bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-time speaker-independent large vocabulary continuous speech recoginition
Authors:   , Li Xiaolong
Published: April 2021

In this dissertation, a real-time decoding engine for speaker-independent large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) is presented. Three indispensable and correlated performance measurements -- accuracy, speed, and memory cost, are carefully considered in the system design. A novel algorithm, Order-Preserving Language Model Context Pre-computing (OPCP) is proposed for fast Language Model (LM) lookup, resulting in significant improvement in both overall decoding time and memory space without any decrease of recognition accuracy. The time and memory savings in LM lookup by using OPCP became more pronounced with the increase of LM size. By using the OPCP method and other optimizations, our one-pass LVCSR decoding engine, named TigerEngine, reached real-time speed in both tasks of Wall Street Journal 20K and Switchboard 33K, on the platform of a Dell workstation with one 3.2 GHz Xeon CPU. TigerEngine is to be used in automatic captioning for Telehealth.
Comparing two comprehensive reform models: their effect on student reading achievement
Authors:   , Gines Bobby E.
Published: April 2021

Purpose of the Study. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two different school comprehensive reform models on student reading achievement. The study began by asking the following research question: Is there a difference in student reading performance when two comprehensive school reform models, Success for All and the Accelerated Schools model are compared? Research Question. Is there a significant difference in student reading performance when two comprehensive school reform models, Success for All and the Accelerated Schools model are compared at 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades? Procedure. Approximately 400 students in each of grades 3, 4, and 5 from two schools in an urban school district in North St. Louis County participated in the study. The students were nonrandomly assigned and administered the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), pre- and posttest. The data were collected and statistically analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings. A significant difference was found between average NCE reading gain scores at grade 3 between the two schools in the study, but no significant differences were found between gender or the interaction between school and gender. No significant differences were found between average NCE reading gain scores for grades 4 and 5 between the two schools. In addition, no significant difference was found for gender, lunch, or the interaction between school and gender, or the interaction between school and lunch, or the interaction between school, gender, and lunch. As was the case for 3rd grade, no tests were conducted for ethnicity for the 4th or 5th grade; however, there were sufficient students at the 5th grade to tests for lunch status.
Energy metabolism and uranium (VI) reduction by Desulfovibrio
Authors:   , Payne Rayford B.
Published: April 2021

Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) of the genus Desulfovibrio can breathe uranium in a manner similar to the way in which we (human beings) breathe oxygen. In respiration, we transfer electrons from food to oxygen, producing water, SRB transfer electrons of uranium (VI) to uranium (IV). (This transfer of electrons is also called reduction.) The reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) alters the solubility state of the uranium from a soluble to an insoluble, and therefore less biologically available, form. Because SRB are commonly found in uranium contaminated groundwater and soil, it is theoretically possible that we could use them to bioremediate uranium contaminated environments. However, before we attempt to use SRB to bioremediate uranium contaminated environments, we must first understand the SRB genes and enzymes involved in the process of uranium reduction. We have determined that the enzyme cytochrome c3 can act as a U(VI) reductase by Desulfovibrio when hydrogen gas is the energy source; however, alternate pathways utilizing organic compounds for U(VI) reduction exist. In addition, we have observed that Desulfovibrio that have been previously exposed to uranium (such as those bacteria that would be found in a uranium contaminated environment) are impaired in utilizing some organic compounds, but not hydrogen gas, as an energy source for uranium (VI) reduction. This suggests that in order for us to use SRB to treat uranium contaminated environments, it would be more efficient to add hydrogen gas, not organic compounds, as an energy source for the SRB.
The role of middle leaders in fostering organizational learning in a state cooperative extension service
Authors:   , Leuci Mary Simon
Published: April 2021

This qualitative study explored the nature of organizational learning and the role of regional directors (RDs) and program directors (PDs) as mid-level leaders in fostering organizational learning in one cooperative extension organization. In-depth interviews were conducted with top leaders, middle leaders, campus and regional faculty, and state extension council members. Key findings included organizational learning occurring simultaneously in four dimensions and identification of characteristics of transformative learning. RDs and PDs acted as knowledge activists in their functions as designers, enablers, evaluators, and bridges to foster organizational learning. Critical to organizational learning were relationship building, trust, communication, the process for engaging people in collaborative learning and dialogue as a means for creating a culture of care and the space for learning, and collaboration among RDs and PDs. Barriers to organizational learning involved organizational culture and structure, leader behavior, and the lack of a robust system for accessing the knowledge base.
Distributional estimates for multilinear operators
Authors:   , Bilyk Dmytro
Published: April 2021

