate to guide migrating neurons and growing axons to their final location. In this thesis, I examine the roles of membrane molecules during neuron migration and axon guidance in zebrafish. In Chapter 3, I show the generation of Contactin2 (Cntn2) null mutant using CRISPR/Cas9 and characterize cntn2 mutant. I demonstrate a role for cntn2 in facial branchiomotor (FBM) neuron migration and fasciculation of medial longitudinal fascicle (MLF) axons. In addition, using touch-evoked escape response and swimming assays, I show sensorimotor deficits in cntn2 mutants. Collectively, these data demonstrate distinct developmental roles for zebrafish cntn2 in neuronal migration and axon fasciculation, and in the function of sensorimotor circuits. In Chapter 4, I examine pairwise genetic interactions between several PCP and non-PCP genes for FBM neuron migration. I show that vangl2 is rather unique in exhibiting genetic interactions with several PCP and non-PCP genes. These data suggest that vangl2 might be playing a central role in regulating the function of many PCP and non-PCP genes for FBM neuron migration. In Chapter 6, I describe a novel genetic approach which utilizes the human CD59 receptor (hCD59) and the bacterial toxin intermedilysin (ILY) for rapid cell ablation in zebrafish.
Pregnant in prison the narrative intersection of motherhood and incarceration
Authors:   , Rodriguez Carey Rebecca
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This research study explores the ways in which women who were pregnant and incarcerated discuss how their pregnancy experiences unfolded behind bars. This research is necessary both because this group has not received adequate attention from scholars and also because the number of women who are incarcerated has increased sharply in recent decades. By relying on in-depth interviews with women who were formerly pregnant and incarcerated in prisons across the U.S., this study aims to answer important research questions related to how women construct and account for 1) how they prepared for motherhood while imprisoned, 2) the quality of maternal care they received while incarcerated, and 3) how they felt about being separated from their infants after birth, in addition to how they approached reentry. The findings indicate that the women encountered stigma as a result of their unique entrance into motherhood because their birth stories are inextricably tied to the prison system. The women in this study were tasked with preparing for motherhood under less than ideal circumstances. They all fought difficult battles in their quest to access maternal care, and they all encountered barriers after the births of their infants, including upon release from prison.
Fording the Severn : the influence of intermarriage and judicial participation on Welsh identity and self-identification in Shropshire and the Central March of Wales in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
Authors:   , Miller Alexis
Published: April 2021

A study of how intermarriage and the creation of multicultural communities helped to determine the way in which people used their identity along the often-fractious border zone of the Welsh March in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. This identity can be seen through the ways in which the border inhabitants used concurrent English and Welsh legal systems to their own advantage. This manipulation of the legal system and the fluidity of self-identification stands out in sharp contrast with the view of many historians that the English and Welsh populations lived in self-contained parallel communities according to vastly differing customs and habits. In-depth analysis of primary documents support the assertion that English and Welsh people lived in the same communities and often interacted in legal matters, both as partners and as opponents. Both populations were willing to use the English court system when it was available, but, these individuals were also willing to assert their rights to the legal jurisdiction of English or Welsh law based on which ever would be the most beneficial to their case. These case studies demonstrate the adaptations made to Welsh law and the ways in which Welsh peoples used their legal identity to their own advantage.
Academic libraries national conference program evaluation : meeting learner needs in a changing profession
Authors:   , Hart Julia Katherine
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The Academic Libraries National conference is a professional development opportunity for academic librarians. This study analyzed differences in preferred learning style of conference attendees based on years of library experience and the ability of the conference to meet the stated mission. Quantitative results indicated insignificant differences between preferred learning style and years of library experience. Qualitative results revealed support for meeting two of three mission components. Recommendations support modifications in practice for conference organization at the overarching, survey design, and future areas of study. These recommendations support efforts to create comprehensive evaluation of the conference.
