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Design, Discovery, And Characterization Of Single Crystals Of A Topological Semimetal Using A Self-Flux Method, Sudha Krishnan Dec 2020

Design, Discovery, And Characterization Of Single Crystals Of A Topological Semimetal Using A Self-Flux Method, Sudha Krishnan

MSU Graduate Theses

Realization of topological semimetals in the recent past show that ternary intermetallics can exhibit topological phases. This discovery initiated the quest for this novel research. There is a crucial need to discover new materials that manifest these phases for a better understanding of their behavior to utilize them in device technology. Also, Bi compounds have attracted much attention as candidates for topological materials and topological superconductors. In this context, synthesis and characterization of single crystals of a layered transition metal pnictide SmMnBi2, a potential Dirac topological semimetal candidate, is reported. A flux method was utilized to synthesize single crystals of …


Assessing Grassed Waterway Implementation Using Acpf And Swat Models, Kirsten Schaefer Dec 2020

Assessing Grassed Waterway Implementation Using Acpf And Swat Models, Kirsten Schaefer

MSU Graduate Theses

Agriculture is the most significant contributor of nonpoint source pollutants in US waterways, with sediment being the most prevalent cause of impairments. Sediment loss mitigation occurs through Best Management Practices (BMPs), such as grassed waterways. Federal and state agencies incentivize the implementation of BMPs through cost-share programs for farmers. The investment of public funds has increased pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of individual projects, necessitating the development of strategies for prioritizing projects based on the sensitivity of sites to sediment erosion and optimal locations for implementation. This study has three primary objectives: (i) document existing locations of grassed …


A Literature Review: Applied Behavior Analysis And Performance; The Past, The Present, And The Future, Molly Patrice Fields Dec 2020

A Literature Review: Applied Behavior Analysis And Performance; The Past, The Present, And The Future, Molly Patrice Fields

MSU Graduate Theses

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and sports performance has been a topic of research since as early as the 1960s. ABA principles and interventions have been used all over in sports from enhancing athlete performance on the field, court, or course, sportsmanlike behaviors off the field, court, or course, and even looking into coaching behaviors. The purpose of this paper is twofold; to assess and analyze the current research for applied behavior analysis and sports and to use what literature is already established and systematically set the framework for future avenues of research and support a strong insert of applied behavior …


An Exploration Of Cultural Transmission Through The Application Of Jazz Theory To The Music Of Frederic Chopin, Aaron Michael King Dec 2020

An Exploration Of Cultural Transmission Through The Application Of Jazz Theory To The Music Of Frederic Chopin, Aaron Michael King

MSU Graduate Theses

Connections between classical music and jazz were observed and detailed, providing an expanded understanding of the cultural underpinnings of Western music. This study featured explanations of concepts found in jazz theory, such as approach tones and ii7-V7-I7 progression, and comparisons of stylistic features of both music. These concepts were then applied to describe features in the music of Frederic Chopin, specifically “Nocturne No. 1,” “Berceuse,” and “Prelude No. 4.” Through cross-cultural analysis, this study aims to provide the reader with information and further appreciation of the elements found in jazz music and to delineate the …


Spatial Use By Mammals Within Two State Parks In The Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Benjamin Aaron Smith Dec 2020

Spatial Use By Mammals Within Two State Parks In The Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Benjamin Aaron Smith

MSU Graduate Theses

A mammalian species inventory with comparisons between sampled sites was conducted via multiple methodologies to document presence of mammals at two Missouri state parks within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Camera traps, small mammal traps, acoustic detectors, and mist nets were used to detect species at the parks, and species similarity indices and occupancy analyses were used to discern use of space. A mammalian inventory was compiled for each area of inquiry. Greater diversity was found at the park with more variable habitat types. Bat activity was more in the park with a known hibernaculum, though species specific activity differed …


Understanding Grief In Adults Whose Sibling Died During Childhood: A Qualitative Study, Amanda Marie Mccarthy Dec 2020