We prove that if a multilinear operator and all its adjoints map L1 x x L1 to L1/m,oo, then the distribution function of the operator applied to characteristic functions of sets of finite measure has exponential decay at infinity. These estimates are based only on the boundedness properties and not the specific structure of the operator. The result applies to multilinear Calderon-Zygmund operators and several maximal operators. We have also obtained similar distributional estimates for the bilinear Hilbert transform: . . . . . . . .These estimates refect the exponential decay of the distribution function at infinity and also, up to a logarithmic factor, cover the endpoint cases of the region treated by Lacey and Thiele. Distributional estimates of this type also imply the boundedness of the operator on other rearrangement invariant spaces, in particular, the local exponential integrability.
Personality type as a predictor of interaction between student teachers and cooperating teachers
Authors:   , Kitchel Tracy (Tracy Jonathan)
Published: April 2021

Pairing of student teachers with cooperating teachers has not been studied intently in agricultural education. With student teaching being an important aspect to teacher preparation, it should be a research priority. The purpose of the study was to determine if personality type could predict aspects of interaction between cooperating teachers of agricultural education in two Midwestern states and their student teachers. Student teachers and cooperating teachers in agricultural education for the 2003-2004 school year, from the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, participated in the study.The study was descriptive-correlational, quantitative research. To measure personality type, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was used. To measure interaction aspects, the Mentoring Relationship Questionnaire (Greiman, 2003) was used. Findings suggest that, according to both cooperating teachers and student teachers, that student teachers were receiving psychosocial assistance from cooperating teachers. In addition, according to both student teachers and cooperating teachers, student teachers did not need much, nor did they receive much support related to roles and responsibilities of an agriculture teacher. Although the study found strength in relationships between overall perceived similarity and interaction satisfaction, personality type was found to have little influence on the variables.
Influence of racial identity and information processing strategies on client conceptualization
Authors:   , Guerra Rachael M.
Published: April 2021

Several models exist that explain how counselors can more effectively work with racial/ethnic minority populations and how counselor characteristics (like racial identity) can impact the way counselors practice. Helms (1985) hypothesized that individuals operating in different statuses of racial identity will process racial information in ways characteristic of that status. Gushue and Carter (2000) found that the racial identity status of White participants was related to how they remembered stereotypical information about a hypothetical person. This study is an extension of Gushue and Carter's study with a sample of White counselors-in-training that investigated the relationship between participants' racial identity, their memory for racial stereotypes and their conceptualization of this client's presenting problems. Participants read a vignette about a Black hypothetical client and rated their conceptualization of his concerns. A week later, they completed a recognition task and racial identity attitude measures. Correlations indicated no relationship between racial identity attitudes scales and recognition of previously read stereotypical information, but did indicate that some racial identity attitudes were related to how the client was conceptualized. This finding reinforces the importance of multicultural counselor training. It is of great importance that counselors-in-training have opportunities to grow into the advanced stages of racial identity.
The relations of violence exposure, trauma symptoms and aggressive cognitions to youth violent behavior
Authors:   , Allwood Maureen A. (Maureen Angela)
Published: April 2021

Studies show that adolescents in the United States are disproportionately represented among both the victims and the perpetrators of violent crimes (U.S. Department of Justice, 2002). Studies also show that previous exposure to violence is a strong predictor of aggression and delinquency in youth. This study (n = 124) examined the possible mediational roles of PTSD symptoms and aggressive cognitions in the cycle of violence. Findings indicate that aggressive cognitions, but not PTSD symptoms, were a significant mediator in the relation between home violence exposure and aggressive behaviors in youth. In contrast, PTSD symptoms, but not aggressive cognitions, were a significant mediator in the relation between community violence exposure and aggressive behaviors in youth. Findings also indicate that mediating factors varied by sex, with aggressive cognitions serving as a stronger mediator for boys, and PTSD symptoms as a stronger mediator for girls.
Vocal agility in the male adolescent changing voice
Authors:   , Hook Sally
Published: April 2021

