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Title: Evaluating The Suitability Of Salvaged Lumber As Feedstock In Cross-Laminated Timber
Creator: Abdul Azeez, Ahamed
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Structural abandonment has been a growing concern in the United States for the past few decades. Conventional demolition procedures exercised to eliminate the abandoned structures result in wood waste that are not feasible for reuse. On the other hand, the demand for lumber has been steadily increasing. This research focuses on promoting deconstruction, obtaining the salvaged lumber from deconstructed abandoned buildings, and evaluating the possibility of reusing it to make way for a...
Show moreStructural abandonment has been a growing concern in the United States for the past few decades. Conventional demolition procedures exercised to eliminate the abandoned structures result in wood waste that are not feasible for reuse. On the other hand, the demand for lumber has been steadily increasing. This research focuses on promoting deconstruction, obtaining the salvaged lumber from deconstructed abandoned buildings, and evaluating the possibility of reusing it to make way for a secondary means of lumber production.The study evaluates the engineering properties of salvaged lumber. Furthermore, the salvaged lumber is partially used to manufacture Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) per the current standards and its properties are compared against the properties of CLT panels exclusively made of freshly sawn lumber. By developing variables for the study, the various factors affecting the properties are analyzed. The researcher believes that the intended results would inaugurate the consideration of salvaged wood usage in wood products that serve as construction material.
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Title: QUEER LESSONS IN SUBJECT FORMATION : LEARNING FROM AIDS & SEX
Creator: Travers, Jessica
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: My dissertation investigates the formation of the subject. The subject I refer to here is the person, the individual who is shaped by language and discourse, is hailed by interpellation, and is affected by ideological social, cultural, and political forces. I poke and prod at how and why the subject is constructed, and during my analysis of the subject and its formation, I use AIDS literature and art as a lens. While doing so, I discover there is a tight knot around how the subject can define...
Show moreMy dissertation investigates the formation of the subject. The subject I refer to here is the person, the individual who is shaped by language and discourse, is hailed by interpellation, and is affected by ideological social, cultural, and political forces. I poke and prod at how and why the subject is constructed, and during my analysis of the subject and its formation, I use AIDS literature and art as a lens. While doing so, I discover there is a tight knot around how the subject can define and experience itself; thus, I work to loosen that knot, opening more space and air for novel ways the subject is formed—ways that do not encourage conformity, ways that give the subject more agency and creativity in how they become and who they are. Through my analyses and interpretations of works from the AIDS art archive, I uncover queer lessons that confuse, interrupt, and destabilize strict notions of what the subject is, how it is constructed, and how it can express and experience itself. Furthermore, I find that queer and perverted sexualities—erotically-driven desires that exist outside of dominant cultural norms—are an extremely powerful force that destabilizes normative ways that drive and determine how the subject is formed. Ultimately, I argue for a rescripting of how the subject is constructed and offer alternative approaches to subject formations—what I refer to as queer modes of self-authorship. Each of my four chapters narrows in on a queer mode of subject construction: queer interpellation, contact relationality, bearing witness, and desire and pleasure, respectively. These modes buttress my call for a proliferation of ways the subject can be authored and be read.
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Title: Learning Fair Representations without Demographics
Creator: Wang, Xiaoxue
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Due to hard accessibility, real-world adoption of fair representation learning algorithms lacks the prior knowledge of the sensitive attributes that we wish to be fair with. To address the challenge in fairness without explicit demographics, our solution is based on the idea of maximally randomizing the representation while being as informative as possible about the target task. We operationalize this goal through the concept of maximizing the entropy of the learned representation. For this...
Show moreDue to hard accessibility, real-world adoption of fair representation learning algorithms lacks the prior knowledge of the sensitive attributes that we wish to be fair with. To address the challenge in fairness without explicit demographics, our solution is based on the idea of maximally randomizing the representation while being as informative as possible about the target task. We operationalize this goal through the concept of maximizing the entropy of the learned representation. For this purpose, we propose two new avenues for entropy maximization in the absence of demographic information: intra-class and inter-class entropy maximization. For 1) intra-class entropy maximization, it maximizes the entropy of the non-target class predictions (excluding the probability of the ground truth class label for classification problems), thus encouraging the model to discard spurious correlations between the different target classes, and for 2) inter-class entropy maximization, it maximizes the entropy of the representation conditioned on the target label, thus encouraging randomization of the samples within each target class label and minimizing the leakage of potential demographic information in the representation. Quantitative and qualitative results of our Maximum Entropy method (MaxEnt) on COMPAS and UCI Adult datasets show that 1) our method can outperform the State-of-the-art (SOTA) Adversarially Reweighted Learning (ARL) method and will enhance the difficulty of extracting sensitive demographic information in representation without prior demographic knowledge 2) our method reaches a good trade-off between utility and fairness.
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Title: THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO MODELING ON TEACHING STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES HOW TO REQUEST A WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATION
Creator: Smith, Brianna
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may not always be proficient with self-advocacy skills or be aware of the accommodation rights afforded to them through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), potentially hindering their success for maintaining employment and succeeding in individual job tasks. This study was designed to provide proper knowledge and training to teach individuals with IDD how to effectively advocate for their right to necessary...
Show moreIndividuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may not always be proficient with self-advocacy skills or be aware of the accommodation rights afforded to them through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), potentially hindering their success for maintaining employment and succeeding in individual job tasks. This study was designed to provide proper knowledge and training to teach individuals with IDD how to effectively advocate for their right to necessary accommodations in a workplace setting. First, the effectiveness of an initial whole group PowerPoint training to teach eight individuals with IDD who attended a school-to-work transition program how to request a workplace accommodation was examined. Following the training, ability to appropriate request a workplace accommodation was assessed through role-play probes; six participants did not perform the skill accurately and required additional training. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, these six participants completed 1:1 video modeling training, involving videos and role plays depicting each participants individualized requests. All participants increased their percentage of correct responding after the introduction of video modeling training. Three of the eight participants required additional booster sessions and feedback to maintain performance once video modeling was removed. Three of the eight participants generalized the skill to their workplace setting. The implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Title: The effect of supplementing native rumen microbes on milk production of dairy cattle
Creator: Goldsmith, Katelyn E.
