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Geochemical Investigation Of Monogenetic Volcanoes From The Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska, Clayton L. Reinier Dec 2021

Geochemical Investigation Of Monogenetic Volcanoes From The Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska, Clayton L. Reinier

MSU Graduate Theses

Small-volume basaltic magmas found at continental intraplate environments have not been as extensively studied compared to their polygenetic counterparts. Specifically, regions such as the Bering Sea basalt province, described as a diffuse igneous province, have commonly been overlooked. Assumptions that these systems are invoked by simple, single batches of magma has subsequently left a gap in understanding the processes responsible for primary magma generation away from plate boundaries with little tectonic influence. The following studies that constitute this thesis focus on an in-depth geochemical investigation at the crystal and sub-crystal scale to evaluate lithospheric mantle heterogeneities, processes that govern primary …


Effects Of "Lemongrass Factor" On Galleria Mellonella Hemocytes, Jennifer C. Rice Dec 2021

Effects Of "Lemongrass Factor" On Galleria Mellonella Hemocytes, Jennifer C. Rice

MSU Graduate Theses

The use of conventional chemical insecticides to control agricultural pest has become problematic as they may have a negative impact towards human health and the environment, resulting in a need to research alternative methods to insect pest control. Plant derived substances like essential oils have been used for generations as toxicants, repellants, and anti-feedants to control agricultural pest. More research is needed to understand how insect immune systems react to essential oils and if cellular immune responses of phagocytosis, encapsulation, and nodulation can be inhibited by such. Subjecting Galleria mellonella to various concentrations of “lemongrass factor” lets the researcher/scientist know …


Finite Groups In Which The Number Of Cyclic Subgroups Is 3/4 The Order Of The Group, James Alexander Cayley Dec 2021

Finite Groups In Which The Number Of Cyclic Subgroups Is 3/4 The Order Of The Group, James Alexander Cayley

MSU Graduate Theses

Let $G$ be a finite group, c(G) denotes the number of cyclic subgroups of G and α(G) = c(G)/|G|. In this thesis we go over some basic properties of alpha, calculate alpha for some families of groups, with an emphasis on groups with α(G) = 3/4, as all groups with α(G) > 3/4 have been classified by Garonzi and Lima (2018). We find all Dihedral group with this property, show all groups with α(G) = 3/4 have at least |G|/2-1 involutions, and discuss existing work by Wall (1970) and Miller (1919) classifying all such groups.


Using Self-Management Procedures To Decrease Social Media Usage In Adults, Olivia Joy Solari Dec 2021

Using Self-Management Procedures To Decrease Social Media Usage In Adults, Olivia Joy Solari

MSU Graduate Theses

Social media is a widely used tool and the effects it has on well-being and productivity levels are well known. Due to widespread concern about the negative effects (e.g., addiction, reduced productivity, unhappiness) of social media there is increased interest in methods for reducing this behavior. Self-management techniques have shown great utility for managing behavior. The current study used a changing-criterion design with an embedded reversal to determine the effectiveness of a self-management treatment package on decreasing participant social media usage. The treatment package consisted of feedback, self-monitoring, goal setting, and a token economy. Results of the current study show …


Nicu Experiences Of Adoptive Parents & Desired Preparation, Catherine J. Howe Dec 2021

Nicu Experiences Of Adoptive Parents & Desired Preparation, Catherine J. Howe

MSU Graduate Theses

Parents who have newborns admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) have multiple experiences and emotions. Additional social and emotional layers are experienced by adoptive couples when the infant they wish to adopt needs specialized care. This research study was completed to find out what adoptive parents experience in the NICU and what preparation would have been helpful. The method included semi-structured, open-ended interviews with seven couples who adopted a newborn at a Midwestern adoption agency within the past three years and had a NICU experience. The results described adoptive couples’ experiences on the unit, bonding and attachment, fears …