This study was designed to investigate agility in adolescent changing voice males. Participants (N = 58), 11.5 to 15.9 years old, were from six Midwestern schools. The boys had varied experience in school and/or community choirs. Participants each were assigned to one of five stages of vocal maturation according to Cooksey's range stages, and to one of the two Cooper cambiata/baritone categories. These assignments were based on the participant's lowest terminal range pitch, and other observed tone quality factors. Each participant was recorded while singing a stepwise song pattern at increasing tempi, with and without lyrics. Judges later listened to the randomized recordings, and assigned agility scores for each participant at each of the six tempi, with and without lyrics. Agility scores were statistically analyzed with a 3-way ANOVA. Results were that (a) mean agility scores were increasingly higher from Cooksey stage one through stage five, (b) scores were significantly higher with lyrics than without lyrics, (c) there were significant differences related to tempo, with slower tempi associated with higher scores, and (d) there was a significantly positive relationship between mean agility scores and participants' years of choral experience. A summary of the findings was that: Boys in progressively later stages of voice change were judged to be increasingly more agile (singing a stepwise melisma) than in earlier stages, on average. Differences between cambiata and baritone were statistically significant for Cooper's range categories, but not for Cooksey's five stages of voice change. Agility was more accurate when lyrics were employed, than when "ahhh" was used to sing the stepwise exercises. Agility decreased as tempo increased. Agility correlated positively with years of choral experience.Implications for music educators include: If very fast passages exist in solo or choral repertoire, boys in the earlier midvoice Cooksey voice range stages (or Cooper's cambiata category) may have more difficulty than boys in later stages (baritone) of voice change. Songs using lyrics (consonant and vowel combinations) may be easier for changing voice boys to sing accurately, as compared to melismatic songs or passages using a single vowel.. As the tempo increases, changing voice students may have more difficulty with vocal agility. Choral repertoire such as European Baroque music may be more accessible as changing voice boys' choral experience increases.
Bayesian analysis of hierarchical IRT models: comparing and combining the unidimensional and multi-unidimensional IRT models
Authors:   , Sheng Yanyan
Published: April 2021

As item response theory models gain increased popularity in large scale educational and measurement testing situations, many studies have been conducted on the development and applications of unidimensional and multidimensional models. However, to date, no study has yet looked at models in the IRT framework with an overall ability dimension underlying all test items and several ability dimensions specific for each subtest. This study is to propose such a model and compare it with the conventional IRT models using Bayesian methodology. The results suggest that the proposed model offers a better way to represent the test situations not realized in existing models. The model specifications for the proposed model also give rise to implications for test developers on test designing. In addition, the proposed IRT model can be applied in other areas, such as intelligence or psychology, among others.
Testing for a synergistic effect between online publicity and advertising in an integrated marketing communications context
Authors:   , Micu Anca Cristina
Published: April 2021

This dissertation examined the relationship among four exposure conditions in marketing communications (pure advertising, advertising priming, publicity priming, and pure publicity) that include either advertising or publicity or both. Also, the indirect relationship between brand communication exposure condition and purchase intent was modeled via path analysis. 634 students participated in an online experiment. Repeated measures MANCOVA analysis results indicate that the two synergistic conditions, which included an ad-article or article-ad combination, were more effective in terms of brand communications impact than the pure advertising condition. The pure publicity condition was found to be more effective than any of the other three. Hence, brand communications managers are encouraged to include publicity in their strategic communication campaigns. .
Emotional labor in early intervention
Authors:   , Lane Valeri J.
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the scope and impact of emotional labor in early intervention. Focus groups and individual interviews were analyzed to determine the presence of emotional labor in the work, and the impact of emotional labor on participants' personal and professional activities. Findings from this study show emotional labor to be present in the work of Early Head Start home visitors. Participants experienced physical and emotional effects from managing their emotions in order to maintain an appropriate presence with families. Primary factors contributing to emotional labor include a relationship-based approach, the intimacy of the work, and the scope of work with families in poverty. Study participants identified strategies to balance the effects of emotional labor. Implications of this study suggest the need for additional investigation into emotional labor in early intervention, and the implementation of policies that will ameliorate this aspect of early intervention work.
Numerical investigation of load transfer mechanisms in slopes reinforced with piles
Authors:   , Ang Eng-Chew
Published: April 2021

The objective of the work is to use numerical analyses to evaluate the limit soil pressure on piles, to evaluate the load transfer mechanism, and to evaluate alternative means for estimating mobilized and limit loads on piles in piled-slope problems. It is found that limit forces predicted using 2-D, plane strain and 3-D analyses differ substantially. The computed limit force on piles in piled-slopes is sensitive to the interface roughness, pile spacing, modeling techniques, and constitutive model. For the 3-D model, which includes both the sliding and anchorage zones, the limit soil pressure calculated for the "flow" failure mode is approximately equal to that predicted by the Broms (1964) method. It is concluded that 2-D analyses of a horizontal slice is not suitable for evaluation of mobilized or limit lateral loads on piles. The 3-D mode analysis is a better method for modeling the actual piled-slope problems.
The beautiful woman in medieval Iberia: rhetoric, cosmetics, and evolution
Authors:   , Da Soller Claudio
Published: April 2021

