bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ITTCs working together to reduce drug demand globally : a study of collaboration in an interorganizational network
Authors:   , Krom Laurie
Published: November 2024

Substance use represents a significant global health challenge that many countries lack the capacity to adequately address. While research has identified effective substance use practices and policies, utilization of this knowledge remains weak. Technology transfer is a process designed to accelerate the use of evidence in real-world settings. International Technology Transfer Centers (ITTCs) are university-based programs with the goal of building and enhancing their countries' capacities to implement scientifically based and culturally appropriate substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. ITTCs have formed a Network to collaborate across the world, but because an arrangement like this has never existed, it is unclear how collaboration among ITTCs will be successfully realized. Research in the internationalization of higher education and interorganizational collaboration provide some insights but such research is not specific to the unique context of the ITTCs. This study builds a foundation for collaborative ITTC efforts by answering the question: What are the qualitatively different ways that members of the ITTC Network experience collaboration? Eleven ITTC directors were interviewed for the study. Interview questions, based on the collaboration success factors framework and the three cultures model, were spread across two consecutive rounds of interviews. Due to the international nature of the study, multiple opportunities for member-checking and data confirmation were employed to enhance the quality of the research. Framework analysis supported the examination of the data, leading to the emergence of four themes that explain how ITTC directors experience collaboration: (1) definitions of collaboration; (2) collaboration merits, motivations, and challenges; (3) collaboration success and strategies to achieve it; and (4) the culture context of collaboration. The study findings help to address gaps in the existing literature and identify areas requiring further research. Furthermore, the findings provide useful insights into practical policies and procedures that the ITTCs could implement to improve and optimize their collaborative efforts.
Supporting rural school-based mental health service delivery : examining the effect of peer coaching on the delivery of an evidence-based mental health intervention
Authors:   , Meng Herrold Alicia Marie
Published: November 2024

Mental Health (MH) needs of school-aged youth is a growing problem (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019) and youth in rural areas have increased risk for MH needs (Bettenhausen et al., 2021). Schools are uniquely positioned to provide MH services to youth (Hoover & Bostic, 2021) which could be a solution to barriers related to access of MH services in rural areas (Farmer et al., 2021). MH providers in schools fill many roles and have high caseloads which often hinder MH service delivery (Splett et al., 2013). For the MH providers that have the desire and time to deliver MH services, there is often a report of low self-efficacy and a perceived lack of sufficient training to provide MH services (MASP, 2022). When professional development (PD) is provided, it is generally not effective due to a lack of ongoing follow-up support (Nakamura et al., 2014). Peer coaching is a training method that has been used in an academic context and could be a viable method of training and support for MH providers in rural schools (Koschmann et al., 2019). The aim of the current study was to promote evidence-based MH services in rural public schools through peer coaching for MH providers. A randomized control trial (RCT) exploratory study was employed to examine the effectiveness of peer coaching on provider self-efficacy and student well-being as compared to usual practice of only receiving PD training. Fourteen rural school-based MH providers across school psychology, school counseling, and school social work participated while only seven providers engaged in peer coaching. Findings indicated positive effects on MH provider self-efficacy and increased implementation fidelity for the MH intervention. Additionally, positive effects were found for student well-being. Results suggest that peer coaching for rural school MH providers could be an impactful way to provide support to rural school-based MH service delivery.
Transitions from preclinical to clinical training among rural scholars at the University Of Missouri
Authors:   , Meyers Meghan
Published: November 2024

To address the physician shortage in rural Missouri, the University of Missouri School of Medicine established the Rural Scholars Program with the goal of exposing medical students to rural medicine, encouraging them to return to rural areas for practice. The Rural Scholars Program also supports students academically, as stress, anxiety, and burnout occur during medical school, well before professional practice, especially during the transition from preclinical to clinical training. This mixed methods study examines how Rural Scholars' perceived readiness for clerkship training evolves over time and discusses students' experiences transitioning from preclinical to clinical training within two different clerkship structures -- traditional block and longitudinal integrated clerkships. Seven participants were interviewed, and it was found that the transition to clinical training is stressful, chaotic, and discombobulating, but also exciting; overall, transition experiences to clinical training are positive. Students in longitudinal integrated clerkships follow a J-curve trajectory in performance and readiness during their clinical training year. Traditional block clerkship students also experience a dip in perceived readiness at the start of a new clerkship. Previous clinical experience, academic preparation, and support are shown to be the most common factors associated with perceived readiness for clerkship and positive transition experience.
Effectiveness of universal social skill lessons targeted for 9th grade students, including students with disabilities and students at-risk for social, emotional, and behavioral challenges
Authors:   , Mirielli Lindsey
Published: November 2024