Understanding Grief In Adults Whose Sibling Died During Childhood: A Qualitative Study, Amanda Marie Mccarthy

MSU Graduate Theses

This retrospective, phenomenological study investigated how bereaved siblings believe the death of their brother impacted their development. Through semi-structured interviews, five adults whose brother died during their adolescence discussed how their grief changed over time and the factors that influenced changes in grief. Participants experienced periods of lack of acceptance, independence and isolation, and finding contentment. Factors that influenced changes in grief include sibling’s cause of death, family reaction, establishment of a support network, remembering the deceased, and milestones and dates. These findings provide a glimpse into how grief changes over time in the context of development. Furthermore, the results …


Larval Fish Sampling And Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon Drift Dynamics In The Mississippi And Missouri Rivers, Hae Hyun Kim Dec 2020

Larval Fish Sampling And Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon Drift Dynamics In The Mississippi And Missouri Rivers, Hae Hyun Kim

MSU Graduate Theses

Humans have been altering the natural ecosystem for centuries. These alterations provide many socioeconomic benefits (e.g., navigation and flood-control). However, these alterations can have negative ecological consequences. Large rivers across the country have been manipulated to facilitate various human activities. Rivers are dynamic systems governed by various abiotic and biotic factors. Ultimately these alterations change the natural biogeochemical cycles and reduce available habitats. These impacts likely affect riverine fishes’ ability to carry out their lifecycle. Riverine organisms, and particularly fish, have adapted to survive in free-flowing systems. Population dynamics (i.e., recruitment, growth and mortality) are the basis of fisheries management. …


K-8 General Music Educators And Technology: Beliefs, Application And Motivation, Nicole A. Loudis Dec 2020

K-8 General Music Educators And Technology: Beliefs, Application And Motivation, Nicole A. Loudis

MSU Graduate Theses

Technology is constantly evolving in the classroom, and some educators choose to embrace that technology more than others. This study investigates the uses and motivations of educators who integrate technology frequently in their K-8 general music classrooms in Missouri. Three music educators were identified with 10 years of experience who had established reputations for teaching with technology effectively. A single semi-structured interview with each participant was used to explore the participant’s motivations and beliefs and the specific technology applications that were frequently used in their classrooms. The analysis of the interviews revealed that the participants believed that integrating technology motivated …


Child-Directed Learning In Varying Contexts: An Examination Of Preschools In The Philippines, Teri J. Pardue Dec 2020

Child-Directed Learning In Varying Contexts: An Examination Of Preschools In The Philippines, Teri J. Pardue

MSU Graduate Theses

While it has long been recognized that child-directed learning is a central feature of effective early childhood education, the impact of culture on its implementation is only recently gaining attention. In Asian contexts specifically, previous studies have documented challenges in implementing child-directed learning styles. This study applies holistic analysis to a collective case study of six Filipino preschools, documenting and analyzing their pursuit and implementation of child-directed learning. The study uncovers significant discrepancies among Filipino preschool directors and teachers regarding the meaning of “child-directed” and “play-based” learning, and it identifies apparent cultural barriers to implementing child-directed learning more effectively. The …


Billion-Dollar Bride: Book 1—Godric's Academy For Young Ladies, Kaylin N. Stickley Dec 2020

Billion-Dollar Bride: Book 1—Godric's Academy For Young Ladies, Kaylin N. Stickley

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis contains the first five chapters of a young adult romance novel featuring a young woman named Theadosia Lee. The plot is heavily influenced by Cinderella, and the biblical braiding technique is heavily influenced by that of Kiera Cass and C. S. Lewis. The piece was inspired by my desire to create more young adult romance novels that contain the biblical values that are sorely lacking in most modern young adult literature. I seek to write a love story that is based on mutual respect, a strong foundation of friendship, and an intentional decision to avoid sexual activities …


Predictors Of Student Success In An Upper Division Agriculture Chemistry Class, Maddison V. May Dec 2020

Predictors Of Student Success In An Upper Division Agriculture Chemistry Class, Maddison V. May