Literary portraits of the beautiful woman in medieval Iberia tend to emphasize several physical features, such as long, blond hair, or light-colored and hairless skin. This study examines the specific features of the beautiful woman in several major works and genres from medieval Iberia. It also traces the rhetorical sources of these portraits to the Classical and medieval Latin traditions, whose influence is evident in other early vernacular literatures of Europe. It then analyzes several medieval cosmetic treatises in Latin and in vernacular languages that attest to medieval women's beautifying practices, such as the use of hair-dyes, depilatories, and skin-whitening creams. The comparison of the literary and cosmetic evidence shows a canonical view of feminine beauty that encompasses different cultural areas in medieval Iberia. This view is also consistent with ancient as well as with twenty-first century conceptions of beauty. The findings suggest that the ideal of feminine beauty in medieval Iberia is not unique, but rather a manifestation of near-universal male preferences shaped by sexual selection in the course of human evolution.
Optimum receiver design and performance analysis for wireless communication
Authors:   , Wu Jingxian
Published: April 2021

This dissertation is devoted to the optimum receiver design and theoretical performance analysis of wireless communication systems operated over fading channels, and this objective is incarnated by means of design, analysis and simulation of a broad range of wireless communication systems under various practical system configurations. A statistical discrete-time system model is proposed for wireless communication systems, and it provides a generic analysis and simulation framework for the design and evaluation of wireless communication systems. Based on the statistical properties of the discrete-time model, we next develop a multiuser channel estimation algorithm for quasi-synchronous CDMA systems operated over doubly selective Rayleigh fadings, and an optimum diversity receiver is proposed for systems with channel estimation error. Theoretical performance analyses are carried out to investigate the effects of channel estimation error, doubly selective fading, receiver timing phase offset, and co-channel interference on system performance. The theoretical performance expressions presented in this dissertation provide a set of analytical tools for communication system design and evaluation. In addition, all of the analytical results presented in this dissertation are rigorously verified through extensive numerical simulations, and excellent agreements are observed between the simulation results and theoretical expressions.
Biophysical and photobiological modulations of cellular pathways in Alzheimer's disease
Authors:   , Yang Xiaoguang
Published: April 2021

The overall goal of this thesis work is to study the effects of biomodulations on Alzheimer's disease (AD) related cellular pathways, using biophysical and photobiological methods, including secretory phospholipase A2, various fatty acids treatments and low energy light irradiation. By increasing membrane fluidity in neuronal cells, secretory phospholipase A2 and unsaturated fatty acids with 4 or more double bonds are able to increase the secretion of neuroprotective and neurotrophic [alpha]-secretase-cleaved soluble APP (sAPP[alpha]). Low energy laser at 632.8 nm is able to suppress amyloid-[beta] peptide (A[beta])-induced oxidative and inflammatory responses in primary astrocytes, suggesting it has neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation in AD. This thesis work provides insights into potential therapeutic treatments and prevention of AD.
Professional evolution stories as told by secondary teachers while immersed in professional learning community collaboration
Authors:   , Wolfe Jeanette Hoskins
Published: April 2021

The intent of this single bounded case study, conducted at a large Midwestern high school, was to begin to fill the knowledge gap by providing insight on the evolutionary process of teacher transformation when teachers are immersed in collaboration in a PLC setting. Using a stratified chart to purposefully select 23 participants, my study sought to understand how knowledge was generated and shared. My research did not follow a step by step process, but instead involved seeking meaning and developing interpretive explanations through a double loop feedback process. Four years of archival data were triangulated with 5 collaborative team observations and 17 face-to-face interviews. Specifically, this study sought to discover how teachers evolve. Three stages of evolution emerged from the data: a) knowledge creation, b) collaboration, and c) teacher empowerment. Results found teachers evolve to a final stage of deprivitization of practice. The author of this study was immersed in a professional learning community to design the study, collect the data, and review results obtained at the case setting. Personal experiences as a participant researcher are shared and discussed. This study adds to the body of research by providing teacher stories about their learning process when immersed in a collaborative team environment. Furthermore this research adds to the literature by discussing the factors that attribute to teacher evolution.
Multi-index, multi-object content-based retrieval with spatial summarization
Authors:   , Klaric Matthew
Published: April 2021