The Erasure Of Monosexism: An Exploration Of Identity Development In Bisexual Women, Emma M. Leonard Dec 2021

The Erasure Of Monosexism: An Exploration Of Identity Development In Bisexual Women, Emma M. Leonard

MSU Graduate Theses

Research has shown that bisexual individuals experience poorer mental health outcomes, resulting in depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal ideation, than their gay or straight counterparts (Calzo, Antonucci, Mays, & Cochran, 2011; Ross, Dobinson, & Eady, 2010; Taylor, Power, & Smith, 2020). These poor mental health outcomes suggest bisexual individuals may be experiencing hardships these other groups are not. This qualitative study sought to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of bisexual women aged 18-25. The researcher sought to gain an understanding of self-identified resiliency factors by the women as it pertains to their sexual/affectional orientation. Detailed interviews were …


Is There Room In The United States Diet For Goat Meat? Analysis Of The 2019 National Goat Meat Survey, Everett Marcus Martin Dec 2021

Is There Room In The United States Diet For Goat Meat? Analysis Of The 2019 National Goat Meat Survey, Everett Marcus Martin

MSU Graduate Theses

Demand for goat meat has steadily increased in the past decade, but few studies have been conducted addressing goat meat attributes and demographic factors on consumers’ willingness to buy goat meat products. Analyzing a national consumer survey on goat meat preference, a logit modeling is used addressing factors affecting willingness to buy three goat meat products: grass-fed, locally grown, and organically raised. Results indicate that quality and freshness attribute characteristics significantly affect consumer willingness to buy grass-fed, organic, and locally grown goat meat.


Expression And Purification Of Cytochrome 2u1 And Canine 1a2 And Metabolism Of Caffeine By Cytochrome 1a2, Brenda M. Wekesa Dec 2021

Expression And Purification Of Cytochrome 2u1 And Canine 1a2 And Metabolism Of Caffeine By Cytochrome 1a2, Brenda M. Wekesa

MSU Graduate Theses

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are a large family of membrane heme proteins involved in eliminating drugs and the synthesis or elimination of steroids, eicosanoids, and vitamins. CYP2U1 is one of the poorly characterized P450 enzymes classified as orphan cytochrome P450 with unknown exact biological function. It is expressed in the brain and thymus as a catalyst in the hydroxylation of arachidonic acid. Unlike other cytochrome P450s, CYP2U1 is a bit unusual with forty extra amino acids. If a mutation occurs, it can lead to an early onset inherited disorder of the central nervous system called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP). Most of …


An Exploration Of The Role Of Farm Business Decisions In Addressing Financial Challenges For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lucas Paloschi Dec 2021

An Exploration Of The Role Of Farm Business Decisions In Addressing Financial Challenges For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lucas Paloschi

MSU Graduate Theses

The next generation of farmers takes an important role in the food production for subsequent years. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (2017) estimation that 70% increase of production will need to be achieved within the next 30 years set awareness across the globe. Researchers have been studying and trying to find means to aid beginning farmers in a variety of ways. This study measures farm decisions that affect financial performance of farmers aiming to facilitate beginning producers’ decision making. Three regressions were used to analyze how different variables affect farmers’ profitability and repayment capacity. Using a county-level data for the …


Simulation And Fabrication Of All Oxide-Based Ito/Tio2/Cuo/Au Heterostructure For Solar Cell Applications, Sajal Islam Dec 2021

Simulation And Fabrication Of All Oxide-Based Ito/Tio2/Cuo/Au Heterostructure For Solar Cell Applications, Sajal Islam

MSU Graduate Theses

Oxide heterostructures have drawn great attention lately, due to their environment-friendly properties and potential applications in optoelectronic devices. In this work, a simulation study of a heterojunction solar cell was performed with SCAPS (a solar cell simulator) using TiO2 as an n-type and CuO as a p-type layer. The thickness and the dopant-dependent simulations have shown that the solar cell operates at a maximum efficiency of 19.2% when the thickness of the TiO2/CuO layers is chosen 1.4µm/1.2µm compared to the 11.5% efficiency when FTO is replaced with ITO. An indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) vs fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) comparison study …