MSU Graduate Theses

To attempt to find what made students successful within a higher division class at Missouri State University’s (MSU) Darr College of Agriculture, de-identified academic records of 172 students enrolled in AGR 300 - Food and Agriculture Chemistry were studied over four semesters. Deidentified data were collected and compared to final letter grade received at the end of the class using correlation coefficients, analysis of variance, and stepwise regression. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the influence of semester on letter grade. Correlation coefficients were used to determine and evaluate relationships between the variables and final grade. Stepwise regression was …


Lightweight Deep Learning For Botnet Ddos Detection On Iot Access Networks, Eric A. Mccullough Dec 2020

Lightweight Deep Learning For Botnet Ddos Detection On Iot Access Networks, Eric A. Mccullough

MSU Graduate Theses

With the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), computer networks have rapidly expanded in size. While Internet of Things Devices (IoTDs) benefit many aspects of life, these devices also introduce security risks in the form of vulnerabilities which give hackers billions of promising new targets. For example, botnets have exploited the security flaws common with IoTDs to gain unauthorized control of hundreds of thousands of hosts, which they then utilize to carry out massively disruptive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Traditional DDoS defense mechanisms rely on detecting attacks at their target and deploying mitigation strategies toward the attacker …


The Legacy Of Contamination By Lead Smelters In Missouri, Robert S. Armstrong Dec 2020

The Legacy Of Contamination By Lead Smelters In Missouri, Robert S. Armstrong

MSU Graduate Theses

Missouri has a rich history of lead mining. In the smelting process lead particles are emitted, which may be toxic to plants and animals. This study focuses on two primary lead smelters, Herculaneum and Glover, in Missouri. Smelting operations have ceased at these two sites, and unlike Herculaneum, Glover has no reported lead concentrations. Findings from air and sediments of these two sites were compared to background conditions and to each other. Thirty-three samples were collected from Herculaneum and Glover (thirty samples and three replicates) and eleven samples (ten samples and one replicate) for background. For Herculaneum sediment, lead levels …


Determining A Method For Expressing And Purifying Cytochrome P450 4v2: A Protein Involved In Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy, Cody Lane Turner Dec 2020

Determining A Method For Expressing And Purifying Cytochrome P450 4v2: A Protein Involved In Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy, Cody Lane Turner

MSU Graduate Theses

Within the Cytochrome P450 class of enzymes, there are a group known as the “orphan” cytochromes. The “orphan” classification comes from the poorly understood in vivo functionality and substrate specificity. Cytochrome P450 4V2 (CYP4V2) is one of these “orphans” and belongs to the CYP4 family. The CYP4 family is known for the omega oxidation of endogenous fatty acids. This family is most commonly found on chromosome 1 (CYP4ABXZ). CYP4V2 is unique in that its location is bound to chromosome 4 as discovered by Jiao in 2004. Mutations within the CYP4V2 gene have been associated with the …


Synthesis Of Novel Coo/Mnfe2o4 Heterostructured Nanoparticles And The Effects Of Variable Size And Extent Of Overgrowth On Their Magnetic Properties, Mohammad Tauhidul Islam Dec 2020

Synthesis Of Novel Coo/Mnfe2o4 Heterostructured Nanoparticles And The Effects Of Variable Size And Extent Of Overgrowth On Their Magnetic Properties, Mohammad Tauhidul Islam

MSU Graduate Theses

A combination of thermal decomposition and surfactant-assisted synthesis route was utilized to synthesize novel CoO/MnFe2O4 heterostructured nanoparticles. Four samples of varying CoO core size were synthesized with variable extent of overgrowth phase. XRD, XPS, SEM and TEM data show evidence of MnFe2O4 spinel phase overgrowth on CoO rock-salt structured nanoparticles. XPS and magnetic data reveal partial oxidation and formation of Co3O4 phase on 7 nm and 19 nm size CoO-based nanoparticles. The remaining samples having 22 nm and 34 nm dimensions show a higher percentage of FiM materials overgrowth on the …


Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar Dec 2020

Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar

MSU Graduate Theses

Fish and macroinvertebrate response to restoration and conservation efforts varies in regards to the size and structure of the system (e.g. headwater streams in WV versus large rivers such as the Mississippi River). This project reviews fish and macroinvertebrate rebound in treated acid mine drainage (AMD) streams in WV as well as macroinvertebrate drift patterns in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. AMD is a product of a chemical reaction resulting in an acidic water outflow from mining sites, which may harm aquatic life. As a response, passive AMD treatment systems have been installed. I tested the effectiveness of remediation by …


Effect Of Marketing Through Value Added And Video Sales On Feeder Cattle Prices, Amanda Trotter Dec 2020

Effect Of Marketing Through Value Added And Video Sales On Feeder Cattle Prices, Amanda Trotter

MSU Graduate Theses

Feeder cattle marketing opportunities for producers in Missouri continue to expand. Missouri ranks within the top ten U.S. States in beef cow inventory and is a major feeder calf exporter. Selecting the appropriate marketing opportunity can have a dramatic impact on the income of the cattle producer. Feeder cattle marketing opportunities include value-added program sales, video auctions, as well as the traditional live cattle auction. A long-term study comparing these marketing opportunities in a single livestock market in Missouri has not been conducted. The objective of this study is to analyze cattle characteristics that can influence market price in feeder …


Inviting Entry-Level Composition Students To Interact With Their Instructor Outside Of The Classroom: Influences, Trends, And New Perspectives, Alyssa K. Knight Dec 2020

Inviting Entry-Level Composition Students To Interact With Their Instructor Outside Of The Classroom: Influences, Trends, And New Perspectives, Alyssa K. Knight

MSU Graduate Theses

This study enters the discourse surrounding student-faculty interaction through an investigation of out-of-class interactions within an entry-level composition course. Empirical studies have found students and instructors in undergraduate courses often communicate infrequently, but most studies gathered quantitative data on interactions through student reporting. This study investigated influences on undergraduate students’ desire to interact with the course instructor outside of the classroom through the lens of both the instructor and the students. This study addressed the potential differences between students’ perceptions and the course instructor’s observations and found that the instructors’ demeanor, course content, and instructional delivery impact the number of …


Raman Spectroscopic Investigation Of The Speciation Of Uranyl (Vi) And Thorium (Iv) Ions In Chloride-Bearing Aqueous Solutions Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Nadib Akram Dec 2020

Raman Spectroscopic Investigation Of The Speciation Of Uranyl (Vi) And Thorium (Iv) Ions In Chloride-Bearing Aqueous Solutions Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Nadib Akram

MSU Graduate Theses

Raman spectra were acquired for a uranyl chloride aqueous solution at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 500°C at the chloride concentration of 6M and uranium (vi) concentration of 0.05M. The measurements were taken by sealing the sample in a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) which enabled spectra acquisition at non-ambient conditions. The pressure inside the cell was measured by estimating the liquid-vapor homogenization temperature (TH) and using the isochoric equation of state diagram of water. The acquired spectra were then fitted to determine the speciation distribution of the various uranyl chloride species for the mentioned concentration. The developed …


Kinetic Monte Carlo Investigations Involving Atomic Layer Deposition Of Metal-Oxide Thinfilms, David Tyler Magness Dec 2020

Kinetic Monte Carlo Investigations Involving Atomic Layer Deposition Of Metal-Oxide Thinfilms, David Tyler Magness

MSU Graduate Theses

Atomic Layer Deposition is a method of manufacturing thin film materials. Metal-oxides such as zinc-oxide and aluminum-oxide are particularly interesting candidates for use in microelectronic devices such as tunnel junction barriers, transistors, Schottky diodes, and more. By adopting a 3D Kinetic Monte Carlo model capable of simulating ZnO deposition, the effect of parameters including deposition temperature, chamber pressure, and composition of the initial substrate at the beginning of deposition can be investigated. This code generates two random numbers: One is used to select a chemical reaction to occur from a list of all possible reactions and the second is used …