The imaginary age : poetry
Authors:   , Petronella Leanna
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] My dissertation includes a critical introduction and a manuscript of poetry. The critical introduction, "There was no warm body in what you wrote": Redefining the Gurlesque via Patricia Lockwood's Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals' uses the contemporary poet Patricia Lockwood to argue for the expansion of Gurlesque poetics. First, I establish how Lara Glenum and Arielle Greenberg define the Gurlesque. Then, I demonstrate that Lockwood is a Gurlesque poet, and that her treatment of the body in various manifestations--the sexual body, the grotesque body, the traumatized body--complicates these poetics. I argue that while Glenum and Greenberg's conceptualization of the Gurlesque necessitates a transparent relationship between writing about the body and meaning about the body, Lockwood's poetry shows that writing about the body can generate meaning across, through, tangential, and aside from the body. Via the lens of the Gurlesque, then, Lockwood's poetry illuminates the multiple opportunities for meaning in women's body-writing. My manuscript of poetry, "The Imaginary Age,"ï¿½ is divided into three parts, and might be described as a neo-confessional, gurlesque poetry that is especially invested in the bestiary and the elegy.
The influence of breast cancer-related lymphedema on women's return-to-work
Authors:   , Sun Yuanlu
Published: April 2021

The majority of women who develop breast cancer are under retirement age. Therefore, occupational functioning and employment are issues of significant concern. Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is one of the major treatment complications for breast cancer patients and it has been shown to be associated with adverse work outcomes. This study is one of the first to ask "how and why" lymphedema may interact with breast cancer survivors' return-to-work. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), which was adopted to guide research design and analysis of data related to health outcomes, was used as a platform for thinking about the phenomenon of return-to-work. Case study methodologies drawn from Yin's (2014) definition were employed in this dissertation study. Thirteen women with BCRL were enrolled in this study. Participants completed a survey and then participated in a sixty-minute semi-structured individual interview. The results suggested that the return-to-work experience was shaped by interactions of the disease processes, the work activities required, the individual, and an array of environmental factors. Four main themes emerged: 1) BCRL affects physical and emotional functioning associated with work; 2) On-going treatment for BCRL creates challenges for work; 3) Environmental factors affect the work experience; and 4) Personal factors play a key role in adjusting to return-to-work. The findings shared considerable agreement with ICF model and suggested new perspectives towards understanding the model. This study suggests implications for BCRL education, clinical practice, health policy, and research.
Redacted disclosure and analysts' weighting of private and public information
Authors:   , Zhao Lei
Published: April 2021

This paper investigates whether and how redacting proprietary information in regulatory filings affects financial analysts' weighting of private and public information. I examine this issue in the context of initial public offerings (IPO) where firms are allowed to redact value-relevant, proprietary information in relation to material agreements. To the extent that redaction affects firm information environment, I expect redaction to incentivize analysts to overweight their private information relative to public information. As predicted, I find that analysts' overweighting of private information is greater for redacted IPO firms. Moreover, this result prevails particularly when analysts involved rely more on private information. Next, I find analysts' overweighting of private information is more pronounced for analysts who have limited resources, ability, and attention, and when IPO firms do not receive venture capital financing. Finally, I find that the redaction-overweighting relation is attenuated after the passage of Regulation Fair Disclosure. I also find that analysts' overweighting of private information increases redacted IPO firms' idiosyncratic return volatility. Overall, my results extend prior research by examining the role of firm information environment on analysts' decision-making process.