In recent years we have seen the development of several novel content-based retrieval (CBR) systems that have had success by focusing on a specific domain and exploiting domain-speci c information. CBR systems allow users to query a media database using item content as opposed submitting a text-based query. In many CBR applications, the input to the search process is a complicated object that may be composed of several constituent parts. The proposed approach performs CBR queries by decomposing a complex query into several heterogeneous queries. We have developed a multi-index, multi-object CBR framework for geospatial imagery retrieval that extracts features specifically developed for high-resolution commercial satellite imagery. The results of these queries will be spatially summarized for a user based on both retrieval score and spatial distance. This allows results to be presented in a logical manner to allow for more efficient interpretation by the user. Further, we propose to develop an additional search capability that allows for multi-object searches by spatial configuration rather than simply by object-to-object correspondence. Additionally, to confront situations where a user has determined that certain search results are not relevant, we will provide online and memory-based relevance feedback algorithms for use with multi-index, multi-object CBR systems. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methods; moreover, through the fusion of multi-index and multi-object search techniques, we are able to construct new, sophisticated query mechanisms.
Campus recreation directors' leadership to provide professional assistance to help students obtain professional and graduate assistant positions
Authors:   , Fujii Takeshi
Published: April 2021

Over the years, the Campus Recreation field has become a dynamic and exciting area with a variety of job and career opportunities. This study attempted to examine the type, frequency and perceived importance of assistance Campus Recreation directors provide for students to obtain a professional or graduate assistant position in the Campus Recreation field. This study found career counseling and rÃ©sumÃ© advice were the most popular type of assistance Campus Recreation directors provide for both graduate assistants and student employees. Frequency varied from every other year to every semester/quarter depending on assistance. Campus Recreation directors perceived all the assistance items ranging from somewhat important to essential. Most of the participantsâ€™ demographics did not make a difference in frequency or perceived importance of assistance. Overall perceived importance was placed more on graduate assistants than on student employees although there was no difference in frequency between graduate assistants and student employees. Finally, Campus Recreation directors provided assistance for students at the frequency based on their perceived importance most of the time.
Synthesis and evaluation of sigma receptor ligands
Authors:   , Fan Kuo-Hsien
Published: April 2021

Sigma receptors are unique binding sites located in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs. Two sigma receptor subtypes ([signma]1 and [sigma]2) have been described so far. It is known that the [sigma]1 receptor is involved in a number of CNS disorders and the [sigma]2 receptor is involved in tumor proliferation among others. Because of the important biological functions of the [sigma] receptor, development of structure activity relationships (SAR) can aid in the identification of potential medications and imaging agents. Three series of analogs based on three lead compounds have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro affinity and selectivity for the [sigma]1 and [sigma]2 subtypes. Lead I is a selective [sigma]1 receptor ligand with anti-cocaine activity, but its in vivo distribution is unknown. Our in vitro binding results showed that all the Lead I analogs are potent [sigma]1 receptor ligands. Furthermore, one of the Lead I analogs was radioiodinated and evaluated for its in vivo distribution. In vivo evaluation of the radioiodinated Lead I analog has shown high brain uptake and specific binding to [sigma]1 receptor of the radioligand. Lead II is also a selective [sigma]1 receptor ligand and radioiodinated Lead II has been shown to be a potential imaging agent for the [sigma]1 receptor. Two of the Lead II analogs were shown to be potent [sigma]1 receptor ligands. The radioiodinated Lead II analogs were demonstrated to be potential imaging agents for [sigma]1 receptor in vivo. Lead III is one of the most selective [sigma]2 receptor ligands known to date. Only one of the newly synthesized Lead III analogs was found to be a selective [sigma]2 receptor ligand. The SAR study of Lead III analogs successfully indentified the important structural features in Lead III for [sigma]2 receptor binding. To summarize, the SAR studies based on the lead compounds have generated useful information and three potential [sigma]1 imaging agents were prepared in the studies.
Localization of the Rf3 restorer-of-fertility gene for maize S-type cytoplasmic male sterility
Authors:   , Langewisch Tiffany
Published: April 2021