Pulsed Laser Annealing On The Optoelectronic Properties Of Zno Thin Films, Md Abu Zobair Dec 2021

Pulsed Laser Annealing On The Optoelectronic Properties Of Zno Thin Films, Md Abu Zobair

MSU Graduate Theses

ZnO thin films have attracted great attention recently due to their unique electronic and optical properties. However, for proper implementation of ZnO in electronic devices it is necessary to understand the role of native point defects present inside the material as these wide bandgap semiconductors are inherently n-type due to oxygen vacancies. The objective is to control the electronic and optical properties of ZnO thin films through pulsed laser annealing (PLA). Thin films of ZnO have been grown on different substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Then PLA of the films are done by changing laser parameters (energy, frequency, pulse width, …


Islands In The Sun: Lawfare And Great-Power Competition In The Indo-Pacific, Clayton T. Russo Dec 2021

Islands In The Sun: Lawfare And Great-Power Competition In The Indo-Pacific, Clayton T. Russo

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis examines the U.S.-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty and its future considering the recent developments in the international security environment. The 2018 National Defense Strategy brought back an emphasis on Great Power Competition, fundamentally transforming the role of U.S. alliances to address new challenges. In the 2021 budget, the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) has prioritized the People’s Republic of China as the number one pacing threat to theUnited States, drastically shifting international focus away from the Middle East and towards East Asia. In conjunction with funding new capabilities through the PDI, the U.S. will need to conceive new legal doctrines …


Video Error Concealment Using Convolutional Neural Network, Shashi Khanal Dec 2021

Video Error Concealment Using Convolutional Neural Network, Shashi Khanal

MSU Graduate Theses

Missing information in the video frames is estimated as close as possible to the actual data during video error concealment process. Blocks or slices of information in the video frames can be missing in the decoder due to various reasons like corrupt media drives, network congestion, etc. which reduces the quality of experience for the viewers. One approach to deal with missing information in the video decoder is to use error concealment techniques to fill the missing information. Until now many of these error concealment techniques were based on conventional methods such as block copy, motion vector prediction, and interpolation. …


Luke And Legacy: Bruce Lincoln And The Construction Of Jesus's Prophet-Like Authority In The Gospel Of Luke, Kendall Joseph Mayo Dec 2021

Luke And Legacy: Bruce Lincoln And The Construction Of Jesus's Prophet-Like Authority In The Gospel Of Luke, Kendall Joseph Mayo

MSU Graduate Theses

In his gospel, Luke uses various identity markers in his description of Jesus (Son of God, Son of Man, Davidide, etc.). One of the primary markers that Luke uses for Jesus is “prophet,” and this marker serves Luke’s historiographical purpose of identifying Jesus as the culminating figure in Israelite history. A significant body of work has already been produced discussing the areas where Jesus is shown to act like a prophet. However, this thesis will continue the discussion by looking at the places where Jesus is shown to “bust” the prophetic mold by doing and saying things that prophets normally …


An Exploration Of Team Teaching In The School Band Setting, Aaron Zane Thomas Dec 2021

An Exploration Of Team Teaching In The School Band Setting, Aaron Zane Thomas

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the goals, structure, and director perceptions of team-teaching practices within a vertically-aligned band program. Previous research has indicated that “team teaching” can provide many benefits to both students and teachers. Since not all school districts apply such a system, the objective of this study was to explore a school band program that has implemented vertically-aligned team teaching. I wanted to understand how the directors perceived its benefits, drawbacks, and difficulties. I selected a band program with an established vertically-aligned program that used team-teaching as a pedagogical strategy. I interviewed and observed band …


Building A Repertoire Of Joint Attention Bids In Children With Autism, Erica Jordan Rackers Dec 2021

