bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress levels in veterans with PTSD and equines during therapeutic horseback riding
Authors:   , Butkiewicz Michele L.
Published: September 2022

Military Veterans are at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to combat while on deployment. Up to 30 percent of Veterans suffer from PTSD and many do not seek treatment due to the perceived stigma of seeking mental health services, distrust of the mental health profession, or perception that treatment is inadequate. Left untreated, PTSD can cause significant social, emotional, and financial hardships for the Veteran, family, and community. Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have been shown to be a successful, acceptable alternative and complementary therapy for PTSD. A literature review yielded 16 studies of AAI for Veterans with PTSD. Pinnipeds, canines, and equines were the animals used for AAI. Although the methods, lengths, and dose of therapy differed across studies, AAI were found to decrease level of PTSD, anxiety, and depression and increase in quality of life and social support. A qualitative, thematic analysis of 116 Veteran riding diary entries following therapeutic horseback riding (THR) revealed five themes: (a) social interaction, (b) self-awareness, (c) mood, (d) relationship development and bonding, and (e) positive experience. The central theme was that THR decreases the symptoms of PTSD. As research continues to support the benefits of AAI, it is essential to also study the health and welfare of the animals used. A quantitative analysis of N = 5 Veterans with PTSD participating in THR examined the relationship between level of PTSD and physiologic and behavioral indicators of stress. No significant correlation was found between level of PTSD and equine cortisol levels, nor level of PTSD and equine behavior scores (EBS). Level of PTSD did not significantly decrease across THR sessions; however, it did move in the expected direction. Although mean equine cortisol levels increased across sessions, levels remained within normal range. Three was no significant increase in mean EBS across THR sessions. Results of this dissertation support the use of AAI in Veterans with PTSD.
Grieving the transgender (assumed-cisgender) child: gendered mourning, the harms of cisnormativity, and the possibilities of creating livable trans futures
Authors:   , Constantine Miseo Mel
Published: September 2022

This dissertation unpacks how feelings of loss and grief commonly experienced by parents of transgender and non-binary youth, which I call gendered mourning, give insight into the inner-workings of family gender systems. Diverging from the oversimplification that grieving a transgender child is transphobic, this research examines from where gendered mourning derives and illuminates the ways in which cisnormativity frames ideas of familial past, present, and future--setting parents up for feelings of loss. Observation at a support group for parents of transgender youth and in-depth interviews with attendees of the support group reveal that gendered mourning primarily involves feelings about a child's changing name and body, the trans child existing in a hostile world, and fears of losing a child through suicide. Additionally, this research explores how gendered mourning informs efforts to produce more livable social worlds for transgender youth. Through this, parents learn about gender diversity and simultaneously interrogate how hetero/cisnormativity impact their own lives, identities, and selfexpressions. This research positions cisnormativity, acting as a collective harm to us all, as the producer of loss instead of the transgender child.
A quantitative analysis of motivations of association executives to earn the certified association executive credential
Authors:   , Farmer Amy
Published: September 2022

The Certified Association Executive credential is a professional certification designed to identify association management professionals committed to a wide range of knowledge essential to the management of an association. Though the CAE has existed since 1960, no research exists related to the motivations of those individuals that chose to purse the certification. The purpose of this study was to identify the most significant motivations that lead association professionals to sit for the Certified Association Executive certification and the relationship of those motivations to certain demographic variables. The researcher used the Educational Participation Scale A-Form to ascertain the motivational factors most relevant to association management professionals that choose to sit for the CAE. The researcher's survey included three demographic questions that asked participants to self-identify their gender, race, and career stage at the time they sat for the CAE. The results of this study were organized to answer four research questions that examined these motivations overall and how they related to the demographic data. The study concluded there were not significant differences in motivations amongst the demographics identified by the researcher, but the data did ascertain that the motivational factors of professional advancement and cognitive interest were the prevailing motivators across all demographics.
The driving forces of cranial extra-axial space morphology: age, sex, and drugs
Authors:   , Greer Sean Y.
Published: September 2022

Surrounding the brain but contained within the skull is a dynamic organ that functions to physically and chemically maintain the typical functioning of the brain. This organ is usually appreciated only as a series of layered supportive tissues, and a substantial collection of fluid suspended within them. In understanding it as such, the potential insights that its distinctive morphology has on our understanding of human anatomy have gone essentially unexamined. From here on out this organ or the collection of tissues that separate the brain from the skull will be referred to as the cranial extra-axial space (cEAS). In the research that follows, the normal morphology of the cEAS is examined with respect to variation with age, sex, body size, and marijuana use in an attempt to better characterize its normal morphology. Size, shape, and distribution of the cEAS were found to be highly variable in response to a number of individualistic characteristics. More absolute space was seen in taller, older, and male individuals than those that were shorter, younger, and/or female. Overall morphologic interactions of the cEAS are however complex, and cannot be explained by these characteristics alone.
In the hands of noble men: a history of Thessaly from the Archaic period to the end of the Third Sacred War
Authors:   , Gruman Taylor
Published: September 2022