Maize S-type cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS-S) is a maternally inherited trait that prevents pollen grains from developing to maturity. CMS-S is associated with the high levels of a novel mitochondrial transcript, orf355/orf77. Cleavage of this RNA, mediated by the nuclear restorer Rf3, reverses the sterility. Rf3 was previously mapped on the long arm of chromosome 2. The goals of this research were to fine-map the locus and to identify Rf3 using a candidate gene approach. Genotyping of nearisogenic lines (NILs) mapped Rf3 to a 1.98 Mb region of 2L. Six candidate genes, all predicted to code for mitochondrially targeted pentatricopeptide repeat proteins (PPR), were PCR-amplified, sequenced, and compared from multiple Rf3-containing NILs and non-restoring rf3 inbreds. One PPR-Rf3 candidate gene had two consistent differences between multiple restoring and non-restoring lines. Gene expression in pre-emergent tassels from the fertility-restored and non-restored plants was compared. Within the 3 Mb region surrounding Rf3, 9 genes were differentially expressed between restoring and non-restoring lines, including genes that could code for an ATP-binding protein, an ATPase, and four PPR proteins. Although Rf3 has not yet been identified, this study has revealed five promising candidates.
Functional and pharmacological importance of the composite ATP binding site 1 in CFTR chloride channels
Authors:   , Tsai Ming-Feng
Published: April 2021

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride ion channel whose defects cause the deadly genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF). Like other ATP binding cassette (ABC) proteins, CFTR encompasses two cytoplasmic nucleotide binding domains (NBDs). Upon ATP binding, the two NBDs can coalesce into a head-to-tail dimer with ATP buried at two interfacial composite sites (sites 1 and 2). Although evidence suggests that gating of CFTR is mainly controlled by site 2, the role of site 1 remains less understood. I have used pyrophosphate as a probe or adopted a ligand exchange protocol to investigate ATP binding status in site 1 in real time. With these novel approaches, I have identified a â€œpartialâ€ NBD dimer state mediated by an ATP molecule tightly bound in site 1. A molecular model of CFTR gating was then established with opening and closing of CFTR coupled to the formation and partial separation of the NBD dimer. Moreover, I discovered several mutations that enhance ATP binding in site 1 and demonstrated that the activity of CF-associated mutant channels, Î"F508- and G551D-CFTR, can be significantly improved by these mutations, thus providing evidence that site 1 is a potential target for developing pharmaceutical reagents to treat patients with CF.
Pathway approaches to dissecting the inheritance of maize shoot-borne roots
Authors:   , Gerau Michael
Published: April 2021

Shoot-borne roots are essential plant components. Two pathway-based approaches were pursued to increase our understanding of genetic mechanisms controlling shoot-borne root patterning. The first pathway approach characterized the contribution of gibberellic acid-related genes in shoot-borne root patterning. Quantitative trait loci mapping in the Intermated B73xMo17 linkage mapping population identified chromosome regions controlling shoot-borne root patterning which also contained gibberellic acid biosynthetic and response genes. Phenotyping of mutants with altered gibberellic acid production and response validated these genes as potentially underlying the identified quantitative trait loci. Association analysis was conducted in a set of 260 diverse maize inbred lines. The association analysis identified significant polymorphisms in the catalytic domain of the gibberellic acid biosynthetic gene dwarf3 and in the promoter region of the gibberellic acid response regulator Dwarf8. These results confirmed the previous hypothesis that gibberellic acid production is involved in shoot-borne root patterning and expanded it to include DELLA-mediated gibberellic acid response. In the second pathway-based approach a multivariate phenotypic analysis was conducted on 25 diverse maize inbred lines that were phenotyped for 23 developmental traits along with three shoot-borne root traits to define novel hypotheses about pathways involved in shoot-borne root patterning,. Evidence for a light-signaling component in root development was found. Further support for the involvement of light-signaling was provided by mutant phenotyping and field experiments which confirmed the predictions of the multivariate analysis. The two pathways were integrated into one model where light-mediated redistribution of gibberellic acid dictates shoot-borne root patterning.
Computational and theoretical study of water and lipid dynamics in biomolecular systems
Authors:   , Jhuma Das
Published: April 2021

This Ph.D. thesis describes three research projects in theoretical and computational biophysics aimed at studying the dynamics of water and lipid molecules in two distinct biomolecular systems. In the first project the energetics and dynamics of water transport through the aquaglyceroporin (GlpF) channel protein is studied by a combination of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (both equilibrium and non-equilibrium MD) and stochastic modeling. The MD results are used to determine the potential of mean force and the diffusion coefficient of water molecules crossing the channel. Then, the latter quantities are used to estimate the intrinsic water flux through GlpF, and the corresponding channel permeability. In the second project, by employing a 0.1 micro second long, all-atom MD simulation, the self and correlated dynamics of lipid atoms and molecules in a fully hydrated DMPC lipid bilayer is investigated. The MD simulation results are used to develop a memory function based approach for accurately calculating the lateral self-diffusion coefficient of lipids. In some cases, the proposed memory function method provides a better approach than the currently used ones for determining the lateral diffusion coefficient of lipids in lipid bilayers from the dynamic structure factor measured in inelastic neutron scattering experiments. The purpose of the third project is to investigate the dynamics of water molecules in a hydrated lipid membrane. Using the same MD simulation as in the second project, the anomalous properties of buried and hydration waters (located at the proximity of the fluctuating surface of the lipid membrane) are revealed and contrasted to the properties of bulk water.
Experential Learning: An Exploration of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Achieved in a Hospitality Management Program Internship - WITHDRAWN
Authors:   , Anderson-Noto Quantell
Published: April 2021