Age-appropriate use of social skills throughout a student's K-12 career has been linked to a variety of favorable academic and behavioral outcomes (Capara et al., 2000; Malecki & Elliot, 2022; Wentzel, 1993). Social skill deficits are widely present in the secondary setting (Gresham et al., 2010), and research has highlighted 9th grade as an opportune time to address social skills due to the transitional nature of this year (Akos and Galassi, 2004; Isakson and Jarvis, 1999; January et al., 2011; Wentzel et al., 2019). Further, certain subgroups of students, including students with disabilities and those at-risk for social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) challenges, are at increased risk of having social skill deficits (Fussell et al., 2005; Griswold & Townsend, 2012; Rose et al., 2011, Smith and Wallace, 2011). This study employed a pre- and post-test control group design within one high school to assess the effectiveness of universal social skill lessons targeted for 9th grade students on teacher and student reports of social competence. Results from this study indicate the intervention was effective for 9th grade students overall, as well as for students identified as at-risk for SEB challenges according to teacher report. Additionally, teacher report data showed promise for the intervention's effectiveness for the subgroup of students with disabilities. Alternatively, all analyses of student report data were not significant. Following the intervention, teachers found the intervention acceptable, feasible to implement, and important for their students. Implications and future research are discussed.
SNAP-Ed instructors innovations to recruit for the stay strong stay healthy fall prevention fitness program
Authors:   , O'Halloran Rachel
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this study was to describe the innovations for recruitment used by the University of Missouri Extension's Nutrition and Health Specialists to enroll low-income, SNAP-Ed eligible, older adult Missourians in the Stay Strong Stay Healthy (SSSH) fall prevention fitness program. The research questions were: 1. What factors contribute to the learning milieu of implementing SSSH for Missouri SNAP-Ed older adult eligible audiences? 2. What innovations for recruitment do Nutrition and Health Specialists use to provide access to SSSH for Missouri SNAP-Ed eligible older adult audiences? 3. What further recommendations do Nutrition and Health Specialists advise for improving access to SSSH for Missouri SNAP-Ed eligible older adult audiences? Two asynchronous online focus group interviews were conducted with 14 current SSSH instructors. The asynchronous online focus group transcriptions were coded by deductive reasoning, referencing the social-ecological model for themes. The study findings 1. described three factors of the SSSH learning milieu: the university institution, the county office politics, and the community environment; 2. organized the SSSH instructor recruitment innovations into the five spheres of the social-ecological model; and 3. presented the instructors' advice: to develop strategic referral/cross-promotion systems, to redesign marketing assets and policy, to establish ongoing best-practice research and training, and to expand the availability of instructors to offer more SSSH courses. Actions should be taken throughout the program learning milieu to effectively disseminate and replicate the innovations used by SSSH SNAP-Ed instructors and increase access for the older adult Missouri SNAP-Ed audience.
Otilia Rauda, la encarnacion de la mujer Mexicana subversiva
Authors:   , Perez-Picasso Veronica R.
Published: November 2024

This dissertation examines the representation of female agency within a patriarchal society through a comparative analysis of Sergio Galindo's novel Otilia Rauda (1986), Dana Rotberg's screenplay adaptation, and the subsequent film Otilia Rauda, la mujer del pueblo (2001). Set in late 19th and early 20th century Veracruz, Mexico, the narrative follows Otilia Rauda as she challenges the constraints imposed upon her by patriarchal norms. By juxtaposing these three textual manifestations, this study explores how the protagonist's defiance of traditional gender roles destabilizes the familial and societal structures of her time.
Progressive employment : a pathway to better employment outcomes for students with disabilities in career and technical education
Authors:   , Perkins Elizabeth Dianne
Published: November 2024

