The thesis attempts to make an integrative and healing therapy center, employing a salutogenic approach to health and wellness. Salutogenesis is an approach that focuses on promoting a healthy lifestyle and prevention of disease through the creation of supportive environments. The project is based on the proposition that architectural and environmental elements can influence mental and physical well-being. The research explores how elements like light, water, structure and material can be employed to promote the energy flow in space, thus enhancing the healing quality of the environment. It dives into the concept of energy states within spaces and humans influenced by natural and architectural elements. The need for such a therapeutic center is derived from the increasing emphasis of the impact of healthy living and focus on mental health and as growing interest in preventive health measures. The thesis aims to study the role of architecture, and its influence on the harmony and holistic well being. It also dwells on the design choices like lighting, material selection, use of water features and structure can lead to creation of healing and therapeutic environments. It also emphasizes on open areas which could help in self reflection and relaxation. / Master of Architecture / The thesis attempts to make an integrative and healing therapy center, employing a salutogenic approach to health and wellness. Salutogenesis is an approach that focuses on promoting a healthy lifestyle and prevention of disease through the creation of supportive environments. The project is based on the proposition that architectural and environmental elements can influence mental and physical well-being. The research explores how elements like light, water, structure and material can be employed to promote the energy flow in space, thus enhancing the healing quality of the environment. It dives into the concept of energy states within spaces and humans influenced by natural and architectural elements. The need for such a therapeutic center is derived from the increasing emphasis of the impact of healthy living and focus on mental health and as growing interest in preventive health measures.

Functional genetics is the study of the genes present in a genome of an organism, the complex interplay of all genes and their environment being the primary focus of study. The motivation for such studies is the premise that gene expression patterns in a cell are characteristic of its current state. The availability of the entire genome for many organisms now allows scientists unparalleled opportunities to characterize, classify, and manipulate genes or gene networks involved in metabolism, cellular differentiation, development, and disease. System-wide studies of biological systems have been made possible by the advent of high-throughput and large-scale tools such as microarrays which are capable of measuring the mRNA levels of all genes in a genome. Tools and methods for the integration, visualization, and modeling of the large-scale data obtained in typical systems biology experiments are indispensable. Our work focuses on a method that integrates gene expression values obtained from microarray experiments with biological functional information related to the genes measured in order to make global comparisons of multiple experiments. In our method, the integrated data is represented as a lattice and, using appropriate measures, a reference experiment can be compared to samples from a database of similar experiments, and a ranking of similarity is returned. In this work, support for the validity of our method is demonstrated both theoretically and empirically: a mathematical description of the lattice structure with respect to the integrated information is developed and the method is applied to data sets of both simulated and reported microarray experiments. A fast algorithm for constructing the lattice representation is also developed. / Ph. D.