This study discusses the perceptions of six undergraduate students in a hospitality management program internship, and their supervisors at the internship location, on the leadership skills and competencies achieved during their internship experience. The specific competencies and skills that are analyzed are: communication, interpersonal, financial management, information technology and marketing. Internships are of particular importance to the hospitality industry because many of the competencies needed by hospitality managers are enhanced by experiential learning. A case study design approach was used to analyze data collected through individual interviews, review of documents, and supervisor evaluations. The majority of the interns found that they gained problem solving, analytical and financial skills, as well as interpersonal skills, such as communication, team-building and employee-centered relations. There were opportunities for technical and marketing skill development, but a gap remains between the depths to which these leadership competencies were achieved compared to the other competencies. All of the interns experienced personal growth at the end of their internship and the majority of the supervisors had a favorable perception of the interns' leadership skill development. It is recommended that further research be conducted on larger populations across more diverse hospitality management programs.
Relationship between family, school, peer, and student characteristics and student scientific literacy in Azerbaijan
Authors:   , Ganiyeva Lala
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study examined the effects of school, family, peer and student individual characteristics on scientific literacy scores. The study analyzed data from the Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 data collected from 171 schools and 5,184 students in Azerbaijan. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was utilized to analyze the effects of school, family, peer and student individual characteristics on scientific literacy scores. The study found that student-level factors explain a slightly higher proportion of variance than school-level predictors. Several student-level effects (gender, parental education and occupation, ability, self-efficacy) and school-level factor (peer academic effects in mathematics) were found to be significantly associated with scientific literacy scores. Other school-level factors (peer socio-economic effects and school inputs) and student-level characteristics (index of home possessions) were not significantly related to scientific literacy scores. The analysis concluded with policy recommendations and offered suggestions for future research.
The characterization of the tetratricopeptide repeat protein 13 in mammals
Authors:   , Shannon Stephen G.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Tetratricopeptide repeat domain protein 13 (TTC13) is a member of a large family of proteins known as tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) proteins that has more than 5,000 members (Zeytuni 2012). One common feature of all TPR proteins is that they all contain TPR domains, which are thought to mediate protein-protein interactions and/or protein scaffolding. Interestingly, these TPR proteins are highly conserved between species. For example, sequence similarity between SUPPRESSOR of rps4 -RLD (SRFR1) and TTC13 was not only restricted to the TPR domain but also observed throughout the full length of both proteins. Extensive evidence suggested that SRFR1 was involved in pathogen resistance in plants by regulating resistance proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana (Kwon 2009). However, the mechanism by which SRFR1 regulated resistance proteins still remains unresolved. In contrast, nothing is known about the mammalian ortholog of SRFR1, TTC13. The goal of my project was to characterize TTC13 and to, ultimately, determine if TTC13 serves a similar role in mammals as SRFR1 in plants. Sequence analysis revealed that SRFR1 had 26% identity and 46% similarity at the amino acid level with TTC13. To begin addressing the role of TTC13 in mammals, I analyzed the expression of TTC13 mRNA and protein in mouse tissues. These analyses indicated that TTC13 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in all examined mouse tissues. However, TTC13 protein expression varied in each tissue. For example, TTC13 protein was highly expressed in both kidney and liver, whereas TTC13 protein expression was not detectable in other tissues that were positive for TTC13 mRNA. Moreover, moderate protein expression was detected in the lung, heart and immune tissues (e.g. thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, T and B cells). To determine the cellular distribution of TTC13, I performed immunoflouresence and subcellular fractionation experiments. pFlag-TTC13 was localized to the cytoplasm in COS-1 cells by immunofluorescence. Cytoplasmic localization was confirmed by immunoblotting cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions for TTC13. Taken together, current evidence suggested that TTC13 was a cytoplasmic protein that was highly expressed in kidney and liver. Interestingly, TTC13 was also expressed in mammalian immune tissues in low to moderate levels, suggesting that TTC13 may have a role in the mammalian immune system. I conducted cell viability and cell cycle experiments in mammalian cell lines to investigate if TTC13 functions similarly to other TPR proteins.
Black alumni of the University of Missouri-Columbia : financial support as the mirror of attitudes
Authors:   , Roper Paula LaJean
Published: April 2021