Building A Repertoire Of Joint Attention Bids In Children With Autism, Erica Jordan Rackers

MSU Graduate Theses

The current study extended previous research through evaluating if a multiple-probe procedure including auditory scripts and script-fading procedures could build a generalized repertoire of initiating bids for joint attention in three young children with autism. Stimuli were selected from four categories. Three categories were associated with teaching procedures and within-category generalization. The fourth category was associated with across-category generalization. The four categories were (a) visually alluring toys, (b) strangely placed objects, (c) large pictures, and (d) sounds. Category assignments in which teaching procedures or generalization were assessed were counterbalanced across the participants. Three different auditory scripts were selected and used …


Artist And Patron Relationships: Social Power Dynamics In Renaissance Italy, Katherine E. Siegler Dec 2021

Artist And Patron Relationships: Social Power Dynamics In Renaissance Italy, Katherine E. Siegler

MSU Graduate Theses

In historical discourse, one of the main discussions that can be found is in relation to determining who holds power in social and political environments. The world of art in Renaissance Italy is a place where such power dynamics were of great importance. My thesis examines social power dynamics in the artist-patron relationship in Renaissance Italy in order to discern who held power in these complex bonds and how such relationships influenced and impacted Renaissance society at large. This work is divided into two units. The first unit provides examples and arguments that maintain that the patron was the main …


Body Image Among High School And College Female Athletes, Mercedes A. Robinson Dec 2021

Body Image Among High School And College Female Athletes, Mercedes A. Robinson

MSU Graduate Theses

This study examined body image among female high school athletes and college athletes across different sports. Athletes participating in track and field, tennis, cross country, dance, cheer, softball, golf, basketball, soccer, and volleyball completed self-report questionnaires assessing various components of body image including the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearances Questionnaire (SATAQ-4), and an edited version of the CHEER Survey. Responses on the questionnaires were analyzed to evaluate differences between high school and college athletes. No differences were found between high school and college athletes on measures of shape/weight concerns, sociocultural pressures for thinness, or internalization of the …


(Australian): Challenges Of The Australian Flying Corps During World War I, Patrick Joseph Blizzard Dec 2021

(Australian): Challenges Of The Australian Flying Corps During World War I, Patrick Joseph Blizzard

MSU Graduate Theses

The air forces of the Great War faced many challenges. These challenges included integrating air power into established military doctrine and coping with the ever evolving airplane technology. The hurdles identified had to be overcome in order for the belligerent nations to wage a successful aerial campaign and control the skies above both static and dynamic forces. For the members of the Australian Flying Corps, these shared challenges were augmented by being the lone British dominion to operate an independent air arm. But what were these additional challenges and how were they overcome? The goal of this thesis is to …


Boxed In: Hinge Closing Performance Of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata), Gina L. Buelow Dec 2021

Boxed In: Hinge Closing Performance Of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata), Gina L. Buelow

MSU Graduate Theses

Turtles are perhaps best known for the bony shells that encase them, a unique morphological trait that provides protection against predators. Many taxa have even evolved the ability to enclose themselves using hinges that can be used to create a seal between the carapace and plastron. I measured the hinge closing force of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) to assess the performance of this unusual yet ecologically important trait. I sampled head-started turtles from Thomson Sand Prairie in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and wild turtles collected in northern Oklahoma. To assess the effects of head-starting …


Modulation Of Glucose Homeostasis By Nucleotide P2y2 Receptor And Biological Sex, Hailee Anne Marino Aug 2021

Modulation Of Glucose Homeostasis By Nucleotide P2y2 Receptor And Biological Sex, Hailee Anne Marino

MSU Graduate Theses

Recent insights into the pathological role of Nucleotide P2Y2 receptor suggest P2Y2R involvement in high fat diet-induced obesity and potentiates insulin resistance. However, these recent insights do not demonstrate how P2Y2R modulates glucose homeostasis under physiological conditions. Further, it remains unknown how sex biological factors influence P2Y2R receptor signaling in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. The research objective for the present study is to elucidate the novel roles of P2Y2 in fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance (basal insulin sensitivity) under resting conditions in males and females. We expected that under physiological …


