Digital Commons Network^™

Black Joining The Ranks Of White: Black Slaveowning In 1800s South Carolina, Zachary M. Saddow

Graduate Theses

Exploring the lives and impact of the Black slaveholders in Antebellum South Carolina is a highly overlooked subject in a sensitive area. The idea of a Black slaveholder stands contrary to the widely held belief of slavery held by a majority in the United States. This realization is also startling as most slaveholders were White, with those in bondage being Black. These Black slaveholders actively took part in the system of slavery including the buying and selling of slaves, the production of cash crops, and even support for the eventual Confederacy. Although many began their life in chains, Black future …

Times Of Crisis: A Comparative Discourse Analysis Of U.S. And Mexican Presidential Rhetoric, Kassandra Gonzalez-Ramos

LSU Master's Theses

Language is a communicative tool that in the possession of politicians holds the power to be persuasive and aggressive, empowering and uniting, or disruptive and dividing. Previous research has relied on numerous methodological approaches to analyze political discourse from different viewpoints to reveal the manner in which politicians as part of political institutions transform and manipulate language. The current investigation performs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) based on the framework developed by Van Dijk (1993,1997) in order to demonstrate the speech act realization in a total of 14 political speeches delivered by American presidents Biden, Trump, and Obama and Mexican …

Thawing Interests: The Arctic In U.S. Grand Strategy, Benjamin S. Murray

MSU Graduate Theses

The thawing Arctic is subject to increasing activity, attention, and a renewal of interests in the region from around the globe. National interests have compelled strategic planning in the Arctic region and are connected to global geopolitics. A concept of grand strategy is distilled from theories of past authors, understood within the modern context. That concept includes a terminological framework consisting of interests and threats to inform an ends, ways, and means design of strategy, composed of all instruments of state power, blending policy with strategy, and across the peace-war continuum. Then fundamental precepts of existing U.S. grand strategy are …

Demand Analysis Of Vietnamese Coffee In The U.S., Leo Kyaw Zin

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Coffee production in Vietnam has increased almost 100-fold within the past three decades, positioning it to become the second-largest coffee exporter in the world after Brazil. The U.S. is a top market for Vietnamese coffee. In this study, we estimate a conditional demand system of expenditure share equations for coffee from Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, and an aggregate of seven other countries in the U.S. coffee market using the Linear Approximation Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) and based on monthly time-series data from 2000 to 2020 with a total of 252 observations. Compensated and uncompensated own-price, cross-price, and expenditure elasticities were …

Greenhouse Tomatoes: Process Simulation, Juan Gabriel Marin Jr.

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing population demand and challenges brought on by climate change have spurred the need for more resilient fruit and vegetable supply chains. One agricultural technology of significant interest is the use of greenhouses for food production. Greenhouses create a stable and adaptable environment for crops such as tomatoes to grow year-round. Fresh tomatoes are the second most consumed vegetable per capita in U.S. diets, currently averaging 20.7 pounds. The growing consumption of fresh tomatoes has been the result of increasing cultural diversity in the United States.

To meet the growing demand, Venlo-type greenhouses have been frequently used by growers. It …

An Analysis Of 7th Grade Us History Students And The Desire To Participate In Academic Dishonesty In A Forced Hybrid Learning Model, Alexander Jelacic

Education Masters Papers

The purpose of this action research was to analyze ninety students in a 7^th grade US History students and the desire to participate in Academic Dishonesty in a forced hybrid learning model. Data was collected over a period of five weeks using pre and post intervention surveys, an exit slip for self-assessment, and unit assessment scores. Then seeing how reading a script with positive words created by students and adding a proctor can affect the results. Results show a positive correlation between reading a script and proctoring with student self-reporting, morality, and efficacy, however, it did not have correlation …

2021 Department Of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition Electrical System, Grayson Capers, Shane Alayvilla, Justin Rodrigues

Electrical Engineering

In this work, the implementation of the electrical system for Cal Poly’s 2021 Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition turbine is described. The mission of this project was to complete the turbine testing tasks to the best of the team’s ability. This system includes an off the shelf slotless permanent magnet synchronous generator and rectifier to produce a DC voltage. To maximize the power output at below-rated wind speeds, current sensors, voltage sensors, and a dynamic load with variable resistance were designed and tested. To curtail the power and rotor speed in high wind events, the turbine was equipped with …