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Dairy cows are commonly fed direct-fed microbials (DFM) to improve milk production and efficiency. Most DFM are not native to the dairy cow rumen which may limit their ability to interact with the native microbiome. We evaluated the effects of two DFM supplements containing 4 native rumen microorganisms on the production of dairy cows. Ninety Holstein cows (92 ± 23 DIM, mean ± standard deviation (SD); 45 ± 10 kg milk/d; 658 ± 86 kg BW; 40% primiparous) were fed a common diet. After 14 d, they...
Show moreDairy cows are commonly fed direct-fed microbials (DFM) to improve milk production and efficiency. Most DFM are not native to the dairy cow rumen which may limit their ability to interact with the native microbiome. We evaluated the effects of two DFM supplements containing 4 native rumen microorganisms on the production of dairy cows. Ninety Holstein cows (92 ± 23 DIM, mean ± standard deviation (SD); 45 ± 10 kg milk/d; 658 ± 86 kg BW; 40% primiparous) were fed a common diet. After 14 d, they were blocked by parity, days in milk, and energy corrected milk (ECM) per unit of metabolic body weight. Within block, cows were randomly assigned to treatments, which were top-dressed daily for the next 112 d. Treatments were 150 g of ground corn mixed with 1) no live DFM (CON), 2) 5 g of a live DFM (Galaxis 2.0; G2), and 3) 5 g of a live DFM (Galaxis 2.0 Plus; G2P). G2 and G2P were products of Native Microbials Inc. (San Diego, CA) and contained the same organisms but in different concentrations. Supplementation with DFM did not alter yield of total milk, protein, or fat, but slightly decreased body weight gain and body condition score gain with no difference between G2 and G2P. DFM tended to decrease dry matter intake (DMI) but did not significantly improve feed efficiency (ECM/DMI). DFM did not alter digestibility of fiber, starch, protein, or fat, and did not alter concentrations of glucose or non-esterified fatty acids but tended to decrease concentration of insulin in plasma. DFM decreased somatic cell counts in milk with no difference between G2 and G2P. In conclusion, supplementation with native DFM had little impact on milk production and efficiency.
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Title: ASSESSING ‘BEHAVIORAL ARTISTRY’ STAFF TRAINING ON BEHAVIOR TECHNICIANS’ USE OF BEHAVIORAL ARTISTRY TRAITS AND THE BEHAVIOR OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Creator: Notarianni, Emilia
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Training high quality practitioners continues to be a priority in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. The concept of behavioral artistry (BA) identifies traits that may contribute to an individual’s success as a behavior analyst, including attributes such as resilience, sense of humor, and compassion. Despite BA’s potential for meaningful impact in the field, research in this area remains limited. The current study aimed to behaviorally define the BA trait “likes people” and investigated...
Show moreTraining high quality practitioners continues to be a priority in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. The concept of behavioral artistry (BA) identifies traits that may contribute to an individual’s success as a behavior analyst, including attributes such as resilience, sense of humor, and compassion. Despite BA’s potential for meaningful impact in the field, research in this area remains limited. The current study aimed to behaviorally define the BA trait “likes people” and investigated the effects of a behavioral skills training and video self-modeling on the development of behaviors representative of that BA trait. Additionally, data were collected on client behaviors, in order to examine the effects of the BA training on client behavior. Four dyads consisting of one behavior technician and one young child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder participated in the study, which took place in an EIBI clinic affiliated with a midwestern university. Results showed an increase in the use of the BA trait “likes people” in all adult participants. However, this behavior change did not maintain over time. Child participants demonstrated very little behavior change between phases of this study. These findings indicate that BST and VSM may not be the most effective intervention for training staff on BA. Key words: behavioral artistry, behavioral skills training, staff training, video self-modeling
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Title: SYSTEMIC DELIVERY OF INSECTICIDES IN BLUEBERRIES FOR CONTROL OF BLUEBERRY STEM GALL WASP, HEMADAS NUBILIPENNIS
Creator: Bosch, Amber Kay
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Blueberry stem gall wasp (Hemadas nubilipennis) is a pest of highbush blueberry and can pose a challenge to control with foliar sprays due to adult activity during bloom and larval development within the plant tissues. In this thesis, systemic delivery of insecticides in blueberry bushes was evaluated using three application methods on potted bushes, in blueberry shoot bioassays, and on a commercial blueberry farm. Each study aimed to evaluate impact on gall and gall wasp development, along...
Show moreBlueberry stem gall wasp (Hemadas nubilipennis) is a pest of highbush blueberry and can pose a challenge to control with foliar sprays due to adult activity during bloom and larval development within the plant tissues. In this thesis, systemic delivery of insecticides in blueberry bushes was evaluated using three application methods on potted bushes, in blueberry shoot bioassays, and on a commercial blueberry farm. Each study aimed to evaluate impact on gall and gall wasp development, along with active ingredient residue delivery to plant tissues. I hypothesized that if the insecticide moved systemically within the blueberry vascular system to areas where the blueberry stem gall wasp larvae are developing, then the insecticide will kill the larvae leading to a reduction in gall formation and number of surviving adults per gall. In the potted bush study, applications were made by crown injection, soil drench and foliar sprays. Imidacloprid, flupyradifurone, and spirotetramat were recovered in shoot and leaf tissues, however there was no evidence of inhibited gall or gall wasp development. In the shoot bioassays, imidacloprid and spirotetramat were found to have the greatest potential for control of blueberry stem gall wasp. Active ingredient recovery in bioassay gall tissue revealed the concentration needed to get moribund/ lethal larval response. The on-farm study indicated there was successful movement of imidacloprid and flupyradifurone using chemigation, however, the impact on blueberry stem gall wasp was not great enough to provide control.