Corbicula Fluminea Effects On Survival, Growth, And Drift Of Juvenile Lampsilis Siliquoidea In Laboratory Exposures, Allison Nicole Sieja Aug 2021

Corbicula Fluminea Effects On Survival, Growth, And Drift Of Juvenile Lampsilis Siliquoidea In Laboratory Exposures, Allison Nicole Sieja

MSU Graduate Theses

The Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, is an invasive species that is abundant and often co-occurs with native freshwater mussels. Corbicula is widely suspected of having negative effects on native mussels, but few studies have empirically tested this hypothesis. I used laboratory experiments to evaluate how adult Corbicula affected the survivorship, growth, and drift of juvenile Lampsilis siliquoidea. Survival and growth of newly metamorphosed mussels were tested in downwelling flow-through chambers with glass-bead substrate. Treatments were control (no clams), small adult clams, or large adult clams. After 28 days, large clams slightly but significantly reduced the number of juveniles …


Ground Control Point Assessment For Suas-Based Sfm Photogrammetry, Bailey Dianne Wolf Aug 2021

Ground Control Point Assessment For Suas-Based Sfm Photogrammetry, Bailey Dianne Wolf

MSU Graduate Theses

The use of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) in combination with Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is an evolving tool for geoscientists. SfM photogrammetry allows for rapid acquisition of the data that is required to create orthophotos and Digital Surface Models (DSMs) for a variety of field applications. Ground Control Points (GCPs) are used to reconstruct the DSM and evaluate the accuracy of aerial imagery collected from sUAS. When acquiring data for SfM photogrammetry, GCPs are required for spatial referencing. However, questions remain open regarding the effect of methodological techniques on the precision and accuracy of the resulting DSMs. This …


Identification Of Qtls For Berry Acids And Sugar In A Vitis Aestivalis-Derived 'Norton'-Based Population, Karlene Louise Negus Aug 2021

Identification Of Qtls For Berry Acids And Sugar In A Vitis Aestivalis-Derived 'Norton'-Based Population, Karlene Louise Negus

MSU Graduate Theses

Acidity and sugar content are among the grape berry quality traits that influence wine quality. Despite advantageous environmental tolerances of Vitis aestivalis-derived ‘Norton’, its acid and sugar concentrations often deviate from expectations set for V. vinifera. Identification of the genetic determinants of malic acid, tartaric acid, pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) can assist in the improvement of new hybrid cultivars. For this purpose, a ‘Norton’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ hybrid mapping population containing 223 individuals was used to construct a linkage map containing 384 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 2084 genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …


Examining Health Inequity In Ancient Egypt, Samantha Rose Gonzalez Aug 2021

Examining Health Inequity In Ancient Egypt, Samantha Rose Gonzalez

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis explores the history of medicine in ancient Egypt between the Middle and New Kingdoms, and offers a case study highlighting the use of religion and magic in healing and analyzing health inequity. I am interested in medical practices, treatments, diagnosis methods, and access to healthcare in the ancient world. I seek to bridge the gaps and help unify the knowledge surrounding ancient Egyptian medical practices and contribute to the studies in the history of medicine. I explore types of diseases that commonly affected the ancient Egyptians and how they integrated religion and magic into their understanding and treatment …


Development Of Eam And Rf-Meam Interatomic Potential For Zirconium Diboride, Bikash Timalsina Aug 2021

Development Of Eam And Rf-Meam Interatomic Potential For Zirconium Diboride, Bikash Timalsina