Modern analysis has understood the history of Thessaly in the Archaic and Classical periods as divided into two distinct phases. The first was defined by Thessalian expansion in the seventh and sixth centuries over central Greece, most notably Phocis and the religious complex at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. The second was one of fifth century decline, followed by fourth century civil war. The conflict was ended through the intervention of Philip II, who brought Thessaly under Macedonian control. What prompted the Thessalians to expend the political, social, and military resources to embark upon a hegemonic project in central Greece? What caused the subsequent upheaval and stasis of the fifth and fourth centuries? This work attempts to answer these questions by creating a framework for interpreting Thessalian actions in the Archaic and Classical periods, arguing that the Thessalian hegemonic project was motivated by the desire to control the overland trade routes of central Greece. The late Archaic failure of this venture produced Classical-era political and social unrest amongst the factions of elites in Thessaly, creating a political situation in the fourth century in which ruling legitimacy was based on successfully recreating Archaic expansionism. With this framework, the actions of the Thessalians can be given proper context within the larger historical drama of the Classical era, and allows a richer, more dynamic, and more complex world to emerge.
Quantitative analysis of impact of risk factors and learning modalities on urban high school student credit attainment and grade point average during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2021
Authors:   , Hargens Justin D.
Published: September 2022

This study examined how traditionally least advantaged populations of urban American midwestern high school students were affected by the pandemic compared to non-least advantaged peers. Previous literature recognized achievement gaps between students in the following groups prior to the COVID-19 pandemic: (a) traditionally least advantaged ethnicities (Hanushek et al., 2019; Ladson-Billings, 2006; Noguera, 2009), (b) students with special needs (Cohodes, 2018; Gilmour et al., 2019; Noguera, 2009), (c) students whose native language was different from the language predominantly spoken at school or English language learners (Fry, 2008; Garcia et al., 2012; Hyock, 2001) and students coming from low socioeconomic households (Chamielewski, 2019; Hanushek et al., 2019; Ladson-Billings, 2006; Noguera, 2009) in comparison to their peers not represented in the aforementioned sub-populations. Also, students not obtaining sufficient credits each semester to stay on pace for graduation have been identified as having a predictor of students not graduating (Allensworth & Easton, 2007; Heppen et al., 2017; Herlihy, 2007). Students were grouped by levels of low, medium, and high At-Riskness to determine if there was a significant correlation and/or difference between student achievement rates before and during the pandemic on credits earned and grade-point averages (GPAs) each semester. The data showed that as students accumulate at-risk factors their achievement declined, during the pandemic there was a disproportionate decline in achievement by the most at-risk. This study calls for a re-examination of how to educate through crisis.
Formation and properties of endogenous adducts and crosslinks generated by amine-catalyzed strand cleavage at an AP site in duplex DNA
Authors:   , Jha Jay S.
Published: September 2022

Abasic sites in DNA are a very common lesion. They are formed spontaneously and in the presence of biological amines, enzymes, and proteins. If unrepaired, abasic sites lead to DNA strand breaks and crosslinks. This thesis describes the development of nucleoside system that enabled chemical characterization of the sugar remnants generated by amine-catalyzed (beta)-elimination in the 2-deoxyribose system. The products generated by amine-catalyzed strand break at abasic sites in cellular DNA are more complex than commonly thought, with trans-(alpha), (beta)-unsaturated iminium ion intermediates residing at the hub of interconverting product mixtures. This leads to the generation of noncanonical cleavage products including cis-alkenal, 3-thio-2, 3-dideoxyribose, and 2-deoxyribose groups alongside the canonical trans-alkenal residue on the 3'-terminus of the strand break. In cellular environment, glutathione rapidly adds to the trans-alkenal residue on the 3'-terminus of an AP-derived strand break making 3'-glutathionylated sugar remnant the true strand cleavage product arising from (beta)-elimination at an abasic site in cellular DNA. This thesis also portrays the chemical characterization of interstrand crosslink arising from aza-Michael addition of the N2-amino group of a guanine residue to the electrophilic sugar remnant generated by spermine-mediated strand cleavage at an AP site in duplex DNA.
An analysis of financial aid offers and parent plus loan borrowing from 2015-2019 at Missouri, public four-year universities
Authors:   , Johnson Tyler L.
Published: September 2022