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Title: The metacoupled Arctic and North Pacific : Analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns and impacts of marine vessel traffic in coupled human and natural systems
Creator: Kapsar, Kelly
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Climate change is causing Arctic and sub-Arctic systems to warm at twice the global average rate. Warming temperatures are leading to unprecedented rates of sea ice decline, which is shifting the migratory patterns of animals, increasing accessibility to natural resources, and spurring tourists to travel to the Arctic. Many of these changes have the potential to increase marine vessel traffic in the Arctic. Ships are a primary mode of transportation in the Arctic, which has many remote...
Show moreClimate change is causing Arctic and sub-Arctic systems to warm at twice the global average rate. Warming temperatures are leading to unprecedented rates of sea ice decline, which is shifting the migratory patterns of animals, increasing accessibility to natural resources, and spurring tourists to travel to the Arctic. Many of these changes have the potential to increase marine vessel traffic in the Arctic. Ships are a primary mode of transportation in the Arctic, which has many remote communities and a fragmented road network. Ships take resources, such as fish, ores, and oil and gas, from the Arctic to global markets, and also serve as lifelines, bringing essential supplies to isolated communities. While these vessels serve to connect distant social-ecological systems and support human wellbeing, they can also have detrimental effects on the ecosystems through which they travel. Noise pollution, habitat degradation, ship strikes, invasive species introduction, and oil spills are all potential consequences of vessel traffic. Knowledge of the movements of vessels in space and time is necessary to determine the role that vessels are playing within Arctic systems and quantify their impacts. This information is also needed to predict the consequences of different vessel traffic policies for Arctic communities, ecosystems, and the interactions between them. The purpose of this dissertation is to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of vessel traffic in Arctic social-ecological systems and to relate these patterns to other system components, including sea ice and wildlife movements. In chapter 2, we review the existing Arctic coupled human and natural systems literature and apply the newly introduced framework of metacoupling to explore the connections among the coupled human and natural systems of the Arctic and between Arctic systems and distant systems. We suggest that applying the metacoupling framework would improve future studies of Arctic coupled human and natural systems by distinguishing between different external connections and their unique impacts on sustainability. In chapter 3, we create a new, six-year data set of vessel activities in the North Pacific and Pacific Arctic Oceans. We then use these data in a case study examining the spatiotemporal patterns of vessel movements in the Bering Strait Region. As the only route connecting the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Bering Strait is a critical corridor for marine vessel traffic and migratory animals. While most vessel traffic in the region is local, we find that transient vessel traffic, particularly fishing activities and transport along the Northern Sea Route, increased between 2015 and 2020. In chapter 4, we focus on the movements of marine vessels in the ice-covered waters of the Pacific Arctic. We find that movements in ice differ by vessel type, and that while vessel traffic declines with increasing sea ice concentration, the overall amount of vessel traffic in sea ice increased between 2015 and 2020. In chapter 5, we evaluate the resource selection decisions of an endangered marine predator, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), in relation to fishing and non-fishing vessel movements in a sub-Arctic system, the Gulf of Alaska. Our results illustrate that adult female Steller sea lions select areas away from fishing vessel activities at a weekly timescale. This finding supports the hypothesis that large fishing vessels may disturb Steller sea lions, with potential consequences for their fitness. This dissertation expands upon the metacoupling framework by building a foundational understanding of the transportation of metacoupled flows. This work also contributes to the growing body of knowledge of vessel movements and their impacts on marine systems, which can be applied to design policies that promote the sustainable use of marine systems in a changing world.
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Title: Improving juvenile risk assessment measurement models : A psychometric comparison of scoring methods
Creator: Kitzmiller, Mary Katherine
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Juvenile risk assessments are standardized rating instruments that measure criminogenic risk in court-involved youth. Juvenile court practitioners use scores from risk assessments to inform judicial decisions throughout case processing. It is critically important that risk scores accurately reflect court-involved youths’ latent level of criminogenic risk; both artificially high and low scores incur significant detriments to youths, courts, and communities. In light of the consequences of risk...
Show moreJuvenile risk assessments are standardized rating instruments that measure criminogenic risk in court-involved youth. Juvenile court practitioners use scores from risk assessments to inform judicial decisions throughout case processing. It is critically important that risk scores accurately reflect court-involved youths’ latent level of criminogenic risk; both artificially high and low scores incur significant detriments to youths, courts, and communities. In light of the consequences of risk misevaluation, there is urgent need to develop and evaluate alternate juvenile risk assessment measurement models The current study aspired to improve measurement of criminogenic risk through the development of a Novel Scoring Algorithm which innovated upon current juvenile risk assessment scoring twofold: (1) it adjusted the weights of assessment items and domain sub-scores to reflect their correlation with latent constructs of criminogenic risk; and (2) it integrated the mitigating impact of prosocial protective factors into cumulative risk scores. Drawing upon a sample of 559 youth who entered the supervision of a county-level juvenile circuit court for the first time, the Novel Scoring Algorithm outperformed the current method of scoring (i.e., summing all unweighted risk factors) in both absolute and relative model fit. However, the Novel Scoring Algorithm yielded no incremental improvement in diagnostic accuracy, affirming the Scoring-as-Usual method as an acceptable procedure for assessing likelihood of recidivism in court-involved youth. Implications for effectively and equitably managing risk are discussed.