Traffic impact assessment and mitigation strategies for disruptions
Authors:   , Chang Yohan
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This dissertation research focuses on modeling traffic conditions affected by disruptive events such as work zones, incidents, and hurricanes. Using a combination of field data and simulation experiments, this research tried to address the relationship between disruptive events and their impact on traffic conditions and driver behavior. The first half of the dissertation assesses the impact of work zones. First, a data-driven assessment of the traffic impact of work zones using different data sources was conducted. A tool was developed for practitioners to estimate the delay and travel times of planned work zones. Second, traffic flow and speed prediction models were developed for work zones in order to assist with the better scheduling of work activity. Machine learning approaches were used to develop the prediction models. In addition to work zone effects, the effects of another special event, baseball gameday conditions, were also studied and traffic prediction models were developed. Third, using naturalistic driving study data, classification algorithms categorized work zone events into crashes, nearcrashes, and baseline conditions. In the second half of the dissertation, the focus shifts to the effect of emergency on evacuation. Two chapters in this section present the results of different traffic management strategies -- 1) contraflow crossover and ramp closure optimization and 2) reservation-based intersection control in connected and autonomous vehicle environment.
Make America politically incorrect (again) : a genealogy with applications to the 2016 presidential campaign
Authors:   , Coker Clavin R.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Political correctness is a term replete with meaning in American society, but dreadfully difficult to define. That definitional quandary is especially salient in light of the term's circulation by Donald Trump, and Trump's campaign, in the 2016 presidential election. This dissertation proposes that political correctness is an empty signifier that responds to an anxiety concerning the rearranging of social hierarchies. Over a span of decades, political correctness has been systematically stretched and rearticulated to encompass a number of attitudes, behaviors, ideologies, and demands emanating from marginalized groups. As political correctness is almost always criticized and taken to be a negative attribute, its naturalization in societal discourse as a catch all to refer to the demands of disenfranchised populations is particularly troubling. To substantiate that claim, a genealogy of the term is conducted ranging from the 1980s to the present. The vocabulary of the genealogy is then applied via rhetorical analysis to discourses circulated in 2016 by the Trump campaign. I conclude by noting the serious implications of political correctness's continued circulation in American politics and society writ large.
The use of pluripotent stem cells as a model for early human placentation
Authors:   , Sheridan Megan A.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Throughout gestation, the placenta plays a critical role in ensuring proper development of the fetus. The placenta functions to exchange nutrients, oxygen, and fetal waste, produce and secrete hormones to influence maternal physiology, establish immune protection, and act as a protective barrier. Due to the placenta's many vital functions, any disruption could prompt additional stress on the pregnancy and, therefore, has the potential to disrupt fetal development. Furthermore, the placenta must alter its functions throughout gestation to adapt to the demands of the growing fetus. The earliest placental structure to form is known as the primitive syncytium, which is a highly invasive layer of trophoblast (TB) cells that implant into the maternal uterine wall. Unfortunately, very little is known about this early structure, due to the fact that at this time the mother would be unaware of the pregnancy and sample collection is not practicable on both technical and ethical grounds. It is now well established that human embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be driven along the TB lineage by exposing them to bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and inhibiting the signaling pathways that maintain the pluripotent phenotype (FGF2 and ACTIVIN A). The central theme of my dissertation has been to use these stem cellderived TB to model the early placental structure known as the primitive syncytium. My research investigated the use of this stem cell-derived TB model to 1) illustrate phenotypic and genotypic properties of TB cells differentiated from reprogrammed umbilical cord fibroblast cells collected from uncomplicated pregnancies (CTL) with those from infants whose mothers had experienced early onset preeclampsia (EOPE), 2) assess the vulnerability of stem cell-derived TB cells to Zika virus infections and 3) characterize the strain specific effects induced by the African and Asian lineages of Zika virus on TB cells. Our results have shown that 1) TB generated from EOPE pregnancies display enhanced susceptibility to oxidative stress which appears to limit their invasive capacity; 2) stem cell-derived TB are highly susceptible to Zika virus infection and virus induced cell lysis, while the progenitor cells (stem cells) are relatively resistant to Zika induced lysis; and 3) the African lineages, but not the Asian lineages, of the Zika virus induce rapid and severe cell lysis in TB cells (stem cell-derived TB and JAr cells). Taken together, my research demonstrates that stem cell-derived TB provide a unique model system to study placental pathologies as they may occur early in pregnancy.