Despite completing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, Students with Disabilities (SWD) are less likely than their nondisabled peers to secure middle-skill employment related to their training. This discrepancy is not due to a lack of motivation but rather insufficient support and interagency collaboration to help overcome transitional barriers and build relevant work connections. Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation's Progressive Employment Program aims to bridge this gap by offering wrap-around support to maximize students' employment potential. This qualitative study examines the effectiveness of the Progressive Employment Program in helping SWD transition from CTE to middle-skill jobs. This exploratory case study, guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory and Social Capital Theory, assesses how the program helps SWD overcome transitional barriers, build employer connections, and gain industry experience. Data collection involved two focus groups with thirteen Progressive Employment team members, interviews with five former SWD and five employers, and two observations of team meetings. Results indicate that the program significantly aids SWD in obtaining jobs pertinent to their CTE training by providing support, integrating funding sources, leveraging social capital, offering relevant work experiences, and enhancing students' self-efficacy. The program was critical in preparing SWD in CTE for their career pathways, leading to employment and aligning their skills with industry needs.
Communicating distrust for survival : understanding racial socialization messages in Black families
Authors:   , Scruggs Xavier Lee
Published: November 2024

Racial socialization has only just begun to be studied by family communication scholars. This study created and validated a racial socialization scale rooted in communication and demonstrated the endurance of racial socialization into adulthood. The scale centers communication in understanding the nature and effects of specific messages within the family. Racial socialization messages were associated with a host of outcomes (e.g., racially conscious action, trust in law enforcement, and management of stress stemming from racism). This study shows the importance of engaging in interdisciplinary research by connecting family communication to political and health outcomes. There are important implications for Black families and practitioners.
24 karat or fool's gold? An analysis of the impact of interim assessment data on classroom teacher instructional decisions
Authors:   , Snead Steven Gregory
Published: November 2024

Data-based decision-making has been a frequently used policy and practice intervention used in schools to help inform the decision-making processes of educational practitioners, with the aim of improving student outcomes. Interim benchmark assessments are designed by commercial test developers to support educators in this framework. In fact, the state of Michigan has legally mandated the use of interim benchmarks in public schools to accelerate learning as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures. However, while student assessment instruments are core tools of data-based decision-making, not all assessments are equally useful to educators, particularly classroom teachers. There is a lack of evidence that shows how teachers use data from interim benchmark assessments in their practice and if there are differences in perceptions of the usefulness of this data across the various assessment tools that exist in the market. This study seeks to explore teacher perceptions about the usefulness of the data interim benchmark assessments provide and how frequently teachers use this data in their educational decisions. Using survey data from classroom teachers, this study employs quantitative methods to provide descriptive statistics on the degree of usefulness of interim benchmark assessments and the frequency of teachers' use of these data in their educational decisions. Though this study is limited to teachers in Michigan, the results of the study have national implications for how policymakers can support classroom-level educational decisions through the use of assessment data.
Exploring secondary educators' experiences with diversity, equity, and inclusion training : a qualitative case study
Authors:   , Soper Donald Alexander
Published: November 2024

This paper explores secondary educators' experiences with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training at Davidson Public Schools. A qualitative case study was conducted to define the scope of DEI trainings' ability to shape educators' experiences with their positionality and to help educators recognize their own implicit biases. The case study involved qualitative interviewing of twelve Davidson High School teachers across three different High Schools. All interviewees expressly stated the need for DEI training for all members of the school staff. Stating that it is imperative to understand the lived experiences of individuals who have different social identities. The DEI training program at Davidson should structure their training to include more reflection on social identity, provide real world examples on how to acknowledge implicit bias, and differentiate it's training to meet a wide variety of learners.
The Neumann problem in rough domains
Authors:   , Sparrius Derek
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this thesis is to study the solvability of the Neumann problem for divergence form elliptic operators on chord arc domains. We begin, in the setting of a 1 sided chord arc domain, by constructing the Neumann function associated with the differential operator and prove that the Neumann function is Holder continuous up to the boundary. Then, in the setting of a 2 sided chord arc domain, we establish the solvability of the Neumann problem with data in L^q, 1 [less than] q [less than] p as well as in the Hardy space H^1 under the assumptions we have solvability of the Neumann problem and Regularity problem with data in L^p and the Dirichlet problem for the transpose operator with data in L^p.
Shedding light on educator's knowledge and practices regarding the education of gifted learners in the general education classroom
Authors:   , Tanksley Ashley Ann
Published: November 2024

Supporting gifted learners in the general education classroom can be difficult, as educators may lack awareness of best practices with gifted learners. By identifying and addressing training needs related to gifted learners, educators can better serve gifted learners. This mixed methods explanatory sequential study examined educator awareness of gifted learners' attributes and needs in the general education setting and current strategies that educators apply with gifted students in their general education setting. The quantitative results revealed lack of undergraduate training and lack of professional development on gifted students, which leaves educators guessing how best to educate gifted students in the general education classroom. The qualitative one-on-one interviews Revealed educators' current awareness of this population of students and brought insight into ways to address professional development in this area. By sharing results from this study and tailoring professional development to match teacher needs in this school district, and other similar contexts, results from this study could have implications for practicing educators, with direct impact on gifted students' daily classroom experiences.
Black bodies and the market system
Authors:   , Tchatchou Marcel
Published: November 2024

