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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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


(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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


Investigation Into Bacterial Impairment Of Greene And Polk County Water Systems, John C. Kincaid Aug 2021

Investigation Into Bacterial Impairment Of Greene And Polk County Water Systems, John C. Kincaid

MSU Graduate Theses

Bacterial impairment of water systems is a major issue facing mankind. Bacteria that are introduced into a system have the potential to cause harmful diseases to wildlife and humans. In Greene and Polk counties, many water systems have become bacterially impaired over the years. Despite this, little is known about the contamination of known harmful bacteria in this region. To address this issue, I investigated the presence of known human pathogens across water systems in these two counties, many of which have displayed high levels of E. coli and fecal indicator microorganisms over many years. I used a high-throughput sequencing …


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 …


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. …


The Co-Requisite Collaboration: Building Self-Confidence, Self-Efficacy, And Rapport Through Dialogue Journals In A Basic Writing Course, Timothy Jacob Pyatt Aug 2021

The Co-Requisite Collaboration: Building Self-Confidence, Self-Efficacy, And Rapport Through Dialogue Journals In A Basic Writing Course, Timothy Jacob Pyatt

MSU Graduate Theses

Research on dialogue journals has grown in the last fifty years, but a gap exists in understanding how and why these dialogue journals work. During the fall of 2020, I conducted a study utilizing quantitative data to examine how dialogue journals impact student’s self-confidence, self-efficacy, and rapport. The data has confirmed that dialogue journals are effective classroom tools and that various aspects such as word count and purpose can be impacted in connection to student’s perceptions of themselves. This project responds to the gap in the literature and provides data to support how and why dialogue journals promote growth in …


Establishing Regenerative Pasture Systems Using Management Intensive Grazing In The Ozarks, Shelbi M. Mundy Aug 2021

Establishing Regenerative Pasture Systems Using Management Intensive Grazing In The Ozarks, Shelbi M. Mundy

MSU Graduate Theses

Soil carbon and soil health are important topics relating to how climate change is impacting agriculture, and how agriculture can in turn impact climate change. The agriculture industry, particularly beef production, has a large opportunity to use conservation agriculture techniques, such as rotational grazing, to offset some of the industry’s impact on carbon emissions, erosion, water pollution, and other environmental issues. This study is the beginning of a long-term project exploring regenerative pasture systems in the Ozarks. The project takes place in a rotational grazing system with 12 paddocks. The objectives of this study are to characterize soil types by …


Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon Aug 2021

Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon

MSU Graduate Theses

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of many turtle species facing conservation challenges. Nearly extirpated in the 1980s, it is currently the subject of a head-start initiative, of which, any lasting behavioral or physiological effects were—until now—unknown! To evaluate the ability of captive-reared individuals to excel in natural habitats, and to foresee any future research or conservation challenges regarding this animal, I explored a suite of variables that influence bite performance and behaviors including captive or free-ranging status, and environmental conditions including body temperature and season. My results indicated that free-ranging M. temminckii outperform those residing …


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 …


The Influence Of Dsm-5 Mental Disorders And Type Of Offense On Perceived Guilt Of Offenders, Sydney N. Stone Aug 2021

The Influence Of Dsm-5 Mental Disorders And Type Of Offense On Perceived Guilt Of Offenders, Sydney N. Stone

MSU Graduate Theses

This study addresses the influence of mental disorder in the perceptions of guilt in offenses by offenders with DSM-V mental disorders. An attitudes survey and vignettes describing combinations of DSM-V disorders and offenses were distributed to 42 participants at Missouri State University, who were then asked to make guilt judgements and rate the magnitude of guilt of the vignette characters. An ANOVA test revealed no significant difference between conditions with mental disorders versus conditions without mental disorders. A regression analysis found significant relationships between guilt ratings and specific mental disorder conditions. Type of mental disorder was concluded to influence the …


Pentecostalism: A Comparative Study Of African And African American Churches In Springfield, Emmanuel Kumah Aug 2021

Pentecostalism: A Comparative Study Of African And African American Churches In Springfield, Emmanuel Kumah

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis is a comparative ethnography of two forms of black Pentecostalism, an African American congregation and an African immigrant congregation. The goal of this project is to show the similarities and differences between these Pentecostal groups. By observing members and interviewing them about worship practices, glossolalic utterances, and gender, the project reveals that although these two groups historically have a common root, there are both real parallels and differences between them because they developed independently from each other. This fieldwork at the African American Deliverance Temple Ministries and the African immigrant Redeemed Christian Church of God revealed that women …


Marker-Assisted Selection To Determine The Introgression Of Rpv-3 Mediated Downy Mildew Resistance In 'Chambourcin' X 'Caberenet Sauvignon' Grapevine Population, Kavya Sri Tummala Aug 2021

Marker-Assisted Selection To Determine The Introgression Of Rpv-3 Mediated Downy Mildew Resistance In 'Chambourcin' X 'Caberenet Sauvignon' Grapevine Population, Kavya Sri Tummala

MSU Graduate Theses

Downy mildew caused by the fungus, Plasmopara viticola in the grapes is one of the major diseases affecting crop yield throughout the world. Breeding grapes via conventional methods for the downy mildew resistance will take approximately 25-30 years to fully evaluate and release new cultivars. Because of the long breeding cycle in woody plant species like grape, developing DNA markers linked to genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for horticultural traits can greatly accelerate the breeding process and allow a much more accurate selection of progeny. This study aims to determine the presence of resistance in the 267 F1 genotypes …


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 …


Child Life Specialists' Knowledge And Perception Of White Privilege, Renee Elise Jamar Lee Aug 2021

Child Life Specialists' Knowledge And Perception Of White Privilege, Renee Elise Jamar Lee