Extreme Far-Right Murder-Suicide Attacks In The U.S. And Germany: A Comparative Storyline Analysis, Hayden Lucas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite increasing empirical research on suicide terrorism since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, prior studies have focused primarily on radical Islamic terrorism in non-Western contexts. As a result, less is known about how murder-suicide attacks committed by other ideological movements unfold, particularly the extreme far-right in North America and Europe. Researchers have begun to theorize the social and psychological processes believed to play a role in the radicalization of suicide terrorists. However, the observable, situational processes shaping radicalized individuals when planning, preparing for, and executing suicide terrorism remain underexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify intervention points by …

5g Technology, U.S. - China Race, And The Competition For Dominance, Rhodes M. Walker

Honors Theses

For much of the 21^st century, the United States and China have been competing to determine which world superpower will have the upper-hand for decades to come.The creation of 5G networks has raised new questions which are imperative to understanding the outlook for the competition between the United States and China for global dominance. This thesis sought to answer the question: Why would implementing the first 5G networks be the key to global dominance for the next decade or longer? In addressing this question, this thesis discusses the current state of 5G networks in China, the U.S., and Europe …

Is United States’ Economic Power In Decline? Can China Replace The U.S. As The World’S Next Economic Superpower?, Islam Bakirci

Dissertations

The decline of American economic power has been passionately debated for decades. Starting from the Kennedy administration, there were many cases that declinist scholars interpreted as the beginning of American economic power decline. The financial crisis of 2007-09 is the latest case of the same debate. However, unlike the previous cases, declinist scholars who support the idea of U.S. economic power is in decline after the financial crisis, strongly believe that this time the decline is different. This time the decline is real. In addition, the same scholars also argue that China, as an economic challenger which is different from …

"It's About More Than Just Animals": Environmental Politics Of Zoo-Adjacent Conservation(Ists) In The U.S., Dayton D. Starnes Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

This research explores the influences of diverse environmental politics in shaping zoo-adjacent conservation activities in the United States. Based upon 13 months of multi-sited ethnographic research, conducted with conservation actors across six states, the researcher investigates and documents how conservation professionals—operating in contexts adjacent to zoological institutions—experience and respond to the socio-environmental implications associated with the cascading effects of global environmental change. In the face of current challenges and uncertain environmental futures—shaped by habitat alterations, ecological transitions, and species declines/extinctions—conservationists are undergoing their own processes of reassessment and reconfiguration of their underpinning philosophies and body of practices that inform their …

Evaluating The Impact Of Federal Mental Health Policy: An Analysis Of How Federal Deinstitutionalization Impacted Persons With Severe Mental Illness, Jillian K. Douglas

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This policy evaluation project evaluated how federal mental health policy changes impact individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness through analyzing how institutionalization and deinstitutionalization policies impact persons with severe mental illness (SMI). In order to determine how federal policy changes impact outcomes for people diagnosed with SMI, psychiatric hospitalization rates per 100,000 from 1850 to 2015 are compared to the life expectancy, incarceration rates per 100,000, and percentage of unhoused population with SMIs in the United States (U.S.) during the same years. Research compiled for this paper found that decreasing the numbers of psychiatric beds correlates within creased rates of …

Why The Taliban Have Been Successful In Afghanistan, Donovan Fox

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to attempt to solve why the Taliban have been successful in Afghanistan. In an attempt to solve why, I develop and test a theory on the Taliban's success against the U.S. in Afghanistan. My theory claims that the Taliban have been successful due to U.S. forces committing wrongdoings towards Afghan civilians. These wrongdoings, in turn, pushed civilian support away from the U.S. and its allies in this war. Afghan civilians would side with the Taliban, as they sought protection from the invading forces in their country. As a result of this gain in support, …

Guerrilla Warfare In The Philippines: Dispersion, Cooperation, And Desperation, Alexander William Decker

MSU Graduate Theses

Guerrilla warfare in Central Luzon from 1942 to 1945 was extremely limited by available resources and manpower, especially following the mass surrender of U.S. troops in the Philippines to Imperial Japan during the surrender at Bataan on April 9th, 1942. By closely analyzing the primary accounts of Luzon guerrillas Doyle Decker and Robert Mailheau, I seek to confirm, confront, and consider many established expectations of guerrilla warfare, especially since much of the established literature espouses a loose set of guidelines for irregular warfare. In this paper, I analyze the pre-war Philippines in order to establish the decisive disadvantages that American …

One Nation Invisible: U.S. Veterans Of Color And The Authoring Of Cultural Citizenship Through Asymmetrical Authorship, Sheeba W. Varkey

Theses and Dissertations

The national story of America is one of a country that has managed the contradictory: many bodies coming together, “out of many, one.” However, such a mythos naturally evades the problematic erasure of many cultural and minority bodies and stories, in the proposition that unity demands such an erasure. As an extension of American civil society, the U.S. military has operated as a part of this system of whiteness, while its military operations have been celebrated as victory for progress and democratic ideals, particularly in WWII. Bodies of color, recruited into the national agenda through military service, while historically denied …