Impact of a mobile hypertension program in four rural Dominican bateyes
Authors:   , Conley Tammie M.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Hypertension contributes significantly to cardiovascular risk and overall mortality worldwide. Among Haitians, uncontrolled hypertension is a leading contributing cause of death. The Dominican Republic is home to a large population of Haitian migrant workers who are living in poverty in sugar cane villages called bateyes. Like other rural impoverished communities, batey residents often lack access to basic health and education services which can result in poor cardiovascular health outcomes. This dissertation examined the impact of the first 12 months of an ongoing mobile hypertension program. The program, developed via an academic-community partnership, was delivered by a local Dominican non-governmental organization (NGO) in four rural bateyes. A â€˜promotoraâ€™ (lay health promoter) who is a resident of each batey works closely with the team to enhance community participation in the program. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study sample (n=70). A within-group, repeated-measures, pre-/post design examined the impact of the program on the main outcome measure of blood pressure control. Other outcome measures of interest were body mass index (BMI) and self-reported salt, alcohol, and smoking behaviors, and medication adherence (measured by self-report and pill counts). Results from analyses of 5 visits over a 12-month period showed a decrease in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure over time (p less than .005). Of note, 68% of the participants were >80% adherent to their antihypertensive medications. A Pearsonâ€™s correlation showed that individuals with increased medication adherence also had clinically and statistically significant reductions in SBP and DBP. Findings from this analysis of the first 12 months of the program indicate that the mobile hypertension screening and treatment program has a positive impact on blood pressure control. Evaluation of the program is ongoing and could serve as a model that has widespread implication in other isolated communities worldwide.
A meta-analytic review of the relation between impulsivity-related traits and family history of alcoholism
Authors:   , Haeny Angela Maria
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Extensive research provides evidence that people with a family history of alcoholism are at risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Similarly, people with impulsivity-related traits are at increased risk for developing alcohol problems. Importantly, research suggests that impulsivity mediates the relation between family history of alcoholism and the development of alcohol problems. However, impulsivity is a heterogenous construct and has been assessed with a myriad of measures. The present work is a quantitative synthesis of the literature on the relation between family history of alcoholism and impulsivity-related traits and that also examines various potential moderators of this association. Sixty-nine independent effect sizes from 65 studies (N = 11,127) qualified for the meta-analysis. The overall effect size was small-to-moderate (d = .32 [95% CI: 0.25, 0.39], k = 69), and was moderated by offspring age (Z = 3.73, p less than .001), with the effect size increasing with age. When examining specific facets of impulsivity, a small effect was found for harm avoidance (d = -.26 [95% CI: -.41, -.11], k = 10) and was moderated by family history density (Q (1) = 4.12, p = .04) such that the effect was much larger among those with more than one alcoholic family member (d = -.66 [95% CI: -1.10, -.22], k = 3). A small-to-moderate effect size was found for sensation seeking (d = .30 [95% CI: .21, .40], k = 29) and was moderated by age (Z = 3.09, p = .002), with the effect increasing with age. The effect sizes for all other facets of impulsivity were not significant. Notably, there were much fewer studies investigating other facets of impulsivity (e.g., reward dependence, lack of perseverance, lack of planning) compared to sensation seeking, limiting power to detect larger effect sizes. Findings from this review suggest the need for additional studies investigating the relation between specific facets of impulsivity (e.g., positive and negative urgency) and family history of alcoholism. In addition, this review suggests that, to some degree, we can identify phenotypic risk beyond mere family history status and, thus, inform the development of interventions for individuals with a family history of alcoholism, targeting the specific types of impulsivity manifested.