MSU Graduate Theses

This study’s goal was to understand child life specialists’ knowledge and perception of White privilege. The purpose of this study was to examine child life specialists’ understanding of White privilege and to obtain their perspectives on the impact White privilege has on patient- and family-centered care within the hospital setting. Through qualitative interviews, participants defined “White privilege,” shared their perception of “White privilege” and the impact it has on patient- and family-centered care, as well their personal experience with diversity and inclusion training. Additionally, participants created their own personal lists of unearned advantages as an exercise of awareness and acknowledgement …


The Determinants Of Food Insecurity In The United States: A State Level Analysis, Zhuoya Li Aug 2021

The Determinants Of Food Insecurity In The United States: A State Level Analysis, Zhuoya Li

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of food insecurity at the state level with the goal of providing policy guidance to reduce the prevalence of food insecurity in the United States. Data for the study was collected from various governmental and non-governmental sources. Linear regression models and sensitivity analyses were conducted. The study found that increase in household income is likely to significantly reduce the prevalence of food insecurity and very low food security. While poverty alleviation is more important than level of education for food insecure households, level of education is more important than poverty …


A Study Concerning Factors That Contribute To School Counselors' Self-Efficacy, Cory J. Neal Aug 2021

A Study Concerning Factors That Contribute To School Counselors' Self-Efficacy, Cory J. Neal

MSU Graduate Theses

Many school districts and states still require that school counselors have previous teaching experience before one can begin a career in school counseling. There is little to no data to support these claims and the data that is available does not include how the school counselor’s own previous experiences influence their self-efficacy in their current roles. The data for this study was collected through an online survey sent to school counselors in Missouri. The qualitative data was evaluated using a grounded theory approach while the quantitative data was analyzed through a series of t-tests for independent samples, with group membership …


The Influence Of Human Attentional State And Familiarity On Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) And Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Sociability, Jenna J. Dail Aug 2021

The Influence Of Human Attentional State And Familiarity On Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) And Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Sociability, Jenna J. Dail

MSU Graduate Theses

An essential element of an animal’s character is sociability (Gosling and John, 1999) and is demonstrated through interactions with other individuals (Capitanio, 2002). Although it is common to believe that domestic cats are not social beings, they have exhibited variance in solitary and social behavior, contingent on their environment and history (Turner, 2014). Much of the research on sociable behavior of animals has been completed between conspecifics. There has been less examination into interspecies sociability, and that which has been reviewed is focused on the relationship between humans and the domestic dog (Udell et al., 2010). Following this work, Vitale …


Why Am I Like This? An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Childhood Experiences On Adult Attachment Style, Amaris Clay Aug 2021

Why Am I Like This? An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Childhood Experiences On Adult Attachment Style, Amaris Clay

MSU Graduate Theses

Early childhood experiences and parental relationships have a lasting influence on future interpersonal relationships and the associated behaviors (Cortazar and Herreros 2010; Raby et al. 2015; Simons et al. 2014; Treger and Sprecher 2011). The proposed study is investigating the complex links between adverse childhood experiences, parenting style, and attachment style. The purpose of this study was to examine the lasting impact of early childhood factors and how they affect relationships in adulthood. The study intends to replicate previous research on parenting style and attachment style. The results of this study will add to the body of research centered on …


How Competition Undermines Deterrence, Kayse Jansen Aug 2021

How Competition Undermines Deterrence, Kayse Jansen

MSU Graduate Theses

The re-emergence of great power competition has brought with it a U.S. government-wide initiative to reclaim and strengthen advantage and influence across all elements of national power. Competition is considered necessary to secure American interests and protect the existing liberal international order, as well as uphold deterrence by enhancing the nation’s ability to impose costs and deny benefits. This view, however, neglects a critical factor in deterrence: the cost of restraint, which reflects the acceptability of the status quo. Paradoxically, the more successful the nation is at “competition,” the less likely it may be in important deterrence situations. Successful diplomatic …


Geology Of The Clairmont Springs 7.5-Minute Quadrangle And Geochronology Of The Alabama Blue Ridge, Adelie Ionescu Aug 2021

Geology Of The Clairmont Springs 7.5-Minute Quadrangle And Geochronology Of The Alabama Blue Ridge, Adelie Ionescu

MSU Graduate Theses

The Alabama Blue Ridge (USA) of the southern Appalachians contains metamorphic rocks and structures associated with island arc accretion and continent-continent collision that record the Acadian and Alleghenian orogenies. The western Blue Ridge is underlain by Cambrian to Mississippian, clastic and carbonate, low-grade, greenschist facies metamorphic Talladega belt that formed outboard from the Alabama promontory or along the Laurentian margin. The eastern Blue Ridge contains the Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic, lithologically diverse, high grade, middle to upper amphibolite facies Ashland Supergroup. Geologic mapping of the Clairmont Springs 7.5- minute quadrangle unveils tectonic relationships between the eastern and western Blue Ridge and …


Through The Wilderness: Andrew Jackson's Military Road And The Settlement Of The Southern Frontier, Dustin Mitchell Wren May 2021

Through The Wilderness: Andrew Jackson's Military Road And The Settlement Of The Southern Frontier, Dustin Mitchell Wren

MSU Graduate Theses

Shortly after the War of 1812, the U.S government attempted to construct a new military road system connecting Nashville, Tennessee to strategic ports at New Orleans and Mobile. The road was intended to grant faster military responses to British, Spanish, and Indian threats within America’s southern frontier and to aid in the region’s settlement. The American government directed iconic General Andrew Jackson to spearhead the road’s construction, believing the construction would be rapid and the expenses minimal. However, the impenetrable thickets and inundating swamps of the Mississippi Territory proved untamable, while shifting geo-political dynamics mitigated the road’s necessity. Never used …