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Title: USING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AS GROUND CONTROL TO SUPPORT CITIZEN SCIENTIST COASTAL UAS MONITORING PROGRAMS
Creator: Rabins, Lucas Frederick
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Recent publications have described the ability of citizen scientists to conduct unoccupied aerial system (UAS) flights to collect data for coastal management. Ground control points (GCPs) can be collected to georeference these data, however collecting GCPs require expensive surveying equipment not accessible to citizen scientists. Instead, existing infrastructure can be used as naturally occurring GCPs (NGCPs), although availably of NGCP placement on such infrastructure differs from published...
Show moreRecent publications have described the ability of citizen scientists to conduct unoccupied aerial system (UAS) flights to collect data for coastal management. Ground control points (GCPs) can be collected to georeference these data, however collecting GCPs require expensive surveying equipment not accessible to citizen scientists. Instead, existing infrastructure can be used as naturally occurring GCPs (NGCPs), although availably of NGCP placement on such infrastructure differs from published best practices of GCP placement. This study therefore evaluates the achievable accuracy of sites georeferenced with NGCPs through an analysis of 20 diverse coastal sites. At most sites NGCPs produced horizontal and vertical root mean square errors (RMSE) less than 0.060 m which are similar to those obtained using traditional GCPs. To support future UAS citizen science coastal monitoring programs, an assessment to determine the optimal NGCP quantity and distribution was conducted for six coastal sites. Results revealed that generally at least seven NGCPs collected in the broadest distribution across the site will result in a horizontal and vertical RMSE less than 0.030 m and 0.075 m respectively. However, the relationship between these placement characteristics and RMSE was poor, indicating that georeferencing accuracy using NGCPs cannot be optimized solely through ideal quantity and distribution. The results of these studies highlight the value of NGCPs to support UAS citizen science coastal monitoring programs, however they also indicate a need for an initial accuracy assessment of sites surveyed with NGCPs at the onset of such programs.
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Title: SELLING TECHNOLOGY : INFLUENCING PERCEPTIONS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Creator: Darcy, Cornelius Howard
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Disruptive products and technologies change both how we live and the ways in which we live in communities. Automated vehicles (AVs) have the potential to be both disruptive and transformative. However, a period of anticipatory ebullience ended in 2018 when two high profile crashes of automated vehicles occurred. The crashes shook the confidence of the public and of industry and called into question the merits of developing fully automated vehicles that drive on public roads without input from...
Show moreDisruptive products and technologies change both how we live and the ways in which we live in communities. Automated vehicles (AVs) have the potential to be both disruptive and transformative. However, a period of anticipatory ebullience ended in 2018 when two high profile crashes of automated vehicles occurred. The crashes shook the confidence of the public and of industry and called into question the merits of developing fully automated vehicles that drive on public roads without input from humans.Although academic research on AVs has continued unabated since 2018, with the exception of a few instances, researchers have not sought insight from the industry creating these vehicles regarding the future of the technology and of how the industry is engaged in resetting expectations. This study investigates industry strategies to influence perceptions of automated vehicles post 2018 and how current perceptions of AVs affect communities. This study is based on interpretations of information transference, information moderation, and technology acceptance. Understanding how the AV industry is influencing perceptions in a changing technological landscape contributes new perspectives on a disruptive and transformative technology and how industry-led information moderation becomes an important contributing factor to future acceptance.
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Title: MODELING FIRE-INDUCED INSTABILITIES FOR TRACING PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE IN STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS
Creator: Venkatachari, Svetha
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Fire is one of the extreme loading events that a building may experience during its service life and can induce severe consequences on the safety of its occupants, first responders, and the structure. Recent fire incidents have clearly shown that steel framed buildings are vulnerable to progressive collapse under severe fire conditions, if not duly considered in the design. The progressive collapse in steel framed buildings initiates with the onset of temperature-induced instabilities at a...
Show moreFire is one of the extreme loading events that a building may experience during its service life and can induce severe consequences on the safety of its occupants, first responders, and the structure. Recent fire incidents have clearly shown that steel framed buildings are vulnerable to progressive collapse under severe fire conditions, if not duly considered in the design. The progressive collapse in steel framed buildings initiates with the onset of temperature-induced instabilities at a local or global level, which in turn can lead to the partial or complete collapse of the structure. Despite fire being a severe hazard, the current practice does not have specific recommendations or guidance to evaluate the fire-induced progressive collapse in critical buildings. This is unlike other loading events such as blasts, earthquakes, etc. Further, the current fire design philosophy of steel structures is primarily based on a member (or section) level behavior and does not account for several critical factors, including some of the temperature-induced instabilities. To overcome some of the knowledge gaps, a series of advanced simulations are carried out for tracing the fire-induced collapse in steel framed buildings. To establish the connection between evacuation strategies (times) and structural stability under fire, a set of evacuation simulations is undertaken to evaluate the effect of varying egress parameters on the emergency evacuation process in a high-rise building. In addition, the influence of incorporating situational awareness during an emergency evacuation is quantified. These evacuation strategies and times are to be considered, together with the fire-induced progressive collapse timelines, for achieving the required fire safety in critical buildings. Furthermore, for facilitating complete evacuation and efficient firefighting operations, stability of the structure is to be maintained and any chance of fire-induced collapse is to be minimized. Evaluating progressive collapse under fire conditions is highly complex and requires advanced analysis. For this purpose, a comprehensive finite element-based model is developed in ABAQUS to trace the overall response of a steel framed building under fire exposure, including the onset of instabilities leading to the progressive collapse. The developed model specifically accounts for high-temperature material properties and creep effects, geometric nonlinearity, altering load paths, connections, fire spread, local buckling effects, and realistic failure limit states. The model is validated by comparing the thermal and structural response predictions against the published test data at the member level (steel columns) and system level (steel framed structures). The validated model is applied to carry out a set of parametric studies on a ten-story braced framed building to quantify the influence of various fire, material, and structural parameters on the onset of fire-induced collapse in steel framed buildings. Results from the parametric studies indicate that the severity of the fire scenario, including the location and extent of burning, fire spread, varying load paths, and temperature-induced local instabilities have a significant influence on the onset of fire-induced progressive collapse. Moreover, accounting for the full effects of high-temperature creep in the fire-induced progressive collapse analysis is needed to obtain realistic failure times under severe to very intense fire exposure. Results from the parametric studies are used to propose guidelines for mitigating fire-induced collapse in critical buildings. Specific recommendations are provided for the treatment of high-temperature creep and local instabilities in the fire resistance analysis of steel structures. The proposed approach for advanced analysis, together with the design recommendations, can be utilized to minimize the onset of fire-induced collapse in critical steel framed buildings.