Prospects For Enhancing The Market For Goat Meat Products: Analysis Of The 2019 Goat Meat Survey, Ashton M. Light Dec 2020

Prospects For Enhancing The Market For Goat Meat Products: Analysis Of The 2019 Goat Meat Survey, Ashton M. Light

MSU Graduate Theses

The objective of this study was to identify goat meat product attributes and sociodemographic drivers of consumers’ willingness to buy to goat meat products. To do so the study used a nationwide consumer survey on goat meat preferences. A binary logit model was used to examine the factors affecting willingness to buy. Results show that gender, age, region, primary shopper, and product attribute preference for quality, price, leanness, cholesterol, and freshness significantly affect consumer willingness to buy goat sausage, jerky, burger, and patties.


The Impacts Of Race And Video Angle On Judgments Of Police Interactions, Shelby Gabrielle Wynn Dec 2020

The Impacts Of Race And Video Angle On Judgments Of Police Interactions, Shelby Gabrielle Wynn

MSU Graduate Theses

With the invention of video recording on cell phones and the increased use of social media, the ability to record and distribute instances of police misconduct has become much easier. In recent years, such videos have captured White police officers using extreme force towards black citizens, many times leading to their deaths. Despite the increase in access to these videos, many of the officers involved are not convicted (or even indicted) of any crimes. Researchers have begun to examine variables that impact how people judge videotaped police/civilian interactions. For example, it has been found that when viewing interrogation videos, people …


Developing A Tourism Opportunity Index Regarding The Prospective Of Overtourism In Nepal, Susan Phuyal Dec 2020

Developing A Tourism Opportunity Index Regarding The Prospective Of Overtourism In Nepal, Susan Phuyal

MSU Graduate Theses

This research explores Nepal's overtourism scenario based on the capacity of a locality to manage sustainable tourism practices. Environmental degradation, local infrastructure degradation, negative tourist experience and local resident responses regarding visitors are the four main variables used in this study to analyze overtourism. In order to analyze the case study of overtourism, we select the three top touristic cities of Nepal, Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan based on the number of annual visitors. Nepal's case analysis of overtourism conditions reviews the overall threat of over-tourism and establishes a metric by which tourism can be viewed as potentially detrimental to sustainability. …


Missa Brevis, Eunwha Kang Dec 2020

Missa Brevis, Eunwha Kang

MSU Graduate Theses

Missa Brevis is a twenty-minute composition for mixed choir, horn, trumpet, and trombone. Because the piece is a “short mass,” it consists of only four movements, leaving out the Credo. It is composed more concisely than a general mass. The Mass is centered on the note E, and each movement is based on a different scale. The inspiration for this work came from composers of various historical periods and geographical regions. Elements of traditional South Korean music, as well as Neoclassical music elements similar to those found in the music of Paul Hindemith and Igor Stravinsky are incorporated throughout …


Between The Lines: Reflexive Misogyny And Remediated Forms In A Secret Online Group Of Women Poets, Rae Elizabeth Snobl Dec 2020

Between The Lines: Reflexive Misogyny And Remediated Forms In A Secret Online Group Of Women Poets, Rae Elizabeth Snobl

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis examines an online, secret writing community for 1,800+ women-only poets called “The Retreat.” Analysis of two years of Facebook posts and interviews with group members revealed a noticeable membership split between those publishing through conventional literary venues, the “traditional poets,” and social media poets. These “Instapoets,” as labeled by popular media each had between 10,000 to 125,000+ followers on sites like Instagram and Facebook—significant numbers when seen in the context of readership and monetizing. Yet, their digital, snippet poems did not hold to the literary norms of poetry, both in form and publishing method. This led to a …


The Role Of Rna Editing Within Calcium-Dependent Activator For Secretion 1 In Large Dense Core Vesicle Fusion, Kaylee M. Mathiason Dec 2020