The Parent PLUS loan covers the financial gap of a student's educational expenses after other forms of financial assistance. Depending on the unmet need, the PLUS loan amount borrowed can be tens of thousands of dollars for a single academic year. In this work, I provide a literature review on student loan debt and higher education financing, results from evaluating financial aid offers at Missouri public, four-year higher education institutions between 2015-2019, and present findings from two focus group sessions of financial aid directors. For two years of my study, I find statistically significant differences in the Parent PLUS loan borrowing percentage rate at institutions that include the PLUS loan in their financial aid offer versus institutions that do not. The other two years of my study show practically significant differences in the Parent PLUS loan borrowing percentage rate.
Opportunities for sensemaking in science for students with disabilities and students experiencing difficulty: a mixed methods study
Authors:   , Juergensen Rachel
Published: September 2022

Each and every student, including students with disabilities, needs to be engaged in high-quality science instruction that moves beyond just memorization and recall of facts and toward critical thinking that supports informed decision making about current issues. There are notable achievement gaps between the science proficiency of students with and without disabilities, and these gaps widen as students progress to higher grade levels. The gaps in achievement may be symptomatic of gaps in opportunities for sensemaking within the general education science classroom. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the current study explored the relationship between teacher beliefs and opportunities to participate in sensemaking discussions in middle school science classrooms. Integrated findings from the study suggest that teachers' beliefs influenced the opportunities students with disabilities had to participate in sensemaking discussions and, at times, there was a mismatch between teacher beliefs and practice. This study addresses an important gap in the research literature on opportunities students with disabilities have for sensemaking in science classrooms, a grossly under researched area of inquiry.
A GIS protocol for enhancing the selection of agricultural runoff sampling locations and predicting the locations of potential pollutant transport in the upland environment
Authors:   , Kehoe Luke Richard
Published: September 2022

This study presents an ArcGIS geoprocessing protocol for quickly processing large amounts of data from publicly available government sources to consider both water quality standards (WQS) and nonpoint pollution source (NPS) control, on a watershed-by-watershed basis to administratively predict locations where nonpoint source pollutants may contribute to the impairment of downstream waters and locations where nonpoint source pollutants are not expected to contribute to the impairment of downstream waters. This dissertation also presents an ArcGIS geoprocessing protocol to calculate the hydrological response time of a watershed and to predict the potential for soil erosion and nonpoint source pollutant movement on a landscape scale. The standardized methodologies employed by the protocol allow for its use in various geographic regions. The methodology has been performed on sites in Linn County and Boone County, Missouri, and produces results consistent with those expected from other widely accepted methods. These protocols were developed studying the movement of atrazine. but may be used for various nonpoint source pollutants that are water soluble, have an affinity to soil binding, and associated with a particular land use. All data and code are available in Mendeley Data (doi: 10.17632/wdjzftxyfd.1).
Evaluating organizational research climate to assess research integrity
Authors:   , Kennett Michele R.
Published: September 2022

Failure of the scientific research enterprise to adequately define and respond to research misconduct and detrimental research practices constitutes a significant threat to scientific research. Lapses in research integrity erode trust in the scientific process and have serious consequences, potentially reducing funding sources, research subject willingness to participate, and research quality. Few studies have examined the empirical issues surrounding the role of culture and climate in promoting research integrity. This means there is a limited understanding of the organization's role in research integrity and how we can utilize that knowledge to build targeted education interventions and organizational change initiatives. The first aim of this dissertation study was to quantify differences in perceived climate between academic units to measure heterogeneity or homogeneity of research integrity across subunits in a multi university academic system, including a healthcare system. Second, to determine whether the additional pressure of maintaining rankings affect research integrity among universities of a multi-university system that are and are not members of the American Association of Universities (AAU). Using a validated, online survey, SOuRCe, 2,183 participants representing a variety of statuses within the research enterprise across a four-campus university system participated in the study. This study found that the subunit and department/program accounted for more than half of the variance explained in each of the SOuRCe scales. Gender and age impacted the scales while campus and ethnicity did not. Further research with interventions at the department level will help guide change initiatives targeted at specific levels of the organization to promote research integrity.
Trithiol ligand development for radioarsenic and radioantimony toward potential theranostic radiopharmaceutical agents
Authors:   , Ma Li
Published: September 2022