Feeding the student body: Insecurity and inequality among college students
Authors:   , Willis Don Edward
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] In this study, I investigate the impact of food and food insecurity on the lives of college students. Broadly, this research is aimed at highlighting food as a resource vital to both biological and social well-being for students at a critical period in the life course, with a particular focus on which students are food insecure and how this insecurity impacts their lives relative to their food secure counterparts. Because there is very little research on food insecurity among college student population, some initial research questions include: How prevalent is food insecurity among college students? And, who is most likely to be food insecure? I also address the following questions regarding the consequences of food insecurity for this population: How does food insecurity impact college studentsâ€™ health and social life? What social mechanisms may help explain how food insecurity operates to impact health outcomes? To answer these questions, I draw on original survey data collected in the spring of 2017 from a random sample of 389 undergraduate college students.
The effect of Parkinson's disease on learning-related slow potentials and emotion
Authors:   , Xi Ren
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The dopaminergic reward system is the focus of intensive research because of its relevance to disorders such as addiction, obesity, Parkinson's disease (PD), schizophrenia, and depression. One purpose of the current study was to test whether learning effects on a measure of reward expectancy, the Stimulus-Preceding Negativity (SPN), are dopamine mediated. We compared changes in SPN amplitude across trials as healthy people and people whose dopamine system had been damaged by PD learned a series of probabilistic categorization tasks, in which they were required to find out which of two doors was usually followed by a pleasant picture and which by an unpleasant one. We also assessed dopamine effects in the two groups using a behavioral assay, resting spontaneous eye-blink rate. The second purpose of the study was to test the involvement of dopamine in emotions triggered by positive and negative feedback displays via measures of the late positive potential (LPP), startle blink reflex, post-auricular reflex (PAR), and self-report. Results showed that SPN learning effects seen in the control group were absent in the patient group. These effects did not vary as a function of spontaneous blink rate. Changes in SPN topography suggested that patients might have compensated for impairments in their dopamine-dependent reinforcement learning system by switching to declarative memory. Confirming prior findings, participants with Parkinson's disease were less responsive to negative feedback as indicated by LPP. Patients with low spontaneous blink rate tended to exhibit reduced affective modulation of startle blink. Dopamine plays an important role in both anticipation and receipt of task feedback.
Regeneration of insulin-producing [beta]-cells during recovery from disease: a cure for Type 1 Diabetes
Authors:   , Ukah Tobechukwu Kenneth
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease condition characterized by destruction of the insulin-producing [beta]-cells by self-reactive lymphocytes of the immune system. While some immunotherapeutic approaches against T1D directly target and modulate diabetogenic specific T cells or the entire T cell repertoire, other efforts utilize antigen presenting cells or T cell-regulating molecules to control the T cells. In chapter II, we set out to determine the role of regulatory cytokines, IL-4 and IL-13 in T1D progression. IL-4 and IL-13 are widely reported as anti-inflammatory cytokines, and both can signal via the IL-4R[alpha]/IL-13R[alpha]1 heteroreceptor (HR). To determine the role of these cytokines in T1D development, we generated NOD mice in which the IL-13R[alpha]1 arm of the HR is deleted, thereby rendering the HR nonfunctional. Surprisingly, the findings indicate that NOD mice lacking the HR (13R-/-) display resistance to T1D as the rise in blood glucose level (BGL) and islet inflammation were significantly delayed in these HR-deficient relative to HR-sufficient (13R+/+) mice. In fact, the frequency and spleen-to-pancreas dynamics of both Th1 and Th17 cells were affected in 13R-/- mice. This outcome is likely due to an increase in the frequency of mTGF[beta][subscript +]Foxp3[subscript int] regulatory T cells and persistence of CD206[subscript +] macrophage in the pancreas as both types of cells confer resistance to T1D upon transfer to 13R+/+ mice. These findings reveal new insights as to the role environmental IL-4/IL-13 and the HR play in peripheral tolerance and the development of T1D. In chapter III, we investigate the source of newly formed Î²-cells during recovery from overt T1D under a combination therapy that involves an immunoglobulin chimera, Ig-GAD2 and bone marrow cells transfer. This combination therapy proved effective in driving immune modulation of diabetogenic-specific T cells and repair of the islet vasculature leading to the formation of new endogenous [beta]-cells that were able to thrive and restore long-lasting normoglycemia. Our new findings reveal and suggest that the combination therapy leads to the formation of healthy islets by inducing division of residual Î²-cells and differentiation of precursor cells. Furthermore, while the pancreas is cleared of immune infiltration during recovery from disease, both the lymph nodes and spleen displayed a significant reduction in Th17 cells, and the disease did not rebound. These circumstances are relevant to humans as intervention could be made at early as well as late stages after diagnosis. Overall, these results provide insights on future immunotherapeutic measures of T1D using regulatory cytokines or intervention with an antigen-specific therapy.