This dissertation posits that regardless of the current market system's nature and structure, the black body has an already defined and fixed colonial ontological function: a subsidizing entity. In the postcolonial era, three processes are put into place to perpetuate this order: The first is the control of a preferential political black elite. The second is the entertainment of anomy generated by the inability of the market system and preferred subservient elites to create economic development for their ontologized people. The third is the perpetuation of extraction, the goal of prominent market players that derives from the two previous conditions. My study analyses three twentieth-century Afro-Caribbean books. As this work shows, these books represent colonialism and slavery and their socio-economic structures and epistemologies not as history and not even as ghosts that haunt the present but as persistent and continuing in contemporary neoliberal market capitalism structures. The books are Haitian writer Jacques Stephen Alexis's Les Arbres musiciens (1957) [The Musician Trees], two Congolese novels, La Vie et demie (1979) [Life and a Half] by Sony Labou Tansy; Johnny chien Mechant (2002) [Johnny Mad Dog] by Emmanuel Dongala. Despite the religiosity of neoliberal ideologies and market principles, African and Caribbean narratives often reject the dogma of western imposed extractive market principles. Thus, the nonwestern big market players with significant economic and military influence are beginning to demand and invent a revamped global system.
A low-cost and movement-based tool for concussion diagnosis
Authors:   , Thomas Jacob Matthew
Published: November 2024

The most used assessment for identifying sport related concussion (SRC), the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), is subjective and relies heavily on selfreported symptomology and visual assessment of neuromotor control. Concussion-related neuromotor control deficits can be quantified using instrumented assessment systems. This is useful, as measures of neuromotor control provide more objective diagnostic criteria and can be reassessed throughout recovery to guide the rehabilitation process. However, many currently available tools for instrumented assessment of neuromotor control are too large or expensive to be clinically feasible. This dissertation proposes a novel and clinically feasible tool, the Mizzou Pointof- Care Assessment System (MPASS), which is comprised of multiple low-cost devices to measure kinematics, kinetics, and reaction time during functional movement tasks. In this work, MPASS is used to assess differences between 20 collegiate athletes with acute concussion diagnosis (less than 2 weeks post-concussion) and 20 sport, position, and sexmatched healthy collegiate athletes. Differences in neuromotor control are assessed during static balance, walking, reaction time, and countermovement jump tasks. Results indicate MPASS can detect neuromotor control differences between these two groups. Further, a machine learning model using MPASS outcome measures discriminated between the two groups with an accuracy of 82.5 percent. These results demonstrate promise for MPASS as a clinically feasible tool and a diagnostic asset for providing objective assessment of neuromotor control following SRC.
Understanding how Jobs for America's Graduates programs affect student retention and high school graduation rates for at-risk students in alternative schools : a self determination theory approach
Authors:   , Thompson Hannah Gail
Published: November 2024

At-risk student disengagement from core academic graduation requirements has become more prevalent and leads to an increase in dropout rates across the nation. Jobs for America's Graduates program focus on addressing core competencies to help students build skills necessary for success post-high school. By focusing on building community partnerships, encouraging peer and staff relationships, and teaching soft skills, this program helps redirect students to discover personal goals for graduating high school and beyond. Using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, this qualitative thematic analysis study shows how building autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the school setting affect overall student motivation along the continuum of motivation and in turn, affect graduation rates and student retention. Students participating in the Jobs for America's Graduates program in a southwest Missouri alternative school were interviewed to understand student perception of motivating factors leading to student retention.
The performance diagnostic checklist -- human services : do employee-chosen indicated interventions produce performance improvement?
Authors:   , Tregnago Megan Kathleen
Published: November 2024

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist for Human Services (PDC-HS) was developed to address the need for a performance diagnostic tool in the field of human services and applied behavior analysis (ABA) (Carr et al., 2013). This study used a quality improvement framework to apply the PDC-HS within a non-for-profit ABA autism clinic setting. The PDC-HS was given to both supervisors and staff and their results were compared. Using a multiple baseline across participants single subject design, this study evaluated whether implementing a performance improvement intervention based upon an employee's PDC-HS results (rather than a supervisor's results) would result in meaningful improvement in the staff member's implementation of naturalistic behavioral interventions. This study addressed several limitations and recommendations from previous research on the PDC-HS and revealed that employeechosen interventions based upon the PDC-HS can result in meaningful employee performance improvement with high social validity.
Transformational leadership in a hybrid work environment
Authors:   , Walk Katie Lynn
Published: November 2024