Millipedes (class Diplopoda) are ubiquitous in forests worldwide, with about 12,000 described species and an estimated 30,000 undescribed species. The most species-rich order is the Polydesmida, the flat-backed millipedes, which encompasses about 3,500 species. Appalachia has an abundance of Polydesmida, and is a biodiversity hotspot for millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae. These diplopods are chemically defended with hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde, and sometimes form mimicry rings based on shared color. The evolutionary dynamics of model and mimic are incompletely known in these rings, so I investigated a mimicry ring in the central Appalachian Mountains to determine if the species Apheloria polychroma functions as a model for the genus Brachoria. I measured the size of the chemical gland to assess toxicity in 15 species, and reconstructed the ancestral dimensions of the gland to determine the direction of volume change over evolutionary time. Using a molecular phylogeny, I traced the miniaturization of chemical glands in the mimic genus Brachoria and found that in areas without Apheloria, Brachoria and related xystodesmids have larger chemical glands. Non-aposematic millipedes of the genus Nannaria have significantly smaller glands, and ostensibly rely on camouflage to avoid predation. This genus is known as the twisted claw millipedes and occur throughout eastern North America, but have their center of diversity in the Appalachian Mountains. About 22 species are described, but many undescribed species are known. To determine the diversity of this group, field collection and examination of museum specimens took place from 2015-2020. Examination of morphology, combined with molecular phylogenetics, revealed two distinct clades in the genus. One is distributed throughout the eastern United States, while the other is found only in the Appalachian Mountains. This Appalachian clade contains six described species, and I describe an additional 18 species, quadrupling the diversity of the group. Additionally, the phylogenetics of the polydesmid genus Pseudopolydesmus is investigated in an integrative taxonomic framework using five genes. I find that the genus is monophyletic, contains 8 species, and are related to one another in a hierarchical way according to a molecular phylogeny. I provide complete distributional records and live photographs of each species. / Doctor of Philosophy / Millipedes are common animals in forests. There are about 12,000 known species in the world, with an estimated 30,000 undescribed species still awaiting discovery and description. The largest group of millipedes are the flat-backed millipedes, with about 3,500 known species. They are some of the most common millipedes in North America, and many of these species defend themselves with poisons that are harmful to predators, but smell sweet like cherries to humans. Some of these millipedes have bright red or yellow spots against dark colors to warn predators of their toxins, and look similar to other species that live near them. I wanted to know if some of these species are more or less poisonous than others, and measured how large their poison reserves were. I found that one species, called Apheloria polychroma, is more poisonous than similar-looking species called Brachoria, which are less poisonous. If Brachoria doesn't live near Apheloria though, Brachoria is more poisonous. Not all of these millipedes are brightly colored, and a group called Nannaria, or the twisted claw millipedes, are camouflaged with brown colors on the forest floor. These millipedes only live in the eastern United States, especially the Appalachians, and aren't found anywhere else in the world. We know about 20 species of them, but based on specimens stored in scientific collections in museums and through discovery from fieldwork, we knew that more species existed. Each species of twisted-claw millipede only lives in a small area, sometimes only a few miles wide, and could be threatened by habitat loss and other dangers. So, to learn more about them, we need to find them in the forest and describe what they look like and most importantly, giving them a name. I did this by collecting them, illustrating their anatomy, and sequencing their DNA. I found two groups within Nannaria, and focused on the group that only lives in Appalachia. Scientists know 6 of these species, but I found 18 more species and describe them. A related group called Pseudopolydesmus lives throughout North America, and I studied their anatomy and DNA as well, finding 8 species.

As widespread as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiatives and reforms are today in education, a rudimentary problem with these endeavors is being overlooked. In general, education programs and school districts are failing to ensure that elementary teachers who provide children's early academic experiences have the appropriate knowledge of and proclivity toward STEM subjects. This issue is further compounded by the focus centered on mathematics due to accountability requirements leaving very little emphasis on science, and most often, the exclusion of technology and engineering instruction from the curriculum (Blank, 2012; Cunningham, 2009; Lederman and Lederman, 2013; Lewis, Harshbarger, and Dema, 2014; Walker, 2014). At the elementary level, the lack of science instruction and professional development generates a weakness for both pre- and in-service teachers and prompts elevated concerns about teaching science (Goodrum, Cousins, and Kinnear, 1992; Anderson, 2002). Research (Lewis, 1999/2006; Wells, 2014) suggests that one way to address this weakness is through the technological/engineering designed-based approach within the context of integrative STEM education. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of change in science instructional content and practice through professional development that educates elementary teachers to implement Technological/Engineering Design Based Learning (T/E DBL) as part of teaching science. The research design was a multiple case study which adhered to a concurrent mixed method approach (Teddlie, and Tashakkori, 2006; Yin, 2003),with four participants who were recruited because of their availability and their grade level teaching assignment that correlated to an analysis of the 2013 science state accountability test, Standards of Learning (Pyle, 2015). Data collected from surveys were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. These data were corroborated with a sweep instrument and assessment rubric analyses, and interview responses to validate the results. Findings from this study revealed that professional development model used in this study was clearly effective in getting elementary teachers to implement T/E DBL. The participants were better able to integrate T/E DBL when planning and designing instructional units and had an improved understanding of the science concepts they were teaching. / Ed. D.

Social presence has drawn great attention in the last three decades. A large number of studies attempted to prove that social presence exerted an effect on distance learning through including more interaction. This integrative review provided a comprehensive summary of current studies on social presence, identified problems in measuring social presence, and evaluated the effects of social presence on learning. Data were collected from 189 social presence studies in the area of distance education from 1976 to 2012. Data were analyzed qualitatively followed by a quantitative meta-analysis. This study revealed that social presence was still illusive and difficult to define. Due to its ambiguity, many doubts exist related to the measurement of social presence. The results of this study suggest future researchers should be cautious when advocating the importance of social presence in distance learning. / Ph. D.

