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Individuals with sexual minority status report greater rates of negative health outcomes, including self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs; e.g., nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts). Recent research has demonstrated the importance of nuanced measurements of sexual minority status, as there are varying risk levels for SITBs within the sexual minority community depending on how sexual minority status is measured (e.g., sexual attraction versus sexual identity). The utilization of multiple measurements to identify sexual minorities has identified a new group—those with discordant sexual minority status (DSMS). Individuals with DSMS are under-researched within the sexual minority literature, and especially in the context of SITBs and variables explaining greater risk for SITBs (e.g., minority stress, experiential avoidance, and interpersonal theory of suicide variables). To fill this gap in the literature, the present study recruited 448 members of the community, who represented individuals with DSMS (N=145), concordant sexual minority status (N=146), and concordant sexual majority status (N=157). Participants completed self-report measures and implicit association tasks assessing rates and levels of SITBs and potential explanatory factors. Results indicated significant differences between individuals with concordant sexual minority status versus individuals with DSMS and concordant sexual majority status, such that individuals with concordant sexual minority status had greater rates and levels of SITBs, as well as greater levels of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and difficulties regulating emotions. The DSMS group reported greater internalized homophobia (both implicit and explicit) as well as lower community connectedness and exploration of their sexual identity compared to the concordant sexual minority status group. Overall, there were few differences between the concordant sexual majority status and DSMS groups. Notably, several variables from the interpersonal theory of suicide, experiential avoidance model, and minority stress theory accounted for significant variance in the relations between group status and at least one examined SITB outcome variable. Findings shed light on the rates and levels of SITBs, minority stress factors, experiential avoidance variables, and interpersonal theory of suicide constructs among individuals with DSMS, concordant sexual minority status, and concordant sexual majority status. In addition, this study demonstrated how several theoretically derived mechanisms explained differences in SITB outcomes between groups. Furthermore, comparisons of sexual identity development between individuals with discordant and concordant sexual minority status suggest that DSMS may not simply be a transitory phase. Consequently, DSMS should be considered as a distinct sexual orientation, warranting its own treatment considerations and further research.

Chapter 1: Efficient Z-Selective Cross-Metathesis of Secondary Allylic Ethers Efficient Z-selective cross-metathesis of secondary allylic ethers were catalyzed by monoaryloxide monopyrrolide molybdenum complexes. Reactions involving both silyl and benzyl protected ethers were demonstrated, as well as ethers containing alkyl, aryl and alkynyl substituents. Mechanistic studies were performed, and the reactions were applied to the total synthesis of several ene-diyne natural products. Chapter 2. Stereoselective Total Synthesis of Disorazole C1 The stereoselective total synthesis of disorazole C1 is reported. The synthesis was completed in 12 longest linear steps. Our synthesis demonstrates the utility of Z-selective cross-metathesis to form both alkenyl borons and alkenyl halides. Another key transformation was a one-pot Suzuki-dimerization reaction to form a symmetric 30 membered ring in relatively high yield. Chapter 3. Stereoselective Cross-Metathesis to Form Trisubstituted Alkenes Initial studies into the stereoselective formation of trisubstituted olefins through molybdenum catalyzed cross-metathesis have been performed. Our mechanistic understanding of the reaction lead us to focus on the synthesis of alkenyl halides, which can be obtained in up 90% yield and 75:25 E:Z selectivity. Chapter 4: Ring-Closing Metathesis in the Synthesis of Natural Products Development of highly efficient and selective ring-closing metathesis reactions have enabled collaborators to successfully implement routes in total synthesis endeavors. A diastereoselective seven-membered ring-closing metathesis enabled the successful synthesis of (±)-tetrapetalone A methyl-aglycon. An enantioselective ring-closing metathesis to form a six membered ring has provided access to enantioenriched aspidosperma alkaloids.