This article presents a comprehensive case study examining transformational leadership strategies of a leader in a hybrid work environment within a higher education institution. Drawing upon the principles of transformational leadership theory and hybrid work research, the study delves into the leadership effectiveness of a high-level academic leader at a two-year technical college in Wisconsin. Through a qualitative analysis of interviews of the academic leaders' team related to their experience of her leadership activities, observations of meetings she led, and organizational documents she authored, the findings of this study detail how the leader employed various components of transformational leadership, including inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence, to be a successful leader and how the leadership approach has been adapted for a hybrid work environment. Finally, leadership recommendations are explored that include adapting communication type and frequency, use of technology, and establishment of relationships through in-person team building.
Storying school leadership toward racial equity : a critical narrative inquiry
Authors:   , Walters Sarah Wenneker
Published: November 2024

Those who care about US public schools face urgent challenges while schools remain significant sites of racial inequity (Crenshaw, 2022; Darling-Hammond, 1998). School leaders play a crucial role in shaping educational in/equity for students (DeMatthews et al., 2020; Grissom et al., 2021; Khalifa, et al., 2016). Meanwhile, the increasing demands on the principalship continue make the job feel at times insurmountable (Banerji, 2024; Constantia et al., 2021; Irby, 2021; Stein, 2023). To better understand the challenges and the ways principals make sense of them, I used critical narrative inquiry to reveal the stories made, told, and shared by leaders in advancing racial equity (Kim, 2016; Pino Gavidia & Adu, 2022). In this study, I asked three research questions: (1.) How do school leaders story the ways they lead toward racial equity?, (2.) What are the leadership practice(s) leaders use when working toward racial equity?, and (3.) How do school leaders make sense of their experiences in the larger sociopolitical context of educational racial in/equity? Three high school principals were chosen from a mid-west school district. Across the 2023-24 school year, I conducted three narrative interviews with each principal and analyzed them in an iterative process using critical whiteness studies. The leaders were found to story racialized differences in their students' experiences, un/certainty in their approaches, and evolving changes in leadership over time. Their leadership practices attempted to cultivate a sense of belonging, create systems that supported effective teaching and learning, and rely on relationships to advance racial equity. I found the leaders understood the sociopolitical context through their own racialized development while situating the pivotal COVID-19 pandemic to understand ongoing inadequacies and in/equities in the educational system. Finally, they historicized the current challenges to public education and racial equity advancement as a part of a long narrative arc, about which they were determined to be hopeful. Unfortunately, whiteness was upheld through their own experiences and actions as well as the enduring white supremacy of the social, economic, and political realities given the place and time. This research might be useful to support leaders who are doing this work and to build a better contextual tapestry upon which we can construct policies and practices that create more racially equitable schools.
A valiant effort : a case study of productive struggle in early childhood mathematics
Authors:   , Wilkerson Caitlyn Margaret
Published: November 2024

This case study involves one public school in a suburb of a major metropolitan area, focusing on one classroom of first grade students selected from a pool of volunteer classrooms. The first grade class of students, during their regular mathematics instruction, were given three tasks by their teachers designed to elicit a productive struggle experience in mathematics. Field notes were taken on student actions to better understand if the characteristics of productive struggle initially identified by Warshauer (2014) in the middle level setting would also emerge at the early childhood setting. Using six adaptive characteristics and a framework of anticipated behaviors I was able to use observational data to confirm the characteristics of productive struggle did in fact mirror those found in the Warshauer (2014) study with students at the early childhood level. In this study, I was able to observe the frequency with which the characteristics emerged in the individual tasks as well as the frequency seen across the tasks. Insight into what these adaptive characteristics look like are also recorded in this study and serve practitioners in the field by providing an idea of what to look for in early childhood productive struggle in mathematics.
The forgotten transfer population : a case study examining the lateral transfer student experience through the lens of transfer student capital
Authors:   , Wolkow Lexi Leigh
Published: November 2024