Abdominal pumping is a widespread behavior in insects. However, there remains ambiguity surrounding the abdominal pumping behavior, both in terms of describing what exactly abdominal pumping is (i.e., if various modes of operation exist) and also what function(s) abdominal pumping serves (and if function is conserved across groups of insects). In some insects respiratory patterns have been correlated with abdominal movements, although the specific mechanical effects of these movements on the animal\'s respiratory system are generally unknown. Conversely, some insects (such as beetles, ants, and crickets) create convection in the respiratory system by compressing their tracheal tubes, yet the underlying physiological mechanisms of tracheal collapse are also unknown. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between abdominal pumping and the compression of tracheal tubes in the darkling beetle, Zophobas morio. I observed the movements of the abdomen and tracheal tubes using synchrotron x-ray imaging and video cameras, while concurrently monitoring CO2 expiration. I identified and characterized two distinct abdominal movements differentiated by the synchrony (the pinch movement) or lack of synchrony (the wave movement) of abdominal tergite movement. Tracheal tube compressions (and corresponding CO2 pulses) occurred concurrently with every pinch movement. This study provides evidence of a mechanistic linkage between abdominal movements and tracheal tube compressions in the ground beetle, Zophobas morio. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study is to determine a method of helping elementary school pupils to learn the ways of democracy through the use of the integrative-experience curriculum.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) results from the oxidation of pyretic mineralogy, exposed by mining operations to oxygen and water. This reaction produces sulfuric acid and liberates heavy metals from the surrounding mineralogy and impairs water quality and freshwater communities. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun an ecosystem restoration project to remediate the abandoned mine land (AML) impacts to the North Fork Powell River (NFP) and is utilizing the ecotoxicological rating (ETR) system to delineate these affects to focus restoration efforts. The ETR was developed to summarize the integrative data into a single number ranging from 0 to 100, which is descriptive of the environmental integrity of a sampling station. The ETR is conceptualized to work as an academic grading scale (0 through 100), rating reference stations with A's (90-100) and B's (80-89) and impacted stations with C's (70-80), D's (60-70) and failures (F = 60). Two rounds of ETR investigations have evaluated seven headwater tributaries to the NFP including investigations of Ely and Puckett's Creek from 1997 and 1998. This thesis contains the results of the second series of ETR investigations at 41 stations in Cox Creek, Jone's Creek, Reed's Creek, Summers Fork, Straight Creek, and areas in the NFP. Eight stations were recommended for reclamation; CC 03, JCRF2 02, JCRF2 01, RCPS 09B, RCPS 11B, SULF 01, SU 02, and SU 01. Summers Fork was the most severely impacted watershed of the second round of ETR investigations. An effort to streamline the ETR to the most ecologically predictive parameters was successful in creating a system more time and cost efficient then the initial ETRs and exclusive of benthic macroinvertebrate surveys. The Modified ETR streamlined the ETR to just 5 parameters including; mean conductivity, mean Asian clam survival, mean aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) in the water column, and mean habitat score to describe the AMD impacts to small headwater streams. Also, an investigation was conducted to determine the mode of toxicity, (i.e., exposures to metal contaminated surface waters or sediments) by which Al and iron (Fe) dominated AMD impairs benthic macroinvertebrate communities. It was found that water column exposures both within and beyond the zone of pH depression are the most likely mode by which AMD impairs the benthic macroinvertebrate communities of the NFP. / Master of Science