Radiopharmaceuticals deliver radioactive drugs to specific target sites for imaging or therapy purposes, depending on the decay characteristics of the radionuclides. Potential radiopharmaceuticals are commonly designed via the bifunctional chelate approach, where the radionuclides are chelated with a ligand and linked to a targeting biomolecule. Combined therapeutic and diagnostic radionuclides ("theranostic pair") are of great interest to provide patients with the ability to diagnose, treat and evaluate treatment with follow-up imaging tools (e.g., 177Lu/68Ga). However, the truly matched pair radionuclides with identical chemistry yet different nuclear properties are rare (e.g., 64,67Cu, 44,47Sc, 135,131I). As one of the potential theranostic pairs, 72As (2.49 Mev [beta]+max, t1/2: 26 h) and 77As (0.683 Mev [beta]-max, t1/2: 38.8 h) enjoy suitable physical properties for radioimaging and therapy. Previous efforts on the development of 77As-labeled radiotracers, however, were found to form lipophilic compounds based on their log D7.4 values and biodistribution studies in normal mice. It is the aim of this work to address this issue through the synthesis of a new hydrophilic trithiol ligand and its 77As-labeled bioconjugates. Production of 77As and 72As is described. A new trithiol chelate with two carboxylic acid groups was developed and then conjugated to the RM2 peptide targeting gastrin releasing peptide receptors on prostate cancer with two different linkers, (Ser)2 and Glu-Ser. The radiolabeling of two radiotracers, [77As]As-trithiol-(Ser)2-RM2 and [77As]As-trithiol-Glu-Ser-RM2, and their in-vivo biodistributions in healthy male mice were performed and compared. Further, the work extends the trithiol complexation from arsenic to antimony given their chemical similarities. The chemistry between trithiol ligands and macroscopic-level antimony was investigated. Two antimony radionuclides were of particular interest, 117Sb as a positron emitter for imaging and 119Sb as an Auger emitter for radiotherapy. Radioantimony production and its radiolabeling with trithiol ligands were explored.
The role of creatine supplementation and mTORC1 signaling in ameliorating cognitive deficiency in a neuroinflammatory rat model
Authors:   , Mao Xuansong
Published: September 2022

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was defined as a boundary area between cognitive function of natural aging and dementia. Early studies have suggested that MCI could be a therapeutic window for prevention of dementia, given the irreversible nature involved in the pathology of dementia. One promising intervention may appear to be beneficial for MCI is creatine (Cr), which has been proven to be effective for ameliorating cognitive deficiency in general. However, it is unclear whether Cr supplementation could ameliorate cognitive deficiency in MCI. Moreover, the neuro-molecular evidence regarding the positive neurocognitive effects of Cr supplementation is currently lacking, hindering the clinical application. In order to better understand the neurocognitive and neuro-molecular effects underlying the Cr supplementation in the context MCI, I established a neuroinflammatory female Wistar rat model, which resembles the pathology of MCI in humans. Chronic (6-week) supplementation of Cr significantly ameliorated cognitive deficits in rats receiving intracerebroventricular injections of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that induces neuroinflammation. Molecular analysis revealed that Cr supplementation robustly increased mTORC1 signaling and its downstream synaptic proteins, PSD-95 and synapsin, in dentate gyrus but not in medial prefrontal cortex. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed upregulation of mTORC1 in NeuN+ neurons. Importantly, selective inhibition of mTORC1 signaling through rapamycin attenuated the protective effects of chronic Cr supplementation in ameliorating cognitive deficits. Lastly, acute Cr treatment (12 and 24-hour) was sufficient to activate mTORC1 signaling within PC12 cells. In conclusion, the present study provides a novel insight to this field and offers a promising therapeutic treatment for cognitive deficiency.
Tanzania's minority indigenous college graduates: aspirations and barriers overcame to access through completing college
Authors:   , Mollel Luca Rikoyan
Published: September 2022