This qualitative case study examines the lateral transfer student experience--students who transfer from one four-year institution to another--at the University of Missouri. Through the lens of transfer student capital, this study analyzed eleven lateral transfer student interviews and three institutional websites to identify a revised framework for lateral transfer student capital based on both barriers and supports that the participants identified. Previously, transfer student capital has only been used to examine the community college transition. Lateral transfer student barriers that participants mentioned included a lack of easily available information, transfer credit loss, and feeling like they were starting over. Supports included transfer programming, academic advising, early connections, and access to information at the receiving institution as components of a student's successful transition. This study indicated that many lateral transfer students come to their second institution wanting to immediately connect and get involved in student life. Institutions and practitioners who would like to support the incoming lateral transfer populations can provide easily accessible program and transfer credit information, specific transfer orientation, and continued transfer programming once on campus. Additionally, lateral transfer students who are looking to get involved would also benefit from campus events being specifically promoted as inclusive to all students, regardless of age or student-type. Previously identified transfer student capital supports that related to a community college (vertical) transfer student's first institutional experience (e.g., advising at the first institution) did not play a role in the transfer transition for lateral transfer students.
Educator isolation in middle school encore content areas : a case study
Authors:   , Wright Daniel Jamyle
Published: November 2024

This isolation case study centers around five encore educators in a middle school. These educators provide daily instruction in their specific content area; art, home economics, computers/technology, PE (Physical Education), and orchestra. The organizational structure enhances a sense of isolation among these educators. Previous studies have addressed teacher isolation by content area, but studies have not thoroughly examined this issue within the entire encore department. Research was conducted using a single case study design to understand the lived experiences of five encore educators and whether and how they navigate isolation in their daily professional lives. The recurring themes identified are choosing moments of isolation during their workday, building design, and physical separation. The educators discussed navigating isolation by forming connections with middle school staff, students, and colleagues in the same field in different buildings. These interactions were crucial in helping them cope with the isolating aspects of their roles. The findings highlight that isolation is not an inherently bad concept; it can sometimes be desired by educators. The educators in this study had the strongest connections with the students they instructed. The participants suggested that structural changes in school design and scheduling could help reduce isolation. Realistic recommendations for encore teachers would include more meeting opportunities and creating more opportunities at the collegiate level for these content areas to have more courses together.
The career development experiences of first-generation students in the health sciences
Authors:   , Yevich Nicolette Annette
Published: November 2024

This study sought to gain insight into the benefits, barriers, and supports that first-generation (or first-gen) students experienced in their career development by answering these questions: (1) How did first-generation students who are juniors and seniors engage with the career development programming offered at the University of Missouri College of Health Sciences? (2) How did they perceive the benefits of career development programming offered by their college? (3) What were the barriers that reduced their access to career development opportunities? (4) What other support systems do first-generation students rely upon for their career development? This embedded qualitative case study recruited 12 first-generation junior/seniors to create a visual map and participate in a semi-structured interview. Using open and axial coding, the identified themes were academic, career planning, institutional, financial, mental health and disability support, and other support systems. The data highlighted important findings: that faculty members are critical partners in promoting career services and its programming. First-gen students understand career services to be expansive, more than just the office titled "career services" Peripheral resources help students to know they have additional resources that provide support. Overall participants found value in career services and were prompted to engage when a career-related action was required, such as updating their resume or the need to find an internship. Aspects such as navigating college, the need to work, building a network, and managing personal health were barriers students shared and sometimes these barriers delayed students entering their career due to the necessity of taking a bridge year or 2 to work or to save money, for instance. Participants overwhelmingly shared that their families were a significant source of support. These findings provide insight and actionable steps to minimize barriers experienced by first-generation students in accessing career services within the health sciences.
Advancements in influenza glycobiology : impacts in influenza a virus evolution, fitness, and vaccine development
Authors:   , Alcala Esmeralda
Published: November 2024

The Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae (FLUAV), is an enveloped, negative sense, single stranded RNA virus and part of the Orthomyxoviridae family. The FLUAV is comprised of eight genome segments, with segments HA and NA being the primary targets for host humoral responses and determining the subtypes of the influenza viruses. N-linked glycosylation may occur at the N-X-S/T sequon sites of NA and HA, and potentially impact the structure of HA and NA and thus transmissibility, antigenicity, and/or immunology of the FLUAV. FLUAVs circulating in humans have shown an increase of N-linked glycosylation sites, compared to those circulating in avian. Monitoring the heterogenicity and site occupancy of N-linked glycosylation is important in understanding the national history of FLUAVs. Advancements in glycomics technology and methods have helped precisely characterize N-linked glycosylation and develop therapeutic targets and broadly protective vaccines for influenza prevention and control.
Rap music, philosophy, and the academy : redefining discourses in Medellin
Authors:   , Celis Felipe
Published: November 2024