This study examined the attitudes toward the University of Missouri-Columbia of a sample of its Black alumni and whether their attitudes were reflected in their donor status. The Black Alumni Survey was used to assess the perceptions of alumni relevant to the school's leadership, image, correspondence, alumni association, student experiences, and general impressions of fund raising techniques and purposes. ANOVA was chosen for the statistical procedure. Findings did not indicate a statistically significant difference in the views of donors and nondonors toward the university.
The locomotive and the tree: industrial Pittsburgh's late nineteenth-century literary culture
Authors:   , Jaquette Brianne
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] In The Locomotive and the Tree, I challenge the popular myth that the city of Pittsburgh was devoid of literary culture prior to the construction of the Carnegie museum, library, and concert hall in 1895. Pittsburgh, in fact, had a robust and thriving culture in general and specifically a literary scene that was rooted in newspaper production and was invested in the industrial aspects of the cityï¿½s growth. Much of the literary material coming from Pittsburgh was nonfiction or poetry, and it was in these forms that writers in Pittsburgh were able to come to terms with the changes taking place in a rapidly industrializing city. In contrast to scholarship that has emphasized the role of regional literature in this time period, my project uses periodical and print culture studies to analyze the localized literary culture of Pittsburgh. Instead of looking broadly at national literary culture that was disseminated from the East Coast outward, I argue for the need for research that broadens the scope of late-nineteenth century American literature by examining smaller networks of print.
Lost in translation? : transformations of federal policy intentions for effective professional development in statewide policy
Authors:   , Lee Michele Hee
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Teacher professional development is a key policy lever to redress ongoing concerns about teacher quality and student academic success. This policy lever has been and continues to be employed by the U.S. federal government despite modest and uneven results of federally sponsored professional development in the past. Fortunately, a growing body of research has accreted as a consensus view informing how the enterprise of professional development might better support educational reform. To increase its potential effectiveness, professional development itself will have to reflect this consensus view. This study identified federal policy intentions for professional development activities within a grant program authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and examined how federal policy intentions for effective professional development were interpreted and implemented by state and local policy actors in one state. While federal policy espoused intentions related to characteristics of effective professional development, no single policy intention remained consistently unaltered across state and local policy sites over time. Policy intentions were augmented, compromised, or omitted whether in part or whole. Change was the norm. Transformations of intentions did not arise primarily from conflict but rather through the process of seeking of agreement with policy intentions. Furthermore, despite multiple transformations, federal policy intentions informed by research may influence professional development practice. State and local policy actors exhibited intentions that were more so aligned than disparate to federal intentions, and local professional development activities exhibited characteristics of effective professional development. A variety of contextual factors and types of transformations of intentions were identified as potentially supporting or hindering the integrity of policy intentions. The interaction of these contextual factors as well as different types of transformations of intentions simultaneously shaped the level of fidelity to federal policy intentions. Findings revealed policy intentions, even if explicitly stated, were not immune to the confluence of concurrent contextual factors and multiple types of transformations of intentions.
From mission to measurement : advancing postsecondary academic advising assessment and practice through evaluating program theory and outcomes
Authors:   , Burt Tracie D.
Published: April 2021

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Through a program evaluation, this study was designed as a mixed method, causal comparative, cross-sectional inquiry into academic advising program theory and outcomes at Missouri State University (MSU). Data (i.e., advising mission statement, best practices, and surveys) revealed only implicit articulation of program theoryï¿½that is, the operational plan did not logically connect desired advising outcomes with program activities. Chi square analyses demonstrated significant differences between freshman expectations and senior experiences related to advising. ANOVA results revealed no significant GPA differences based on different amounts of advising. ANOVA results linked advisor support, advisor information, and personal responsibility to senior GPA, and regression analyses revealed each as significant GPA predictors. Qualitative data supported quantitative findings, providing insights to expand advising theory. In sum, findings were aligned with advising theory and constructs from the literature, including advisor accountability and empowerment, student responsibility, self-efficacy, study skills, and perceived advisor support (Lowenstein, 2005; Young-Jones, Burt, Dixon, and Hawthorne, 2013), and resulted in recommendations to enhance institutional advising assessment. Keywords: academic advising, advisor, evaluation, learning outcomes