Minority indigenous communities in Tanzania have historically been marginalized and are underrepresented in higher education. It is paramount to understand the aspirations of individuals from these communities and how they pursue their goals as they address their social, economic, cultural, and political aspects of life. This study examines the aspirations of minority indigenous college graduates and the barriers they overcame to access through completing higher education. This study was guided by the following questions: Why did minority indigenous graduates aspire to go to college? How do social, economic, cultural, and political aspects of life contribute to aspirations for higher education? What intrapersonal factors have influenced these aspirations and how individuals overcome the barriers? Using narrative inquiry, four individuals who graduated college were interviewed. The Possible Selves Theory (Markus and Nurius, 1986) was used to formulate interview questions and assisted in the analysis process. The theory helped understand what minority indigenous college graduates thought of becoming--or not becoming--after completing college. Each of the participants' highlighted barriers they overcame to complete college (i.e., lack of mentors, financial and technological resources, cultural and environmental challenges, and stereotypes). Implications future research, theory and policy includes the limited understanding of the social, cultural progress of these communities, and systemic discrimination of the marginalized communities.
The transformative impacts of international study on Omani nationals: a phenomenological investigation
Authors:   , Pritt Jody
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to identify and understand the long-term impacts on study abroad participants' concept of self-identity and to also examine transformative learning experiences in an international setting. Using a qualitative research design guided by a phenomenological approach and underpinned in Mezirow's (1991) theory of transformative learning, the researcher collected data from 16 Omani citizens who studied in the United States and now live and work in Oman. Findings suggest that participants of study abroad persistently reflect on the experience for the rest of their lives and prefer diverse connections, personally and professionally. Further findings suggest that their concept of self-identity now straddles both their nationality and an American sensibility fused together in their lived experience. These experiences bolster meaning-making for participants through such activities as advocating, either actively or passively, for study abroad to others in their spheres of influence.
Environmental and medical applications of molecularly imprinting polymer sensor for the detection of progesterone
Authors:   , Qasim Sally M
Published: September 2022

Molecularly imprinted polymers are spatial technique with artificial recognition sites compatible to the template size, shape, and functional groups arrangement. The MIPs have shown high selectivity and affinity for the target molecules with a substantial potential for the hormones detection as an environmental sensor. The objective of this research is to fabricate a label-free molecular imprinted polymer (MIPs) sensor and investigate the sensing ability for progesterone detection in aqueous solutions and blood. The Progesterone (PGN) is a cholesterol-long biosynthetic endocrine disruptor steroid and is naturally occurring estrogenic compound with a majority effect to alter the vital functions of the human body. The MIPs detection was based on the reflectance mechanism of inverse opal film, after the PG attachment into the photonic MIP binding sites modified the Bragg diffraction spectra of the films due to swelling and refractive index changes, producing the optical signal. MIPs were investigated by equilibrium binding, kinetics experiments, and UV- visible spectra that occurs with the rebinding at different progesterone concentrations in deionized water and 150 mM NaCl solutions. The MIPs response were investigated with progesterone concentration in the 1-100 [mu]g L-1 range; with LOD of 0.5 [mu]g L-1, reaching the detected range of hormone in natural waters. Furthermore, hydrogel MIP films were successfully tested in various real water matrices, they revealed satisfactory recognition ability towards the analyte, and a promising performance in challenging, unknown natural water samples. Moreover, the MIPs film exhibited good selectivity towards the progesterone hormone when exposed to structurally similar molecules, evidenced by a larger response than non-imprinted films (NIPs) due to the specific adsorption provided by molecular imprinting. Computational studies suggested that size along with surface potential influenced the binding of analog compounds. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) were applied to whole blood and plasma samples of three different animals, the levels of free and total PG were analyzed along with different days of the estrous cycle of the cows. The commercial PG kits test results followed the same trend with MIPs test results for the non-bound PG in the blood samples. The measurements revealed the minimum concentration at day 0, and highest level between day 10 and 14. Both MIPs and commercial PG kits test results were in agreement in evaluating the PG levels trend during the estrous cycle, however, there was some variance in evaluating the exact concentrations of PG hormone during the cycle, but no discrepancy in determining the cow's pregnancy profile.
An examination of the Senior Woman Administrator designation at NCAA institutions in the State of Missouri
Authors:   , Schwartz Drowns Katherine
Published: September 2022

There is significant disagreement about the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) designation and how it should function within the overall structure of the athletic department (Smith et al., 2020). The purpose of this policy analysis case study is to fill the gap in research and better understand what people in Missouri who hold the SWA designation do day-in and day-out. Much of the current research related to this topic is quantitative in nature because the NCAA collects and reports mainly descriptive or directory data (Taylor and Hardin, 2016). This policy analysis case study was qualitative in nature, to gather information and personal stories that cannot be quantified so those women's voices may be amplified. Women's experiences, however they are described, are crucial to the advancement of the feminist cause (Chamallas, 2003). Between the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, this study was done on the Senior Woman Administrator designation at NCAA institutions in the state of Missouri. From the practitioner's perspective, this is a study that policy makers and educational leaders can look to when asking themselves if they are truly, fully utilizing their SWAs. Contributing to literature and institutions around the state, this study creates an opportunity to have a long-term impact on the future of the SWA designation and its sustainability in the future of athletic departments. The study found two potential ideas for changes to be made to the SWA designation: first, further role definition, and second, the elimination of the role in its entirety. The study also found reason to believe further research could be done on the Russell Rule and its implications on the SWA designation.
And yet, they remain: a phenomenological study of career, female, primary-role advisors at four-year institutions in the Midwestern region of the United States
Authors:   , Solon Keira
Published: September 2022