The problem in agricultural safety and health education for youth is that there is a lack of evidence-based assessment tools to quantify comprehension of content prior to working in agriculture. Agricultural educators, both those in middle and high school classrooms and teacher educators at colleges and universities need educational resources, easy access to these resources, and assessment strategies for agricultural safety and health content. As role models, these educators play an important role in establishing a culture of safety and instilling safe work behaviors in their learners. The purpose of this research was to increase cognitive assessment strategies for agricultural safety and health content taught in agricultural classrooms. This objective was achieved by evaluating learning outcomes developed to satisfy federal regulation, describing the tasks that youth are completing as part of their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), and developing two databases with 202 total exam items. Chapters two and three provided foundational information that was missing in the literature, and Chapter four of this dissertation built on the USDA-NIFA supported Safety in Agriculture for Youth (SAY) project where a primary objective was to develop a clearinghouse to provide access as a one stop shop for agricultural safety and health content. The U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) oversees the Agricultural Hazardous Occupations Orders (AgHOs), which identifies specific tasks that youth are prohibited from performing for hire on American farms and ranches. An educational exemption from this public policy is currently in place that allows youth, 14–15 years old, to complete a certification program prior to engaging in agricultural work involving tractors and machinery. However, limited guidance is provided in the legislation regarding the format or content of the tractor and machinery certification exemption. Four AgHOs (tractor and machinery) studies were identified and included in the Chapter two meta-analysis publication. The research goals of this analysis were to determine basic trends of learning outcomes, and identify educational content to be delivered as a result of these studies. Within each of the four studies, expert panels were used to identify educational learning outcomes. The analysis revealed that 48.0% (n = 184) of all learning outcome items fell within the Tractor-based (Tractor) learning outcome category, 29.8% (n = 114) within General Safety and Health (General), and 22.2% (n = 85) of items in the Machinery-based (Machinery) category.School-based Agricultural Education (SBAE) is one nationally structured approached to providing both education and experiential learning in agricultural contexts. The SBAE model consists of three intersecting components, comprised of classroom/laboratory instruction, career and technical organizations, and work-based learning. A lack of empirical data has been found describing the specific agricultural tasks youth were actually completing as part of their SAE. Descriptive research was launched to quantify the content areas and specific tasks being completed as part of the Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) or work-based learning component. The 320 teachers from four U.S. geographic regions responding to the agricultural tasks survey, reported that students were most frequently completing SAEs in the areas of Livestock Production (f = 6,746, 26.6%), Agricultural Mechanics (f = 2,695, 10.6%), Home and/or Community Development (f = 2,296, 9.0%), and Crop Production (f = 2,250, 8.9%). Students most frequently engaged in tasks associated with ATV/UTV operation (f = 7,618, 10.3%), Tractor Operation (f = 5,554, 7.5%), and Assisting to Operate Tractors (f = 5,081, 6.9%) as part of their SAE. All of these agents are well documented in the literature as contributing to injuries and fatalities of both youth and adults. Assessment of student comprehension is crucial to providing feedback to both the teacher and the learner. Develop of assessment tools is often cumbersome and time consuming for educators, and does not allow for consistency from school to school. Objective three focused on development of assessment strategies for agricultural safety and health content. In order to develop an online assessment tool, a follow up survey built on the initial needs assessment survey that quantified the types of tasks youth were completing as part of their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). The criticiality survey was disseminated to establish criticality or importance of those tasks which guided development of test specifications, also known as test blueprints. As a final step, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) with expertise in high school agricultural education developed and validated items for the test bank. The research described in this document was based on the lack of quality assessment tools for agricultural safety and health available to agricultural education teachers. The information was designed to assist individuals with involvement in public policy, curriculum design, youth development, and agricultural training programs. Ultimately, sound educational methods and understanding of fundamental student competence are essential components for satisfying exemptions to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Agricultural Hazardous Occupations Orders (AgHOs), in addition to similar certification programs for youth. It is crucial to support youth involvement in production agriculture to encourage the next generation. If the information documented by this research is utilized to enhance agricultural safety and health education for youth, then the severity and frequency of agricultural injuries and fatalities will be reduced.

Abstract Background Classroom teachers have the most influence on student learning (Goldrick, 2009). In order for new teachers to be effective, they require support through comprehensive induction programs during the first three years of teaching (Stanulis & Floden, 2009). Induction and enculturation will happen with or without a formal program, and states and school districts have the opportunity to be at the forefront, developing quality, comprehensive systems of support that will set the stage for a life-long career of effective teaching (Feiman-Nemser, 2001). Problem In examining the literature on a leadership pathway for novice teachers, there appears to be little information on the inclusion of teacher leadership components in induction programs. Few studies reporting on comprehensive, systematic teacher leadership pathways include specific leadership components for novice teachers in their first three years of teaching. Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine novice teachers’ awareness, beliefs, and perceptions regarding inclusion of, and participation in, a teacher leadership pathway. The goal of the research was to investigate: (1) development of teacher leadership, (2) attributes novices perceive they possess and (3) leadership roles and opportunities in which novice teachers are engaged and the subsequent benefits. Findings from the study were aimed to contribute to research that supports cultivating teacher leadership early and comprehensively. A quantitative research study was determined to be the most effective design for gathering comprehensive feedback from novice teachers in numerous Minnesota school districts. Findings [I]t is clear that most induction programs neglect to include a leadership pathway for novice teachers, often times preparing teachers for survival when schools are complex and in need of constant reform (Moir & Gless, 2001). Instead, these programs must also have as part of their vision a new image of the successful teacher whose leadership capacity is developed from the moment the teacher enters a classroom. Induction programs have the potential to become one of the most powerful forces for educational change and professional renewal in the history of public education. The opportunity is there, and the most effective programs will be those that clearly recognize this potential (Moir & Gless, 2001, p. 111). Key Search Words: Novice, Teacher, Induction, Minnesota, School, Leadership, Leaders, Development, Teaching, Training, Professional, Effectiveness