Rap music as it exists in Medellin, Colombia is a complex and complete expression of life in the city and, consequently, has the scholarly potential to be incorporated into the university curriculum. As a musician from Medellin myself, I evaluate this music with consideration of the biases of the academy where I was trained, as I believe such institutions must actively and honestly engage in conversation about rap's role in the city's musical context. Through this effort, I aim to challenge the implicit connotations associated with labeling rap as merely "popular" music. Two sources particularly useful in this endeavor were The Cambridge Companion to Hip-hop, an interdisciplinary collection of essays whose authors analyze in depth the four elements of the movement: MC'ing, DJ'ing, break dancing (or breakin'), and graffiti, and philosopher and cultural critic Julius Bailey's Philosophy and HipHop: Ruminations on Postmodern Cultural Form in which the author reveals the levels of philosophical meaning in the textual and graphic elements of hip-hop. To achieve the aim of this thesis, I investigate the rapper's attempts themselves to challenge the popular association of their work with popular music by analyzing multiple lyrics by Alcolirykoz, Ultrajala, Laberinto ELC, and Crudo Means Raw. I direct special attention to Vestigios de la Peste, the group whose members I interviewed personally and whose work provides the main body of evidence for this study. I also examine local "conversations" between hip-hop culture and the Western musical canon as exhibited through combining Western orchestration with performances of Alcolirykoz's rap songs. The results of this study reveal that rap in Medellin represents not only the worldview of its creators through the lens of neighborhood life but is grounded in the unique philosophy presented in its lyrics through which a sincere plea for understanding, acceptance, and change is expressed. Consequently, the genre's contributions to social identity, its performance as a philosophical practice, and the artistic objectives in common with the Western canon, make it viable as a topic of scholarly work and allow for its successful inclusion in Medellin's college classrooms.
Drought impacts on forest responses to precipitation and biological drivers of the surface energy imbalance
Authors:   , Cochran Emma Grace
Published: November 2024

The eddy covariance (EC) technique is used across the world to study the interaction between the biosphere and the atmosphere. This thesis consists of two research chapters, one devoted to analyzing historical EC data to gain new insights into how drought shapes forest responses to precipitation, and another study aimed at advancing scientific understanding of the surface energy imbalance (SEI). For both research chapters, historical ecosystem gas and heat flux data from the Missouri Ozark AmeriFlux site (MOFLUX) were analyzed. The first study focused on drought impacts on forest responses to precipitation. By analyzing predawn leaf water potentials ([psi]pd) to quantify drought and focusing on short-term responses (timescales [less than] 1 week) of latent and sensible heat fluxes (LE and H, respectively), as well as net ecosystem carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange (NEE), this study determined that the forest was most responsive to precipitation while under moderate antecedent drought stress (-1 [less than] [psi] pd [less than] -0.5 MPa). The second study focuses on the SEI, an issue apparent at EC sites globally whereby we cannot account for all energy within an ecosystem using EC measurements, introducing biases into the data and how we interpret it. Drought impacts forest heat fluxes and also ecosystem level photosynthesis, therefore affecting transient energy storages associated with photosynthetic energy. These energy storages are often neglected in surface energy budget studies and may be responsible for a portion of the SEI. Using Random Forest regression and Shapley Additive Explanations, both machine learning tools, NEE was identified as a primary driver of SEI, pointing towards the possible importance of biochemical and photochemical energy storages in surface energy closure. Taken together, this thesis advanced scientific understanding of forest drought responses and the SEI problem that has plagued the EC community for decades.
The impact of maternal incarceration on family functioning over 15 years
Authors:   , Neppl Ashlyn Kay
Published: November 2024

The U.S. has seen a substantial increase in incarcerated women since the 1990s, most of which are mothers. Women who experience cumulative oppression prior to incarceration (e.g., financial strain, substance use, violence, etc.) often commit crime to alleviate negative emotions. Moreover, adolescents with an incarcerated parent are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors. Within the limited literature, there is a clear connection between maternal incarceration and negative child outcomes. Guided by feminist theory and using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) Years 1--15-year follow-ups, I hypothesized that 1) financial strain, substance use, and IPV (Years 1 and 3) would be associated with maternal incarceration (Year 5), 2) maternal incarceration (Year 5), would be positively associated with adolescent delinquency and negatively associated with family well-being, and 3) maternal incarceration (Year 5) would mediate the relationship between the early childhood environments (Years 1 and 3) and adolescent delinquent behaviors and family well-being (Year 15). Results indicated that maternal incarceration medicated the relationship between increased maternal substance use and IPV with higher levels of parenting stress and lower levels or family engagement. Results demonstrate implications for family well-being, as an event of maternal incarceration is predictive of lower levels of family engagement over time. Thus, efforts should be made to increase and maintain family contact and engagement, especially after an event of maternal incarceration.
Could gender be an attribute of God?
Authors:   , Nourbakhshi Hamid
Published: November 2024