Numerous women spend their entire careers in academic advising though it is not clear whether women stay in these roles because they experience high levels of personal wellbeing and meaningfulness or because they experience limitations in their career management. Though the field of academic advising is heavily populated by women negligible literature has been published about the experience of the female primary-role advisor. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the perceptions of the female primary-role advisors in relation to their individual career management and the professionalization of the advising occupation. The research questions are informed by the social cognitive theory of Career self-management, or CSM, recent advising literature examining the professionalization of the primary advising role. This study will allow the voices of female primary-role advisors to enter advising scholarship. This study may also provide opportunities for universities and the Global Advising Community (NACADA) to establish additional pathways for growth and advocacy of primary role advising practitioners.
Sifting the Feminine Bones: essays
Authors:   , Anderson Ashley
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Sifting the Feminine Bones: Essays is a two-part project of critical analysis and creative nonfiction that examines how literary, cultural, and social constructions of femininity and the ways in which they influence our understanding of feminine identities. The critical introduction, "Resisting Definitions," takes a cross-disciplinary approach to examine how creative writers can reconceptualize the essay considering current conversations in the field of creative writing regarding inclusivity. When creative writers engage in the approach suggested in "Resisting Definitions," they see that our understanding of the essay changes when writers consider genre from the standpoint of rhetorical genre studies (RGS) and when thinking about the relationship between theories of genre and gender. Ultimately, this introduction argues that the essay is a genre that is feminine in its gendering and methodological approach to knowledge creation and extraction. The creative nonfiction component of this project is a collection of personal, lyric, and hermit crab essays that look at the writer's understanding of femininity in light of illness and disease. Sifting the Feminine Bones examines how illness and disease changes not only the physical body, but also considers the writer's evolving understanding of femininity and the stories our identities ask us to tell. This essay collection gathers those stories of identity rooted in a changed and changing body and works to break down constructions of femininity rooted in the body. The writer's deconstruction becomes a way of interrogating how the writer understands her body and the standards against which it has been measured and judged. Sifting the Feminine Bones also reflects on the iv challenges people face when their femininity resides outside the boundaries of supposed normalcy.
Mineralocorticoid receptor involvement in vascular dysfunction associated with vascular injury
Authors:   , Brown Scott
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) signaling has recently been implicated in cardiovascular dysfunction associated vascular injury. Specifically, MR blockade has been shown to treat coronary microvascular dysfunction in obesity and has been implicated in the regulation of capillary density in ischemic conditions. The fundamental mechanisms underlying these effects of MR signaling, as well as cell-specific MR involvement, in dysfunction associated with vascular injury remain poorly understood. This thesis tested the hypothesis that MR signaling impairs coronary microvascular function in diabetes and serves an anti-angiogenic role in ischemic tissue. Assessment of MR signaling in diabetes-related coronary dysfunction and the underlying MR-dependent vascular transcriptome was investigated using the Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat which recapitulates late-stage diabetes. MR inhibition with spironolactone treatment improved coronary endothelium-dependent vasodilation in OLETF rats. Further, RNA sequencing of aortas from Spironolactone-treated OLETF rats revealed 157 differentially expressed genes predicting MR involvement in angiogenesis, migration of endothelial cells (EC), and differentiation of smooth muscle cells. These biological functions are critical for the vascular response to flow deficit; thus we further assessed the fundamental role of MR in the vascular response to unilateral femoral artery excision. Here, femoral excision was performed in C57BL/6J mice treated with either vehicle or spironolactone as well as EC MR knockout (KO) or MR intact controls. Serial assessment of hindlimb perfusion over 28 days revealed that spironolactone and EC MR KO enhanced perfusion in female, but not, male mice. Assessment of peripheral collateral vasculature by micro-computed tomography revealed enhanced collateral expansion by spironolactone and EC MR KO in female, but not, male mice at 28 days. Finally, collateral expansion 7 days post-surgery was enhanced in both male and female EC MR KO mice associated with an increase in CD68+ (pan macrophage) and CD206+ (M2-like) macrophages in the collateral zone (area between femoral artery and internal iliac artery) of only female mice. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate a benefit of MR blockade in diabetes-associated coronary dysfunction and define, for the first time, a fundamental role of EC MR signaling to constrain arteriogenic collateralization in females.
Hooking up while being 'down' (with the cause): a study of Black sexual life
Authors:   , Casper Jennifer J.
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] This dissertation centers Black collegiate women's intersectional experiences of navigating dating and hookup culture at a large historically predominantly white university in the Midwest. Using a qualitative approach, I found that the structural politics of space, race, gender, sexuality, and class affect how Black students navigate racially segregated campus social life, which informs dating and hooking up strategies. This belies extant studies that continue to privilege middle-class white students' perspectives and maintain that students of color are less likely to engage in hooking up practices. I argue that the predominantly white university operates as a white spatial imaginary in which white students create racial boundaries around the dominant social and hookup culture on campus through racially exclusive behaviors, intensifying Black women's aversion to interracial coupling. In response, Black students establish a Black spatial imaginary grounded in racial solidarity and support through the creation of an informal social system with separate cultural spaces. Within these spaces, engagement with Black-oriented social media becomes a preeminent mechanism through which Black students initiate romantic or sexual interest. Contemporary politics of Black sexuality aid in the facilitation of a complex Black heteropatriarchal structure that shapes how students date and hook up according to the intersections of their racial authenticity, gender conformity, class status, and sexual orientation.
Informatically-informed biochemical characterization of aptamer-protein complexes
Authors:   , Gruenke Paige R.