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Title: The Impact of Castration on the Immediate Inflammatory Response to Early-Weaning in Male Pigs
Creator: Roney, Andrew
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In this study, differences between castrated and intact male piglets in the immediate immune response to early-weaning stress were determined. Testosterone and 17-estradiol were both higher in intact males than in castrates, while cortisol was not different between gonadal groups. CBC results showed a tendency for castrates to have a greater increase in neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio over 24 hours, indicating greater inflammation. Thymuses tended to be longer in intact males than in castrates....
Show moreIn this study, differences between castrated and intact male piglets in the immediate immune response to early-weaning stress were determined. Testosterone and 17-estradiol were both higher in intact males than in castrates, while cortisol was not different between gonadal groups. CBC results showed a tendency for castrates to have a greater increase in neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio over 24 hours, indicating greater inflammation. Thymuses tended to be longer in intact males than in castrates. Basal testosterone levels in intact males were strongly associated with increased total mast cell numbers in the small intestinal tissues. Basal testosterone was associated with increased 0-hour neutrophil numbers in intact males and 24-hour 17-estradiol was associated with decreased 24-hour neutrophil numbers in the villus crypts of the small intestine tissues. This study has revealed gonadal effects on the immediate immune response to early-weaning stress, but the hormonal relationships revealed need to be confirmed by hormone blockade and/or replacement studies.
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Title: Information, Environmental Policy, and Aquacultural Expansion : Three Essays in Non-Market Valuation
Creator: Athnos, April
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Private management of non-point sources of pollution is an important concept in economics. Regulators are often unable to trace pollutants to their origins and efforts to limit many disaggregated sources of pollution are costly and invasive. Wells and septic systems, common in the rural and suburban United States, represent privately-owned non-point water pollution sources when they fail to protect households and water resources. “Time of Sale or Transfer” (TOST) policies are gaining...
Show morePrivate management of non-point sources of pollution is an important concept in economics. Regulators are often unable to trace pollutants to their origins and efforts to limit many disaggregated sources of pollution are costly and invasive. Wells and septic systems, common in the rural and suburban United States, represent privately-owned non-point water pollution sources when they fail to protect households and water resources. “Time of Sale or Transfer” (TOST) policies are gaining popularity across the state of Michigan and in other states across the country to require rigorous well and septic system evaluations at the time a house is sold. In cases where threats to public and environmental health are identified, Health Department administrators impose mandatory repair or replacement orders. Without a letter of Health Department approval, a house with a well or septic system cannot be legally transferred. Despite the growing traction of these policies, however, little is known about the effects of TOST program adoption on the housing market. In lieu of empirical evidence, many homeowners and policymakers in Michigan claim that the policies suppress house prices and argue against the instruments. My first essay addresses this empirical gap in the economic literature by estimating the causal impact of policy adoption on house values. I use an event study approach to compare regulated well and septic system homes to a set of neighboring controls just outside the regulation area. Results suggest that there is not a large, statistically significant price decline following policy adoption, with evidence indicating a price penalty no larger than 4 percent.The second essay analyzes the effect of TOST inspection resulting in Health Department required corrective actions. I motivate my empirical strategy with a model of negative TOST information shocks during the contract closing period of a house sale. The data for this essay are inspection-sale pairs constructed by combining county-level inspection records, housing transaction records, and property characteristics. I identify a house price penalty of about 7.5 percent to 10.5 percent after TOST adoption by using a hedonic price model with structural controls, spatial controls, and time fixed effects. These results are robust to a repeat sales model specification as well as an approach controlling for building quality with assessor-assigned grades. Further, there is no evidence of significant heterogeneity based on whether a well or septic system triggers mandatory corrective action, whether the problems identified are high- or low-risk, or which Health Department administers the program. In contrast, a quantile regression shows strong evidence of price impacts led by the low end of the house price spectrum. This suggests that the houses that fail at the highest rates also experience the largest price penalties and belong to homeowners least able to shoulder the costs. Regulators must consider the heterogeneity of these pecuniary effects when regulating externality-generating on-site water systems through the housing market.The third essay studies how to expand aquaculture production int he North Central Region (NCR). U.S. per capita seafood consumption stands at an all-time high due to population and income growth and consumer preference shifts toward healthy proteins. U.S. aquaculture, however, has not kept pace and imports serve most of the U.S. fish market. This study estimates willingness-to-pay (WTP) for several search and credence fish attributes using a hypothetical choice experiment of U.S. fish consumers. Search attributes, like prices, can be readily discerned by consumers before purchase while credence attributes, such as region of production, cannot be easily identified before or after purchase and require labels. Our study varied attributes and levels over three species historically produced in the North Central Region (NCR) but underrepresented in the literature---rainbow trout, yellow perch, and walleye. Using a random utility framework, we identify average price premia of $1.64/lb., $1.97/lb., and $0.84/lb. for an NCR-specific label, wild-caught label, and fresh fillet forms, respectively. We also estimate marginal WTP for trout, yellow perch, and walleye of $19.99/lb., $15.89/lb., and $17.37/lb., respectively. Our findings suggest that NCR aquaculture producers can expand by intensifying trout production while continuing to market yellow perch and walleye in the region. Nationally, an NCR-source label is not valued more than a wild-caught label, implying that overcoming consumers' aversion to farmed fish will require more than marketing fish as products of the NCR.