Making A Dent, Emily Morwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

West Virginia’s opioid-related death rates have surpassed any other state since 2014, with projections that it will continue to do so. With the epidemic, largely negative and stereotypical accusations have come, which have led to “othering,” or the concept of making groups ‘other’ due to their differences. This documentary project’s purpose is to address those that have been put in those othered groups through the concept of Standpoint Theory, which argues that insiders to a situation should tell their stories, rather than outsiders. The project aimed to allow the participants to tell their perspectives on the epidemic as insiders in …

External Environmental Dimensions And Financial Performance Of Major Teaching Hospitals In The U.S, Karima Lalani

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background: Teaching hospitals have a unique mission to not only deliver graduate medical education, but to also provide both inpatient and ambulatory care, and to conduct clinical and medical research; therefore, they are under constant financial pressure, and it is important to find out what types of external environmental components affect their financial performance. No recent studies have been comprehensively conducted for all major teaching hospitals in the U.S. to examine if there is an association between the external environmental dimensions based upon Resource Dependence Theory (Munificence, Uncertainty, Complexity) and the short-term financial performance, measured by days cash on hand …

Examining Differences In Physical Activity By Socio-Demographics, Employment, And Social Support Among U.S. Adolescents, Ashleigh Marie Johnson

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The overall decline in physical activity levels during adolescence supports the examination of intrapersonal-, interpersonal-, and behavior-level factors that may influence physical activity behavior among this population. The three papers within this dissertation aimed to examine associations of socio-demographics and socio-environmental factors with physical activity among U.S. adolescents. Papers 1 and 3 used data from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) Study. Paper 1 examined differences in adolescent physical activity by gender and race/ethnicity, and examined modification by grade and socioeconomic status (SES). Paper 3 examined the association of parent- and adolescent-reported parental social support with adolescent …

Untangling The Economic And Social Impediments To Producer Adoption Of Organic Wheat, Donya L. Ralph-Quarnstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumer demand for organic products has shown double-digit growth in recent years encouraging the development of a wider range of goods (Greene, 2017). Americans with an annual household income under $30,000 actively purchase organic foods at nearly the same rate as households with over $75,000 in annual incomes, 42% versus 49% (Greene et al., 2017). Previous research observed the adoption of organic farming practices on a combination of different grains, fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy products from across the globe. However, this is the first study to examine the adoption of organic wheat in the Western U.S. By addressing …

“Picking My Battles ”: Examining The Experiences Of Gender Non-Binary Identities Within The U.S., Mika Raylen Richards

Theses and Dissertations

As there is limited research on non-binary individuals, researching the non-binary experience was essential to normalizing their existence. The qualitative research focuses on 12 non-binary individuals who were at different stages of being out. A thematic analysis helped in understanding multifaceted responses from the participants. The data showed that non-binary individuals experience invalidation each day. Heteronormative societies and individuals tend to only see a binary within gender identity and shape their language around it, whether it be from their refusal of learning or a lack of knowledge of the problem. This failure to acknowledge non-binary individuals influenced many of their …

Constructing The Transsexual: Medicalization, Gatekeeping, And The Privatization Of Trans Healthcare In The U.S., 1950-2019, Erin Gifford

Senior Projects Spring 2019

This project details the medicalization of gender variance in the United States that began in 1950, both in medical discourse and popular culture, and analyzes how this phenomenon has impacted the contemporary landscape of trans healthcare, paying particular attention to issues of access and autonomy.

Gun Control: The Gun Violence Epidemic In The U.S., Anna Koduru

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

While holding almost half of all civilian-owned guns around the globe and yet only 4.4 percent of the world’s population, the United States of America is heavily centered around gun rights due to the 2nd amendment in the U.S. Constitution. But gun violence is on the rise as deaths due to gun violence are at its highest rate in nearly 40 years. Americans are divided amongst themselves when it comes to how we must approach this issue. In order to reduce gun violence in the U.S., both Republican and Democrat leaders must come together and make bipartisan moves to implement …

What Does China's Belt And Road Initiative Mean To The U.S.?, Feifei Zeng

Honors Theses

This thesis through a case study method examines U.S. involvement in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as One Belt, One Road, with an emphasis on analyzing the benefits and costs associated with U.S. involvement, lack of involvement, and maintenance of current status. As a rising power, China hopes to further expand its influence through BRI. Historically, whenever there is a rising power and an existing dominant power, there exists a potential risk of war. What does this mean for the U.S.? Should the U.S. oppose this initiative to lessen China's power? Or should the U.S. be involved …

Us China Trade Dispute Over Intellectual Property, Mozi Luo

Master's Projects

How have Section 301 investigations impacted trade relations between China and the U.S. in clean energy area, and between Japan and the U.S. in semiconductor and auto part areas, and does the impact provide a guide for the possible outcome of the upcoming Section 301 investigation of China?