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Nucleic acid aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that fold into unique three-dimensional shapes that typically bind to targets of interest with high specificity and high affinity. However, a significant limiting step after performing an aptamer selection is the characterization of the resulting aptamers to identify those with the desired binding characteristics. By combining aptamer selections with high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analyses, we prioritized aptamers based on their enrichment profiles over the course of the selection for further characterization. The work described here uses biochemical techniques and bioinformatics to study aptamer-protein target interactions. We first describe the initial RNA aptamer selection against the assembled HIV-1 capsid lattice and the characterization of aptamer CA15-2. A capsid differentiation selection was then performed starting with the lattice round 15 library to identify subsets of aptamers capable of binding the assembled capsid lattice only or the capsid lattice and hexamer, and we utilized comparative sequence analyses and biochemical approaches to begin elucidating the sequence and structural requirements for aptamer binding to the capsid lattice. Finally, this work describes an aptamer reselection strategy to evaluate the effects of different 2' modifications on a pre-enriched aptamer library using an aptamer library with affinity for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). While we identified RT aptamers capable of tolerating the three 2' modifications used, we also observed that the presence of 2'-fluoro-modified pyrimidines caused all RNA sequences, including non-binding sequences, to bind and inhibit RT. The results described in this dissertation provide new strategies and insights for aptamer selections, bioinformatic analyses of aptamer populations from high-throughput sequencing, and biochemical characterization of aptamer-target interactions.
The conditions
Authors:   , Hall Jacob Griffin
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] The critical introduction to this dissertation examines Jericho Brown's 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning collection The Tradition as a work of eco-justice poetry. In this essay, I argue that the tenets of eco-justice poetics are an essential part of ecopoetry. Close reading Brown's text, I explore the ways that eco-justice poetry addresses the intersection of environmental exploitation in a time of unprecedented climate crisis and the epidemic of police violence against Black lives in the United States. The creative component of this dissertation is a book-length work of poetry that brings together my own experience as a Georgian with research about various histories in the state and the U.S. South. The poems in this collection explore how local cultural narratives form and how power structures shape those narratives. The book balances research on Georgia history with my own experiences in Georgia to produce research-driven, lyrical poems about historical and contemporary events. Individual poems discuss the Jim Crow era white supremacist terrorism that removed people of color from Forsyth County, the reformation of the Ku Klux Klan atop Stone Mountain, James Baldwin's investigation of the infamous "Atlanta child murders," the history of segregation in Atlanta, and the exploitation of the Okefenokee Swamp for agricultural and logging purposes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Others navigate ongoing contemporary issues like the opioid epidemic, the political landscape of the U.S. South, and the impact of climate change on lives in the 21st century.
Impact of woody biomass production and biopower generation on US forests
Authors:   , Mirzaee Ashkan
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] This dissertation presents a study of environmental impact of woody biomass production and consumption on the eastern US forests. The first part is concerned with the impact of the exponential growth in trading of US pelletized wood fibers triggered by implementation of the European Union Renewable Energy Directive. We develop a panel data model with spatially dependent sample to assess variability in fundamental attributes for timberland structure and carbon stocks within procurement landscapes of wood pellet mills in the eastern US. In addition to the booming export market for US wood pellet, there has been a growing woody biomass domestic market for electricity generation in recent decades. The second part is a systematic assessment of associations between biopower generation, and selected timberland structure indicators and carbon stocks across areas surrounding wood-using and coal-burning power plants in the eastern US. Woody biomass is considered as a carbon neutral and sustainable source of energy that can be used in many coal-burning facilities to reduce the carbon footprint in the electricity sector. The last section provides a multi-objective optimization model to find the minimum cost of generating biopower that satisfies sustainability constraints as well as projected biopower demands under multiple policy scenarios in the eastern US. We studied potential federal policy interventions in 2035 that could be considered for decarbonization of the US power sector, including policies aimed at supporting an expanded role for biomass co-firing at existing coal-fired electric generating units.
Understanding genome composition of eusocial hymenopteran insects
Authors:   , Nguyen Hung Nhat
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Genome sequencing of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), a model for the biology and evolution of eusocial behavior, has revealed unusual genome compositional characteristics, including a low but heterogeneous GC content, bimodal GC content distribution, and a biased tendency of genes to be located in low GC regions. In this dissertation, we sought to determine whether those features are specific to Apis or shared with other insects and the biological meaning of those features. Chapter 1 reviews the major concepts that tie my dissertation research together, highlighting the importance of recombination, GC composition, and their relationship to the evolution of eusociality. In chapter 2, we analyzed the distributions of GC contents in GC compositional domains among twenty-seven insect species with different levels of social complexity to study whether the striking features previously known in the A. mellifera genome are common among Hymenoptera or other eusocial insects. In chapter 3, we investigated the biological context of the GC content distribution by partitioning the GC compositional domains into groups based on GC composition and then performed Gene Ontology (GO) analysis on the gene content of domains within the groups. Chapter 4 investigated the compositional features of the protein-coding content of the genome of Aculeata species (ants, bees, and wasps) by analyzing GC compositional domains in the syntenic regions between their orthologs.
Impact of knowledge management capability on supply chain agility and disruption mitigation performance of U.S. fashion retailers
Authors:   , Rana Md. Rafiqul Islam
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] The fashion retail supply chain is one of the most severely affected areas during the global pandemic, and effective mitigation of this sudden disruption is of utmost importance. However, little research has been conducted on how knowledge management capabilities, i.e., knowledge infrastructure capabilities and knowledge process capabilities, could aid in achieving supply chain agility of a fashion retail company and subsequently improve its disruption mitigation performance. Therefore, this research investigated the relationships between knowledge management capabilities, supply chain agility, and disruption mitigation performance by collecting online survey data from 320 U.S. fashion retail industry professionals. Results of structural equation modeling showed that there are significant positive relationships between knowledge infrastructure capabilities and knowledge process capabilities; knowledge process capabilities and supply chain agility; and supply chain agility and pre and post disruption mitigation performance. There are several important theoretical, industrial, and educational contribution of this research to the current body of interdisciplinary literature. Most importantly, this research will inform fashion retail companies on transforming their organizational dimensions through digital escalation and imperative innovation to establish an agile and sustainable supply chain to mitigate future market disruptions.
The respiratory microbiota of dogs and cats in health and disease: expanding our breadth of knowledge
Authors:   , Vientos-Plotts Aida I.
Published: September 2022