MSU Graduate Theses

Embedded Atom Method (EAM) and Modified-EAM (MEAM) interatomic potentials were developed for zirconium diboride (ZrB2). The EAM and “Reference Free” (RF) version of the Modified Embedded Atom Method (RFMEAM) potentials have been fitted by utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT)-based datasets including lattice deformations and high-temperature ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation results. The occupancies of phonons for acoustic phonon modes from the density functional theory calculation shows that these modes of vibration, mostly due to heavier mass element (Zr), which occur below 8.711 THz, while a slight underestimation to that of DFT calculation predicted by EAM below 8.439 THz …


Expression, Purification And Characterization Of The Human Cytochrome P450 Enzyme 4x1 (Cyp4x1) Using Substrate Binding Affinity, Metabolic Assays And Protein Crystallization, Olusegun Adeolu Idowu Aug 2021

Expression, Purification And Characterization Of The Human Cytochrome P450 Enzyme 4x1 (Cyp4x1) Using Substrate Binding Affinity, Metabolic Assays And Protein Crystallization, Olusegun Adeolu Idowu

MSU Graduate Theses

The human cytochrome P450 enzyme 4X1 (CYP4X1) is among the “orphan” cytochrome P450 meaning there is much unknown about its structure, biological function, and regulation in literature study. Scientific work on this protein has primarily been on identifying its physiological functions and expression sites. A recent study found 2 substrates (arachidonic acid and anandamide) catalyzed by the enzyme. Expression in humans appears to be primarily in the brain, prostate, lungs, and neurovascular systems and research has linked the protein as a potential chemotherapy target in brain cancer. So far, only a few inhibitors have been identified. The goal …


Assessing The Prevalance Of Joint-Controlled Mass Wasting In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, U.S.A., Madeline Konopinski Aug 2021

Assessing The Prevalance Of Joint-Controlled Mass Wasting In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, U.S.A., Madeline Konopinski

MSU Graduate Theses

Landslides are common hazards that produce devastating effects worldwide. Within the United States, the Appalachian Mountains are identified as an area of moderate to high susceptibility and incidence for landslides (Mirus et al., 2020; Wieczorek and Morgan, 2008). Given the presence of active seismic zones (eastern Tennessee and Giles County seismic zones) and variable rainfall due to seasonal storms (hurricanes) throughout the Appalachians, ancient earthquake activity or intense rainfall may trigger mass wasting events. Regional bedrock joints may further control the susceptibility of landslides to develop in specific locations during trigger events by providing a pre-existing weakness in the substrate. …


Characterization Of Lamellar Liquid Crystal Emulsifiers In Topical Creams Containing A Novel Solvent, Melinda Joanna Sutton Aug 2021

Characterization Of Lamellar Liquid Crystal Emulsifiers In Topical Creams Containing A Novel Solvent, Melinda Joanna Sutton

MSU Graduate Theses

Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (DEGEE) is a promising solvent component in topical cream formulations due to its superior solubilizing abilities with certain active pharmaceutical ingredients. One of the goals of this study is to characterize the effects of pH on the physical and chemical stabilities of topical cream formulations containing particularly high concentrations of DEGEE by characterizing a full topical pH profile of 3.5 – 9.0. The second goal is to evaluate the presence, amount, and characteristics of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs), molecularly structured in a lamellar phase, in a model cream emulsion utilizing polarized light microscopy (PLM). The presence …


Motivational Factors Affecting Recruitment And Retention In The Clever Band Program, Haley Morgan Adams Aug 2021

Motivational Factors Affecting Recruitment And Retention In The Clever Band Program, Haley Morgan Adams

MSU Graduate Theses

Student participation in band has many educational, social, and life benefits for students; however, high attrition rates reflect that many students are not motivated to join and continue in band. This study surveyed sixth, eighth, and tenth grade students in the Clever R-V School District to examine the factors that the students self-identify when deciding to enroll in and persist with band in school. The survey data were analyzed to identify key factors that affect students’ recruitment and retention in school band. Students answered forty multiple choice questions that addressed areas of motivation including parental support, teacher-student relationship, intrinsic motivation, …