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Title: MIGRANT FARM WORK, COLLEGE, AND MONEY : A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH STUDY WITH MIGRANT FARMWORKING COLLEGE STUDENTS
Creator: Flores, Amanda
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: College is the first time students have the opportunity to make independent financial decisions and employ financial practices. Research suggests that students pick up financial knowledge, habits, and practices from family, friends, and their broader community and that these practices can have long-term implications. Migrant farmworking college students are a small subset of college students who come from highly mobile families and whose source of income is dependent on agricultural seasons....
Show moreCollege is the first time students have the opportunity to make independent financial decisions and employ financial practices. Research suggests that students pick up financial knowledge, habits, and practices from family, friends, and their broader community and that these practices can have long-term implications. Migrant farmworking college students are a small subset of college students who come from highly mobile families and whose source of income is dependent on agricultural seasons. The migratory lifestyle influences how migrant farmworking families employ financial practices, which likely shapes how children in migrant farmworking families think about their finances and what kinds of financial practices they use. This study explores how the familial and cultural upbringing of migrant farmworking families influences the financial practices of migrant farmworking college students. Grounded in participatory action research methodology, I draw on funds of knowledge and consejos to elevate familial and cultural influences on the financial practices of 5 migrant farmworking college students. Ultimately, this study seeks to provide recommendations for advisors and other student-facing professionals to help meet the diverse needs of this distinct population of marginalized students.
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Title: THE USE OF EQUIVALENCE-BASED INSTRUCTION TO TEACH GRADUATE STUDENTS SIMPLIFIED DEFINITIONS OF BEHAVIOR ANALYTIC TERMINOLOGY
Creator: Medlin, Grace
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Individuals who are pursuing their Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification are required to have an effective understanding of applied behavior analysis (ABA) terminology. Hemwell (2020) used Equivalence Based Instruction (EBI) and Match-to-Sample (MTS) training to teach technical definitions of ABA terminology to first-year ABA students. Participants displayed limited emergent intraverbal responding and did not maintain emergent intraverbal responding. Hemwell (2020) speculated...
Show moreIndividuals who are pursuing their Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification are required to have an effective understanding of applied behavior analysis (ABA) terminology. Hemwell (2020) used Equivalence Based Instruction (EBI) and Match-to-Sample (MTS) training to teach technical definitions of ABA terminology to first-year ABA students. Participants displayed limited emergent intraverbal responding and did not maintain emergent intraverbal responding. Hemwell (2020) speculated this was due to the length and complexity of the definitions. The current study was conducted to replicate and extend Hemwell (2020) to determine if using simplified definitions of ABA terminology was effective in promoting the acquisition, understanding, and maintenance of ABA terminology. Using a multiple probe across behaviors design replicated across participants, participants were exposed to 30 simplified ABA terms, along with definitions and examples via a MTS teaching method. Participants were assessed on their performance of untaught relations in a selection-based pre-post assessment, as well as through a written intraverbal probes. Despite text simplification, emergent intraverbal responding was variable and did not maintain for all terms. However, emergent selection-based responding across all relations from pre to post test was evident. In addition, following text simplification, participants displayed emergent selection based responding with more complex definitions from the Cooper et al. (2020) textbook. Overall, future instructors may consider the use of EBI and text simplification in their courses to teach ABA terminology, examples, and principles.
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Title: Development and application of hierarchical models for monitoring avian soundscapes, populations, and communities
Creator: Doser, Jeffrey W.
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Climate change, land use change, and other anthropogenic pressures are increasing species extinctions, phenology shifts, and drastic population declines. Avian populations and communities are particularly vulnerable to global change given their mobile and migratory life history strategies. Avian abundance has drastically declined throughout North America over several decades, which is compounded by phenological shifts in breeding periods and migratory patterns. Informed management and...
Show moreClimate change, land use change, and other anthropogenic pressures are increasing species extinctions, phenology shifts, and drastic population declines. Avian populations and communities are particularly vulnerable to global change given their mobile and migratory life history strategies. Avian abundance has drastically declined throughout North America over several decades, which is compounded by phenological shifts in breeding periods and migratory patterns. Informed management and conservation of avian populations and communities requires large-scale monitoring programs, as well as associated inferential tools to provide statistically robust inference using multiple data sources. In this dissertation, I develop a suite of hierarchical modeling approaches to understand avian soundscapes, populations, and communities. I leverage a hierarchical Bayesian modeling framework, which is ideally suited for complex wildlife data with numerous types of observation error and dependencies among data points. In Chapter 1, I provide a brief overview of avian monitoring approaches and their associated statistical analysis frameworks. In Chapters 2 and 3, I develop hierarchical models for the analysis of complex avian soundscape data, and apply these approaches to two case studies. In Chapter 2, I apply a two-stage hierarchical beta regression model to quantify the relationship between anthropogenic and biological sounds in avian soundscapes in western New York. In Chapter 3, I use a multivariate linear mixed model to assess disturbance impacts of a shelterwood logging on avian soundscapes in northern Michigan. In Chapter 4, I develop a multi-region, multi-species abundance model to quantify trends of avian species and communities using point count data across a network of National Parks in the northeastern US. In Chapters 5 and 6, I use a model-based data integration approach to yield improved inference on avian population and communities. In Chapter 5, I integrate automated acoustic recording data with point count data to estimate avian abundance, which I apply to a case study on the Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens) in a National Historical Park in Vermont. In Chapter 6, I develop an integrated community occupancy model that combines multiple types of detection-nondetection data for inference on species-specific and community level occurrence dynamics, which I use to assess occurrence dynamics of a foliage-gleaning bird community in New Hampshire. These results exhibit the value of hierarchical models to partition ecological data into distinct observation and ecological components for improved inference on avian population and community dynamics. Future work should continue to leverage complex data sources within hierarchical modeling frameworks to address pressing conservation and management questions on avian populations, communities, and the ecosystem services they provide.