The subject of this study is the earls and earldom of Mar c.1281-1513. Chapter 1 provides a description and analysis of the internal structure and administration of Mar, detailing the lands contained within each of Mar’s lordships and their respective caputs. This is supplemented by a breakdown of the Mar rental yields between 1435 and 1565, sourced from various accounts contained within the Exchequer Rolls. Chapter 2 charts the political development of the early earls and earldom of Mar between c.1281 and 1388. It is argued that the earldom suffered from extended periods of absentee lordship, instigating a decline in the earldom’s fortunes and importance, only interrupted by a brief revival between 1388 and 1435. Chapter 3 is concerned with the fortunes of Mar under the control of Mar’s only female countess to rule in her own right, Isabella Douglas, sister of James Douglas, 2nd earl of Douglas and Mar. The chapter draws particular attention to her attempts to consolidate her authority in the wake of debates surrounding the Douglas inheritance after 1388, and her response to Albany Stewart interference in her earldom between 1402 and 1404. In doing so, it presents an alternative interpretation of Countess Isabella’s role in the coup of 1404 led by Alexander Stewart, son of Alexander Stewart lord of Badenoch. This chapter also explores the issue of female authority, and argues that the proactive policies of Countess Isabella have been largely ignored in the historiography of the period. Chapter 4 provides an assessment of the earls and earldom of Mar from 1435-1513. Building on the examination of the career of Alexander Stewart, earl of Mar contained in chapter 3, this chapter explores the political ramifications of his death and the attempts by both the Erskines and the Lyles to secure their Mar inheritance. Their decision to court the Forbes family in a bid to secure local support for their claims highlights the hitherto underemphasized importance of this family as the font of local authority, and draws attention to the effect of Stewart’s death on the exercise of local lordship in Mar. Taken together, these four chapters will challenge current perceptions of Mar’s geographical development and political decline between c.1281 and 1513.

The Scots MPs of the eighteenth century have traditionally been portrayed in a negative light. In a century once noted for electoral corruption and the abuses of patronage, they were seen by contemporaries and later writers as among the worst examples of their kind: greedy, self-seeking, unprincipled ‘tools of administration’ whose votes could be bought with the offer of places and pensions. Lewis Namier’s seminal work exposing the cynical approach to politics of MPs generally, sparked a backlash which has produced a more balanced evaluation of English politics. Strangely, although Namier exonerated the Scots MPs from the worst of the charges against them, his less judgmental verdicts are found only sporadically in more recent writing, while the older viewpoint is still repeated by some historians. There is no modern study of the eighteenth-century Scots MPs, a situation which this research proposes to remedy, by examining the group of MPs who represented Scotland at Westminster between 1754 and 1784. It re-assesses the extent to which the original criticisms are merited, but also widens the scope by examining the contribution made by Scotland’s MPs, to British and Scottish political life in the later part of the eighteenth century. A study of the social make-up and the careers of this particular cohort provides the backdrop for the two main themes: the participation of Scots MPs in the legislative process, and their effectiveness as representatives of Scottish interests at Westminster. Existing biographical information has been supplemented by an examination of Parliamentary Papers, debates, and personal correspondence to enable further analysis of attitudes, in particular with regard to politics and political mores. The research explores issues of motivation, asking questions about allegiance, identity, perceptions of government, and how conflicts of interest were resolved, before presenting a conclusion which aims to offer a revised, broader, but more nuanced, assessment of this much-criticised group, based on more recent approaches to interpretation of the period.

Recent developments in Scottish historiography have done much to resurrect the Restoration from the obscurity in which it had conventionally languished. Lacunae remain, however, and one of these surrounds the Highlands, which has often had to make do with broad generalisation. The present thesis aims to address this deficiency through exploration of two general themes. Firstly, it considers the place of the Highlands within the broader Scottish and British contexts. Focusing on the linkages between central government and the local elite, and on the extent to which the Highlands were socially and culturally distinct, it argues that historians’ continuing treatment of the Highlands as a self-contained entity is misguided. Instead, it is suggested that the region should be viewed as simply another locality within Britain, a locality which, while displaying a unique hybridised identity, was nevertheless heavily integrated with the rest of the country. Secondly, the thesis traces the development of government policy towards the Highland periphery. Recognising that policy was usually aimed at curbing the perceived problem of endemic animal theft, it uncovers opposing intellectual underpinnings – ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ – to the government’s approach. It then considers in detail the various policy initiatives launched over the period, arguing that most of these were shaped by the interplay of the underlying strategic impulses. It also acknowledges the influence of wider developments in British politics. Ultimately, the thesis seeks to recast the prevailing understanding of the Highlands. Moving away from well-worn stereotypes of endemic lawlessness and violence, it also questions the notion of a fundamental cleavage between central and local elites. Instead, it argues that, during the reigns of Charles II and James VII, the prevailing pattern was one of partnership and mutual reinforcement.