After President Donald Trump’s memorandum on August 14, 2017 stating that China’s behavior regarding intellectual property rights (IPR) and the high technology industries adversely influences the U.S. economy, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) declared the initiation of a section 301 investigation of China on the topic of technology transfer and intellectual …

Stories Of Strength: Chicago Latin@S' Navigation Of Health, Well-Being, And Chronic Disease, Lilian L. Milanés

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

Health inequalities take many forms related to race, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnic, language and many other axes throughout communities around the world. Type two diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are examples of conditions (among many others) that disproportionately affect Latino@s in the U.S.. The research of this dissertation is based on fieldwork conducted throughout several predominantly Latin@ neighborhoods in Chicago, IL. This dissertation examines how Latin@s in Chicago navigate health and well-being, and how they engage in agentive strategies in the face of chronic disease. I recorded individual life histories and semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation …

Trends In Antibiotic Resistance And Correlations Of Antibiotic Use And Antibiotic Resistance In A Small Hospital In El Paso, Texas 2013-2015, Christopher Olivas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health threat, primarily, resulting from the excess and inappropriate use of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic consumption trends may differ along the U.S-Mexico border from the rest of the U.S. due to geographical and cultural differences unique to the border region. The objectives of this study were: 1.) To examine the trends in antibiotic resistance among E. coli, ESBL producing E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and MRSA over a 3-year period (2013, 2014, 2015) in a U.S.-Mexico border area hospital; 2.) To examine the trends in antibiotic consumption among aztreonam, cefazolin, cefepime, ceftriaxone, …

Lessons Learned From Cuba: Using Healthcare Systems And Stillbirth Rate Example, Ravi Patel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Cuba and the U.S. have different health care systems but similar health outcomes. In 2015 U.S. and Cuba had the same stillbirth rate. Cuba is a prevention-based system that is free for all, while the U.S. is a treatment-based system that uses a fee for service system. Cuba has ratified international laws that hold it accountable for improving health outcomes especially for women and children. The U.S. can learn from Cuba when it comes to improving health outcomes. The U.S. can improve their health outcomes by including more preventative based interventions and ratifying international law that will hold the U.S. …

Patterns Of Injury In Homicide Relationships: Clinical, Psychological, And Investigative Implications, Shea L. Alvarez Cussen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite accounting for only 1.3% of all violent crime, homicide still, perhaps more than ever, garners widespread fascination. It has long been recognized as a complex event characterized by variations in behavioral style, level of violence, motivation, and personal interaction. Mixed findings and methodological variation (i.e., lack of standardized method of measuring injury severity, sampling bias, varying definitions of victim-offender relationships) regarding severity of wounding and victim-offender relationship highlight the need for more empirical research. The importance of considering multiple elements of a crime when attempting to obtain a psychological understanding of victim-offender dynamics has been neglected. In an effort …

American Emergency : Catastrophe And Culture In The U.S.A., From The Civil War To Hurricane Katrina., Lynda Kristian Mercer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines socio-cultural experiences of national disasters in the United States as they intersect with political rhetorics of democracy, to understand the forms and functions of state power as it is mediated through famous historical figures. Tracing the manifold possibilities from within and around the disruptive spacetimes of disaster, which sociologist Harvey Molotch describes in their ultimate function as societal “rationalizers” (371), I analyze catastrophes as contested spaces and histories that often get situated as variations on the “man vs. nature/god/man” binaries in public discourse. By analyzing the deployment of, and response to, such explanatory frameworks in the United …

International Law And The Use Of Lawfare: An Argument For The U.S. To Adopt A Lawfare Doctrine, Trevor Michael Alfred Logan

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive operational definition of lawfare, analyze historical case studies of states currently implementing lawfare strategies, and to make an argument for why the U.S. should adopt a lawfare doctrine. Chapter 1 will focus on defining the concept of lawfare and drafting an operational definition of lawfare. Chapter 2 focuses on the evolution of the lawfare doctrine established by the People's Republic of China (PRC), identifies the current lawfare operations conducted by the PRC in the fields of maritime, airspace, cyberspace, and outer space, and analyzing the implications of PRC lawfare operations …