This thesis examines whether gender can be considered an attribute of God, examining Biblical depictions of God in masculine terms alongside modern egalitarian concerns within the context of Abrahamic religious traditions, particularly focusing on Catholic tradition in Christianity. One of the key questions that this thesis addresses is if attributing gender to God conflicts with imago Dei doctrine that says all humans equally bear the divine image. I argue that there is a conceptual gap between God's full attributes and those relevant for human embodiment of the imago Dei. I argue that God's gender needs not determine attributes within the imago Dei--that God's gender can be image-irrelevant. This distinction allows for harmonizing the traditional view of God's gender with the concepts of God's perfection and equal human dignity. Men and women can be equal image-bearers of a gendered God, if God's gender is not a constitutive part of the image. Furthermore, I give an argument why God's gender cannot be an image-relevant attribute, even if God is equally gendered or non-gendered. Because if God is gendered or nongendered and God's gender is image-relevant, then the people who have both genders or none, would be respectively greater and inferior image-bearers of God. Although in my proposal God can be metaphysically gendered, I argue that gender diversity beyond binaries, plus ethical issues with parenting metaphors, may favor a non-gendered language for the God-talk--that the most metaphysically accurate language may not be the best language for God-talk.
Using genetically diverse Collaborative Cross mouse strains to model SCN1A-related Dravet Syndrome
Authors:   , Shakkour Zaynab
Published: November 2024

Dravet Syndrome (DS) is classified as a rare neurodevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), characterized by persistent seizures, developmental delays, speech impairments, sleep disruptions, and other comorbidities. Although DS is considered a monogenic disease, it exhibits marked phenotypic heterogeneity that is not fully explained by the causal SCN1A variant. Understanding the genetic basis influencing phenotype severity is challenging through methods like Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) due to limited data on these sporadic variants. Additionally, current DS models fail to capture the full heterogeneity of DS outcomes, restricting their translatable potential. To address these limitations, our study leverages the Collaborative Cross (CC), a panel of genetically diverse recombinant inbred mouse strains. We developed new models of DS by crossing Scn1a+/- 129SvJ male mice with five CC strains and the reference C57BL/6J (B6J). Survival and susceptibility to heat-induced seizures were assessed in a total of 257 F1 mice. Introducing genetic diversity revealed a phenotypic spectrum extending beyond the phenotypes characterized previously. Multivariate analysis provided novel insights into biological and environmental interactions influencing the phenotypic response. Overall, our work provides new insights into the factors influencing the phenotypic manifestations of DS and reinforces the importance of genetic diversity in studying complex traits.
Pediatric neuropsychological feedback and patient outcomes
Authors:   , Sparrow Emilie
Published: November 2024

The present study advances the literature on the utility of current neuropsychological assessment (NA) by offering an in-depth examination of medical records of youth patients who complete NA, identifying the presence of NA report characteristics that may enhance NA utility, and examining NA recommendation follow-through within the hospital system. Participants include all patients aged 5 years or older who received neuropsychological testing services in the MU Health Care Pediatric and Adolescent Specialty Clinic between October 2021 and October 2022 (N=130). The PI created a novel coding system, "NA Characteristics Coding System" to collect all data for this study. Results show that majority of patients were referred by a source within the MU healthcare system (91.5 percent) and in-person feedback was the most common oral feedback modality (42.9 percent). NA reports for 130 patients included over 1,800 recommendations total (across school, medical, parenting/behavior change, books/websites/community resources, and therapy/mental health categories), with each patient receiving an average of 14 recommendations. The two neuropsychologist assessors differed significantly in the number and type of recommendations they provided. Follow-through with medical recommendations was most common for the general health follow-up, specialty provider follow-up, and medication categories. Future studies may utilize this method of chart review to characterize aspects of neuropsychological assessment, though caregiver interview is necessary to further investigate the subjective aspects of the process, such as attitudes and barriers to follow-through.