The evolution of complex calls In meadow Katydids
Authors:   , Harness Nathan Charles Eugene
Published: April 2021

Meadow Katydids (genera Orchelimum and Conocephalus) are a specious group often are found in habitats with several species within the group living in sympatry. They produce complex calls with two distinct phrases, "buzzing" and "ticking". These two phrases are organized in a highly diverse way across species. This diversity of call patterns in Meadow Katydids provides an excellent opportunity to comparatively study the evolution of complex calls. We tested the function of the two call phrases in male-male interactions. we examined the structure of the male call in the context of communities to identify candidate traits (i.e. traits likely involved in reproductive isolation). We constructed a molecular phylogeny from twenty species of Meadow Katydids, and examined the phylogenetic signal within call traits. The results of all of this taken together suggests ticking evolved in the context of male-male interaction, buzzing has been important for diversification, and in some species females have co-opted the tick to also function in reproductive isolation. Importantly, we have also designed and field-tested a plan to use Meadow Katydids as tools in primary, secondary, and post-secondary classrooms/laboratories
Attitudes toward marriage and divorce in East Asia
Authors:   , Ko Kwang Man I
Published: April 2021

Attitudes about marriage and divorce, which is related to cultural values and societal norms, are important as they can be indicators of couple relationship quality and marital stability. Along with the rapid social, economic, and cultural changes, East Asians have experienced the major transition of sociocultural interpretations of marriage and divorce. Using a person-oriented approach and the 2006 East Asian Social Survey data set (N = 9,035), this study explored if there were underlying groups of East Asians regarding attitudes toward marriage and divorce. Also, this study examined how those subgroup memberships differed on patriarchy, gender role ideology, age, gender, marital status, education level, and country. Four qualitatively different profiles were identified: conservative (10.8%), progressive (79.6%), married men less happy (3.1%), and married women less happy (6.5%). People in the conservative profile, where South Koreans accounted for 45.8%, were more likely to be older, currently married, and less educated. Individuals in the progressive profile were less likely to have traditional patriarchal and gender role ideology, and about 90% of Chinese and Japanese belonged to this profile. The characteristics of married men less happy and married women less happy group were similar to each other except for the gender ratio and gender role ideology. This study revealed that East Asians have different attitudes toward marriage and family by being categorized into four distinctive groups, which can be implications for policymakers and marriage educators in East Asia.
Characterization of the effects of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) in the TRAMP mouse prostate cancer model and DIM's interaction with estrogen receptor signaling
Authors:   , Li Yufei
Published: April 2021

3,3'- diindolylmethane (DIM) is an acid -derived compound formed during the digestion of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is one of the main compounds in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and kale. Studies indicate that the cancer protective effects of cruciferous vegetables and I3C partially rely on DIM, which is the bioactive form of I3C in the body, and DIM has been shown to interact with several signaling pathways in cancer. However, the primary molecular working mechanism of DIM is still not clear. In this dissertation, we hypothesize that DIM works through estrogen receptor (ER) signaling to inhibit prostate cancer. We focus on DIM's interaction with ER, as well as its effects on preventing advanced prostate cancer and weight gain in the TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) model.