As a prerequisite for all adult learners in life-long learning, self-directed learning has been constantly discussed since the early 1960s. However, in what manner research operationalizes the concepts and what similarities occur across the empirical studies and theoretical studies are still ambiguous. The purpose of this study is to employ an integrative literature review to investigate and disentangle various interpretations of self-directed learning by identifying how the topic is defined and what competencies and strategies are needed for a highly self-directed learner. This is a six-phase study, including: 1) problem formulation; 2) data collection; 3) problem re-formulation; 4) data evaluation; 5) data collection; and 6) presentation of the findings. This study provided a comprehensive perspective of self-directed learning in a dynamically expanding process to include multifaceted interpretations of the topic and advanced research in self-directed learning in an updated, enriched learning environment. Specifically, the researcher updated the evidence for self-directed learning to date, identified all of the potential dimensions of self-directed learning that distinguish a highly-directed self-directed learner and the related instructional strategies, and made suggestions for the future direction of research on the topic. / Ph. D. / This study is the first comprehensive investigation of the topic of self-directed learning by use of an integrative literature review. The researcher strove to disentangle various interpretations of self-directed learning and identify competences and strategies needed for a highly self-directed learner. This study advanced research in self-directed learning in an updated enriching learning environment. Specifically, the researcher updated the evidence for selfdirected learning to date, identified all the potential dimensions of self-directed learning that distinguish a highly self-directed learner, and made suggestions for the future direction for research of the topic. The findings demonstrated that self-directed learning is a highly dynamic and context-specific learning process in which the learner, as a proactive acting agent, interacts with his /her learning environment to accomplish his/her learning goals in a given learning context. In this dynamic and interactive process, the self-directed learner is motivated to control his/her learning, take advantage of his/her personal experience, set his/her realistic goals, believe in his/her ability to implement the plan and persist in accomplishing achievements by using cognitive skills such as metacognition and self-learning strategies such as seeking assistance, resources, and support when needed.

Historiskt har den medicinska professionen sökt exklusiva rättigheter att praktisera i en miljö där många olika yrkesgrupper fanns. I Sverige har detta lett till att komplementär och alternativ medicin (CAM) hamnade utanför den etablerade sjukvården, vilket inneburit en bristfällig kunskap om hur bl.a. CAM terapeuter arbetar. Användning av alternativ medicin har ökat i Sverige vilket motiverar att studier genomförs för att få bättre kunskap om yrkets utövande. Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva CAM terapeuters praktikmönster och inställning till samarbete med traditionell skolmedicin. Utifrån en litteraturstudie utarbetades en enkät som skickades till 102 CAM terapeuter i Sverige för att undersöka deras praktikmönster och sociodemografiska egenskaper. 63 terapeuter (62 %) svarade, varav 59 uppfyllde forskningskriterierna och kunde delta i de fördjupande telefonintervjuer som följde efter enkätstudien och som syftade till att ta reda på deras syn på samarbete med den skolmedicinska sjukvården. Resultaten av undersökningen visade att 55 %, av de 59 intervjuade var kvinnor, 10 % hade legitimation i andra sjukvårdsyrken, 69 % arbetade ensamma med i snitt 24 patienter i veckan. 79 % var positiva till samarbete med skolmedicinen och 37 % hade redan regelbunden kontakt med läkare. Intervjuerna visade att CAM terapeuter generellt ansåg att det var viktigast att patienters behov och önskemål beaktades i utformningen av den vård som erbjöds. Patienternas kostnad för behandling, respekt för CAM terapeuter, legitimation, konkurrens, samarbete med och kunskap om de olika yrken var andra viktiga faktorer som belystes ur olika perspektiv. Studien ger ny kunskap om CAM i Sverige och avslöjar många hinder som gör samarbete mellan skolmedicin och CAM till en utmaning för CAM terapeuter. Resultaten från denna studie kan hjälpa till att utveckla en sjukvård som omfattar olika utövare av läkekonsten / This study aims to describe the practice patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and their collaboration with traditional medical professionals in Sweden. Historically, the medical profession has dominated medical practice in an environment of different healing professions. This domination placed CAM professionals outside the established medical system. Consequently, information about CAM is inadequate. Since today’s patients increasingly seek consultations with CAM practitioners, the need for a better understanding of these professions has grown.       To investigate the practice patterns and sociodemographic characteristics of CAM practitioners, we developed a literature-based questionnaire and sent it to 102 CAM practitioners. Among the 63 practitioners (62%) who replied, only 59 matched our research criteria for participating in further telephone interviews that allowed them to state their opinions on collaborating with conventional medical professionals.       Fifty-five percent of the telephone interviewees were women, 10% were licensed in other medical professions, and 69% worked in solo practices, seeing 24 patients per week on average. Furthermore, 79% felt collaboration would be positive, and 37% had already established regular contacts with medical doctors. CAM practitioners generally considered patients’ needs and desires to be an essential component of healthcare provision. They also elucidated the importance of treatment costs, respect for CAM professionals, licensing, competition, collaboration, and knowledge of a variety of professions.  This study provides new information about the challenges faced by CAM profession in Sweden and reveals many obstacles to collaboration. Our results can assist in the development of a health care system that includes a variety of different professions. / <p>ISBN 978-91-85721-79-5</p>