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Title: DESIGN AND ENGINEERING OF POLY(LACTIDE) RESIN BASED BIOCOMPOSITES
Creator: Bambhania, Harshal M.
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Fiber reinforced composites are typically prepared using thermosetting polymeric resins derived from petroleum resources and involving hazardous chemicals. We present a vinyl-ester system utilizing a 100% renewably based polyester enabling the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere into durable goods for decades. The biopolymer poly(meso-lactide) (PML) is synthesized using a strategy giving vinyl end groups. In place of potentially carcinogenic styrene which is predominantly used as a...
Show moreFiber reinforced composites are typically prepared using thermosetting polymeric resins derived from petroleum resources and involving hazardous chemicals. We present a vinyl-ester system utilizing a 100% renewably based polyester enabling the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere into durable goods for decades. The biopolymer poly(meso-lactide) (PML) is synthesized using a strategy giving vinyl end groups. In place of potentially carcinogenic styrene which is predominantly used as a reactive diluent to reduce the thermoset viscosity, the new sustainable bioresin dissolved in methyl methacrylate (MMA), infused into various fibers, and cured to form the composite panels. Mechanical properties are excellent and comparable with less sustainable materials from fossil resources.As homeowners adopt a lifestyle that is more responsive to environmental need, industry and academia are tasked with finding more sustainable solution for cast polymer products like countertops and sinks. Particulate fillers in the cast polymers are bound by either poly(methyl methacrylate)/methyl methacrylate (PMMA/MMA) or unsaturated polyester/styrene (UPR/Styrene) resin. For the first time ever, we have introduced biopolymer poly(lactide) (PLA) dissolved in MMA as a novel bioresin formulation which can be directly substituted for less sustainable PMMA/MMA and more carcinogenic UPR/Styrene counterparts. Mechanical properties of fabricated biorenewable solid surface and cultured marble composites are on par with commercially available products. This environmentally benign resin is also used to fabricate a prototype of a Drop-in-Bowl solid surface and preliminary calculations show a 24% reduction ingreenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) compared to PMMA/MMA acrylic resins available in the market.Otherwise destined to landfills or incineration, recovery and recycling of composite materials not only improves the sustainability metrics but also opens the door to various end-of-life options. Recycling of sinks and countertops via solvolysis reduces the usage of new resources, prevents waste, and lowers the emission associated with their production and transportation. For the first time ever, Drop-in-Bowl solid surface sink was fabricated using fully recyclable resin PLA dissolved in MMA and is demonstrated that simple base solvolysis can be employed to recover the particulate filler material along with other end-of-life options including edible food ingredient, and superabsorbent polymer.Chain transfer agents (CTAs) are conventionally used to regulate the polymer molecular weight during the free radical polymerization of acrylate polymers. Also, curing reaction of MMA undergoes a sudden temperature rise because of auto-acceleration known as Trommsdorff effect. These curing effects in the presence and absence of CTAs were investigated for MMA resin-based systems. One-dimensional (1D) mathematical model combining the reaction kinetics and heat transfer was extended to incorporate the effect of CTAs. Agreement between experimental findings at small scale (6 to 8 g) and simulation results indicate that in bulk polymerization of MMA based resins, presence of chain transfer not only controls the polymer properties but is also reduces the peak polymerization temperatures. Also, control of the in-situ polymerization of thick methacrylic composite parts is essential to minimize or avoid the monomer boiling. Above mentioned thermokinetic model was expanded considering of spatial geometry and experimentally validated to study the effect of CTAs to mitigate the temperature rise during ~kg quantities of bulk free radical polymerization and fabrication of thick MMA/PMMA resin composites.
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Title: STUDENTS’ TOOL USAGE, JUSTIFICATIONS, AND REPORTED CONFIDENCE WHEN USING DYNAMIC GEOMETRY ENVIRONMENTS
Creator: Wegner, Timothy Scott
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Dynamic Geometry Environments (DGEs) are popular tools in the exploration of geometry. This research is designed to explore the confidence of undergraduate mathematics students as they make mathematical statements when completing geometric tasks using DGEs. Students completed two series of tasks in both Euclidean and hyperbolic geometry. The first series of tasks asked students about properties of parallel transports and the second series of tasks asked students about the existence of regular...
Show moreDynamic Geometry Environments (DGEs) are popular tools in the exploration of geometry. This research is designed to explore the confidence of undergraduate mathematics students as they make mathematical statements when completing geometric tasks using DGEs. Students completed two series of tasks in both Euclidean and hyperbolic geometry. The first series of tasks asked students about properties of parallel transports and the second series of tasks asked students about the existence of regular polygons. The ten students in this research used Geometry Explorer, a DGE which they had previous experience using in Euclidean geometry, but minimal experience using in hyperbolic geometry. Hyperbolic geometry tasks were included in this study because features of that geometry (e.g. curved lines and unexpected length measure) were expected to pose challenges for students’ intuitive expectations. Because of this lack of intuition, students may use the features of DGEs (e.g. dragging and measurement) to make various justifications (e.g. authoritative, inductive, and deductive) of the mathematical claims they are making. Both the features of the DGE and students’ justifications affect their confidence in the claims they make. This research explored the interaction between these three factors. Analysis of the data showed that these two series of tasks elicited both dragging and measurement tool usage. During the parallel transport tasks, students used these tools in both in an exploratory mode looking for relationships and a validation mode confirming previous conjectures. During the regular polygon construction tasks, students mainly used the tools in a validation mode. Additionally, many students waited until the hyperbolic portion of the tasks to begin using these tools. The tasks elicited a range of justifications, though students generally used inductive arguments. Deductive justifications, when used, were mainly for familiar tasks that took place within Euclidean geometry. Reported confidence was high across both series of tasks as well as across both Euclidean and hyperbolic geometry when working with the DGE. Reported confidence dropped when working on conjecturing or proof validation prompts that did not use the DGE.This research suggests there is still much work to be done investigating how students use tools, make justifications, and report confidence when using DGEs in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. The researcher recommends further study including the exploration of additional tools within DGEs, the dynamics of working in partners within DGEs, and how students’ expectations of justification affect their responses.