A call to citizenship : Anti-Klan activism in Missouri, 1921-1928
Authors:   , Rost Sean Brendan
Published: April 2021

This dissertation examines the efforts of anti-Klan activists in Missouri to challenge the growth, recruitment, and political ambitions of the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s. As a nation-wide organization, the Klan made major inroads in Missouri and built a substantial membership population that replicated similar growth in other states. However, as this dissertation argues, the Klan was unable to translate its recruiting success in Missouri into political power due to significant local opposition. These anti-Klan activists came from diverse backgrounds, and included newspaper editors, members of organizations such as the NAACP, UNIA, Urban League, Catholic Central Verein, Knights of Columbus, and B'nai B'rith, and prominent state politicians such as Governor Arthur Hyde, Senator James A. Reed, and Congressman Harry Hawes. At times, they tried to unite into an interracial, interdenominational, and bipartisan Klan-fighting organization; yet, personal quarrels and internal differences over how best to challenge the hooded order splintered any hope of a singular coalition. Nevertheless, anti-Klan activists did experience some success in using their power in the press, the pulpit, and the polls to stymie the growth of the Klan's Invisible Empire in the state.
Maternal-child nurses' social judgments about types of fathers
Authors:   , Akright Jan
Published: April 2021

Nurses are affected by societal attitudes and are not immune to implicit social judgments. This mixed-methods study examined nurses' : (1) perceptions about various types of fathers, (2) emotional reactions to the fathers, and (3) responses to questions raised by the fathers. The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and nuclear family ideology were used as frameworks to guide this study. A sample of 167 maternal-child nurses participated in an on-line survey in which they responded to three randomized multiple segment factorial vignettes featuring five father types bringing a child to the clinic with different health conditions (e.g., a child with general health problems; a child with a chronic illness; a child with acute health symptoms). After reading descriptions of the father and child, nurses were presented with forced-choice questions about their perceptions of and emotional reactions to the fathers. They also were asked to answer questions raised by the fathers, using written responses. A series of one-way MANOVAs were conducted to examine nurses' perceptions and emotional reactions to the fathers. Content analyses were conducted on nurses' written responses. Although there were two significant statistical comparisons, the quantitative results suggested that nurses' perceptions of and reactions to the fathers were not affected by the fathers' marital and parental statuses. However, the qualitative data presented a more complicated and ambiguous picture. Nurses' written responses were not the same for all types of fathers. Social judgments may have affected how nurses responded to certain father types.
Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective
Authors:   , Burcks Shannon Marie
Published: April 2021

The importance of undergraduate science learning for the workforce and scientific literacy is consistently emphasized by prominent organizations and influential publications such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (1993, 2013), the National Research Council (NRC) (2010, 2011, 2012a, 2012b, 2013) and the Coalition for Reform of Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education (CRUSE) (2014). Moreover, important undergraduate and K-12 reform policy documents including the National Research Council (NRC) (2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (Achieve Inc., 2013) set lofty goals aimed at improving science education. At the same time, science curricula content and assessment are shifting to virtual formats (Smetana and Bell, 2012), and enabling learning and assessment to be depicted in more dynamic and interactive ways. Furthermore, assessment scholarship offers opportunities to make instructional decisions with the aim to aid student learning (e.g. Bell, 2007; Black and Wiliam, 1998, NRC, 2012; Shepard, 2000). Nonetheless, harnessing the full potential of virtual formats to reach these goals for science learning and assessment has proven challenging. Therefore, in this research study, I explored how the technology in one online undergraduate biological science course can impact how an instructor can aid student learning. ... The findings have implications for instruction and research and suggest that learning communities may want to consider that student centered learning theories and student-centered course design for online education could be incomplete. The primary implication includes ways to support formative assessment practices for science instructors in virtual environments by looping instructor formative assessment opportunities throughout a course. Finally, these findings can help others develop assessments that fully support student learning by including the instructor's assessment needs and abilities. The conclusions I present cannot be considered a solution to all courses. However, I encourage other researchers to consider alternative explanation(s) by thinking with theory.