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] The long-held belief that the lungs were devoid of bacteria was largely perpetuated by the fact that most bacteria on earth are not cultivable using standard culture methods. Using culture-independent methods the lungs of healthy humans, dogs and other large animal species have been found to have rich and diverse microbiota. Furthermore, studies in humans and animals demonstrate differences in the composition of airway microbiota in health versus disease suggesting respiratory dysbiosis occurs. The existence of a gut-lung axis has been proposed to explain some of the host-microbe interactions and cross-talk between the two organ systems in health and disease. Since dogs and cats share similarities with COPD and allergic asthma in humans, respectively, studies in these species have the potential to advance human and veterinary medicine, alike. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of DNA was extracted from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as rectal, oropharyngeal, and blood samples when available from healthy and asthmatic cats, healthy cats after administration of oral probiotics and dogs with bacterial pneumonia. The most relevant findings in this body of work include: (1) healthy cats have a rich, diverse, distinct, and dynamic lower airway microbiota; (2) primary airway inflammation can result in gastrointestinal dysbiosis in cats with experimentally induced asthma; (3) orally administered probiotics can impact the lower airway microbiota of healthy cats; (4) airway dysbiosis occurs in cats with spontaneous and experimentally induced asthma and dogs with bacterial pneumonia. Collectively these studies set the stage for future investigation of the respiratory microbiota in dogs, cats and humans.