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Title: GENDER EQUITY IN COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY : BREASTFEEDING AND INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE
Creator: Bomsta, Heather D.
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: We live within a web, connected to our family, friends, communities, societies, nations and ultimately, the greater biome of the Earth. Healthy, thriving women and children benefit their communities; healthy women work to contribute to and help care for their families and friends, and healthy children are able to learn well at school and are best positioned to develop into healthy, able citizens. Unfortunately, the presence of intimate partner abuse (IPA) negatively impacts maternal and child...
Show moreWe live within a web, connected to our family, friends, communities, societies, nations and ultimately, the greater biome of the Earth. Healthy, thriving women and children benefit their communities; healthy women work to contribute to and help care for their families and friends, and healthy children are able to learn well at school and are best positioned to develop into healthy, able citizens. Unfortunately, the presence of intimate partner abuse (IPA) negatively impacts maternal and child health, resulting in lost productivity, missed schooling, increased healthcare costs, and in some cases the deaths of women and infants. IPA is a critical issue in community well-being and sustainability. This dissertation presents three studies focusing on better understanding dynamics around IPA that impact women and their children. The first two studies focus on how abuse impacts breastfeeding. Providing human milk for an infant has benefits for infants, lowering all causes of infant mortality and resulting in increased IQ and lifelong health benefits (Victora et al., 2016). Nursing an infant also benefits mothers by reducing postpartum hemorrhage, lowering the risk of postpartum depression and their lifetime risks of nine different types of cancer (Stuebe, 2009). These benefits accumulate across individuals, resulting in healthier mothers and children, better able to contribute to their families and communities. The first study uses a nationwide dataset from the Centers for Disease Control, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring survey (PRAMS), to quantitatively explore the relationship between reported physical abuse and breastfeeding initiation. The relationship between IPA and breastfeeding initiation is complex and the literature is not yet settled. This study contributes to the literature by using an alternate approach that is not definitive, but points toward new areas for future research. Working to resolve this question can help healthcare providers, IPA advocates and policy makers with better information to begin to shape interventions to support mothers coping with abuse. Breastfeeding matters to these mothers for health reasons, but also because it is one of the first major decisions they make for an infant and if they do not meet their breastfeeding goals, they often experience guilt, question their value as mothers (Jackson, DePascalis, Harrold & Fallon, 2020) and face a higher risk of postpartum depression (Gregory, Butz, Ghazarian, Gross & Johnson, 2015; Borra, Iacovou & Sevilla, 2015). The first hypothesis explored is that mothers reporting physical abuse will initiate breastfeeding at a lower rate than mothers reporting no physical abuse. Logistic regression confirmed mothers reporting physical violence initiate breastfeeding at a lower rate than their unabused counterparts. The relationship remains significant when controlling for race and maternal education, but marital status reverses the effect. Subsequent subgroup analyses show married women’s decisions around breastfeeding initiation to be significantly impacted by physical abuse, while unmarried abused mothers initiated breastfeeding at roughly the same rate as unmarried mothers reporting no physical violence. The second hypothesis focuses only on mothers reporting physical abuse and explores whether a ‘dose’ effect exists. Logistical regression again shows mothers who report physical abuse at two time points initiate breastfeeding at a lower rate than mothers reporting physical abuse at only one time point. This finding remained significant even when controlling for maternal education, race/ethnicity, and marital status. The second study is a qualitative exploration of mothers’ experience of living with an abusive partner while breastfeeding. While quantitative studies can estimate the size and direction of a phenomenon it does not tell us what is happening in the day-to-day life of people experiencing it. Qualitative research can raise the voices of women coping with abuse during the breastfeeding phase, who are the experts on their situations. It is also essential for those working to end abuse to understand how mothers and their decisions are constrained by abuse and how they use their agency to resist and survive. This study uses semi-structured interviews with thirteen mothers with infants under one year of age who lived with an abusive partner for some amount of time while breastfeeding/pumping. Using thematic content analysis, themes emerged around mothers using gender performativity, successfully and unsuccessfully, to attempt to stem the violence and chaos in their relationships. Mothers attempted to fulfill traditional female roles to appease abusive partners, used breastfeeding to protect themselves and their infants, and drew strength from family, friends, and medical/support professionals by fulfilling the ‘good mother’ role through breastfeeding. The third study examines organizational resilience for nonprofits, which often function as a key part of the social safety net by providing services to vulnerable populations and strengthening communities. Despite their essential nature, organizational resilience (OR) among nonprofits is not well studied. Finding no models specific to nonprofits, a model of OR from the for-profit sector was adapted and extended. The model adaptation focuses on financial resources, technical resources and social resources and expands each category to cover unique aspects of nonprofits that the for-profit OR model does not contain. The gap between OR and social-ecological resilience (SER) was also examined, and several SER concepts were added to enhance our nonprofit OR model. The adapted model is then illustrated through a case study of intimate partner abuse (IPA) agencies. Managers and frontline staff from eight IPA nonprofits in a Midwestern state were interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The adapted model can be used by researchers and practitioners to better understand and evaluate OR not only in IPA agencies, but all nonprofits.
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