The Role Of Rna Editing Within Calcium-Dependent Activator For Secretion 1 In Large Dense Core Vesicle Fusion, Kaylee M. Mathiason

MSU Graduate Theses

Calcium-dependent activator protein for secretion 1 (CAPS1) is involved in synaptic vesicle and large dense core vesicle fusion by bridging vesicles and the plasma membrane prior to vesicle fusion and cargo release. CAPS1 is subject to a post-transcriptional modification called RNA editing. RNA editing recodes a single amino acid in the region of the protein that interacts with the vesicle. This recoding event within CAPS1 has cellular consequences in neurons where edited CAPS1 overexpression increases basal secretion from neural synaptic vesicles. Our goal was to investigate how RNA editing within CAPS1 affects large dense core vesicle secretion in an insulinoma …


Population Surveys And Health Assessments Of Captive And Free-Ranging Alligator Snapping Turtles, Samantha Louise Hannabass Aug 2020

Population Surveys And Health Assessments Of Captive And Free-Ranging Alligator Snapping Turtles, Samantha Louise Hannabass

MSU Graduate Theses

Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) have experienced range-wide declines primarily due to overharvest for the meat market and habitat degradation in the form of damming and channelization of rivers. Head-start programs and reintroduction efforts have been initiated to release individuals throughout their historic range. Before releasing Alligator Snapping Turtles, sites need to be assessed to determine the suitability of habitat, if there is a robust turtle community already present, and the causes of the original extirpation have been eliminated. I assessed the turtle communities and documented anthropogenic impacts (e.g. boat traffic) at nine possible reintroduction sites in southeastern …


Development Of A Cvd Assisted Pld System For Growing Novel Materials, Sinjan Majumder Aug 2020

Development Of A Cvd Assisted Pld System For Growing Novel Materials, Sinjan Majumder

MSU Graduate Theses

The fundamental step for development of novel materials like semiconductors involves stacking of layers of thin films of materials with desired properties on a particular substrate. In order to study the properties of these materials for research purposes in the laboratory, development of a clean fabrication technique is essential. PLD is a technique employed for growing thin films using laser ablation of a target material. CVD is an alternate method used to deposit solid materials from a gaseous phase. However, combining these two techniques can enhance plume, gas and laser interaction to facilitate the growth of novel materials with new …


Applications Of Artificial Intelligence And Graphy Theory To Cyberbullying, Jesse D. Simpson Aug 2020

Applications Of Artificial Intelligence And Graphy Theory To Cyberbullying, Jesse D. Simpson

MSU Graduate Theses

Cyberbullying is an ongoing and devastating issue in today's online social media. Abusive users engage in cyber-harassment by utilizing social media to send posts, private messages, tweets, or pictures to innocent social media users. Detecting and preventing cases of cyberbullying is crucial. In this work, I analyze multiple machine learning, deep learning, and graph analysis algorithms and explore their applicability and performance in pursuit of a robust system for detecting cyberbullying. First, I evaluate the performance of the machine learning algorithms Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, Random Forest, Decision Tree, and Logistic Regression. This yielded positive results and obtained upwards …


Socialism's Specter: The Effect Of Persuasion On Implicit Attitudes Towards Socialism, Amber Yanez Aug 2020

Socialism's Specter: The Effect Of Persuasion On Implicit Attitudes Towards Socialism, Amber Yanez

MSU Graduate Theses

Anti-socialist propaganda and media have swayed individuals to skepticism and fear about socialism. The propaganda, however, does not reflect necessarily the truth about socialism, in its persuasion against it. Media often uses persuasion techniques to influence opinions and beliefs. The primary focus of this study was to assess whether persuasion could be used to persuade participants’ implicit attitudes towards socialism. Participants were persuaded with pro-socialism content, anti-socialism content, and neutral content; and then completed an Implicit Association Test. It was hypothesized that the participants in the pro-socialism condition would have an implicit bias towards socialism, the participants in the anti-socialism …